# Midnight - Crown of Shadow



## Ashrem Bayle (Jul 31, 2003)

_ A cold wind blew through the small town of Calim’s Spring. It was the beginning of fall, and a chill breeze foretold of a dreaded winter to come. Dark clouds gathered above, red tinged lightning occasionally spidering across the sky. Any other place would have saw the darkened clouds as a promise of rain, but here on Aryth, they served only to block the light of a pale sun and cast a grim shadow over the land. That shadow seemed darker today....

The morning dew was all the moisture the ground would receive this day. And the next, for it didn't rain much anymore on Aryth, and when it did, it was often the black blood of a fallen god instead of sweet life-giving water. The air was heavy with humidity, moisture in the air that only exaggerated the bone chilling cold.

The grey light of early morning slowly washed over Calim's Spring and slowly, lethargically, it's people stirred in the light of a new day. They had nothing to look forward to, rising only because they had to. Wood must be cut, animals fed, and the dwindling stores of food protected or prepared.

The sun seemed dimmer today, the clouds struggling hard to hold back the light. The morning was unnaturally quiet. No crickets chirped, no goats bleated. The lightning that crawled across the horizon made no sound. No thunder.

A raven called from the top of the blacksmith's shop. The shrill sound cut through the silence like a rusted blade, its exclamation heralding the dawn. Or perhaps it had spotted a bit of carrion nearby? Or maybe, just maybe, it sensed the evil that approached along the Old North Road. Something was coming. _


OOC: You are free to begin the game however you like so long as you are within the town or within a ¼ mile. It is roughly 7:00AM. Temperature is 24 degrees.

*Calim’s Spring*
Population: 313 (257 Erenlander, 18 Dorn, 38 Sarcosan)

Places, People,  and Note:
*Blacksmith* – Ran by Burn Tyrgen, He does not make weapons.
*Guard Barracks* – Guards wear orange tunics when on duty. The legates allow them to carry maces. They are in charge of maintaining the 6ft wall around the town.
*Hunter’s Lodge* – Hunters must hunt with slings or traps. Martial weapons and spears are not allowed.
*Leather Tanner* – Ran by Darren Tell
*Constable Grady Stover* – Runs the town and commands the guard.
*Torm Evenhand* – Captain of the guard.

Calim's Spring obeys the laws of the Shadow. Occasionally, one of the Night King’s minions will come by and observe the town for a while before moving on. No one knows when they are coming, but their retribution is both terrible and swift against those who do not obey the Shadow’s mandates.

These mandates are as follows:

_Armor and anything considered a Weapon of War is illegal.
Literacy and books are illegal.
The Practice of Magic is illegal.
Failure to obey an order given by a Officer of the Shadow is illegal.
Plotting harm against the Shadow is illegal.

Disobeying any of these mandates is punishable by however the highest ranking officer of the Shadow sees fit._


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## Guest 11456 (Jul 31, 2003)

Choric stretched his arms into the air. He never really liked the night shift much. But when his turn came he gladly served as it was his duty to the village. He quickly pulled his wool cloak about him again. My what a chilly day it was. The night had been cold as usual. As he stood to stretch his legs he wondered what the day would bring. Soon the morning shift would arrive. He would be off duty.

For most it would be time to rest. But Choric just couldn't think of rest. Not when he was so close to finally mastering some magic. When he got off duty, he would head home, but then he would sneak out and meet up with Char.

Someone else might worry about being caught. But not Choric. After months of watching others he had learned how to become more stealthy when he went to meet his mentor.

While waiting for the morning shift to arrive he scanned the village and then turned and glanced over the wall. Nope! Nothing much happening.


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## Ashrem Bayle (Jul 31, 2003)

Feel free to work other characters in with your own. Your background should give you some ideas.


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## Emiricol (Jul 31, 2003)

Elig awoke, and his first waking thought was how much he hated cutting wood.  Hated the necessity of it.   Stores had to be stocked whether he liked it or not.  Usually, it was "not".

Elig realized then why he had woken up.  Some terrible, deep sense of dread filled him.  Then just as quickly, it had passed.  He shrugged it off as the sticky residue of a nightmare, which were all too common.

