Calling o'er sky, the glorious argent and blue.

Aden Flin · Post by **Aden Flin** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 2:50 am

The sun had set wearily, perhaps in somber reflection of the so-called heretical blood that had been spilled earlier that morning.

The Heretic's Tree, a name travellers and locals began using, sat lonely in the dark quite a few miles from Thrall's Gate. It stood alongside the road, the three mutilated corpses hanging silently from bloodied and bleached spears.

Work began quite a few hours after the sun had gone down. Action had been taken with extreme caution; the speed at which the task was completed spoke of multiple workers with a talented and comprehensive watch system.

Within minutes the debris and bloodshed of the afternoon had been cleared away, leaving only a stain of blood along the trunk of that once magnificent tree. Such caution was taken that no trace of the workers had been left behind—whoever had orchestrated the business had obviously made the appropriate arrangements and was certainly keen on what had to be done, and when.

Atop a hill a few miles away, one might find three freshly buried graves, identified with that characteristic mound of upturned soil. Thrust into the ground before them was a single blade, bearing on its hilt a Crown of Gilt—the sigil of Siril.

Back on the Heretic's Tree lay a simple note, unsigned. Unlike the others, there was no brilliantly painted Crown.

It read thusly:

The message has been delivered. The reply is forthcoming.

Phelan Almaran · Post by **Phelan Almaran** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 2:23 pm

Phelan quietly sits in the Mystyvale as people discuss the evens at Thrall's Gate. He grips his drink tightly as some go so far as to blame the poster of the messages for the deaths of three men. His knuckles whitened as he listened, but he did not speak. Finally, with a measured calm, he set his cup down on the table and a few coin, and left the inn. Quietly leaving the gates, he began walking towards Thrall's Gate. As he pasted the abandoned farm he stopped in its field, the grain waving about him. Kneeling down hidden from view of the road, he begins sobbing softly.

"Ineania, protector of my family, why? How can people be so foolish as to not see the true when it stares them in their face. Those men were not killed by whatever patriot posted those note, rather, those in power wanted to make an example. Why is everyone so foolish? Those in power will only ferment more rebellion with acts like that... those against do nothing but make a show. Guide me, Enki, show me the way..."

He stops crying a moment as movement interrupts him. A wolf had wandered to close and was sniffing about. Phelan ignored it, so far seemed to mean no harm; however, he readied his katana just in case. Moving back towards Cear, he sighed, regaining his composure. It was hard, this life, but necessary.

Minuvas · Post by **Minuvas** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 11:32 pm

*walks by the tree, slightly amused to see the bodies have been taken down.

The Maidens and the Neophytes have no problem locating the desecrated graves of the Heretics nearby - as the eyes and ears of the Church*

"Dig them up..."

"But father, what is in the earth belongs to the.."

"I said dig them up. They are heretics, not ready to be given to Iaosia or Brintha just yet".

The Neophytes did as he instructed.

"This time, when we lay the bait - Neophyte do not fall asleep on the job and forget to mark the mice. For next time you might find yourself on this tree..."

By the next morrow, not only have the three decayed bodies been impaled back onto the tree. But three new men were impaled on top of them, although the men were fatally wounded - they were alive. They spear had been carefully pierced through the flesh, so that if it were removed it would kill them.

Their moaning could easily be heard for a small distance , as they pleaded for someone to end their life.

Minuvas walked over to a Neophyte, and handed him an axe.

"This axe serves two purposes...

Anyone who wishes to aid the heretics, you will strike and turn them over to the Guard. Any of our Church who try to aid them, kill them or take them down - you shall slay them as well.

When three men have finally bled to death, take this axe and chop the tree down. I think the message has been made rather clear, if you wish to throw a rock at the Church, we will roll a boulder ontop of you.

Glory to Lochwar Neophyte, do as Instructed."

he turns to the Church, but quickly turns around "Oh..and..as I said before.

Do not think me twice to be benevolent should you fail to gain the identity of those involved in removing the bodies a second time. You know the penalties for failure rather well"

The sounds of groans permeated The Church long into the night, and for - whatever reason, Minuvas seemed to sleep easier than he had in many ages now.

A note was left hanging above the heads of the bodies on the tree,
"Lochwar unto the Holy and first Emperor, Canas. "My hand does not bring suffering upon your people for no reason, it is moved. It is willed, it is forced by the insolence and lack of faith and loyalty. You are hands upon the levers of your own fate, greatest of my Kin, Canas so chosen. If you wish for your death, you need only ask of it - and I shall deliver it as fast as a blessing. If you are unworthy of what I have to give, ungrateful, I will take pity and end these burdens from you immediately.

With the stroke of my hand, I can tear asunder an entire Empire. With the strength of your faith, I can rebuild it in an instant. My executions motivated by your will. Let me into your wrist, and I shall ease its pain. Hold me unto your heart, and I shall let it beat strong. Bring me into your mind, and with it you shall have my sight. But deny me, and you shall know my wrath"

Kell · Post by **Kell** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 12:51 am

*A silent, steady hand touches the bloodied grass. Upon the hill where soon from now a council will be held, Aswaith sits watching and waiting. Sad but understanding, almost melancholic and wishing for other times. Perhaps the past that indeed was less confusing and less straining; eventhough he shouldn't admit. A soft song flows over his lips, the sound barely audible and the words merely mumbled. The grass whispers and carries the sound further to the tree once blessed wood, once Iaosia's Sacred Child like any other. Pleading for mercy that these poor men did nothing wrong and hence should not be punished. Their impossible situation and the Church of Lochwar makes it impossible for the elf to do much. And so he does nothing but granting them the ultimate; their deliverance. Whispered to by the grass, the small bugs and all that hears Aswaith's call, the tree answers.

