Hanging of the Butcher

This is the hanging of the Butcher, a maddened man said to serve the Azure Bitch-Queen. He struck at Alexandria's families, slaughtering them and turning them not just into food...but animated monstrosities. He was given trial and sentenced to the gallows, though his dying words left some more unsettled and fearful than the sense of closure they'd hoped to feel.

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The western gates of the city are also called the Phoenix Gates for the carved, marble phoenix whose wings stretch down to form a grand arch wide enough to accommodate several wagon teams at once. The phoenix has been carefully carved. Though age has obscured some of the details, it's clear that at one point it was possible to make out the vanes running down each individual feather. Its fiery eyes appear to follow onlookers and while it seems to welcome travelers inside, there's an implicit warning in its stern gaze to those who might wish the city harm. Overhead, the fiery flag of Alexandria, dubbed Phoenix Rising, flies proudly.

At the base of the gates there's a small lodge to house the members of the Watch who stand guard here, who watch people as they enter and exit and occasionally ask for identification papers.

Inside the gates the ancient facade suddenly looks more modern; a complicated series of pulleys, levers, mana-powered rune plates and the like are attached to huge gates which, rumor has it, can close faster than the gates of any other city thanks to the incorporation of artificer technology.

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Svarshan Be a brightscale! Chomp a demon! 3s 1w

Whirlpool I am stinky! 0s 1w

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Watch Constables <WC> Gates <W> East <E>

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Myrana has arrived.

Oates has arrived.

Angrid has arrived.

Aenyn has arrived.

Gildesh has arrived.

Gallows.

They're never a pleasent sight and these were constructed quickly. VEry quickly. Within a few days, they'd been hammered together. It's a very sturdy looking thing, too, sitting in front of the Watch Constables. A crowd has gathered to watch. There's no jovialty -- not yet -- and numerous City Guardsman are hete to wa tch.

Head'em up, move'em out! Svarshan sits astride Srassha. The swiftclaw holds her head high, she tilts it this way and that. Pretty, so pretty, that says. Had she a mane of hair, it would be conditioned, it would glitter, and it would swoosh every time she turned her head. He sits in the saddle with an almost solemn look to his face. He stands near another of the Sunguard, the two of them decked in full armor, weaponry. There to look official, of course. Intimidating. ...and he just looks tired.

A short, Dwarven mage seems relegated to the back of the whole procession. The individual fidgets a bit as he attempts to peer through the crowd, and he grumbles, "Gildesh wants a better view of the event..out of his way. Move!" And with that, the Dwarf starts to push his way as best he can through the crowd.

Angrid resembles another stoic sculpture of metal and leather, locked into his own plate armor. Executions are never pleasant business, and the dwarven warrior's helm has its visor pulled down, his beard jutting out underneath but his expression hidden. Catching sight of another stonefolk trying to push his way through the crowd, he exhales, and moves to intercept Gildesh. "Easy, laddie, this isn't a happy event no matter who's getting the rope. Here, come with me, I've got a spot saved."

Jibbom has arrived.

Oates does not consider himself to be a vengeful person. However, given the mayhem that the farmboy had to help clean up (and the clobbering that resulted), it's understandable why he wants to make sure that the blue-brained butcher is properly finished off.

Myrana stands motionlessly staring up at the gallows, her face colourless beneath her dark hair, arms clad in sombre wool wrapped about herself. The copper clasps in her hair glint dully under the winter sky, and from beneath the slightly singed peacoat, the bustled skirts of a charcoal and indigo dress can be seen.

Some would say that an execution is too dire, too serious, too dark and dismal a place for the Coyote's light to shine. What could be funny about the crimes the accused has committed, or about the fate which awaits him? Brightening this occassion may be a daunting task, but Jibbom has never shied from bringing absurdity to those places where it is least appropriate. He shows up with armfulls of snacks, purloined from his job at the arena. "Peanuts! Jerky! Popcorn! Hot dogs! Get your snacks! Can't enjoy a spectacle of justice without a snack! Only two coppers! What a deal!"

Kathryn has arrived.

Aenyn has found his way to the roof of the Watch lodge, along with a few other people wanting a better view of the "festivities." His cloak is pulled tight against the wind and his hood is raised. A morbid curiosity has brought him here today and he doesn't look happy, unlike certain other Tarienites who shall remain nameless.

Naturally, there are already people buying snacks. Can't go wrong with snacks, especially when there's still a bit of a wait to go before the execution is scheduled to begin. Numerous city officials are showing up. Indeed, executions are an uncommon thing in Alexandria itself. Mostly because, if they're dangerous enough, summary justice hs already been dispatched in the process of catching them. Occasionlly, though, one is caught alive whose crimes are too heinous to allow for any other form of punishment.

A watch commander in his formal garb is standing near the gallows, a rolled up scroll in hand.

Sonja has arrived.

