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everyonesomething · 7 years

Text

Session 24

Capridi wakes up and looks around "How are we not out of this corn hell yet?"

Pepper rubs her eyes. "I didn't think you could get seasick watching grass go by."

Edith Runekill gets out of the car, stretching her legs. She's wearing one of her plainer dresses, and no make-up. But she's still wearing her wizard hat.

Edith Runekill: "You get used to it."

Capridi: "I don't want to"

Grim unfolds from the car and gets out to stretch. She eyes the infinite plains.

Pepper: "Please don't leave us in the corn."

Edith Runekill peers up at the farm house, anxiously.

Sydney Gaydos: "Certainly not one of the most, ah, colorful pieces of scenery we've had to drive past."

Edith Runekill starts trudging towards the door, when suddenly a dog starts barking excitedly.

Pepper suddenly feels conspicuous in her robin's egg blue vest. She magics the color down to what could be described as "dishwater".

Malkas Steele: Still in the car.

In this session, we get acquainted with the Runekills.

The set-up: We're at the Runekill farmstead at last! This is a longer update than some of the others, so bear with it. It's worth it.

The Game: After days of driving through field after field of corn, we've made it to Edith's childhood home. Everyone is sick of the car and desperate to stretch their legs except Mal who's sick and desperate for more understandable reasons.

The group is then greeted warmly by... the family dog.

Nora R.: A farm dog of indeterminate breed and generous disposition comes bounding up to the party. It hops onto Edith and starts licking her face.

Capridi doesnt like dogs

Capridi stays in the car with pepper

Edith Runekill: "Oh! Hey, Leif!" Edith starts smiling for the first time in days. She scratches the dog behind its ear. "Who's a good boy?"

Grim looks around at the dog. finally something she can relate to.

Nora R.: The dog sniffs at the rest of the group curiously, but he comes to realize that they are shaped and smell like Friends.

Sydney Gaydos won't be one of the ones left in the car! Plus there's a DOG. She gets out to follow behind Edith and TO SEE THE DOG WITH A HUGE GRIN.

Grim sets a cigarette in her mouth, then crouches to say hi to Dog

Pepper squints at the dog. She's used to smaller.

Nora R.: bark bark, etc.

Malkas: "Hey, so what if you tell them I died?"

"Got carried off by a bird, like your uncle."

Pepper: "Would they take our word for it?"

Edith Runekill: "Please don't make light of our family tragedies."

Grim does something useful with a ranger skill for once in her life and non verbally asks the dog what the mood is like in the house

Capridi: "Wow, and people think I'm manipulative."

Malkas: "Sorry."

Edith Runekill: "Look, it's gonna be fine. I told them you're coming and they said it's okay and we're just gonna eat dinner, sleep the night, and be on our way in the morning."

Malkas looks extremely unconvinced.

Edith Runekill: "And. I mean. If I told 'em you'd die. They'd ask what we were doing where people were getting killed..."

Capridi: "So I don't have to talk to anyone?"

Nora R.: The dog tells Grim, in a series of barks and assorted dog noises, that the house is busy with preparations for guests, one of whom has already arrived. He also says that his owner is very happy to see Edith again.

Grim gives the dog's ears a scratch and communicates to him silently that he is, in fact, a very good boy

Nora R.: The dog barks happily.

Grim straightens up and lights a cigarette

Grim socialised with Edith's family

It's a start! As a follow-up, the group also gets to socialize with Edith's older brother Tom. Edith asks him how it's going in the house and he shrugs before being introduced to the rest of them. He shakes Mal's hand and apologizes in advance for anything their parents might say but tries to assure him that they mean well. Mal most definitely is not assured, but says nothing. The group silently gives him moral support, but he gives no response—he's not expecting anyone to stick their neck out for him when things go south.

The group heads on in for dinner.

The farmhouse is nicely and neatly decorated with various country knick-knacks and pictures, but it all takes a backseat to Runekill—the family's ancestral greatsword engraved with runes—which hangs above the fireplace. In the parlor, a large man we assume to be Pa Runekill converses with a serious looking man in religious vestments as the group enters.

Malkas internally: Oh god they're banishing me to Hell.

Edith Runekill: "Oh... Pastor Jack. I... I didn't know you'd be here...?"

Capridi sees the pastor in the room, immediately regrets following the group in.

Edith Runekill looks very confused.

Pepper is already completely lost vis a vis Runekills.

Pastor John stands up and bows stiffly. "Reverend John Icedirge, Reformed Church of Auril." He sits back down.

Capridi doesn't make eye contact, is genuinely hoping for once that she's mistaken for livestock

Edith Runekill turns to look at Pa. "Hey Pa. Sorry to drop in on such short notice, but, well, like I said, we were headed down this way on our way to Prastuil University, and..."

Pa Runekill: "Why don't you go help your Ma and Grace with dinner in the kitchen? Got a lot of company tonight."

Edith Runekill: "Uh..."

"O... okay...?"

Capridi gets up "I'll help, c'mon edith."

Malkas looks desperately after Edith.

Pa Runekill puts up a hand. "Making guests do the cooking is bad manners. Have a seat, all of you. I'm eager to have a talk with my girl's... associates."

Edith Runekill vanishes kitchen-wards.

Capridi pretends not to hear and follows edith

Pepper watches Cap go, unsure if she ought to be jealous or not.

