Set off from Arx not terribly long ago, the newly minted Marquessa has taken a small crew on a tour of her new lands. The party settled into their trip to the Volkov Woods -- an inn, if you can even call it that, home for a bit to recover from the journey before beginning to make further rounds. For the first few days, things seem uneventful; the Volkov people are respectful enough to their new lieges. But slowly, things become evident that all is not as it seems. A serving maid stumbles a little too much. One guy tries to talk to Vitalis for LITERALLY TWO HOURS about some kind of really fascinating tree trunk. But more than that, faint whispers have made their way to the group of visiting nobles.

Vasile Corvini has not been to Volkov Woods before. But he is here at the behest of his suzerain Marquessa, and he takes in the environs in the same way a storage manager might take a look at their stock: unsmiling and unfriendly. It's fine, though. He brought a bottle of Southern Thunder with him. This can only go well.

It seems that the population of the Volkov woods is, well, entirely sauced. One hundred percent smashed. All the time. And as Lora studies her lands and her people, the problem becomes pretty damn evident: if they're totally drunk all the time, the fields aren't being maintained. It's probably time to do something about it.

Tree trunks are fascinating, to be certain, Vitalis has made a number of close studies, but two hours of drunken rambling... On the third pass through it becomes clear the man isn't simply repeating for emphasis but because he has no idea he's said the same story. And again. Vitalis is not wholly impressed with the Volkov Woods thusfar and offers a murmured observation to his comrades when he finally extracts himself from Messere Bole's clutches, "How a whole populace could miss Abandoned slinking in an out unobserved is less and less a mystery by the moment."

This is clearly a different part of the march than those Lora and company have visited in the past. A little less war-torn. A little less concerned with shavs wanting to make deals. A little more mercantile in bent, perhaps. A little bit - okay a lot - more drunken, which is maybe something like a surprise. What's rapidly less of a surprise is her slowly building displeasure with the situation. She's listened to maybe a whole fifteen minutes of the tree trunk monologues and when Vitalis finally extricates herself, says, "Better drunk than dead. Although if this continues they might all drink themselves to death." There's a very careful neutrality to her words, one that stops short of showing the actual depth of her displeasure. "You know, all this time I wondered if the rumors of the Volkov vodka were really just a bit of humor."

Vicente has his right hand across his abdomen, he's not holding the hilt of his sword as that might be misconstrued but his arms seems to be resting on his belt while his left hand rests at his side. His face shows no expression and his eyes peer about the area as he walks. Although he isn't a communicator he does listen as people speak to him but does not linger in conversation. His eyes regularly veer towards Lora to ensure where she is and who is around her but otherwise he is simply trying to be the bump on the log.

"That would be a casualty rate of a hundred instead of ninety-five." Vasile remarks as he rides along with the rest of this little group, clad in his shadowmeld and with a diamondplate sword at his side. He looks around, takes stock of the situation. And then just takes a deep sip from his bottle.

Vitalis checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 7 lower.

A very young child, eight, nine, comes to the door of the inn. She's clearly hungry, cold, and all the other sad things the children of neglectful parents are. She does a quick look around the bar, seems to spot someone, and darts over to whisper to a woman slumping. It's a sad little display to watch - the child helps the woman, whose pinched face sours even further when she realizes the child is trying to take her home, to the door, struggles a moment, and eventually gets the door to the tavern open so she can cart her stumbling mother home.

Vitalis can't conceal a distinct reaction to Vasile and Lora and the dark leathers they sport, any thoughts he has aren't shared, but the expression bleeds out to the rest of the taproom, "Who is supplying all this vodka? *Someone* isn't soused..." He peers around, "I think I'd like to see the town's records." If nothing else, they could track back to when things started going off the rails. "Possibly even the ledgers here."

Vicente glances Lora and makes his way over towards her, his expression remains flat as he passes along and whispers something in her ear while he continues to scan around the area, especially on the edges of buildings.

Lora may well have noted Vitalis' reaction, whatever it is, but for the moment fashion is the least of the marquessa's problems. "The Volkov had distilleries somewhere. Here, perhaps. I doubt anyone is providing it anymore. These people seem unprepared to handle much of anything at all." She watches the child, her own expression melting from general disappointed impassiveness into something that borders on dismay. Whatetever Vicente murmurs merits a slight shake of her head. "Question whoever you think might know anything. The town isn't very large and as disorganized as they are, I dare say they aren't going to be able to hide much. I would like to find the remainder of the supply, though."

Vicente checked perception at difficulty 15, rolling 9 higher.