"Gildesh is not some ghoul that wishes to see death. Gildesh wishes to see what sort of man eats his fellows. See if he looks like anyone that Gildesh suspects of...devilry." The mage replies, looking over at Angrid. He does fall into step behind the other Dwarf though, eyeing his fellow a bit suspiciously as if trying to detect signs of cannibalism growing on him.

Tristian has arrived.

Svarshan straightens as the Watch commander steps forward. His back straightens, and he looks more alert. Beside him, the other Sunguard straightens, and Srassha holds her head just that much higher.

Angrid grunts at Gildesh. "Hmph. That's the problem, sometimes they look like everyone else. Not every monster's got tusks or breathes fire." He shakes his head. "Not fond of this whole 'hanging' thing either. They ought to do him like they do back in the homeland -- with a blessed axe so his spirit can't linger and cause more mischief."

Kathryn slips among those gathering to watch, a grim cast to her expression for the grim situation going on. On the one hand, dark stormclouds follow her about - on the other, for once she's not snarling at anyone. In order to keep it that way, a crane ends up with a watcher across from where that of Aenyn and his companions have taken to.

Jibbom hands out the snacks as people purchase them. There is absolutely no reverence for the occasion whatsoever as he continues to hawk his wares. "Artichokes! Aardvark meat! Icy cold beer! Fizzy candy! Liquorice for the ladyfolk! Can't see a hanging without food and drink! C'mon, people!"

Sonja is standing off to the side and watching as the proceedings go on. She gives a look to Jibbom as he hawks his wares, but makes her way over to him.

Zalara has arrived.

Aenyn hmms softly to himself. Fizzy candy sounds really good right now. He scoots to the edge of the roof and practically dangles from it as he waves to get Jibbom's attention, "I'll take some fizzy candy! Up here!"

Halani has arrived.

"Hey! You're cutting into my business!"

Jibbom apears to have competition from another halfling, this one looking at him rather annoyedly. "You don't even have papers from the Food Guild, do you!"

Glare. Glare glare glare.

A trumpet sounds, indicating that the proceedings will be starting very soon.

"One fizzy candy for the short guy with the dirty hat!" Jibbom shouts. He reaches into his robe, retrieving a small pouch full of little purple spheres that pop and fizzle worryingly. They smell sweet, at least. The pouch is tossed to Aenyn and a hand is held out for payment as he continues his pitch. "Fried fish! Fried potatoes! Fried celery! Get it while it's still crispy!" Sonja's approach is acknowledged with the halfling's typical beaming grin. "You there! Giant red-haired lady! A giant lady must have a giant hunger. What can I getcha?"

Then, competition! His rival receives that same beaming grin from the gold-eyed troublemaker. "Steel Von Ironblood, Bane of the Night, Hero to the Peoples of Alexandria, needs no papers! His HEROISM is the only permit he needs!"

Gildesh hrmphs quietly, perhaps not quite believing that an execution with an axe is any more or less proper than a hanging. He glowers at the gallows, but when the trumpets sound he nods and says, "Where's this spot? Gildesh tires of looking at the backsides of uncouth peasants."

Aenyn snatches the pouch of candy out of the air and returns to a less dangly position on the roof before digging into a pouch and pulling out a whole silver piece. He tosses it towards Jibbom as he asks, "That enough?" He doesn't quite notice in time that Jibbom is distracted by his erstwhile competition.

Svarshan taps Srassha's sides, and the swift starts at a pace along the edge of the crowd. Now that the time for the execution nears, tension tightens his shoulders, makes his words as he makes his way pass more terse, abrupt. He never really was that good with conversation. Words. Speaking.

Zalara goes OOC.

Zalara has left.

Cesran has arrived.

Kathryn gets balanced upon her perch, and starts to scan the crowd - familiar faces getting a longer look as often as not, before moving on. Some, such as the upcoming brawl over selling rights, get a slight frown but that is the extent of expressed displeasure for the moment. The gallows, on the other hand, gets third and fourth looks.

Having arrived at the Gallows, he's heard of whats to happen here but then he again he isn't up to the whole execution style of things. Tristian shakes his head a little bit and just moves through the crowd until he is able to see more of whats to be going on. Watching the others for long moment.

------------------ At a glance around A01: Western Gates -------------------

Cesran 3m 6'1" 185 Lb Human Male

A tall dark skin man

Halani 9s 5'4" 120 Lb Human Female

Shortish, dusky skinned woman with almond shaped eyes.

Tristian 42s 4'5" 85 Lb Dawn Elf Male

Tone Dawn Elf, wearing a elven leather armor of brown and greens.

Sonja 2m 7'2" 352 Lb Giantborn Female

Gigantic Red haired Woman

Kathryn 3m 5'1" 105 Lb Half-Elf Female

Red-headed, green-eyed half-elven woman.

Jibbom 10m 3'2" 50 Lb Halfling Male

Steel Von Ironblood, Bane of the Night.

