[Synopsis: Masayoshi investigates disappearances in a small village and discovers a darker plot.

Players: Masayoshi. Run by: Sonata (3 xp)]

 

        It is mid-day in Albion, and seated in an inn, partaking of a morning meal, one particular investigator hears word of something dark. Something altogether new and not the usual chatter of refugees from the Shadowland, or of some explosion somewhere or another. This is much darker, and much different--story tells that people have been going missing around a village to the south, and that these people are never seen again. Going on a season now, people have been disappearing, people disappearing without discrimination.

        Further stirrings tell of dark voices in the night.

 

        Getting on his horse the next morning, Masayoshi heads straight for the southern village. His pace is a steady trot as he heads off to investigate this one. The unspoken pact is that he helps out where he can. Who knows, maybe Orduin and Minus will let him serve them or maybe Talia will if they notice his work once Lookshy falls? The steady pace leaves the horse exhausted after a while due to Masa's armor and gear, but he does slow down long enough to arrive hopefully by noon of whatever day he gets there. Even if he has to go on foot to let the horse rest and not end up pretty much stranded.

 

        Arriving in the village, it is like a ghost-village. No men work in the fields, no one tills the land, houses with empty faces, doors ripped off and futile attempts at securty--boarding on windows, have all gone to waste. For nothing stirs here. Riding further into the village, Masayoshi rounds a small crook in the road and spies ahead a gallows, three bodies swing from an arm, their guts torn open with hooks that still hang in the bodies, their eyes and skin torn away by birds of pray, big black birds bloated on the flesh of the now rotten corpses. The last survivors.

        Out of the corner of his eye then, he spots a pair of eyes, and then another, and then he quickly realizes that he is being watched, by not just a few, but by many. People in rags, holding wicked looking implements to defend themselves. Scythes, butcher knives, pitch forks, even a sword or spear here and there, where old soldiers have salvaged them. And as one, they start to come out of their homes.

 

        The dragonblood looks a bit queasy at some of it. Masayoshi at least knows he found the right village. Now, he has to talk to them if they don't try to kill him. One hand goes to his sword for the moment as he stays on foot. Looking and counting, he sighs as he notes the numbers are probably against him before holding up a hand. "Hold! I come in peace! Who is in charge here?" His voice hopefully rings true and the fact that he doesn't have his daiklaive out yet is probably a good thing.

 

        "He’s one of them!"

        "No, he is a dragon-blessed! He will help us?"

        "Shutup Finn!"

        A general murmur of discontent, of anger rolls through the crowd. Three dozen, not a one of them recently bathed, all frightened, sleep-deprived and filled with bile towards anyone who might be 'one of -them-'. Anyone who isn't from their village.

        They continue their advance, and more voices continue to shout, "I say we hang him!"

        "He's a damn dragon-blessed you idiots?" the man in the back yells again. "He'll kill you, even if he isn't one of them, if you keep waving your toys at him."

        Finally, a leader steps forward, and holds up his arms pointing at the others, "Hold your hands," he then looks to Masayoshi, "What be your name, stranger?"

 

        At the talk, Masayoshi drops the reigns of the horse, actually drawing his sword as he looks at the villagers. He's no fool far as that's concerned. "My name is Teresu Masayoshi of Lookshy. I heard rumors of trouble in this village while I was in the north. What has happened here?"

        He pauses as he looks at the villagers, "I can understand that something may have happened here, but whoever this 'Finn' is happens to be right. I am dragon-blessed. If you want proof..." He activates his anima. Just to the point where it seems as if the ocean's blue waves flow around him in streamers of essence. The very image proving what he is beyond a shadow of a doubt before it disappears again. "Now... I am here to help, but if you want me to leave I will. I can possibly get some friends in Tajome to send aid."

