Seeing the look on George's face, and guessing the farmer is going into shock, he continues quickly.
"Listen to me George. They're moving out of the town. Some will come this way. You and your daughters are in danger. Everyone in the area is in danger. We don't know how many people have been affected."
I have to tell him, for Elspeth's sake.
"The ones we talk of. They are dead, George. They are dead, but they still walk."
"Sergeant, I don't know that there's much I can do for you right now. Ideally, I'd say rest under supervision and care, but I don't know that we're in a good place and time for that. "
Turning to the rest, he continues: "I think we should get ready to move out. I was planning to head for Drummond's Point. If this...infestation has spread to there, we should still be able to confiscate a small boat, get word out to the Kingdom at large. Did anyone have other goals, or other plans?"
Will, can you have a peek out the shutters, there, see what might be moving around? I don't move as quickly as I used to, and, for obvious reasons, I'd just as soon keep my armor on... If they are thick on the ground, we might have to come up with a way to draw them off before we make a break for it."
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The sergeant looks thoughtful, seriously concentrating for a while.
We could find a lot of that same stuff, here in town - just not so concentrated.
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Git OUT...the lot 'o ya! George is standing in the doorway leading to the back of the house, where the bedrooms are, with a standard militia longspear in his hand. He's using it to gesture at the rather rough-looking fellow that was 'leading' the group that came in in the middle of the night.
In the light, it's apparent that he's wearing the same light armor the constabulary wears...and carrying one of their signature batons, as well...What ya gonna do, old man?
The other latecomers are arrayed around him, all armed and looking antsy.
...and then, Hob enters. All eyes slide toward the door. George growls at first...then looks directly at Hob, and speaks, his voice hard. I got a family to protect. Help me escort this lot through the door, then maybe we kin talk.
The apparent guardsman sneers. The old man doesn't get it. This is our place, now. Join up.
Hob pauses a while, then spits "Townies. All that talk of 'Rule of Law' and looking down their nose at the Family. Takes less than a day for them to forget it."
Looking at the 'leader' he continues in what is, for him, an epic speech
"But you? You're bad at this. You do this now, you'll never be able to sleep without wondering which of your folk are going to kill you to take your place. When things go wrong, and they will, they'll blame you. Worst - this place can't be held."
He turns to George
"You can't hold this place against what's coming - quick and dead. You try to hold it, you're daughters'll end up raped, dead, or both."
He stands up straighter
"I Am The Hob. You helped me George, so I'll help you. You and yours can come with me to the Dell. We've been fortifying it for years. It can be held. You and yours'll be safe. Once I get my Cousins together no-one round here can hold out against us. Dell's got food. Safety. Numbers."
"This is just a house. Family is more important. And the land'll be here when these lot are dead."
Looking around he continues - and he looks past the leader at some of the other latecomers
"Maybe some of you might be some use. Might have a place in the Dell for those who are useful, and can be trusted."
Hob looks at the apparent guardsman "But not you."
"Now, I don't see the point of a fight here. Noise might attract what we're all running from. But if you want a fight, well, I'm happy to oblige. You bring your baton and your peace-keeping and I'll bring my axe."
"You want this building for some townie-stupid reason. I don't. You can have the food left in the pantry. You let George bring out his kids and a sack of their stuff each. You let any who want to go, go."
Hob shrugs
"You do that, no-one needs to die today."
Will thought about their possible courses of action from here on out while he looked at the others.
"Either we go to the barracks where we know useful equipment and most likely more undead can be found, or we go into town trying to look for equipment, survivors and trying to avoid the little groups of undead we come across. I'm up for either, but I'm not so certain what you all think?"
Timothy stands quietly in the corner and casts Mage Armor on himself.
Once the Hobs's flowery speech is done he walks over to stand next to him, glaring at the newcomer and his baton. He spoke sense and the other man was obviously a bully. Timothy hated bullies.
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There is definite tension in the air.
I ain't givin' up my home. Not to this lot. George seems resolute.
You're a stupid old man.
Dad? What's going on? Elspeth sounds like she's still half asleep.
Hob looks at Timothy with surprise when the small townie comes to join him staring down the newcomers.
When Elspeth turns up he clarifies
"These men want your house. Your father doesn't want to give it up. I have said he should take his family and come with me."
Hob shrugs
"Your father is a brave man. I think he is about to be a brave, dead man."
"I'm inclined to scout the barracks, first. At least we know that what we need is there. Wandering about town may or may not yield less opposition, but also may or may not yield what we need."
Timothy didn't say anything, he didn't feel too confident in his ability to cow these townspeople, they were all so much bigger than him and people like them had bullied him his whole life. But he thought the Hob was right so it puffed up his chest and nodded his agreement.