Vitalis checked perception + investigation at difficulty 15, rolling 69 higher. Vitalis rolled a critical!

Vasile checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 42 higher.

Vitalis nods and eases away, making a move to settle accounts and prepare the way for departure, all the while, keeping a sharp eye out for signs of this supply of vodka. He'll slip that poor kid some silver on the sly and put a finger to his lips, 'shhh.'

Since the Marquessa suggests to look for evidence of the possible whereabouts of the distillery, Vasile spends a moment observing the wagon tracks that surround them. He grunts, shaking his head. "We won't find anything here, not by checking the roads anyway."

The bar is populated with the standard folk of the bar -- the bartender, the drunks, the men and women flirting. At the door, the little girl looks up at Vitalis and stares at him with big ol spoon eyes. She casts a nervous look to the street in front of them, then quick as a flash nabs the coin and stashes it somewhere so quickly, no one could ever fathom where she tucked it.

Then the little girl whispers something to Vitalis before hauling her mother away.

Lora checked perception at difficulty 15, rolling 2 higher.

A young man near Lora, just behind her, glanced at her when she spoke her last. But when Lora turns around to check on a movement she catches... the man is gone.

Having little skill in subtly, Vicente barks out forcefully but not loud, "Get over here kid." Attempting to command her obedience. His face is gruff even if he isn't intending it. He doesn't leave the general area of the of the group and his arm remains resting across his belt.

Vitalis's brows furrow as he looks off after the girl, mouth opening to ask something, but she's eeled away to steer her mother home, a burden to heavy for thin shoulders. Lips press flat and he turns to murmur to the others, halting when Vicente barks, prepared to field the kid's mother if the child returns. He continues, murmuring quietly, "She said it's everywhere. The whole wood. There's some at their home."

Vasile sips from his Southern Thunder bottle. Or, rather, chugs from it. He has to blend in with the crowd; he can't do this job sober.

Vitalis checked perception at difficulty 25, rolling 8 higher.

Oh. This Lora did notice. It half interrupts a breath as she turns around, but the man is, in fact, gone. But her eyes narrow the barest little bit. "Clearly not everyone here is drunk. Did anyone see where the man who was sitting over there went?"

Vicente glances to Vitalis and gives a thoughtful squint as he considers the words then gives a nod of his head and says, "Even so my lord." He looks around for Lora again and seems to draw in a bit closer towards her without being too near. His eyes scanning around the bar, he takes his left, burn scarred hand to rub at his chin.

The man IS gone -- and Lora can't find him again. But Vitalis happens to catch a flash of blonde hair moving to the back. That said, who cares. Just some schmuck at a bar. There's lots of people moving here, it's not really of note at the moment.

...UNTIL Lora asks where someone went. Then, Vitalis might think: oh. this guy? That guy there?

"Blond. Was just there?" Vitalis nods subtly at a spot where the man had been. He pointedly doesn't look where the man is now, but describes where he is to Lora and the others, in detail and quietly, as if discussing the weather or crops or gossip or whatever nobles discuss.

Vasile lets the others do what they do best. He's not the best tracker or particularly invested with authority over the place, but he is here to non-literally whip some commoners into shape if need be.

It's near enough that Lora can follow Vitalis' general gesture almost sidelong. Almost. She considers for a moment and a half, then warns only, "Don't let him get away." It's not exactly a suggestion. Nor also, specifically, is it an order. It might be a warning, however, because she turns and heads off in the blond man's direction with a certain slow, relentless sort of intention.

Lora checked intellect + manipulation at difficulty 15, rolling 24 higher.

Vicente checked dexterity at difficulty 10, rolling 16 higher.

Vitalis checked dexterity at difficulty 10, rolling 12 higher.

It doesn't take long for the two lords to fall behind Lora, who seems to have an almost uncanny ability to anticipate the blond man's twists and turns.

The man, for his part, leaves the bar by the back door and walks quickly without turning around. Quickly and steadily, which might strike someone as surprising. Given. You know. Never once does he turn around.

Vasile checked dexterity at difficulty 10, rolling 5 higher.

Vicente is unaware of some blond man running about but with the order, and the general direction, Vicente speeds off as best he can with his hand on the hilt of his sword but he doesn't draw it and when he realizes there's no room for such a weapon he moves his hand off it to at least have his hands free to try to grapple the man.

Tracking is a forte for Vitalis, sharp eyes, quiet feet. He has a pang of wariness, though, voice pitched low as they continue to trail the man, "He's headed somewhere, clearly, but is he running or luring us?"

