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Is this the end for Devil's Fork? Will the town be consumed by shadows and supernatural evil?
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Though it does beg the question - what exactly is a madman's day job?
I'm here - Time zone differences and all that.
Guess I'll pick up a training hunting dog from Greenville whenever there's a chance. Seems like the most reasonable way to add a dog in without him just kind of showing up out of nowhere. Otherwise, leveled up and good to go.
Henry quickly pipes up after Allen's rather nonchalant response to what he believed was a serious matter. "We will see to it. No offense, Allen, but I'd like to see the beasts dead and buried with my own eyes." He took a slow sip of ale, while trying to measure up the newcomer. He seemed to have a legitimate desire to help - and he hadn't been wrong about the danger to Devil's Fork. And yet he lived among demons, claimed to practice witchcraft, and seemed only moderately bothered by this entire ordeal. He made a mental note to send the Stranger packing when this was all over - best to keep this supernatural stuff far, far away from his new home.
Are we rolling for HP or doing 1/2 +1 like for character creation? Also, DM-Kal, I was thinking of picking up a Dog animal companion for my level 4 advancement, so I'm not sure how you'd like to handle the addition of the new "party member".
Richardson watches as Madman Dowd carves a new act of vandalism into the table. As mad as ever. He tried to shrug it off - there were bigger issues at hand. Though Cole certainly wouldn't appreciate it. "I... agree. I think." Henry scratched his head, trying to keep up with Dowd's meandering thoughts. "Perhaps your pets are drawing more of the demons out. It seems rather imprudent to keep such dangerous creatures about, regardless of your intentions."
"I'm not sure I want to know why you have these demons enslaved, instead of buried. I'd feel much safer knowing that such beasts no longer walked anywhere even remotely close to Devil's Fork."
Henry takes a long swig of ale. He needed it. Half-dead things wandering the forest. Demons. Witches. Magic. It didn't really matter, at the end of the day, what it was that he was facing. It only mattered that he had the strength to face it. "That's all fine and dandy, but it doesn't help Devil's Fork in the slightest. There's plenty of folk in town who can hunt, but we can't hunt something we can't find. Something we don't even know how to begin to find. We may have been fortunate to avoid any loss of life today... But what about the next time?" He took a long look into his ale, pondering their next move. It seemed obvious that they needed to find the source that Allen spoke of. "Look, Allen - you seem like a nice enough fellow, forcible arrest and all. But we need to stop this. And you're going to help."
He couldn't help but smile. Henry whispered back, not wanting to set Madman Dowd off again. "That he is. But I think he's harmless." He looked over at Dowd, who was still laughing to himself. "Well, mostly. Just keep your fingers away from his mouth."
It was as though Henry's stomach was dropping out into some bottomless pit as he sat listening to Allen's story. The Stranger - for his strangeness was only more now - had only confirmed his worst fears. The supernatural - it seemed more like a bad joke than a reality facing them. He swallowed the unsettling feeling and spoke in a low voice, so as not to upset any of the other patrons at the Cup. "While you're a bit less of a stranger now, Allen, the history lesson does little to explain what exactly that thing was. Why was there a 'demon' in the middle of Devil's Fork? And more importantly," he lowered his voice even further and stared into the man's eyes to nail his point home, "How can I make sure it never happens again?"
Henry nods as his companions lead the Stranger off to the Cup, but he hangs back and looks over the remains of the bear. He waved away the townsfolk that looked curious, but sighed quietly as he looked over the scene. Someone had to clean up the mess - but he hadn't any idea how to even begin. After a few minutes of staring at the mess, he shook his head and headed off to the Cup. He yelled out to the nearest onlooker as he passed. "Keep away from that until the Doc has a look at it. Wouldn't want an outbreak on our hands."
Cleaning his rifle and making sure it wouldn't be a hazard, he returned the weapon to its proper place. Then Henry turned and looked at the Stranger, who Dowd seemed to be getting 'friendly' with. "Not before we get some answers."
Lowering his rifle, Richardson staggered forward. He did his best to shake off the unnatural chill gripping him, trying to stay focused on the task. Although he tried to keep an eye on the Stranger, it was the beast that captured his attention. Was it truly dead? And what would have happened if he hadn't heeded the Stranger's warning? He tore his eyes from the carcass to look at the gathering crowd. They seemed even more confused than he was. He took a deep breath, put on his best Sheriff voice, and held up his free hand as he addressed them. "Alright, alright, nothing to see here, ladies and gentlemen. Nothing but a bad case of Canadian rabies, the Doc says. Let's keep the streets clear so the Doc can do his job, if you would." A part of him wished he was telling the truth. But he hadn't the faintest idea what the truth was.
