Three guards march Book to the stocks, one of them opens them and his feet are secured within them and they are locked again

"see you in three days"

Says one of the guard as he leaves.

Many of the commoners around look on with interest.

Seeing an opportunity one of the nearby storeholders starts lugging over boxes of rotten produce that have yet to be disposed of.

"Well well someones been naughty. Still I have to thank you I'd 'ave never got rid of this crap without you.

He pats Book on the head. and returns to shifting his boxes. When he's piled up a few he places an empty one on its side and pulls a piece of chalk out of his pocket. Sticking his tongue out with the effort he writes.

"Dohnashons Thank U "

and sticks a jar next to it.

He then selects a cabbage and hefts it in Books direction.

A harried looking women goes past with a basket of washing her apron being clutched by a pair of sticky children.

Girl "Mammy Mammy look at the silly man"
"No kaitlin come along I have to get this basket to missus beecham"
The boy sucks his thumb but looks inquisitive.
"why is in standing funny?"
"He's in the stocks dear"
"Why?"
Because he was naughty and didn't do what he was told
Why did that man throw a cabbage?
To punish the man in the stocks
Can I throw a cabbage?
No Dear, you're too young
Unnoticed the little boy runs over to the boxes and lifts out a cabbage with both hands. He tries to throw it but it only goes a couple of feet. So he picks it up runs right up to Book and throws it where it schleps at his feet.
Billy You get right back here!!!
The Boy scarpers to his rather who cuffs him round the head and storms off.

A kid trying to grow a scraggy beard and his friend run into the square eating some buns they just stole from one of the other stalls. and nearly run into pruanna. They duck out of her path and notice book in the stocks and the fallen cabbages. Rician grins to his mate runs over to the boxes of veg and holding his bun in his mouth stats pelting Book.

Quickly finishes his bun then runs over to join his mate and also begins Pelting book.

Hello Vat’s dis?
A large female orc who face has clearly seen better days comes into the square carrying a pair of pig carcasses on a yoke. She dodges a couple of horse and ox carts carrying stone and straw and comes up behind the two youths.

Now now hyu tvo hain't lettink hennyone else hef henny fun. Und Hy don’t see hyu makink a donation.

she balances the yoke on the boxes the swinging pigs blocking their acces to them and scrunches her calussed fist into the palm of her other hand.

Now are hyu gunna get zum more boxes or are hyu gunna donate?

A tall ginger male spots the two bun eating miscreants and joins them, grabbing a pair of tomatoes from the stall, and attempts to throw them.
One falls short, one sails off to the right of the stocks and the other falls apart in his hand.

A female elf watches the orc female for a moment, then adds coin to the donation jar, picking up a long parsnip with her other hand.
She launches it like a javalin at the stocks.

Picking up a few spuds, a weatherworn dwarf quietly pockets the ammo and wanders away.

The small urchin runs in under the stocks to pick up any missed and still viable veg, and dashes out again, joining the gathered few, and launching a small volley of bruised veg at the stocks.

An elven female watches for a few moments then carries on walking, a look of disgust written across her face.

To female orc

"fokyu greenskin you can fok off "

He makes to throw a rotten onion at the orc

"yeah fok off faggot features"

He finishes a box of veg and grabs the box and prepares to throw it.

right dats enuff.

She grabs the two youths by their collars and makes to wrench them towards her.

"Oi foking let me go you poo faced cow"
as he is yanked backwards

"argh!"

He drops the box on his own feet

throws the onion in the orcs face.

"gat yer 'ands off me "

Flails and trys to hit her but can only reach her arm.

Carries the two struggling youths over to the rubbish heap nearer the market and plunges the youths into it. Then lets go.

Hyu vill grab tvo boxes each und karry dem to de pile vith de odders. Den get lost.

She watches the two.

grumbling and swearing he picks up two half full boxes and carries them over to the others. Pulls a face and gives her the finger than runs off.

Makes the mistake of wiping his face with his hand forgetting he was just holding a rotten onion.

"Oww poo poo"

He picks up one box half jogs it over to the pile drops it and runs.

Carefully wipes the onion from her chin with a kerchief.

Bloddy kids

She heads back to the pile of boxes with her yoke balanced on it and selects a couple of good sized turnips. She checks them for balance and then chucks them at book. As she picks up her yoke she drops a crown into the jar and starts singing as she walks away.

*The turnips fly straight and true and smack Book in the face*.. Awww Oww Umpf.. Awww Aghhh Oww..



*Book seems to smile*.. Yes I am bad and evil. I'm evil Ooophf.. Mage. So be it... *With that Book closes his eyes very tightly and just endures*

The youth sneaks back looking around to make sure the orc has not returned. He works his way round to the rubbish pile rather than going to the boxes. He seems to be looking for something. Following his nose. Using a cabbage leaf he pulls an orange rinded soft cheese out of the pile and holds it at arms length his eyes watering. He then lobs it at book but it splats onto the cobbles next to him releasing a pungent odour which starts to clear part of the square.