Vasile is trailing after, taking due diligence to watch their flanks. If naught else, it is a good way to mind an escape route.

Lora, on the other hand, is not particularly stealthy - nor particularly difficult to follow. She goes just quickly enough to keep track of her quarry, who by now has also clearly deduced that he's being followed. Ambushes? Escape routes? "He's likely concerned about our presence. Surely they must've realized someone would come, eventually, to find out what the problem is."

Ten minutes. Ten weird, quiet minutes of following a guy who seems to know he's being followed but doesn't ...care. After about those ten minutes, the blond man stops and turns around to face the group. He looks from face to face as silence hangs. Then he asks, "What do you know?"

Vitalis breaks wide when the blond man plants himself and spins, continuing around to get behind the man so that if he wants to keep eyes on him, he'll have to take eyes off of his compatriots.

Vicente places his hand back on the hilt of his sword but does not yet remove it from its sheath and steps to the side enough for Lora or one of the others to step forward and speak up. His expression stern and almost glaring at the man.

It's fine. Lora can answer questions. Or ask them. "I know that your little walk through the village has exhausted all of my good will for everyone in this village over about twelve years of age," she informs him with a mildness that is very nearly at odds with the words. She takes an extra step or so forward. "Who are you, and what, exactly, is going on here?"

Lora checked command + intimidation at difficulty 15, rolling 29 higher.

The man flicks his gaze from Lora to her small party and back again. The men with their armor and their weaponry at the ready. The Marquessa with the power of a large ducal house. The whole thing is just WAY more than this bumpkin can chew and he starts to back off, hands up in 'retreat' position.

He explains, at length, that when the Volkov left, the enterprising population hid caches of the drink all around the woods. ALL around the woods.

Vicente glances to Lora and leans in to whisper something to her. He then takes a step back, hand on sword hilt the entire time...

Vitalis is happy to let Lora do the speaking, or intimidating, as the case may be, he's got some questions for ol' Steve, but they can await the Marquessa's pleasure.

Lora tilts her head slightly at Vicente and murmurs something to him before drawing a breath. "Who is it that runs this operation? Someone must control it; if everyone knows where everything is, they cannot possibly be trading it."

Steve the NPC seems confused. He shakes his head. "No, Marquessa. You don't understand." If there were a soundtrack, it would come to a dead stop here: "There is no mastermind. There is no one controlling anything. It's just-- everywhere."

Lora checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 0 higher.

Vicente simply nods his head at Lora's statement while his hand remains on his sword. His face still looks glaringly harsh and periodically he scans about them as though anticipating some sort of attack.

Vitalis is likewise mistrustful of this 'no mastermind' business, but he'll play along. He grates from behind Steve, "Where did it come from? This vast supply now hidden hither and yon?" He squints off into the underbrush... does that bush look weirdly lumpy?

For maybe as many as ten seconds Lora but looks at the man, subtly expectant, as if she's waiting for something - anything - else beyond this. And when it doesn't come she takes a breath like she's going to say something, but evidently this has somehow answered all of her lingering questions. When it passes she tilts her head at Vitalis and then settles in to consider, arms folding over her chest. She too looks around, but with less concern and more thoughtfulness.

Steve the NPC seems a little antsy, but he doesn't bolt. And nothing he say seems like a boldfaced lie either. If anything, he seemed oddly willing to talk to the party for at least a few moments. But now he glances over his shoulder and up at the sky as if he's late for something and tracking the hour.

Vicente glances towards Lora and says, "If they can't control themselves, there's always other methods to motivate sobriety." He starts to draw the blade but does not pull it out, "After all, if they're not fulfilling the obligations they rightly owe you, perhaps others could fill their place." He takes a single step forward, "Unless of course he has something of value to add here to make his time with us valuable?" He casts his eyes to Lora.

Vitalis is behind Steve, so 'over his shoulder' is partly 'at Vitalis.' Vitalis who holds a forestalling hand at Vicente's advance, brows lifting, lowering, "No, Steve here seems unaffected. Right Steve?" He eases back, allowing a path for Steve to move along, "Where were you headed? We'll see you safely there." Pleasant, see!

"Hello, Steve. I am Vasile Corvini. Get all your fellow villagers here, if you can." Vasile remarks, in a tone that brooks very little argument. But the others seem to have this well in hand. So his command likely will go unheard.

Vicente checked command + intimidation at difficulty 15, rolling 7 higher.