Gildesh 8m 4'6" 159 Lb Mountain Dwarf Male

Short, stout dwarf in wizard's robes.

Aenyn 4m 5'9" 140 Lb Half-Elf Male

A somewhat short man with vivid green eyes and, maybe, a shaved head.

Angrid 2m 4'6" 220 Lb Mountain Dwarf Male

A red-bearded, muscular dwarf in heavy armor

Oates 3m 5'7" 247 Lb Human Male

Stout human farmboy with genial grin & witty eyes

Myrana 3m 5'0" 125 Lb Half-Elf Female

Short young woman with coal-black braids.

Svarshan 0s 6'4" 274 Lb Sith-Makar Male

Be a brightscale! Chomp a demon!

Whirlpool 9m Lb

I am stinky!

==============================================================================

The trumpet's blare brings a brief flinch across Myrana's shoulders and a twitch to her pale fingers. The murmur and hawking shouts from the crowd sort of pass over her like white noise; by the clouded, distant expression in her blue eyes it's clear that she's thinking of other things while she stares fixedly up at the gallows, lips turned to a frown.

Angrid seems to have no trouble fording his way through the crowd -- because, of course, he's a heavily armed and armored dwarf. Finally, he leads Gildesh out into a spot in the crowd that is near the front, and... populated by several other somber looking dwarves. "See? Ye need to just look and ye find yer fellows wherever you need them."

Cesran comes in after hearing the commotion going on. He sticks towards the back as he looks at all the people that have gathered for this execution. He takes in the atmosphere as he folds his arms across his chest.

The halfling is about to say something more to Jibbom, but he stps himself whn the trumper blares. "You're taking food straight from my mouth," he says, after it finishes.

In the meantime, the watch commander lifts up the tube, unfurls the scroll from within it, and begins to read it.

It's mostly legalese about how his autortiy to mete out this punishnment is derived from the ruling Council of Alexandria, that the execution warrant has been signed by three magistrates of the law, and how Lady Rawyn Telenil, the obstensible head of the ruling council of Alexandria, had also signed off on it.

"And thus," he continues, "for the crime of kidnapping, we sentence Arnar Evkinsin to death. For the crime of murder, we sentence Arnar Evkinsin to death. For the crime of cannibalism, we sentence Arnar Evkinsin to death. For the use of black magics, we sentence Arnar Evkinsin to death. You may now bring out the prisoenr."

From within the Watchhouse, a hooded prisoner is being brought into the evening light. He's a little overweight, dressed in prisoner's garbs. His hands look raw and bloody.

Jibbom snatches the silver piece with a grin at Aenyn. "Thank you kindly." Payment accepted, he whirls about to face his rival again. "A lack of food is the issue, eh? Well, fortunately you, Steel Von Ironblood provides for even the hungriest! What do you say to a free snack of your choice, and let bygones be bygones?" The imminent execution is largely ignored in favor of this far more exciting conflict over food vendor permits.

Crossing her arms and listening, Sonja makes a bit of a face. "An eye for an eye, hm?" She says softly. "I guess it's enough if he's stopped." She says softly before looking to Jibbom. "You're really going to sell food at a time like this, Jibbom?"

<Meet> Whirlpool summons Colrick

Colrick has arrived.

<Meet> Whirlpool summons Colrick.

Svarshan straightens in the saddle as the prisoner's brought out. The leather creaks as he does...and then he taps Srassha, sending her into a quicker walk-step around the parameter.

Aenyn sits back on the roof to watch the prisoner once his money is accepted. He opens the pouch of candy and peers inside. With a shrug, he takes out a piece and pops it into his mouth.

Younger has arrived.

A curl of disgust ruins Kathryn's expression, eyes focused on the overweight star of this afternoon's entertainment, any thought of taking part of the offerings downbelow quickly disgarded. Thankfully for those below, the woman doesn't spit to express her feelings - but the look is clearly there.

Colrick is a late-comer to the scene at the gates, having detoured off his normal route due to curiousity about the gathering crowd. "What's this?" he wonders aloud as he works his way through the lookers to get a higher vantage point.

As the horns blare and the anouncement of the crimes thats been committed against Alexandria, Tristian frowns slightly. He does look around again and this time as he looks he notices he is near Kathryn. He doesn't speak, but he does continue looking around and notices everyone just staring towards the Watchhouse. He sighs a little, he still doesn't like this but the charges brought up, he shakes his head and just continues watching ahead.

Cesran frowns a little bit as he watches the prisoner come out. He has only heard about this man and he looks around for any dangerous types that might want to stop this execution for any reason.

Angrid begins to fill his pipe with pipe-weed, watching as the prisoner is escorted out to the gallows. He says nothing, merely shaking his head disapprovingly; what a waste of a life. He catches sight of several familiar faces in the crowd, but doesn't wave; if any notice him, he simply nods solemnly to them.

