The Domain of Greyhawk The Western Road
Moonday, Readying 17th, 591 CY
early evening, powerful storm coming...
Lover heads further down the road, keeping his eyes peeled for any signs of habitation. The two ladies and the hound are close behind him. The wind really begins to buffet them and make movement difficult, but rain has not yet begun to fall. Flashes of lightning can be seen over the treetops to the south, and the black clouds are advancing ever more closely.
Soon, the travellers can see a rickety, split-rail fence and a pile of stones surrounding a crooked old tree off the road. Piles such as these are often made when a farmer clears his field for farming. The group strikes off north hoping to sight some shelter. Thunder roars just behind them.
As the clouds darken overhead, night seems to fall with a frightening suddenness. Winds swirl about and threaten to blow the companions off their feet. Celladora's dog whines and stays close to his mistress. Suddenly, in the distance, Lover can see a few lights shining through the dimness. It looks like they could come from a farmhouse some ways north from the Western Road.
The lights are spotted just in time to feel cold raindrops begin to pelt down from above. Shortly they do not fall downwards anymore, but are whipped into a fury by the fierce winds.
OOC: I am assuming everybody is moving towards the farmstead as quickly as they can. If you have any other actions, let me know. I also need Fortitude saves from everyone.
OOC: Whoa. My bad. Didn't see the new thread. [i]Tally ho![/i]
ReplyDeleteAlso, yes, Imagen turns her head down and trudges on toward the far off lights.
ReplyDeleteFort save 17 + 2 = 19.
OOC: Didn't see this either! Unfortunately I don't seem to get e-mailed when a new entry is posted.
ReplyDeleteYes, Lover will continue to run as fast as he can.
Fort Save: 10 + 4 = 14.
Celladora glances questioningly at her companion and continues to follow the others.
ReplyDeleteFort Save: 11 + 2 = 13
The group heads towards the lights in the distance as fast as they can. On more than one occasion, the gusts threaten to knock even the hulking Lover off his feet. To hear one another, the companions have to shout. Soon, they will all be soaked to the bone.
ReplyDeleteAfter a ways, the lights are suddenly surrounded by large gray shapes that seem to sway & creak with the wind. Other shapes also appear nearby, including two that are truly massive. These must be barns. Debris is now blowing acros the ground and whipping by through the air.
The three companions (and the dog) approach the front porch of the two-story farmhouse by a cobblestone path. Two windows are alight in the ground floor, and one window appears lit beneath the peaked roof. Shutters slam wildly against the house and doors bang repeatedly on a nearby shed and one of the huge barns.
From behind, Celladora can see the black clouds advance rapidly across the Western Road.
OOC: Percpetion checks and actions, everyone.
Perception Check: 7 + 2 = 9
ReplyDeleteNot one to normally barge in without knocking, but with the imminent threat of danger, Lover foregoes all formalities, and reaches for the door knob to the farmhouse.
If the door is unlocked, regardless of whether someone is home: Lover enters and shouts to no one in particular, "Sorry guys! My friends and I come in peace!" Diplomacy Check: 20 + 7 = 27
If the door is locked: Lover shouts as loud as he can, banging on the front door, "Please, let us in! We come in peace!!!"Diplomacy Check: 20 + 7 = 27
Imagen opens her mouth to express soft words of ease and refuge seeking, but the dulcet tones of Lover's voice exudes through her every pore, and she realizes that she can in no way trump the universally effervescent line of "We come in peace." She puts on a beaming smile, and prepares to play his doting assistant.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Aid Another action on Diplomacy: 6 + 10 = 16. +2 to Lover.
Oh and Perception check: 16 + 6 = 22.
Lover is cold. Cold and wet. And the wind is messing up his hair. He wants out of the weather in the worst way. He barges into the house very politely, but hears a roar from the other room, "what in the nine hells is going on around here?!"
ReplyDeleteImagen leaps up the steps right on the warrior's heels, but manages to spot a face peering at her from behind a woodpile to the left of the front porch. Who would still be out in this torrential deluge is beyond her. But Imagen hears the bellowing from inside, so rushes in to assist in smoothing things over.
There is a long hall just beyond the foyer. A stairway leads up to the second floor on the right side of the hall. Doorways are to the left & right (the latter at the foot of the steps). There is a cupboard door that leads under the stairs and another doorway at the far end of the hall. A huge, grossly fat man throws open the far door and squeezes through.
"Who are you, and what do you think you're doing in MY house?!" He is taller than even Lover, and he probably outweighs him by two-hundred pounds. The door to the left cracks open and a small blue eye peeks through. It belongs to a small child.
Celladora glances through the window as she advances on the building, as her dog sniffs the air near the opened door. She is wary of dwellings, having lived in the forest her whole life.
ReplyDeletePerception check= 16+5=21
Stealth check 10+7=17
ReplyDeleteMira goes in through the back door to the room where the child is in case things don't go smoothly with the "guests". She motions for him to stay near her and get away from the door. She listens carefully to what is going on in the next room.
A smile take root on Imagen's lips. She steps up and gives a Lover a subtle 'let me handle this' look. She looks at the fat man and runs a dainty hand through wet tresses, causing her bosom to bounce slightly. "A thousand pardons, brave master," she says in a light, husky voice of the Escaped Slave, "but my companions and I have been hunting a most dreadful man when the storm came upon us. Might we endure out the tumult under your most generous roof? You would have our greatest appreciation and, if you require it," her head tilts down, mouth parted slightly, eyes locked in direct-gaze, "compensation."
ReplyDeleteDiplomacy 13 + 10 = 23.
Celladora is reluctant to enter the house even with the storm advancing so quickly. After Imagen disappears inside, the elf priestess sees a shape dart out from behind the woodpile and circle around the back of the farmhouse. Her dog yelps. The rumbling thunder is making him nervous.
ReplyDeleteInside, Imagen pushes past Lover and tries to smooth things over. The hulking farmer grumbles and furrows his brow, but eventually relents in his anger. "Well... I guess with all the commotion outside, I didn't hear yer knocking! Ye can come in, just in 'till the storm passes... but no longer, ye hear? I got enough mouths to feed without strangers coming & going as they please!"
The child peeking through the door disappears into the side room, but another little girl with a mess of brown hair runs out of the kitchen between the giant man's legs. The huge man shouts at her as flashes of lightning illuminate the hallway in blinding displays. The shutters outside continue to bang violently against the house.
Meanwhile, Mira enters through the back door (after wrestling with the wind for a few moments). Peter is there, and the boy seems terrified. Mira musses up his dark hair and holds the lad close as they move into the kitchen. Her "papa" is there, blocking the entire doorway with his bulk. As usual, he is waving his arms about and shouting at somebody. Over all the noise, it's hard to understand what he's saying. He's probably bellowing at the strangers.
OOC: With the wind, thunder, and banging shutters, Perception checks to hear will be at a penalty of at least -4 (if not impossible).
At the sight of the children, Imagen straightens a bit. Her hips no longer seem to roll as much, and her spine grows less slinky and more stiff. She holds her head up straighter and speaks as The Wife and Mother.
ReplyDeleteShe turns to Lover. "Be a dear and see if those shutters can be closed somewhat. And see how our friend outside fares. If she stays out she'll catch her death of cold, but either way we need that door closed."
She bends down to the young girl between her fathers legs and beams her with a bright smile. "Oh, look at that little one, you've got something in your ear." Imagen reaches behind the child's head and seems to, as if by magic, pull out a silver coin. She hands it to the child, and straightens back up to address the fat man again.
"Honey, I know times are hard, and I'm dreadful embarrassed to ask, but if you could spare anything from your larder, we're famished. You may think you've bare shelves, but, if you look hard enough, who knows..." she reaches behind the man's ear, and comes back with a gold coin, the bright smile never leaving her face. "...what you might find?"
She hands the coin to the man. "I'm Imagen, by the way. What's your name?"
The whole time she's checking out the kids for signs of malnourishment or abuse. She'd hate to kill this man, but her attitude about such things has been...
("Ssssss. Hhhit hhher agaaain....")
enhanced.
Perception check: 6 + 6 = 12.
Sleight of Hand: Take 10 + 6 =16.
Lover shouts outside to Celladora, "Are you crazy, lady? Get in here before you get twirled away!" He then heads towards the windows to see if there's anything he can do with the banging shutters. He thinks he hears Imagen talking about food. His tummy grumbles. How long has it been since he's last eaten?