Making her way out of the tavern and through the square, Laninia stops as she encounters a man trapped in the stocks. Seeing the rotten fruit and vegetables around him, she frowns slightly wondering to herself just what this was supposed to teach anyone.

"Excuse me Sir, pardon my ignorance, but what did you do to deserve such a thing?"

ooc - forgot to add - Laninia attempts to ignore the stench of moldy cheese in the square as she addresses Book.

*Book looks up not smiling*.. No. But that is the view point always of the accused.

Apprently.. *book rolls his eyes* Some jumped up twat of a guardsman calling himself a captain put me in the stocks for an implied insult to General Galeb. I however was not insulting General Galeb at all. The Bloody idiot has such low wit and intelliegence that he failed to understand I was insulting him. He also failed to understand I did apologise for the implied insult if he personally took offence. He then arrested me with no real evidence just some half arsed idea that he was doing right. He tried and convicted me in less than three heartbeats of a mouse.

My punishment was so swift my feet did not touch the ground as they dragged me to endure ritual humiliation at the hands of people who simply don't understand. You see I have done nothing, I cast NOTHING and I END UP HERE! A MAGE no less.


Apprently Mages are soooo bloody Rare in this land they must be locked up in stocks and treated like an animal.

Please move along. I see the smell is getting to you. I don't want others being tarred with the same brush that tarred me. I suggest if you were thinking of making my aquitence, that you'd best not. Apprently.. According to people who travel with me.. I have nearly caused the end of the world three times. Oh Yes I ave never eer saved it. Ohhhhhhhhh no. I am Apprently the ROUTE to ALLL evil.. perhaps it is best I sit in the stocks and endure..

Her brow furrowing once more as she listens to the man explain his tale of woe, Lani pulls a silk hankerchief from her bag and, holding it to her nose, continues to talk,

"I'm sorry you have been wrongfully accused Sir, but perhaps if you did not speak so badly of this.... guardsman, you might be let out sooner then they intended. I have not met many mages myself, I know they have great power however and am shocked to find something as primitive as the stocks could hold you. I take it that you wish to prove a point by enduring all this humiliation? I only hope you manage to and am sorry you are stuck in such a situation."

Taking a rolled up bandage from her pack, Lani tried to wipe some of the rotten food from Book's face as she continues talking to him, "Would you like a drink? I have some water in my pack.."

Yes I do not have to sit in these stocks. What little do words matter? Only ifthey are true does it then matter. Perhaps I struck a chord with this guardsman and he truly wishes ill on my friends.


If I were to remove myself from these stocks I would only find myself in more trouble. Better to suffer rotten fruit and humilation than Death. Also if I did try to remove myself from this incarciration I'll only be letting the fool of a guardsman what I can and can't get out of. For all I know he's used a magical lock which will only release on his command and I'll have wasted a lot of power on trying to get out of something no one of my feeble powers could.


*Book turns and looks at Laninia* you are a kind woman, I really do not wish you any harm. For I am a bad and evil mage. Leave me to this fate please. Do not associatte yourself with me the Guard will find some way of hurting you. For what little you have done for me now, I will not allow that to happen. I'm afraid people would get hurt in that case. You would be safe.


For when I'm released from this.. mockery.. I am not sure what I will do. I may fly into a rage and do something worthy of being put here.




I suppose to call someone cunning would be to all them manipulative.. to call someone Intellegent would be to say they are lacking in wisdom.. To say someone is resourceful is to point out he is a thief. To say a man is a great warrior is to say he is a murderer. If you look hard enough you will find an insult no matter what a person says. The trick is not to find the insult, it's to hear the compliment ad believe it.


I probably poke fun here.. but it shows who reads and who does not. *Book shakes his head* you would do better holding some mint in your hankerchief to make it smell better. I learnt that in a book.

"Sir, I do not believe you to be evil, otherwise you would not worry for my well being at being found standing talking to you. An evil mage would try to trap me somehow or escape from his bindings to hurt or even kill me. You are just a victim of circumstance, I believe these new rules placed in your land are being... tried out, for want of a better word, and you are the unfortunate who gave even a hint of a reason to try them."

Pulling her waterskin from her bag, Lani undoes the lid and holds it up so Book could drink if he wishes, making sure she didn't spill any down his face as she does so,

"I don't see how giving someone a drink, even if they are in the stocks, can be seen as breaking the law, I am a healer after all and as you haven't been sentanced to death it would be foolish to let you go thirsty."

Who knows what foolishness will come about if you offer kindness to a person who is to be humilated.