Pa Runekill glares after Capridi, who has flagrantly violated Hospitality Rules.

Grim glances after them, then back at Pa. She takes a seat because in certain very specific contexts she has manners.

Edith Runekill: {T Mal: hang in there, ok?}

Sydney Gaydos already on edge, this doesn't seem... the best. She sits down after Grim does at the table.

Pepper awkwardly perches on the closest thing that could be called a seat.

Malkas: {T Edith: This is how I die..}

Tom Runekill looks obviously uncomfortable at the exchange that just took place and sits down, worriedly.

Pa—whose name is Gordon, but that's neither here nor there as he is Pa—opens conversation by saying he's surprised to see Mal's stuck around as long as he has. The group comes to his defense, telling Pa that Mal is a solid and dedicated person. Pa then asks the rest of the group what their future plans are.

Pa Runekill: "Well."

"Why don't y'all tell me a little bit about yourselves while the girls are busy in the kitchen? What're you headed down to Prastuil for, anyways?"

Grim: "Miz Runekill's got some contacts down that way, going to look in on some research of theirs or somesuch. Well over my head."

Pepper watches Grim take point. What even IS Plaguewrought Land?

Pa Runekill looks at Grim, trying to place her.

Pa Runekill looks REASONABLY at ease with Grim. He gets Grim. Unlike the others, he's met people like Grim.

Pa Runekill: "How'd you end up mixed up with Edith, anyway? You don't seem like the college girl type. Since... you seem real, y'know? Like you care about real things, that matter."

Malkas , internally, passive-aggressive, "oh i guess your daughter doesnt matter bc shes all i care about"

Pastor John stares at Mal. It's a little upsetting.

Grim: "Don't know 'bout that." Grim takes a drag on her cigarette and considers for a moment. "I care about seein' right done where I can, and all these folks do too. So I guess we kinda fell into company."

"Y'all have worked the land out here a long time, so I hear?"

Malkas is used to humans giving him nasty looks for no reason. He's used to this.

Pa Runekill: "Since this land was opened up for settlement again, after the reclamation, yeah. The Runekills homesteaded on this land with the first wave of pioneers from Luskan."

Grim raises her eyebrows and nods

Pepper stares at Pastor John, for lack of anything else to do. He looks like an undertaker that got mixed up with one of his corpses.

Grim: "Miz Runekill's rightly proud've her roots. Saw the land on our way comin' in, hell of a bit of country. This been a good season?"

Pa Runekill: "Well, sayin' you're proud is one thing, puttin' in the work is something different, y'know? But yeah, we've had some good seasons. It's hard work, hard livin' sometimes. But it's a good life."

Pastor John then takes point on asking Pepper and Sydney a few questions.

Pastor John: "You two have been very quiet."

Pepper: { T Sydney: is it too late to pretend we don't speak Common }

Sydney Gaydos stiffens oh No. "That is because it would be rude to, ah, interrupt the conversation between Mr. Runekill and Grim."

Sydney Gaydos: { T Pepper: That would have been good to plan beforehand...}

Pepper grins at the Pastor with her best Elven graces.

Pepper: "Just taking in the scene, my good chum." What. "Sir." Her grin grows wider.

Pastor John smiles back. The expression does not sit naturally on his grave face.

Malkas expends an action to stop himself from openly sweating.

Pa Runekill glances at Pepper, then at the pastor. He sends a complicated series of small Plaguewrought facial tics. The pastor gracefully puts up a hand.

There's nothing suspicious about them or this group or this conversation at all.

Pa then asks the group if they've been having any trouble on the road. Grim tells him they came by the Dragon Coast and with Mal and Edith as navigators there's hardly been any trouble. A few bulletes, but otherwise a smooth trip.

Grim offers to repay the Runekill's hospitality in by way of pest control, but Pa turns her down. It's against hospitality and there aren't as many monsters in the area as other parts of the continent.

From the kitchen, Edith tries to get a feel for how the group is getting along in the parlor. Mal tries to be optimistic, but there's only so much he can do.

Edith Runekill: {T Mal: Everything going okay out there? I didn't expect to just be sent outta the room like that. Although in retrospect maybe I shoulda. I'm family, not a guest. But I left all of you holding the bag.}

Grim: "You got a charmed life out here, Mr Runekill. Glad t'know we got things worth defending."

Pa Runekill: "And folks worth defending."

Grim nods at that and puts out the end of her cigarette

Malkas: {T Edith: Not actually sure.. Grim's taking point, going surprisingly well. I think the Pastor's gonna kill me but I'm used to looks like that."}

Edith Runekill: {T Mal: Pastor Jack being here really threw me for a loop. Maybe he and Pa are friends now that I'm away? I don't remember ever seeing him outside of church. He's way different when he's not inhaling the weird fumes from burnt offerings to Auril, I gotta say.}

Capridi is watching edith stare into nothing, unsure why she's spacing out.

Edith Runekill: "Oh, sorry! Got a bit distracted." She goes back to plating dinner.

Malkas: {T Edith: He's giving me the creeps, that's for sure.}

Edith Runekill: {T Mal: We'll be out soon. And then its smooth sailing.}

Capridi: "Is it cool if i stay in here? That old fool in the cloth is creeping me out."

Ma Runekill: "Excuse me."