Aenyn's widen a bit as the candy begins to work its magic in his mouth. He shakes his head a bit as if to clear it then turns his attention to the prisoner being led out. He frowns a bit. Guy isn't really what he imagined him to be from all the stories of his crimes.

Sonja shakes her head as the prisoner is marched out. She unhooks her earthbreaker and sets it's tip down in front of her. Obviously, she's expecting trouble.

Gildesh gets to the front of the crowd, nods once to Angrid at his comment, and then watches impassively as the sentence is read out. The dwarf considers the Butcher for a few long moments, then snorts quietly.

The hood is pulled off him and his gag is undone.

A Vardaman priest is nearby, as is an Althean. No doubt they've been called in to offer last rites.

"Do you seek forgiveness and do you have any last words?"

The prisoenr, Arnar Evkinsin, spits in the face of the watch commander abruptly.

"I'd sooner ask forgiveness from a troll," he roars. "And for the rest of you, you're all bloody doomed! You just don't know it yet! Only the strongest of you will survive and you'll all turn on each other sooner or later just like I did. She knows what's inside of each of you."

"SHE KNOWS."

He keeps saing that. Over and over again as the noose is tightened around his neck after he's guided into position on the gallows.

"Sheknowsheknowsheknowsheknows."

Colrick frowns in disgust when he gets the jist of the assembly, though pushes forward until he finds a crate to climb upon. Seeing the man led to the noose makes his fists tighten and tremble, and a few times he looks away and seems to consider leaving.

Oates resolves to eat an orange, out of spite to all of this blue ridiculousness. Maybe add some orange to his clothes... no, that would mean that this blue insanity still had some impact on his everyday life.

"What other time would there be to sell food?" Jibbom asks of Sonja before resuming his pitch. He has to raise his volume even further to drown out the mad ranting of the condemned. "Do you hunger for the delicious taste of human meat, but fear the moral and legal ramifications? Why not try some succulent dire boar meat? So delicious, you'd swear it's an unholy abomination!"

Svarshan jerks around as the prisoner starts babbling. Srassha follows his move, and the two of them stare at the man a long, hard while. He reaches down to his side, and grasps hold of what looks like a thin, light javelin. Just. Tense.

Executions in Alexandria? NEVER go well.

Aenyn pops another piece of fizzy candy into his mouth and lets it fizz away as he considers the prisoner's words. Finally, he just says, "Nothing inside of me but Ironblood's candy. But that's damn creepy."

"Sheknowsheknowsheknowsheknowsheknowshe-,"

The trap door is ordered opened and the ground drops out from underneath the murderer. His world ends.

He swings there from the rope. Thankfully, he was not so heavy as to result in his head coming off when he hit the end of the rope. His body dangles on it ends, limbs reflextively twitching.

"u...ugh," Myrana swallows with a choking sound, and turns away, covering her face.

Gildesh just watches. "Know who the blue lady is, Gildesh wonders." He says aloud, presumably to Angrid.

Kathryn's attention is taken as the prisoner starts to babble. 'She' is mouthed to herself, before a shake of the head is given - not her problem, at least, not yet.

Sonja takes a deep breath and....shakes her head at the execution. "Well. he won't be commiting his atricities anymore." She then looks to Svarshan. Then begins to scan the crowd....for outrage and violence.

Svarshan clenches the javelin, and then slowly puts it back into place. Next, he looks to the sky, the walls...at the moment he looks tense, paranoid. As though something might swoop down. When nothing happens, he just...continues to look that way, and begins to take Srassha along the other parameter.

Colrick anticipated the moment and turned his head, refusing to look at the man's end. After hearing the rope go taut from the condemned man's weight, he hops off the crate and leans against it, preferring to look up at the sky.

Angrid puffs on his pipe, glancing at the small group of dwarves he's with, as well as Gildesh. But then again, it looks like this is one cannibal who's not eating anyone else. "May the Queen of Tombs seal ye away forever," he growls at the hanging corpse.

Jibbom doesn't even watch the actual execution. Those who know the halfling's propensity for vomiting should probably be grateful.

Cesran shakes his head as the doomed man rants out his last words and is then executed. He inclines his head and whispers a prayer that the Harpist will help his soul find peace. He looks back up to make sure his body is still dead you can never tell with those that dabble in the dark arts.

Karelin has arrived.

Calidus has arrived.

Aenyn sighs a bit as the prisoner's life comes to an end, frowning deeply. The frown fades quickly, though, as he starts looking over the crowd below him. So what now? He's not up on his post-execution etiquette.

The cold wind that blows from the west makes the body swing slightly in it, face covered by the hood.

Eventually, they begin to lower it to the ground, cutting the rope once the twitching has stopped. The Althean and the Vardaman move over to the body to conduct their work. Both offer last rites over the body designed to ensure that it does not come back from the dead as some sort of horrible undead monster that seeks vengenace against the township (the reliability of these rites are questionable at best, given how many people do come back as some sort of horrible undead monster that seeks vengeance against the township) and to forgive those who had to carry out the execution.