*Book wiggles his hands and feet in the stocks..* I must say I much prefer the sitting stocks to the standing ones.


Ahh you say I'm not an evil person. Or an evil mage. You also state a mage must have great power. Why?


I may be evil. You have shown me kindness, I will repay that by protetcting you. I show you a good deed. However I may be an evilperson out to turn us all into the walking dead. I'm not as I would hate for tha to happen. However I may just be kind to you so that I do not owe you anything so that you may not call on a favour from me.. or a service.

One person's good is another's evil. I am evil in many many people's eyes.


*Book thinks for a short while* These new laws take away your freedom. If I can be tried convicted and my punishment given in a matter of seconds it is much worse than before. I understand these new laws need to be tested, however that idiot has made himself my enemy. I shall be calm and request he be called in for justification on his actions. He is however the General's man.. I have no chance against that. I guess I'll just have to get even.. and do some digging. I just hope the old man of a general is not some kind of thing working for the undead.


You know I was tempted with the idea of looking out the gods and saying hi, seeing what they were up to. Not worship them but say hi..

Looking extremly shocked upon hearing Book's thoughts on Gods, Lani backs away slightly, looking around for anyone that might have heard him,

"You need to learn to hold your tongue Sir, you are only going to get yourself in to more trouble speaking of such things. I implore you not to follow these thoughts any further, I think you will find yourself in more than just the stocks if someone hears you."

Looking around the square once more, Lani steps to the money pot, dropping a gem into it before turning back to Book once more, "I don't believe in throwing this stuff at you, but no doubt the money will go to a good cause, so i will pay for the time spent with you."

The Elven woman then bids Book farewell and wanders back towards the tavern, her talk with the imprisoned man obviously confused her plans of heading to the guild hall.

<Tellos walks through the square towards the stocks, sees Book locked up and laughs>

Hello Book, what have you been up to now?

A guardsman arrives and pins a notice on the signboard beside the stocks Book is in. The notice reads:

"This man has been sentanced to 3 days in the stocks for the crimes of:

Insulting a member of the Council of 14
Threatening a Guardsman

Signed

Kernus Vale, Brehon of Prodigio."

As he leaves he gives a vagrant sleeping near the stocks a kick

"Alright you, buggeroff"

The vagrant wakes up swearing until he reaslises its a guards man then shuffles off apologising. The guard heads off back the way he came.

Shortly after the vagrant returns but instead of finding a comfy spot and going back to sleep he seems to be studying Book from a distance.

<reads the notice>

Bloody hell, these new laws are a bit harsh, I lost count the amount of times I was insulted as a guardsmen and told by my superiors to just ignore it. It's about time they did something about public attitude to the Guard.

I'm not surprised you were the first to fall foul though, you still haven't learnt when to shut up!!

*book shrugs*.. Tried sentenced and commited all by the same person with no trial.


Anyone who is under any sort of suspicion I expect to have the same treatment done to them. I was quite shocked this didn't happen to you also.. It's a big insult refusing to lock your weapon in place. Or leave it outside. I'm suprised he did not pick up on that insult given to him. Also you lied did you not.


*Book endures a few more bits of slung refuse*

*Trelaine walks up with a little haste dropping to a walk when he gets within visual range of the Stocks*

*Sighs* You do manage to annoy people easy don't you *he says finding himself a tree stump to sit on*...Well you've got my company for the duration, futile though my actions will be no doubt I do not allow my friends to be executed without defence.... You should be more careful mr book, with your life sold to the necrids to collect you may wish to temper your actions a little to avoid such unpleasantness.

When did I lie?

*Book smiles at Trelaine*.. speaking gets me in trouble.. *book lightly chuckles*

*Book looks at Tellos and his smile drops*.. when you said you could not peace knot your sword or leave it outside of the General's office.

Surely a Warrior of your prowess could tie their sword in place or leave it outside with the other weapons. You magic sword does not ... Well lets just say from what I remember about your sword. It does not work in that way. Hand a funny tingling about it though.. quite unlike.. Anyway. I digress. To say you could not .. was incorrect. Yes?

I cannot peace knot this sword as it has no scabbard, I have also been instructed not to leave the sword with anyone, if it fell into the wrong hands, I do not know what would happen.

I did not lie, trust me on this, you would have noticed if I had!

Anyway, it looks like you have a nice place to contemplate your words. At least you won't go hungry!!

<As he walks away, he says to Trelaine>

If the Necrids do appear, I will be in the Inn, just let us know and we'll come running. Book may be a pain the arse, but he doesn't deserve that!

Whilest heading to the tavern Avian cuts through the market sqaure.. seeing what is going on and hearing a little of the conversaion heads over to stand next to Tellos


"Should I even ask whats been going on.. and Book, I think you've seen better day's"