Sario looks over at Merlin, shaking her head a little and smiling at him.
"Good Ser you are absolutely soaked, if I was a womanly woman I would furious you are getting my good rugs all wet and chase you off with the broom." She hides a bigger grin behind her hand. "This is neither the place nor time for that, and I was never that type of woman. Any experience helps and we will get lots of new experience really fast I assume. How do you want to help out I guess is really the question?"
Darya studies Iomenna, sizing her up in consideration for the monumental job for which she'd just volunteered. It took a lot of guts to step up to lead this entire survival attempt, to rebuild from this wreckage, and she had to commend her.
Though she seemed human, there was definitely a touch of something celestial to her, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Nobody seems to object to the proposed bit of organization, which frees you up to start your plans for how you're going to protect your base of operations and find the resources you'll need to survive.
You spend a few hours hunkered down in the inn, waiting for the next horror to happen. The kids and Kimroth work together to serve dinner - a surprisingly rich feast of fresh garden vegetables, sliced pears, and sliced lamb. Kimroth explains that you have to eat the fresh food first, before it spoils, which somewhat stills the mood.
The guards see no further activity as night falls...
Hasty barricades are erected over windows and doors. People start selecting places to put down their few possessions. Among many of the refugees, the fleeting sense of safety and time away from the rush of constantly struggling for survival allows all the stress to drip away, and several of them break down into tears or collapse mutely into internal thoughts - the stress takes its toll on everyone.
You prepare various lights, magical and otherwise, to see you through the night, but only an hour after darkness, as most people who aren't on guard duty are preparing to sleep, a scream of horror splits the air from the second floor, followed almost immediately by a terrible, keening screech.
Sario who was down stairs looking over old maps of the city and talking with the children looks at Kimroth, "keep them safe!"
She then races up the stairs 2 at a time.
Merlin reacts quickly; he readies his shield and draws his scimitar, following Sario.
After the conversation in the tavern's common room, Iomenna's heart swelled with pride. Not only had the others not laughed at her for offering to lead their efforts, they had actually seemed glad to have her. Now she just had to prove that they hadn't been wrong to do so.
Once everything was settled as far as establishing who would be leading their militia, who would manage their resources, and so on, Iomenna went upstairs while some of the townsfolk began setting themselves up in a few of the rooms. For herself, she chose a room on the ground floor near the stairs. That way, she would be readily available if any situations should arise on either level of the building.
For the time being, she is keeping herself busy, moving around among the rooms to speak with the townsfolk, introducing herself and offering to help if they ever have any questions or problems they need help with. She is just in the middle of speaking with a cobbler and his wife about how they might help when a scream rips through the air. The high pitched screech that follows almost immediately after sends a shiver down Iomenna's spine, but she quickly gathers her senses and rushes out the door and down the hall, calling back to the cobbler to stay inside and lock the door.
Even as she begins racing up the stairs in the direction of the scream, Darya begins drawing her sword, ready to strike down whatever vile fiend dared attack here.
Luci had been about to get out of her armour when she heard the scream. Not bothering to re-don her cloak, she grabbed her sword and ran out to see what was going on.
Kelly jumps at the sound of the scream. It could be heard easily even down in the cellars where she was counting barrels. She drops the parchment she had been taking down numbers on and races up the stairs to the kitchen.
She comes upon a scene of confusion as people race to grab weapons and don armor. Several of the others are already disappearing up the stairs to the second floor. She unsheathes her knife and follows as fast as her halfling legs allow.
Adventurers flock up the staircases and you come to the hallways that crisscross the second floor. The cat is huddled against a far wall, back arched, tail standing straight up, letting out a constant stream of hisses and yowls. One of the refugees is on the floor, as if having fallen backward and trying desperately to back away with one hand in the air, but completely still - unmoving.
Darya and Luci are coming up the stairs on one side while Dragz and Kelly are coming up the other side. Flying in the air are a pair of disembodied heads - with bat wings extending from the sides and tentacles hanging from its chin - one on the west side of the main hall, one to the east. It seems likely that they flew in from an upper-story window.
Sario rounds the corner to see the events unfolding, she slows her pace and lets those who handle front line go a head. She feels the weight of her short spear in her hands and launches it at the closest creature.
She then pulls out her dagger and puts her shield on.
Peering from behind Darya and Luci, Merlin stares in rapt horror as he views the hideous things.
Some guidance in this would be nice, he whispers, as he lays a trembling hand on Darya's shoulder.
Racing up the stairs, Darya's eyes widen as she sees the creatures. "$#!+ vargouilles! They're venomous, have a paralyzing scream and if they catch you helpless they can turn you into one of them!" she yells. "THE WARDS ON THIS PLACE MUST BE DOWN!"
Bringing her massive blade up in a vicious swing, she seeks to bring the wrath of Ragathiel to bear on the vile creatures.
"So much for a good night's sleep," Luci remarked wryly as she and Darya charged in, engaging whichever one Darya didn't.
