Stomach on a Pike

Negotiations with the Maenads went... Better than I could have hoped. HAHAHAHA. Imagine it. A Group of Madmen dancing in the light of a Camp Fire, praising their pale, black eyed God. They are dressed all Primal and shit, trying to be close to their Primal God. Then I come in with my buddy Proxy Bob and we start dancing in the fire light with them, dressed like functional members of society. Well. Functional members of society with a MASK in Bob's Case. Hehehe. Took them a few minutes to figure out we were there. But when they did... Oh MAN the overreaction was priceless. Pulled out their knives, guns and Machetes. I especially liked the Machetes. Fairly dull as machetes go. Would probably take a few swings to properly kill someone. I actually kind of prefer those, because... You know when you swing your blade at a person's neck and it doesn't cut clean through? They get this REAL funny expression on their face, usually no screaming, but that EXPRESSION is just so funny looking. It's like a... Silent scream. Screaming with your eyes, you know? Much more subtle than an actual scream. I may not act like it, but I DO appreciate Subtle things like that.

Anyway. So the reason I went to go talk to the Maenads was because I have it on good authority that one of Redlight's current minions is an Ex-Maenad. I want to know about him. I want to know where he came from, how he got to where he is today and maybe even what his actual name is. Old Doc Marsh met him a while back at an Oathbreaker compound. Fucking idiots had no idea what they were getting into. He called himself the "Purple Piper."

So here we were, surrounded by violent drunken wannabe savages, without backup aside from each other, and almost without weapons. So I smiled at them and waved real big and introduced myself as Morningstar the Proxy. Then I introduced Proxy Bob. He didn't say anything. I told him that was rude, but he didn't make any apologies. He never does. Hehehehe. So the leader of this "Tribe" came out. A large Scotsman, with a thick bushy red beard. He called himself Dionysus. I told him sure he did, just like every other Maenad Chief out there without an ounce of creativity in their bodies. He jammed a spear in my stomach, and I played along. You know. Gasp, followed by shrugging my shoulders and hanging my head down. I could FEEL his smug smirk so hard that I grabbed the spear and started pulling myself closer to him through it, grabbing his head while he was too surprised to do anything. I looked up at him, smiled and licked his face. I think the others noticed the Azoth trail I left behind, so they backed the fuck off like Good Little Pawns.

I told Dionysus it was time for a little Q&A. I asked him if he knew about a Purple Piper and he didn't answer. Silly Me. I forgot what raw, active, hungry, Azoth does to a person when it gets on their skin. I wiped it off quickly. Don't think it will leave too much scarring, though he might want to wash it thoroughly before it gets infected. Then I had to wait for the shock to wear off. Took about five minutes, and during this time Proxy Bob helped me get the spear out of my gut. Bob's a Good Doctor like that.

Dionysus finally got chatty after that. Told me all about a kid, born in the tribe some 30 years ago named Francesco Porreca. The God of Gardening Tools over there took a special interest in the boy, and he grew up to be an excellent tool in The Rake's arsenal. Well. They say tool, I say Knight. Maybe Bishop. Certainly not a Rook, no matter what he himself thinks. Anyway. That much exposure to one of the Gods changes you after a while. LOOK AT ME! But Porreca the Piper seemed to be changed in less... Physiologically offensive ways. Though we do share an abnormal hunger. His is far less severe and requires a more specialized diet. Air from the lungs of living people. Don't ask me how, or why. I would need to be a scientist AND have him on a table to dissect in order to give anything resembling a reason.

Not entirely sure where his Purple Piper identity came from. Dionysus said it was a title given by "God," but by that point Porreca's God was no longer The Rake. Still. Information is information, no matter how useless it seems now. No living family and all his friends have passed on. The Bad news is, my discussion ends there. Proxy Bob tapped me on the shoulder and I noticed a hole was opening up into thicker, darker woods than the ones we were standing in. I saw something crawling on the ground closer. A Pale thing with wormy skin and little tufts of dirty hair on it's head. But what really stood out were it's eyes. Big and black. Bulbous things. Felt drowsy just looking at them. And I heard it's song. Something you never forget once you hear it. Just this sweet little sounds that it makes, before it cradles you head in those hands with scythes for nails. You hear stories. It sings it's little lullaby as it drains you dry. You think I can make a mess with my meals? You ain't seen NOTHING compared to what The Rake does to it's victims. Don't even want to imagine what it would do to me if it caught me, and I sure as SHIT noticed that those long, lean arms pulling it forward had those giant ass claws on them. I couldn't tell how bloodstained, but I did NOT stick around to find out.

Hopped in the Path with Proxy Bob and let it carry us home. Well. Carry me home. Ever used the Path? It has different effects on different people, but 9 times out of 10 it hurts. Sometimes all that comes out the other side are bones and scraps of meat torn to shreds by things I don't even want to imagine. Proxy Bob came out with a dislocated shoulder, leg and minor bleeding from his mouth, nose, ears and eyes. Lucky Devil. Hehehehe. For me? It was like... Floating down a river of this Warm, Comforting water. Familiar even. Only it's not a river, it's a Path and Forest. And... Just don't open your eyes on the ride. If you bump into something assume it's a rock or dead body. I opened my eyes for a peek once and trust me. Not a Good idea. That water was Black and very, very alive.

SO here we are all safe and sound back at base. Gleeman and Tiger are taking care of Proxy Bob and I am posting to you all. Because I love you all. I really do. You bring me SO much joy. And I want you to know that... So Tasty.

But this means we have info on one of the unknowns in Redlight's Organization. They are all using Weird Titles like "Purple Piper" and "Pattern Juggler." They all seem to be Ex-Cultists. Purple Piper is an Ex-Maenad, Pattern Juggler is an Ex-Proxy, The Wiseman is an Ex-Scribe and The Gardener is an Ex-Timberwolf. Heh. Timberwolf. Not even an actual Apostle. Their Crimson King must have been scraping at the bottom of the barrel. AIN'T THAT RIGHT MORGY-POO <3 COMMENT SOMETIMES BUDDY, I MISS YOU.

Hehehehe Ah... More on the other Known Minions later kiddos. I have things to do. Cheers everyone. Heh.