"Oh hi there Svetlana!" Illthir greets their host and hurries up to her so she too can watch the commotion. And chit-chat a bit. "Nice morning so far? 'cept the bloody rider and all?"
"Careful with the horse too! It looks like it's trying to decide if it is to die of fear or exhaustion!" She calls out to the guardsmen. Ah this didn't really look song-worthy. Probably for the better, she didn't enjoy major upheaval before breakfast. Back to Svetlana. "Do you know if there's any leftovers from yesterday? Somehow I'm hungry again..."
Scarlet waits for Alia to finish packing up... do all elves take this long?
"Oh my gods.... What's that?" Kesten says.
Trying to get at the ropes binding the rider he pulls the cloak away to reveal the struggling, animate corpse of Fat Norry! His skin is grey with dirt and death. His eyes fogged over and his neck is slit from ear to ear. A small slate placard has been tied around his neck with a bit of cramped chalk scrawl upon it followed by a the chalk outline of a stag's skull.
Round 1! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Zokon
__ Numalar
__ Illthir
__ Everyone else (NPCs)
__ the Ex-bandit
"Oy- what's going on out there? Alia, I'm going to check."
Scarlet heads to the door and opens it, looking at the commotion. "Fat Norry? I guess this is how the Stag Lord rewards failure."
Round 1! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Zokon
__ Numalar
__ Illthir
__ Scarlet (steps outside)
__ Everyone else (NPCs)
__ the Ex-bandit
Celyne heads to go outside to see what's going on... blinks in surprise at the scene before her. "What's that cask? Is it going to explode?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
As soon as she finds herself alone with the Fey in the sleeping chamber, Alia violently murders Erevenywg...in a momentary daydream about getting rid of the strange Fey before she can fulfill her dark destiny.
Shaking off those atypical thoughts with a shudder, she follows Scarlet outside wondering what came over her.
Zokon seps out from the bunks to see the creature on the horse and he makes a quick observation on the potential dangers.
"Get back in case the cask has something noxious in it.. even better someone lead the horse back outside the fort and i'll shoot the NorryZom."
Zokon will ready his bow with an arrow, using studied target on the ZombieNorry and hope someone more capable with animals gets it outside.
"Ew!" Illthir agrees with the general assessment of the situation. Guess there's no chance of that food before this is resolved ... she thought sadly/hungrily and stepped up in front of Svetlana. She also felt that she agreed with Zokon's assessment of the situation. At best that cask would contain rotting stinking guts. And that wasn't a very good best. "Yeah let's get that *thing* outside! And carefully!"
Then she moved up closer (Eww let's hope I don't regret this!) and did her best to help restrain and/or get that thing out of the trading post.
Some of the people in attendance step backward a bit, but then stop at the mention of moving the horse out of the bailey and look at one another.
"Right. You heard the man, let's take it out of here before anything else happens."
"Oy, What's that placard say?"
"'Paybacks are-'"
Magical force strikes out in all directions.
The keg immediately explodes showering those nearby in fire.
The western wall of the bunkhouse collapses and bunkbed falls out of the second story.
The crows on the rooftops all take to the air, calling.
The zombie of Fat Norry and the terrified horse Sadie more or less disappear in the combined explosions. The horse's body is driven into the ground and the top-half of Norry lands a moment later on the stable rooftop. Paun, Pease, Oleg, and Kesten are all blown off their feet. Only Kesten is able to fight his way back to his feet dazed, burned, his face, breastplate, and arms abraded by bent nails, and bits of bone, and wood.
The last bits of debris fall lazily to the earth.
Svetlana screams.
Round 2!
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ The Party
__ Everyone else (NPCs)
Scarlet is close enough to see it all, the carnage, the fire, the explosion, but she's too far away to be injured. She stays alert and moves up to one of the guards, helping him stand up. "Hurry up, we might be under attack."
She turns to Svetlana. "Get inside the bunkhouse. Makdoon will keep you safe. I'll check on Oleg. Now go, quick!"
|
Numalar totters, his ears ringing.
"What the devil was that? Is everyone all right?"
Numalar runs over to the group that were just north of the horse, and tries to see who is the worst off.
He attempts to assist whoever is most hurt (or Oleg if I can't tell who needs it the most), and calls out...