ReplyDeletePerception: 9 + 2 = 11
Celladora moves into the building and checks to make sure her canine companion joins, she then turns to shut the door. She looks around the room and steps aside. Is it common to enter others dwellings, what does one typically say to them? All of this is new to her.
ReplyDeletePerception 10 + 5 = 15
The elf closes the door behind her with some difficulty. The wind fights her for every inch. Her companion whines huddled by her side.
ReplyDeleteThe farmer does not like the idea of having dogs in his house (though the place does not appear very well taken care of), and he begins bellowing about that. When Imagen asks for food, he replies, "keep yer coin, woman! You and yer friends can ride out the storm, but that's it! I don't run an inn! You've trespassed enough on my hospitality as it is! Don't push it!"
Then he begins hollering for where his "boys" have gone. "Honestly, they'd take all day to put on their pants if they didn't have me kickin' them in the hinder about it!" He pushes past the traffic in the front hall, and squeezes through the door leading into the side room to Celladora's left. Children can be heard squealing and scattering in all directions as he stomps through the adjoining room.
Meanwhile, Lover is outside trying his best to latch the shutters closed. Debris is flying past him and the clouds overhead are as black as night.
Mira and Peter are alone in the kitchen now. Papa has gone off to look for the two oldest boys, George and Tamryn. When the storm appeared on the horizon, he sent them out to see to the animals & outbuildings. Things look nasty outside.
OOC: Imagen -- The children you have seen are skinny waifs with messy tangles of brown hair. You cannot tell if they are underfed (most children are pretty thin), but they lack decent clothes and appear pretty dirty. Most of your surroundings are in poor condition.
Lover -- Give me three Strength checks and a Reflex save.
Visual Perception checks are at -4, too. It's getting dark.
Imagen's demeanor cracks a bit and she let's out an exasperated sigh. As she rolls her eyes her fingers waggle at random and the coin disappears. Oh confound! To have so repugnant a man decline not only free sexual favors but money as well! Perhaps there is more here than meets the eye.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Sense Motive 8 + 4 = 12.
BIC: If this keeps up she may have to seduce Lover just to keep in practice. Speaking of which....
It will do no one any good to keep letting the wind in, so she bends to and gives Lover a hand, such as she might.
OOC: Not sure if you can Aid Another on a stat check, but Imagen tries as best she can. Not sure what to add, but dice rolls: 4, 6, 4, for a Str 12.
Mira questions Peter to determine if there is any abuse and neglect. She's also brainstorming different plans to remove the children from their situation should she discover that there is abuse. But she's not thinking too far into it just yet. She is stressed enough.
ReplyDeleteAfter gathering the needed information from Peter, she moves outside to close the shutters. As others try to close the shutters from the inside, Mira hopes that the wind will help her evade notice as she pushes the shutters in while they pull at them.
dice rolls 1,6,5
The farmhouse has shutters only on the outside, and they slam incessantly against the side of the building. The sky overhead is as black as night, with only the lightning flashes, fitful candles & stovelight from inside, and the distant northern horizon providing any illumination.
ReplyDeleteThe huge man stomps across the side room and throws open the window. He shouts for his older boys, George & Tamryn, who are apparently on some errand within the new barn across the yard or one of the other outbuildings. The older, gray barn sways in the gale and is no shape for anyone to be inside. Pieces of its roof & walls peel off and are flung away by the wind.
Imagen has little time to study the obese man in all the chaos, but he is probably the sort that doesn't normally have guests and doesn't like them when he does. The suddenness & fury of the storm seems to have him (and everyone else) a bit stunned & out of sorts.
OOC: If anyone wishes to aid Lover in closing shutters, you have to go outside. Opening windows from the inside (as the farmer has just done), causes lights to be snuffed out and smaller furnishings to be blown about.
Most of the children are running about panicked, or finding a out-of-the-way nook to hide.
The situation is becoming far too out of control for Imagen's taste's, but a plan begins to form. Perhaps if these two boys that the fat, stupid man is hunting for were found, and his house secured a bit more, he'd be in more of a mind to sell them some food.
ReplyDeleteShe makes her way past the swirling debris and grabs hold of Celladora, shouting in her ear to try and be heard.
"I'm going to get those shutters shut and find those boys! Try and make sure that fool doesn't open any more windows!"
Imagen roots in her backpack for her rope, and ties one end fast to the outside doorknob. She loops the part of the rope around her own wrist a few times, then forces her way outside. She loops the other end around Lover's wrist, and then goes about shutting and barring the windows.
When that is done, she'll grab Lover and yell in his ear her plan to forge her way to the barn to see about the boys. He can come if he wants.
If Celladora hears Imagen: She weighs what she has heard from her new companion and feels the task set before her can be accomplished. She follows the man in order to stop him from continuing to further disturb the household. She indicates to her dog to stay; having noticed the man does not appear to have taken kindly to him.
ReplyDeletePerception check: 11+5 =16
If Celladora does not hear Imagen: Celladora notices the children running through the house and feels the young innocents must be given shelter. She attempts to look for shelter for the children so that she may attempt to stash them in a safe location. She also has her dog trail the children so that when she finds safety she can help the children find it as well.
Lover tries with all his might to close the shutters from the outside. He is determined to get these damn things shut. As he is wrestling with the shutters, he notices Imagen tying a rope to his arm, "What in the heckfire are you doing? Get back inside, I got this!"
ReplyDeleteStrength 1: 16 + 4 = 20
Strength 2: 14 + 4 = 18
Strength 3: 11 + 4 = 15
Reflex Save: 16 + 2 = 18
Holy awesome rolls, Batman!
Imagen gets outside and sees Lover battling both the wind and the shutters themselves. He has managed to get the two to either side of the front door fastened, however, and is trying to move around the west side of the house to do the rest.
ReplyDeleteBack inside, Celladora walks into the side room where the farmer has finished bellowing out the window and is in the process of pulling it closed once again. A mess has been made of the entire room, and the two or three children who were hiding there have retreated from the chaos.
Mira tries to speak calmly with young Peter, but he is too frightened to make much conversation. She knows that Peter (along with the rest of the younger children) are Belger's slaves and little more. Perhaps "slave" is too strong a word, but Mira is sensitive about such things. The farmer doesn't harm them (unless they disobey), but works them incessantly. He also shouts at them all the time. His wife has been sick in bed almost since the day Mira arrived, so the youngsters have even more chores to do. She has grown to hate "papa," but Belger gives her a place to stay, so she tolerates his behavior.
Mira notices more terrified kids rush into the kitchen. She gathers them together away from any windows, and then turns towards the back door to see about closing some of those shutters. As lightning flashes throughout the room, a dark shape bursts in through the door, almost knocking Mira down. It is George, Belger's oldest son. Though he is about two years younger than Mira, he acts like he's in charge of her (and has made several disgusting advances towards her, as well). A broken nose altered his attitude, but when papa isn't around, he does his best impersonation of the head of the family.
"Don't wanna go out there right now, buttercup," he shouts above the gale (he always calls Mira delicate, flowery names), "that storm will chew you up & spit out the bones!" He is out of breath and the rain has plastered wild tangles of brown hair across his face. He slams the door & pushes the little ones out of the way while crossing the room. "Where's Tam? I swear, if he's come back before finishin' his chores, papa will tan his hide!"
In the other room, the farmer finally gets the window shut, and he turns around to see Celladora behind him. He is taken by surprise, and says to her, "what do you want, elf? Maybe you should make yerself useful & make sure that mangey mongrel of yours don't shit on my floor!" He stomps past her, nearly elbowing her aside as he does so.
The priestess is disgusted by this uncouth mammoth of a man. As he departs from the window, the lightning flashes outside. Celladora thinks that she sees a small figure skitter across the yard from the great, gray dilapidated barn towards the house.It is a glimpse of less than one second, but it looked smaller than the youngest child she has yet seen -- but it scampered extremely fast.
OOC: Celladora -- you see nothing more from the side room. Your dog (what's his name?) is growling at the farmer in the hall.
Imagen -- I need a Fortitude save from you. We'll get to Lover's last couple rolls shortly.
Fort save: 15 + 2 = 17.
ReplyDeleteCelladora calls her dog to her "Wolf, come here; calm." She wants to follow the man and see to the children’s safety but her dog’s unease has distracted her from her efforts. She decides to blend into the background with her dog and attempt to watch from the corners/shadows the man’s progress.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Unsure if I need to make a check however on my character sheet it states Calm animals as an ability, on a D20 I rolled a 10.
