IC: Baby Goat Festival

[thenewflesh]

The festival pre-party at Schwartz Tavern was wild and raucous - what little you remember of it, anyway. It's still dark out when you wake up from your ale-fueled torpor, a ringing sound in your ears, the beginnings of a hangover pounding dully at your skull, the crescent moon gleaming dimly outside.

Everyone answer separately: where are you? What's the last thing you remember?

[stanleyindraven]

Humphrey, last was trying to charm a woman, horribly. His night was spent flexing muscles and drinking and generally acting like a complete jerk. When the moon was high he lost the fight and seems to be waking in a ditch behind the tavern, dirty and smelling a bit foul.

[Luccan]

Igmus is curled up in the corner of some stable, having wandered in sometime earlier to lie down where it was warm. His head is pounding and he almost begins groaning loud enough to disturb the animals, but remembers people don't like when he is too loud and grits his teeth and pounds the floor a few times before getting used to it. The last thing he remembers was being shoved out the door of the tavern by some locals.

[Baby Gary]

Katlin woke up with a stinging head ache not remembering what happened last night, also she didn't know where she was. she slowly stood up holding her head with one hand and groping for something to hold on to. her hand caught hold of something that seemed like a wooden pole. She stood there for about ten minuets trying to remember what happened last night. All that Katlin could remember has having a couple shot with this really nice young man and then having some other drinks with an elf and then...well...nothing. but as to where she was, Katlin slowly regained hew senses and started to take in the room around her. It was littered with sleeping bodies and a couple unconscious ones; Katlin slowly walked through the bodies making sure to only step o the fingers of the people who she remembered as not being nice to her. When she got to the tavern door she slowly opened it letting in a weak beam of sun light. closing the door after her she sat down on the grass about a foot away from the door. About twenty feet away a dog lay but when Katlin can out it went up to her and curled up by her feet.

[SlyJohnny]

http://www.screengeek.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/04.jpg

Harri wakes quietly, no groans or mumbling. He doesn't want to further disturb the angry scorpion that apparently lives in his skull now. He notes that he's nestled in a small corner: someone has evidently been thoughtful enough to move his unconscious form out of the way of stumbling feet or spilled drinks. He glances around him at the interior of the tavern.

Where was he... festival. Right. Tavern. Sure. Drunk? Obviously. But there was something else, too. A game. One of the locals had a beautiful knife with a handle of carved bone, and he had been playing pinfinger against some of the other tourists. The guy won four games in a row, the crowd roaring as four men and women each had their fingers skewered, each cried out, lost the gold they'd bet. But Harri had fancied he'd seen the man slow down by the fourth challenger, seen the knife stuck into the table a hair closer to his fingers each time. Or maybe he'd just been drunk and overconfident and greedy. Either way, Harri rated his own quick and clever hands over some lumbering human's any day, and had challenged the man.

What had happened then? Had he lost? Bad luck if he had. He hadn't the coin for the wager in the first place, and didn't have a plan for what he'd do if he didn't win and had to pay up. He checks his hands and fingers for wounds.

He wonders if he remembers how long this festival is supposed to last.

[Jaelesh]

Krith is currently leaving in the building he and the other members of his mine are using while in town to find some water and/or a ditch to do what needs to be done, Dog in tow. He doesn't quite remember how he got back, but he does remember drinking a very large amount of VERY strong alcohol and thinking it was a good idea to sample some of his 'special' herbs because he thought it might fun...

[thenewflesh]

Krith, as you wander around outside looking for a ditch, you see Humphrey in one, also apparently waking up. Have you two met before? And there's a body maybe twenty feet from him, curled up, motionless.

Katlin, you step outside and are immediately slammed with a really noxious smell; a sort of cross between roast turkey and rotting flesh. It seems to be coming from the stable nearby. Nearby you see a kobold and his dog stumbling towards a ditch. In the distance, out towards the marshes, you faintly hear music that awakens in you a distant memory. Singing, pan pipes, tambourines.

Igmus, you feel unusually nauseous, more than expected for a really bad hangover, even. It's so powerful that some seconds pass before you realize the source of the nausea: a thoroughly sickening and vile scent. Like roast turkey and rotting flesh. It's overpowering; the moment you notice it, it's almost impossible to focus on anything else. And it's coming from inside the stable, somewhere, in one of the stalls at the back maybe.

Harrin, the tavern's empty save for a woman lying catatonic on one of the tables, spread out with head and limbs dangling limply off the table, eyes still open but rolled so that only the whites show. There's been a fight here, probably: most of the chairs and tables have been smashed. There's glass shards all over the floor, and blood too, both on the floor and smeared across tables, barcounter, walls. One of your hands is nicked in several fingers. But the wounds aren't deep or large, and have already mostly sealed by themselves. Two days. Two days and three nights this festival lasts.

[Jaelesh]

Krith looks over to Humphrey, not quite recognizing the face and quickly dismissing it muttering about how all of the scaleless humanoids look the same as he leaves the obviously suffering man to his own entertainments, choosing rather to check out the curled up man to see if he is alright since as far as Krith's limited knowledge of humans is concerned, even sleeping ones will tend to move or make noise.

[Luccan]

Igmus looks around for a moment and spots the sack that holds his possessions. He grabs his bag and, holding a hand over his face, slouches over to the source of the smell, wondering what could possibly stink that bad.

[SlyJohnny]

Harri is aghast at the sight. This is bad. This looks too big for a regular brawl. Bandits? Some kind of interpersonal conflict between rival groups? He wanders over to the woman. Tugs at her hand.

"Hey. Hey, lady. You alright? Wake up. I think there's trouble." He whispers. If he gets no response, he'll drag a stool over so he can look down at the woman's face, examine her eyes, check her for wounds.