...and places his hands on the wounded man. Golden light spills from his hands, running over the body like water.
"Celyne! Get down here! Jhod! Can you channel energy? Quickly!"
Trusting that the injured will be cared for. Zokon will make his way up to the parapet/walkway next to the gate and look around.
When the Wall next to her explodes, Alia's first through is to grab her Estoc...then rolling into cover behind her bed, away from the Wall.
Obviously surprised, moments later a wary-looking elven Head emerges slowly from behind said bed, trying to make sense of what just happened.
"Aww-fuuu!" Illthir barely had time to bring her arms up in front of her face before everything went to s~#$. Stuff like this was why she should to sing about heroics really. Trying them was painful. On the bright side the warm vaguely-fleshy chunks took away every trace of her hunger and appetite, possibly forever. Smells a bit like sizzled bacon... Well that didn't last long.
Not the most intermediate problem though! She wasn't much of a healer, so she stepped back to give those whom knew what they were doing a chance and some space. But she could help a little so she started to chant just like in the kobold caves. Instead of a frenzied battle chant it was paced like a dirge and the previously furious spirits lazied about as if unsure why they were called.
The big man behind Jhod catches the shepherd as he stumbles backward. Jhod then moves forward and calls upon Erastil's mercy for the fallen.
Kesten stumbles over to Pease. Guardsman Mann rushes around the corner to check on Paun. Svetlana ignores Scarlet and rushes to Oleg's side.
"Whit th' Hells was 'at?! Cannae a cheil sleep! Och! Whit happened?"
|
|
Jhod then moves forward and calls upon Erastil's mercy for the fallen.
"Thank you, Shepherd!" Numalar calls out, feeling the wave of energy wash over him.
"Whit th' Hells was 'at?! Cannae a cheil sleep! Och! Whit happened?"
"Either a Storm Giant farted or we've been attacked! Which would you prefer?"
What does Zokon see beyond the wall.?
Stumbling outside, weapon drawn, Alia sees Zokon on the Lookout, and shouts up:"Zokon! What do your human-eyes see?"
There is a report like distant thunder that reverberates through the dawn sky.
The small party's ill-kept horses whinny.
The big addle-brained man looks up from his toy soldiers at the clouds above. He companions look to the northwest. One, the elf, pulls his spyglass and sets it to his eye.
"Did we get 'em? Did we get the bastards who killed my brother?" asks Ayles Meresen.
"And Dovan." says the hulking idiot, Auchs, wondering what everyone is looking at, until he sees the plume of black from the direction of the little fort. Auchs wants a little fort to play in with his soldiers.
"Dovan was my friend." Auchs says dully.
"Well they certainly got the message...." the elf says adjusting the focus.
"They shouldn't just explode. They should suffer. Like really, really suffer. Killin' Jeb while he was in still in his nightshirt. It's like-"
"Banditry." The elf says cutting Ayles short. Really it was hard to which of his fellows was more the idiot. Salzarus the Black had no affection for any of the bandits, they were just his current means to his end--to get enough treasure to return home and kill all of his enemies with. That and other things.... He patted the sack with the girl's head in it. He had been glad when Dovan had died--the man was dangerous, he was not as dangerous as the man who had replaced him as the Stag Lord's Number Two, but dangerous like a snake. That was Salzarus's niche, and he could not abide another. He would never be the Stag Lord's Number Two. No one liked a mage who dabbled in the magics that he did, not even when they hurt his foes. That, and it had become a thankless job anyway.
"Time to go."
And with that they quietly departed.
"It's no good." says the shepherd after a few moments work. "They're dead... All of 'em...."
"I'm sorry." he says, his voice breaking.
A moment later, Svetlana faints.
Scarlet drops her swords, picks up Svetlana and carries her to her room. No words needed. This woman will need more help, but right now she needs to rest.
Scarlet waits outside her room.
"Oh..." Illthirs chant dies away with a sigh. Now that was something she couldn't help fix . For a few more moments she stared at the chaotic mess before she turned towards the gate. But there were no enemies there, not that she could see and the lookouts were quiet. With a pout she found the closest spot where she could sit down, brought out her waterskin and mumbled a spell, and drank deeply of the sweet wine. Damn. Lousy morning.
