In the destruction of Eftly
A background story, January 16th, 1720
The village of Eftly is no more. Clearly, the ghastly undead creature has done its worst, and even the buildings reek now of its corruption. The manor house stands half-burnt, and the barns reek of death and fire. The small stone temple to the Wildling still stands, mostly, but stones have collapsed and blocked the entryway, and streaks of soot mar the walls. There are no further survivors, although you do recall a small number of folks had escaped to Champimont.
After a brief search of the ruins, and confirmation that no corruption remains, the solemn party rides onward. Odo, taking up the rear, pauses as he rides past the temple, and dismounts. He starts talking softly, almost to himself, and Celyn and Viepuck, riding towards the rear, are the first to notice he has stopped. Odo is standing with one hand against the temple, with an anguished expression on his face, talking.
”… childhood gone? Everyone gone? It can’t be. I won’t accept it.”
He starts clawing at the collapsed wall of the temple, like he is trying to pull the stones away and get inside.
“Gaston! Remy! Clarisse! Answer me! You must be here somewhere. Everyone can’t be dead!”
The last sentence spoken almost in a wail. He manages to pull a piece of rock from the temple, and two more fall, one hitting him, but he doesn’t seem to care, and grasps at the wall again, trying desperately to get inside the temple. At this point everyone can hear him. Emilieis looking embarrassed. Armand quiet, and staying out of the way.
Celyn, being nearby and also the Noticing Things Guy, has of course noticed this. He does not say anything; he’s visibly concentrating fairly hard, here, as if he’s thinking something complicated through. He produces one of the pebbles he habitually carries from its hiding place and sets it glowing, the bright rainbow-edged light that he always conjures when he casts it, with that faint, unstable shimmer to it that seems perhaps a little more so this time.
It’s not like the light is necessary, really, in the daylight, but by his expression he thinks it’s essential, as if perhaps it might show a way to shift the stones, or of itself do something useful. He is in the habit of casting it before doing hospital work; perhaps that’s related, in his head, to what he’s doing here. His expression settles into one of quiet compassion, but, again, he does not speak.
In the meantime, Robin dismounts and goes over by Odo to help move the debris from the entrance. He doesn’t say anything immediately, and is primarily focused on trying to make sure Odo doesn’t hurt himself.
Viepuck is not particularly strong or good for moving rocks, but will quietly mention not Emilie and Armand that Odo could use some help and will probably process better with physical labor to focus on. Viepuck suggests they join Robin in helping, and then he quietly mentions, to Celyn, “The light is probably helpful for the brief hope, but I doubt that there’s anyone in there…. ”
Celyn gives Viepuck a strange complicated smile and says, quietly so as not to disturb the work, though not so quietly that people can’t hear him, “I’m familiar with the kind of madness that comes from unbearable pain. His,” a gesture at Odo, “is different from mine. But the Wyrdling’s light can cradle us both. Perhaps he can find a measure of peace there too.” There is a deep, underlying bedrock of personal faith there, even aside from the rather blatant reminder that the god he swears by is the protector of madmen and he may not be precisely conventionally sane.
As Robin moves in to work on the stone moving his attention tracks there briefly, and then he finds a place to put the pebble so the rainbow light continues to shine on the rockfall. Once he is satisfied with the positioning, he edges closer, peering at the stone intensely; he is not particularly strong, but perhaps there is a place that additional hands can be useful to balance things, or he can spot something that can move.
As people shuffle rocks trying to open the temple Viepuck will sit nearby, not yet speaking to Odo and allowing the scene of rock-moving and temple-opening to commence, playing a mournful-but-supportive tune on the flute.
As Robin dismounts, and Celyn light flickers over the stones, Odo keeps tugging at stones, calling the same three names. The temple roof has partially collapsed, and two of the walls have shifted unsteadily, so as to make the whole building somewhat unstable. Odo seems heedless of danger as he is desperate to get inside the temple.