 

        "Wait!" Finn calls out, and he recognizes the man for his voice and now his face, a young man with broad shoulders, carrying a relatively well-sharpened sword, he looks healthier than the others, and there is, to the faint hint of blood on his weapon; it had seen usage recently. "Look, he is what I said, he will help us Mynan," he says towards the big man who had spoken earlier and help them back if only for a moment. Turning towards you then, his sandy blond hair falls across his face, and he continues, "We need your help."

        There is a murmur then, the general consensus is more positive now, and Mynan and Finn start to direct the people back into their hovels back to work, even. There is ntohing more to be said, they will speak on behalf of the town. A few old-timers stick around, and linger a short distance away.

        Mynan speaks next, "Tell us what you have heard, Master Teresu Masayoshi, or should we tell you what we can first?" as he speaks, he gestures the dragon-blood to follow, and they lead him into the biggest building in town. There, they go about cooking up their meager remaining food, an offering to their guest and savior.

 

        "Please, no food. I do not mean to be rude, but you need it for your own. I have a good deal of rations in the extra saddle bag on my horse. If you could, spread them among your people." Masa says.

        "Tell me what you can. From what I heard, it sounded as if the Shadowlands had found a new foothold here. I have also heard that people were missing for some reason."

 

        "It isn't like that," Mynan replies and forks the cooked rice into two bowls, they don't need to be told twice. Splitting the meal with Finn, the both eat enthusiastically, happy to put something in their stomachs, they had probably been playing the role of heroes, eating less for the greater good.

        Finn takes a deep breath and then begins, a haunted look growing in his eyes as he speaks, "Starting at the beginning of last season, people started disappearing. I'm sorry, let me go start over," he pauses and glances aside to Mynan. "A visitor came to the village, the tall man, he smelled really awful but he spoke with a few people, offered them jade for a place to stay. A month went by after that, and nothing happened. Then people started going missing. The worst people went first, and it was sort of a blessing from the dragons," a pause.

        The big man, Mynan queues in, "Then Finn's wife went missing, and then his daughters. And then others, good people, they started going. First it was the worse, then it was the best and the purest, nobody dares go out save as a group anymore. This food here, we grew together. We're going to be moving soon, as a group.." he trails off.

 

        Considering, Masayoshi hmms. "What house did he stay at first? It sounds as if this man may have been a Deathknight... or worse. Maybe even an angry spirit of some sort." The dragonblood considers as he looks at the two, sheathing his sword for the moment. "I take it he did leave, though, perhaps the next day?"

 

        "I don't know, he stayed with the Cadderlys, on the west side, past the old well. I didn't see him leave, but I assure you, not even -those- folk would have let him stay for an extended period," Mynan replies between bites of rise, his wooden spoon having cleaned the bowl already. Finn has made equally quick work of his own meal.

        Swiping at his hair, the younger man shrugs and adds, "We don't know if he left, we just assumed. Nobody would want someone like that in their house, and we saw the Cadderlys after that, they were, well, they were themselves."

        A man comes to the door of the house then and speaks, "Mynan, are we still, you know.." he trails off, looking at Masayoshi.

 

        "Can you stay one more night?" Masayoshi asks, frowning a bit. "I can look and perhaps at least make sure whatever or whoever this is doesn't happen to be following you."

 

        The big man and Finn share another look and then nod to Masayoshi, then Mynan speaks to the man at the doorway, "Tell everyone we are leaving in the morning. Master Teresu Masayoshi of Lookshy is going to help us, and he asks for the night."

        Finn then looks at Masayoshi and there is a strained look in his face, "Look, sir, we've been through a lot, we're going to Albion in the morning. Whether you get to the bottom of whatever or whoever took my wife and children, I don't want to see their things anymore. We're going to leave, this land is cursed," he informs the blessed.

        They both rise then and offer their hands.

 

        Rising as well, Masayoshi shakes hands with the men. "I know. I can't exactly tell, but... it's almost obvious. I'm going to see what I can find and go from there. This could be something new, and that's what worries me. There is also another option. The Saltwater Vale is newly forming. They might be able to help as well."