Malkas: {T Edith: If you say so...}

Capridi: "[Celestian]I'm sorry, I dont know what you're saying. I don't speak the language."

Ma Runekill: "You were just speaking Common a second ago."

Capridi: "My languge is uhhh [celestian] not good, [common] apologies."

Ma Runekill: "You been in my hair long enough. Out you go."

Ma Runekill shoos Capridi out of the kitchen. Grace gives her a sympathetic look.

Capridi: "[celestian] jeez lady, take a joke."

Capridi walks back into the room, reluctantly

Pepper watches Cap come back in the room.

Pa Runekill: "Glad you could join us again."

Grim isn't

Pepper is glad for the distraction.

Pa Runekill: "Have a seat. No need to be a stranger."

Capridi takes a seat "[celestial] Fine, whatever."

Tom Runekill returns to the dinner table. He flashes Mal what he hopes is a reassuring smile; it's an expression Mal might have seen on Edith's face before.

Malkas makes that White People Smile at Tom.

Pastor John: [Celestial] Always a pleasure to meet a fellow speaker of the Celestial tongue.

Tom's children come in as a distraction while Pastor John attempts to talk with Cap in celestial and Cap attempts to ignore him. Mercifully, Ma comes out to announce it's dinner time and everyone heads to the table to eat.

The elder Runekills exchange a look before everyone sits down to a veritable country feast. Grim, Pepper, and Syd take notice of both the look and that Pastor John has something in his lap.

Pepper percepts the hell out of this scene.

Pepper gives Grim a sidelong glance like "this is weird right".

Malkas becomes 80% more nervous.

Grim glances at Pepper. Yep.

Sydney Gaydos curiously leans over to see what the Pastor put on his lap, given her size she probably doesn't need to lean over too much.

Grim spots Syd leaning over and gives Pepper another look

Pepper raises an eyebrow at that. Ha ha! Now Plaguewrought folks aren't the only ones who can talk without speaking!

Grim nudges Pepper and her eyes move to Syd and back again

Pepper: {T Sydney: What's old creepy holding over there? }

Pa Runekill stands. He cuts a dramatic figure standing in front of the eponymous family blade, Runekill. It's not even really undercut by Grace's commemorative plates underneath.

Pa Runekill: "Pastor Jack."

"Wanna lead everyone in saying grace?"

Capridi thinks "fuck"

Pastor John begins saying an incantation to Auril... and casts Zone of Truth.

Well!

How about that?

Sydney Gaydos eye narrows suspiciously. "Are Zones of Truth a normal occurrence at dinners in Plaguewrought?"

Malkas 's eyes flick to the Pastor, then to Pa. He carefully says nothing.

Grim looks up at the pastor and clenches her knuckles on the table, just barely stopping herself from getting to her feet. She looks ready to kill

Capridi is thankful she had caught on. She can't handle anymore awkwardness, especially from someone like pastor john.

Pastor John sets the thing he'd kept in his lap on the table; it's a black briefcase. He opens it-- you catch sight of three scrolls in it before he removes a newspaper and closes the briefcase again.

Malkas tries to catch Edith's eye.

Pepper sees Grim out of the corner of her eye but grins at the pastor. "I dunno, Syd, they were common enough around my dinner table."

Edith Runekill looks at Ma and Pa all like wtf

Tom Runekill looks appalled

Pastor John: The newspaper is a copy of the Baldur's Gate Globe from a few weeks ago. 'HEROES SAVE TRAIN MENACED BY KRAKEN' screams the headline. There's a photo of the mayor of Baldur's Gate giving an award to an extremely bedraggled-looking Edith, Sydney, Mal, Pepper, and Grim.

Capridi just pretends she doesn't know celestial either. She nods "[celestial] be thankful for bathroom days of ten"

Pa Runekill: "Now then."

"'Not much trouble', huh?"

"A few bulettes."

"How about you tell me what you're really up to out here?"

Grim: "You accusin' me of bein' a liar, pastor?"

"We met a couple bulettes on the road. They didn't slow us down too much."

Grim speaks in a growl

Capridi sits back and lets grim be the awkwardness sponge for once.

Pastor John: "Why are you going to Prastuil?"

Grim: "Miz Runkill's got contacts there. Checkin' on some research."

"Like. I. Said."

Grim is so angry she's rigid

Pastor John: "Researching what, specifically."

Grim: "The hell's it to a man who won't ask straight up?"

Edith Runekill: "Er, the medieval cultures of the East...?"

Pepper mage hands a roll.

Pastor John: "Not you, Edith. I want to hear it from the others."

Capridi hopes grim gets angry enough to punch out the pastor

Grim is close

Grim: "If you got somethin' to say, I'd rather you say it."

"Than go interrogatin' us like no-good lowlifes that weren't invited here fair 'n square."

Pastor John: "Okay, fine. I was going to give you one last chance to own up. I was even willing to facilitate that with some of... Auril's grace."

Pepper: "HAH! Say grace! I get it!" she guffaws, pointing between Pa and the Pastor.

Grim: "Own up?"

Grim does get to her feet, staring at the pastor

Pastor John tells the group that he knows Edith called her mother a few weeks before asking about her uncle in Secomber, he knows that there have been lich sightings in places the group has been, and that Prastuil is a leading authority on ancient Thay.

