EldonG |
It's just about a mile and a half from the outskirts of the town of New Greenleaf...or more precisely, the ruins of Old Greenleaf. There's a trail that's incredibly well-worn...good enough to get any cart or wagon through...it follows the banks of the Toliver river, just like it has for generations.
The militia doesn't train as much as it used to - it's been a pretty peaceful past seven years - but every able-bodied man in New Greenleaf has been there to learn how to fight, at least once or twice. Sergeant Forbes still maintains his small house there, and is available for beatin...er...training any new recruits seven days a week. What's more, Bill Godfrey's shop sits there, right off the trail, and he is usually toiling away at his anvil and forge, maintaining the militia's weapons and armor.
It's a nice spring day. It would be quiet, if Bill wasn't banging away, working out the final details on a blade for Jaer, who stands in his shop, waiting and watching...
This is assuming that Jaer will start with a dagger...at least.
Bill Godfrey |
A small shop in a wood copse, birds sing in the trees, the sound of a tapping hammer and a crackling fire can be heard. The shop is stone with a wood roof and is open to the air in a wide U shape.
Inside at the work bench sits a stout dwarf with a widebrimmed hat, thick cigar smoke drifts out into the morning air. A loud tapping can be heard every few moments. "Ting! Ting! Ting!" as the dwarf taps bits of metal with a small pin hammer. The dwarf is Bill Godfey, town handyman and militia weaponsmith. He hums a song.
"Ho! The hammers ring a ting ting ting as we sweat and toil over shiny things! With all this sweat, boy you can make a bet, all the things I make are the best things yet!" the dwarf descends into soft humming as he picks up his project and gazes at it with a scrutinizing eye.
Basil Kettering |
Normally, Basil's sojourns to the graveyard are a time for peaceful reflection; a time for solitude, when he is able to reflect on the truth of the fact that 'all men must die', and that in death, all men are equals, as their bodies return to the mud.
Today, however, there was a subtle wrongness to the silence... it was malignant, waiting, predatory; yet at the same time, it was as it always was - try as he might, Basil could not find anything out of place. Nonetheless, at the back of his mind, like a splinter, lodged and festering in his consciousness, was the feeling that something was very, very wrong... if only he had the wit to notice precisely what that was...
Also, dotting ;-)
Kaars Aarden |
"Welcome to Kaars Emporium. I have everything you could want, and if I don't have it it won't be long before I do. What interests you here?" You see a shop full of odd things of various practicality and impracticality, old things and new things. Chemicals reagents and various components fill small shallow bowls like a spice merchants tent. A cooking pot full of various tools strange and common lies near what looks like a dogs whistle but 3 times too large. Myriads of scents mix together to create something quite surreal. You see a variety of pipes and wonder what questionable substances are also supplied here. The only smell distinguishable from those assaulting your senses is the faint smell of old rotting wood. This building is quite old and could do with some renovations. Kaas smiles with only the left side of his face but he doesn't quite look at you.
EldonG |
Overall, it's a fairly quiet day...which means you can hear the workers over in Old Greenleaf, where there's always one or two buildings being renovated...or rubble being cleared. It's really a day like any other day, just with a clear blue sky...and a warm sun playing with a peaceful breeze.
...one of the better days.
Timothy Fletcher |
Male Halfling Sorcerer (Celestial) 1
"Good morning"
Timothy steps into the shop that he'd never noticed in town before. As his eyes adjust to the dim light in the shop he catches himself but only for a moment when he sees the Rat standing in front of him. He'd also never seen a talking rat before but he played it off as best he could, no point in being rude.
"You have quite an eclectic gathering of goods here, I'm quite impressed. But I've never seen this shop before, are you new to in town?"
Kaars Aarden |
"Why no." Kaars says hesitatingly trying to remember if he has seen this halfling before. But he couldn't say that he had. "I have only had the shop for a few years but I've been here for almost a dozen. Still I do not know everyone so it is no surprise to be seeing you for the first time today. Where did you hear about my shop from, if I may ask?"