The hood is removed and there's a few gasps from those close enough to see it.

"'E chewed his own lips off!"

Karelin arrives fashionably late -- and by fashionably, we mean just as the body starts twitching. Might as well get the good part over first, right? He's got his Kor belt-buckle and plumed hat going, too.

Sonja says, "And so the snake shows it's true colors." She says with a sigh."

Gildesh chews on his lower lip, perhaps unconsciously as he stares at the dead man with the bloody mouth. Gildesh watches for a pair of heartbeats more, then turns, and starts to walk away. "Gildesh has seen enough." he declares to anyone who might care to listen.

Myrana starts pushing through the crowd, making good her exit. It's a slow thing, though, and the whole time she keeps a hand pressed hard on her middle, as if she's about to be sick.

Eira has arrived.

<Meet> Eira joins Karelin.

Indeed, for those who inch close enough to see the body while the hood is off, they can see that his face is disorted from the neck snapping, his head bent at the odd angle one would imagine. His face has changed into an ugly shade of purple and blue. ANd he is indeed missing his lips. Horribly.

Just...horribly.

Angrid grumbles. "Still say ye should take his head off with an axe. They have trouble coming back when they've been quartered and cremated." He moves off as do the other dwarves, pausing as he comes close to Sonja to hear her remarks. "Aye, but at least there's an end to his work."

Jibbom sees this horror for what it is: an opportunity to segue into more crass salesmanship. "Hungry enough to eat your own face? Starve no longer! We have candy lips. Much tastier than the real things!"

Cesran frowns a bit, "They should just burn him to ashes and scatters those ashes to the four winds if they were so worried about him coming back from the dead."

Karelin works through the crowd, strategic using his bulk to make sure he gets where he wants to go. He peers towards the unveiled face, wincing a little.

Aenyn is glad he isn't closer to the body since what he can already see is more than enough. He looks as if he's about to be sick until Jibbom's latest sales pitch reaches his ears. His eyes widen and he barks out a laugh that's quickly cut off as he realizes how inappropriate it probably sounded.

Svarshan takes a long, hard look at the corpse, and then begins threading Srassha through the crowd. He stops near Myrana, and nudges her with a stirrup. "Saaa. Need a lift?" he asks quietly.

Jinks has arrived.

Calidus watches from the edge of the crowd and eats an apple. No weak stomach there. He's showed little interest in the whole ordeal, simply leaning against the wall, eating apples, and spitting. Classy.

Blinking as the man who is about to he executed begins speakign about everyone being doomed, then he shakes his head a little bit as the mans head pops right off. Tristian narrows his eyes as he hears the murmurs around him, he moves off towards the outskirts of the crowd, for the most part just keeping in tune with whats going on around him.

There is no jubilation in the crowd. Indeed, it would appear that the last words of the murderer have had some effect in generating concern amongst those present. Lots of unsettled glances. A few younger men, who've never seen anything like this before, lose their lunches at the sight of the face in question. Well, at least they only lost cheap, Steel Von Ironblood provided food.

Sonja continues to watch the dead man as he's lowered to the ground. She takes a deep breath and levels a very intense gaze at him. Of course, she's a paladin, she's watching and waiting for him to return to life.....and she would destroy him in a heartbeat.

Kathryn, deciding that the show is over for now, scurries off the crane to find her way to solid ground. Once there, she spits to the side to remove the bad taste from her mouth, then turns to head away from the corpse.

Myrana just about runs right into someone again, and so when she's nudged by Svarshan's foot she comes up hard and stops, shaking where she stands. Under her bangs, her face is pale and sweating. "D...Dar," she swallows, and then looks up at him, a pallor over her that makes her look like she's about to be ill. The sorceress couldn't have seen the body, for she's too short to have had any actual view once the man was laid down dead and the people crowding around him grew thicker.

"Dar, is it true what he said?" She finally manages, pressing her hand on her middle still, while the other is clenched up so that the knuckles of her pale hand look like naked bone.

Colrick turns around and walks up to the ever-thinning circle at the front. He doesn't bother looking at the corpse - he's already heard enough to know there's only some bad mental imagery ahead if he does - and instead scans the concerned crowd and back up at those who arranged the execution. "One would think we've moved past this after Altima's time; turning death into a spectacle." he states aloud.

Some of those that had joined Aenyn on the roof of the Watch lodge begin to climb back down so they can leave. Aenyn, on the other hand, seems content to wait on the roof while the crowd disperses. More fizzy candy finds its way into his mouth.

Svarshan pauses a while, and then gives his head a rough shake. "There iss no one in the Shadows who stands against the Light. He iss wrong." So many words. Still, he grins with his eyes after saying them, and holds out his hand. "Finissshh the roundss with me. It is. Mostly dispersing people. Now."