Now that he has seen no danger Zokon will look around and assess the damage.. "Who was injured?"
Alia waits, staying defensive, her eyes darting from the entrance to the Shepherd, to Zokon, to Erevenwyg - followed by hastily scrambling away from the Fey.
It seemed that people had died - this was not the time for hasty questions - she had no idea WHAT just happened, but it was not good.
That was enough knowledge, for now.
Zokon realising he hadn't imparted information "Nothing.. I may have seen a glint far off in the hills, but nothing that I can make out, it seems we are safe at the moment."
The day is inappropriately sunny.
Svetlana does not come out of the main house.
MakDoon doesn't push to be off.
Erevenywg silently watches everyone.
The kobolds stay in the stable.
Kesten and his remaining men (Acting-Corporal Mann, and the new guard from Gralton, Platzholder) prepare to see to the bodies, once they determine the area is safe.
Kesten deputizes Wilbur and Chick to stand watch.
There's no one left to fix the bunkhouse wall.
Later that morning. The visiting nobles from Brevoy arrive with a larger entourage than the one they left with. Besides the Lord Magister, Solvis Orlovsky, Tybolt Langrave and their guard, the party sees that Samuel Renault has come with a few local men, as well a another nobleman with his own pair of guardsmen. All of them come astride horse or carriage.
"What the blazes happened here!" exclaims Renault in surprise. "We thought the whole outpost had burned to the ground."
"Zokon, you mentioned you may have seen a glint off in the hills...that horse was terrified, it certainly did not carry the animate corpse here by itself, someone brought it close by. Lets see if you can find any tracks near where you thought you saw something. I'm not a Tracker, but I'd like to accompany you regardless. The atmosphere here is...suffocating."
Of course, graves would need to be dug, plans needed to be made, and some talking with a few people wouldn't hurt, either. But Alia felt up for none of those tasks right now...but learning if there might be a chance to take revenge by following a trail...that could be worth trying...
Scarlet wanders out, tired. She wanted to be that crying shoulder for Svetlana. With Oleg...dead, Scarlet had no idea what she would do. Scarlet felt happy returning the ring to Oleg. Watching Svetlana pour her heart into the moonradish stew (even if it was too bitter...)
Someone was bringing people back from the dead. Well no, not back. But this, the wedding couple, that damn nightmare Erevenywg saved her from. Scarlet knew who was behind it, and she knew why. She was going to meet her brother, wipe out the bandits and bring the Stag Lord's body right to the river ghost to deliver him to his hellish prison.
"What the blazes happened here!" exclaims Renault in surprise. "We thought the whole outpost had burned to the ground."
"The Stag Lord." That's all Scarlet tells Renault before turning to MacDoon. "Let's head back to the Company. I've got a target for them, and I'll dig my way out of debt for the rest of my life if I need to."
"Shepherd Jhod. I think Svetlana needs you more than ever. My hands are too bloody." Scarlet wipes away tears from her face.
"Zokon, you mentioned you may have seen a glint off in the hills...."
"What the blazes happened here!" exclaims Renault in surprise. "We thought the whole outpost had burned to the ground."
"The Stag Lord." That's all Scarlet tells Renault before turning to MacDoon. "Let's head back to the Company. I've got a target for them, and I'll dig my way out of debt for the rest of my life if I need to."
"Anyain else comin'?"
"Grave news indeed, perhaps we should apoint a military ruler to see to scouring of this bandit menace and administration of the territory." the Magister says turning to the other nobles, a scowling Renault included.
"I'd like to accompany Alia but I'm a bit injured, Father Jhod can you provide some healing magic please, so I can go out and see if we can find some tracks?"
Either way Zokon will head out with Alia and look for tracks
"Let's go Alia, we can't wait too long."
|
|
"My lord, you picked an ill time to return... though it would have been worse if you had been here when it happened. Enough people have died today, including Goodman Oleg. I can't imagine what Svetlana is going through now."
"Whoever did this had knowledge both of necromancy and alchemy. A dangerous combination, and both things we haven't really seen so far out here."
Numalar turns to Alia and Zokon.
"If there is a chance of tracking the villains responsible, we should do so now. The longer we wait, the more likely we lose the trail."
Numalar brings out Sir Didymus and starts getting his saddle set up.