[IC] Death & Taxes (Session 3)

Tronus

The woman ignores Tronus's pleasantries. "I think I made myself clear. You need to get away from the hog. Now."

Tronus doesn't feel any particular compulsion to leave, but just as he prepares a rejoinder, a commotion draws his attention to a large, buzzard-shaped effigy falling directly for the hog pen...

Nera, Nekurr, Hildar

The festivalgoers hold their collective breaths as the sacred effigy plummets closer and closer to the pig pen. But, at the last moment, the buzzard effigy inexplicably spreads its wings and... flies! The buzzard dive-bombs the hog, then gains altitude once again. It does a loopdeloop through the air, sending the still-circling razorwings to alight on the ground in confusion. Finally, the buzzard effigy flutters down toward where Hildar, Nera, and Nekurr are standing. The canvas effigy comes to rest on Hildar's shoulder. It's a bit heavy--it seems to be stuffed with corn--but the Elf regains his posture after the initial jolt.

After this show, there's a pregnant pause. Suddenly, a voice cries out: "It's a miracle from the Lady! Nature's Lady blesses this night and these visitors!" Mayor Castor Wayland lopes over to Hildar's side, takes the Elf's hand, and raises it. The crowd erupts into applause. The mayor leans in and whispers: "Nice trick. You saved our bacon. That could'a been a mood-killer there." He then steps forward dramatically and says in a loud voice, "So, we have an unusual turn of events. We had a razorwing find the effigy, but then he lost it again. What do you all say that we let Mr. Hildar here keep the holy effigy this year?" The villagers cheer in agreement. "May Nature's Lady bless him!"

Nekurr flight in the air as he jumps to grab the effigy when it ... flies away...

Hildar smiles awkwardly, not really sure how to react with all the attention but he does raise his hand and wave to the crowd whilst the effigy remains sat on his shoulder

Bruv turns to watch the spectacle and just shakes his head as sees his comrades participating joyfully in the honoring of the cult god.

Dey give dis "Nature's Lady" honor and strength by participating in her worship... Wot are dey doing?

He returns his attention to Jacey, "Yer mom, da lady we meet at da shop, won da pageant in her day? How many udder pageant winners are 'ere today? Oi'd loike ta speak ta as many as Oi could, learn about moi judgin' duties."

Tronus is about to comply when he notices and groans, "I'm getting to old to deal with this sort of thing."

"Gar Vanedi protect. SAFE ROAD." Tronus barks out.

Hildar, Nera, and Nekurr

The mayor's smile gets even bigger. "Now, who's ready for the main event? Who's ready to wrassle a greased hog?" The villagers cheer wildly. He then turns to the Nera, Nekurr, and Hildar. "We always offer this to guests first. Which one of you wants to go all the way home with this little piggy over there?"

Perhaps on a high from the effigy incident, all three of the outlanders feel like maybe wrestling the pig could be fun...

Bruv

Jacey pauses to think. "Well... be careful... Melchic's not wrong. If folks see you talking to too many folks, they may think something's up. But..." She scans the crowd. "Uh, my mom won. She's keeps the village shop. Uh... last year's winner, Graham Trygon, left town to try acting in Tamalir, I hear. Um... Thay Gilvers won it the year before that. His dad and mom both won in their day, and they're both here. I think Garrena Yellowbottom won before Thay, but she took the money to go try to join the baron's guard in Cailn Castle, I think. Um... Oh, and Hyacinth Florette won the pageant a few years after Mom. Her family farms on the eastern side of the village. I can't remember if her daughter won when she turned 18 or not. I think she did: Sycamore Florette's her name." She shrugs. "So, yeah, there's at least ten winners here, I guess. Maybe a few more than that."

Nera considers the proposal, it certainly was fun to chase after something in a "thrill of the hunt" way. But then again this was on the dirty ground...

She nudges Nekurr. "Go get them. You've got strong legs."

Bruv nods, "Tanks for talkin' wit me, Jacey. Oi don't wanna stir up trouble. One last ting, dough... Can Oi troi ta mend yer dress? Oi'd 'ate ta negatively impact yer chances at da pageant...

It'd be wit magic, if'n 'at's okay?"

Hildar smiles at the mayor until it fully registers what he is asking when his smile shifts to be a little....sickly "Ah....Erm, I mean I wouldn’t be the best choice for such a thing really. I do appreciate the offer but maybe it would be best left to one of my companions?"

Nekurr, Nera, Hildar

Wayland's smile remains, but his face falls slightly as two of the novel outsiders turn down the offer of facing the greased pig. "Come now, you the villagers'd love to see you face off against the varmint! Winner gets the best cut of ham at the feast coming up." He looks Nekurr in the eye. "Surely you're game for a bit o' fun, right, holy man? Fifty silvers says you can't even touch the piggy, let alone pin it!"

Bruv

Jacey Tabbins looks down at her torn dress, tears welling up, apparently trying to fight them. "You... you can fix it with magic? Um... sure..."

"Well... I mean... that sounds both fun and... eerr dangerous... I bet Bruv or Tronus would put up a better show" Nekurr looks around, all those villages expecting a visitor to take on the wild beast. "So... I just got to grab it right?"

Bruv crouches low, and plants a hand on the ground and pinches the hem of the dress near the tear. Concentrating, he wills the primal forces of nature to respond.All fibers are ultimately from the earth, and so Bruv uses his magic to return them to life, briefly, and wills them to weave themselves back together as they were before, at which point he releases the dress and returns it to it's material state.

"Dere we are. Good as new.

Oi won't take any more of yer toime. Good day, and good luck, Jacey."

Bruv

Jacey's eyes nearly pop out of her head as Bruv's magic mends her dress. "It... It looks better than before!" she exclaims. "Like it's brand-new again... I mean, this is the dress my mom wore when she won twenty years ago..." Bruv gets the impression the girl doesn't see magic all that often. "Um... Thanks. The greased pig wrassling match should be next. Then we eat, and the pageant happens. I won't be wrassling a pig, but I'm sure the mayor will want you to... I'm gonna head that way now." She starts toward the north end of the field, waiting in case Bruv wishes to follow.

"Who'll face the greased hog this year? Who's willing to pin the beast for a piece of meat?" the mayor asks the crowd.