Elig rolled over, absent-mindedly flicking his cloak out.  He had used it as a blanket, as he always did, and flicking it was a good way to remove loose vermin that might have settled in during the night.  With a sigh, he put his clothes on, then his blanket - which now resumed it's intended function as a cloak - and then his boots.  Elig liked his boots.  They were reliable, and that was one trait Elig respected.

With a stretch, elig moved to the table, where the remnants of last night's dinner lay.  The fat from the remaining rather greasy squirrel had congealed, but Elig did not have time or wood to spare to light a fire to re-heat it.  With a grunt, he pried the meat from the pan and ate it quickly in the hopes he would not have to taste it.

If only he had been so lucky.  Elig grimaced, and washed it down with a quantity of water.   He thought to himself that such fare was better than most people could enjoy, and again regretted that his sense of honor would not let him just leave this place.  The people of this small settlement had taken his family in, even helped them rebuild their lives.  It was only fair that now, when his skills in hunting and logging were fully realized, he should return some of that kindness to the village.

It was the right thing to do.  And besides, where would he go?

With that thought, Elig wandered out to meet with his fellow woodcutters.  He waved to Choric.  He'd long known Choric - it was a small settlement, after all - but had never really been close.  Neither had he ever had any issue with the man.

"Well met, Choric.  How was watch?  Anything we should be alook for?"  he said in Erenlander, his speech as always direct and simple.


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## Swashbuckler (Jul 31, 2003)

Kal woke with a start.  He'd heard something.

Then he heard it again ... the _caww caww caww_ing of a raven perched on top of the smithy, right outside the doorway to the family dwelling. Morning already. Kal wore much of what he owned in clothing to bed, changing every couple of days or so, just so the stench of the sweat and the forge didn't get too overpowering. He sat up from the cot he called a bed.

His father was already up, and had apparently stoked the forge in the last few minutes, since a warm draft issued from underneath the bench (on which sat a heavy chest).  His father, a wise man, had crafted a metal duct-type of contraption that ran from an opening underneath the bench, under the ground about 6 inches down, and right up to the forge itself. It ran the distance of the 25 feet between the home and the forge building. The forge was kept going almost constantly in the fall and winter months, and served both to heat the hovel, as well as provide the necessary catalyst for the forge to operate.

They were one of the more fortunate families in town.  The Tyrgens had just made a good trade with the Tolias, a Dornish family that had joined their village many moons back, who were excellent foresters.  They'd gotten a goodly amount of lumber for the forge. In trade they had made several metal braces, some new picks and small handaxes (since the local Legates did not allow for real axes), and dozens of nails which the family needed for shoring up their home against the Fall's chill - especially before the onset of winter.

His father did not know about the _other_ trade that Kal had made with Elig (the Tolia's secondboy), one which could get him in a LOT of trouble.  But Kal had needed some special materials that only the foresters could provide, and he'd needed to keep it secret. So he'd fashioned a good, solid knife for Elig.  He didn't ask what it was for, nor did Elig ask what Kal needed the animal hide strips for.  Both knew that the other was up to something, but the only conversation about it they had was in the exchanged wry smiles between the two.

Kal was up, and put his boots on. Soon, he was going to have to repair this set - not that they were in bad shape, but that the soles were getting pretty worn.

Just then he heard his father calling from the forge, already at work on the day's labors.  Glancing about, he saw that his mother must be out foraging already, because she also wasn't there.  Her usual spot was the fields and sparse woodlands just north of town.  Maybe she'd find some blueberries today - the season was now starting to end for them. Kal loved the small gems of fruit - they were always so full of flavor - unlike much of anything else in his life.

He grabbed two hard rolls from the box on the table, and washed the first one down with some water. Water. How long had it been since it had rained ...?  Kal actually remembered the last time, some 7 or 8 years ago. The lands were drying up, and everyone supposed that it was just another way in which the Legates were using to keep people in line.

On the short trip outside to the forge, he saw Choric talking with another townsperson. Pausing momentarily, he recognized Elig, who was standing below Choric (who was on the wall). _Uh oh ..._, he thought. _I'd better get over there and start my shift._ He had paused too long, however, and suddenly a stream of invective came from the adjacent forge-building, all of it directed at him.  When his father wanted something, he wanted it right then.

Nearly tripping as he hurried into the forge, he apologized to his father, and handed him the other roll and waterskin. "Da, I've got to go ... my turn at the watch."