"Oh, hells. Really? That's vile. You couldn't have bothered to wander a few steps and find a sewer grate?" Jinks, of course, is talking to one of the pale-faced younger men that's lost his lunch. The gnome rolls his eyes at the boy and takes a swig from his hipflask. "You'd think they'd quartered the man. Now -that's- a mess." He grimaces and makes an 'eeyuch' noise. "Though this does remind me of a joke; 'How do you make atallman taller?'" The youth goes from pale- to green-faced and decides to wander off in search of that sewage hole.

Sonja has reconnected.

Gildesh goes East <E>.

Gildesh has left.

"Gallows humor." Jinks smirks, taking another swig from where he stands atop a crate.

The crowd has broken up into various pockets that are milling about here. A few Vardamna acolytes gather up the body onto a stretcher.

Rare is a crowd at the Watch Constable bode well for new arrivals, Eira bristles at the crowd, her height giving her a little leeway on seeing why they are gathered. She turns to her escort and the pair of horses he leads by their bridles, "Perhaps you should take the horses around to another gate, we do not want them to get spooked." The horses look travel worn.

Calidus has disconnected.

Cesran stays towards the back as the crowds start to disperse. He looks around and he decide that the dead is going to stay dead for now. Time to go get something to drink.

Myrana wipes a hand over her face and nods, a bit of a shaken smile tugging at her lips. "Th-thanks." She reaches up and clasps Svarshan's arm, and with help climbs onto Srassha's back, hitching one knee over the other so that she can sit sideways and keep her skirts out of the way of the saddle's many sinister, polished metal parts. "Was better when we used to just bury people under stones," she mutters, trying to pull herself together a bit and shading her eyes to look around now that she can see over the crowd. "How many did that man kill?"

Kathryn goes East <E>.

Kathryn has left.

Karelin folds his arms, studying the corpse. Finally, he hawks, spits, and turns back. A glance, and he sees Srassha's being ridden. He deviates towards that knot of people.

Svarshan looks down at the crowd as it mills past. He doesn't say anything for a while...he's just...not good with words, and the last few years it's gotten worse, to where sentences are difficult to put together at all. "I..." he starts to say. And, "...it...do not think. Of it." And he looks relieved when Karelin comes up. He really hadn't wanted to answer that question.

Sonja watches quietly as the priests of Vardama carts the man away. She doesn't look towards the cart with remorse, for this man deserved his fate. However, She looked towards the cart with pity. This man could've changed his own life. Instead, he decided to continue his path, and it lead to this. She shakes her head, then begins to walk away, patting Jibbom on the head.

Sonja has partially disconnected.

"Wise thought," Eira's companion remarks, ready turns to lead the horses back from where they came, "I will meet you once I know what is going on in the fair city, they are expecting us at the Academy." She gives one of the horses a pat and then approaches those familiar to her, "Master Andarin." Greeting Karelin, "And Svarshan.."

Karelin nods curtly towards Svarshan and Myrana. "Well? Aside from eating his own mouth, do we know what did it?" There's a pause. "I got here late, didn't hear the charges." He turns, and blinks. "Eira Magrith. It's been a good long time since you've darkened these streets."

As the others seem to be moving off in groups, Tristian walks over to where the Myrana is seeing as he knows her and Karelin. "Umm..pardon me. Do you understand what all have gone on here today and what that man was possibly stating before he died?" he asks.

Svarshan looks a long and thoughtful while at Karelin, and then reaches into his belt. He passes something small and silver to Myrana. A flask. Given the topic, anyone might need it. "Necromancy," he says at length, and quietly. "Dark...animation. There..." he pauses a while after that and then nods to Eira and... "The Sssity is. Trying to avoid. Panic. By going..." Public.

"The Martokians have found a greater use for me then the city has," Eira glances the direction of the execution, "I did not realize that the brutality of public exectutions had become fashionable in Alexandria.." Obviously she missed the entire context of the events that just took place. She scans the crowd, no doubt disapproving. "I thought the attempt was to keep death in the streets to only the defense of the public domain."

Jinks leans left, then right, attempting to discern the splatter pattern of the vomit against the side of the crate and the muddy floor around it. He bends at the knees and gives a jump that clears the mess-- jogging a few steps in the slush before slowing to a more dignified pace and tugging down the front of his double-breasted coat and fixing the many rings on his fingers and heading away towards the bridge.

Jinks goes East <E>.

Jinks has left.

Karelin shrugs expansively. "You mean, aside from speeches from unfortunate councillors? Necromancy? I'd heard it was cannibalism. Both?" He flicks a glance at Eira. "You could call that defence of the public domain."

"Afternoon," Myrana says to Eira and Karelin as they appear out of the crowds of people on foot and on horseback. She still looks shaken from the hanging, but better now that she's not being jostled this way and that by dozens of shoulders and elbows. "It was-- he ate a bunch of people."