Grim stares at the pastor like she's daring him to object

Grim: "And?"

Pepper: "Sounds to me like he's got some weird lich obsession," she says to Grim, taking a bite out of a roll.

Pa Runekill cuts to the chase. "You're dragging our baby girl out chasing a Lich."

Pa Runekill: "You gonna deny that?"

Grim shoots Pa a disbelieving look

Sydney Gaydos: "We do not drag anyone! Much less Edith. She's coming with us of her own free will!"

Grim: "Mr. Runekill, your daughter's been on the front line of this fight from the first day Szass Tam showed his rotten ass face in Neverwinter. She's a goddamn hero, and you all ought to pray you measure up when the time comes it matters round here."

Grim shoots that look at the pastor too

Grim: "Just what have you done about the long dead evil trampin' over good folks these last months, Pastor John Icedirge?"

Capridi leans over Mal towards Syd, "[draconoc] Syd, this is weird. Why is this guy so hard pressed to get in our business? Sounds like something a hard boiled detective would need to investigate."

Pepper , in a sing-song voice in the Pastor's direction--in Elvish so it sounds EXTRA beautiful--"[Elvish] You fu-ucked u-up."

Pastor John: "Looking after my flock. And I won't say fighting a lich is an honorable thing. But you aren't gonna get Gordon's daughter killed doing it."

Edith Runekill: "I know what I'm doing!"

Pepper is just helping herself to bits of the meal while this unfolds.

Edith Runekill: "Grim's right! I'm doing this of my own free will. I want to do this."

Grim looks the Pastor in the eye, hands flat on the table as she leans over towards him

Grim: "I ain't gonna get Edith killed."

Capridi whispers to Syd some more "[draconic] You'd think a guy who's all about god would be delighted someone is taking care of a lich..."

Pa Runekill: "Just 'cause you want something don't mean its good for you, Edith."

Grim is like zone of truth up your own ass

Tom Runekill and Grace exchange some truly alarmed looks and, as the conversation gets more heated, they take their kids and leave.

Pepper waves as the family leaves.

Sydney Gaydos looks surprised at the sudden draconic, but replies to Capridi. [Draconic] "It's her parents' poor attempt at "concern" and an invasion of privacy is what it is."

Capridi: "[draconic] I'm not talking about her folks, but this dude. He was the only one who knew about this, its not like her folks invited him to convince her."

Pastor John sidles around the side of the table and stands next to Edith, by the seat vacated by Tom, Jr.

Malkas clenches his fists.

Malkas 's hands are under the table, on his lap.

Grim moves around the other side of the table, around Pa, oh man oh man oh man

Pepper just. Stands.

Pastor John: "I was afraid it would come to this. Girls like her never do see reason or think of what's best for her family. I'm afraid we must insist she stays here with her family, where she belongs."

Grim raises a finger in the pastor's face

Grim: "Lay one goddamn hand on her, I dare you."

Edith Runekill stands up, furious. "Let's-- go. Let's just go. Get our bags and leave."

Capridi "[draconic] condescending old fart"

Malkas stands. His heart is pounding in his chest and the look on his face is exactly what people worry about when they see tieflings.

Pastor John pulls the scrolls out of his briefcase and, off of one of them, casts Sleep on Edith.

Malkas launches over the table.

Pepper recoils from the Pastor and Mal and heck, just everything from that side of the table.

Oh.

Well then.

Game on!

Mal's first order of business is to smash the hilt of his sword into the Pastor's face before grabbing Edith.

Pastor John: "I knew it!"

Malkas: [Infernal] "GET AWAY FROM HER YOU SON OF A BITCH."

Pepper: "Hey, you don't get the moral high ground on this!" she says to the Pastor.

Capridi: "[celestial]KICK HIS SORRY ASS!"

Pepper fist pumps. "[Elvish] Eat shit, you weird old scarecrow."

Grim smacks the pastor with a tray, restrains him with vines and silences the room fuck you

Capridi: "Grim I take back all the shit I said about you!"

Pepper has the last bit of her sentence cut off by magical silence, but the point got across.

Capridi realizes no one can hear her, gives grim two thumbs up.

Grim is still holding the tray, breathing hard. She is So Angry.

Sydney Gaydos LEAPS across the table to pummel the Pastor with her fists.

Malkas 's wild snarling is even worse without any sound. You get the feeling this is what that Devil Hunter saw on Ocila's face seconds before his throat was slit by a child.

With the room silenced and the Pastor restrained by vines, the fight is over and—aw who am I kidding, both Syd and Cap join in and give him a few good punches as well. He tries to retaliate with his war hammer, but it's difficult from under vines and two dragonborn without any way of casting spells.

So Pa takes Runekill down from the mantle and smacks Grim in the back of the head with it.

Grim is so fucking pissed at you Pa Runekill

Grim IS DISPLEASED THAT YOU SWORDED HER IN THE BACK UNPROVOKED

Grim DICK

Pepper distracts him by throwing pepper in his eyes, allowing Mal to escape out the door with an unconscious Edith.

Pepper salutes Mal as he passes.

Malkas yells "THANK YOU FOR DINNER, SORRY ABOUT YOUR DISHES MRS. RUNEKILL."

Malkas: "Nice to meet you, Tom, we've really gotta get going on account of your father tryin' to kidnap Edith."