Imagen has to hold onto one of the posts on the porch to keep from being swept away by the vicious wind. Lover manages to make his way around to the side of the house where he fastens a third set of shutters closed tight. When he turns around, his head is nearly taken off by a blowing piece of debris. He is able to duck just in the nick of time.
ReplyDeleteCelladora crouches down in the foyer next to Wolf while the farmer stomps down the hallway trying to corral the many frightened children scampering about. He seems to only have the opposite effect on them -- they panic all the more when he shouts at them to be still & be quiet.
OOC: You have a few options, Celladora. Calm Animals is a spell, which you may cast. Also, you can try the skill Handle Animals, in which you have a +2 modifier. Finally, as a cleric with the Animal domain, you can speak with animals for 3 rounds per day + 1 per cleric level.
Lover -- Perception, please (remember the -4 penalty for the conditions).
ReplyDeleteOOC: Perception: 14 + 2 - 4 = 12
Celladora speaks to wolf in an attempt to understand why he is wary, "what is wrong friend, can you sense something I cannot?"
ReplyDeleteLover is thankful to have avoided his near-death experience. He continues to head along the side of the house toward the next set of shutters (which are banging violently against the house). Across the yard to his left are the two huge barns. One is newer than the other, but even the new one sways in the storm. The more distant, gray one is near collapse. It was from that massive edifice that he assumes the debris flew from that almost cleaved his head off. More sections of it are pulled free every moment.
ReplyDeleteImagen is trying to follow the large warrior, but she is having enough of a time just trying to make it down the porch steps. Just inside the front door, Celladora speaks with Wolf as only she can. The animal responds by simply saying, "I don't like it here... I'd almost prefer the storm."
Mira watches as George leaves the kitchen to find papa. He is nearly trampled by the behemoth as Belger appears in the doorway roaring at the wee ones swarming about. "George! Where is your brother? Can't you two do anything right? And can't you get yer brothers & sisters out of my way, goddammit? Get them in the cellar, while I see to yer mother!"
Meanwhile, outside, a few steps past the window Lover just closed up, the warrior stumbles forward. With a yell he feels his right foot plunge downward and his knee nearly bend the wrong way. Right beneath the siding of the house there is a muddy hole, probably dug by some critter. It doesn't go far deep down, since it runs into the stone foundation. But the peeling boards of the house hang over part of it, making it difficult to notice (especially in this dark).
Imagen makes it to the ground, holding her forearm across her face to block out the wind, but as she squints south towards the road, she sees a dark funnel descending from the swirling clouds above. Beyond that, she can just barely make out two more curving pillars of wind towards the horizon. The two more distant ones are possibly miles away, closer to the Gnarley Forest. But the third is much nearer, maybe just on the other side of the Western Road.
'That might just about be game.,' Imagen thinks as she sees the swirling funnel: For whatever she is, she knows when a plan needs to be left behind. If there is anyone else in the barn, she wishes them luck and promises to say a prayer to Xanang for them. Probably.
ReplyDeleteLover needs his foot out of the hole, and they need to get those shutters shut and get back in side. She pulls on his leg to help him get it out, then assists with the shutters.
Why isn't the owner of the house helping them? In fact he put them all in more jeopardy opening those other shutters. Does he value the house or the lives of those that live in it so little? Does he value his own?
OOC: Assist Other strength check check: 10 + 1 = 11.
Celladora speaks to Wolf, "we must remain here, these people will help us in our quest and shelter is needed." She caresses his head and stays in the shadows continuing to watch the man as he moves about the house.
ReplyDeletePerception check: 12 + 5 = 17
Mira thinks she may have an opportunity to get help removing the kids (except for George) from this household. She realizes that she now has a compelling reason to reveal herself to them.
ReplyDeleteLover is easily able to get back up to his feet, and soon Imagen is rounding the corner of the house to help with the shutters.
ReplyDeleteThe huge farmer thunders down the main hall and then sways his bulk around the corner to head up the steps. The round wooden ball on the bannister comes loose as he tries to use it for balance. He curses and throws it to the ground. Up the stairs he goes, each step creaking loudly enough to be heard over the storm.
George starts shouting at his younger siblings and he grabs one of the smaller girls under his arm. After grabbing another boy by the back of his shirt, George starts to haul the kids back into the kitchen. Some of the children follow him, but at least that many try to hide, run around, or follow papa up the stairs.
Celladora watches the behemoth pass as she crouches next to Wolf. She can suddenly hear a voice -- vaguely. With all of the noise around her, it cannot be coming from far away. She cannot make out any words, but it sounds like a woman's voice, not a child's.
OOC: Imagen & Lover -- 2 Str checks & a Fort save, please. Only about half of the shutters are closed, and time may be growing short.
Lover is grateful for Imagen's assistance, and moves as quickly as he can to close the remaining shutters. "Seriously guys, we've gotta hurry!"
ReplyDeleteStrength: 12 + 4 = 16
Strength: 15 + 4 = 19
Fort: 19 + 7 = 26
Mira moves cautiously to where Imagen and Lover are. She would like to introduce herself. She wears a smile and helps with the shutters.
ReplyDeleteStrength: 17 + 4 = 21
Strength: 7 +4 = 11
Fortitude: 1 + 5 = 6 = (uh oh)
Imagen struggles mightily with the first shutter and is pleasantly surprised when it suddenly gets easier and her struggles are assisted by a solidly built girl with a smile plastered across her face. This is a new factor since she didn't see her inside, and since the fat man didn't mention looking for a daughter, Imagen reflexively does a mental rundown of the tactical possibilities.
ReplyDeleteUnless this is the elusive...George? The fat man was many things, but imaginative enough to give a girl a boy's name seems outside his profile. Well, he might have insisted on naming his first born after himself...be it a boy or no. But then he would've been bellowing for a "Junior" of some sort. So no, this is not George.
Is this...his...wife? Possible, but also unlikely. She doesn't seem old enough to have birthed so many children. Imagen's eyes sweep the girl's hips. No, a pelvis that lithe and...nubile...has not yet known the pain of delivery.
The fat man's lover, then? The thought of this lovely young thing choosing such an dullard ox of a man also seems unlikely, but no other solution of greater possibility leaps to Imagen's mind. Meh. She's seen matches of greater unlikelihood.
As the girl comes to help her with the second shutter, Imagen decides to try some friendly conversation, such as can be hand on the perimeter of a tornado.
As the two women struggle on the same shutter, Imagne shoves her mouth into the girl's ear. "Thanks for your help!" she yells above the tumult. "But I wish your boyfriend was out here to help as too!"
Str 1: 8 +1 = 9
Str 2: 18 + 1 = 19
Fort: 10 + 2 = 12
Mira exits the rear door of the house off the kitchen and starts to move around the northwest corner of the farmhouse, closing one of the problematic shutters along the way. As she rounds the bend, she sees two other strangers -- probably the folk Belger was shouting at. One is an enormous armored fellow with luxuriant long hair that flaps in the wind like it's trying to kill him. The other is a dark-skinned female -- likely a Touv (only Mira might know this) -- who notices her approach. The Touv tries to speak, but then suddenly a fierce gust sweeps up and lifts Mira off her feet.
ReplyDeleteBack inside, the eldest son continues to try corralling his younger siblings to go with him to the rear chamber of the house. The farmer has reached the upstairs and the ceiling above appears to bend under his weight. Some children still huddle in corners or run about scared. A few even followed the farmer up the steps.
Celladora is unnerved by the strange voice she hears, but suddenly the farmer's deafening roars drown everything out for a moment. The elf's keen ears pick up something like, "what in the Nine Hells is going on!!?" Almost at the same instant, there are crashes of glass as windows on the east side of the building are shattered.
OOC: Imagen -- The young woman certainly does not appear to be related by blood to the farmer. She has platinum-blond hair while all of the children have dark hair. She looks extremely Suel, actually.
But more importantly, she has rolled 30 ft. across the ground and taken 9 pts. of non-lethal damage. She's battered & bruised after being pummelled with debris & probably crashed through a rickety fence. Everyone outside will need to roll more Str checks (three should do it for now). You don't want her to go unconscious or a rescue will be made very difficult.
Mira gets up and runs into the house.
