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A simple pair of notices would be placed up in Howness. One within the temple of Helm, in the entrance way and another by the docks for any who passed by to read.

Quote:

Greetings

It is with a heavy heart I must call upon all good and honourable people to heed my call for aid. A dark threat has availed itself upon the town of Howness and one that threatens much more than the people here. Children have been kidnapped and found drained of blood. Talk of animals left butchered in a similar fashion has also been reported by our hunters. And now, we here talk of blood mages and a desecrated body of a beloved child of this town.

I say no more. This threat shall be investigated and it shall be purged. I call upon you all to gather with others when Selune reaches her next stage within the temple to see the island rid of the curse and those responsible brought to justice

High Priest Snorri IV

~~~

Within Howness itself, the mood was a sombre one. People withdrawn and even more hostile of outsiders than usual. The strange or unsightly more often than not finding themselves openly cursed at or the guards not acknowledging their presence. Those of strange bent, attempting to inquire with merchants shunned entirely in some cases.

The people of Howness would see Tom carrying a dead boy covered in a blanket back to his parents from the direction of the Thykkvian Monastery. Later on, Tom would be severely withdrawn aswell, only waiting for the moment when the child, which Tom failed to save despite his desperate efforts, will be given the rites by the family and buried. With the family graciously allowing Tom's presence in the event.

He would also assist the guards in keeping watch of the walls and gates, patrolling them with intense focus and trying to stay awake as much as possible, as if believing that the moment he goes to sleep, the town becomes more vulnerable.

He looks at the notices and mumbles to himself:

"Great, wonder how many of those who come to offer help seek simply glory...like Amians..coming over to take over the place.."

He sighs and looks down. Then goes to assist in gathering supplies and keeping watch.

Izariel is seen in Howness more often now, his eyes seem cold. This threat has hit close to home more times than not and now it remains in his back yard. It was wearing on him, he could not help feel a anger swell inside his chest. A rage that was slowly beginning to boil from the slaying of these children so often now. Not only were innocent people being killed and sacrificed but it has come to the children to be fallen to victim more times then ever now.

His hand clenched in anger as he looked around the town, he checked out every nook and cranny and began to search the woods. He was now on the hunt for this person or being what ever did this to the children. He remembered seeing the blood on the ground, following to see his brother holding a limp child in his arms. He knew that feeling all to well, for he had done the same more times then he could count. The reality struck Tom hard it was in his eyes and this angered him. Yet his calm reserve remained. It was no time to give in to his tribal rage to let his discipline as a paladin of Helm fail him.

But by the heavens it was beginning to get hard. He looked to the townspeople the ones he came to care for. The worry on there faces and he went into the temple of Helm often. Izariel checked upon updates regularly, he could not help this and it worried him greatly how he was feeling. Where on this blasted isle are people safe now? He thought to himself that there was no where, this threat can steal a child out of a house in which has a Helmite Clergy close by, without second thought. It was time to end this, for it was becoming to much for everyone. These blood mages and threats needed to stop.

"By Helm, watch over these people, this town and there children. May his protection grant you all a shield to call upon in these dark days. For with his blessing I will become the blade to strike at this butchery."

With a silent prayer he spoke now more then ever he knew, it was time for him to draw his blade. Something this man never easily does. There was no way around it this time.

In the early hours of the morn, a local man staggered through the gates with arm clutched around his waist. Limping badly and dripping a trail of blood, he quickly found himself with an escort from one of the guardsman.

Being carried towards the temple, he could be overheard to mutter a few pained words "Found the rat bastard... bugger was hitching on out of here" before being quickly ushered away to have his wounds tended to while he still had breath.

Soon after, a young priest could be seen delivering a message to a dwelling within the town

After receiving the letter, Tom would first visit the Temple to inquire about the current state of the witness. Then he would return to his house and start frantically writing letters in his bedroom. There would be some frustration noticeable in his demeanor, as he delivers some of the letters to some other dwellings within Howness and then gives the rest to one of the paid messengers of the local trader's guild, who then departs Howness towards the direction of Amia. Tom would then keep walking between the temple and the perimeter of Howness.

Tom would now be assuring the people within Howness should they talk to him about the kidnappings and murders that they should have ceased..for now. There are still some issues to be addressed and questions to be answered within the coming days concerning the incidents before we can be assured 100% that things are back to normal. A deep debriefing needs to be done.

He would also encourage them to still keep a close eye on their children and other relatives and that nobody should go alone into the wilderness. Especially he tries to tell the children to avoid the ruins infested with undead, which seems to be one of the places those little rascals like to go explore. Also the danger of the Aurilites further south should not be ignored by those traversing the island.

He asks the captain of the guard to keep his men on higher alert than usual, till it is assured that things are indeed back to normal.

Alf the Black within Hunter's Company would also be asked to notify the same captain if hunters are still running into dead animals with their hides mostly untouched but with injuries unusual for a regular pelt hunter or other wild animal to do.

Back at home, he would be keeping a close eye on the bottles of blood. And then go through the amount of diamonds he currently has on his person.

Having helped in several matters of Howness before, Saya knew beforehand she would regardless not be welcomed in the matter. She had promised her friend Tom that she would help, however, and so she did, once more. But the experience left her angrier than usual.

Happy that her hypothesis of a shifter revealed itself to be too complicated and not the reality, she however ended up finding herself in a situation where she did not have the information necessary to grasp the entire meaning on a grander scale. What they found and confirmed that day, was that all was related - all the problems on the main isles and what was happening in Howness was related.

"He will come back if you kill me", the crazy man said before, yes, being killed.

That "he" that shall come back was the one who sent that protector onto a crazy fit to try and complete a ritual. "He" wanted that ritual to be complete, and "he" could be back. That was Saya's understanding on the situation, and yet, the monks were left behind with mere guards of Howness. If the guards of Howness could solve such problem and defend themselves against such threat on their own, they would have done so without having the help of a "disgusting fey and halfling". Yet, Saya was not listened to - not by the guard captain, but more importantly, not by her human friends either.

She went out of the monastary, frustrated, and when inquired about it, only then did at least one of them realize what she had suggested had value (that the monks were in a lot more danger than they judged). She was also angry that the captain did not apologize to how he reacted to Rosary and herself, and that he did not come out of his way to specially thank these two for the help they offered - despite the antipathy they received from the guards and villagers alike (what was she expecting anyway?). She also was angry that the summary and conclusions and hypothesis that Nadya suggested at the meeting as her own summary and conclusions (new views on the matter) were exactly what Saya had tried to warn them about since the monastary, as if she did not give Saya credit for it - or did not listen to it in the first place. Kard getting angry at her when she tried to leave before that meeting ended, so that she could try and find diamonds rather than waste time in Tom's house as he was depressing and brooding with bad energy in his chair, also got her angry. The fact Howness reminded her of how her people would be viewed and treated by the people of Kozakura if they knew about them surely did not help the situation - her community not being human, and human supremacy being strong in that region.

What was happening? Why does Tom and the others so desperately don't want to share the information they got on Howness about what is happening there? Why are they so adamant about it? Are they slowly turning into -real- Howness citizens? Will her human friends slowly decide not to consider her someone worth speaking to anymore too? Is she becoming just some sort of mascot to them?

"Yakusoku wa yakusoku desu, Saya"

[A darkness within Howness]

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