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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Tue May 31, 2022 9:26 pm

Teddybear says... · Tue May 31, 2022 9:26 pm

"So you simply left your creation to starve and your home, the place that stores your research, to decay?"

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Ljungtroll

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Tue May 31, 2022 9:27 pm

Ljungtroll says... · Tue May 31, 2022 9:27 pm

"I left him a note," he said irritably. "It isn't my fault if he didn't see it."

"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 May 31, 2022 9:29 pm

Teddybear says... · Tue May 31, 2022 9:29 pm

"A note." Kivvien shook his head. "Would you like to be returned to stasis then, if that was your goal?"

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Tue May 31, 2022 9:32 pm

Ljungtroll says... · Tue May 31, 2022 9:32 pm

"If you have an idea to solve this demon problem and think I can help, then I will help. But after it is solved I do wish to return to stasis or find myself a better spell."

"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 May 31, 2022 9:34 pm

Teddybear says... · Tue May 31, 2022 9:34 pm

"Then I will retrieve my supplies."

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Tue May 31, 2022 9:37 pm

Ljungtroll says... · Tue May 31, 2022 9:37 pm

He dipped his head. "Homunculus!"
"Sir!" Hieronymus came running back.
"Help the royal scholar with his supplies."
"Yessir." Hieronymus followed 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 May 31, 2022 9:47 pm

Teddybear says... · Tue May 31, 2022 9:47 pm

Kivvien made it outside with Hironymus on his heels and began picking out the supplies he would need, handing the occasional small thing to Hieronymus.

"Your master is an unpleasant man."

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Tue May 31, 2022 9:52 pm

Ljungtroll says... · Tue May 31, 2022 9:52 pm

"He's not a morning person," Hieronymus said quietly.

"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 May 31, 2022 9:58 pm

Teddybear says... · Tue May 31, 2022 9:58 pm

"I very much doubt a poor mood can account for all of the problems with his behavior."

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Tue May 31, 2022 10:05 pm

Ljungtroll says... · Tue May 31, 2022 10:05 pm

"He'll improve," Hieronymus promised. "I...did disobey his orders. And I didn't know he left a note, I swear!"

"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 May 31, 2022 10:11 pm

Teddybear says... · Tue May 31, 2022 10:11 pm

"That is a matter that should have been discussed verbally. No reasonable person would just leave a note in that mess and expect it to be found."

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Tue May 31, 2022 10:43 pm

Ljungtroll says... · Tue May 31, 2022 10:43 pm

"Even so. I've lived with him a long time; I know his habits. I should have looked."

"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 May 31, 2022 11:04 pm

Teddybear says... · Tue May 31, 2022 11:04 pm

"Have you since seen this note?"

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Tue May 31, 2022 11:05 pm

Ljungtroll says... · Tue May 31, 2022 11:05 pm

He shook his head with a sigh. "I must have missed it..."

"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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Points 999

Reviews 95

Tue May 31, 2022 11:07 pm

Teddybear says... · Tue May 31, 2022 11:07 pm

"Then I'll have him show me this note. It must still be wherever he put it."

formerly TheMulticoloredCyr

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