[stanleyindraven]

Humphrey stands, looks over at the dragonling and waits to see what it does. His head still swimming a bit, he is unsteady.

[Baby Gary]

after Katlin regains enough of her senses to smell the putrid smell she immediately walks in the opposite direction toward the music

[thenewflesh]

Igmus: the stall at the very back reeks most. A very old and very tired-looking grey mare is standing there amidst a cloud of flies. After a moment, you realize that the horse itself is the source of the smell. Her eyes follow you as you enter the room, but otherwise she doesn't move or make a sound.

Harri: Nothing happens when you speak to her; she seems to be out cold or dead. Her face is young (she can't be older than 25) , delicate, and pretty badly bruised above the temple. Only one visible cut, on her left hand beneath the index finger. It's not deep, but still looks reasonably serious if not eventually attended to: it's slowly dripping into a small pool of blood beneath her.

Krith: The body is that of a fat middleaged male, bearded. Intermittently snoring and moaning, until suddenly when you're within a few feet of him. He awakes startled and a small yelp and starts crawling away from you with a panicked expression on his face. "Get away from me, demons of the night!" he whispers hoarsely, and pulls a knife out of his coat to desperately wave it in front of your face.

Katlin: You walk through the town; it's completely empty, and save for the far-away music, eerily silent. The town fountain, usually always running, has somehow stopped. A festival vendor cart is overturned, sweet pastries sprawled across the small street. One of the huts' front doors is ajar, swinging slightly in the light breeze. When you reach the edge of the villages, you see the marshes in the distance, past some farmland and hills. Usually no one goes there: they're useless for farming and fishing and they've acquired a vague disrepute over the years. There are multiple stories of people going to the marshes for whatever reason and never coming back. Once someone found a skull there that was twice the size of a human head.

But now, there are lights by the marshes, campfires. There are people by the marshes, making music and dancing. You can almost hear their laughter from here.

[Luccan]

Igmus isn't very good with animals, but he remembers a little from cleaning stables in his own town. Horses shouldn't be covered in flies. He approaches the horse, looking to see if the smell is due to it being dirty and swatting flies away with his hand.

[stanleyindraven]

Humphrey approaches Krith slowly, hand on his Morningstar.

[SlyJohnny]

Harri frowns, and silently curses the fact that he's the only one here. He really doesn't want to be responsible for this.

Weird wound for bandits. I'd have expected a cut throat or a broken neck. Maybe a sucking chest wound. Poison? Maybe they poisoned everybody. He wonders if his mouth has a weird taste, or if his stomach feels unsettled in any way he wouldn't associate with a regular hangover.

He checks the woman's pulse, and if she still lives, he attempts whatever lifesaving methods occur to him- chest compressions, the kiss of life, elevating her head. If there seems to be any point, he cuts a strip of fabric from her sleeve using his knife, and bandages up her finger as best he can.

((Untrained heal check to administer first aid or treat poison as seems appropriate, if there's any sign of life. [roll0] ))

After he's done this or given the whole thing up as a bad job, he decides to search the empty tavern thoroughly. He's mainly looking for food: he doubts that his own meagre provisions will get him back to civilisation, and if orcs or bandits have hit the town, clearing out and spreading the word to neighbouring settlements appeals to both enlightened self-interest and civic responsibility. But he also looks for useful equipment or valuables, and any open bottles of booze that might still contain the hypothetical poison. He wonders if the day's takings are still around, to confirm or deny his bandit theory.

[Baby Gary]

Katlin stumbles towards the music but stops, I don't think that this is save she thinks to her self. she turns around and walks back to the village green where she slumps down against the dry fountain and falls asleep. When she falls asleep she slips, falls to the ground, and cuts her forearm on the fountain. Anyone who looks at her would see a female half-elf lying on the ground face up, she would look beautiful if not for the cuts on her face, arms, and chest that all are caked with dry blood and an open gash on her left arm oozing blood. her cloths are torn up, her sleeves are nonexistent, she is missing one boot, on her right leg her leggings are in taters up to her knee, and on her left up to her thigh. About half of her exposed skin is bruised, the worst on her right leg and on her left arm. Next to her is a dog curled curled up next to her and seemingly trying to comfort her.

[Jaelesh]

Krith look as the waving knife and the raving man with a bit of a surprised expression as he puts out his hands as a show of being unarmed.

"Now now human, it is not polite to wave pointy objects at people. I was just coming to see if you were alright." he says in slightly mollifying tone as he signals Dog to approach in case things don't go well.

He stands there waiting to see how the man reacts, neither approaching or retreating as he sizes the man up.

Heal check of [roll0] and/or Profession: Apothecary of [roll1] to see if he can notice anything medically about the guy other than just being drunk.

[thenewflesh]

Igmus: the mare, at first, seems strangely clean. But as you look closer, you notice threadmarks all over its flanks and stomach, unevenly, even hurriedly sewn. There's a bit of newly-dried blood near the sewn-up cuts. Somebody, apparently, has operated on the mare quite recently, maybe even last night. And they've done a pretty terrible job.

Without provocation the mare whinnies in terror, staring behind you like it's just seen a ghost. But when you look back towards the stall door, you see and hear nothing. Maybe a ghost after all.

Krith: The man's pupils are extremely dilated - he's quite probably hallucinating, either on some "special herb" or as a result of god-knows-what mental illness. "Didn't want to join your friends at the marshes, eh? Came back for me? I'll die before you take me there!" He spits on the ground and backs away, still waving his knife in your direction.

Harri: As soon as you grab the woman's wrist to take her pulse, she jolts awake with the most agonized scream you've ever heard. (Krith, Igmus, Humphrey, it's loud enough that you hear it too.) Stumbles off the table, falls off the ground with a crash. She doesn't even seem to notice you, looking wildly around the room, clawing at thin air like it's attacking her.