"Reanimated," Svarshan says tersely. And since Myrana doesn't take the flask, he looks down at it. He looks as though he'd consider taking some himself...and tucks it away, instead. Srassha shifts restlessly.

"Why eat people when you can eat the delicious treats available at Steel Von Ironblood's emporium of culinary delights? Act now, before you miss out!" Jibbom pitches to the somber, disgusted crowd.

"There was a trial then, to match the public spectacle?" Eira asks curiously, "Such news does not make its way all the way to the monastary." Her brow wrinkling at the news of cannibalism and necromacy.

"No, it wasn't." Colrick states as he passes by Karelin. "Kill him quietly in his cell, post a notice he's dead. Giving him an audience only made things worse." he comments, pausing to glance at Eira.

Angrid has disconnected.

After a while, Svarshan starts to say a thing. And shrugs, instead, the movement heavy and slow and singular. "There wass a trial. There wass also. Sssity-wide terror, Gun-Fffighter." Pause. "The public know he iss dead. It may be good. Or bad. That thisss is so." He shifts on the saddle and the leather creaks. "But it isss done."

"He said--" Myrana stops herself, and takes a breath, bowing her head and counting very quietly to herself. There's cold sweat on her pale face.

Colrick raises his voice in irritation at Svarshan. "There is always cite-wide terror. I grew up in it, for Althea's sake. That -" he says, pointing a thumb back at the gallows. "- is something I had hoped to never see again. Alexandrians are stronger than this, we endure."

"Gone, and never forgotten? And legacy of public brutality.." Eira waves a hand, "but what do I know of what is best for Alexandria." She glances to Colrick, "That seems the wiser method to remove the glamour of it all, a barely witnessed dispatch."

With the crowd more properly dispersed, Aenyn decides it's time to head for home. He ties off the pouch so none of the remaining candy can escape and tucks it away somewhere inside his cloak. He then clambers easily down the wall of the lodge and starts to casually stroll towards the gates.

Sonja shakes her head, then puts her earthbreaker and starts to head off herself.

Myrana says, "A-and have a government that kills it's criminals where no-one can see? In the night with no-one to hold them accountable?"

The Brightscale pauses, and then lets go a quiet snort. "Ssaa...only the public enjoyed it. I worry for...that. But. I can ressspect that sssome needed to. Sseee. For closssure." He looks at Colrick a while, and nods once. "We are. ...and whatever the resssult of this. We will handle. It. And serve. And protect. Thossse who need it. Would you do. Less?"

"B-better to be hung by the neck than murdered in your bed. Even if you're--" Myrana turns an interesting shade of greenish-grey, and puts a hand over her mouth, gagging but not -quite- puking on Svarshan. Or poor Srassha, who would never forgive this slight.

Colrick shifts his eyes over to Myrana, still visibly irritated. "If only Altima had such mercy; I would have been spared seeing my Aunt and Uncle hang as a child for suspected treason." he snaps, before glancing back to the Sith. "I will do my part, as I always have." he states.

"Even Kinnevack was treated better then this, and I am certain her crimes were worse." Eira crosses her arms, "There should be a trial, miss. And if an execution, it should not be like this for anyone to accidentally happen upon." She motions to the city gates so near to the scene, "That is no welcome for weary travellers."

Aenyn goes OOC.

Aenyn has left.

Svarshan stills after that, and then nods. "Then join the. Hunt tonight, thossse who are. Able. We face not a man, but a beassst. And the beasst had a master." Pause. "That iss what they fear. Thiss Azure...Bitch. Queen."

Karelin scratches his scars. "It's easy to enjoy someone else's dirty work, too." He grunts. "Azure Queen?" He exhales. "One of Thul's, maybe?"

"Yes," Svarshan says, looking directly at Karelin.

"Consider it done." Colrick replies simply, letting out a long exhale and along with it all that irritation and negativity built up over the grisly assembly.

Myrana falls silent, either chided or simply too shaken to reply.

"For the night I do darken these streets, you can depend on me to aid if it will only prevent another public execution." Eira seems to severely disapproves of such events. "Antoin can handle the research we came here for if I am needed."

Svarshan gives himself a slow shake and draws a breath. The evening is cool in the way winter gets, in the chill Alexandria has. And he starts to say a thing, he truly does?

And then there's...

Call it silent death. Call it what you want.

But suddenly. Srassha has the most innocent of expressions.

And the area around smells like, smells like...

Svarshan coughs once. "Sssa. I think. It isss time for a drink," he says warmly, wryly.

Jibbom slides up to Svarshan's side as if on cue, a frosty mug of beer in his hand. Where was he keeping that? Best not to ask. "Only two coppers!" He offers.

Cesran has disconnected.

Having been standing silent for the most part of this conversation and taking in everything. "Sorry for my laxical emotions today." he frowns, "I've come to ask questions, and here one moment gone the next." he smiles and bows his head. "Sorry again." he says to them all.

