 |
 |
 |
|
Quest History: Quest #27 The Traitor to the Cause
Sunday, February 15, 2009 - 02:45 PM
|
|
|
 It is July the eighth, of the Year of our Lord One Thousand Three Hundred and eight. In the cellars of the capital of Listibald, the captain of the guard was found... dying. His last words were, "A lord did this, I do not know which one, but he plans the destruction of Listibaldia... from the inside out." With that said he died leaving the Lords stupefied. One month later a revolt was launched against Earl Listibald. The Rebellion quickly laid siege to Lord Paul's castle.
Submitted by GrumpyGills and The Quest Authors
There is a traitor among the ranks of Listibaldian Lords, though as yet his identity is unknown; a rebellion has been started and the peasants, always fairly unpleasant, are now revolting!
The battalions of the Republican Guard and the Knights of St George are attempting to quell the uprising as an armed force of rebel militia lay seige to the Court Jester's keep.
Sir Grumpy sends MasterSpartacus out to jon Amik's men in their attempt to capture the enemy seige camp, he seems eager to do so...
Meantime within the city, the Lords are trying to halt the peasant's revolt whilst avoiding bloodshed, despite the more 'thorough' instincts of one Lord Salesman.
At the seige camp, Lord Amik manages to infiltrate the command tent and secure certain documents pertinent to the plot. Seizing them, he sends two of his best, Sir Everett and Nathan to inform Paul's soldiers that they should sally forth. Beefman, Prophet of teh Great Cow, bedazzles his men with threats of divine vengeance should they fail, then leads them against the peasants, who seem less frightened of the weapons and more of the meaty words of the Prophet!
By this point, many of the enemy and the peasant mob had surrendered or routed, but the battle was far from over. But Paul seems optimistic that once the traitor is unmasked the civil unrest will be abated. Awaiting a signal from Amik, he prepares his men to sally.
But Amik has by now read the documents, however his revelation is cut short, for the treacherous MasterSpartacus orders archers to fire on him, hitting him twice with poisoned arrows. The traitor burns all the evidence in the campfire and sets the tents alight for good measure. Then, with forged 'evidence' of a plot by the French, he sets off to deliver his lies to Lord Paul.
Before he can leave, Amik summons up his remaining strength to scream of MasterSpartacus' treachery for all to hear. The men of his battalion make haste to Amik's position whilst the traitor flees westward.
The Squire and Lord Salesman give chase, but their quarry is unimpeded by armour and has a swift plainshorse - he disappears from sight and the chase is halted.
Sarkya recalls a herbal antidote which may save Amik's life, and with all gathered round him his wounds are treated, but he is out of the fight. He appoints Mooman as acting Grand Marshal in his stead, then wishes Paul and the others luck - with the caveat that he wants the traitor brought to him alive.
Koen Francois is discovered floating unconscious in the river, among his robes are several scrolls. Puzzled, the soldiers bring him to Paul's castle for treatment.
Lord Dominatr knocks the landlord of the inn in a rebel village unconscious and drug the patrons.
Sir Jent, who has foolishly tried to take on Masterspartacus alone, is brutally slain for his trouble.
Nathan is captured and imprisoned by the rebels.
As the Lords scour the city for the traitor in the streets, the houses and taverns, a mocking cry is heard from the church tower - MasterSpartacus has claimed sanctuary, knowing that the code of chivalry prevents the Lords entering the church by force of arms!
The Questors believe that all they need do is surround the church and await his surrender, however the bell rings and a procession of robed figures leave the chruch. It becomes apparent there is a plot involved as twownsfolk begin emerging from their houses in the same robes, not
heeding orders to halt but walking slowly to the docks, chanting. King Ed dons a robe and joins them, hoping to find a clue.
Threats of violence do nothing to stop the robed folk, it only served to strengthen their resolve.The argument has almost reached boiling point when Paul strides over with a face like thunder and orders the peasants to kneel and remove their hoods - but the traitor is not among their number, only his second in command, Deopus who is roughly questioned.
MasterSpartacus may never have left the church! Or, he may have found a secret way out. All the robed people are bound and arrested, Sir Everett can barely contain his rage. Vengeance for this treachery would be his!
MasterSpartacus had used tunnels to reach a stable where he mounted and rode for a castle to the North. The Questors search the church for clues.
The Squire, having been injured grieviously, has had a personality change - the beginnings of a madness that would henceforth plague him...
Nathan awakes to the mocking voivce of the traitor, who tries to persuade him to join the cause, but the loyal Nathan will have none of it.
Xetas and Mooman free a bedraggled prisoner and report on their findings to Lord Paul and then the Questors march north to lay seige to the traitor's stronghold.
After some surreal beer-related antics,the attacking Lords rendezvous with the now recovered Amik and his forces, who have constructed a sturdy ram. Xetas and the remaining forces continue to defend Lord Paul's castle.