ReplyDeleteStrength: 18+4=22
Imagen watches the girl get up and head into the house as the wind rises from a wail to a scream and decides that whatever this is it's too much for a slight young thing like her. It's more like a place for a hefty fighter-man. She finishes up her shutters and moves over to Lover. She pats him on the shoulder and wishes the fighter good luck as she pulls herself along the rope and back inside the door. She rushes over to the next window from Lover's position and stands by to help as she can...and to make sure he gets a rescue if he needs it.
ReplyDeleteShe looks about her for furniture that could be put in front of the door...just in case.
Str:
18 + 1 = 19
10 + 1 = 11
14 + 1 = 15.
Mira wonders if she gave a good impression running away like that. And she hopes she won't look weak to them. Then she chuckles for a short moment at the irony of being afraid of looking weak when she is, for all intents and purposes, a walking weapon.
ReplyDeleteBut she sobers herself quickly at the thought that she does need to make a good impression. And this is the time to do it.
"We need to get back inside!" Lover shouts to no one in particular, and heads that way with all his might.
ReplyDeleteCelladora is unsure of what to do and confused by the large number of unfamiliar people she has just met. However when innocents are in danger she feels the need to help. “Stay” she says to dog, “there are children here and they are just as unsafe and uncomfortable as you; we must help.” She gestures towards some children in a corner, “comfort and protect them; I will check upstairs.” Celladora makes her way up the stairs and searches for the source of the shouting.
ReplyDeletePerception check: 18+5=23
Strength check (if necessary to climb the stairs): 6+2=8
Those left outside move back to the farmhouse as quickly as they may. The great, dark funnel cloud is easily visible to all of them now as it looms overhead dwarfing the buildings that are huddled on the ground. The blond-haired farmgirl heads into the back door, while Lover & Imagen crawl back in through the front. Lover must wrestle with the door to get it shut as the brunt of the winds force their way through the opening.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, Wolf stands in the main hall with its body sandwiching two of the younger children against an interior wall. They wail as debris is blown mercilessly through the house. Celladora is climbing up the stairs using the railing like a rope for a mountain climber. Screams can be heard from other children around the ground floor. The oldest son and his father are nowhere to be seen.
As Celladora nears the top of the stairs, she sees two more children -- perhaps between seven and ten years old -- crying in the upstairs hall. Bits of debris are flying around up there, too, for none of the windows on the upper story were closed. No doubt they are shattered now. The children are curled up with their arms wrapped around their heads. But they look fearfully around the corner.
OOC: Everybody (including the NPC's) need to make Reflex saves from all the projectiles. Lover, you can also make a Strength check to close the front door. The cyclone is across the Western Road now.
Mira realizes that the situation is dire. The only way to ensure that children aren't seriously harmed is to take them to the inner wall on the main level and have every single available adult shield them from debris. This means that coordination is critical. Mira approaches Lover and introduces herself by grabbing his ear and shouting. She realizes he may be startled. But there are clearly much bigger fish to fry.
ReplyDeleteShe motions to Lover to gather the children upstairs and bring them downstairs to the central wall.
reflex: 13 + 5 = 18
Imagen slips in through the front door and loops her rope off the front knob, replacing it around her person. This whole affair strikes her ill, and all signs, from the odd disrepair of the house, to the scattered, screaming horde of underfed children, to the un-closed state of the windows, seem to point to the fat man as some instigator.
ReplyDeleteShe leaves the brawny fighter to his work with the door and follows the elf upstairs, mimicking her climbers gait, using the railing as a mountaineer's rope.
Reflex Save 14 + 5 + 19
Climbing check 7 + 4 = 11.
Lover wrestles with the door, the wind trying it's best to fight its way in. "$#!+@$$ door, why don't you just close!"
ReplyDeletestr 13 + 4 = 17
reflex 11 +2 = 13
Despite Mira grabbing and shouting into Lover's ear, he is completely oblivious to her request for help, and continues to swear furiously at the door, "You'll never take me alive, sucker!!"
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteCelladora struggles with the elements and flying debris, being constantly buffeted and pulled at by the winds. She struggles to hold on and regrets her choice to go upstairs as she feels her grip loosen.
Reflex 1+1=2
Lover puts his shoulder to the door and forces it shut. With the task done, he turns around to see a blond-haired young woman immediately behind him. She doesn't look any the worse for wear considering she was recently blown across the barnyard by the tornado. She is trying to communicate with him, it seems. But the roaring of the winds and swirling debris makes it difficult.
ReplyDeleteA short distance away, Imagen follows the elf up the stairs. Celladora is nearly at the landing, but suddenly her eyes sting her painfully and her lids flutter involuntarily. She still has a good grip on the rickety railing, but she cannot see well. Her ears can still hear the children just a few feet from her shouting for their father.
OOC: Your vision is obscured, Celladora. Something blew into your eyes as you were climbing. All your attacks have a 50% miss chance. It is also quite uncomfortable, which will make concentration difficult. If you get a chance, you can attempt a Healing check to try to clear the condition up.
Mira, go ahead and speak with Lover. You should be able to introduce yourself since he's no longer distracted.
Feeling better, Brian?
Mira approaches Lover again and introduces herself. "I'm Iris. I need your help with the children if you can gather whoever is upstairs and bring them to the center wall on the main level", she says.
ReplyDeleteCelladora makes it to the landing above, but does so on her hands & knees. There are two children there -- from their cries, a boy and a girl. Imagen is close behind her, climbing hand over hand up the stairs.
ReplyDeleteBelow them, in the front hall, Mira & Lover try to communicate as to what to do next. Wolf is near the kitchen entrance with a few of the youngsters.
Everyone can hear vulgar shouting from upstairs. The farmer is bellowing about something, but cannot understand what. Even above the roaring of the winds, his massive bulk can be heard creaking across the floorboards (or the ceiling, from the perspective of those down in the hall). Celladora can see him (vaguely) stomping into view from one of the second floor bedrooms. He appears to be carrying a large bundle in his arms.
As Mira continues trying to introduce herself to Lover, he shouts to the farmer upstairs, "Seriously!?I? Get down here now! The whole roof could blow off this thing!" Lover scrambles to find the best place in the house to hunker down, preferably a room without windows. Does the staircase have a cubby hole underneath? Otherwise they might have to strap themselves to the house support beam. Where did that rope go?
ReplyDelete"Where's the rope!? We need to get away from the windows!!! Hasn't anybody seen a tornado before?
Perception (looking for the best place to hunker down): 12 + 2 = 14
Imagen continues to follow the elf. As she spies the fat man carrying a bundle, she runs through the multiple scenarios that this might be.
ReplyDelete1) It's not a person. No matter.
2) It's a person that's alive. Then he has a heart after all. And gets to keep it.
3) He's moving a body. That would make it...problematic. The options on what happens to his heart become...more varied.
She resolves to continue upstairs. Since the man has no effect on the lives of his children, the possibility remains that they would be better off without him.
Anything less than a tornado and she would be away from this awful place, amongst honest thieves.
Celladora feels the wind buffeting her and realizes she cannot see. She blindly reaches across the floor and crawls, no longer in the direction of the man. She is now concerned for her own well-being. She hopes to find a spot out of the way to gather her wits. She crawls, touching the floor until she finds the first opening into a room.
ReplyDeletePerception: 20+5=25
Lover need only look down the main hall to where the large dog is huddled with two of the children. It is somewhat sheltered there from direct wind, but lots of debris is being whipped around, too. Across from the animal is a small door that seems to lead beneath the stairway.
ReplyDeleteImagen can see that the bundle the enormous man holds is a woman who has terror in her eyes and seems to be gasping for breath. The farmer is bellowing something about her. It doesn't seem to make much sense... something was stolen from her? He's yelling for who stole something from her. Most of it is just cursing.
Celladora keeps low and makes her way across the landing. She hears the farmer shouting, the wind blowing, and the children crying. After a short distance, she feels around and finds a spot out of the wind somewhat. It could be a closet. The floor is covered with junk.
Suddenly -- with some of the noise being muffled -- she hears another strange sound. A woman's laugh? A grown woman, not one of the children. The priestess crawls until she feels a wall in front of her. There is bare wall to her right, shelves to her left, and assorted clutter beneath her and against the far wall. The space is very cramped, but it seems safe for the moment.
Celladora's right hand rests on the ground. She can feel what seems to be part of a wooden toy under her fingers. Without warning, it slides away from her.