Crazy Will |
Will is sitting in his shack, leafing through his notes and checking his supplies, like he does every day. "hmm, My food and water supplies are running low... I guess I have to go out hunting again." he says to no one in particular.
He packs some food, water and his gear. After he made certain the shack is locked he heads into the forest to hunt for the day. "I need to also pay Bill a visit. Should get myself a decent bear trap or two. Will need it if I ever want to catch that thing..."
At that point Will thinks back to the past and what he really wants, no needs to hunt. But not today...
take 10 on survival check (for a total of 16) to see if he can find some extra food and water.
Timothy Fletcher |
Male Halfling Sorcerer (Celestial) 1
Timothy blushed a little and stammered out his answer.
"um, I live with my mother, but I don't spend a lot of time in town. People in the town don't really like me to be around."
It only took him a moment, using the question about where he'd learned of the store to change the subject away from himself and back to the store and it's wonders.
"I was just coming back from the forest and saw the sign."
As he spoke the last he stepped farther into the store and picked up one of the bowls to smell it's contents, a scent that he'd never experienced before wafted to his nostrils and he set it back down quickly, trying to suppress a sneeze.
Basil Kettering |
Shaking himself from his reverie in the graveyard, Basil heads into town. Knowing he needs a refill on the alchemical reagent that he uses to strengthen his arrows, he heads over to the local alchemist's shop.
He nods to Kaars, and then blinks in surprise, when he realises that there is another customer.
"Oh, I am sorry; I did not realise that there was someone else in here. Do you require privacy for your purchases? I understand that some folk need... discretion... regarding some of their requirements."
Kaars Aarden |
"Well take a look around for as long as you like. Kaars will be around." he speaks matter of factly and bustles off to see to something in the back room, returning when he hears a newcomer push the door open which is rigged to ring a quiet bell in the back which only he can hear.
"Of course not Basil. Kaars has your regular package right here if you like. Another batch worth of my alchemical alloy compounds. Just one moment." Kaars scurries off into the back room of his shops storage area and less than a minute later he returns with a package marked with a 'B'. "I trust the hunting is good this time of year."
Basil Kettering |
Basil accepts the proffered package and nods.
"Thanks Kaars. You have always been reliable. The hunting hasn't been too bad; I have managed to get some nice pelts over the last few weeks. When I was coming back to town, though, I felt that there was something a little... off... I couldn't quite put my finger on it, until I realised that the animals were quieter; moreover, the only ones that I really spotted were high-flying birds...
Has anything unusual been happening in town lately?"
EldonG |
The day does continue on, indeed...
Bill, man! Seems like i'd be owin' ya some drinks! The Rusty Buzzard has some fair dark ale...on me, t'night, if ye will!
Kaars Aarden |
Kaars shakes his head, "Strange. Perhas a foul wind from the mountains. I heard that someone discovered an ancient temple up there. Could be just stories from the travelling bards. It will probably be dragons next." He utters a short, sharp laugh. He did enjoy the strange and far-fetched stories though. There had to be some truth to at least one of them. Not alot was known to him of the north. Someday he hoped to find out, though wealth usually came with danger. Perhaps it would be best to stay safe here. But that old wizards books kept revealing fantastic secrets everytime he managed to decipher something new.
That evening Kaars retreats to his labratory and is lost in the chemicals and formulae and smells as he tries to discover new and better recipes.
Basil Kettering |
Basil shrugs.
"Maybe. I doubt it was dragons, though - I haven't noticed any dragonspoor, and I doubt the birds would be out if there were dragons flying around. Perhaps it will pass in time."
Taking his package, he nods Kaars and leaves.
That evening, he will be spending a relaxing night in front of the main fire in the tavern, enjoying some R&R after his long sojourn in the wilds.
