January 10 - Ishara - Archie

[robertod]

Archie awakes in the back room of a shop. The shop is reassuringly familiar. It is the Wellingtons’ taxidermy, yet it is not exactly the same shop Archie has been. Here everything is more primitive. In place of electric lights, torches burn on the walls. The workroom has the same gutted deer on the table. However, lacking ice and refrigeration, the carcass is a reeking mess. The shop has back door that is closed. The front door stands open. Outside, a bell begins to toll. Crowds of people are moving in the street.

[SaintMeerkat]

See next message.

[SaintMeerkat]

doctor.png (27.27 KiB) Viewed 368 times

Archie snapped awake with an unpleasant jerk. When he did'nt immediately see his comrades, his pulse soared and an icy knife of fear stabbed into his gut as he realized he was alone. It took a moment for the presence of the softly crackling, dimly burning torches to sink in, but, once it did, he was mildly comforted that this was more of the weird bollocks that they'd been experiencing, and not his hosts abandoning him (or worse). To him, that meant there was at least a chance of a way back...a way home.

His eyes were already burning with the stench of the carcass before he even realized its source. He blinked back his watering eyes as he covered his mouth and nose with a nearby rag. This must be Ishara. I made it, after all, he thought as he rapidly began searching his immediate area. He was so intent on his search -- and nervous about detection -- that the first toll of the bell startled him quite badly, and he jumped, nearly knocking over a nearby chair.

Once he'd regained his wits, he walked toward the shop's open doorway. He slipped to one of the windows and peeked through the closed drapes to get a better look at the parade. Unbidden, the John Donne poem he'd memorized as a lad came to mind. "Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee."

OOC:   Is my left arm tingling more or less here?

[robertod]

The front room is still a show room, but the animals have been so crudely preserved that many of them are decaying. The badly-stuffed bear is a festering horror. Outside the bell continues to toll, insistent. Leaving via the front door, Archie enters the streets outside.

The village homes are stamped in the wide plateau as if placed by some careful and meticulous collector. The houses are humble wooden abodes. The people on the streets wear medieval clothes, they look as peasants and rough miners. They look at Archie with a brief look of curiosity. Strangely, Archie perfectly understands the language, though it is not English, or French, or recognizably anything else. But the villagers are too busy to speak to Archie. They are all streaming uphill towards the cathedral, in the direction of the bell. The cathedral has a roof that rise upward as a proud church-spire of olden times. The sky has a rich purple tint, like a permanent dusk. Street intersections are occasionally adorned by gibbets, many of them occupied.

OOC:   Previously said:   Is my left arm tingling more or less here?   The same

[SaintMeerkat]

doctor.png (27.27 KiB) Viewed 347 times

OOC:   If there is a small knife that I can use as a weapon, I am going to slip it into my pocket before exiting. Do I see anyone that I recognize? Is there something unusual about the people's appearance? Does the cathedral appear to be Catholic? Do I overhear anything useful or interesting during my walk?

Archie can't resist the call anymore, and he follows the others outside and up the hill to the cathedral. He tries not to look at the dead people hanging at the intersections, but professional curiosity gets the better of him, and he stops to get a closer look at one. Then he heads toward the cathedral, and will follow the others inside, if no one attempts to stop him.

[robertod]

The people look like inhabitants of a humble medieval village. Their clothes look authentic, it doesn't look staged at all. But, overall, the place seems out of this world. The sky has a completely unnatural and strange color. The situation is dreamlike and, for the moment, Archie manages to rationalize it must be a dream, due to the sleep induced by the narcotic he has ingested.
Archie finds no weapons in the shop, but when he reaches into his pocket he realizes that the gun he had is now a knife, the handle of which is decorated with strange ornaments vaguely reminiscent of the Baroque style.

Archie starts walking towards the Cathedral, nobody stops him. At first glance it appears Catholic, but upon closer inspection it has exotic quirks to its style, as if it were the product of a Christian culture crossed with an unknown culture. As he walks, he hears a distant voice coming from the side of the street.