[SlyJohnny]

Harri yelps, swears profusely, and immediately leaps from his stool to the highest point in the room he can easily reach, scrambling upwards. His eyes are wide, like a startled cat.

From his perch on wall or shelf or beam, he watches the woman carefully. First, he struggles to remember if he recognises her. Was she here, earlier in the evening? Is she the local madman, of some sort? Somebody's befuddled aunt?

Then he watches to see if there's any method to the madness. How is she struggling? Trying to push an assailant away, ward off a larger opponent? Is she swiping close to her, like she's fighting many smaller foes?

He studies her while he waits for her to calm down. Either way, getting the hell out of this town just became job one. He wonders if waiting even to loot the inn is a good idea.

[roll0] Jump
[roll1] Climb

[Luccan]

Igmus is confused and scared at the sight of the stitches and starts looking for someone to help the animal. When he hears the scream, he turns to the inn, wondering what is going on inside. He heads toward it, his limited reasoning telling him there must be someone inside and since he sees no one else, they must know what happened to the horse.

[Jaelesh]

Krith narrows his eyes a bit as he stares at the man while debating with himself on what he should do.

'Should i just ignore him...? No, he is hostile to me, armed, and out of his mind currently. If I try to leave he might decide to attack as soon as I turn around...' He thinks to himself for a moment before sighing lightly.

Stretching to his full height he attempts to be as menacing as possible (no easy task for a short lizard) while trying to release as intimidating a hiss as possible.

"Do not anger me Human. Put down your knife and leave."

Intimidate roll [roll0]
Not sure if I get any circumstance bonuses or whatnot for his current mental state

Edit: Well, that is embarrassing.

[stanleyindraven]

Humphrey chuckles as the lizard tries to intimidate the man, obviously scared. He approaches with his hands up toward each of the two. "There is no reason for this, please, tell us what you see," he looks at the drunkard.

[thenewflesh]

Humphrey and Krith: the man loses it, pounces at the lizard, knife held high. "I've had enough of your trickery, fiends!" he shrieks.

[roll0]

Igmus: You walk back out the doorway and brush through a small patch of cold, slightly viscous air. You don't think you noticed it coming in, and if you try to find it again, it's gone. Walking out towards the tavern you faintly hear the sound of revelry, out towards the marshes, and in a nearby ditch, see a shrieking, bearded man charging at a kobold and a human.

Harri: The woman seemed like she was trying to fend off many attackers, or an unseen one. Your jump is rushed and you crash on a table, which catches her attention. She advances towards you with a sort of desperate purpose, arms in the air like a boxer. "Who are you? What have you done to me?" she hisses. Outside, you hear a shriek.

Katlin: You wake up gradually and uncomfortably. You're bound and foot against some type of wooden pillar. It's pitch black, but you can at least see sixty feet around you thanks to your darkvison. You seem to be in a cave, maybe one of the ones around the marshes. The water around you is very, very still. Dog nowhere to be seen. No sound of music here, but you think maybe a boat's paddling somewhere nearby, outside the cave.

You've woken up with one hit point.

[SlyJohnny]

"I didn't do anything to you! I don't know who you are. I just came here for the festival. What the hell is wrong with you? Stay away from me!"

Harri tries to put some force behind the last sentence, but his voice comes out as a squeak. He tries to move under the table where the woman would have difficulty reaching or following.

[Baby Gary]

"Hello! Anyone here! Help!"cried Katlin, "Where am I, please someone get me out of here" She started to struggle in her bonds in an attempt to escape and continues to cry for help until someone arives.

escape artist [roll0]

[Luccan]

Stop! Igmus hollers at the top of his voice, dropping his bag as he cups his hands around his mouth.
He then points at the man and his targets accusingly, his brow lowered and a look of displeasure on his face. Who cut horse?

[stanleyindraven]

[roll0]

Humphrey runs up to push the man over.

Bull Rush (str check [roll1])

[Jaelesh]

Me [roll0]
Dog if he doesn't use mine [roll1]

Krith falls back with a high-pitched whistle as he orders Dog to defend him.

Taking 10 to order Dog to Guard if possible, if taking 10 impossible then [roll2]

[thenewflesh]

Humphrey: you bounce off the man uselessly. His skin feels... wrong, somehow. Too soft? Too dry? He stabs drunkenly at Krith, missing entirely.

Harri: The woman hesitates, looks at you doubtfully, then relaxes. "Fine. I believe you. How much do you remember from last night?"

Katlin: Your attempt to free yourself is too rushed and panicked to be effective; maybe if you tried again? Outside, you hear a low chuckle. "She's awake, I see. It'll make the game far more interesting." The voice is gravelly and unmelodious. There's a little more paddling, and then a different, higher chuckle. "Oh, yes, I love it when they struggle." This new voice is thin and reedy; you can't tell whether it's a man's or a woman's voice. Then silence and more paddling.

Suddenly, there's a pronounced agitation in the water beneath you, like something's moving in there. Something slow, something large.

[Baby Gary]

"you can hear me? good" says Katlin into the darkness, "I don't think you want to do this, there is no point in it, what do you get out of it? I think that you should just let me go, I am a very annoying person and you wouldn't want me here with you. I think that we can work something out, an agreement that both of us benefits from. What you give me is simple, freedom, what I give you? I have some...ways of payment on me that you cannot take from me if you get what I mean."

Diplomacy to make the mysterious person higher on the hostile-helpful scale [roll0]
Bluff (If needed) [roll1]
Escape artist [roll2]

if the mysterious person is hostile they are now indifferent, if they are unfriendly they are now friendly

[Jaelesh]

Krith takes a defensive stance to try an avoid further blows as he yells at Dog "Dammit Dog, protect me!"