OOC: If you want to try to clear your eyes, you may attempt a Heal check.
Lover tries the small door beneath the stairway, "We have to get away from the debris!" he shouts to the dog and small children.
ReplyDeleteIn case it's needed to force the door open: Strength Check: 3 (ugh!) + 4 = 7
The small space under the stairs is filled with junk, but if some of it is removed, it can certainly accommodate two children and a rather enormous adult.
ReplyDeleteAt the top of the stairs, Celladora crawls into a closet trying to escape the vicious winds. Imagen reaches the landing and sees two more children there -- a boy and a girl. The farmer comes to the top of the stairway with the woman in his arms and bellows at Imagen to get out of the way. The kids scurry aside to make room for him.
The steps groan loudly under the massive weight of the man as he starts down the stairs.
Imagen lithely steps aside to let the man pass. Then she charges up to the two kids, grabbing them by the collar and yelling to be heard above the tumult. "Who is that and why is he carrying her? Why can't she walk?"
ReplyDeleteMira follows Lover. Time for talk is over.
ReplyDeleteThe boy yells to Imagen above the storm, "that's mama! She's sick!"
ReplyDeleteLover holds open the door and notices that he'll have to make room for one more...
Imagen hunches low and resolutely follows the large man. She doesn't know what his plans are, but she feels that somehow the last piece of the puzzle is wrapped up in his arms.
ReplyDeleteThe behemoth farmer thunders down the remainder of the stairs clutching the woman's face to his breast to shield her face from flying glass. He is shouting something and Wolf is barking wildly, but none of it can be heard. The storm is absolutely deafening now.
ReplyDeleteLover is throwing odd bits of old furniture and assorted junk out from under the stairway. Mira is standing near the two children to make sure they don't accidentally get struck.
Imagen follows the man down to the main hall and sees through the side room window the ancient decrepit barn outside get obliterated by the raging winds. A swirling swarm of broken boards erupts from the cyclone and are hurled towards the house like a hail of arrows. The window is shattered and glass & wood shards spray through the air.
Meanwhile, up on the second floor, Celladora recoils instinctively from the horrible sensation. She can hear absolutely nothing now, but she suddenly comes to the realization that she is not alone in the closet. At least she is -- for the moment -- out of the path of flying debris. Her mind tries to rationalize her predicament. Perhaps another of the farmer's offspring is hiding in there, too...?
OOC: Imagen -- Reflex save, please.
Keep giving me actions, players. I know it is all confusing, but it's kinda supposed to be.
"@$!@#!!" Lover curses to himself as he tosses the junk from underneath the stairs. Why would anyone store this garbage in such a prime secret hiding place? If Lover ever owned a house, he would build lots of secret passages and hiding places. Lover giggles at the thought.
ReplyDelete[Reflex save = 13 + 5 = 18]
ReplyDeleteOut of instinct Imagen drops prone and lets a fusillade of debris fly over her. At this point the fat man is either trying to hide evidence of some wrong-doing...or is headed for some as yet undiscovered safe spot in the house. Either way, Imagen stays crouched in a low profile, but keeps tracking the man
Celladora realizes she will be of no help in her condition. She cannot hear or see. She attempts to squeeze herself into the closet with whoever else might be in there in an attempt to focus her thoughts and heal herself. She hopes the other individual realizes she is there as a friend not foe and attempts to yell over the noise "I am not here to harm you, I simply seek shelter." She hopes that dog is doing well and is able to take care of the children, not that she is unable to be of much use.
ReplyDeleteOCC: Heal check 17+2=19
Celladora tries her best to steady her hands as she administers medical attention to her eyes. After her work is done, she blinks repeatedly to try getting natural tears flowing to flush the remaining dust out. Though her eyes feel cleansed, she still cannot see much. It is as dark as night in the storm. She also cannot hear a thing. Even her own shouts were barely audible. Her forest-born senses slowly adjust to the darkness, and peering out of the closet, she appears to be all alone. The children from the landing have gone.
ReplyDeleteDownstairs, the farmer pushes his way down the hall, kicking aside the junk that Lover has thrown onto the floor. He barrels through, nearly crushing Mira against the wall & trampling his own kids. Lover is shoved into the space beneath the stairs. He is bellowing for all he is worth, his face red, but nobody can hear what he's saying.
He stomps his way into the kitchen and hangs a right, disappearing around the corner.
Imagen truly has no idea what is going on, but she's been in worse situation following slipperier prey than this. She slithers behind, keeping her head down in the raging tumult.
ReplyDeleteCelladora feels around her in the dark seeking the presence she felt earlier. she wants to make sure no one is left behind before she makes her way downstairs to the others and to safety. She is unsure if the children is safe and chastises herself for letting her own weakness get in the way of helping others. However she realizes that were she not to have healed herself she would have been even less help to the others.
ReplyDeleteOCC: Perception check: 11+5=16
The farmer kicks open a door in the kitchen and squeezes through the doorway. He heads down a set of creaking wooden steps into the cellar. Moments later, one of the unshuttered windows in the back room shatters and broken glass whirls through the house. The children in the main hall (four of them now) scream in terror, though no one can hear them.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, upstairs, Celladora gropes around in the dark closet. She pushes past boxes, shelves of assorted junk, and dangling clothing that hangs down in her face. She feels various small, unidentifiable objects spilled across the floor, but nothing alive.
Suddenly, her hand reaches the back wall and she can feel a small, jagged hole in the wooden paneling -- perhaps two feet in diameter at the most. Her fingers move just inside the hole and she briefly brushes a rough cloth. Without warning, she feels a painful scratch on the back of her hand.
OOC: Everybody on the main floor, make Reflex saves.
Celladora -- You instinctively yank your hand back. It's not a bad scratch. Probably didn't break the skin. But it surprised you. It might've come from the splintery broken boards around the hole in the wall.
Give me a Will save anyway.
From her crouched walking position, Imagen drops prone to let the storm of glass pass over her.
ReplyDelete[Reflex Save = 10 + 5 = 15]
She's a bit stunned. There's a cellar? There's been a cellar all this time? And the whole family didn't rush down it after the first window broke? By the Nine Hells what is going on here??
If there are any children within arm's reach, Imagen will make an attempt to wrangle them in to the cellar...or at least make sure that they are aware of its existence and that it's a good idea to go down there.
Still, she doesn't trust the fat man to charge downstairs and then bolt the door against anyone else seeking its safety, so she feels she must at least follow him to ensure that everyone else can get down the stairs.
She yells futilely into the tumult, then gestures frantically that everyone should follow her, and follows the fat man.
Imagen grabs a little boy (who kicks & flails viciously) and a young girl (who is pretty much a jelly) and hauls them through the kitchen as dust & debris roars in through the open window. Through half-closed eyes, she can see a black funnel cloud tearing its way across the landscape behind the farmhouse, a dark cloud of dust in its wake.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Lover has cleared out the cupboard, the other two children are staying with Wolf. I still need Reflex saves and actions as to where everyone is going.
'Oh...drek,' thinks Imagen as she spies the funnel cloud. 'Drek just got realz.'
ReplyDeleteShe glad that she at least secured two armfuls of youth, and she wished she had time to herd everyone. But that she can actually see the cloud means they might be out of time.
Celladora unaware of what might have caused the scratch; hers the howling wind and decides to attempt to make her way downstairs. She leaves the closet and attempts to crawl down the stairs to find dog and shelter.
ReplyDeleteWill check: 2+5=7
Celladora rubs the back of her hand, but then makes her way back to the stairs, keeping as low as she can. Debris flies over her at vicious speeds. On her way down the steps, she can feel the house itself swaying back and forth, the walls groaning under the strain.
ReplyDeleteImagen follows the mammoth farmer down into the cellar. Several other children are there of varying ages, but one of the older boys seems to be in charge of them. The noise is not quite so bad down in the cellar, but the winds can still be heard roaring up above and every board in the ceiling creaks loudly. The farmer deposits the woman on a cot and shouts for everyone to give her some room when the children gather about to see what is wrong.
"Some deviltry's got her, make no mistake! These strangers've brought some curse here with 'em, along with this bleedin' storm!" He doesn't seem to notice Imagen standing there, but begins to hold the woman's face between his meaty paws while speaking to her.
Celladora finds Lover, Wolf, a couple kids, and a platinum-blond young woman in the main hall.