"What are you doing here, man of conscience? This is not place for you."

The voice speaks English but with a strong French accent. He is a man who looks like a beggar, with long white hair. Although he doesn't look at him, Archie recognizes him. He is Jacque, the patient of the Paris asylum, the one who crossed the luminous portal.

[SaintMeerkat]

doctor.png (27.27 KiB) Viewed 338 times

After inspecting the symbols, he put the knife back in his pocket.

It takes Archie a moment. He's terrible with names, but faces are something that stick with him. The person who stands in his way seems so familiar, yet so very strange at the same time. Where had he seen this person before? Then, it came to him, and he snapped his fingers in satisfaction as he pointed his finger at the man.

"Jacques..." he said. "It's me. Archie. We met back in Paris. Remember me?"

[robertod]

Jacque gestures for Archie to be quiet, then prompts him to follow, going behind the flow of the crowd.

The human stream follows the tolling bell to the village centre, eventually filling the square. In the center is a large platform upon which stand three figures: a bronze statue, a hooded, robed figure and Edgar Wellington, his hands bound in chains. The hooded figure raises its arms and the crowd falls silent. The figure then speaks, a male voice. The voice is horribly familiar.

"Before us stands a man accused of grievous crimes. His criminal conduct in withholding what is due to us renders him our enemy, and hence he must stand trial before us."

The figure then casts back his hood and stands. He´s a dapper, rotund middle-aged Frenchman. His hair is dark and well groomed, his moustaches are tastefully waxed. His eyes are a watery blue. Archie recognizes him as the Duke, the man he met at Wellington´s place.

“As Prince and protector of this realm, I appoint myself the judicial representative of the people of Ishara” he giggles, “and will see that this rogue gets his just deserts.”

At this point the crowd goes wild, cheering the Prince and cursing Wellington.
“Is anyone willing to take the part of the criminal in these proceedings?”


Jacque keeps his head bowed and whispers to Archie.

"I told you. This is not a place for people of the waking world."

OOC:   Roll a 2 points Stability test. You roll 1D6 with 4 as difficulty. You fail with 1,2 or 3. If you fail you lose 2 Stability points. If you want, you can spend 1 Stability point to improve your roll by 1.

[SaintMeerkat]

doctor.png (27.27 KiB) Viewed 331 times

Archie was so caught up in the strange events of this bizarre world that he found himself swept along to the square along with Jacque. Fascinated, horrified, spellbound, the second familiar face of his journey appeared on the platform. For a second, he fumbled with the knife in his pocket, but then realized the crowd would tear him apart if he attempted to interfere.

"What is going to happen to him?" he spoke in hushed tones to his default guide.

I am spending 1 point of Stability on the roll.

1d6

[robertod]

Jacque smiles softly, but with a mocking tone.
"I was hoping you could tell me more about this. The Prince rules this place, but he is from the waking world, originally. The accused man is also from the waking world. The Prince allowed him to frequent this place every now and then. The accused man has been visiting Ishara with his brother. I believe the brother was invalid or sick, in the waking world. Anyway, apparently the accused man quarreled with the prince. The Prince arrived here a few hours ago in order to retrieve something. Something hidden in the shop you came from. Thae accused man was resting in the shop when the Prince’s men broke in and dragged him away. I don´t really know for what he is on trial, nor why his friend has turned upon him."

After that Jacque shugs.

"I don't know what will happen to the accused man. Anything can happen here in Ishara."

The Prince clears his throat and he announces that the trial has begun. The proceedings consist of three arguments advanced by the Prince. The verdict of the judge then follows. The Prince speaks.

"People of Ishara! This traitor has refused to cooperate with the duly assigned officers of the realm, in that when he was summoned to present himself before the people’s court of Ishara," he giggles,
"he did kick, scream, and protest mightily, and thereby create an uproar in the street, to wit causing unnecessary trouble for offi cers assigned to conduct him to the court. Such behavior aims at undermining the authority of my rule and represents a challenge to the law of my will. Were he innocent, he would be meek. Were he meek, he would be released ... in due course. These ancient precepts of my rule being violated, I call for the judge to find him guilty of this charge."