Standard: Taking total defense for the +4 AC
Move: Guard command for Dog [roll0]

If guard succeeds Dog attacks the man
Bite [roll1]
Damage [roll2]
Auto trip attempt should attack hit [roll3]

Edit: I swear, the dice roller hates all attempts I make to help myself.

[SlyJohnny]

Harri stays where he is, sheltering under the table. He's glad the crazy woman apparently wants to be friends now, but these village idiot types can be mercurial. Who's to say she won't flip back to wanting to claw his eyes out, the moment he emerges?

"Last thing I remember is that pinfinger game. That villager betting his knife against the tourist's gold. I drunk too much and passed out. Or maybe I was drugged. I woke up just now."

He peers out at her from under the table, like a small animal crouched in it's den.

"What happened here?
Who bashed your head and cut your finger like that? Are you from around here? What were you swiping at, just now?"

[Luccan]

Seeing the fight progress and being completely ignored, Igmus reaches into his bag for his sling and the pouch with his sling bullets, preparing to fire at the attacking man

[roll0]

[thenewflesh]

Krish/Igmus/Humphrey: Suddenly, Dog goes crazy: pounces at the man, snarling and raging like nothing else, snapping at thin air as the man quickly dodges out of the way.

(It's Humphrey's turn now, I believe.)

Harri: She looks at you thoughtfully. "Pinfinger, huh? Happened to me too. That man gave me the creeps. Told me my 'reckoning would come due' when I lost. As for what happened, I'm pretty fuzzy too. I'd the strangest sense of being watched the whole night." She quickly looks around her, like she's still being watched. "A woman in an ermine coat came in. For some reason we all stopped partying to look at her. Then all hell broke loose. Can't remember how or why it started, but there was a fight. I must've gotten knocked out. I remember, briefly, coming back to. I remember there were faces peering down at me. They did something to me; I can feel it inside me as I speak. Do you feel at all different?"

Katlin: There's a pause outside, and then the higher-pitched voice goes "I like the sound of that. Services, eh?" The paddling quickens; you can see the nose of a canoe poking around the corner of the cave as you finally slide out of the bonds (not a moment too soon; the thing moving underwater seems to be almost beneath you by the time you get loose). The deeper, raspier voice answers the first one. "Oh yes, I do like the sound of that too. Come on, baby girl, we'll give you a good time..."

Apart from the entrance to the cave, into which the voices are paddling, the cave seems to go deeper at the other end, narrowing into a tight passageway that seems to be at least half submerged with water. For that matter, you're not entirely sure how deep the water in the cave goes. Certainly, now that you're no longer bound to the pole, you have to tread water to stay afloat. Which isn't the easiest task: the water is muddy and cold and filled with algae. You feel something brush up against your feet as you tread water, something scaly and slimy.

[stanleyindraven]

Humphrey swings at the man with his Morningstar, attempting to end this conflict quickly.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[SlyJohnny]

Harri takes stock of himself, wondering if he does indeed feel any different.

"I think I'm fine. What did they put in you? What does it feel like?"

He decides to take a risk and crawl out from underneath the table.

"I'm gonna toss this place for any food and travelling gear, and then get out of the marshes before they think to come back looking for us. Izzat your move, too? We'd be safer, travelling together."

Harri wants to set about looting the tavern, but hovers a moment, and watches the woman carefully, waiting for her answer to his questions.

[Baby Gary]

while the nose of the boat slowly pokes out from around the corner Katlin gracefully slides out of the ropes only to find herself treading water, she starts to try to climb the pole to get away from the thing in the water. "Mister? there is a big slimy thing in the water here and I think it si trying to eat me. The ropes that you tied my with fell slid off me just right now, I do have a rather slim frame, and now I am clinging onto this pole so the monster in the water cannot eat me. It would be very bad if it ate me, If it did then I could never have a chance to meet you and I could never pay you...Shoot! my cloths are all soaked and are becoming see through, I hate it when this happens, why does stuff like this always happen to me. If you had some light you could see what I mean..."

Bluff (about the ropes falling off) [roll0]
Diplomacy [roll1]

[thenewflesh]

Humphrey/Igmus/Krish: Your blow lands on the man's shoulder with a sickening crunch, sending him reeling. He screams at Humprey with rage and pain, lifting his knife again to ineffectually stab at him.

(Go, Igmus, go!)

Harri: "No idea what the hell's inside me. I feel sick and woozy and bloated. Everything looks really hazy and it's like there's something wiggling around inside my ribcage. You really don't feel it, huh?" She starts moving towards the kitchen. "Fine. Let's get out of here. There's stables nearby. Probably food in the back of the tavern. What else do we need?"

Katlin: The canoe paddles into the cavern. You distinguish two small, gangly goblinoid figures, with tiny buttonlike eyes, no nose and a large toothy grin, like a shark's. In the light of day they'd probably be the ugliest things you've ever seen. They see you in the darkness and start cackling. "All right, hop on the loveboat, pretty, we'll get you away from mister maw down there." says the one in the front with the high-pitched voice. But as he speaks, the water around you becomes more agitated and a thick scaly tentacle begins snaking its way up your leg.

You don't get to stack multiple diplomacy checks onto each other, I believe. They count as friendly for the purposes of your seduction and that's it.

You're going to want to hit a DC 15 Swim check or else whatever's down there will count as having grappled you.

[SlyJohnny]

Harri hovers by the door, and nods back at the woman.

"Right. I'll check there, if it's close. Even if he didn't make it, sometimes they-"

His eyes go wide at the agonized scream.

"...Maybe they're sweeping back for survivors. Stick to the plan. Let's grab what we need and go!" he whispers, urgently.

