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Flash Island
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>...off the pastures? Tell them that the possessed dude was heading towards the pastures, and they should go warn them while you tell the rest of the town to board up. What you will actually do is leave.
That is an option and it does not involve directly harming anyone. However, I don'T want to scare these people more than I have to.
>Ultimately the community itself must judge your actions. Short term deceit is justifiable only if you return to the community and openly explain what you did, and why, and then submit yourself to their justice system to be judged. What sort of legal system do they use, anyway? If you killed a freeman, then wouldn't you have to pay a murder price to his family? If you killed a serf wouldn't the price go to his lord? Or do these villagers use a more sophisticated legal system?
It used to be like this. Simply make it up to the aristocracy and you will not be punished. A lot has changed since the four Orders liberated the northern nations. Nowadays, Paladins are in control of the legal system. In this area, the legal authority would be the Silver Quill and submission to the village would, theoretically end with them holding me here until the next patrol passes through to pick me up.
In practise it might not go like that. Tom was, as stated, a very important and popular man. The villagers might forsake the legal process and strike me down in anger. But we don't know that.
>In any case, the priority is getting the corpse away to people who can deal with it properly. After that you can return for your punishment, whatever they judge it to be (and they may agree that there was no other choice, given the risk of fey contagion from the body).
Yes, since the due legal process requires me to be judged by the paladins of the Silver Quill, We'll simply kill two birds with one stone by going to Kidare.
>I once heard a story of a corrupt official in a great city. He made life unbearable for the citizens with the least power, allowing his lawmen to ply for bribes, showing gross favoritism to moneyed interests, and in general abusing the public trust in such a way that even if the law could touch him, no agent of justice would for fear of waking up dead.
>A lone citizen, angry at the official and the system the official had manipulated, took up arms and killed the corrupt man. He then turned to the justice system and turned himself in. He explained exactly what he had done, and why, and accepted the punishment for murder. The city, without the corrupt official managing his debased underlings, was able to return to normal. The killer served forty years in prison, as this was the customary punishment for a planned murder in that community.
>Though extra-judicial killing is always an evil thing, it can be atoned for and the net results can be good. So long as you do not avoid your atonement, your current course and the killing itself is acceptable.
Yes, it is a popular story. Since I haven't been in Silver Quill territory for quite some time, I do not know if my deed was extrajudicial. I assume so, though. I have no jurisdiction here.
Atonement sounds like a good thing to do, in any case.
>Okay I'm back. And I still seriously advise you simply sneak up behind them and pop in to their conversation. LET them see you, LET them ask questions if they will, but in all likelihood they're going to be startled and surprised and embarrassed about gossiping about a paladin while she's within hearing distance. Go up to them and ask them what problem they have with your attitude. Don't seem too dominant or hostile, but just serious enough to the point where they'll feel sheepish and desire to move on. Besides, we are PALADIN, therefore all this hiding and trickery is BENEATH us. We can handle any questions or concerns these people throw our way. Whether or not they're capable of understanding our actions, we must always strive to be a paragon of virtue and a role model for others. Give them the opportunity to disappoint us before judging them to be too thick-witted to understand our necessity. And stuff.
I see truth in this. Yes, I might be judging a little too early.
However, I think my judgement is not wrong nevertheless. Telling them about what I did might lead to a fight. The situation is complicated after all.
>This is not the time and place for doubts. You have a task that needs to be done. You're not equipped for the task that is needed. The longer you need to spend here to explain to them the more you endanger them. You need to bring people here that can helpt against the fey, and as soon as you possibly can. That is what needs to be done.
Yes. No more doubts. The plan is set.
>More and more thought
The Fae presence here might be a problem. Fey moods do strike at random, but they also happen more frequently where the Fae settle. I think it is well worth telling the other paladins ASAP.
I have decided. I will sneak out. Be it beneath a paladin or not, lives are at stake here. Now, how?
There is the plan of sending everyone to the pastures or to board up their houses.
There is the plan to explain to the village elder and hope he helps me get out unnoticed.
There is also this hole here, which... actually looks like it's reaching quite far into the ground, actually.
My head hurts. let's keep this simple. Pick one of the three.
>what is the name of this quest
So far it's "Introspection" and it will stay that way unless I find a better name until the next chapter starts.
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