RP:Overground Railroad
Part of the Larketian Fault Lines Arc
Summary: Word gets to Pilar about a family being harassed by guards because of the witch detection machine, and she helps to smuggle them out of Larket. Things actually go smoothly, too.
NPCing by Josleen.
Labor Camp in the Forest
Since the creation of the witchcraft detection radar, a middle-class family of Larketians, the Duprees, has been flagged for use of dark magic a few times per week. The Fort dispatched guards to question the family which consists of a solicitor, his wife who is both a seamstress and a (good) witch, and their three children, a teenage boy (angsty, but harmless, witch), and a set of twin girls (witchy inclinations not yet detected). The questioning grew more and more aggressive with each subsequent blip of black fireworks that crackled above their home in the radar’s holographic map of Larket. Mr. Dupree, a fifth generation Larketian man (not a witch!) had been able to weather the looks his wife (a 4th generation Larketian, 2nd generation witch) received in public with dignity, as his profession and income were never imperiled and well respected. But, ever since the guards’ frequent visits began, his neighbors and his employer have grown increasingly suspicious. A judge then signed off on an investigation of the Duprees, which prohibited the family from leaving Larket (not even for their annual vacation in Chartsend which was canceled last week!) until the investigation is resolved. The Duprees were also placed under curfew, which Leif Dupree, the angsty teenage son, claims is a total buzzkill for his social life, man. Mrs. Dupree’s cousin Devi works at the labor camp and told Devi of Pilar, a woman from Frostmaw who is critical of the Crown’s policy with regard to witches, who has been overheard tossing around the R-word (refugees) and may be able to help. Devi arranged for Mr. and Mrs. Dupree to meet Pilar in a grove in the forest outside the camp. Mr. Dupree paces back and forth with his hands behind his back. Mrs. Dupree and Devi sit on a large rock discussing the fate of a mutual friend in whispers. Their friend lost her child in childbirth, and the child could have been saved with a spell, but she was afraid to cast that spell ever since the radar was activated. Tragic.
Pilar visited the labor camp once in a while--less often since personal issues sent her into a self-loathing spiral, but she's returned to form. While there handing out homemade treats to try and cheer the witches and listening to their stories, Devi found her and asked if she would be willing to help her cousin's family, but didn't go into much detail for fear of being overheard. Pilar, naturally, agreed immediately. And so it was that she came to the appointed place at the appointed time. She was dressed in her work clothes, a beige tunic, black pants, and brown boots, and her hair was tied back. She wasn't sure what was needed of her, but she wanted to be ready for anything. She even had on a leather belt with a few small pouches on it, which carried vials of various potions. Pilar, ever paranoid, had used her illusions to turn herself invisible while she walked through Larket. She came across the group, quickly canvassed the area to make sure they were alone, and ducked behind a tree. Dropping the spell, she approached like a woman with purpose. A far cry from the dejected woman she usually was these days.
Devi sees Pilar first and stands to greet her, beaming from ear to ear as Pilar’s presence carries the promise of a better future for her cousin’s family. “Pilar, I am so glad you came. This is my cousin, Luciana Dupree, and her husband, Rodney Dupree. I’ll let them explain their predicament.” Luciana and Rodney take turns greeting Pilar, thanking her, then in pieces, finishing each other’s sentences, they explain the frequent, almost daily interrogations, the invasive searches of their homes, the judge’s order that they remain in Larket under curfew. Luciana swears she has not experimented with any dark magic since her curious days as a misguided teenager, and even then the worst thing she ever did was give a frenemy warts for a day! She cannot account for the dark magic spells the radar picks up on. Their son, Leif, has been curious about witchcraft and they asked him if he was experimenting with dark magic spells, and he said no, and they believe him. He’s a good boy, has friends, well-adjusted, by teenager standards. They had to cancel their annual family vacation, and their friends won’t come visit anymore for fear of harassment. They’ve been excluded from their card-game group, and no one bought Luciana’s cupcakes for her daughters’ school’s bake sale. They fear these tiny points of friction will soon erupt into violence, so they want to leave Larket. However, they are afraid they’ll be in violation of the judge’s order, be found, brought back, and prosecuted for failing to comply with the order. Is there anything Pilar can do?
Pilar listened quietly as they explained, making all the correct outraged and sympathetic facial expressions when appropriate. At the end of things, she said, “I'm with the Eyrie, but if I use their resources to move you, it might be a big political problem... But I can use my personal mount. I'm also okay at illusions, particularly turning things invisible, so we might be able to walk right past the guards... We need to think of a plan. Do you know where you can go? Kelay might be too close and Frostmaw is a political minefield.”
Rodney shakes his head at Pilar’s question. “Most of our family is in Larket. We’re both from long-time Larketian families.” Luciana cuts in, “We have friends in Kelay and Cenril, but we don’t want to put them at risk by asking them to give us shelter. Besides, they would be easy to find. And we have to think of the children… they need to go someplace where they don’t have to be holed up all day in fear of discovery.” And Rodney adds again, “And they can’t be out of school for that long.”