The judge makes no reply, but continues to breathe asthmatically. The Prince pauses and waves his hand to the crowd.

[SaintMeerkat]

doctor.png (27.27 KiB) Viewed 317 times

Suddenly, a slow realization passed over Archie as Jacque slowly brought him up to speed. "Yes, I do recognize both of the men," he said in a hushed tone, staying close enough to Jacques' ear that he could speak without being overheard. "We were visiting the two brothers when I...accidentally came to Ishara. He's hiding a letter here that my friends and I would like to purchase from him. However, the King wants the letter, too. We were in a bidding war for it and were supposed to meet later in the real world to see it."

"I know it sounds complicated, but I believe the King is trying to cheat us out of a chance to buy the letter by getting it from him here."

Archie kneaded his hands nervously. He didn't want anything to happen to the poor man, but he had no chance of saving him alone.

[robertod]

Jacque looks at Archie in the eye and whispers.

"He will never go back to the so called real world, unless you convince the judge of his innocence. Damn it!"

Said that, unexpectedly, Jacque raises a hand and shouts.

"Hey! Look at here! We believe the accused is innocent."

The whole crowd immediately turns to Jacque and Archie. The Prince studies the two persons, intrigued, and nods after exchanging a look with Archie. He smiles and turns to the judge.

"The accused is a foreigner. There another Englishman stands, living testimony to his guilt. We of Ishara pride ourselves on our purity of blood. It is our strength and our glory, for it allows us to feel united under the common purpose of my will. His presence among us is like a cancer, drawing other foreign bodies"

"People of Ishara! I accuse the treacherous enemy before us with the possession of forbidden knowledge. Who knows what secrets a foreigner hides? And yet hide them he does. This guilty man, before us today, seeking only to deceive us, seeking only his own devious advantage and not the advantage of his Prince or his people, entered our sacred realm in possession of that which only I, as ruler, may obtain. What does he plot? Why such concealment? Why hide cunningly what is mine by fiat? There must be some devious reason to do so. He must be punished, for he has secreted the scroll somewhere within this princely realm, like a mine ready to explode beneath our foundations.”
Were he to bring forth the scroll, I should have reason for clemency. But he persists in deceit! He mocks and despises my suzerain will!
I call upon the judge to consider the crimes of the accused, and to determine him guilty as charged!"

After this speech the Prince looks smug. The judge turns kindly to Archie.
"You! Do you have anything to say in defense of your countryman?"

[SaintMeerkat]

doctor.png (27.27 KiB) Viewed 294 times

Before Archie could stop Jacque, he was already shouting out the crowd. Archie's already racing pulse soared even higher as he saw all of the eyes in the place turn toward them. Slowly, he rose to his feet, doing his best to stop the trembling. Archie wasn't accustomed to speaking to large crowds.

Archie froze for a moment as all the eyes turned to him. He forced himself to his feet, and listened as the Prince presented his case. He immediately recognized the hidden knowledge was the letter he and his friends sought. Suddenly, the tingling in his left arm seemed untenable, and he rubbed it furiously as he turned to the crowd.

He cleared his throat and swallowed. Calming himself, he took a few steps toward the judge.

"Ladies and gentlemen..." he said, rubbing his left hand firmly before crossing his arms behind him. "Your honor. Distinguished Isharans, I am no barrister. I am not a man of the law, but of medicine. It is my job to try to help sick people get well. To repair injuries to bodies. I became a doctor because I value life above all else. I believe life is sacred." As Archie spoke, he felt his confidence growing, and he gradually increased in volume. "And as a scientist, I find the general concept of forbidden knowledge distasteful. I don't know why you have labeled it forbidden, but it should not be for you alone to decide, Prince."