"Yes, Steve, how is it that you remain sober when everyone else is clearly having such a good time?" That singularly flat curiosity imparts what might be a touch of warning from Lora, but she nods at Vitalis, again, as if he has what might be the right idea. All of them, really. Her address to Vicente and Vasile is far quieter, not meant to carry. "Did we bring enough soldiers to secure everyone in the village? There must be somewhere to contain them until they dry out."

As Vicente starts forward and Vitalis presses him from behind, the blond man hesitates. He turns as if to flee to the right, further into the sparsely populated woods, then the left, again deeper into those ..entirely empty woods... but he's stuck. Overwhelmed, both by current circumstance and by the situation of everyone's concern, Vasile's directive is missed. Probably fine anyway: they're in the middle of goddamn nowhere. Think deep Appalachia. The tavern is probably the only "town" around for miles and miles.

Steve takes a step back, bumps right into Vitalis, and looks imploringly at Lora. "I wasn't going anywhere but -- away. To talk to you. To--" he breaks off.

It is only at Lora's command that Vicente puts the sword fully back into its sheath. His eyes still focused on the man with all the intensity that he can manage for a few brief moments and then turns back towards Lora with something of a quizzical expression that lingers only for a moment. He turns his eyes back to Steve, his hand still on the hilt of the sword in case Lora should change her mind.

Vitalis steadies the man as he backs into him, still incredibly wary. This whole situation is very strange. He looks at Vicente and Vasile, nodding, rallying the villagers will be something to do when they have a bit more information... The hairs on the back of his neck stir, at 'to talk to you.' He looks sharply around, and then back to Steve, reflecting the man's orignal question back at him, emphasis slightly altered and underscoring the Marquessa's question, "What do you know?"

"You were going away," Lora repeats quietly. "To talk to me." Every word brings her a little bit closer to Steve, her arms dropping so that she can fold her hands behind her back. "To... what, exactly?" The prompting is very delicate, but with a particular seriousness behind it, the kind that probably really only comes from being at the center of a circle of well-armed nobles. She doesn't appear to carry anything except that exceptionally sober gaze, and very cool, measured disappointment.

Lora checked command + manipulation at difficulty 15, rolling 38 higher.

Who should come galloping down the path clad in shining diamondplate on the back of his faithful stallion, Andras? Why Dante, of course. Held up with /important/ Marquis business and personally seeking out vodka stills to smash, he turned up empty handed with the latter and arrives just in time to see Lora giving Steve that cold, quiet gaze. He knows what that's all about, so the Marquis dismounts, standing behind her.

Steve takes a deep, shuddering breath and looks from person of import to person of import. He does a full 360 degree turn, taking in his situation. His upper lip twitches and he leans into Lora to tell her something very quietly.

Vicente is holding the hilt of his sword glaring at Steve while checking for indication from Lora that she wants something. As Steve leans in, Vicente takes a step closer and pulls the sword out just partially in case the man should have nefarious intentions.

Having asked, Lora listens. Patiently. She's but half distracted by the marquis' arrival, half-turning as Dante finally joins them, but otherwise she is content to listen eve as Steve dares get close enough to almost touch her. Almost. There are a few more beats of silence before she finally arrives at some kind of decision. "I am sorry for your loss," she murmurs. Then. "See that the inn and surrounding area are emptied of all alcohol. Round up the villagers and collect them there. They can all stay put, inside, until they've sobered up enough to listen. We are, for an extremely limited time, buying vodka. All of it. Fifty silver a case. As you, Steve, are already sober, I imagine that gives you a head start on collecting it."

Vitalis's lips twitch, smiling fierce, expression clearly reading 'Oh, very well done, Marquessa.' A vodka bounty will bring these drunkards out of the woodwork. And maybe, if he's clever, Steve can negotiate a Drunk Wrangling Fee, not that Vitalis will make any such suggestion.

Whatever he said to Lora, the offer of cash for gun-- er, BOOZE -- is too good to pass up for this sober fellow. He hops to, starting to take off to wherever he knows some vodka lays beneath the earth. But he pauses. "They won't all be willing, as I am," he says to Lora cautiously. "You know that, right?"

What's this? He's trying to bite off Lora's ear? "Impudent wretch!" Dante accuses this nefarious personage, drawing the Edge of Perdition, light shimmering down the alaricite blade. He prepares to wallop Steve alongside the head with the large emerald in the pommel when the Marquis realizes that the Marquessa has struck some kind of a cunning deal. Instead, he just gives the man a shove in the chest with his boot. "That's my response to the less willing."

Steve falls flat on his bum and scrambles to find his footing again. Antsy, deer in the headlights, again, he turns to look at Lora. "I thought you understood? I thought we had a deal!" he cries, brushing his threadbare shirt off.