"Don't you be late gettin' back, Kal.  There's much to be done." Burn looked about, and then said with an almost palpable fear, "... and don' you be thinkin' that I don' know what you've been up to the last few days, neither. You keep whatever't'is yer makin' well-hidden, son. I'll not have ye endangerin' yer family." His father had been away for a day here and there in the last week, helping the Tolias haul the wood to the smithy.  In that time, Kal had been doing something which, even to this moment, scared him greatly.

Kal blanched ... his father knew! "Da ... I would never ... I mean ... I ..." His father made 'shushing' motions with his hands, patting the air between them. Kal straightened after a moment. "Da, you know I'd never do anything to allow harm to come to you and Ma." Another pause. "And yes, they're well-hidden ... not even in town."

His father looked at him sternly - then his features softened a little. He spoke _very_ quietly to his son. "Ye just be mindful of what ye'r doin', son. A man will get gutted for such things. I don't know what fool' notion has gotten into your head, but you'd best get it out.  Our forebears of old might have had the wherewithal to stand against the Shadow, but these are different times, and we're not on the winning side.  You keep your wits about yourself, and don' be wastin' no more of my metal. You hear?"

His father, at some point in the mini-lecture, had placed his hand upon Kal's shoulder.  Kal drew strength from that small token of affection.  He looked his father in the eyes, and nodded once, curtly.  He hurried out of the forge, then, and made for the barracks.  There wasn't the time to think about his secret any more for the time being.  Once inside, he donned his orange tunic and hoisted his mace.  He headed out to report to Choric.

Approaching the two in the early morning chill, Kal spoke his greetings. "Ho and well-met, friends." He also gave a salute to Choric. "Reporting for duty, SIR." He placed the emphasis on that last part more out of jest and flair than any form of disrespect.  Choric may have been his lieutenant, but he was also sometimes a good friend - or, at least, an ear when Kal needed one.

*OOC*:  Ashrem - check your PM's at _Against the Shadow_. I cannot PM you here.


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## Guest 11456 (Jul 31, 2003)

Hearing some one speak to him, Choric turns to Elig and shakes his head. "Nothing to report.... I mean there is nothing out of the ordinary." Choric looks the dorn over. "Headed out for the day? It seems colder then it should be though. I cannot quite put my finger on it." He pauses for a moment. "Sorry. I almost thought I felt something. It is probably just my empty stomach."

As Kal came up and greeted him, Choric rolled his eyes at the salute. "Good! Nothing to repor...." There it was again a strange feeling. He glances back over the wall and then back at Kal and Elig. Half not believing it himself he asks, "Do you feel that? A kind of dread or something like that?"

OOG: Trying to RP the beginnings of my detect evil heroic path ability.


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## Shadowfane (Jul 31, 2003)

Tamari had been walking again last night, eventually sleep had overcome her in the arid fields her family worked in vain, and she had lain down to sleep amongst the weak stemmed crops with her wolf-fur cloak to keep her warm. 

Trying to work the stiffness out of her muscles, she was half-heartedly rooting out the pernicious weeds that seemed to thrive here despite the lack of rain when she heard a raven caw someplace close by. A shiver of fear ran down her spine, a foreshadowing of some malign event. Gazing up the Old North Road, Tamari pulled her cloak tightly about her to keep out a chill that wasn’t wholly the result of the weather. 

“Morning Tamari, up early again!” Tamari, startled, turned to see Kal’s mother approaching. She smiled wistfully at the older woman, “Good morning, to you Dalla. How are Kal and Burn?”

Tamari only half heard the reply from the other woman, distracted by the sense of foreboding coming from the Old North Road, she turned her head and squinted in the grey light, but could see nothing. Realising she was being rude, she turned to Dalla blushing “I’m sorry Dalla, what did you say”. Dalla merely laughed, a seemingly discordant sound under the circumstances, “never mind dear, you youngsters always have your head in the clouds. Keep well Tamari and remember me to your mother.” With that Dalla continued towards the woods in search of blueberries. Tamari nodded absentmindedly and went back to staring up the road.