Tom Runekill: "I didn't know about any of this, I swear!"

Malkas: "It's fine, you seem nice, you should bring Grace and the kids over to the city sometime, we'll get lunch!"

Malkas is speaking as he's running.

Tom Runekill: "I don't... I'm not gonna pretend I know why Edith wants to do this kinda thing, but-- but it's her choice, right?"

Malkas: "I won't let anything happen to her. If I gotta slay Asmodeus himself."

Tom Runekill: "And he broke Hospitality rules. I... I don't know what he's doin'..."

Tom Runekill looks SUPER grossed out

Back inside, Grim takes a few swings at Pa while Syd does her best to headbutt the Pastor into submission. He's too determined to go down from that and avoids a wild swing from Cap who's cussing him out the whole time.

Outside, Edith tries to make sense of what happened.

Edith Runekill: "Uh... wha... what's going on?"

"Did I... faint?"

Malkas: "Sleep spell from Pastor Asshole. Pasthole."

Edith Runekill: [infernal] "What the fuck?"

"Pastor Jack? Is that why he was there?"

"Ugh... I... I led us right into this..."

Malkas: "I may have slammed the end of my sword into his face? Bit of a rage blur."

"Your brother seems nice. I don't recommend going back in there."

"Maybe you should hide in the camper?"

Meanwhile, Pa's proven himself too irresponsible to wield a sword—he does keep swinging it at unarmed people—and Syd grabs it from him. Enraged, he turns to go outside to find Edith, but Pepper and Grim block his way.

Grim just gives Pa such a look

Pepper grins at Pa.

Pepper: " 'Sup? My good chum?"

Pa Runekill glares daggers at Pepper.

Pepper grins back. She's like right between him and the door now, good, great.

Edith Runekill: "Should we go back in? Where is everyone?"

Malkas: "No no no, they're coming. I think."

Malkas leans on the horn.

Edith Runekill: "You THINK?"

Malkas: "It's only been like 10 seconds give them a sec!"

Grim gives Pa a warning look, then turns her attention to Pepper and jerks her head at the Pastor

Grim: "Tell him to stand down."

"This ain't gettin' resolved by blows."

Pa Runekill: "Stand down, Reverend! This ain't working!"

Pastor John gives Pa a thumbs-up, as if to indicate that everything is still under control and he's got this.

Capridi keeps tearing at the priest

Pepper uses prestidigitation to flash a message right over the pastor's big stupid face. "GIVE UP." There's also a lewd Elvish word tacked on to the end of it.

Grim considers Silencing the car

Pastor John loses the battle of wills with Grim and gives up, though Cap is still on top of him. She gets in a few more hits before Grim hauls her off into the parlor. Beaten and thoroughly chumped chagrined, the Pastor makes to leave.

Pa Runekill stands and just glowers at the wreckage of the dinner. And at the Pastor.

Grim: "Get it together. We're done here."

Pa Runekill: "Shoulda never let you talk me into breaking hospitality."

Capridi struggles as grim drags her away

Grim drags Cap into the living room before she's released

Sydney Gaydos follows Grim and the struggling Cap out closely, still clutching the sword blade whoops.

Pastor John: "Is that more important than your daughter's life, Gordon?" He looks absolutely livid.

Pa Runekill: "You told me this work, you told me it'd be worth it in the end, you told me... you..."

Pepper pulls a bag out of a pocket, shovels some of the dinner inside, and seals it up. "We'll see about getting her to call more often, eh?" she grins at Pa.

Pepper heads out to the living room.

Capridi wrestles herself away from Grim. She glares at her for a bit, knowing she went overboard but doesn't want to admit it. She sits down and tries to take a few deep breaths, still livid.

Grim turns back to look through the door at the two men, still mad as hell

Malkas wipes his tail on the grass. It was covered in potato.

Pastor John glares at Grim, and at the door, and back at Grim.

Grim steps in front of the pastor as he makes to leave. She looks him up and down, then looks him in the eye

Capridi picks herself up and heads outside without a word.

Grim: "Look to your own soul, pastor. Think about who needs the protectin' around here. And from what."

Grim steps aside and shoots Pa the same look over the pastor's shoulder

Grim: "You both oughta be ashamed."

Tom Runekill: "Yeah! What she said!"

Pepper slaps a dinner roll down into Tom's hand.

Grim sets her hat back on her head and lifts her rifle from the doorway

Pastor John stares at Grim a while longer, then turns and leaves. He gets into his station wagon and drives away.

Malkas watches him as he goes.

Pastor John a cloud of dust rises as he drives down the access road.

Grim sets a cigarette in her mouth and speaks to Pa around it as she lights up

Grim: "You're gonna live to see your daughter become a hero, Mr Runekill. Kind books're written on."

Malkas gives Cap an approving nod.

Grim: "Try to make peace with that."

Sydney Gaydos sees that Grim has it handled and heads outside towards the car-camper.

Capridi sits in the car and lights up. She doesn't look at Mal.

Pa Runekill says, in a low voice, "I'd rather have her here than in a history book."

Grim: "World needs history books. S'what keeps us here."

Pa Runekill: "Guess I... I don't got much of a leg to stand on. I brought dishonor down upon myself and my family, and got repaid by losing here tonight."

"Just... just go, all right? Just go."