"I do understand," Lora answers. "I understand that the willing will be rewarded, and the recalcitrant will find themselves either punished, or poor. Lord Vicente." There's a look toward the scarred Fidante. "Will you see that a detachment of soldiers are posted here for a time, until we're certain everything has been collected?"

Something shifts in Steve. He stands facing Lora and the others, his jaw setting. He's still nervous, but it seems he's making his mind up -- and it's not in their favor. After a few moments of quiet staring, the blond man turns to away without a word. And without telling anyone where the cache of vodka is.

"You do have a deal," Dante replies to Steve as Lora replies, then points out to his foot. "That was a message for you to give to those who would hold out. Whom you pointed out as those who would hold out. Otherwise, everything is as the Marquessa said."

Well that went south fast. Vitalis staggers back, lips pressing flat as Dante impresses upon the man what treatment he can expect for cooperating... he blinks between Steve and Lora and Dante, keeping his own counsel, but as Steve heads away he takes a deep breath and murmurs quietly to Lora.

Vicente releases his sword as soon as he is given orders and says, "I will see to it. I will get the details for your exact requirements and proceed from there on ... alternate plans if there should be any resistance as well." His face is never soft but it is not harsh as he looks to Steve, he looks as though he would say something but instead simply folds his hands behind his back and says, "Anything you need will be seen to Marquessa."

Lora checked charm + diplomacy at difficulty 20, rolling 53 higher.

Lora checked charm + diplomacy at difficulty 22, rolling 18 higher.

Dante checked composure + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 22 higher.

"...Dante." Lora says that and only that, very quietly, with the slightest tilt of her head. She takes a breath, but before she can say much more Steve is departing and she lifts a hand to rub between her eyebrows, where the very first, finest, faintest of line has appeared between her brows. Whatever Vitalis murmurs gets the man a little nod, and a quiet, "I doubt he is up to much, but it cannot hurt. If -he- starts drinking, I suppose we can just post a guard on him. Everyone else..." An inn full of hung-over peasants sounds like so much fun.

Vicente checked charm + diplomacy at difficulty 28, rolling 19 lower.

Lora, Vicente, Vitalis, and Vasile went on a tour of the newly acquired Volkov lands. There, they discovered that the woods had fallen victim to a terrible beast: Volkov vodka. They witnessed the destruction such addiction can bring and followed a man called Steve out into the woods. Steve told the group that the vokda had been hidden by the Volkov commoners after the family had died. Stolen, presumedly, and hidden. They have a free-flow right now and the stores seem to be vast enough to carry on for a WHILE.

After some discussion, Steve was about to tell them the location of one cache - the only one he knew about - to avenge his wife's death due to the drink - when Dante diFidante kicked him in the chest. Lora's coldness in response, that she didn't admonish or try to right the situation, earned distrust from Steve the NPC, who hitherto liked Lora quite a bit. He left without telling anyone where the vodka in this area lay buried.

Vicente is rounding up the citizens with his soldiers and prohibiting drinking, which goes over exactly as well as it sounds like it's going to go over.

The party did not endear itself to the locals, nor to our antsy NPC. Lora's 'buy back' program is offensive to them: how DARE an outsider try to "fix" them? But the decision to station actual soldiers, actual TROOPS, in the Woods to prohibit how these common people live their lives? That's met with pure outrage, especially with Vicente's 19 lower fumble on his check to keep the peace.

How very DARE the diFidantes station troops to police them? What do they know about the Volkov woods? The crew was unable to recover the cache of vodka near the inn via their new pal Steve, which means that the region continues to perform poorly. As the people realize that the Fidantes strolled in and stationed troops to try to 'clean them up', there is a fair bit of animosity; these are proud people. Plus, strongarming addiction recovery rarely works. The people find their drink, they're always going to.

As time goes on, however, a few (a very few) men and women offer up a case or two of their booze for the buy back program -- the only thing that held any tiny bit of success. These are the hardest of the hard up, the men and women at the absolute bottom and desperate for more cash. By siphoning at least a few cases, this area of the Woods DOES become just VERY SLIGHTLY more productive and earns more resources than before. Just don't expect them to help much if shavs pop up and BOY are they going to dig their collective heels in if Lora tries to change anything else in their neck o the woods (GET IT WOODS). Vicente? if they can burn him alive, they sure would - he truly enrages them. The caches are still out there, the vodka isn't done flowing, and it will take some work to earn back the adoration of this particular region.

If nothing else, the diFidantes know just what and who they're dealing with now.