“Tsk, this is foolish”, the sound of her own voice startled her and she laughed nervously. I must go and see how mother is, she thought, no time for mooning about here. With that Tamari picked up her belongings and made her way back to the village where she could see the lone figure of Choric standing atop the palisade wall. Not wanting to speak with anyone else this morning she slipped past him while his gaze was averted; she thought sourly that she seemed more and more invisible of late, and her mind turned to the open plains of the south, her homeland. She would return there one day, and…and what, that was the question. 

Sighing despondently Tamari continued towards her home to check on her hidden treasure, a half spear that had belonged to her father; not quite a freerider’s lance, but better than the ridiculous sticks the town guards carried.


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## Emiricol (Aug 1, 2003)

Elig nodded in greeting to Kal, sparing a smile at his exaggerated check-in to Choric.

Choric: "Do you feel that? A kind of dread or something like that?" 

Elig shook his head.   "No, I felt nothing."  He paused a moment, considering carefully how he awoke.  "I woke up today with a chill feeling, but put it down to nightmares.  Just a... vague?  but insistent feeling of some impending doom." 

Then Elig smiled and said, "But ye'v been up on that wall for hours, maybe you are asleed and you just don't know it yet!" 

He saw Tamari coming in out of the corner of his eye, though she didn't seem to see him.  Or them, really.  "That one is nice enough, but she's been a mite distant lately.  Odd you'd feel that again just as she was coming in.  'Course, yer friend Aerenar has been a bit odd these last several days as well, Kal.  I wonder if they're meeting up for something?"


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## Sir Osis of Liver (Aug 1, 2003)

*Arenar Tell*

Aren roused himself well before dawn and crept out of the house, it had been a couple of weeks sence he had done this, but the erge finally over whelmed him. Moving quickly and quitly through town he made his way into the woods outside of town. Once there he made his way to a small clearing with a old holllow tree stump in the middle. Hidden inside that stump was a sturdy oak club that Aren had spent several weeks preparing. Raised on tales of heros of old he just couldn't keep himself from endulging certain dreams himself. Because of that he had started this morning ritual. Aren retrieved the club and gave it a couple test swings with his right arm before switching it to the left, and pulling the dagger from his boot with the right. Then sowly at first he began to work with the weapons whipping them about his body in a rudimenty patern. He was a far cry from a professional soilder, but his movements had grace, and he was a nateral with both hands. After a few seconds of working the patern he closed his eyes and began to relax, moving nothing but his arms. Slowly picking up speed as his mind drifted. He had beeen at this for a few weeks now, but it seemed longer. Even after his break he could already go through the combat forms he devised effortlessly, it had almost become a form of meditation for him. After about fifteen minutes he finally opened his eyes and lets arms drop to his sides. Then sat down on the growned and put aside his weapons, in order to briefly scratch the cresent shaped birthmark on his left palm. It always seemed to do that after his excercise. After a short rest Aren practiced some tumbling an dodging techniques all the great heros seemed to use in combat, then placed his club back in it's hiding place.

The trek back to town was always the worst, the sweat on his body seeming to intensify the cold. To Aren it was worth it though. His grandfathers eyes always lit up when he told his stories, Aren had hoped one day the stories would be about him. After the run in with the orcs he wasn't so sure of that dream. _I think that would make granpa very happy, but i'm just a normal kid. If i tried anything i'd just end up dead._ Aren thought to himself. _I don't know what i was thinking coming back out here...so stupid. Well i guess i better keep this to myself, i don't want to upset Kal, and things have been bad for Tamari. Last thing she needs is to be worring about me being a damn fool._ Picking up his pace Aren huried back to the safty of town.


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## Tokiwong (Aug 1, 2003)

*Ilsha Vonev*

Ilsha busied herself in the early morning, tending to some herbs, and mushrooms, grown near her uncle's shed, he cared for them deeply, and Ilsha took pride, making sure that the fragile little things were well taken care of.  She busied herself, and did not much pay mind to the fact that the world, was falling apart, for all there was in this world, this little joy was enough for her...

_*OOC:* Taking Magecraft as my first Feat, still thinking about skills, but I will get that later, my book is not herte, I spellcraft is a class skill now right?_


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 1, 2003)

_Thunder rolled in the distance, and lightning crackled nearby. The raven called again, and took flight. The icy wind died down, and suddenly the world fell deathly quiet.