        Turning, Masayoshi heads for the doorway and if they don't stop him to the west, searching for the Cadderlys house. Or the former one. "Be careful on your journey, and if anyone else disappears for no reason... go as quickly as you can."

 

        The road to the west is no less depressing to gaze upon, all in all, the small village, those who live in the center here, working in the outlying fields may have numbered at twice what Masayoshi had seen earlier. Leading his horse, he finds the old well along the road, and a few hundred yards past that, a track leads off the road where carts must have gone many-a-time. Slightly overgrown now, there are no signs to indicate the owners, but it is the only home he has picked up on in almost half an hour of walking.

 

        Walking up towards the house, Masayoshi looks to see if it even looks like someone has lived here before he reaches to open the door. Over all, he's not trying to be sneaky. He wants to be challenged out here. Looking around, his eyes look for traces of anyone or anything having been here in a while.

 

Investigatory clues at a glance:

• One of the tracks is overgrown, the other may have gotten a bit of foot traffic, since carts stopped rolling over it.
• The house ahead is not clean or well-groomed, but the windows and doors are all in place. No boards are in place.
• There is a freshly eaten piece of fruit on a stool next to the front door.

         

     Walking towards the house, Masayoshi kneels down to inspect the piece of fruit, pulling out a belt dagger to poke at it as he looks to see if the bite marks look human or animal. "Hmm... this could be trouble... maybe I should send for aid from Tajome..."

 

• Human.

 

        Frowning, Masa checks around the stool for any footprints of some sort. The detective is being thorough, and he's being careful as well. Keeping an eye out as best as he can. If he finds nothing, he has one more trick up his sleeve.

 

        Foot prints, both shoed and otherwise are scattered over the mud and ground all around the door, at least a dozen tracks have walked through, and others, markings one might associate with a person or persons being dragged are nearby as well. They seem to lead around behind the back of the stone and wood farm house.

 

        Considering, Masayoshi draws his daiklaive again as he heads around towards the back of the house, keeping an eye on what is going on as he looks at the door first to see if the lock might have been busted somehow. He's only got his sword one-handed right now until he gets an idea of who or what is doing this, of course.

 

        The door of a big store house sits open beside a field which was rather unnoticed until one had circled around the side of the house. The field is rich in produce ripe for the harvest. The great doors, as Masayoshi closes, are opened just enough to permit a scent so horrible it makes his eyes water, and his stomach tighten. The smell of flesh, and then something strikes him. The complete absence of carrion animals, no birds swarm nearby.

        Approaching closer, he can make out the altar; built of bones and severed limbs, hundreds of body parts arranged in an eye aching formation which stirs the mind with horrid living nightmares. Eyes, dozens stare out from the shade of the store house, and not a single thing stirs, not the swarming maggots which should have devoured so much--nothing touches this evil monument.

        Before it, then, a single figure rises, wearing a black cloak of stitched human skins and turns to look at Masayoshi, and his eyes filled with madness, and in his hand, a blade made from the carved bones of a few donors, sits. Ready to claim another victim.

 

        Frowning a bit, Masayoshi flares his anima briefly, holding his sword ready as he slides into a stance. "I don't know what you are, but you're obviously not of this world. I'm only asking once. Leave this place and these people."

        If Masayoshi has to, he'll run, but that thing has to probably stay solid to hit him if he remembers right. And if nothing else, the investigator has a few tricks up his sleeves.

 

        The figure speaks, and has the voice of a man, "The master has said that anyone who can claim him the head of one of the dragon-blood, shall be raised above others!" and starts to walk towards the dragonblood, as he walks he gestures off and to the side, motioning. Four others appear from the shadows to the side, and they all start to advance on Masayoshi, "We'll give you to him, and he will make us powerful! He will give us magic and money and women!"

        They are all large people, six and a half feet tall, strong and able bodied, broad of shoulder and carrying crude looking weapons. For all these strange features, they are all completely and totally mad, their eyes swelled with adrenaline and the horrors they have comitted, and each looks more than willing to throw their lives at the dragon blood in an attempt to kill him, for 'the Master'.

