Werewolves: New Blood

[Lord Mayerling]

There was something about this whole situation that tipped Mayerling's scale...something about a dream.

"Beguile is correct," Mayerling confirmed, "Ryven is a dangerous creature among us."

[Ryven]

"Your dreams are, in fact, just that...dreams.  You'll see once I'm dead though.  Enjoy being food for whatever beast did this to dear Susannah."  He said quite confidently.

[Valerian]

Current voting:

Aiden(3) - Xandi, Imogen, Esoteric Myobi
Ryven(3) - Beguile's Mistress, Lucius Cornelius, Lord Mayerling
Beguile's Mistress(2) - Ryven, Moirae
Lord Mayerling(2) - Aiden, Albedo
Esoteric Myobi(1) - Remiel
Remiel(1) - The Unholy Potato
Albedo(0)
Imogen(0)
Lucius Cornelius(0)
Moirae(0)
ScorpioQueen(0)
The Unholy Potato(0)
Xandi(0)

Yet to vote: ScorpioQueen

There are 8 Villagers, 1 Seer, 1 Guardian, and 3 Werewolves.

[desert ashes]

Softly Moirae sighed, fought the urge to rub her temples.  Why had she left her gardens this morning?  "With further consideration, and placing hope in Remiel's innocence, I think Beguile's Mistress was involved."

[Esoteric Myobi]

Myobi had rose with the sun and busied herself around the house before stepping out to tend to the orchard. Ah~ Another fine day it seemed, as the scent of ripe fruit greeted her upon opening the door.

With a large wicker basket on hand, her daily routine of selecting fruit that were ready to be enjoyed seemed more of a treat to her than a chore. Leftover goods that she hadn't managed to trade or sell, she always ended up baking or jarring.

When her basket was full, assorted fruits and a few carefully wrapped pastries beneath, she stepped out and slowly made her way from the outskirts of the village to the town center. By this time she usually spotted a few of the other villagers at work, or at times even passed by a few as they went about their own tasks, however today seemed strangely quiet. The unusualness didn't truly settle in and grab at her attention until she saw Samantha's cottage down the road, a cluster of concerned townsfolk gathered around the front.

Curious at the commotion, she walked over to take a peek, edging into the crowd for a better look. Although she didn't see the entire gruesome sight (thankfully) due to so many others standing in front of her and blocking her view, the odd angle that Samantha's body was in seemed distorted and...impossible. It wasn't until she heard the whispers of 'death' and 'werewolf' that her basket fell from her grasp in shock.

Her own eyes only widened further, not completely registering Remiel's accusation yet, but instead only staring blankly down the barrel of his gun. "What...?" Through the mixture of horror, fear, and grief her eyes flitted to Ryven - a fellow baker and a short twinge of regret passed in the back of her mind as the fruits she had brought for his confections were now bruised around her feet. Next to him, Aiden stood quietly and she wondered if perhaps Samantha had been overpowered physically before being brutally mauled by the beast lurking through their precious village at night.

[The Unholy Potato]

As was not unusual for him, the potato-man was slow to become embroiled with the village's affairs. He had left well before the sun rose to begin his work, and only now returned, covered in dirt and grime and carrying a large, coarse sack full of various tubers. Imagine his surprise to find his fellow villagers gathered around a mauled corpse and throwing accusations upon one another!

A quick overview of the situation (and a temporary removal of the starchy load over his shoulder) revealed that the victim was little more than a passing acquaintance – Simone or Sally or something of that sort – and that no-one seemed to really know anything about what had occurred. There was nothing surprising about the fact that this had not stopped the accusations, of course. The Potato knew all about fear, but despite this, he could not help but be swayed by it, as well.

Most disturbing was the man with the pistol. Silver might "cure" werewolves, but then again, what wouldn't, when shot through someone at high speed? After a moment of internal fumbling as he searched for the forgotten name, he said, "Remiel, I demand that you put that away this instant! Someone will get hurt!"

[Albedo]

Albedo the hunter emerged from the forest early in the morning dragging todays succesful hunt with him when he saw the huddled mass of people standing in a section of town. He put the dead deer down and walked up to the group of people surprised to see Susannah's remains lying there. It didn't look like she just died on the spot though, it looked like she was attacked by an animal.
"Oh no the wolves are attacking people now! Before I was finding dead deer in the woods, but I never thought they would attack humans." When he heard mention of werewolves, he didn't know if he believed that. But if he had to suspect someone it would definitely be Lord Mayerling He for some reason never trusted that rich man.