Having surveyed MasterSpartacus' keep, the Lords prepare for the attack by constructing portable shields, and a plan is hatched to climb up through the latrines (it won't be the last time...!).
As Sir Everett explains it to Lord Paul, the jester replies with some really bad toilet humour.
The ascent up the stinking pipework commences...
Koen has frustrating encounters with some rather familiar seeming French k-niggets.
This is not the end of the treachery. for Mooman reveals himself as an enemy by launching a surprise attack on the dung-covered lords as they emerge. Paul is struck by arrows and yells a warning to those on the battlements.
More treachery! Sir Grumpy greets his friend Nathan and stabs him through, though none see the deed, so all still believe him to be loyal - he sows chaos and confusion among his former allies.
The battle reaches a desperate pitch, with few really sure who is friend or foe. A climax is reached when Mooman and Spartacus are finally captured and bound.
However, the traitor has petards hidden on his person, and throws them, blowing everyone back.
This final act is rewarded with the point of Lord Amik's sword, and Spartacus' dead form is thrown down into the moat.
The decision is reached to bring Mooman to the gallows, and Sir Grumpy's true nature is discovered, he plots to kill the Earl himself - the Lords set off to find him and bring him to justice whilst Lord Paul and Lord Amik question their prisoner, Mooman. Both Paul and Sir Everett are suffering greatly from their injuries.
The Lords seek the Gillmeister at his estate, but that has been burned to the ground, and so all the Lords ride post haste to the capital, aiming to trap him.
They first check the Dancign Bear, attempting not to get distracted by ale..this proved to be just what the treacherous Grumpy wasn't expecting, for he stumbles in and recognises Paul.
To cover his leaving, he instigates a bar brawl and dashes intothe streets, losing himself among the crowd.
The Squire meantime, or 'Wolfdog' as he has become, has revealed himself to Sir Grumpy as an enemy to the Earl, though Grumpy as yet does not trust him and at the first opportunity he attacks him, sorely wounding the mad Squire.
The news of Squire Terence/Wolfdog's struggle with Sir Grumpy is relayed to the battalion commanders, Lord Amik and Lord Paul, who question the raving Squire, managing to get some sense that Sir Grumpy was last seen heading for the Residential District and is most likely holed up in a house there.
The battalions are given their orders: guards are posted at all gates and doors of the city walls, and all watchtowers manned by keen-eyed archers.
The Lords themselves divide into pairs and make their way through the streets and alleys of the Residential District, effectively forming an inpenetrable ring, blocking off all exits.
Lord Amik, Lord Paul, Yarrum and Lord Xetas along with a small contingent of crossbowmen and assassins work their way systematically through the streets, searching each house, taking their
time.
Sir Grumpy has by this time acquisitioned a large imposing carriage and tries to gain entrance posing as a dignitary, but is thwarted and exits the carriage, his escape is spotted and his accomplices shot.
The plan had gone wayward. An impudent guard had stopped Grumpy in his way to the keep. What if he really was a dignitary of some far off land? How would the Earl suffer the indignation of disallowing the presence of a dignitary!
The carriage driver had been shot, the horses scared, and as the mercenary knights galloped after the carriage and Grumpy, the carriage had rolled over in the courtyard and crashed into a fountain, the top splintering into many pieces, spilling the secret laden within the wooden
panels.
Sir Grumpy had been proppelled out of the carriage, and as his knights rode up to him and dismounted, shieding him from any possible attempts on his life.
Even these men, these mercenary dogs did not know the true extent to Grumpy's plan, but Jeremiah did.
He was looking incredibly uncomfortable, and not happy with the extent of the drama, unfolding.
Grumpy drew a long white handkerchief from his breast pocket and placed it into Jeremiah's hands. "You did all that I could ask of you my friend, I cannot let you go on further. Say you had little to do with it, go with god, Jeremiah. Remember me."
Without a word, Jeremiah nodded, thrust his spear point through the tough material, and raised it over his head, slowly walking over the debris in the courtyard, the debris of wood and stone.
Grumpy turned his head, and the band slowly moved back to the carriage. Once near it, he jumped inside, grabbed his sword, and hacked at the paneling, at the floor, at the roof and at the walls, hacking away like a madman. He took off the container of gold coins that cunningly fit into the barrel, and thrust a handful into each of the 'knights'' hands, bidding them "bon voyage".
With the knights walking back, hands up, without weapons, Grumpy reached inside a compartment in the carriage, and pulled forth a tallow candle. Carefully with some flint, he struck a spark onto the wick, and it caught alight. The flame was merry, it tasted power.
He clambered out of the carriage, and stood on top of it, arms embraced.
Lords were filing into the courtyard, familiar faces everywhere.
