The Hand That Mocked Them

Ljungtroll · 2022-05-20T03:53:14Z

Name: Hieronymus Heel Age: 10 years (mentally much older) Species/Race: Homunculus Appearance: Very large, swollen head that's quite soft and covered by a very loose gray knit cap, which is tied under a receded chin with a neat bow. Three withered arms, one of which grows out of his left shoulder blade and turns a wooden crank, which moves a pair of ingeniously crafted wooden leg prosthetics to compensate for his shriveled natural legs. The prosthetic device is steered by a series of strings tied to the fingers of his other two hands and is a four-legged structure, sort of like the carriage in the animated Beauty and the Beast. He has mismatched eyes both in size and color--the large one is brown and the small one is hazel. His body is very stocky but extremely emaciated, which emphasizes his severe scoliosis. Some of his teeth are growing out of the wrong parts of his gums, giving him a jutting underlip and making it difficult for him to close his mouth. His upper lip is almost nonexistent. He has two extra pairs of ribs, which makes it difficult for him to bend, and his limbs and neck are all double jointed. His ears are extremely undersized, as is his nose. He has no nipples but does have a very large scar where his belly button should be. He's about as big as a cat and, in addition, to the hat, wears a loose burlap skirt-wrap and a tattered shirt. He has extremely sensitive skin--sensitive to anything from the wrong fabric to the light of the sun to sand. It was nearly noon when Hieronymus Heel returned to The Bird's Helm, the inn in which he had reluctantly taken up residence. The sky that day was cloudless and threatened to burn Hieronymus's already itching flesh in the most horrible way, so he found himself huddled under a table waiting for scraps to drop from customers' plates. The day had been unproductive--this town had no books nor any alchemists or artificers to speak of, and there was only so much one could do even posing as a little person. Hiding his head and face was difficult enough without his legs and arm posing a problem, and he'd been nearly stomped on in several shops while making inquiries. He retreated early from his endeavors and resolved to save money by scrounging, which was more lucrative later in the day when the drunks could keep next to nothing on their plates. Hieronymus himself never drank; he was far too small and besides, drinking dulled the senses. A hounded creature such as himself couldn't afford to slip up. Hieronymus turned the crank sideways to bend and reached for a scrap of bread that had fallen from the customer's table and nibbled on it quietly, glancing around to gauge if anybody had seen. It seemed they hadn't, and so he crouched there chewing, a few crumbs falling to the ground from his mouth. (@TheMultiColoredCyr)

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Mon Jun 20, 2022 11:29 pm

Teddybear says... · Mon Jun 20, 2022 11:29 pm

"No, it isn't. I am asking genuinely."

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Ljungtroll

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Tue Jun 21, 2022 12:02 am

Ljungtroll says... · Tue Jun 21, 2022 12:02 am

He hesitated. "I...want to be of use to my master. Sentience has nothing to do with that."

"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik

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Teddybear

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Tue Jun 21, 2022 12:04 am

Teddybear says... · Tue Jun 21, 2022 12:04 am

"So you have no desire to be your own person?"

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Ljungtroll

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Tue Jun 21, 2022 12:17 am

Ljungtroll says... · Tue Jun 21, 2022 12:17 am

"I'm....I'm not supposed to be."

"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik

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Tue Jun 21, 2022 1:01 am

Teddybear says... · Tue Jun 21, 2022 1:01 am

"But do you want to be?"

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Ljungtroll

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Tue Jun 21, 2022 1:04 am

Ljungtroll says... · Tue Jun 21, 2022 1:04 am

Hieronymus was silent for a long time, then turned away. "I need to go wake my master."

"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik

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Tue Jun 21, 2022 1:25 am

Teddybear says... · Tue Jun 21, 2022 1:25 am

Kivvien studied him. "I see. Go on then, I won't keep you."

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Ljungtroll

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Tue Jun 21, 2022 1:28 am

Ljungtroll says... · Tue Jun 21, 2022 1:28 am

He scurried away, casting an awkward glance back at Kivvien.

"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik

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Tue Jun 21, 2022 1:41 am

Teddybear says... · Tue Jun 21, 2022 1:41 am

Kivvien returned to work.

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Ljungtroll

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Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:10 am

Ljungtroll says... · Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:10 am

Laurean came shuffling out a few minutes later with Hieronymus in tow.

"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik

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Teddybear

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Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:21 am

Teddybear says... · Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:21 am

"Good morning," Kivvien said pleasantly, not looking up from his work.

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Ljungtroll

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Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:23 am

Ljungtroll says... · Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:23 am

"Hrmf. What are we up to today?" he asked morosely.

"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik

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Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:27 am

Teddybear says... · Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:27 am

"Transmutation, primarily. I'm finishing up the last of the preparations."

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Ljungtroll

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Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:29 am

Ljungtroll says... · Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:29 am

"You collected the samples, then?"

"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik

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Teddybear

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Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:31 am

Teddybear says... · Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:31 am

"Yes, a while ago."

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