As Emilie and Armand hesitantly start to help, the rainbow-hued light of Celyn’s stone plays over the stones, and Celyn watches intently. Odo pulls some of the bigger stones out, and can practically see inside, such as it is, although it is mostly rubble. All of a sudden, the light flickers on three large rocks, like it is pointing it out almost, and Celyn notices them tumbling toward Odo’s head.
With a half-shout, he alerts Robin, standing nearby, who manages to deflect one rock with his shield and push Odo away from the other two. After these rocks fall, Odo lies stunned on the ground, Robin standing above him. The thud and crack as the largest rock hits ground leaves behind a moment of silence… and then the entire temple starts to collapse as the wall slides inward.
Celyn gets a sense, an impression, fleeting at best, of a storm shaking the temple, and the stones fall. Odo looks shaken, and embarrassed, and angry, and scrambles away from everyone. He stands for a minute, looking around, like he isn’t sure which way to turn, and then turns his back on everyone and awkwardly buries his face in his hands.
Celyn and Robin, who are nearest, can hear him half choking, saying “Remy, I’m sorry…” He trails off…
Robin will walk slowly up and put a hand on Odo’s shoulder, however, if Odo pulls away or otherwise makes any negative indicates, Robin will leave him be.
Celyn takes a step back to collect the pebble that’s casting the light and moves it, making certain that Odo is well within the range. He murmurs a soft, “Luck was with us there,” with the prayerful tones that he often uses to speak of luck.
He is built for chaos, not comfort, so he lets Robin take the lead on actually interacting with Odo directly, watching them intensely. ‘Protection of madmen’ is the field of study, not grief counselling.
Odo does not pull away, if anything he seems grateful. Robin is only a few years older than Odo, but Odo looks up to him as a source of wisdom and experience. He half whispers (Celyn can certainly hear, he is observant, and Robin can of course, but the rest of the group can’t unless you come closer):
“I’m sorry, Robin, I don’t know what I was thinking or what has come over me. I knew… I knew what I’d find here, but seeing it has… ” He stops for a minute, and seems embarrassed to be so distraught in front of everyone. “Remy was my older brother, just a year older than me. Growing up we were inseparable. I am…” He pauses and swallows. “one of five brothers. The only one left, I guess, unless Samuel survived. He left for an apprenticeship in Champimont the day of the attacks but never arrived. I hope he is lost somewhere in the woods… But I doubt it. My elder brothers were Jon and Remy, Jon was five years older, and Jacques and Samuel, the babies, twins, were five years younger… But Remy and I spent every minute together.
When I left for the army though.. Remy was apprenticed to the temple administrator of the Wildling here, a good position, my family was proud. Clarisse was even prouder. She was waiting for me. Or I hoped she was at least. To come back from the west with a stake to start a family. But she didn’t wait. She married Remy. I was so angry, I wouldn’t speak to him. I’ve been ignoring everyone for the last year. And now it is too late…” He sobs at this.
“How do I go on? I can’t ask for his forgiveness or wish him well or ever speak to him again…”
He walks away from the temple by a hundred feet and just stares out towards the abandoned fields, his shoulders quietly shaking.
Celyn’s brow is slightly furrowed, but in a distracted sort of way, like he’s gone mentally haring off after something unrelated; however, he is diligent about carrying the light around so Odo remains within its radius. It is perhaps a little bit daft; on the other hand, it’s far from the weirdest thing he has ever done.
It is fairly obvious that he thinks Robin is way better at pastoral counseling than he is and is thus letting the paladin handle the talking part right now.
Robin waits a long moment, unsure of what exactly to say, but then says gently “…come, join the rest of us. You have people who care for you here, as we know you cared for them.”
Odo is very still for a moment, then takes a deep breath and nods, and mounts his horse, and rides onward toward Rinburg. As you leave Eftly, he quietly asks Robin: “Would you ride behind me? So I see a friend when I look back.”
Of course.” Robin gives him gives him a brief reassuring smile, and moves to ride behind.
Robin notices Odo looking back towards Eftly a few times, but each time, after a moment, he looks back at the road ahead.