Lord Paul was the first to speak, "Sir Grumpy! I wish I could say let down your arms, and come peacefully, and you shall not be harmed, but I know, as you and this congregation know, that is not a possibility. You have been charged with Treason, Sir Grumpy, and here, you have been found guilty, stopped in the act of attempted assassination." His booming voice filled the courtyard,
"But you are surrounded Grumpy, there is naught else you can do. Lords have been discussing the ways to kill traitors, an unsavoury topic to discuss at any time, but I could attempt to make it quick, or at least less painful then the plans I have heard as of late. Come now, success here
can not be for you."
It was an exemplary speech, Sir Grumpy almost felt compelled to have a nice beheading, but, this way, he would go out in style. Like a true lord.
"My liege Paul, I wish the events of the past could be reversed, I do. I wish I was on the green plains of my castle grounds, experiencing the love of my family, but I am not. I made mistakes, I took a different path, I took choices that changed my thought into something different. Not
something wrong, as that is debatable, but nor was it right, I just made a choice.
Now here I am, at the end of all things, bested in my attempt to do what I believed was right!"
A crowd of the public edged closer into the courtyard, the guards had been powerless to stop a mass of people. The lords were forced to closer, metres away from the carriage. A light grew in Grumpy's eyes. Was it a reflection of the candle, the glint of passion, the eyes of a possessed madman?
"So kill me now you lords, what fear you of a traitor? If you live this day, you shall be haunted, a day and a thousand, through the night and the light, in sickness and in health, I and you all will become inseparable. If I don't, then we can meet on the fields of heaven or hell, or spend our days whiling the hours in purgatory."
Grumpy had no idea with how to progress. Someone was to step up.
Grumpy's nose clenches and unclenches, a foul odour permeating through the clean morning air.
The fire dances merrily.
The Lords believe they have the traitor Sir Grumpy at bay, but...
"Very well!" Ego briefly flashed through Grumpy's eyes. "Lord Paul, if you'd do me the pleasures, sah! Prepare to die!"
Lord Paul straightened his back, and drew his sword from the scabbard from whence it dwells for most of the time. Grumpy was regretting making this decision, but true honour asked for it. Lord Paul was a good man, Grumpy did not want to inflict great pain to him, he wanted great pain to come across him in the form of death to his leader.
But here he was, face to face with one of the most respected Listibaldian Lords in all time, his endeavours written about in the annals of his time!
Boots Crunching against the stones, Grumpy and Lord Paul faced off.
Grumpy made the first move.
He leapt for Paul's torso, but his adversary denied Grumpy the chance, and raised his shield, deflecting the shot.
Lord Paul counterattacked with a slash to Grumpy's arm, opening a wound on the biceps, tendons broken. Immediately, Grumpy dropped his shield and growled in pain.
This wasn't going well.
Grumpy attempted to fight back, and managed to give Lord Paul a few scars, but Lord Paul finished the duel with a steady thrust into Grumpy's sternum. In the very few seconds of life given to Grumpy, he did his most infamous action.
Lord Paul saw what was happening, thought to apprehend, but new it impossible. His face was grave, regretful and even slight fear.
"Don't do it" he whispered.
Sir Grumpy was feeling weaker, his brain felt numb, he began to feel liquid swirling in places it never had before.
But he managed to kick the tallow candle, left unatended on the ground, up in the air, floating to the carriage.
Seconds mattered little. Time warped, and for an instance milli seconds seemed like seconds. Sir Grumpy noticed the faces of some lords. Lord Paul, all knowing and just, recognised the situation. Amik, angry at the situation, but nonetheless accepting. Many Lords whom Grumpy had
faced with knew of the situation, but many did not. Some did not understand the significance of the carriage, some did.
There was a blue sky. A rarity, but it happened. Birds had the impudence to sing happy tunes, in nearby trees.
"I'm sorry Paul" Grumpy managed to utter, before an explosion rocked the very foundation of the castle. The carriage had been filled with explosive powder, a new discovery of sorts, and ignited to the touch of the candles flames, resulting in powerful flames spreading through the
courtyard. Debris from the carriage, from the now destroyed fountain flew everywhere, a stone boulder striking full Lord Amik in the chest, splitting open the torso. Flames burnt as Grumpy, he was dead now, he just hadn't registered it yet.
Around him, the lords were catching flame by flammable cloth, if they wore it, or were being hurtled by boulders and flaming pieces of wood.
Grumpy had died a madman, and had taken many many lives with him. All of the nobility present, with exception to Earl Listibald, safely ensconced in his keep some 50 yards away, was killed.
Was there any future of Listibaldia? Perhaps so. There were numerous children of most of the Lords, Lord Paul had quite a brood.
The Earl has been saved. The lords have done their duty.
Posthumous medals of valour are awarded to all loyal Questors!
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