EDIT:
The clangor of battle erupts!
On the west side, Darya presses the attack with Merlin following up behind. She slams her longsword home and the strange flying head shrieks and flaps in a half-circle as gore spatters out on the walls.
Dragz swings his axe but the flying head loops over it as it recoils from Darya's strike.
Sario hurls a spear that nicks the flying head at the far side of the hall. Luci charges to that side to make sure it's engaged and a perfect stroke bears down, chopping off many tentacles that fly through the air, still writhing.
The vargouille in the western side of the hallway, mauled by Darya, distends its mouth and lets out an ear-splitting shriek.
The vargouille to the east flaps its wings and lunges at Luci.
Sario shakes off the feeling of her muscles slowing down and contracting.
"We have to kill them quick!"
Merlin's ears begin to bleed as the piercing wail from the monstrosity cause his body to become rigid!
As Kelly reaches the top of the west stairs, the fighting has already begun. Darya is shouting about something called vargouilles. That must be the flapping, bat-winged disembodied heads biting at people. One of them turns and shrieks!
The sound seems to rattle her very bones.
Darya feels as much as hears the horrific, blood curdling sound wash over her, her body unable to respond to her commands.
Dragz manages to slam his axe into one of the creatures, while other heroes are paralyzed from the blood-curdling screams! Combined with Darya's prior attack, they manage to bring the flying monstrosity down.
Cursing as the creature's teeth sunk in, she quickly hit it in the side with the pommel of her sword to knock it loose before properly striking at it.
Iomenna bursts out of the cobbler's room just as a strange, flying head with tentacles opens its mouth and lets out a deafening screech. The sound seeps into her body, and Iomenna struggles to resist its effect.
The young warrior manages to push through the pain of resisting the strange power and rushes at the offending creature. She unslings her hammer from her back and strikes with an upward swing, doing her best to destroy the monster without smashing into the ceiling with her attack.
The combined might of the warriors brings the other vargouille to the ground, where it lies and exudes stinking bloody fluids and ichor that stain the wooden floor of the inn.
The poor cat is likewise paralyzed by the scream, and as soon as it recovers it flees down the stairs.
The one refugee who was in the hallway is prone, but slowly gets to his feet. "Ugh. I feel awful. I'm lucky they didn't eat me! One of them tried to bite me but then you all showed up. Thank you!"
You quickly spend some time making hasty fortifications to block the upper story windows so that flying enemies can't get inside either.
After a few moments, Merlin shakes off the effect of the monstrosities.
Those were not nice!
He works with the others to board up the upper windows.
You do your best to board up the other windows and take guard shifts to make sure that nothing else creeps in.
The rest of the night is only pierced by the occasional scream or cackle in the distance, but nothing else attacks the inn... this time.
~~~~~~~~~~
The sun rising the next morning is filtered through smoke and dust, making it seem an angry red. Slowly, people filter out into the common areas to find food and to see what's left. Somehow, it seems that the world hasn't ended, even though Kenabres is in a sad state.
Bad news continues to trickle in. The guards mention that they've seen some activity from their watch-posts on the roof; creatures are moving about the streets, hunting people here and there.
Worse still, the refugee who was attacked by the vargouilles last night is extremely ill. His face is pasty and he is feverish. A thin red scar-like line jags across his throat and he can barely swallow.
Kimroth says, "Hope you're organizin' to go out today. We need to round up any more survivors we can find, and it would probably be good to get ourselves some crossbows or other stuff that we could use from the rooftop to help defend this place."
Upon rising, Darya washes her face and dons her gear, making the rounds of checking on everyone. When she sees the condition of the man from the previous night she frowns, clearly troubled.
Finding a moment, she pulls Azura aside. "I'm worried about something. How much do you know about curing diseases?"
Sario rises early, just before dawn, she find a plant that is still thriving within the Inn. Not having a forest to commune with this is her best bet. She communes with nature, revitalizing herself and securing her connection for the day to mother nature.
She rises an hour later, don's her gear and heads to wake the children.
"Morning little ones, time for some breakfast and planning of our day. I will need your help with looking for places on the map of where things should be."
She then heads downstairs once they are ready.
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Iomenna rises with the sun, or with what is visible of the sun through all of the smoke. Still, she feels refreshed after her night's rest, and begins her morning by finding someone to help her don her armor. Today would be a busy day. Scouts would need to head out into the city, further fortifications would need to be established for their shelter, and much more. Before launching into the greater part of her duties for the day, however, Iomenna draws her broken blade from its scabbard, kneels, and holds the blade before her as she prays.
"Lady of Valor, give me the strength and the wisdom to lead these people in our time of deepest darkness. Empower me to defend the defenseless. Embolden me to strike down the wicked and the profane. Instruct me to know when to show mercy and when to withhold it. If they yet live, protect Mother and Father, and bring them to me. If not, take them into your glory and preserve them from the perversions of Hell. May your light shine on me and through me, Inheritor, from this day to my last."
