Mabelle puts a pair of velvet and brocade bejeweled boots with diamondplate heels in a green hued silk tote bag.

Lady Clara Crovane stands beside the corpse of woman whose heart has been removed. The half-devoured, frost-covered corpses of several other tutors lie in a circle nearby. The rest of the travelers from Arx have searched much of the orphanage, and in the hazy gray light of the approaching hour of noon, murders of crows continue to caw in the trees.

Emerging from the kitchn back into the courtyard area, Rowenova grimly notes, "No food. No dishes. No utensils. No nothing." Sir Floppington carefully follows in his leather booties.

Merek is along with the party, waiting to hear what others might have to say, while he begins to adjust the scarf which he wears.

Mabelle steps out of the ruins of what used to be a shrine, folding her arms as she approaches Clara, "What now? Do we look for them? Could they have gotten far with all the crow choir outside?", she wonders, trying not to show her disturbance at the sight, even healers can get disgusted by bodyparts

Jules exits out from orphanage with eyes pale, "Dear me, there are no clothes! They didn't have any clothes! They must be so cold!" His hands are on his cheeks and he looks about mildly panicked.

"Damned Mol and her grubby family, n' doubt," rasps Ersfain, spitting the remaining vomit from his mouth in the snow after Rowenova speaks. Some still remains encrusted in the coarse black hair of his beard.

Clara checked perception + medicine at difficulty 20, rolling 27 higher.

Svana looks to Jules and gives his hand a squeeze. "I somehow doubt that clothes were the least of their concerns considering what was done here."

Hearing Ersfain, Nova calls over with Northern Projection, "Mol who?"

"A ritual of placation needs doin'." Clara mumbles before looking to everyone. "It sounds like they packed up an' left." She looks to Nova. "These bodies have been dead for about two weeks now, given their state. I'm assuming most trails would be cold by now?"

"They's prolly dead," says Ersfain to Svana. "Better for 'em anyways. They's just stupid orphans, eating away at our stores." Turning to the wolf scout, the guards mutters, "Mol's a trouble some farmer 'round here. Doen't know when to shut her hole."

Rowenova checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 49 higher.

Mabelle glances at Ersfain, almost echoing Nova, but then he starts speaking and she raises her eyebrow, "Where does she live?", she further questions Clara, "You do not find it odd all those crows outside did not try to slip in and eat the bodies?", she sounds grim but.. well this is grim

"Not far from here," says Ersfain, grinning to be acknowledged by Mabelle. "I's could take 'ee there if you like, m'Lady. I'd guard 'ee with my life."

Rysen GM Roll checked charm(1) at difficulty 30, rolling 29 lower.

Nova almost answers Clara but then holds up the universal sign for one moment before she turns to Ersfain and stalks his direction and attempts to try to close the distance with him, ready to try to give him some herding pushes.

Svana stares rudely at Ersfain after his comment about orphans, for once nearly losing her cool with the man. She grabs Jules' hand and squeezes a little harder, then raises a brow when he starts propositioning Mabelle. She scoffs quietly and just shakes her head. "If anyone else has any descenting opinions on orphans, I don't want to hear about them."

Rowenova checked strength + brawl at difficulty 30, rolling 8 higher.

Mabelle quirks her eyebrow at Ersfain, "Somehow its not my life I am worried about", she mutters mainly to herself, or to Clara if she can hear her. She inquires, "Cant keep her mouth shut, either she blabed and caused this or he means food. If its the first, she might be dead too. How long will the ritual take? I do not like us to split"

Jules looks over to Svana and nods his head, "Perhaps but ... the tragedy still!" This is stated in a whispered tone of absolute concern. He looks over towards Ersfain and squints, "Which h" He stops looks around, this is not the question to ask apparently. He looks at the interaction with Mabelle, pulls out a bit of unlit haze and places it in his mouth with squinted eyes.

"They have been eatin' the bodies." Clara points to where the crows have been clipping away at the frozen flesh. Then Ersfain speaks and Clara narrows her gaze at him. "Are ya fer real?" She shakes her head disapprovingly at him and watches as Nova approaches him to see what Nova is about to do.

Nova makes it to where she can face off with Ersfain and does not punch him but open hand pushes him on his chest a step back, "Stupid orphans?" Fresh push along with another step to mayhaps back him up. "Who let you live and eat up whatever resources you have consumed until now, huh?" Some more! "What kinda sick F..." Ok, she cuts off there, "Why would you say something like that?"

"Li...listen, Sc-scout, I ain't mean no disrespect, but don't make me draw on you. I's dangerous with a sword," stammers Ersfain, taking steps back and laying his hand on the hilt of his low-quality steel longsword. He backs away and scowls at Rowenova and Svana.

