Thank you, DM-Kal. Best of luck to you, as well.
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Thanks, Cole. Sorry. I enjoyed our interaction. RL and other commitments are currently taking up much time and energy and I've spread myself a little thin.
I am bowing out of this one. Sorry, guys. Thank you to the DM for allowing me to play for awhile. Happy gaming to the other players!
"I wasn't planning on tearing the books, Cole. I may not be good valuing such items but I value knowledge." Pointing to the cellar door and then wine barrels, "Cole, there is a rather large, sturdy lock on the inside of the cellar door, not customary for folk in these parts. Like he would lock himself inside the cellar. And notice the wine barrels there, no markings, so they were not bought from a wine maker." "Let us take some of these books back up with us and go join the other three and the owner of this hut. It is time the stranger opened up about what is going on here."
I was out of town this weekend as it was Father's Day here. Still here, playing.
"The parchments contain notes on arcane magic from what little I can determine. I cannot read this language, however. I'm going to take the sheets with me and ask the stranger what it means. If he doesn't answer, I will ask Doc or Smith to look them over and attempt to read the contents." Henry walks over to one of the unburned torches and lights it with the flame of his candle. More light in general was useful. Lifting the torch as high as he can in such cramped quarters (thanks to the low ceiling), Henry scans a keen eye over the place once more to see if he missed something the first time,
Henry scans his eyes over the parchments on the desk. The stranger sure liked to write it would seem, noting the various scrolls also. Something didn't feel quite natural with the cleanliness of the place. What are you up to here, stranger...
"Does the cellar look too clean to you, Cole?"
Henry peers into the dim light provided by the candlelight and listens for sounds, hoping to see/hear what is down in the cellar or any possible threat.
Observing Cole's attempt to light the candle with the flint and steel succeed, Henry moves to light his own from Cole's when he hears Thistle's voice filtering through the doorway into the hut. "I have rope. It's in my kit." Henry puts the box with the remaining candles down on the shelf just inside cellar door and rummages adeptly inside his pack and removes the rope, tossing it across to Thistle. "Secure him well." And then Henry turns back, grabbing the box of candles and lighting of one his own from Cole's. "Let's climb down. If you see a bear or one of those corpse creatures come for me, shoot them with a bolt." Maneuvering down the tight stairs with a rifle and candle was not practical, so Henry slung his rifle over his shoulder and pulled out his dagger. Lifting the candle in one hand and the dagger in the other, Henry moves down the cellar stairs, hoping there was enough light from the two candles to give them some sight in the darkness.
"Try it on the candle. We can then light the others. To go down below in the dark is not the wisest move, Cole."
Looking to Cole, Henry asks "Got matches?", pointing to the candles.
Henry takes a quick look around the small cabin for a lamp or lantern to use down in the dark cellar. "We need some light."
Henry nods and adds, "Based on our recent luck, there is probably a small bear locked away down there. Be ready." Or an undead one, Henry muses privately. He moves to the side and opens the cellar door as swiftly as possible and then draws back, rifle aimed.
"Cole", Henry points to the claw marks on the cellar door and the front door. "It seems bears are connected to this as well", remembering the sickly bear they put down in the Hunter's caves.
Gaining Cole's attention, Henry gestures to the cellar door and makes his way to it. Having seen some strange things regarding the stranger and the corpse creatures of the previous night, Henry contemplates whether the door has been warded somehow and looks to see if it is locked. Henry looks for the strange symbol he'd seen stitched on the stranger's clothing the night before.
In low voice, "They are indeed connected, my friend. Your timely bolt against the stranger gave us some time to look around. I hope he lives so we can get some answers. He's wily though, as he proved last night. So we should not underestimate him." Henry carefully lifted the door latch and pushed it in, gesturing to Cole to keep to the sides of the frame in case of trap. If the area is clear, after a second sweep of Henry's gaze, he will enter the hut with Cole and look around, hoping to discover what this stranger is doing out here and who he is.
Henry nods to Cole to move closer, gesturing that he cannot see another person inside. In lowered voice, he adds, "Only furniture, stove and food from what I can see."
Henry moves cautiously and quietly to the door and peeks in through the glass window to see what is inside (once again to determine any new threat). He lowers his rifle to look through the window, but he is ready to (re)act if he sees anything.
DM:
Henry moves forward when the stranger goes down under Cole's bolt. When he approaches Doc, Henry draws out the masterwork manacles and hands them to the healer, "Doc, try to keep him alive, but make sure his hands are cuffed, behind his back preferably." Henry picks up the stranger's crossbow and hands it to Smith. "Keep it on you." To Cole, he gives the nod, and in quiet voice, "Let's get inside. But careful-like, Cole. I didn't see anyone else earlier but we don't know who or what is inside." Henry has his rifle ready in case he needs to shoot an attacker and proceeds forward.
On the upside, if Smith does die (and doesn't get eaten), there are some convenient open graves we can throw him into. Just wondering if he'll come back as an Undead -- I'm sure Henry would love that.
Henry could see the crossbow in the stranger's hand and holds position lest the man fire at Smith in retaliation.
In low voice, Henry says to Smith, "Well, if the stranger is in there, and I walked up to the door, he will most certainly recognise me and either attempt to flee again or shoot. He did not see you Smith, during the strange fight last night, so you and your Molly mule may be our best chance to smoke him out." Henry cautiously and carefully moves a little closer and finds a good vantage point (possibly with some cover) and readies his rifle toward the small sod hut. His eyes stray to the graves -- both open and partially filled in and Henry's mind recollects the strange, corpse-like creatures from the night before and the hairs behind his neck raise.