Grim looks Pa up and down and pauses for a moment, then offers out her hand

Grim: "You'll see her again, sir. Promise you that."

Pa Runekill: "Don't make promise you can't keep."

Grim: "Never do."

Pa Runekill: "Hm."

Pa Runekill doesn't shake Grim's hand.

Tom Runekill gives Pa a reproachful look, and slips past Grim and Pa to go outside.

Grim leaves it open for several moments, looking him in the eye, then nods and turns to head for the door

Outside, Tom is still stunned by what happened. He apologizes to Edith and swears he had no idea what their father had been planning.

Tom Runekill: "They broke hospitality!" He looks aghast.

Malkas eyes Tom.

Tom Runekill: "Malkas. I... I still don't really know why anybody would wanna live their life like... all of you..." He gestures vaguely at the group. "But... but you seem like a good man."

Malkas: "Thanks. You seem like a good man too. Tell your mom I'm sorry if I broke any plates."

Tom Runekill smiles wanly. "They were Grace's plates. And Pa broke most of 'em."

Pepper sits in the car with a huff.

Grim drops her things in the car and leans against it, surveying the endless fields while she smokes

Malkas: "Well, still sorry."

Capridi just wants to hurry up and get out of this corn carpeted hellscape.

Tom Runekill: "Yeah."

Malkas sits next to Edith. "You guys keep safe."

Tom Runekill turns to look at Sydney. Or, more specifically, at the sword in her hands. "Runekill..."

Malkas lights two cigarettes and gives one to Edith.

Tom Runekill: "That blades been in our family since long before we came to Plaguewrought Land. Our ancestors wielded it back in the far north, when they were still pirates and explorers and raiders off the coast of Luska. It's seen... a lotta adventures."

Pepper: "It also saw the back of Grim's head," she frowns.

Sydney Gaydos: "Oh! Gaydos had forgotten she disarmed the sword from your father." She holds it, hilt out, towards Tom. "Would you like it back? It sounds very important to the family."

Tom Runekill: "It's been passed from father to son for generations. But for the last few, it's just been an ornament on the mantelpiece. But... but that ain't right. It's... it's an adventurer's blade."

"And there's only one Runekill who's having an adventure now."

Tom Runekill smiles at Edith.

Tom Runekill gently pushes the sword back towards Sydney. "Keep it. Keep my sister safe. And... and... and make it part of a STORY again."

Tom Runekill: "Anyway, Pa's shown he clearly can't be trusted with the thing in the house."

Sydney Gaydos hums in agreement. "You honor Gaydos with such things. Both sword and trust in Edith's safety. However..." she then holds the sword towards Edith. "This should be yours then."

Grim: "That man's all pride 'n no honor." Grim mutters from the back of the car where she leaning.

Pepper starts singing "Yer Pa Is A Fuckin' Dick." It's a traditional Elvish ballad. At least, that's how her dad tells it.

Edith Runekill takes the sword because it's such a touching family moment. Even though she has literally no idea how to use the sword and will probably give it back to Sydney.

Edith Runekill waves the sword experimentally.

Edith Runekill stares in wonder as the runes all start glowing.

Edith Runekill: "Oh!"

"Um."

Pepper stops singing. "Nice."

Edith Runekill: "Th-this is. It's an honor."

"I... I didn't think a Runekill girl would ever get to... get to. Well. Have this."

Capridi wants everyone to stop talking so we can leave. This place sucks.

Edith Runekill looks from Sydney to Tom and back to Sydney again. "Thank you."

It's a bittersweet moment as Edith makes plans with Tom to have him and his family visit her in the future before the group gets in the car and leaves. Pepper—who definitely swiped the Pastor's briefcase after the fight—starts rifling through his notes and reading them.

Pepper is reading this priest's shitty notes out loud on the drive.

Pepper: "This guy's a piece of work."

"This shit-eater was gonna try to banish you, Mal."

Malkas: "That's not how tieflings work."

Pepper: "'Grime'. I think this is you Grim. 'Make her leave her gun outside'."

Grim grunts

Pepper: "'The elf'. 'Take away her musical instrument, keep her from bolstering the group's morale'. This joker thinks I'm a bard."

"'The dragonborn'. 'Trick into fridge? Find a big bird??'." She wrinkles her nose.

Sydney Gaydos: "That's... not how dragonborns work."

Pepper holds the notes out the side of the car and incinerates them, scattering the ashes.

Malkas stares straight ahead.

Grim regrets starting a fight before dinner, in retrospect

Capridi is ready for this day to be over with.

Pepper offers the bag of Dinner to Grim. It's a little jumbled up, but not too gravy soaked. "I swiped some stuff Mal didn't step in."

Malkas: ".. 'm sorry, Edith."

Edith Runekill: "It's... it's 10000% not your fault."

Grim eyeballs it like she might turn it down, then takes a roll and stacks it with whatever she can find

Malkas: "I coulda handled it better. ... There's a motel at the next rest stop..."

Malkas points to a passing sign.

Edith Runekill 's eyes are fixed on the road. She's very hungry.

Edith Runekill takes that exit.

Grim: "Gotta find somewhere to eat," she says with her mouth full

Pepper nods and mumbles in agreement, unable to speak around a mouth of chicken.