Loading yet another bullet into the chamber, Henry runs up and tries to flank the beast from the side. Now within a mere thirty feet of the bear, the hulking beast loomed over both the Stranger and Cole - and even Madman MacDowd. He steadied his aim and took another shot.
Pondering the implications of the Stranger's words - or, maybe, trying not to - Richardson sprints another dozen feet forward as he fishes in his pocket for another rifle bullet. Loading it into the chamber and steadying the weapon, he takes aim at the beast's head, hoping to deter it from further attacks - and, with any luck, damage to the town.
"What do you mean it's never come up?" Henry yells over his shoulder, the Doc having reminded him of the Stranger who'd started all of this. He shoved another bullet into his rifle, and steadied his aim over the top of Cole, who'd drawn his blade and gone for blood.
Richardson only pauses for the briefest of moments, his mind futilely trying to reconcile the scene before him, then raises his rifle and takes aim at the beast, the Stranger all but forgotten.
Henry hardly notices the Stranger's gestures as he reaches for his rifle and starts towards the Doc's house. Please let the Stranger be wrong...
The eerie silence that had fallen over Devil's Fork troubled Henry... there was usually someone bustling about.
Henry returned a half-hearted shrug. "I have none, save the man's adamant insistence that something is amiss. I'm as reluctant as you, Doc, but if Devil's Fork is truly in the danger, then maybe we'd be better off to just follow along with the crazy. There does seem to be a lot of it going around." Rather than unlocking the manacles, Henry stuffed the keys back into his pocket. He looked back to the stranger, his frustration clearly visible. "But the Doc does have a point. How about we wait until we see this danger before we discuss your release?"
Almost absentmindedly, Henry lets his rifle dangle in one hand as he grabs he books he'd taken from the basement. He holds them in his outstretched hand, eyes bouncing between the Doc, the books, and the Stranger. Something was going on here, and he didn't like it. Too many coincidences, too many oddities. And somehow, the Stranger seemed tied to everything. "Alright," he said suddenly, practically catching himself off guard. He handed the books off to the Doc and fished in his pocket for the key to the manacles. "I can't believe I'm actually considering this..." He looked the Stranger hard in the eyes, trying to size him up. Was he really telling the truth? What was his game if he wasn't? Or worse - if he was? Slowly, Richardson reached forward and gripped the manacles binding the man. He looked to his friends before putting the key to the lock. "I'm not sure what's going on here - but I know that this isn't getting us any answers. I think our best bet is just to follow the Stranger. Wouldn't be the first time we've trusted a madman."
Perplexed by the Stranger's sudden and unexpected concern for his own town, Henry looked to Doc. Obviously, the man had said something during Cole and his absence. Though, judging by the look on his face, it hadn't made things much clearer. But, if the town really was in trouble... then they'd been on a wild goose chase the entire time. It wasn't the sort of possibility he could ignore. "Overrun by what? Is Devil's Fork in some kind of danger?"
Henry reaches for his rifle, keeping its barrel pointed down but making its presence well known to the stranger. He walks ahead of the hobbling captive, putting himself directly in his path, glaring at him. "Now, Stranger, leaving without answering my friend's inquiries is just plain rude. There's been far too many coincidences and strange happenings in these parts to let you wander off now. We'd care for some answers, nothing more." He pans his eyes to to Cole, who is doing his best to look the part of a ruffian. It isn't working very well. "Though I'm not opposed to doing this the hard way, you know."
Hey guys! Glad to be joining in, seems like a really cool setting and adventure. Grabbing a whiskey and getting caught up with the local madman sounds like as good a way to get us into the story as any. Is there anything else story-wise that should be retconned because of the two newcomers?
And without further ado, I present my parallel-universe Richardson. I think I did everything right, but I'm not entirely sure I got the custom build rules right. He's largely the same in both crunch and fluff, with a couple of tweaks here and there to make him more my own. I also went a little overboard on the backstory and ended up with a wall of text. Hopefully everything is in order, both logistic-wise and continuity-wise. I've caught up reading the adventure - seems there's some rather large shoes to fill. |