Abruptly, the silence was broken with a loud crack as a bolt of lightning lanced from the sky and struck the ground a half mile west of town. Seconds later, another bolt struck, in almost exactly the same place.

Smoke began to rise, and it occured to it's witnesses that the bolts struck disturbingly close to Darm Bailey's farm._


OOC: All PCs witness this. Bailey is an old man who lives with his two sons. One of his sons is married, and his wife and child lives with them as well.


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## Emiricol (Aug 1, 2003)

Elig lets out a low whistle, and turns to Choric and Kal.  "Well, you two are the watchmen right now.  Should we go?  They've a woman and children over at the Bailey place, and that looked close to their farm if you ask me."

Elig looks about, half in motion already and poised to run...


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 1, 2003)

OOC NOTE: At any given time, there are 12 watchmen on duty.


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## Sir Osis of Liver (Aug 1, 2003)

*Aerenar Tell*

When the lightning struck Aeren stoped dead in his tracks, almost skidding to a halt. _That's odd, two strikes that close together...wait a second that was awful close to old man Bailey's place...better go take a look just in case._ Aeren resumed his jog, this time heading toward the Bailey farm instead of town.


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## Shadowfane (Aug 1, 2003)

Tamari had just checked on her mother and brother, both still asleep, has put a few logs on the fire to heat up the congealed, grey pulp that was this week’s food - boiled turnip and stone stew. Tamari didn't know whether the stones really added any flavour, but at least the helped break down the fibrous turnips. 

While the stew was heating she lifted the stone flags that hid her father's spear and was just unwrapping it from its protective covering, when a loud crack shattered the quiet of the hovel, not long after a second crack shook the walls of her home. Rising quickly, Tamari moved to the door of her hovel and looked out to see a number of her friends gathered at the town gate, looking edgy.

Forgetting the turnips and her family she ran over to them. It was only when she was half way there that Tamari remembered that she still held the spear. Oh well, no sign of legates at the moment and it looked like trouble was in the air; some instinct made her hang on to the weapon despite the risk of repercussions. She did however conceal the weapon in her cloak as she approached the palisade.

"What in the name of Dal Sahadd was that?" she enquired of no one in particular.


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## Emiricol (Aug 1, 2003)

Elig looked at the newcommer.  "Lighting - two strikes at the Bailey farm.  Come on, we can get there quicker through the woods!  Come ON you guys!" 

Elig began to run for the treeline.  The forest was his home moreso than the hay on the floor in the corner that he called his "home".  Running into it  finally, the trees made him feel secure, the cover and sudden shadows all about.  He felt uneasy, and having this cover made him feel better.  He kept a quick but not sprinting pace, the better for the others to keep up with him if they so chose, and made a beeline through the forest towards the farm.


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## Shadowfane (Aug 1, 2003)

With a brief look at the others, Tamari shrugged and ran after Elig, keeping the spear held along the length of her right arm and concealed by her cloak; it made her gait slightly odd but didn't otherwise hamper her movement.

As she ran through the dim interior of the wood, she felt at home amongst the velvety shadows and was suddenly afraid of re-entering the open spaces of the beyond the trees. Bah, what was she thinking? She was Sarcosan, destined to ride on the open plains. Tamari shook her head and focused on the fleet figure before her.


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 1, 2003)

OOC:
Tamari's Sleight of Hand check: 12 + 2 (cloak) -4 (weapon size) + Dex = 12

Aerenar's Spot: 5 (Failed)
Elig's Spot: 22 (Passed)
Choric's Spot: 19 (Passed)
Kal's Spot: 25! (Passed)

Sorry Tamari. My little orange d20 didn't like you today.  


_As Tamari appeared, it seemed as though she was hiding somehting within her cloak. Kal got a quick look at it, and if he didn't know any better, he would have sworn it was a short spear. 

Aerenar didn't seem to notice anything amiss._


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## Shadowfane (Aug 1, 2003)

> Sorry Tamari. My little orange d20 didn't like you today.



OoC: Dal Sahaad be damned, use the little green one next time


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## Sir Osis of Liver (Aug 2, 2003)

*Aerenar Tell*

Aeren rushing through the woods is so surprised to happen upon the others he neerly falls over, "Tamari,Kel?! What are you guys doing out here?"


