Yadue (as well as Felicia, Gavin, really any of those down the trap door...), it's beginning to get cramped, so you realize it's time to start moving. There isn't a lot to see down here besides earthen walls and well trampled floors of packed dirt. You're encouraged by the light breeze, which means that this couldn't possibly be a dead end; and bolstered by the fragrances now mingling with the prevalent smell of sweat from your own group.
As you listen though, Yadue, you can hear sounds of struggling up ahead. It's really faint: distant and muffled, but then there's a whimpering scream, followed by desperate pleading. That's no beast. In fact, some of you think you may recognize the voice... it sounds like Gwenn.
About 20 feet into the earthen tunnel, there's a branch that forks off to the left (north you suppose, if the main path has continued east). The breeze seems to be coming from that fork, along with a greater waft of that pine scent. The main path that continues, however, must be the baked bread, and another shrieking wail!
What do you do?
Felicia grabs Yadue's arm and says "That sounds like Gwenn, the blacksmith's daughter! We have to help her!" Felicia has a particular fondness for the girl as she often comes by to watch Felicia work on the copper pots she often repairs.
Having heard Gwenn's pleading, she tries to drag Yadue towards the sounds of Gwenn in trouble.
Felicia, what has stood out to you about Gwenn? She's Durga's daughter, and as one of the few dwarves in town probably gets treated differently. How have you seen her cope with that in the past?
Being one of the only dwarf children in town, Gwenn was always made fun of by the other kids in town, especially when her beard started coming in. She always took the teasing with a quiet dignity and would spend time with Felicia at her stall watching her mend pots.
As the beast pounces on you, Lizbeth, you manage to slide the large side of beef between its slashing claws and yourself. Even that slab of flesh begins to shred at the brutal onslaught, which overpowers you and drops you to your back beneath the side of beef and the beast atop it.
But with Raina drawing the hounds attention with quick jabs, and you wrestling from beneath, Jari is able to strike the beast from behind as he leaves the door in Bevo's capable hooves.
Jari, a few powerful blows from your crook at the back of the beast and base of its skull is enough to send it toppling from its perch atop Lizbeth, crumpling to the ground where you beat it until it lies still.
Durga, you're able to help Aurelia clear the door and lift it into a reasonable position blocking the passage outside. Yips crescendo just outside as the approaching beasts notice your effort and race to stop you. The bar slides into place just as the broken door slides in its position with frantic force applied from without. You can feel your heart racing, though there's relief as it seems to hold for the moment.
Aurelia, your plan to spread the fire seems to be working well as the left wall begins to blacken and smoke now as well. You and Jane both turn to see that Aleph has been working to spread the flames from the hearth in the main room as well.
The seven of you: Lizbeth, Raina, Jari, Jane, Aurelia, Durga and Aleph find yourselves the last in the now burning lodge, near the open trap door. There's banging and scratching at the back door, and Bevo pushes against the tide at the front door where the massive doors are just now collapsing outward from the ox's stubborn driving. It will only be a minute before the room is finally overrun by these hounds, and not long after that before it's in flames should they allow it to continue.
Even if you choose to follow the others, what would you like to do with these last precious moments?
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Yadue and Felicia, you charge ahead of the others, following the main path that continues east, tracking the scent of bread and the pleas of young Gwenn. The others watch as your torchlight bounds down the passageway, separating from the rest.
You look around the earthen tunnel as you run, Yadue, but don't see anything but dirt walls smoothed by the passage of time, punctuated occasionally by searching roots or vermin holes.
You both race for a few dozen yards before the tunnel ends, the whimpering growing louder as you find yourselves beneath a covering of planks, much like what you expect the end by the lodge looked from below before being opened. But there's no obvious latch or handle by which to open it. There's another shriek above and you see a shadow fly quickly over the boards above you, which rattle from the weight. There's other commotion in the room as well, so there's clearly more than one of these things above.
It doesn't sound like Gwenn has much time. What do you do?
Felicia can't stand the thought of poor, sweet Gwenn at the mercy of the beasts. She looks at the planks and uses her hands to search for any way to open the planks to get in the room above. She turns to Yadue and says "We have to find a way up there to help Gwenn!"
Jane swats Bevo on the rump with the butt of her spear in the hopes that will cause the ox to burst forth from the lodge trampling even more dog-men under its massive hooves.
You try to lift the planks a bit, Felicia, only to find that there must be some large piece of furniture resting partially over them! You'd be able to lift it otherwise, but as it is, it's unlikely that even two or three people wouldn't be able to lift it with your current leverage (the planks are about a foot or so over your head, so it's not really like you can use leg strength, ya know?).
Crap! What do you do?
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Jane, your swift strike with the butt of the spear is the last burst Bevo needed. With a bellowing bray, Bevo pushes through the right-most door, sending it toppling outward as he charges through the fray of 5 or 6 more dog-men outside, who seem utterly astonished by the rampaging beast of burden.
Well played! But that door's wide open now, so it's probably time for some movement. What next?
Well played! But that door's wide open now, so it's probably time for some movement. What next?
Easily! It's really dark out there, no moon and all. But the fire that's starting to spread a bit through the lodge casts some nice light out the main door, like a golden carpet cast over the market square outside.
There's five or six hounds still there, whose eyes gleam from the flickering fire. Three of them are trying to get free of the tumbling door, or the rampaging ox; and you don't see any more beyond that. So it's not like the whole market square is overrun at the moment, in fact it looks like most from this vicinity have been drawn to the lodge. So there's actually a good chance Bevo might survive his flight, assuming he keeps moving and not too many chase after him. Though the latter might be better for you.
The silhouettes of the market tents and stalls outside look like they've been rifled through, as they don't seem as pristine or ordered as usual.