[Ryven]

I change my vote to Lord Mayerling.

[desert ashes]

With a glance to the mason and then a few quick thoughts as she glanced around, she didn't think he or Ryven to be guilty, much more so than she thought Beguile's Mistress to be involved.  "I too change my vote to Lady Mayerling."

[Lord Mayerling]

"I too change my vote to Lady Mayerling."

Mayerling scowled at these words. "I can accept the decision of plurality, but it need not be coated with insults. And while completely self serving, the change of a vote cast from one party to another is entirely distastful to my constitution, and an offense to my nobility and elections in general."

[desert ashes]

She blushed a deep scarlet. "I apologize.  I meant Lord.  I'm not quite awake yet...haven't had my morning tea."

[Valerian]

Current voting:

Lord Mayerling(4) - Aiden, Albedo, Ryven, Moirae
Ryven(4) - Beguile's Mistress, Lucius Cornelius, Lord Mayerling, Mithlomwen
Aiden(3) - Xandi, Imogen, Esoteric Myobi
Esoteric Myobi(1) - Remiel
Remiel(1) - The Unholy Potato
Albedo(0)
Beguile's Mistress(0)
Imogen(0)
Lucius Cornelius(0)
Moirae(0)
Mithlomwen(0)
The Unholy Potato(0)
Xandi(0)

There are 8 Villagers, 1 Seer, 1 Guardian, and 3 Werewolves.

[Mithlomwen]

Mith had been watching and taking mental notes along the way, trying to figure out who the culprits might be.  Several of the group had given some very good arguments against those that they favored for lynching.  She was weighing her own suspicions, before settling on someone to vote for, very much not wanting to send an innocent to their death.  However, not truly knowing who the guilty ones were, anyone she voted for, she ran that risk.  All she could do was hope for the best. 

"I believe that Ryven might indeed be hiding something." 

[Lord Mayerling]

[soapbox]

“People of Carter’s Crossing!” Mayerling spoke from atop his horse over the gathered crowd.

“I implore you to consider your neighbors carefully. Some of those among us are wolves in sheep’s clothing! I, myself, am accused of such duplicity, and in great numbers, but I beseech you as an honest, noble man of impeccable manner and honor to consider my words.

“I am flesh and blood the same as any one of you…most of you,” he corrected himself with a pause. “I do not wish to die accused, but I am forced to bow to the masses of the community. But I must warn you, that if I am chosen, dies with me the humble nobility of this hamlet. I am not a wolf! I am man! I am but a tile in the mosaic of this burgeoning community. The Manor on the hill is not a refuge of evil. It is a sign of permanent service to and protection of this villiage, and all its denizens.

“Alive I stand honorably with you; dead I am but a monument to a grave mistake.”

[/soapbox]

[Ryven]

"I am not a noble man, but a simple baker.  I give you no warning nor malice for your vote.  I cannot make you believe me when I say I am not one of those creatures.  Only my death will show that my words are true, and if I should die, I know I will die an honest man, not one of those creatures.  Do not feel sorry if I am condemned for I would rather die by the hand of those who are flesh and blood human instead of one of those ghastly beasts."

[The Unholy Potato]

The Potato grumbled and fidgeted as the moment of truth grew near. "Well," he said, "I personally cannot see any fairer way than to allow things to rest as they are. It might be a cruelty to forfeit one's life to chance, but it is no worse a fate than being condemned by one's fellows, in my mind. We have no particular evidence, besides our own personal prejudices, to indicate what might be responsible."

He glanced at Remiel and his miniature firearm once more before continuing. "I have stated my suspicion and he has in turn vainly thrown one against me. So shall be all of our ends, if I know anything of cowardice." He cleared his throat dismissively and waved vaguely at the others. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I still have some things to clean if I intend to eat tonight." He waved the bulging sack of tubers as demonstration and then headed back for his hut.

[Valerian]

After much wrangling and discomfort, at last the villagers decided that Lord Mayerling would meet his fate that day.  He met his death bravely, as any soldier should.  Alas, his protests were all too true -- he was indeed an innocent Villager, and no one would sleep any more soundly that night.

• Aiden
• Albedo
• Beguile's Mistress
• Esoteric Myobi
• Imogen
• Lord Mayerling - Villager, lynched Day 1
• Lucius Cornelius
• Mithlomwen
• Moirae
• Remiel
• Ryven
• The Unholy Potato
• Xandi

There are 7 Villagers, 1 Seer, 1 Guardian, and 3 Werewolves.