Helia (GM): The car pulls up to the "Best" Diner in the "Area"

Edith Runekill parks at the rest stop. She's still in an area she recognizes; she used to eat here a lot. There's a few teens eating burgers outside.

Sydney Gaydos: "Pepper... if you have no need for the briefcase, may Gayods have it? It's very official and nice looking."

Pepper: "Mm," she licks her fingers. "Help yourself," she hands it over, tucking the scrolls into her pocket first.

Sydney Gaydos makes a delighted little noise and starts examining and touching the briefcase with oohs and aahs. "Thank you! She will put this to great use."

Edith Runekill hops out of the car. And then realizes she should probably not carry a sword into a diner.

Malkas wordlessly exits the car.

Grim finishes eating before she enters the diner, as is only polite

Edith Runekill picks up her staff instead.

Malkas sits at a booth and buries his head in his hands.

Edith Runekill sits next to Mal and drapes her arm over his shoulders.

The group tries to decompress over a diner meal, but the day's events are a lot to process. Mal and Edith both wonder if they did something wrong.

Grim: "Weren't nothin' you two did."

Malkas orders a beer.

Grim: "Runekill, you're a good kind. An' that's worth all the more now, seein' where you come from."

Pepper: "That creep was gonna kidnap you! And your dad was just--ugh." She crosses her arms.

Edith Runekill: "What did Pa do...?"

Grim takes a drag on her cigarette and drags an ashtray over, frowning

Capridi gets up to go to the bathroom. She doesn't wanna hear about this again.

Pepper: "Well he thought it was a good idea, for starters."

Edith Runekill: "Yeah."

"I... I knew he didn't exactly approve of how I been living my life, but... I... I wasn't..."

Helia (GM): The diner lady comes by, "Well, Edith Runekill. Ain't you a sight for sore eyes!"

Grim: "Mal 'n me restrained the priest. So your pop took down that old sword and-..." She raises a hand to the back of her head, only realising dimly now that she's still sticky with blood.

Helia (GM): She goes :| "I'll come back later."

Grim looks up at the diner lady, rubbing blood from her fingers

Edith Runekill: "Oh, so that's what Tom meant about dishonoring the blade..."

[infernal] FUCK.

Malkas: "I... overreacted a bit."

Edith Runekill: "I-- I-- I'm mad at HIM, and at myself, and... and..."

Grim: "You reacted about right from where I was stood, Malkas."

"Got Edith right outta there."

"Best way things coulda gone."

Sydney Gaydos: "Gaydos is in agreement. It was the right thing to do."

Edith Runekill: "I mean. If. If he really put me to sleep to try to kidnap me after I said I wanted to leave. Then... well. I think a strong response was kinda justified."

Pepper: "You didn't, you absolutely didn't," she says to Mal. "You protected her more than her dad did." She bangs on the table once for emphasis.

Grim: "Didn't mean to go startin' a real throwdown in there, but there ain't so much choice in it when a man comes at you from behind with a greatsword." Grim is still pretty pissed about that.

Pepper: "Who sits by and lets someone do that to their own daughter? Who thinks that's a good idea?" She's ranting at the salt shaker.

Sydney Gaydos: "Ah because of that... Grim, would you like some healing? Only if you feel comfortable with it." Sydney holds out her hand towards her.

Edith Runekill: "My... my parents did, apparently." She's still kind of trying to grapple with this.

Malkas: "Not your mom, I don't think."

"She didn't seem on board."

Grim waves Sydney off

Edith Runekill: "Oh..."

"Well. That's good to know."

Grim: "I'll knit up good with a li'l rest, and a good meal. Teach me to be less trustin' of folks I turn my back on."

Capridi comes back, wiping her hands with a paper towel. She tosses it on the floor behind her and sits on the bar nearby.

Sydney Gaydos sighs internally, and gets up to dispose of the paper towel in a trashbin.

Malkas: "I feel like I should write a letter of apology."

"For jumping on the pastor."

"And stepping on the potatoes."

Edith Runekill: "Pastor Jack cast a spell on me with hostile intent. He oughta apologize to us."

"But... maybe you should apologize to Ma and Grace about the potatoes."

Malkas: "Yeah."

Capridi speaking of potatoes, cap orders some fries.

Pepper: "That pastor's a jackass, you don't owe people like that the time of day."

Edith Runekill takes a long drink of her beer.

Pepper drinks but she's frowning so much a good portion dribbles out around the corners of her mouth. She ain't even give a damn. >:C

Grim ashes her cigarette, watching Edith

Pepper does use magic to dry her clothes, though.

Grim: "You okay, Edith?"

Edith Runekill: "I... no, not really."

"I just... I don't know."

Grim nods

Grim: "Well, I reckon we all had enough silence. F'you wanna talk."

Grim is not used to saying these words, ever

Edith Runekill: "It's just... that was my home. It's one I had a lot of mixed feelings about, one I was glad to leave behind in a lot of ways, but it was still... it was still home."

"But... it isn't anymore, I reckon."

Grim nods slowly at that, smoking as she listens

Malkas nurses his beer and listens quietly.

Pepper runs her fingers through her hair.

Edith Runekill: "Wasn't expecting something like that to go down there. So. So I let my guard down, I wasn't watching carefully enough. But. But I didn't expect that to happen at the table I ate dinner at for the first 18 years of my life, beneath my sister in law's collection of novelty plates, over a meal I helped cook."