Merek checked willpower at difficulty 20, rolling 25 higher. Merek rolled a critical!

Svana looks at Clara in the midst of all of this, furrowing her brows. She seems to be considering something. "This placation ritual, do we have what we need for it? And how many will you need to help you? I do not want a split either, but this may be the best way." She looks toward Ersfain and eyeballs him, drawing her castration knife. "Oh, do fuck off."

Svana wields a curved steel dagger with swan etchings and an amethyst colored leather grip.

Mabelle lifts her hand a moment, "He might be an idiot but he's our only guide so maybe we should all calm down?"

Jules seems aghast at Clara's statements, "The orphans have been eating the bodies?" He looks over towards Svana, "That's not normal!" He states this as if he's attempting to reassure himself that it's not normal for orphans for orphans to eat bodies. He's largely been unaware of what Ersfain had said but then the push down comes and his eyes focus back on the man again and everything is moving quickly.

Merek looks over to Ersfain, then he thinks about it. He inhales, while he shifts both his shoulders, the beltcape of his shifting while he turns to look at the man. He does crack a few knuckles beneath the gloves which he wears, though gives no indication he will do anything. He simply lets this all play.

Nova finally relents, but she does not look afraid. "If you were not needed, then I would break you, with or without your short sword."

Mabelle checked command + leadership at difficulty 15, rolling 39 higher.

"Thank 'ee, m'Lady," says Ersfain to Mabelle. "Yer truly a noblewoman of Arx." He takes a few steps away from Merek, Rowenova and Svana just to be sure.

Clara wiggles her diamondplate axe in her hand to get his attention. "Don't try it." She narrows her gaze at him before lookint to Svana. She lists a few things they will need some common things that can be utilized as offerings to the Spirits. After a simple list is given she looks to everyone. "Would anyone like to help? It will take about two hours to start and finish. I could certainly use the assistance."

Nova moves away from Ersfain and walks back to Clara. "There has been a lot of snowfall in the past two weeks, for sure. We might not find tracks, but there should be more clues and markers than tracks alone due to many travelers. Possibly litter, broken twigs, the like."

Mabelle nods faintly to Ersfain, "Just keep your eyes on our faces, or next time I wont stop them". She then defer to Clara, "Certainly, if I can."

"I will go wherever you need me to, Lady Clara. If you require my assistance, then I shall be glad to help," Svana says. She does seem pumped for action after Ersfain has nearly gotten the rest of his gross teeth knocked in.

Merek checked mana + theology at difficulty 30, rolling 18 higher.

Mabelle takes her physicians robe out of her bag and wraps it around herself tightly because. Clothes. She begins to circle the area and prep it while cleaning and arranging the scenerio however Clara instructs her to.

Rowenova sends off Sir Floppington who comes back with a colorful rock which seems smooth on all surfaces and is mostly flat and ovoid shaped which is ultimately added to the offering pile. Meanwhile, Nova helps clean up.

Merek nods a bit between folk, then he begins to prepare to clean the site. Whether that assists at all, he doesn't know, but he does know the way to from theology teaching. He seems to content in focusing upon anything besides orphans trying to eat people.

Svana begins to clean the area as has been instructed. She's quick, tidy, and every now and again, she finds a glint of something that can be useful to the ritual.

Jules does not move to clean up because he's Jules. Anytime there's work to be done, best make yourself scarce. He goes inside to see if there's a stash of wine or haze that might have been missed and so, avoids upsetting the spirits.

Rowenova checked stamina + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 28 higher.

Svana checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 6 lower.

Mabelle checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 7 lower.

Merek checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 32 higher.

This is heavy. No, really. Mabelle is trying to move the corpse but is failing. And then she sees an arm. Single Arm. She an move a single arm, lets go with that.

Svana grunts like she's moving a wheelbarrow full of lead weights as she tries to drag one of the bodies to the funeral pyre. She finally makes it there, gasping and wheezing all the way. "Spirits and Gods above I am so out of shape." She goes back to cleaning after that one body.

Rowenova makes sure she has her gloves on for this and wraps most bodies within a thin blanket before moving them out to the burn pile then coming back and repeating that task until they have a fat stack of corpse flesh with all the kindling they might need in between.

Merek manages to clean up what he can, then he kneels to offer a supplication to the Thirteen. He is quiet about his work, he doesn't take the spotlight, he is content to offer what he can, then back to his business. The man does look to the place.

Ersfain quickly runs over to assist Mabelle, attempting to lay a greesy hand on her arm. "Lemmie help with that m'lady," he says grinning, showing off the yellow, fuzzy teeth that remain in his gums.

Mabelle checked command + intimidation at difficulty 20, rolling 26 higher.