Myrana raises her hand to put it over her face. "Ch-- hek. Something to drink, yes. I have--" Augh, that-- how do lizards smell so terrible? She'd ask, but it seems like it might be racist. Seeing Tristian down at ground zero she coughs, and gestures for the poor elf to cover his face before it's too late.

Karelin nods towards Svarshan, scratching his chin. "It took that rat bastard long enough." A glance down at Jibbom. "Not you." He slidesteps back. "I thought they smelled like roses."

It...Svarshan reaches up and pats Srassha's neck a few times as he tries not to breathe. Tries not to, you know, give Karelin an odd look at the same time Srassha is just beaming at the warrior, as though to say, WHY YES THEY ARE. THEY ARE THE PRETTIEST ROSES.

He taps the swiftclaw who's only too happy to surge forward...and end up closer to Jibbom's cart.

"Sssaa. No. Not for you--"

She gives him a look. An Offended, I am a Princess Look. YOU NEVER FEED ME. And he looks back, that same expression, except...

His shoulders slump.

"Sssa. How much. For the sssausage?" he asks Jibbom. And then grins briefly at Colrick before looking back to the merchant. He doesn't notice Tristian at the moment--because well. Srassha. Just. Saw. Sausages.

Sonja goes OOC.

Sonja has left.

"You cuh-- can't be serious," says Myrana through her hand.

"Two coppers! Everything is two coppers! It's a special execution sale!" Jibbom declares enthusiastically, producing a rope of linked sausages from the sleeve of his robe. Best not to think about it.

Colrick lifts a cloth to his nose to filter out the strench and backs away. A curt wave is given to those he spoke to, but he's off to resume the route he was taking before he ran into an execution.

A hand digs quickly for a scented handkerchief, despite Eira's claims of the life at the monastery, it seems she has no lack of lavender infused linens for moments like this. "Yes, I do have a thirst after my journey, and it will be another hour before I should have to meet Antoin at the Academy."

Svarshan passes Myrana the flask. In Alexandria, it's almost a necessity.

Colrick goes OOC.

Colrick has left.

Myrana takes it, and like many renters before her, tries to swallow from what's in front of her without letting go of her nose.

Fart. Again.

...by this point, Svarshan is looking at Srassha, and Srassha is looking at Jibbom, Keeper of Holy Sausages. "What did. You. Eat?" he chokes out.

THEY SMELL LIKE ROSES, that offended look says.

Yeah he's missed a bit but still he sits and doesn't cover his face when Myrana tells him, he just chuckles a little bit. "I will take care of teh check." he tells her and those sitting with her. "So outside of the events today, how are you all doing?"

"I am still quite in shock." Eira moves away from the odor as she speaks, delicately trying to deflect the air around her with handkerchief, "And in need of some of that local liquor to set things right with the world," She motions to Karelin, "What was the name of it? The one you introduced me to all those moons ago."

Karelin nods, shakes his head. "I don't remember. I've been drinking whiskey here for too long." He sucks on his cheek.

Jibbom has disconnected.

"It was made from the nectar of moon blooming flowers, it was.." Eira rambles about meaningless things, far better then the horrors that she just witnessed, "absolutely divine. I will have to search for a bottle to bring back to the Martokians while I am here."

Younger has disconnected.

Karelin nods. "Bring back the news, too, for what it's worth." There's a pause. "Though I'm sure they already know."

"Svar, I think I should go home," says Myrana quietly. "If... if you're on your way to rounds, I should probably just walk."

"If they knew, they kept it secret from those of us coming to Alexandria." Eira's voice edges towards vexed as she replies to Karelin.

Karelin nods towards Eira. "Perhaps you should seek out that liquor." He looks around. "It's time to leave here."

"I'm not sure what to think of all of this, but I'm pretty sure that this man has did a few deeds taht needed to be punished." he states simply. "I don't think I've seen anything like this until now, maybe out when hunting but not someone being executed." he states. When the conversation goe to getting liqure, "Sure lets go."

"Yes, lets find a drink." Eira starts off a familiar direction, "Master Andarin, is the Dragon's Den still in business?"

Eira goes East <E>.

Eira has left.

Myrana swallows, and then casts a sort of smile over at Tristian. "We met at th'Guild the other day. Mister Tristian, yes? Come with us." She says. "I've... I've made some peach lambic, might suit you well." She tries to harden herself a little; she should not have come to the hanging. "Anyone's welcome, though it's a bit rough. Mister Karelin has his very own, uh, head... rest."

Eira has arrived.

Eira goes OOC.

Eira has left.

Trisitian smiles, "Sure thing." he smiles as he looks to Myrana. Allowing a breath to escape him, it was actually nice to speak with others and actually be meeting the same pepole more so now."

Oates goes OOC.

Oates has left.

Karelin goes East <E>.

Karelin has left.

Karelin has arrived.

Karelin goes East <E>.

Karelin has left.