[Beguile's Mistress]

Beguile looked into the eyes of those responsible for Lord Mayerling's death searching for some sign that they harbored the disease that turned them into wolves by the light of the moon then at the man who said he knew about these things.

"If you truly have such knowledge about werewolves I pray you seek them out and put an end to them before we all end up murdering each other out of fear." 

Her pace was slow as she walked back to her cottage and closed the door behind her.  She make a pot of tea for herself, not knowing what else to do, and sat at the table to drink it.  As she did her eyes fell on the canisters still sitting there and she reached out to touch one.  A tear fell, then another, and she buried her face in her arms and grieved for herself, his lordship, and the people in the village who were starting to live in distrust of each other.

[Autumn52]

Xandi's heart skipped a beat when it had been decided for Lord Mayerling to be executed. When the noose was placed around his neck she had to look away. His bravery was admirable. He meet his fate with fearless honor.

Xandi rushed home and locked her doors. Spending hours mourning the loss of such a brave man, her cheeks stained with tears.

Poor Lord Mayerling he was gone now and those beast, those beast were still breathing and plotting the demise of this poor village. Xandi longed for a strong man to protect her. Her mind went to the General. Would he be safe? Would she? These beast had cleverly lead them to lynch one of their own. How could they prevent this from happening again?

Falling to her knees she prayed, prayed for a seer, someone who could help them. 

[Remiel]

Remiel, too, felt no pleasure in Lord Mayerling's death.  Smoke issued from the barrel of his pistol; the silver bullet that he had fired into the man's heart had completely failed to produce any visible change, indicating that he was no werewolf, but an innocent villager, as he claimed.  But the villagers had voted, and when they could not decide between Ryven and Mayerling, it had come down to casting lots -- and the luckless Lord Mayerling had drawn the short straw.

"Let zere be no more death today," he said, forlornly.  "Truly, he wuz ze most genteel of uz all."   Crossing himself, he knelt by the body to say a prayer for the fallen man's soul, then went off to retrieve a shovel.  With the help of some of the others, he dug a grave for Lord Mayerling in the apple orchard behind Imogen's cottage, and made sure he was buried with proper ceremony. 

His sombre task completed, he returned to his abode, where he opened the thick hidebound cover of Maleficarum: Ars Lycanthropos under candlelight once more, determined to ferret out the monsters hiding within the village.

[Ryven]

"I'm sorry to see a fellow villager die, but it was my neck or his."  Ryven said before picking up a clump of dirt and dropping it down upon the mound where Lord Mayerling had been buried.

[Imogen]

Imogen stood at Remiel's side when they buried Lord Mayerling, and spoke a soft prayer for the second victim of these vile beasts. Yes, she considered him a victim of those monsters as much as poor Susannah, as it had been their crime that compelled the hasty vote. She uprooted some honeysuckle and planted the flowers on the Lord's grave, so that even beyond the grave the dignity and appearances he was so fond of would be maintained, and he would be remembered as the well loved, responsible man he'd been.

She washed the dirt off her hands at the well, and looked over at Remiel's house where a gentle light shone through the window. "Save us, Remiel", she said softly, before heading back towards her small cottage.

[Aiden]

"Well what an unfortunate series of events..."
Aiden said nothing more as he walked back towards his residence and got back to work.

[The Unholy Potato]

The Potato eventually reemerged from his hut and wandered over to the grave, temporarily ceasing his constant grumbling to quietly kneel beside the freshly turned earth. After a good ten minutes of silent immobility, the man stood again, rolling his gnarled shoulders. "Innocent blood follows innocent blood. Yeah, it figures." He turned and coughed into his hand before lurching hurriedly back towards his dwelling, obviously loathe to stay outside any longer this evening.

[Beguile's Mistress]

The sun was just beginning to set when Beguile walked around the side of Imogene's house into the orchard.  The Potato was disappearing in the direction of his own home and that was good because she wanted privacy for what she was about to do.  She knelt beside Lord Mayerling's grave and took a small bundle of leafy twigs from inside her shawl.  These were tied with a simple back ribbon fashioned into a bow.

The honeysuckle smelled fresh and sweet in the evening air and the fragile blooms trembled as she lifted them from the grave to slide the bundle of twigs beneath it.  It was too late now.  She should have given the plant to Lord Mayerling yesterday but hadn't wanted to believe it was necessary.  She didn't want to believe in werewolves, but now it seemed she would have no choice.  With the wolfsbane carefully hidden by the honeysuckle Beguile stood and left the orchard, returning to her own cottage before the sun could set.