"Not exactly what we were hoping to learn," Alice says, scratching her forearm lazily. "That tannery is a den of filth, but I don't believe it's our primary source. I suppose it would never be that easy."
You nod and look around at nearby buildings as you continue along the main road. Night came and candlelit illuminations appeared behind a scattering of windows. It looks like Thornback Hollow squeezed its walls in response to the onset of twilight. The river is a faint whisper in the distance.
In the darkness ahead, you get to choose the shape of the figures. As you progress, the numbers multiply, expanding to the size of a crowd. You hear angry screams, snatches of chants, and realize that this volatile group fills the entire street. More people emerge from the side alleys, slapping you from behind until you find yourself with Alice absorbed by the crowd.
"Plague bringers, get out of our city!" someone screams, making your ear ring.
"Infected scum!" another cry comes.
You're pushed to the front of the crowd, where you see their wrath directed at the pair of decorative caravans you passed earlier in the day. A lone figure in a short, ornate jacket faces the crowd. They hold a thin blade, which they are using to fend off approaching assailants. But the crowd is advancing.
This is an ugly situation, and there are a lot of people to fight. If you don't act, bloodshed is inevitable.
I begin an improvised mystical sermon, denouncing those who make false accusations.
"Your deity," you declare, channeling all the authority you can muster, "would be ashamed of this display."
The people around him look the other way, curious about this new spectacle.
"None of you remember the Oak Sage's fury against the wealthy landowner who spread false stories to drive the workers off his farms?" You pause, partly for the dramatic effect and partly because this whole story is being made up on the spot. "Didn't the Sage make an example of the landowner? Was he not punished and humiliated?"
The anger directed at the caravans turned into periodic screams. Everyone seems fascinated by his performance. There are murmurs of agreement.
You point to each of the closest people in turn. "You, all of you, are the owners now. Using falsehoods to drive people away. The Sage's gaze grows heavy - how are you going to atone?"
A momentary calm spreads through the crowd. It is short-lived.
"Another tall, powerful idiot who thinks he knows more than we do!" comes a scream from someone you can't see. This statement finds a defender. Then another. He travels like lightning.
"Our superiors are trying to shame us into cowardice!" screams a young woman to her right, spitting in the air. Each affirmation feeds on the last, renewing the multitude's belief in its just action.
A new wave pushes him from his position as the crowd flows towards the caravan. You lose sight of Alice as bodies, elbows and shoulders push you back and forth. Before falling, you glimpse a slashing blade.
accept the outstretched hand