IC - Village of Limm

Quintus looks from Ibic Panwol to Damir. To the latter, he says, "If you wish to remain here with your partner, sir, I can go with these good people back to the pool. But as our authority on the matter of vengeful spirits, you must make the choice. Should you prefer to accompany them..."

Then Quintus will stay behind, obviously. And protect the village youth as honor requires.

Damir exchanges looks with Ognimir. They should go with the villagers in case anything goes wrong.
He doesn't mind staying back and protecting the little ones - moving to another location, someplace easier to defend might be wise, though.

The Guardian crosses his arms in front of his chest and moves his head in Ognimir's direction asking his opinion without using words.

Ognimir, when given the chance not to scare the children with his grotesque skin, moves to head out with the villagers.
"Right then, let's go."

Danill overhears Podreg and curses. But he waits to see how Damir wants to play it out.

Ognimir turns to Ibic Panwol and gestures his hand toward the spirit.
"Set an example for your people. You understand now what Quintus was saying. Go. Let's get this over with."

Ognimir knows, with his raspy voice, and distorted skin, none of these fine people of Limm will listen to him enough to brave that horror.
No, it must come from one of their own.

Quintus Quail has no children. He has never wished to have children. There is no emotion in him that could be likened to paternal affection. Still, having been left with the little ones of Limm, he is duty-bound to make sure that they come to no harm.

"Well," Quintus says at last. "I suppose we should get them in out of the night air."

Choosing a child entirely at random, Quail bends down and places his hands on his thighs. "Hello, little... person," he hails the youngster, with what would be a winning smile when shared amongst adults. "Can you show me where Ibic Panwol's house is? Let's all go in together, just until your parents..."

Well. Almost all of them will be coming back, anyway. And if there is one very sad child, or brace of children, in Limm, then such are tragic consequences of crime.

"Ibic, you have proven your honor at this place,
now please take your comrades and return, your grace,
to Limm to warn Quintus of Dommic's absence and quick.
We shall continue our duty, and end this vile trick."

Damir watches Ibic leave with the folks who have made it through mostly unharmed. Then another two go through the apparition. The Guardian exchanges another conflict-laden gaze with Ognimir. Then he shouts out for all to hear:

"Halt, good people of Limm.
It seems the fiend is far too grim
to be patient enough for y'all to walk through.
If there are some with tight alibi,
speak so we'll have to test only a few."

Damir approaches Ognimir and talks in a voice almost a whisper.
"What say you, old friend?
I feel the evil here might not come to an end.
It grows unsteady with every soul,
should we abandon our tactics and alter our role?"

His old friend seems equally mystified, so Damir again asked the people of Limm to help with the investigation before getting tested. He thinks Dommic might be the key to this case, but for now he cannot abandon the villagers. Hopefully Ibic will be quick to warn the third Guardian. Damir asks Ognimir whether he wants to try and find Dommic or stay, then he proceeds with the business at hand.

First he tries to weed out those with tight alibis at the time of the deed. Then he asks all who cannot shoot a bow for health or age-related reasons to take a step back. Should able-bodied villagers state that they aren't any good with bow and arrow, Damir will ask others to confirm this, then ask them to wait.

All that remain are people who cannot prove their innocence. How many could that be?

"Good people of Limm!
If your word is true, none remains but him.
T'is the brother that must take the test.
Our trials here are put to rest."

Damir asks whether the villagers know of any places in which Dommic might be hiding out,
then leaves to fetch the most likely perpetrator.

When Quintus' chosen child declines to point out Ibic Panwol's house, the man creeps up out of his crouch.

"Right, then..." He taps his fingertips together, arrhythmically, feeling rather at a loss. Quintus Quail has been several things in his time, but ignored wasn't one of them. How does one go about speaking to children? You say things, and they say nothing, and then... what?

A puzzle.

"I suppose we'll stay here," Quintus pretends to decide. He does his best to ignore the occasional tugs on his colored robes. With what he imagines to be a steely gaze, he scans the darkness for any sign of danger to his strange, rude charges.

Ognimir is glad to make distance from the howling nightmare and shares Damir's fears that the test, though useful, might have brought it more power. Dommic must be found.

Ognimir thinks back, with a sense of guilt. Sometimes, nobody knew what happened with the poor sods that he sapped and sent to sea. Families would arrive, wondering and curious.
Invariably they would go to whatever hovel or apartment the poor lad lived in, looking for a clue or a reason for their disappearance. Perhaps Dommic's place could offer up some context.

Ognimir asks the people of Limm where Dommic lives, and then goes there to take a look around.