"Again, I am not a lawyer, but I will ask for the sacredness of life and the openness of knowledge to be respected as you consider this poor man's case, your honor."

[robertod]

The Prince assumes a displeased expression, but the judge pays attention to Archie's words. Edgar seems apparently more relieved.
The judge pricks his ear as if to better hear the doctor's words, which tend to be a little drowned out by the murmur of the crowd. Turning to Archie, the judge questions him:
"What you say sounds wise and important, foreigner. On the one hand, we risk to harm the man´s right to life and importance of free knowledge, but, on the other hand, the defendant may have introduced here some kind of knowledge that could be harmful to us. How should we proceed, in your opinion, foreigner?"

[SaintMeerkat]

When Archie saw that the judge was actually listening, he grew even more confident. He considered carefully the question the judge presented to him, and thoughtfully placed his finger to his chin, stroking it gently.

"I believe that I may have a solution everyone will find acceptable." He turned toward the condemned. "I propose that we remove the objectionable knowledge from your world, along with the transgressor, should he wish to accompany us. I believe that should satisfy both of the objections of the Prince."

[robertod]

The judge raises his arm and points to Archie. Then, Edgar Wellington’s chains vanish. The Prince is visibly angry and stamps around the stage. The crowd has been silent, as though stunned. They part to let Edgar reach Archie and Jacque.
Edgar whispers to Archie:
"Let´s go to the shop. The scross is hid there. We need to get out of here soon anyway!"
As the trio leave the square, Archie hear the voice of the Prince say.
"Today we have seen justice only partly done. What of the foreigner who defended the criminal? What of their conspiracy? Find them and bring them to me!"
The crowd roars in response. The entire town is now on their heels.
"Run!" Edgar screams.
Behind it, the fleeing trio hears the din of the pursuing mob.

[SaintMeerkat]

doctor.png (27.27 KiB) Viewed 279 times

Archie can't suppress a grin as the chains vanish. He never thought he would be successful in such an endeavor. He mentally set a reminder to not be as critical of the other lawyers at the club, if he ever got back to his club. He nodded at at Edgar and Jacque, and as soon as the crowd gave a shout, he proceeded with all possible haste. He nearly lost his left shoe as he crossed the cobblestones. *Damned shoelace...* the thought, never daring to slow to look down.

Archie headed toward the shop, making sure that Edgar was still coming.

[robertod]

Once, inside the shop, Edgar quickly moves some furniture to block the main door and asks Archie's help to block the window as well. Outside, people gather in the street. Apparently, Jacque has not entered the shop.

Fists bang on the door. Edgar scrambles to the body of the stuffed bear, and plunges his arm into it. The hammering on the door grows in volume, and it starts to splinter at the hinges. From inside the bear, Edgar retrieves a small case in a shower of offal.

"We're short on time. Come on, run to the back door and pass through. As fast as you can."

[SaintMeerkat]

doctor.png (27.27 KiB) Viewed 274 times

Archie quickly helped move the furniture, making sure that the windows were blocked, as well. He turned away to see what Edgar was doing now.

The incessant pounding made Archie's already ragged nerves even more disturbed. His mood already dark, he was terribly close to losing his temper, and when he saw what he guessed was the scroll case, he reached out and snatched it out of Edgar's hand as he dashed by. With his tingling hand, he tucked the scroll inside his jacket for safekeeping and took off in the direction indicated, dashing through the door without hesitation.

[robertod]

Archie goes through the back door of the shop following Wellington. He ends up inside a room that looks like the store's warehouse, but suddenly, he has the impression that the floor is missing under his feet. Before realizing what is happening, Archie passes out. He wakes up lying on the bed in his hotel room in Lausanne. Outside it is already dark. He's alone, the others aren't at the hotel. The guy at the reception speaks to Archie in English with a strong French accent. He asks Archie if he´s doing fine, if the hangover has passed. From the conversation with the receptionist, Archie learns that he was taken to his room by his travel companions, that are also at the hotel as guests. Archie was asleep when they took him to his room.