Celladora, seeing wolf and children out in the open speaks to Lover, "Is there shelter here?" She knows staying out in the open is not an option but also does not see where she might hide.
ReplyDeleteWhile waiting for Lover to respond Celladora looks for a location to hide, somewhere away from windows that is enclosed.
Perception check: 1+5=6
While the scene downstairs is no more sane than the chaos upstairs, at least there's somewhat less wind and random objects trying to kill her. One part of her mind is taking in the scene as a social situation, sizing up the power scale, getting a reading on the optimal approach method to secure the good will of the older boy and take charge of the room....
ReplyDeleteBut the whole fragging house is about to get blown away, so there's really no time for that.
Imagen simply releases the hands of her charges and powers back up the stairs. She makes a quick once-over through the main floor of the house. Everyone who isn't in shelter she'll grab their arm and yell at them to go in the direction of the cellar.
After notifying the two other women and an innumerable number of children, after she's gotten to Lover, she figures that she can do no one any more good and makes her own way back down the stairs.
Celladora opens her mouth to speak, but finds that nothing comes out. It is a strange, helpless, eerily frightening experience. Nobody else in the main hall seems to notice as the roaring winds would drown out any but the loudest noises anyway.
ReplyDeleteThe elven priestess does not have much time to ponder this predicament as the next moment, Imagen darts around the corner from the opposite end of the hall and begins trying to corral the others to follow her.
Celladora, confused by her inability to speak and scared this event has taken it's toll on her physical capabilities, scrambles after Imagen. She gestures with her hand to dog, hoping he notices and is able to follow.
ReplyDeleteSeeing her options as being 1. Go to the cellar, or 2. Die, Mira goes to the cellar.
ReplyDeleteBent over with their arms covering their heads, Mira and Celladora dash through the kitchen towards the cellar door. Wolf willingly follows his mistress, and has one of the children by the seat of the pants in his teeth.
ReplyDeleteDown below, the farmer is trying to get some response out of his wife, but she seems petrified with fear. George does his best impression of his father as he shouts at the other children to keep them quiet & still. Each of them, however, seem perfectly content to find a pile of old furniture or assorted junk to hide under.
OOC: If it is agreeable to all, we can pick things up with everyone in the cellar. Only Lover is left up top (I think), along with a little girl who is cowering in a corner up in the front hall.
Imagen follows the others down into the cellar, and quickly takes in the scene.
ReplyDeleteWith the immediate danger passed, Imagen can breath in and let her mind go back to the more comfortable zone of Social Stability. Isolate the Aplha Male, gather data, form new plan.
Imagen takes a relaxing breath, stands up straight, and gives herself a full thirty seconds to un-muss her hair and re-arrange her clothing into a more presentable manner. That done as best as it can, she allows a cat's-grin to crawl across her face as she saunters up to the currently most active male: The oldest(?) boy, whom she recalls had the name of 'George" yelled at him a few times.
"Hello, George," she beams at him, ignoring whatever tirade he was in the middle of, earning whoever his targets where at least a little respite. "I'm terribly sorry, but we've not been properly introduced. My name is Imagen." And she holds out her hand.
When he goes to shake it, she steps inside the reach of his offering hand and says, "Oh, I'm sorry, but I'm a 'hugger,'" and gives him a full-frontal squeeze. Releasing him reluctantly she'll sprinkle in some personal compliments, playing to the ego of the young and male, before starting in with questions.
"So, what's the deal here, George? Is your mom sick or something?"
"Just how many kids are here? Are these all your siblings?"
"Have you guys lived like this for a long time? Do you like it?"
"Your dad doesn't seem to be too concerned that his barn was just destroyed and his house is about to be blown away. Doesn't that concern you?"
That should give her enough data to give her some footing and give her some direction.
Wasn't she just trying to get down the road?
OOC: Diplomacy: 10 + 10 = 20.
Celladora finds Wolf and the child he is dragging and goes to him in a corner. She takes a moment to catch her breath, feeling overwhelmed by the power of the storm. She uses this relaxation time to peer around her and to take in her surroundings. Where is she, who are these people, and what just happened-she wonders.
ReplyDeletePerception check: 15+5=20
Crowded into the dark, dank cellar, the occupants can hear (and even feel) the storm raging overhead. There is a terrible moaning over everything, but much closer is the agonizing creak of the house immediately above them. The ceiling rafters seem to bend and sway with the structure that is surely being battered just beyond. Bits of debris rain down between the cracks.
ReplyDeleteImagen greets George in her own way, and the young man seems to pull back uncomfortably. He manages to say, "mama is always sick," but to the barrage of other questions he just replies, "ma'am, I don't even know you!" He turns to his father, who has little time for anyone else at the moment, and says, "what are they even doing here? We don't owe them nuthin'! Let 'em fend for themselves, I say."
The mammoth farmer ignores him, and rises up (having to fit his head between the crossbeams of the ceiling). He gazes down at Imagen & Celladora and bellows, "what in the devil is going on around here? First this storm comes up out of nowhere, and now my wife can't even say her name! What curse have you folk brought down upon us? One of you is a fey witch, an' the other some foreign harlot come to befoul my boys with your filthy ways! I want some answers now! No tricks, either! From the sound of things up there, I ain't got much left to lose!"
Celladora is still near the foot of the stairs next to Wolf. She suddenly hears some strange scratching & scurrying right above her. It might easily be something blowing about on the floor above, but it weirdly seems to weave about in a pattern. It moves first one way, then curves around to move another...
The smiles does not falter from Imagen's face. She has endured far, far worse than the temper of this one, from beings of greater power. His wrath touches her not at all.
ReplyDeleteWell, a little. She hears the call of Last Breath yelling for his heart's blood. She dismisses the voice; all is not yet lost. Diplomacy seems to have not worked, but there are other tools in the toolbox.
She searches her memory for a name,
[Knowledge Religion check: 9 + 2 = 11]
and comes up with it. And that is all she needs.
"And what of you? If you call me a harlot, what do you name yourself? Be not so quick to judge, for I am a priest of Desna, god of Travelers! I had come to you with soft words and ready coin, asking ONLY a place at your table and shelter for the night as we outran the City of Foulness behind us that some call GreyHawk and the foul Guild that rules it. And how did you answer? You yelled and threatened! Saying I could merely stay past the rain, calling to throw me and my starving friends out into the night!
And so, to repay your selfishness, She Who Made The Heavens has brought forth storm and wind to cost you a good deal more than what a simple meal at your table would have troubled you! Even greater the loss since I offered equal payment, in the nature of We Who Travel.
But, We can be merciful. Offer your most sincere apologies to me and those whom you have caused suffering, and perhaps your life shall be spared. If you so move us, and provide every detail of your woes, I may see about healing your ills, but that is to be seen.
Now get on with your apology, lest The Maker Of Heaven call you to your eternal reward for offending honest travelers so."
Imagen wished she knew if half of what she was saying was true, but why be knowledgeable when you can just lie!
[Bluff = 8 + 10 = 18.]
Master Sssardok would be proud.
Well, no, he wouldn't. He'd beat her take away her supper and tell her to do it again.
But why bring up the past?
It feels as though it took weeks to clear the space underneath the stairs, but finally the deed is done. As Lover stops and stairs at his work well done, he barely notices the commotion around him. Perhaps, in the distance, he hears vague shouts of “cellar” and “downstairs”, but he only mumbles, “Yes, the stairs.”
ReplyDeleteHe continues to stare at the small open space for what feels like an eternity, as if entranced by it, as if it were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Then, suddenly and without warning, reality smacks him in the face, and he is aware of his surroundings again.
“We have to get under the stairs,” he shouts, but no one is around.
Where did everybody go?
He starts searching for the other survivors, and spots a little girl, cowering in the corner. He scoops her up in his massive arms and makes a joke about becoming stair people, then heads back to his cubby hole, closing the door behind him.
Reflex: 9 + 2 = 11
"My name is Belger Baremus, and I don't care where you come from or what heathen gods you worship, I'll be damned to the Nine Hells before a woman preaches to me under my own roof," bellows the hulking farmer, "even if it is blown five miles away by now!" His gangly son huddles next to him, knowing his father's fury only too well.