Harri slips out of the door and keeps to the shadows, taking in the scene outside. Where are the stables? Are there any likely-looking huts nearer the marsh that match the woman's description?

[Luccan]

Igmus loads his sling and fires at the man, the stone making a dull thud when it touches down

[roll0] [roll1]

[Jaelesh]

Krith looks at the crazed man before rushing in to attack him.

Attack Rolls
Claw 1 [roll0]
Claw 2 [roll1]
Bite [roll2]

Damage
Claw 1 [roll3]
Claw 2 [roll4]
Bite [roll5]

Dog (if I roll for him)
Attack [roll6]
Damage [roll7]
Trip [roll8]

Edit: Well damn. I am pretty much useless now aren't I?

[thenewflesh]

The stone and claw hit the crazed man, but what really gets him is Dog: the beast leaps up at him and tears a huge chunk out of his neck. The man staggers back with an agonized scream that Harri, you and the woman definitely hear. He seems paralyzed with shock as blood spurts from his neck, and yet he still stands, clutching at his wound to try to stem the bloodflow. "Alright, fiends, take me to your halls!"

(Humphrey, you're up.)

Harri: "No, no, I don't know, I'm just a visitor, like you." the woman says, fear mounting back into her voice again. She'd been holding it together but now that you're losing it, she is too. "Fine, Harri. I'll look for food. Call me Brigitte."

She strides towards the kitchen, but just as you're leaving, spins around. "Come to think of it - someone last night mentioned an old physician's hut by the marshes."

[SlyJohnny]

Harri hovers by the door, and nods back at the woman when she mentions a physician's hut.

"Right. I'll check there, if it's close. Even if ol' sawbones didn't make it, sometimes they-"

His eyes go wide as the agonized scream comes from outside.

"...Maybe they're sweeping back for survivors. Stick to the plan. Let's grab what we need and go!" he whispers, urgently.

Harri slips out of the door and keeps to the shadows, taking in the scene outside. Where are the stables? Are there any likely-looking huts nearer the marsh that match Brigitte's description?

[stanleyindraven]

Humphrey takes one more swing at the man, hoping to end this fight before he ends up getting hurt.

Attack [roll0]
damage [roll1]

[thenewflesh]

Humphrey, your morningstar smashes the man in the side of the head, crushing his skull. There's a brief moment as he, or his lifeless body, stands staring at you in shock, and then he collapses on the ground before you.

Harri, the stables are off halfway between you and the ditch. You walk out just as you see a man collapse under the blows of a man, a dwarf, a kobold, and a dog. If you look carefully out towards the marshes, you see bright lights down there, but you're not close enough to distinguish any huts.

(And what a terrible smell's coming from the stables! It's like death itself.)

[Jaelesh]

Krith snorts as he watches the man's corpse collapse. He moves forward to calm Dog down and to examine the body for any hints as to what he might have been on.

"Thank you for your help" he says as he goes past Humphrey.

Heal [roll0] to see if he can find anything physically relevant (other than the beating we gave him)
Knowledge: Nature [roll1] and Craft: Alchemy [roll2] to identify any drugs or plants I might find.

Oh, and (if needed) Search [roll3] to find any interesting things (and to loot his corpse).

[Luccan]

Igmus walks forward and picks up the stone where it lay near the man, then tilts his head looking at the corpse. Scary man hurt horse? He turns to the others, the question in his eyes addressed to them.

[SlyJohnny]

Harri grimaces on seeing more or less what he feared- armed men, a dog and a kobold ganging up on a lone villager, bringing him down. But on reflection, they’re not armed for war, and their body language isn’t screaming that they’re confident and secure in their identity as ruthless murderers. Seemed more like they were fighting defensively. He remembers how violently Brigitte came after him when she woke; maybe this is the same scenario. Maybe whoever did this is long gone. He wonders if the man they killed would also have something inside of him… and if one of these people could be persuaded to investigate his theory.

Harri pads over to the entrance of stable, close enough to the ditch that he can talk to the others, and close enough to the stable that he can see inside. He tries to get a look at what’s causing the smell, and if there are any living animals left inside. If he hasn’t been noticed on his approach, he decides to just announce his presence with a pointed question, hoping to catch them off guard.

“That man you just greased. Does he have some kinda creature living inside his ribcage? Izzat why you gave him that lovetap, big guy?” He drawls, affecting a confidence and a flippancy he doesn’t really feel right now. Harri’s eyes are unconsciously drawn to Humphrey’s morning star, as he morbidly wonders if he can see any blood or hair or brain matter still stuck to it. He finds himself involuntarily replaying the killing blow he witnessed, seeing it over and over in his mind.

[thenewflesh]

Krith, he was definitely high on some sort of hallucinogenic. There are puncture wounds on his arms, but they're torn and messy: possibly he was injected against his will. Oh, and also his skin definitely feels off. Whatever the hell he was on must have affected him physiologically as well.

You find five copper pieces in his pockets, obviously the knife, and a small crumpled handwritten note reading "GET HELP".

[Luccan]

Igmus points toward the stable where he first saw the horse Get help for horse now?

[SlyJohnny]

Harri glances at Igmus with a frown.

"Why, what's wrong with the horse? Will it stay standing long enough to get us out of here?"

Although one horse between five people is no good. Have to find a cart. Or more horses. Or leave most of the humans behind. The yip can come, it probably doesn't weigh much more than I do. he thinks to himself.

[Luccan]

Igmus gestures to his stomach and several other places on his body Cut up, stuck together again. All over. Smell bad too. Still standing. Given the odor the dwarf gives off, he must be describing a powerful scent. He seems genuinely distressed as to the fate of the animal.

[SlyJohnny]

The halfling grimaces.