Pilar hummed. “Well... what about Chartsend? You've been there already, you said, so that's a plus. And I live there myself, actually. It's far enough from Larket, I think. Though, come to think of it, if you vacation there often they might look for you there... What about Rynvale? Or Gualon?” No one would suspect Gualon.
No one would suspect Gualon for the same reason that Luciana’s face blanches at the suggestion: orcs and swamps! Her husband speaks, “Possibly Chartsend, or Rynvale, yes, but….” Rodney frowns. “Larket is my home. It isn’t right that we should have to leave because of ignorance about witches, what they believe, what they do.” He wrings a hand over his tired face and Luciana smooths a hand over his back reassuringly. “I’ve never been to Rynvale,” she says to Pilar, “Is it nice?” Devi’s frown deepens. “This isn’t right. Why should they leave? They’ve both been here longer than the King or Queen! King Macon’s a foreigner who came to Larket under Queen Jacklin’s reign, and Josleen is from Frostmaw!” “Xalious,” Luciana corrects. Devi asks, “But I thought she was Thane of Frostmaw?” “Yes, but she’s from Xalious.” “Oh, well, my point stands. They’re foreigners, we’re not! Why should we leave?”
Pilar said, “I've been to Rynvale only a couple times. There are some nice areas and some rough ones. But I agree, you absolutely should not have to leave, and if I had my way, Macon and Josleen would be in jail.” She sighed. “But, there may not be any other options, if violence is on the horizon. You said you wanted to leave, though I understand you don't REALLY want to leave. It's all so messy... What do you want to do? I'll help however I can, whatever you decide.”
Luciana rubs her eyes, sighs for a long time, then says “Perhaps we can go to Rynvale, tell the children it’s a vacation, and take it from there. What do you think, honey?” She looks to Rodney whose hangdog expression can’t bear to meet her gaze. He nods then asks Pilar, “Could you help us find lodging? I wouldn’t know where to begin to look, and a hotel seems risky as they keep logs of guest’s names.” Devi, a worker at the labor camp, is more glued to the political aspect of the conversation. “And why aren’t the King and Queen in jail? Why won’t anyone else intervene? The Eyrie is led by your Queen in Frostmaw, right? What does she make of all of this?”
“I'm not very familiar with Rynvale, but I know someone who is, and she's sympathetic. She was at the protest in the camp, even. But if you'd rather I didn't, I'll look around myself. As for Queen Hildegarde...” Pilar sighed. “She doesn't like what's going on, and she wants to open Frostmaw to refugees, but... again. Politics. And she's... personal friends with Josleen, so she might not... quite believe my word over hers.”
Before Rodney and Luciana can focus on the subject of moving their family out of Larket, Devi cuts in with politics again. “With all due respect to the Dragon Queen, all she need do is visit Larket and see for herself.” Luciana focuses on the subject of her family, in large for fatalistic reasons. She and her husband have no faith that simple people like them can have any hope in attaining justice. Royalty is too powerful. “Who exactly is your friend? Is she a Larketian or Rynvalian? Any help is welcome, so long as what we are doing is kept secret.”
Pilar looked to Devi sympathetically. “I know. I'm hoping she'll make a visit soon. And not just to the fortress, but to the camp. I'll do what I can to get to to see the truth.” To the couple, she said, “Her name is Meri. She's Rynvalian, far as I know. She's more an acquaintance than a true friend, really, though like I said, she's sympathetic.”
Luciana and Rodney carefully consider each other before answering Pilar. In the manner of many couples who have been together for decades, they can have an entire conversation without exchanging a single word. Finally Rodney says, “Very well. If you think Meri is trustworthy and a better guide inside Rynvale, we’ll trust your judgment. How soon can we leave?”
Pilar nodded. “I'll contact her right away. And we'll leave as soon as you want to. Obviously we need to set up lodging, unless you're fans of camping. And I don't know how much you'll be able to bring with you. We have to do this without attracting attention, obviously. I can have my mount carry some things to Rynvale under the guise of acting for the Eyrie, but she isn't big or strong enough to carry a whole family. I'll have to use my illusions to disguise or hide you all and walk past the guards. Hopefully that'll be the hard part, but we'll have to act fast once we're in Kelay. I'll rent a carriage to take you all to Cenril, and we'll hop the next boat to Rynvale. Letters probably aren't safe, as I don't know if they're going to start going through your mail, and I don't know any sending spells, unfortunately, so we might have to rely on you, Devi, to pass messages along.”
Devi nods at her role in all of this. Luciana and Rodney look stricken as they set a date, this weekend. The week flies by and Luciana spends her days making the painful decisions about what they can take with them and what must be left behind. On the designated day, they meet Pilar on the bank of the Vibrance River and one by one are ferried over into the sage forest under her illusory magic which both makes them invisible and doesn’t blip on the witchcraft detection radar. The extraction goes smoothly, and it will be a few days before the guards notice that the family under investigation has disappeared.