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## Tokiwong (Aug 2, 2003)

Islah is not as brave as the others, and rushes back to her uncle's, quite surprised by the lightning in the sky, and stumbles inside, shouting loudly, "Uncle, Uncle, I saw lighting it went towards the Bailey's, two strikes, I have yet to see such a thing!"


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## Shadowfane (Aug 2, 2003)

Tamari slows slightly as they come across Aeren, "The Bailey's farm has been hit by lightning. Twice. Does that no seem strange to you?", Tamari looks at her friend then picks up her pace once more "Come on Aeren" she says with a grin, the first in weeks, "keep up!"


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## Sir Osis of Liver (Aug 2, 2003)

*Aerenar Tell*

"Yeah i thought it strange! That's why i was headed there."



> Tamari looks at her friend then picks up her pace once more "Come on Aeren" she says with a grin, the first in weeks, "keep up!"




Aeren matches pace with the others, "Keep up? I've got to slow down so i don't loose all of you." _It's good to see her in better spirits, to bad it won't last._


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 2, 2003)

_Isen Valnev, the old herbalist and brewer, was startled as his neice burst through the door. He dropped the book he was reading, Herbs of the South, and almost spilled his tea. He was always jumpy when he was reading, for to be cought, would mean great trouble.

Even though most of the guards didn't agree with the Shadow's mandates, in fact, he didn't think any of them did, they still upheld them. If even one villager broke one of those laws, it could spell doom for many. The forces of the Shadow were nothing if not thorough. They might punish everyone in a small village like this one, just to make an example of the harshness of their justice. It was brutal, but effective. If you broke a mandate, you not only had to worry about yourself, but your friends and family as well.

Wiping a bit of tea from his sleeve, he looked up at Ilsha. "You startled me las. What is thats got you in such a ruckus?" He listened, his head cocked to the side, as Ilsha explained the lightning.

"Lightning? Thats it? You'd think you'd never seen lightning before." He paused a moment. Maybe the cool morning air would do Ilsha good. It always seemed to calm his nerves to get out away from town and collect his thoughts. "Old Man Bailey said a few days ago that he found some Ungulok Stems growing out by his barn. Why don't you go check on the old goat and bring those stems back?" He stood and walked over to a small shelf stocked with rows of bottles filled with different brews. He popped the stopper on one, smelled it, nodded in satisfaction, and handed it to Ilsha. "This should do him." _


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## Emiricol (Aug 2, 2003)

Aeren matches pace with the others, "Keep up? I've got to slow down so i don't loose all of you." 

Elig smiles, knowing she has _something up her sleeve_ , literally, which may be slowing her down.  "Aye, me also.  Would not do to get split up in these woods.


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## Tokiwong (Aug 2, 2003)

Ashrem Bayle said:
			
		

> *"Lightning? Thats it? You'd think you'd never seen lightning before." He paused a moment. Maybe the cool morning air would do Ilsha good. It always seemed to calm his nerves to get out away from town and collect his thoughts. "Old Man Bailey said a few days ago that he found some Ungulok Stems growing out by his barn. Why don't you go check on the old goat and bring those stems back?" He stood and walked over to a small shelf stocked with rows of bottles filled with different brews. He popped the stopper on one, smelled it, nodded in satisfaction, and handed it to Ilsha. "This should do him."  *




"Aye uncle, I apologize for startling you, it was just two strikes, and you know how much, the lightning scares me ever since I was little, it was a little unnerving, but the Shadow knows what it could mean..." she quips.

Ilsha took the bottle and nodded, "Aye, I will handle it uncle, I promise.  I shan't be long!" she waves, and makes her towards the Bailey's, fear, and curiosity mingling together....


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 2, 2003)

_As Ilsha walks out the door of the herbalist's shop, she catches sight of the others as they head off into the forest._

OOC: The herbalist shop is on the edge of town. There is a gate in the wall nearby, and through the gate, about 30yrds away, she sees the others as they enter the forest going toward the Bailey Place.


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## Tokiwong (Aug 3, 2003)

Ashrem Bayle said:
			
		

> *As Ilsha walks out the door of the herbalist's shop, she catches sight of the others as they head off into the forest.*




Ilsha, looks curious, and thinks for a moment to follow, but seeing that would be prying, she tries not to be too noisy, and continues along the path at a liesurely pace, not so much trying to get into anyone's business not in these times, and not for a simple maiden.  Ilsha will try and keep to the path as best as she can, taking the normal route she always takes to the Bailey's...