        "Give him your life, and he will spare you, will you serve the Master?"

 

        Spinning the daiklaive once in hand, Masayoshi frowns. "Sorry, but I can't do that. And I sure as hell won't let you do that. You've cursed these people long enough. Tell me who this Master is and you can live."

        Sliding his foot one way, he levels a punch at the doors to open them wide and give himself enough room to manuever. "Otherwise, prepare to see what happens when you try to kill one of the dragonbloods of Lookshy."

 

        Sliding in the stance, Masayoshi quickly makes three motions. One to the sky hidden by the roof, another to the ground, then a sweep into another form as he slides his feet again. Something's changed as there is a brief shimmer of Essence and his muscles seem to tighten under his clothes. "I see how it is. Then... let's dance." The Daiklaive is moved into a guarding position for the moment.

 

        The five thugs rush forward wielding their wicked looking blades of bone, reeking of the dark altar behind them, and looking to overwhelm the investigator who had stuck their nose into their business. The leader comes in with a bold dive, striking out twice with his wicked axe of bone, while the other four come in with their shortswords composed of human femurs, looking to kill the man in one mighty rush.

 

        Swinging his blade around and spinning to keep the blows from hitting any vulnerable areas, Masayoshi lashes out at the last one to take a crack and actually land a blow as he tries to wound the man. The swinging black jade daiklaive comes up in a slash meant to leave a nice gash across the man's chest even if he does survive. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me this is all you can do for your 'Master'? I mean, shoot, I've seen Anathema fight better."

 

        The man falls to the ground, split from hip to shoulder, unarmored, his blade falls to the ground. The others continue to press their attack, the three remaining short-blades moving shortly before the big leader with his axe.

        The man with the axe yells out, "Another body for the shrine to his Majesticness, he will be most pleased at the sacrifice!" and presses in for another attack.

 

        Giving a spin again as he parries the weaponry, he ends up in a spot where he has a perfect strike. He grins a bit, "Sorry, but your bodies are all that will be here. And after that, this shrine will be destroyed and burned to ash." Spinning again, the dragonblood investigator swings out with both hands in an almost baseball like swing at the heads of the three short-blade wielders in an attempt to take them from the fight completely.

 

        In bloody eruptions two of the blades die, their bodies falling aside as only more corpses to add to the mess. The big man with the axe spins it in his hands, his eyes still filled with madness and he declares, "Nothing can stop the Master's plans, he is everywhere, he will kill you, even if we die today!" that said, he continues his savage attack, the man with the short blade continues to mindlessly attempt to put his blade into Masayoshi's ribs.

 

        Spinning his blade to block the blades and push the two back, Masayoshi goes for the short blade first, pulling his blade back and down before a swift spin and rise sends the blade vertically upwards between the man's legs before spinning again and bringing the extended blade downwards on the leader's head with a sharp, resounding swing of finality. "No. Your Master's plans will be stopped."

 

        Both men die and the leader, his eyes filled with madness' head spins away, no last words, no curse to throw. Now only five bodies and the slightly sweaty investigator remain in the space before the storehouse, nevermind the dozens of bodies inside and the nose hair curling stench which he is surprised he couldn't smell from town.

 

        Keeping his stance, he closes and bolts the doors before relaxing as he turns to go back to town. Once there, he gets a torch and tells the two heroes of the town what transpired before heading back to burn the remains down if they let him. Hopefully it will get rid of the curse more. Masayoshi sighs. "Guess I need to send word to Tajome and Albion..."

 

        Mynan says that people have already said their goodbyes, and a funeral by pyre is as good as they could expect. To ask a man like Finn to go out and sort out his children and wife from the bodies would only make things worse for him, would only dredge up more memories and make it harder for these simple folk to move on. That said, he thanks Masayoshi heartily and notes that should he ever need a hard working farmer, he simply need ask.