ReplyDelete"All I care about now is what has happened to my wife! If you strange folk can't mend her, then the storm can have you for all I care," his eyes find Mira in the flickering lamplight in a corner of the room near some boxes. The platinum-haired young woman has a number of the smaler children gathered around her. "And you can have this one, too! I give her a place to sleep and food to fill her belly and for what? Things have gone sour ever since I let you in my door! And this tops it all! After tonight, there might be nothing left of my farm!" Those present cannot tell if it is the storm overhead that causes the ceiling above to shake, or Belger's anger.
Meanwhile, up above, Lover holds the quivering little girl close. He is pretty sure she is screaming, but he can't hear a thing. Thankfully, unless the house is completely blown off its foundations, the shelter they've found should protect them well.
Celladora is frustrated with the large angry man as she has done nothing but try to protect the children around her; whom she assumes are his children. She notices that there is one older boy who talked to his father however she tries to look around to see who else is in the cellar. She feels the time for this man endangering those around him should come to an end and she wants to seize up the rest of the competition. The boy will likely need to be subdued however she checks to see if any others are old or large enough that they also may pose a problem. She does not make her intentions known, she simply gazes around her. Hoping that she can later rely on those she came with to help her subdue the man and boy, to ensure no harm comes to the others. As she scans the cellar she has her hand on Wolf’s head and she slowly slides closed to the female she joined in the woods, so that she may attempt to communicate with her.
ReplyDeletePerception check: 18 + 5 = 23
Besides Belger, his convalescent wife, and George, there are roughly a half-dozen dark-haired boys & girls here, ranging in age from three to twelve, you'd guess. Then there's the fair-skinned, platinum-locked young woman who is perhaps older than George, but doesn't look related by blood to the others.
ReplyDeleteCelladora moves closer to Imagen who is standing up to the massive farmer, and Wolf keeps right at her side. The priestess still has no idea if her own voice functions, however.
Imagen takes a breath to ponder the new situation. It seems that there might be an opening here.
ReplyDeleteImagen scoffs loudly. "Ha! 'Heathen' you call me? Are you some holy Paladin now? Ready to mete out who is most Righteous and who is not? Who do you pray to, then, O mighty Paladin of Righteousness?
But soft! I see, your powers of Laying-of-hands do not serve you now where your darling wife is concerned. Very well, since you have opened yourself to our Trust and begged our Assistance, we shall be gracious and see if you posses the required Humility for our Grace.
Give us some space, so that I may hold council with my Sister and we shall discuss if you are have moved us deeply enough to give your wife Healing.
Come, Sister."
OOC: Diplomacy roll 14 + 10 = 24.
BIC: Imagen takes Celladora's arm and moves them as far away from prying ears as they can get. To maintain secrecy, she puts her mouth to the elf's ear to communicate, whispering low.
"Sorry about that, but, did you say you are an actual cleric, yeah? Do you think you could look the wife over? If you could do something for her, I might be able to get this guy to back off a little longer. Otherwise I may have to stab him a little bit, but that would make me responsible for all these kids, and I just don't have time for that right now.
What do you think?"
Celladora considers what Imagen has brought forth, though is hesitant because the man does no seem willing to let them near his family.
ReplyDeleteShe attempts to speak, "I will try, though the man may not let me near her."
Celladora then attempts to move slowly towards the wife, keeping her attention focused on the man and his reaction.
Perception check: 5+5=10
A sly smile slips onto Imagen's face. "Just do what you know," she whispers back. "And I'll do what I know."
ReplyDeleteImagen turns around, her face a stone wall of Imperiousness, proclaiming, "My Sister and I have consented to investigate your wife's ills. Please tell us the symptoms, and how long she has had them. If you prove Covenant enough, and your Love Gift prove sufficient, we may beseech She That Knows for some manner of alleviation. Please give us room and only speak when spoken to. Such sublime rituals are delicate enough, and, if you did not know, there seems to be a storm nearby."
Imagen hopes she can keep the fat man on his heels long enough for the cleric to do something...or at least make it look good.
She keeps her eyes moving, looking for either some sign from the prone wife, or some signal that the fat man is about to crack.
She also wishes she knew what 'Covenant' meant, but it sounds good.
OOC: Perception check = 14 + 6 = 20.
Celladora mouths some words, but no sound issues forth.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Imagen, your perception check was sufficient for you to read her lips & get the gist of what she was trying to say. Casting spells with verbal components will be impossible, however.
BIC: The huge man continues to look down scowling at Imagen, but he makes no move to impede the elf from kneeling by the woman's side.
Even without a detailed examination, Celladora can tell that the woman is malnourished, about twenty pounds underweight, and severely traumatized. She breathes heavily and moves her mouth as if trying to speak. Though apparently Belger's wife, she seems much older than he. Her terror-stricken eyes look up and her thin arms weakly reach up for Celladora's autumn locks.
OOC: You may attempt a Heal check, if you wish, or anything else you can think of.
Imagen gives Celladora some room, hoping the elf can actually do something. Her eyes darting nervously around the room, wondering what was going to break first.
ReplyDeleteThen the prone, terrified, malnourished...almost -skeletal- woman reaches up for her.
[Knowledge: Local check: 19 + 6 = 25]
Oh no.
"Yes, Sister!" says Imagen overly loud as she firmly grasps the woman's wrists and lays them down on her lap, before gently pushing the elf back with a forearm.
"This is indeed a unique case! One we will have to pray on most Devoutly!" She gives her attention back to the man. "But you! You have not yet said what the symptoms are! Out with it man! Why is she underfed? Does she eat the food you give her? Does she keep it down? Or is she addicted to the spirits and forgets to eat?
How long has this gone on?"
Imagen keeps speaking, but now it's almost as if she's talking to Celladora. "For we MUST know these things before we can treat her properly. Understand? The woman's condition seems be quite...grave."
Master Sssardok talked to her about Vampires. But she never actually thought she'd see one.
No, that's silly. The lady is clearly not one of those. She would've drained the household by now.
Imagen doesn't understand what is going on, but whatever the fat man has to say, she needs to here.
And where in the nine hells is Lover? Boy would a big, strong man make this much much easier right now!
I have no fear of Belger. I'm aware of my physical strength. I just don't go around advertising it and tempting fate. But I am in "do" mode and not "talk" mode at the moment. So I ask Celladora if I can help. I explain that I have health training.
ReplyDeleteBelger looks down at Imagen, "I grow very sick of your questions, dark witch. Do you ever shut up? You are given shelter in my home, then do nothing but make accusations. Can the elf help her or not?" Sadly, Celladora is unable to make any response to anyone at the moment.
ReplyDeleteSuddenly, one of the young girls shrieks in terror. She points up to the rafters in the far corner of the cellar (opposite the staircase), and then hides her face against Mira's leg.
OOC: Perception checks, everyone in the cellar.
"Hey little girl, don't cry. Dry your eye. Even though, in the sky, the, ummmm, the things fly...by, and in here, we are just all riiiggghhh......t."
ReplyDeleteRhyming seemed to make the most sense. After all, stories for children were always full of rhymes, right? Still, Lover wasn't very good at coming up with rhymes on the spot, so he tried a different tactic.
"What's your name little girl? My name's Lover, and I'm big and strong so I can beat up this big bad storm. Don't worry. If it tries to come in here, I'll punch it right in the face. Seriously, I'll do it. I've punched storms in the face before, so I've built up a reputation. When storms get together to chat about the weather..."
Hey, that rhymed!
Lover paused to soak up the enjoyment from his accidental rhyme, then continued, "Where was I? Oh yeah, when they chat about the weather, they're all like, 'Yeah, but stay away from that Lover. Better not mess with his friends, or little girls, 'cuz if you're a storm, he'll punch you. He will punch you right in the face. He'll do it! He's nice to his friends and little girls, but he doesn't like mean old storms. He will p-u-n-c-h. PUNCH! you in the face. For serious.'"
As he continued his attempts to comfort the little girl, his mind began to turn towards his friends. He hoped they made it to safety all right. Should he attempt to find them? It was quite dangerous out there, but what if they needed his help? What should he do?
Celladora, having had her senses dazed by the storm finds her mind has wandered. However as she comes back into awareness she notices the little girls reaction and suddenly remembers the sensation of being scratched while in the closet upstairs. She wonders if what the girl sees is related and she looks to where the girl seemed to be looking.
ReplyDeletePerception check: 5+5=10
Imagen loses control of her emotions as the fat man continues to try to exert his authority. She snaps her fingers in his face as though trying to wake a sleeping person. "Hello? Hello? Is there anybody in there? We. Are. Trying. To. Help. You. Now does. She. Have. Any. Other. Symptoms? Is she just catatonic or does she do anything? What happened to make her this way? What have done that--"
ReplyDeleteAt the shriek she quickly turns her head, scanning the rafters.