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 4, 2003)

OOC: Toki, your picture didn't link. Evidently, animeshrine, doesn't supoort linking.


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 4, 2003)

*Bailey's Farm*

_The forest you tread through is populated by various evergreens. Undergrowth is sparse and the ground is treacherous. Roots and dead trees lie hidden under a thin layer of snow, waiting to trip or ensnare the careless.

The morning mist is thick here. Your eyesight fails you about 10 paces distant and the feeling of dread some have experienced this morning has only grown worse. Leafless branches cast eery shadows through the early morning light, shadows that make the dense fog seem almost alive.

Finally... after minutes of struggling throught the forest, you come to it's edge. The smell of burning wood is in the air....... and something else.... Ahead of you is an old farm house, Bailey's home, which you have approached from behind. It is a small one story building, with a front porch and a grey slate roof which now appears to be smoking heavily. Fire slithers upward and has begun to spread. Soon the entire roof will be in flames._

OOC: You can't see much else from your vantage point in the forest's edge. The house itself is about 120 feet away.


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## Tokiwong (Aug 4, 2003)

> OOC: Toki, your picture didn't link. Evidently, animeshrine, doesn't supoort linking.


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## Swashbuckler (Aug 4, 2003)

*OoC*: I had a post written, and the site crashed out my Explorer while it was attempting to post it.  In it, I described Kal's reaction to Choric's question, his reaction to the lightning blasts, and his subsequent asking Choric for leave to investigate the damage (if any) to Bailey's farm (since he's on duty).

I can only assume that Choric agreed and/or came along as well.
---------------------------
*IC*:

Kal smelled the smells of ozone, burning wood & field grass, and ... something else he couldn't quite place.  It was foul, whatever it was. The group stood amongst the trees at the edge of Bailey's farm-field, the scent of the carnage they were sure to find strong in their nostrils.

_Damn the morning fog_, Kal thought. _I cannot see a thing in this weather!_

Mace in hand, he moved forward into the gloom, not even pausing to wait for the others with him. There were duties to be done.  At least this wouldn't be another boring day on the guard post ...

They were indeed following, and the group came upon the back of the little farmhouse.  Black smoke billowed into the air, and it seemed as if the others were glancing about for signs of raiders.

_To the Fell with this_, Kal steeled his mind. _If the Bailey's ARE indeed inside, that's no way to meet one's end._

Moving quickly, Kal runs around to the front, intent on kicking the door down (if he has to) to get to anyone who might be trapped inside.


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## Emiricol (Aug 4, 2003)

Elig freezes.  The smoke, that other smell... The sense of dread...

Elig motions the others to stop, crouches down, and looks carefully about the clearing, and at any potential hiding spots, trying to see if there are any servants of the Shadow of the North about.  No use getting killed over the Baileys, after all.

EDIT Elig sees Illa, but realizes there is little he can do about her right now, or for her.  Not until the group is sure there are no enemies about.


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## Tokiwong (Aug 4, 2003)

> _Finally... after minutes of struggling throught the forest, you come to it's edge. The smell of burning wood is in the air....... and something else.... Ahead of you is an old farm house, Bailey's home, which you have approached from behind. It is a small one story building, with a front porch and a grey slate roof which now appears to be smoking heavily. Fire slithers upward and has begun to spread. Soon the entire roof will be in flames._




Ilsha blinks unable to comprehend the damage being done, she shrieks loudly, "Fire! Fire! Fire!" the smoke already burning at her eyes, she looks for any water, or a bucket, or even a well to find something to perhaps abate the flames.

"Someone please help... there is fire!" she shrieks again, trying to maintain what little composure she has left.


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## Sir Osis of Liver (Aug 4, 2003)

*Aerenar Tell*

Aeren quickly puts his hand on Ilsha's shoulder and tries to gently turn her around so he can look her in the eye, "Calm down, we'll go try and help. You have to stop screaming though. Who can tell what may hear you. Alright?"


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## Guest 11456 (Aug 4, 2003)

OOG: Sorry for the late post.