Mabelle turns her gaze toward Ersfain and narrows her crystalline eyes, "Do not get confused or offended, actually you can get offended, but if you ever lay your hand on me again, you will become part of the pile. Alright?" She flashes him a huge fake smile.

Clara prepares with the others, cleaning up the messes on the Shrines and getting ready to start the ritual. She chuckles at Svana when she says she is out of shape. "I train every mornin' at sunrise. Yer always welcome ta join me." She smiles and continues to get the rite ready, standing to the side when she is done getting everything as clean as they can.

Ersfain takes a step back as if he'd been struck. "I..." he backs away, and says, "Bet it's jus 'cause those lowly comners are here." He scowls at Rowenova, and goes to stand outside the orphange, crossing his arms sullenly.

Jules does make his way out to look at the cleanup process, oh it's still sort of going. He disappears back inside as quietly as he can, hoping to continue avoid the body work.

Mabelle checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 7 higher.

Mabelle reminds Ersfain quite factually, "You are one. So it has nothing to do with that". She jerks her thumb at the group, "I actually like them".

Merek checked willpower at difficulty 25, rolling 3 lower.

Merek checked composure at difficulty 20, rolling 1 lower.

If Ersfain hear's Mabelle, he is pretending very hard not to. He loosens the cords of his leather pants to take care of an itch. "Damn crows," he mutters.

Clara checked mana + occult at difficulty 32, rolling 33 higher.

Merek begins cracking those knuckles again while he works, fingers digging into the palms, while he begins to bleed a bit. He inhales, then he looks back to the work.

When Ersfain scowls her way, Rowenova side eyes him but does not do anything besides that particular piece. Meanwhile, Sir Floppington goes outside, too, since he is a lot nicer than his human charge. He looks up with soulful eyes where no one can see this and actually wags at the gross man, until he is itchy scratching... and then, not wanting flees, Sir Floppington runs away. Meanwhile, the wolf scout curiously asks, "Are you still doing beach jogs?"

Svana watches as Clara prepares, smiling at her. "I may take you up on that someday. Lady Mikani has been trying to get me in shape too... I fear that I am not as athletic as I'd like to be."

"Every mornin'." Clara confirms for Nova before she sits down and meditates for a bit, preparing herself mentally to commune with the Spirits of the land. She commands her fox and husky to lay down by the gate before she begins the ritual.

Clara takes a deep breath and then begins to chant. She speaks in Northland's Shav, apologizing to the Spirits for the blood magic that has taken place in the land and pleading with them to return and ensure the land does not suffer for the sins of a few.

She creates a small shrine at the front of the orphanage made of two circles of rocks, one inside the other, and places winter fruit within the outer circle and within the center circle a small pile of buring wood to help burn some resins.

Clara continues to chant in Northland's Shav as she circles the shrine a few times and thanks the Spirits for listening their blessings and then welcomes them back to the land if it is their will.

After that Clara approaches both of the defiled Shrines and in Arvani offers up prayers to Jayus and Petrichor asking them for their forgiveness of the children who did all this. She then asks them for their blessing over these lands to ensure that these people do not suffer the actions of a few.

When she is done Clara returns to the center Shrine and sits down and meditates before it. As she does a gentle snow begins to fall all around them, specifically beautiful snowflakes falling around the shrines as she meditates.

Having never participating in such ritual, Mabelle stands on the side and observes in awe. As the snowflakes begin to fall, she feels a sense of serenity washes over her and she smiles upward, placing her hands together in gratitude toward Clara.

Mabelle is overheard praising Clara.

The crows caw wildly as Clara performs her ritual. In a burst of black feathers, some fifty crows take flight, cawing loudly as the fly to the northwest, just before a light snowfall begins, with beautiful snowflakes drifting over the shrines of Petrichor, Jayus and that which Clara has created from the circles of stones, fruit and burning wood.

Jules again, momentarily pokes his head out. Oh, now it's some religious service, best just sneak back in here and find something to distract myself for a few more minutes. They won't forget I'm here and leave me ... hopefully.

Svana puts her hands up to her mouth as she watches Clara, saying silent prayers of her own. When all is finished and they are standing amidst the snowflakes, she approaches Clara and whispers something quietly to her before circling away and attempting to find her husband.

After Clara's reply, Nova smiles back her way before curiously observing the ongoing ritual, as if she were trying to learn something new, mayhaps, plus taking in the whole experience for its overall beauty. She only looks away to momentarily watch those fluttering crows. When the snow falls, though, the wolfy scout holds out her gauntlet gloves (palm up) and gently catches some.

Happiness, a bluebird arrives, delivering a message to Clara before departing.

Mabelle takes a pair of velvet and brocade bejeweled boots with diamondplate heels from a green hued silk tote bag.