"Crap. It's probably got critters sewn up inside it, too. Anyone here a vet, or an apothecary?"

His eyes flick down to the dead man that the kobold is busy robbing.

"Someone should open up that poor sap's belly. See what we're dealing with, here."

He makes absolutely no move to be that "someone". In fact, he unconsciously takes a half-step away from the corpse.

[Jaelesh]

Krith looks at the two men speaking about monsters hiding in chests and animals stitched together before sighing...

"If it is true, it might be something interesting to look at I guess. I will check this one first, then I will look at the horse." he says as he takes the knife he looted and quickly going in to make an incision.

[stanleyindraven]

"I'll not be cutting into anyone. Where is everyone else?"

[SlyJohnny]

Harri drags his eyes away from Humphrey's morning star, up to his eyes.

"One other survivor in the tavern. Everyone else got fried by some sorceress in an ermine coat. She made them kill each other. There's probably more people around, but... they're gonna wake up confused and cranky."

He watches nervously as Krith cuts open the dead man.

[thenewflesh]

Krith, as you cut open the man, there's something... wrong. All his insides are in the wrong spots. His heart is too low; stomach too high. Liver simply not there at all.

Brigitte emerges from the tavern carrying a large bag that seems to be full of food. She strides towards you. "Who are these people? Let's get out of here."

It's really hard to focus on what she's saying, though; out around the village well you hear a sort of mushy, irregular flopping sound. Like an eel squirming on dry land. It starts soft but as it moves towards you the sound grows louder and louder. It's not the particular timbre of sound that catches your attention, though. It's the fact that you've all definitely, definitely heard it before. Recently.

[SlyJohnny]

Harri stares, wide eyed, in the direction of the sound. He has no idea what animal might make those strange sounds, and some small, primitive part of his mind whispers monster. He tries to determine where the sound is, whether it's climbing up from the well, or just invisible. He gestures emphatically to Brigitte, motioning for her to go back inside. He shrinks into himself, making his profile as small as possible, and attempts to hide from whatever's coming.

[roll0] spot
[roll1] listen
[roll2] hide

[thenewflesh]

Brigitte pales, scurries back into the tavern.

You see nothing but the creeping of a shadow through the alleys towards you; hear nothing but the crescendoing flopping sounds. Whatever the hell is there is close, very close.

Everybody else still around? If you are, you should roll a spot/listen as well.

[Luccan]

The sounds from the swamp cause Igmus to jump and start moving towards the safe walls of the Inn

Spot[roll0]

Listen[roll1]

[Jaelesh]

Krith looks at the exposed organs, confused at the way they are arranged as he hears the noise.

'Well, this can't be good' he thinks to himself as he quickly signals Dog to follow as he moves to the closest hiding spot and tries to pinpoint the source.

Hide [roll0]
Listen [roll1]
Spot [roll2]

Let me know if you want me to roll hide and such for Dog.

[stanleyindraven]

Humphrey looks around.

Listen [roll0]
Spot [roll1]

[SlyJohnny]

Harri scurries behind Humphrey. "It's coming from that direction." He whispers, pointing towards the alleys.

[thenewflesh]

All except Humphrey hear and see what Harri did; an ominous flopping and enlarging shadow, but Krith, you also hear the gentle pitterpatter of two sets of ordinary feet coming from the same direction.

And then you all, Humphrey excepted, see something indefinite; a vast shadow beginning to crawl into the open space you're in, a shadow cast from no form that you can see. And now, even Humphrey can hear the flopping and thudding of this shadow.

There's a ditch to hide in, and the tavern, and a hut with an ajar door, and a bench. Where are you hiding? The stables, various other huts, and the tavern are in the opposite direction from the shadow.

[SlyJohnny]

Harri makes for the open door of the hut and crouches behind it. He doesn't go inside, as he doesn't want to trap himself.

He wonders how tall this thing appears to be, and if it's leaving any tracks.

[thenewflesh]

It isn't obvious how tall the creature is, being that it is invisible. However, it does seem to be making tracks: large swirling undulant prints in the dirt, as of a thrashing snake.

[stanleyindraven]

Upon finally noticing the shadow and running people, Humphrey will take off after Harri.

[Luccan]

Igmus follows Harri and Humphrey, though he tries to hide within the hut itself as far from the door as possible. The dwarf seems visibly shaken and he reloads his sling once he's safely inside, preparing to use it should the shadows threaten him.

[Jaelesh]

Krith looks dives into the ditch and pops up his head slightly in the direction of the shadow, trying to locate the source of the feet noises.

[thenewflesh]

Oops, sorry, this got buried in subscriptions again. Feel free to poke next time.

The hut you find yourselves within is largely empty; only the bare necessities here. An unmade bed, a cracked and overturned chamber pot, a table split in half. Something happened here, too. There's a trapdoor near the bed and a small window above it, opposite the door.

The creature, now inside the courtyard, apparently begins lashing around; dirt swirls around like snow in a blizzard, an invisible tentacle cleanly knocks the top off one of the huts. Krith, a gust of fetid wind buffets you as you clearly sense a tentacle whoosh directly above your head. The feet are right behind it, coming from where the shadow came from and going in the same direction: towards you.

[SlyJohnny]

Harri immediately moves over to the window, ushering those following him inside. He peeks through it and sizes it up as a potential escape route- does the street seem clear on the other side? Would being on the other side of the hovel give them cover enough to all leave unseen?

He glances back, doing a quick headcount of who followed him. When he notices the 'yip is missing, he picks up the discarded chamber pot (being careful to keep it upright) and slinks back over to the door to spy on the creature, trying to determine if Krith is in trouble.

