Kers approaches the silent village, and it's not long until he notices strange signs of its fate. The gate is open and unmanned; a strange smell of burning assails his nose; no livestock are seen or heard; and most strange, atop the walls where guards would normally stand are a row of children's dolls, all standing silent and still, dressed as soldiers.
Xochtli steps forward, gently tugging on Kers arm. "Let one of us more stealthy type take a bit of a look first hmm?... just in case?" Her eyes flick up to the dolls with a frown, it was eerie to see them lined as such, it made her wonder what was left in the village.
Israfel appearing deeply troubled clutches Kers' other arm, Please, let other scout. This is no place for wade in like an angry bull.
Fleur looks pensive a moment then shrugs and whispers "I'll scout around a little." Without waiting for encouragement or permission, she moves forward into the town to look around.
"I will go as well... as I have a bit of skill in it myself."
She follows in behind Fleur, sticking to the shadows herself.
Fleur and Xochtli slip into the town, heading through the open gate. Inside the small town, more dolls can be seen, sitting in houses at dining tables, perched in shops as if the shopkeepers themselves. No life stirs within, at least until the pair near the sole stable in town. Then a large, heavy breathing seems to be coming from the closed building, as if some great thing were sleeping roughly.
Angry bull Israfel says, and this only winds him up more until Kers realizes he is snorting and pacing! Somewhat chagrinned, the big man is silent as the three women do what in his heart should be his duty. He avoids Allains eyes and waits for thier word.
Hmm...
Xochtli frowns at her observation of the dolls, turning to the stable where she looks for away to peer inside without disturbing anything.
Fleur looks curiously at the dolls, wondering where they all came from and who set them up the way they are. Then she turns her attention, as Xochtli does, to the stable and what might be inside, trying to find a chink in the woodwork or a window through which she can observe.
After a few moments of looking, you discover a large knothole in the wood and take turns peering inside. The light is diffuse, but you manage to see what appears to be a large old woman asleep in the straw, snoring like a horse in heat. She doesn't seem to have noticed the intrusion into town yet.
Fleur looks at Xochtli and shrugs.. whispers "Should we wake her? or get out of town and go around... she could be a sorceress at the heart of this all, or a sole survivor who could shed light on what happened here."
Israfel stands next to Kers, hood drawn, leaning on her staff as she watches the town. Patience and vigilance are virtues she is well familiar with.
Xochtli murmurs softly, "Don't you think it odd how unique the dolls are?... I suspect... they are the townspeople... being the only survivor makes her suspicious... to wake her... well... is that a risk we wish to take... actually... you go back... ask our resident magic user to detect magic on the dolls... I... I suspect an enchantment of some sort... if it is then return and I will wake the woman... if I appear alone then she may not attack and be more prone to talk but if she is the cause it gives her less targets to change... either way I would like to see these people back and she is linked somehow."
Fleur nods and heads back to talk to Israfel and Kers. "We found one survivor - a rather rotund woman sleeping in the stable. We were loathe to wake her as she might be responsible for all this. I think Xochtli suspects that the dolls are the townsfolk somehow transformed. Is there a way you can detect to see if they are enchanted to perhaps confirm her suspicions?"
Israfel nods, I can.
We might as well all head down. We don't want anyone alone if magic did this.
As you all head into the tiny town of dolls, Israfel casts her spell. While the dolls on the wall do not radiate magic, there seems to be a glow coming from a house near the stable. As you get closer, you can see that the old woman has awakened and is in the house near the stable.
This is NOT good.
We should be ready, the hag appears to be at the heart of what is happening here.
A moment after Fleur leaves, you hear the snoring break into a series of coughs and mutters of "Dearie, dearie, dearie. These old bones can't take that cold like theys used to, can they? Precious me, but much to do, much to do." You hear the sound of straw moving, and then the door to the stable opens, revealing the old woman, all hunched over and plump. Her face is covered in warts and is a sallow pale color. She walks with the aid of a stout walking stick and begins to head to the nearest house, a small one roomed hut not far from the stable.
Xochtli will remain hidden but try to maintain a visual on the old woman.
Kers looks at Israfel and asks, Should I do it? The way he lifts his ax when he says "it" leaves little doubt as to his suggestion.
Israfel stares at Kers' axe. Is her magic resposible for this, or did it allow her to survive it?
Inside the hut the woman can be glimpsed occasionally as she goes about her business, putting a kettle onto a stove to boil, placing what looks like bacon to cook. She hums a toneless tune, that many of you recognize as an old ballad, the Curious Cat and the Fire's Flame. She still hasn't noticed you.
In a whisperKers asks, If you were the sole survivor would you be whistling and enjoying yourself? Or would you be on your way to Red Grove to get help? I am doing "it".
Kers moves to the house as quickly as stealth will allow, and when at the door, he rushes in with his ax held high and says, Do not move grandmother or I will cut you down!
"Oh my, precious! Dearie, dearie, but you gave me a scare young man. Didn't he give us a scare, children?" The old woman throws up her arms and then turns to the table in the room, where three dolls sit, their heads swiveling to stare at Kers with unblinking button eyes.
On seeing the heads turn, and being clear on what he faces, Kers swings the ax for all he is worth.
All the while feeling his knees weaken in horror.
Kers cries out, his axe flying down upon the old woman with a vicious bite! The old woman cries out, not in pain as Kers would expect, but in anger! Even though she is clearly wounded, she snarls in a decidedly un-grandmotherly way, "Oh dearie! We're going to cut out your tongue and make you eat it for that, precious! Oh yes!" She hisses and reveals nails sharp as claws.
Initiative:
Init so far:
Old woman 19
Israfel 15
Kers 14
Initiative
Round 1:
Old woman 19
Fleur 18
Xochtli 17
Israfel 15
Kers 14
Xochtli Init:
Fleur Init:
The old woman hisses and points one clawed hand at Kers. She hisses a few arcane syllables and a rush of green energy leaps at Kers!
Concentration:
This guy really needs to learn to hold back and let the talkers talk once in awhile....
Xochtli is going to look for a way to remain unnoticed as she gets behind the woman.
Xochtli grabs the handle of the kettle swinging it around to hit the woman as she gets behind her.
Kabli, הזמן להילחם
Israfel shouts as the white mastiff leaps through the veil on top of the hag.
if she is evil, add +1 damage
Fleur, unable to get in to maneuver to flank position, throws a dart at the old woman.
As Kers is hit with the spell, Xocthli tumbles past the old woman, deftly avoiding a swipe of her clawed hands. Kers sees this, and for some reason it strikes him as terribly funny. He falls to the ground, laughing so hard his ribs hurt.
Fleur's dark flies toward the old woman, but she moves surprisingly quick and dodges it, hissing at the young woman as Israfel's summoned hound dives at her, missing her.
Xochtli, you should have seen your face when she tried to scratch your arms off! Priceless! laughs Kers.
Assuming it is possible, Kers will stand from his prone position and then attemps to put his ax into the hag again.
Snarling, Kabli lunges at the hag once more.
Meanwhile, Israfel hurls a viscous blob of clear fluid into the fray.
Round 2:
Old woman 19
Fleur 18
Xochtli 17
Israfel 15
Kers 14
The old woman curses and spits as Kers seems to recover from the spell. She begins to chuckle and wheeze and again tries to cast a spell.
Concentration:
With a series of deft movements she avoids any attacks and throws a handful of dust into the air. It falls slowly, settling over the attackers!