Heads on Spikes - End of Villainy

[Plotter]

Three severed heads has been placed on spikes outside Suzail's northern gates. Crows circle above, occasionally diving down to curiously peck at their eyes, or nibble on their ears. Below their dripping necks are signs with names on. The first one, a bloated and rotten dwarven head with a grizzled and bloody beard, is named "Morgnar Lutgenk". He seems to have been dead for quite a while, and maggots compete with the birds to feast on his flesh. The second head is a young woman with red hair, with her eyes rolled back and her jaw frozen open in sudden pain and shock. Her name is "Jenna Fearshby". The third head, "Zormyr", is a middle-aged man with dark hair and pointy beard. His left cheekbone and eye has caved in, his nose is crushed flat, and he lacks upper teeth.

Over the past months, there has been rumours circulating of how Morgnar, the war hero and Shieldmeet champion was captured by the guards in Suzail, shortly after a dark auction. Regarding Jenna and Zormyr much less is known, but some adventurers may recognize their heads from Greatgaunt. Details are scarce, but rumours tell that they were seeking some kind of artefacts, and had an interest in some dark tower in the Tunlands.

Near the heads by the Purple Dragon outpost stands War Wizard Sheona Hornbow. She is tall and slender, with piercing green eyes, and blonde straight hair to her shoulders. She speaks to a growing crowd of how she defeated these villains that have plagued Cormyr with their presence over the past six months. Their crimes were many and foul she says, and included the murder of Lady Perrine Silverthorn, the graverobbing of Fernand Silverthorn's grave and murder of Lorelei Gravesowner at Kelemvor's Garden in Thunderstone, the arson and attempted murder in Arabel, and more recently, the kidnapping of the girl Sonya Barrowfog and murder of her hired sell-sword in Arabel. It is also rumoured they were in league with the outlaw Abii the Adventuress.

"They were sick, evil, people who tortured their victims with acid and carved out their hearts. They hid behind their adventure charters as adventurers doing favours for the realm, as justification for bearing arms and amassing great wealth and magical powers for their wicked plans. They pretended to be normal people, while in fact they were among the very worst of monsters."

A few people in the crowd nod in agreement, murmuring of a recent murder at the Elfskull Inn, where Arabellan mercenary, Karron Kettleblack, had been found with his heart carved out, and a message written in blood on the wall: "Abii was here". A few adventurers curiously join the crowd, noting that they recall Lady Silverthorn and Lorelei Gravesowner had also been defiled in similar manners. "The Acid Killers", someone mutters. "Heart eaters," "Morgnar's Murder Maniacs" says someone else. "I always knew those monsters were working with Abii. Yer head's next, Abii!"

"Fortunately, their wicked lives has now come to an end near Immersea." Sheona continues. "Under my command, the last two of this trio were tracked down and killed. We tried to take them alive, but reckless as they were, they left us no choice but to respond with the full might of the War Wizards' arcane power. Some people only understand violence, and the War Wizards will not back down when facing criminal scum like these."

She pauses a moment, and her expression grows grim.

"Unfortunately, I have also some bad news. While these three were the most prominent ones, we have reason to believe they were greater in number than we had thought, and had recruited more scum from the adventurer community to help them acquire great magical powers which they now intend to use against Cormyr."

A murmur goes through the crowd, the adventurers shaking their heads.

"Let the deaths of these three villains serve as a warning to all who would do harm to the citizens of Cormyr, but also to remind us that the threat is not over. There are still people out there who will stop at nothing to destroy this great kingdom if we do not stop them first!"

"Aye! Bloody 'venturers!" shouts an old man, shaking a fist in the air. "Abii the Adventuress murdered my grandson! And my daughter was abducted by some travellin' bard from Sembia! They're floodin' through our borders like vermin every day, an' anyone o' them could be as rotten as those three!" spittle flies from his mouth, and he throws a bottle that bounces off of Morgnar's face. "Close the borders! Build a wall against Sembia!"

Some citizens joins in the fist shaking, and speculate that adventurers could be spies from foreign nations or cultists of Cyric, probably both. A few of the gathered adventurers grumbles and shouts back. "Most o' us don't mean any harm, an' you'd be dead a hundred times over if we didn't save the day all the time."

"Was tha' a threat?" says the old man. "Adventurer scum! Come at me, I ain't afraid o' ya!"
The adventurers pull up their hoods and ignores the threat, while more reasonable citizens hold back the old man.

Sheona raises her arms to calm the crowd, frowning and hushing to the old man. "Now, now… Not all adventurers are bad people. Please do not provoke them, most are good and honest folk, and many have aided Cormyr in the past. Don't forget that."

"But remember!" She stabs a finger towards the three severed heads. "One cannot be too careful these days when heartless bastards like these walk the land, hiding behind a pretence of helpfulness. I urge you all to be vigilant, and should you see something suspicious, to contact the authorities immediately. The War Wizards will never tolerate what these three have done, and we must ensure that such acts of cruelty and violence can never happen again. It is high time we learn from the past, and put an end to this villainy!"

The crowd roars in agreement, fists in the air. "End the villainy!"

"Stay vigilant, Cormytes" Sheona says as she turns to leave, "and may the Gods bless Cormyr."

[nemusator]

     As Chell obtained knowledge about recent course of events, he sighs. Some of relief, some of the sadness of lives wasted, which could have been used to make Cormyr a better place if only... If only has too much if in it though...

In the end all alike end up like this. *Shakes his head as the thinks*. What is the point? He jumps on his horse, petting it and smiling, as horse neighs and shakes his neck a bit. As hooves slowly clop, he reaches the spikes... He pulls bridle and separates stirrups from horse's hips, making the horse slow down until it stops, breathing out air loudly.

Chell expressionlessly observes the heads as wind starts to blow stronger. Horse starts to sniff and move his muzzle through the grass...

True image of them he thinks. This is how their souls must have looked like.

He than continues his ride to the War Wizards tower to find out more.

[Grimnir Gurnison]

Cassius walks by the scene listening to everyone chattering and the tales of the heroes that ended the antics of the villains. "Come by my kitchen folks," he tells those looking in need of a meal, "I promise a good glass of milk will help you calm down after seeing such a frightening sight. I wish the crown would stop that terrible Abii. I weep for those poor souls that she's brutally murdered."

He looks up at the heads, winks, and brushes his apron before hurrying off into the city.