[Jaelesh]

Krith shrinks in on himself to maximize his cover as fast as he can as he feels the wind brush past him. He looks to see which way the ditch runs, and if it can take him around or just out of the path of the... Thing, he will army crawl as fast as he can to get out of there. If there is no path he will simply wait as quietly as possible while preparing himself for what is to come.

[thenewflesh]

The street on the other side is a narrow ugly little alley filled with the thrown-out contents of various chamber pots. The alley runs east-west; that is, towards and away from the marshes. It seems desolate, and would probably provide adequate cover.

The ditch would in fact take him away from the thing; it runs right behind the stables in fact.

[SlyJohnny]

Harri urgently waves the others towards the window, motioning for them to climb through it. He doesn't trust the trapdoor as an escape route, and he doesn't want to get trapped in here. Plus, he fondly imagines that the smell of sewage might cover their scent, and aid their escape.

He lingers behind, ready to throw the chamber pot as a distraction if the creature pursues Krith, or tries to enter the tavern. If Krith and Brigitte seem safe for now, he'll clamber out the window himself.

[stanleyindraven]

Humphrey will look at Krith, then the ditch and motion toward the stable with a nod.

[Luccan]

Igmus had been hiding in the back of the room, keeping away from the door and windows in the hopes of hiding himself. When Harri motioned for him to come forward, he crept forward and looked outside with the others. Following his instruction, Igmus leaves through the window. The smell doesn't bother him, Igmus is used to such smells from sleeping on the street.

[thenewflesh]

Harri: Krith looks, for the moment at least, relatively safe; certainly the creature seems to be slithering (?) towards the tavern, not pursuing him. Which means, presumably, that Brigitte is in danger. You throw the chamber pot and for a moment the movement in the dirt stops, before recommencing in the same direction. But as the creature resumes motion, you finally see the source of the footsteps; two small, grotesque little goblinoid figures, with bodies like children and faces like wizened old men. They're wearing too-long robes that drag along the dirt behind them as they skitter into the courtyard.

(I'll assume that neither Humphrey nor Harri enter the alleyway yet?)

Igmus: The alleyway is long but as you hurry along it you see the forests outside the village. But during your escape you also see the back windows of the tavern; there's something odd about them; a pale, flickering green light shines from inside it, and you smell, once again, a fainter but still distinctive version of that noxious scent from the stables.

Krith, as you crawl the monster doesn't seem to be chasing you. Two small goblinoid figures are entering the courtyard but, as far as you can tell, they're not chasing you. By the time you've reached the stables, you seem to be totally safe. The stables smell really putrid, though. It's overpowering; like rotten flesh, only worse.

[SlyJohnny]

Harri curses inwardly. He hopes that Brigitte has enough sense to stay hidden, or that she heard the pot shatter and took that as a signal to leave or hide. Either way, he doesn't see how he can warn her or go to rescue her before the snake gets inside.

He lingers behind in case she manages to slip out the back, and to watch the goblins and what they do.

[Jaelesh]

Krith gags a bit as he smells the stables, quickly moving past as he tries not to breathe too deeply.

[stanleyindraven]

Humphrey takes off after Krith, ducking low to stay out of side in the ditch.

[Luccan]

Igmus peaks in the window of the tavern, careful to keep low in case more of the creatures are inside.

Hide: [roll0]

Move Silently:[roll1]

[thenewflesh]

Krith and Igmus: soon enough, you reach the edge of town, apparently unpursued. Before you stretches the woods; maybe a mile or two of narrow path that winds through tangled bushes and looming fern. Then, after that, a few more miles of road and you've reached the neighboring village. What do you do?

Harri: No sign of Brigitte, but the goblins follow the shadow, toward the tavern.

Igmus: You look into the kitchen. It's a terrible mess, tossed silverware and broken plates, overturned pots and pans everywhere, blood smeared across the counters. It's not entirely clear what causes the blue light; it's like the entire kitchen is bathed in it. Very strange.

And then you look up.

A naked woman's strung up there, upside down by a single ankle. Her eyes are gouged out, the blood from the gaping holes trickling down her forehead. Her swollen purple tongue lolls from gaping mouth. Her ribcage is pried open, entraills half inside of her, half dangling over her face.

Suddenly her tongue twitches and her lips contort grotesquely. Her voice is like sandpaper: "Help me."

[SlyJohnny]

Harri winces. He hopes Brigitte escaped out the back, and follows on after his comrades before he he gets left behind.

[Luccan]

At seeing the slashed up woman, Igmus begins to panic. He turns, searching furiously for the others. When he spots Harri, he gestures for him to come to the tavern window.

[SlyJohnny]

Harri cautiously approaches and looks inside the window. He blanches in absolute horror, and immediately starts to move away. He tugs at the scruffy dwarf's clothing, urging him to follow, quickly and quietly.

Was that Brigitte? What was she hanging from? With what kinda rope? How'd her ribs get apart like that... Did the force come from inside her? Why'd they string her up like that... is it for us to see? he asks himself.

[thenewflesh]

As Harri begins to move away, suddenly Brigitte begins to twitch violently, free leg desperately pawing away at her bound ankle in an attempt to free it. "Harri..." she croaks. "The woman..."

On the other side of the tavern, you hear the front door slam open.

[SlyJohnny]

Harri stares sadly into Brigitte's eyeless sockets. He doesn't trust her, and even if she can somehow survive her injuries, he can't help her down fast enough to escape. He shakes his head at her. We have to go. I'm sorry.

He moves away from her quickly down the alley.

[Luccan]

Igmus gapes for a moment. Why did the halfling do that?. But before he really ponders it, Harri is off again and Igmus follows him, as quietly as he can. He doesn't want to be left alone with the shadows and Igmus doesn't know anything about medicine anyway. Maybe whoever is at the door will help the woman.