"I just... it... I feel... dislocated now?"

Grim removes her cigarette from her mouth and exhales, nodding. She thinks about it for a moment before she answers.

Grim: "Edith, I ain't ever had a fixed abode, so I don't know what you're comin' from. But...as I see it, home is where your life is."

"This-..." She gestures around. "This is just a place you come from."

Pepper: "And all that about 'I let my guard down', 'I wasn't watching', that's bullshit, none of this is on you." She picks up and points at Edith with the salt shaker.

Capridi finds herself agreeing with grim. What the hell.

Edith Runekill nods at Grim and Pepper. "I guess..."

Edith Runekill: "It's just. I... I can't help but feel like I lost something big today."

Pepper: "Family shouldn't do what your dad did. Family should be there for you. Like Mal was." She looks like she has more to say but she just sets the salt shaker down.

Grim regards Edith, then gives a twitch of a half smile

Grim: "S'about time you started travellin' light."

Edith Runekill: "'Cept for the big heavy sword I drove off with."

Grim smirks

Grim: "That sure don't hurt."

"....poor choice've words, it sure did hurt."

Pepper peers at the back of Grim's head.

Grim places her hand over Pepper's face and pushes her back out of her personal bubble

Capridi turns around on the stool, and casts cure wounds on Grim.

Edith Runekill: "Yeah. It hurt. But. But it's still a big thing. Both literally, and... yeah."

Pepper: "Grouch," she says, muffled around Grim's hand.

Grim stiffens a little and glances sideways at Capridi, taken by surprise.

Capridi turns back around to eat her fries.

Pepper raises an eyebrow and busies herself with her drink.

Grim shivers a little and raises a hand to the back of her head, then lifts her cigarette and settles down again

Edith Runekill: "I... I'm still kinda shocked Tom just gave it up. He spent his whole life expecting to inherit that blade. It's his birthright as the oldest son, y'know?:

Grim: "You hear what he said about that sword, 'n adventurers?"

"I reckon he half wishes he was goin' with you too."

Edith Runekill: "He... he's proud of his family. And farm life suits him. But... well, you're right. He grew up on the same sagas of our ancestors I did."

Grim: "You might just be the first Runekill in a while who ain't afraid've the past."

Grim still can't believe they were j'accused over hunting a literal lich like it's a bad thing

Edith Runekill: "Well..."

Malkas: "We didn't even hunt that Kraken."

"That was just bad luck."

Malkas is talking distantly.

Malkas: "Weird thing to accuse us of..."

Pepper: "He's a weird guy!"

Edith Runekill entwines her hand in Mal's. The one she's not holding her beer in, anyway.

Edith Runekill: "I mean. It is true that we're doing the kinda thing where a run of bad luck means you nearly get killed by a kraken. No sense denying that. But... well, we know. We made a decision to do this."

In the end, the group does end up having a nice family dinner in their own way.

Pepper starts in quietly with an encore of the Elvish classic "Yer Pa Is A Fuckin' Dick" while waiting for her food. She's substituting 'Pastor' for 'Pa' this time.

Edith Runekill: [Elvish] "I am honor-bound to warn you that, for the last decade, Elvish is taught as a foreign language at the high schools here, and therefore your ribald lyrics might not go as uncomprehended as you might have preferred."

Pepper: "[Elvish] Dooooon't care."

Grim: [Elvish] "Yeah knock it off dipshit."

Edith Runekill does a double-take

Pepper is unperturbed at the lyrical sounds of bards and poets creaking out of Grim's mouth.

Grim continues to smoke and drink

Pepper locks eyes with Grim, reaches into her pocket, and pulls out her Hat. She puts it on and sips her drink.

Grim eyes her over and goes back to her beer

Edith Runekill: "Excuse me????"

Grim: [Elvish] "Seen it at the store I sold Mal."

[Elvish] "Still funny."

Edith Runekill: "We're gonna get thrown outta here and I haven't eaten yet and I'm so hungry so please take that off"

Pepper mage hands it on top of Edith's wizard hat.

Edith Runekill yelps

Pepper: "[Elvish] Shhhh, do you wanna get us kicked out?"

Grim: [Elvish] "Quit it, you jackanapes."

Edith Runekill mage-hands it off and onto the seat, out of sight.

Pepper snorts.

Grim: "An' I thought we got out've eatin' with kids."

Malkas silently eats his burger.

Pepper retrieves it and puts the hat away.

Edith Runekill: "Dorothea and Junior's table-manners are way better than we're doing right now, to be honest."

Grim: "Who the hell calls a kid junior anyway."

Edith Runekill: "People... here? He's Tom, Jr., so we just call him Junior. Is... is that weird?"

"I don't think that's weird."

Grim eats her burger like she didn't eat basically a light meal in the car

Grim: "What happens when they grow up"

Pepper ordered some sort of chef's special.

Pepper: "Sometimes THEY have a kid and call him 'the third'."

Pepper shakes her head.

Edith Runekill: "Well then he just reverts back to being Tom...? I don't know. Remind me not to name any of my kids 'Malkas' I guess."

Grim: "Hell's wrong with folk."

"Give your kids people names, damn."

Pepper: "Got that right."

Grim is unaware of any irony in this statement

Pepper ditto.

So it goes.

#summary #previously on #neverwinter 1933

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