Interlude
Dawn was fast approaching as Bradford stood in an uneasy silence behind his master Duke Sliscus Ironheart, watching as the divine square of the Spire of Faith grew ever more packed with sleepy citizens forced out of their homes and ordered to attend the Ironheart’s justice. None dared refuses such a summons nor would any be foolish enough to leave once they realised the demonstrations the Duke had in store. As the sun rose so did the concerned whispers among the crowds as now the bodies of over three hundred protesters hung from the walls of every church and the branches of every tree a silent warning to the living, rebellion would not be tolerated.
The protest happened the day before after the high sun prayers. Marching from the Spire of Faith across the city to Royal keep the protesters sang songs and chants demanding that Duke Sliscus form a civilian advisory council, to relinquish some power to the populace. All day Duke Sliscus allowed this continued and the city guards stood back avoiding confrontation with the protesters. During the protest Bradford was ordered only to take a complete list of every citizen who took part and any who watched and cheered, it wasn’t until they had dispersed was he ordered to round up the leaders and practice his particular magical specialty.
Standing in the cold dawn Bradford supressed a shudder thinking back to last night when he presented his findings to the duke along with the list as ordered; The leader and at least thirty other dissidents belonged to a cult and their ultimate goal was not only the death of the Duke but the disillusion of the city of Naggaroth itself for they believed that any settlement over a hundred people to be an offence to their god. The duke calmly listened to the report and ordered Bradford to get some sleep for he would be required to be in attendance before dawn came.
Duke Slisucs Ironheart gave no speech that morning it was not his way, neither he nor his solders said a single word as the cities populace were rounded up and shown the hanging bodies. He simply stood surrounded by his royal guard staring at the crowed while they become more nervous. The Duke waited until the sun had risen high in the sky before giving the signal and as one all the knights and soldiers simply turned and walked away allowing the city to continue as normal.
Despite having served the Duke for most of his life Bradford could still be shocked how such a generally kind an amicable ruler could be so cold and unfeeling when dealing with threats to his city, it was a shame about the children; Yes they had broken the law but they could have been spared, watched and dealt with quietly later if they showed signs of rebellion in the future. Bradford wondered how many of the corpses had actually been members of the cult, less than a third by his best guess, but with uprisings among cities held by the other Drazi Dukes, the recent demonic summoning’s, the plague to the west in Kracken’s Fall and the death of Duke Blackhand, and the placing of a Governor by King Sheridan it was clear Duke Sliscus felt he couldn’t take the risk of allowing any of these Harbingers to escape. With a sigh Bradford focused his attention once more on the crowd, who looks upset, who looked angry and far more revealing… those who looked pleased.
The protest happened the day before after the high sun prayers. Marching from the Spire of Faith across the city to Royal keep the protesters sang songs and chants demanding that Duke Sliscus form a civilian advisory council, to relinquish some power to the populace. All day Duke Sliscus allowed this continued and the city guards stood back avoiding confrontation with the protesters. During the protest Bradford was ordered only to take a complete list of every citizen who took part and any who watched and cheered, it wasn’t until they had dispersed was he ordered to round up the leaders and practice his particular magical specialty.
Standing in the cold dawn Bradford supressed a shudder thinking back to last night when he presented his findings to the duke along with the list as ordered; The leader and at least thirty other dissidents belonged to a cult and their ultimate goal was not only the death of the Duke but the disillusion of the city of Naggaroth itself for they believed that any settlement over a hundred people to be an offence to their god. The duke calmly listened to the report and ordered Bradford to get some sleep for he would be required to be in attendance before dawn came.
Duke Slisucs Ironheart gave no speech that morning it was not his way, neither he nor his solders said a single word as the cities populace were rounded up and shown the hanging bodies. He simply stood surrounded by his royal guard staring at the crowed while they become more nervous. The Duke waited until the sun had risen high in the sky before giving the signal and as one all the knights and soldiers simply turned and walked away allowing the city to continue as normal.
Despite having served the Duke for most of his life Bradford could still be shocked how such a generally kind an amicable ruler could be so cold and unfeeling when dealing with threats to his city, it was a shame about the children; Yes they had broken the law but they could have been spared, watched and dealt with quietly later if they showed signs of rebellion in the future. Bradford wondered how many of the corpses had actually been members of the cult, less than a third by his best guess, but with uprisings among cities held by the other Drazi Dukes, the recent demonic summoning’s, the plague to the west in Kracken’s Fall and the death of Duke Blackhand, and the placing of a Governor by King Sheridan it was clear Duke Sliscus felt he couldn’t take the risk of allowing any of these Harbingers to escape. With a sigh Bradford focused his attention once more on the crowd, who looks upset, who looked angry and far more revealing… those who looked pleased.