[thenewflesh]

As you hurry down the alleyway you hear a sort of gurgled scream from the tavern - then suddenly, silence; just the sound of your own rapid footsteps down the dirt road.

You reach the edge of the town apparently unpursued. There's an ugly gangly man sitting near the forest with his knees up to his chest and his face buried in his hands. It's only when you get nearer that you realize it's Humphrey.

Humphrey looks up at you with a twisted tearful grin. "I saw her." he says, his chest heaving. "She's playing a terrible game with all of us, you know. They all are."

[SlyJohnny]

Harri looks at Humphrey and nods, slowly. He knows he should comfort Humphrey, find out what he saw, but he's babbling rapidly in a panicked stream of consciousness now, and doesn't even wait for the man to answer his first questions.

"What'd you see? What happened to the kobold? The woman in the coat? Game... you're right. It is a game. I think... I think maybe they took everyone, into the swamp or somewhere, and then they move people back out here in small groups. They wait for them to wake up, then they close their eyes and count to ten."

Harri shakes his head, his face pale, as he rambles. "I thought they'd just overlooked us before, but... I dunno. This is all too organised for that. Too much magic involved. They're probably watching us right now, and we can't even see them."

He peers over his shoulder, back in the direction they just came. "I don't see what option we have, but to play along. Run. Hide. See how long we can last. Even if we kill ourselves, that woman will just bring us back." He shudders involuntarily, remembering Brigitte, and clings tighter to the hem of Igmus' armor, which he's still holding.

[Luccan]

Igmus is clearly shaken at what the two are saying, though he doesn't seem to have anything to add. Instead, he turns and looks behind them.

Shadow gob'ins comin'. Find someplace t'hide. Scare later. He attempts to get Humphrey to his feet and guide him and the halfling down the road, though it doesn't seem the dwarf really has a plan.

[thenewflesh]

Humphrey waves vaguely at the forest looming in front of you. "He's still in there, I think. I made it out alive. God knows what she's done to him..." He shudders violently. "I saw her, you know. The most beautiful woman I've ever seen, wearing nothing but a furry coat. She just sort of appeared from the vines when me and Krish were going through the forest. Grabbed him by the arm and twisted him like this -"

Here the bug-eyed man twists his arm behind him. "- and I heard this awful crunch and I saw Krish scream, but then all of a sudden all I could hear was this loud buzzing... I ran, I ran for dear life. There was something terrible about that woman. I don't know what it was. I don't want to know. I just... just..." You can't hear the rest of what he's saying, he's sobbing too hard.

[SlyJohnny]

Harri's eyes are like saucers as he listens to Humphrey's tale. He reaches out and squeezes the man's shoulder.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, big guy. You're alive. She didn't get you. She won't, either. You're gonna be fine. We're all gonna get out of here. So... no way out through the forest. But we need to move somewhere, right now. Brigitte's probably coming after us. Or that invisible snake thing."

Harri looks around, struggling to remember the local geography, trying to figure out if there's a way to escape the village that doesn't take them through the forest. Is there a way to skirt around the forest edge, or would that just cause them to circle back to the village? What about the far side of the village- would that take them anywhere?

[Luccan]

Igmus is beginning to shake, though he seems to be looking for somewhere to hide. Hide in house? He points to the nearest building Forest bad, have to hide now. Shadow gob'ins coming. So saying, he grabs Harri's arm and pulls, trying to direct him away from the open area where they can be spotted.

[SlyJohnny]

Lacking a plan yet, Harri follows Igmus, urging Humphrey to come with them too.

[thenewflesh]

The nearest house is not far away from the woods; you see its door ajar as you walk towards it. Something's happened in here, you realize as you walk inside, dragging Humphrey's mostly-limp body behind you. Everything's overturned, smashed. There's blood from the bed to the door, like some bloody body was dragged out of the house by force. Both windows in the hut are barred shut.

Is there anything you particularly want to do here apart from wait? If you let him, Humphrey just crawls onto the bed, head in his hands. "She'll find us here, she'll find us here, she knows..." he keeps whimpering.

[SlyJohnny]

Harri glances at Humphrey mistrustfully. What happened to the taciturn, looming man from before? What could the witch have done to him? He turns to Igmus, hoping the dwarf is managing to keep his wits together.

"Only way out where we don't starve to death in the wilderness, is over the marshes." he murmurs, low enough that Humphrey can't hear. "We can't stay here. Still up for making a break for it?"

He looks around for anything useful in the hovel, any food or supplies, giving the hut a cursory once over.

[Luccan]

Igmus nods and gives Harri a hand searching. He copies Harri's quietness when speaking. Gotta go. Village fulla bad magic. Lady hurt, lizard gone, man crying... He shakes his head and shudders. He didn't understand what was happening, but the fact that no one else did frightened him more.

[thenewflesh]

The hovel does in fact contain lots of food! Several pots full of bread and meat and a few vegetables. As for tools: there's about 20 feet of rope, a shovel inexplicably lying in the corner, some clothes on the bed, and a razor next to them.

Humphrey's still on the bed going "She'll find us here, she'll find us here, she knows..." and suddenly you hear outside, from the forest, the distinct rustling of bushes.

[Luccan]

Igmus freezes and his eyes widen. He glances to Harri and makes an exaggerated shushing gesture, then, as quietly as possible, Igmus creeps toward the door. Trying to stay near the wall and in the huts shadow, he glances outside.

Hide: [roll0]

Spot: [roll1]

[SlyJohnny]

Harri empties the pots into his sack. When he hears the noise, he moves quickly, ushering Humphrey up from the bed and putting a finger to his lips.

He moves after Igmus with Humphrey in tow, trying to stay out of view of the forest as they slip away. He heads north, or follows Igmus, if the dwarf has some other direction in mind.