The young warrior returns the remnants of her blade to its scabbard and stands, wiping away the few tears she had permitted to fall in this time of quiet devotion.
With her morning obediences complete, Iomenna heads out into the rest of the tavern, stopping by several peoples' rooms to check on them after last night's attack. She reaches the room of the man whom the vargouilles had injured and finds Darya there. The aasimar's lovely face is marred by the look of deep concern etched there, but Iomenna waits until she finds Azura to ask about the man. "What is it, Darya? Is the man really in that poor a condition?"
The next morning finds the shy blacksmith standing by a downstairs window, watching and waiting.
I wonder what today will bring?
Azura rubs some sleep from her eyes and says to Darya, "Well... only a bit. I mostly rely on the magic in my performances for healing. I don't know how to heal diseases yet. But good news, Kenabres is - or was - full of paladins and crusaders who have that kind of magical touch."
"Shame I'm not one of 'em," Luci remarked, having heard Darya's original question through the mental haze. She was never much of a morning person even with a good night's sleep, which certainly wasn't the case last night.
That was probably why she hadn't bothered donning her armour just yet, although she was carrying it and the padded underlay over her shoulder. From the state of her shirt and pants, she'd probably slept in them.
"What's goin' on?" she asked, not knowing why they were talking about disease.
"I'm not sure, Luci," says Azura. "Did someone get sick last night?" She frowns slightly and says, "There may be plague once all the dead bodies in the city start to rot... I was hoping it wouldn't start this quickly."
Yes he really is." Darya whispers to the other women, not wanting to cause a panic. "Vargouilles can spread their condition by kissing a target. It's possible that he was kissed while paralyzed. If so, the disease will kill him in less than 24 hours - and it's been running overnight. Untreated, it'll cause his head to transform into a new vargouille and detach from the body, which will die."
"Then we need to find someone who can heal him with magic - and mine isn't that powerful," Azura whispers back. "Maybe an expedition is in order to find out what happened to the paladins in the Eagle Watch or see if one of the priests survived the destruction of the temple of Sarenrae."
Merlin approaches the ladies as they discuss their next course of action.
We also still need to gather supplies. I suggest we form a search party and look for both.
Kelly rises early to help with breakfast. She had slept soundly through sheer exhaustion, in spite of the traumatic events of the day. Losing herself in serving others was the best way she had found of dealing with terrible experiences, so she loads a plate to take to the man who was attacked last night.
As she enters the room, she finds several of the other women in a tense, whispered conversation. She looks at the sick man(he was worse than she thought), then up at the group of tall folk. "What's up? He looks bad. Is he going to make it?"
"Only if we get him magical aid within the next few hours," Azura says to Kelly. "We need to find someone who can help him. I don't think anyone here has the ability. Someone needs to organize a group to go out and look for someone strong enough to heal him!"
"Don't look at me, I barely have a wardrobe at this point," she adds in a mumble.
"You're right we have to see if there's anyone who can help him. If we can't.....well I'll make sure to end it for him before he...or whatever he'll become puts anyone in danger." Darya whispers somberly. "What do you think Iomenna? How large a group should go?"
"Who's available? You (Darya), Luci, Kelly, Sario, Merlin, Dragz, me... I haven't seen Ik Ha Thruun this morning, nor Bahram. And the guards should probably stay here in case anything else goes wrong."
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Iomenna looks in at the man once again, a look of deep concentration in her eyes. Darya is right, she says, almost as if she is thinking out loud. "Either we get this man a healer or he will have to die before he turns into one of those monsters and puts more of us at risk. We have to find some help." She looks up at those assembled at the man's door, and hears Sario guiding the children around in the common room. So few of us. But we have to do what we can.
"We should send out a scouting party, or two if we can manage it. One to find some help, and one to check some of the nearby structures for survivors or supplies. Each group should have three people, and the other two will remain here to support the guards and continue fortifying the Heart. If we can find Bahram and Ik, and they can help either here or on the expeditions, all the better. Personally, I think we have a good amount of muscle here, and while the paladins of the Eagle Watch are great warriors and may possess stronger magic than we here, I think having a fully trained priest from the temple might be our best bet for the level of healing and protection we're going to need." She looks around at the others once again, now looking rather sheepish, "I mean...that's just what I was thinking. Anybody else have any ideas? Oh, and does anyone know how far it is to the Temple of Sarenrae from here?"
Sario settles the children down to eat, then walks over the the group a platter of food in hand, she sets it down and gathers some plates.
"Sorry no cutlery, we will have to eat with our fingers." she then puts some food on her plate and sits down.
"I volunteer to go on a scouting party, it is where my skills will serve best. I can stay here help if you wish but I did promise the children to look into the bad man that was keeping them confined to their old house." She eats a bit more, "Do we have a list of supplies that we need? I know that food will be a major need especially if we find more people. I can go to some of the store houses and see what is there."