Her right hand comes down and, hidden in the folds of her garment, palms Wanderlust. Just in case.
[Perception = 14 + 6 = 20.]
Above a pile of boxes, teetering haphazardly atop a pyramid of old furniture, Imagen can see a small, brown figure skittering around the rafters. It was virtually invisible a moment ago -- Celladora still cannot see a thing -- but then it moved. It appears to be cloaked in filthy tatters, but it moves like a rodent, clambering from beam to beam with ease.
ReplyDeleteJust as Imagen spots the thing, it freezes in place once again, except its head. A frightful mask, looking like a pale gray skull of a small animal, cranes in her direction. Black eyesockets gaze right into her soul.
OOC: Only a few people have seen what Imagen sees (the wife -- apparently -- and a couple children), but everyone is getting very panicked with their reactions. Fear is spreading through an already tense cellar.
The creature is about twenty feet away and roughly eight feet off the ground. Plus there are many people and piles of junk between Imagen's position and where the thing stopped moving. So, one cannot just run up to it and smack it. It's crowded & cluttered down here.
Lover -- Make a Diplomacy check.
OOC: Can I get a slightly better description? You call it a 'creature' but is it a mishaped humaniod, like Gollum, or is it like a spider? Or demon? Or, um, a fly or insect? How small. Like rat small or small child small? How many arms and legs?
ReplyDeleteThe tension grabs at Imagen like hands of an old lecher. "What do you here?" she shouts at the thing. "What possible purpose does a thing like you have here amongst so decent a people? Out with it, spawn of the Nine Hells! Speak and leave quickly, lest you join your masters in a manner more intimate than you're willing to risk!"
ReplyDeleteWanderlust screams for blood in her palm, but she manages, barely to contain it.
Diplomacy: 11 + 7 = 18
ReplyDeleteCelladora is confused by the reactions of those around her. There are so many people and she has only just recently left her solitary life amongst the forest. She looks for Wolf in an attempt to ground herself and remember who she is and where she came from. She knows his presence will comfort her, and hers him.
ReplyDeleteThe little girl with a messy mop of brown hair looks up at Lover with her dark eyes. The wind howls and loud clatters and thumps are all around them in the cramped little space. The girl finally thows her arms around the warrior's neck (not all the way around... Lover's is a bit too big for her tiny arms), and she clings there tightly. Though there is still a storm raging outside, it does seem to be calming slightly. Perhaps just for a moment.
ReplyDeleteIn the cellar, Imagen bravely calls out to the strange figure that is now crouched atop a crate high in a dark corner of the room. It is motionless for a moment, but then it tips its head slightly to one side as it gazes at the Touv woman. Is this curiosity? In any case, it does not speak, though many of the other people clustered together are confused as to who Imagen is speaking to.
A few of the children are in a terrible panic however and the farmer's wife appears particularly agitated, as well. Some of the youngest are screaming and trying to climb up on the nearest adult they can find. Belger roars as a small boy starts tugging on his trousers, "what is wrong with you? What is going on around here? Who are you talking to, she-devil?"
The farmer's voice and the children's shrieks seem louder than usual... could the storm be abating up above? Celladora is kneeling on the cold stone floor next to the sick woman's cot. She wraps both arms around Wolf's furry neck. Hopefully this nightmare will soon be over.
Celladora, trying to make sense of the scene looks around her. She then looks to the women who is lying down and asks "what is the matter, why are you so upset?"
ReplyDeleteShe feels that the abatement of the storm is imminent and she plans to leave as soon as she is sure. Though she feels guilty the children do not seem to be well taken care of, she knows humans are odd and adds this as more personal experience which serves to prove that point.
Perception check: 20+5=25
Once again, the elf priestess attempts to move her lips to shape words, but no breath comes out of her. This accursed silence! Everything else arond her is chaos, and she cannot utter a single sound!
ReplyDeleteBut suddenly, the farmer's wife grips Celladora closely and tries to mouth some words of her own. No sound issues forth, but nevertheless Celladora can hear speaking with her keen elven ears. The rushing of the winds above (which had been a roar) and the cacophony of the panicked voices all around do not drown it out.
"She's just a little girl! A baby! She's our baby!" The voice is that of a grown woman, but it quavers and has a sob in it. "She can help. She can help me in the kitchen! She'll be mama's helper when I'm cooking, won't you, sweetie? Please, don't put her out there! It's cold. Please!" The woman who is lying on the cot continues to try talking but her mouth is moving to different words than the ones Celladora hears.
Imagen keeps her eyes on the small creature. She doesn't want to lose sight of it in all this clutter and the dimness of the cellar. The thing stares at Imagen for another heartbeat, but then makes a dash across the boxes, trunks & furniture heaped around the perimeter of the room. It heads towards the lantern that is sitting on a crate across the cellar. As it moves, more of the children see it, and the space erupts with shrill screams. Little ones en masse race towards the stairs despite the very real danger of the storm outside.
Even Belger, who seems occupied with shouting at everyone around him, finally spins his head about to find out what all the commotion is about. He spots the tattered shape skitter over the piles like a rodent. "What in the HELL is that!"
OOC: Everyone who looks can see the creature now. It's headed for the lantern, but the area is so cluttered with people and piled up junk, it is difficult to move even a short distance. The thing is bypassing the mess by traveling on top of all the stuff piled everywhere (especially along the walls).
Everyone in the room needs to make a Reflex save and then state their actions.
Celladora is confused by the women's ramblings. But before she can ponder for any length of time she finally sees what it is that has caused the others to become so upset. She looks to wolf and says "capture" in an attempt to capture the creature. She feels Wolf is more nimble and his smaller frame allows him to move easier amongst the chaos.
ReplyDeleteReflex save=15+1=16
[Reflex save = 14 + 5 = 19]
ReplyDeleteAs the...creature...scampers off, Imagen catches the faintest of signals pass from the elf to her beast, and it steels her resolve. Wanderlust leaps up as her arm cocks like a heavy crossbow, releasing the dagger with a furious velocity filled with pent up rage and importance at least released into action.
Still hesitant to kill the thing, but seeing that it should not be allowed free movement, she angels the shot at a leg, hoping to assist the beast in its duty.
[Thrown dagger atk, called shot: leg = 18 + 3 -2 = 19. dmg = 1 + 1 = 2]
Though Celladora still cannot utter a word, Wolf instinctively growls at the creature and stays by his mistress' side to protect her.
ReplyDeleteImagen manages to keep her balance as several children race past her in their desperate attempt to get as far from the tiny horror as they can. With a flick of her wrist, the Touv woman sends a blade flying end over end towards the creature as it scampers across the piles of junk.
Though aiming for its leg, the limb is so small, that it makes a miniscule target. Nonetheless, the weapon does hit. Shrugging off the attack, the small creature reaches the lantern & proceeds to smash it on the floor with a push. Suddenly, the room is plunged into darkness, and the children's screams reach a deafening level.
OOC: Still can't talk, Celladora! Everyone now cannot see (and it is difficult to hear at the moment, too).
Everything has been total chaos thus far, but now let's start a traditional initiative order. Here's how things will shake out:
1. The Creature (knocked over lamp on its turn)
2. Celladora
3. Mira
4. Imagen
Celladora is up next, then Mira.
The penalties for not being able to see are -2 AC penalty, no Dexterity bonus to AC, -4 on Str/Dex-based skill checks, opponents have total concealment (50% miss chance). A DC 10 Acrobatics check is needed to move faster than 1/2 speed.
Lover swears he can hear screaming, but perhaps it is just the screams of the wind. He looks to the child, "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going to try to communicate with the others."
ReplyDeleteLover opens the staircase door and peeks out just a bit. "Ca caw, ca caw!" He squacks as loud as he can, then strains to listen for a reply.
Perception: 9 + 2 = 12
Lover can actually hear some commotion from somewhere else in the house. The deafening storm has begun to fade off in the distance (though the wind is still blowing terribly hard and it is very dark outside). The little girl continues to cling to him tightly.
ReplyDeleteThe storm has ripped away a rather large section of the west side of the house.
OOC: The rest of you can attempt Perception rolls, but it won't be easy. The cellar is mass chaos at the moment.