Later,
Even with all the commotion during the night and the watches, Henry rises early, rolls his kit, collects his rifle and dagger and goes in search of edible plants, berries and small game.
"He fooled us into turning away so he could make his escape. I had a feeling he was hiding something. He would not answer my questions." Listening to Smith and then Thistle, Henry looked about the dark woods and spoke again, "It would be probably be better if we attempted to follow now for he may not be too far ahead of us. But in the dark and without knowing where he is headed and who he may be meeting with, may prove to be folly. I say we set up watch again -- maybe two men this time -- and set out in the morning -- hopefully he will leave tracks I can follow easily. I do not like surprises and those two animated corpses were not to my liking. Cole, Doc, what say you?"
DM:
"No one said you could leave yet. You did not answer my question, stranger. What is your name?" Henry's tone is less than patient. He despised repeating himself but found it a necessity out here in the wilds the last few years. "If you have nothing to hide, as you have maintained, then answering a simple question as one's name is not going to be a problem." Henry levels his eyes on the fellow who even now was attempting to depart or flee. Seems like he has something to hide.
"I was attempting to restrain you, stranger." Henry was annoyed the man had wiggled free before he could clamp the manacles on him. He brought his frame to its full height and held the rifle almost casually (to the untrained eye) but ready in case the stranger attacked. Henry's face is hidden in shadow so the stranger cannot make the look in his intense brown eyes. "What is your name and what are you doing out here, with those things?" pointing to the rubble of ash and bone.
DM-Kal:
Henry promptly moves to his kit and removes his masterwork manacles. Returning to the unmoving stranger, Henry turns him over and cuffs his hands behind his back.
Turning, Henry saw Thistle with the still pointed gun. Henry quietly informed the once mad man, "Lower your rifle, Thistle. Good job for turning it into bone and ash", pointing to the pile on the ground. Seeing Cole still unmoving on the sodden earth, Henry strode over to him, calling out to their medicine man, "Doc, Cole needs you now. The thing laid hand on him and next moment he was still as a dead man on the ground." Henry looked at the second unmoving man. "And Doc, there's a stranger here in the same predicament." Henry bends down by the stranger and searches his pockets for anything to aid in identifying the man.
I will not be available to post much of anything this weekend (starting from tomorrow, since it's Saturday here for me) as I have matters which I need to take care of and will spend half the time out of town on family matters. Sorry. If Henry needs to be npced over this time, GM feel free to.
Henry was perplexed at the two people's movement in the trees. It was unusual, to say the least. Henry moved forward and tapped Cole on the shoulder to gain his attention. He pointed to the treeline then lifted two fingers close up to his friend's face, hoping there was enough moonlight for Cole to see. Henry gestured for them to advance, cautiously and quietly.
As soon as Henry felt the nudge, he sat upright and looked around him. He watched as Cole gestured to keep silent and pointed toward the trees. Cole was listening for something, so Henry got out of his bedroll, stood, gathered his rifle and followed behind Cole, carefully treading forward and gauging the dark woods for any threats.
"Sounds good to me. Deal them out. Perhaps tonight, in all this precipitation and cold, I can win a hand." Henry's eyes hold a certain level of mirth but they are also watchful, guarded. Henry also keeps an ear on the growing sounds in the darkening woods around them.
Ready to move forward.
Henry finds dry wood for the fire and longer branches to make some shelter. He busies himself with starting a fire and silently aiding Smith in building a lean-to big enough to provide some shelter for all of them. When Cole volunteers to take first watch, Henry looks up at him from his crouched position putting the final touches to the lean-to, "I'll take the early morning watch, if you gentleman would like to rest." Henry stands, lifting his rifle, and makes his way under the canopy. "I'll play cards with you, Cole. Just don't cheat me out of all my money this time." Henry grins at Cole.
"Don't wander too far from camp. The fog does not seem as heavy, here, but it can still disorientate, especially in the dark. I am going to collect some wood." Henry searches the sandy ground and surroundings for drier pieces of wood to build a fire with and any stronger/longer branches to build a lean-to with.
The cursed fog had befuddled him and the other men. Even though he led the party, the others offered their various opinions and alike and it did not make much of a difference -- they still seemed to be moving in circles. Least Henry figured they were somewhere North of the Toxaway River. Henry turned his cold face and caught glimpse of a certain look in Smith's eyes. Sure the old man would find a way to put the entire blame on me. If he knew better, then why didn't he get us out from under the fog? Henry could not understand Smith's grievances with him and this never ending battle of wills between them. Henry was tired and cold and frankly would sooner put a bullet through Smith's head then put up with any further compliant or blame from the man; silent or otherwise. "If we cannot find shelter, then we find ground less damp and make do with tree and branch covering. I am certain between us we can manage. Give me a minute." Henry's voice sounded weary and there was a certain tone just beneath the weariness - like he was itching for a fight, especially if Smith pushed him too far. The animosity had been growing the past three years and one day it would end badly for one or both of them. Still, Henry rifled through his memory of the area and any recollection of caves or abandoned dwellings, with some protection from the cold and rain. Perhaps then the old man would be appeased -- minimally.
With the fog being so heavy, Henry relies on his other senses, listening carefully with his ears for any relevant sounds, movement etc.
Henry pulled his collar up against the cold and drizzle. Stop your grumbling, old man, Henry silently admonished Smith. Henry kept his eyes on their surroundings, hoping to move them forward and not lose their way in the fog-filled woodlands. Henry shakes his head at the proffered flask.
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