(+3 Cha, -4 Size)
The sergeant is severely wounded and I suspect the little lass will probably scream at the things we might encounter down the road...Not sure if we should leave them here either
When everyone is packed and the coast is clear, we'll step out of the southern door of the shrine and begin heading east, staying between the buildings along the 'y' line until column 29, then working our way through the trees southeast to the eastern edge of the Grounds. Then we'll work our way south along the east edge to the buildings in the southeast corner, which I presume contains an armory of some sort.
Of course, this is all subject to change in the event of encounters...
Crazy Will, do you want to take the lead? Bill can follow, then Lisdi and Sarge, and Father Krenlin will bring up the rear. Am I missing anyone? Does this plan work for everyone?
Hob looks at George, then with the insight of a leader of hard people he explains.
"I wasn't trying to drive him off. I was trying to save your family. I don't think this place can be held. That moron just lost face in front of his followers. Every time someone challenges him, they will remember this, he will remember this."
"He will have to come back."
"They're probably not expecting us to track them down and murder them ." Hob shrugs "Maybe we could win that fight."
"If they come back to take you, the fight will bring whatever the Townies have turned into."
"Best thing we can do is take what we can and get to the Dell. It is not as pretty as here, but it can be defended."
"Whether you are coming or not, I need to go warn the Family."
"Agreed, Will. Lets move back up to the Kingsroad, and move west across the bridge. If we're followed, that can be a choke point."
Realising he's getting nowhere The Hob sighs
"It is your family though. You know where I live. If you change your mind, find me."
His Family needs him. The Hob nods to those around him and sets off
"Those coming to the Dell, we leave now."
I hope she comes
Timothy glances at the Hob then back at George the farmer a couple of times wondering what he should do. Farmer George might be stubborn but that wouldn't keep the things in the village from tearing him apart if they came here. He spoke pleadingly to the Hob, he barely knew the man but he had to try.
"Those things will come and kill them, you're not really going to leave them here are you? To Die, torn to pieces by those things that are coming? Just like all those people in the street. You need to convince him!"
There was fear and horror in his voice, brought back by his own memory of what he'd seen in front of the shop. He couldn't help the tear that rolled down his cheek. His final words to no one in particular, his eyes glazed in memory.
"They tore those poor people apart right there in front of us, there was nothing we could do."
"What is it you want me to do?!" there is anger in The Hob's voice and he speaks as though George is not there.
"I've tried to convince him. He only cares about his house! The only thing I can still do is kidnap him and his family, and all that will happen is that they'll run away and get killed getting back here!"
He shakes his head sadly, calming down.
"Hopefully some of them will survive when the things attack. If we can come back with numbers soon enough we might be able to save them."
Looking at Timothy
"I burned his barn down once. He doesn't trust me. You're a Townie, he might trust you"
Timothy knew that the Hob was right, there was nothing more he could do without resorting to force. He looked over at the farmer's family then at George himself.
"Don't let your pride force you into a decision you'll regret. What he said is true, wood and mortar can be replaced. Can you say the same about your wife or your children? I've seen what these things can do. If you choose to stay you'll need to hide, board up the windows and keep the lights low at night. They seem to hunt in packs and they're drawn to noise. And if they catch you, may the gods have mercy on your soul because they will not."
He then looked back to the Hob, not waiting for the man to respond.
"We should go while we have the light, I don't want to get caught out there in the dark. Where is this place that you mentioned, the safe place?"
"The Dell. Hob's Dell, you Townies call it. My Family has lived there for generations, and we've never gone soft like you Townies. My Brothers and Cousins can keep us safe while we reinforce defences. The cliffs form natural barriers that will help keep out the monsters, and the hunting is good."
The old knight lays a comforting hand on Lisdi's shoulder and says, quietly, "You've been very brave, very good, so far, Lisdi. A little while longer, and we can rest a bit in the temple. Thank you, child. Just a little longer. "
With George obviously unmoved by his plea Timothy looks from one to another of his family silently pleading with them to try to change his mind but he sees nothing in their eyes that would make him think that they were going to budge either. Then he turns and heads for the door to wait for the Hob and the rest of their ragtag bunch.
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(The carraigeworks is r-s/10-11.)
Timothy stops to listen and see if he can tell where the voices are coming from. They're obviously not zombies but they might still be dangerous.
The Hob, caught a little by surprise, spins around. As he spins he fingers his weapon's haft and looks to his brother.
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The door was unlocked, but the gentleman that should be here to greet you is not present. It's pretty rare that anyone with less prestige than a top-level craftsman gets far inside these doors...