Those who observe the sight see an woodelf sitting upon the hill turned away from the sight in silent prayer. Those who observe the men dying on the stakes may hear their sighing and moaning stop as their hearts are pierced by tiny new twigs, sprouting in the name of mercy and forgiveness.*

Aden Flin · Post by **Aden Flin** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 1:04 am

Hands gloved in black leather clutched angrily as a rather common looking individual studied the scene from quite a distance. One had firmly taken hold of a tall and elegantly curved longbow, the other smoothing the fletching of a proud and slender arrow. The bowman had been planning to raise that instrument and take aim for the Heretic's Tree, and indeed, the three men who lay pinned to it. One final act had been considered; an act of mercy before a strategic retreat was enacted. A retreat to call an end to the Priest's escalation. It was not yet time.

The bowman paused, re-gripping the weapon as the three forms subtly shuddered and fell limp. After a few moments of quiet introspection, the individual turned in a casual manner, and disappeared into the foliage without so much as a shot.

To any other, he'd appear to be a common woodsman or hunter out for a stroll.

sirius · Post by **sirius** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 1:57 am

"Too far, Father" Sirius mumbled quietly as he passed through Thrall's Gate, pretending not to notice the scene, and keeping his eyes to the road in front of him.

"Too far".

Phelan Almaran · Post by **Phelan Almaran** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 5:22 am

Phelan stood quietly watching the Acolyte as he stood guard by the tree. His right hand lay almost casually on the hilt of his katana on his right hip, his left planted firmly behind his back. Turning he left the scene, his face low hidden beneath the brim of his hat. Under his cape his left hand clenched into a fist.

"If you wish to drive people to rebel," he muttered quietly, "this is a good way to go about it."

He went again to the farmer's field near Cear and prayed, waiting nightfall. As the darkness fell into the dead of night, the moaning of the impaled men carried easily through the quiet, cool air. Standing suddenly from his mediation, Phelan headed back towards Thrall's Gate, and found a hill overlooking the area. Watching quietly, he waited, praying something would happen...

Post by **Vahene** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 1:36 pm

Green eyes narrowed. Now she had an excuse, provided by Lochwar's
own agent, to act. She just needed to wait for the right opportunity.

Will · Post by **Will** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 2:27 pm

Emerging from the thoroughfare, Will comes to see the Heretic's Tree. He stands on the grassy hill tinged with blood for a few moments, studying the gruesome display and the crimson notes with an expression of disturbance. Staring into the still faces of the mortified dead, he continues to soak in the scene, his face drawn tight. His lips form words with no sound as he begins to return from where he came.

SnorriHT · Post by **SnorriHT** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 3:09 pm

Latishe rides by in a cart. The slow pace of the cart afforded her a good view of the Heretic's Tree. Two small girls sat in the cart with her.

"Do not look upon the tree, children" commanded Latishe.

Latishe put her arms around the girls, and both of them cuddled up to her Rubenesque form. Latishe continued to look at the tree and sighed.

So it has come to this she thought. Troublemakers who wish to subvert the rightful government for their own selfish purposes. Do they not know that the Emperor would not hesitate to liquidate every man, woman and child in the province if there ever was a rebellion?

Rheia Althia · Post by **Rheia Althia** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 5:46 pm

Maeve stepped into Thrall's Gate, taking whiff of the odor of death and decay as it filtered into her nostrils. Her mysteriously glinting eyes slowly surveyed the landscape until they rested on the Heretic's Tree. The depths of those eyes churned with anger and sadness and she lowered her head, dropping her hands to her sides. After a few moments in silence like this, and taking all the will she had, she turned away from the bodies and continued on her way to Aucklorn Mill.

Minuvas · Post by **Minuvas** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 5:53 pm

*At the next dawn, the tree had been cut down as the Neophytes cut the wood. The wood and the bodies were sealed in a heavy iron casket, placed onto a Ship - the Captain directed to dump them into the ocean as a sacrifice to the Lord of the Sea's.*

Minuvas grinned with great pleasure, glad to see that the notes had ceased for the time being.

The Neophytes stood behind him, "Father...some have been afraid to approach you as of late..."

To which Minuvas replied "Fear? I do not see why not. He who carries the faith and love of Lochwar, is a welcome and protected guest in my home and in my company. The message here is two fold, he who defies - shall be brutally slain. But the message does not end there, for tonight we do not rest. Sleep is afforded only to the weak of purpose. We visit every house in Caer tonight, we bless each home and we offer each Citizen a small gift from the Church - if there is sick among them, we will heal them.

I want fear in the eyes of our enemies Neophyte, but I want an open heart from our allies. Do not sleep in your beds tonight, for they are offered to the Homeless this eve - prepare a hot-meal, for all of us will go without a stomach of any grain.

Tomorrow we shall not gorge, we shall simply eat as we usually would."

The Neophytes did not sigh, proud of their service "Yes Father, as you wish.."

Minuvas smiled.

kikkelipoika · Post by **kikkelipoika** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 6:03 pm

A dark figure stood watching as the tree was being cut down. A malicious laughter could be heard from it's direction.

Eowade · Post by **Eowade** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:04 pm

Sil walks into town with a look of tter disgust on his face. "That one truly goes to far. He will be lucky if the emporer does not nail him to a tree soon. All the rebels had finaly quited down adn the bees were busy making honey> I doubt the beekeeper will be pleased with the one who starts poking hte hive with a stick." Sil gets a mischivious grin on his face as he begins to contemplate the affect of a few rumors spread and a few tricks played.

sirius · Post by **sirius** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 10:47 pm

Sirius heard of the continuing story of the dead men while passing the Mistyvale, and had little to say. "Someone should've done something" he remarked, as he headed north.