Crazy Will |
Will spent most of his day hunting small prey and gathering water at Toliver River. When he sees the sun setting, he remembered planning to go see Bill for some bear traps, so he hurried to new Greenleaf. He arrived before the closed door of Bill's workshop. Dangit, to late again. I should go in the beginning of the day next time around. Maybe I can still find him today, so that he has them ready in the morning. After knocking on the door and not getting an answer, he asked in the neighborhood if anyone knew where Bill was at the moment. He was directed to the Rusty Buzzard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There he stood in front of the door of the Rusty Buzzard. How long had it been now since he had been in a place like this, talking about whatever great beast he had killed on his last hunt? 8 years or was it 10 already? Luckily Bill will be there. He's a good man. He doesn't look at him like everyone else does ...
You see an old grizzled man entering the tavern, from the looks of him he fits the description of Crazy Will who lives in a small shack in the woods. He was looking around the place, trying to find someone or something. He goes over to the table where Bill and another dwarf are sitting at. "Mind if I join ya Bill? I came by your place to get some supplies, but the shop was already closed." he looks at the other dwarf to see how he reacts to his presence at the table "Or should I come back later?"
Crazy Will |
Will sits down and responds, "Nope, nothing of that. The hut's just fine. Checked the board today. No, what I was looking for was some bear traps, I'm wanting to hunt some bigger things again."
Kaars Aarden |
Kaars is cackling madly while pouring the contents of two beakers into a larger vial. The room fills with smoke and his cackle turns into coughing. "Not again!"
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
EldonG |
In every case...you hear noises...unexpected, but not unheard of...at first.
...then a scream changes everything. All of you hear different screams...but with that soul-wrenching quality of someone who sees their own death coming...soon. Horribly soon.
You all lived through the occupation. This is not new to any of you.
...but...this is not the occupation...and the bloodcurdling scream is followed by another.
...and another.
...and another.
Kaars Aarden |
Kaars snaps his head around so fast his body almost doesn't have time to catch up. "Are we being raided? What the..." He creeps out of his labratory and through the old house to the front main room which housed his shop. A feeling of worry cementing itself within him with each scream that he heard drowning out every other noise. His tail flicked around and he clutched it in one hand as he slowly made his way to the front window to peek out from behind one of the curtains. He was almost too scared to look, but in a strange way too curious not too. He seems to forgot what curiosity can do to cats...
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
Stealth: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21
Basil Kettering |
Basil's head snaps up as he hears the ever-expanding chain of screams.
I *knew* that there was something wrong!
Grabbing his pack and his weapons, Basil hurries to the highest vantage point that he can find...
Climb: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16.
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11.
Crazy Will |
Will stops dead in his tracks as he hears the screams.
I knew it... It finally found me... It's coming for me...
He stands there frozen for a few moments before another scream shakes him out of it.
I'm ready for you! Come and get me! I AM NOT AFRAID! his thoughts scream through his head.
He takes out his bow and slowly moves towards the screams he heard.
Stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
EldonG |
She runs, looking back...and another catches her...and BITES her arm!
Basil Kettering |
Attempting to avoid the wandering undead for the moment, Basil quietly works his way through town, trying to get a better idea of what, exactly, is happening; if he sees any organised defense, he will attempt to render assistance.
Crazy Will |
Kaars Aarden |
Untrained Religion: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20 Even though it's untrained I guess I at least know that they are undead.
Kaars eyes go wide, why are the undead attacking the town! Maybe if he hides here and stays quiet none of them will find him. Perhaps it would be best to be prepared in any case.
He retreats slowly and quietly heads for the back room where he keeps his hide shirt and weapons. C'mon Kaars hold it together. Just because there are so many screams doesn't mean there are hundreds of them surrounding your house. He straps on his hide shirt, giving the straps an extra tug just to make sure. He sees sees his wrist sheath and straps that on too loading it with his dagger as backup but then hefts his morningstar in both hands. Just my luck.
He takes another minute to prepare a few extracts. A curing extract and one to help him move faster if need be. He heads back out to the main room with another smaller blade he attaches firmly to the end of his tail and peeks out onto the street again.
Stealth: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (15) + 13 = 28
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11
EldonG |