Earlier: Upon witnessing the lightning strikes, Choric calls to the nearest watchmen. "Hold your stations! Kal and I shall investigate. Alert the watch captain!" then Choric rushes after the others through the woods.

Now: Choric rushes toward the farm house.


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## Tokiwong (Aug 5, 2003)

*Re: Aerenar Tell*



			
				Sir Osis of Liver said:
			
		

> *Aeren quickly puts his hand on Ilsha's shoulder and tries to gently turn her around so he can look her in the eye, "Calm down, we'll go try and help. You have to stop screaming though. Who can tell what may hear you. Alright?" *




Ilsha screams again, not expecting the hand, and stumbles away from Aeren, "Calm down..." she mutters, "we must help them, if anyone is inside..." she looks back to the house... still shaken.  Ilsha looks around, "By the Shadow, this is horrible!"


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## Swashbuckler (Aug 5, 2003)

He heard the screams and shrieks coming from outside, sounding vaguely like it was coming from the area where he left the others.

_Just what we need ... some woman panicking,_ grumbled Kal, while checking the door to see if it was hot or cold to his touch.

_If there is any goodness left in the world, may it be watching over me ..._, and with that, Kal tried to kick through the door of the farmhouse. The door rattled on its hinges, but it did not fall.  Trying the handle, he found it quite locked.  He shook it vigorously, then cried out to those that might be inside.

"Is there anyone in here?  Do you need help?"


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## Sir Osis of Liver (Aug 5, 2003)

*Aerenar Tell*

Aeren says,"Uh, someone stay here with, Ilsha?" as he runs across the yard to catch up with Kal. "Kal wait up, you shouldn't go in there alone!"


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 5, 2003)

_Kal, dashed toward the back door and checked it for heat. It wasn't very warm, but it was locked. He was in too much of a hurry to notice what lay in the front yard.

-------------------------------------------------------------

As the others approached from the forest, they where able to get a look at the horrific scene. What awaited them, was nothing short of a nightmare made real.

A slender spear, seven foot long, had been planted vertically in the ground. It was upon this spear that Tad Bailey would suffer through the last tormented moments of his life. The young man was stripped naked. The spear held him aloft, penetrating his anus and exiting through a hole near the base of his neck. 

Tad's eyes fluttered, his body spasmed. With a sickening, wet, tearing sound, he slid another inch down the spear. The movement brought on another wave of convulsions and a stream of blood poured from his lips. Dark blood had collected in a pool below him. He suffered as no man was meant to, but yet he lived.

Aerenar and Ilsha noisally vomited up what little they had eaten earlier.


Choric and Tamari noticed, past the poor impaled soul, something was smoking near the opposite forest edge and seemed to be the source of the sickening smell. _


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## Emiricol (Aug 5, 2003)

Elig noted the scene.  Silently cursing the weakness of the women and the impulsiveness of Kal.  Hopefully whoever did this was not still around, but if they were, Kal was already lost.  Elig noted all this sadly, then motioned to Choric and Tamari.  Very quietly, he said,  "I don't see any immediate threat and it looks like poor Tad has been up there for a while.  Nothing we can do for him but end his misery, but maybe someone else lives.  Let's give it a moment to see if Kal gets himself killed, then move in." 

Elig peers intently at the house, at the forest all around, hoping to spot any movement.


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## Sir Osis of Liver (Aug 5, 2003)

*Aerenar Tell*

Catching sight of the horror in front Aeren stops in mid stride. Causeing himself to trip and land heavily on his knees. A split second later comprehension set in and he emptied the contenets of his stomach on the ground in front of him. Thankfully he hadn't eaten breakfast yet, so he mostly coughed up bile.

After a few seconds he wiped his moulth and stood up, not looking at the farmer, but instead turning to look back at the others. The look of horror on his face clear to everyone.


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## Guest 11456 (Aug 5, 2003)

Choric, trying not to look at the impaled man, moves to where something is smoking on opposite forest edge. He tries to keep his composure. He keeps his mace at the ready in case of trouble.


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 5, 2003)

Emiricol said:
			
		

> *I don't see any immediate threat and it looks like poor Tad has been up there for a while.[/COLOR]
> *




OOC: Hard to tell unless you get closer. As of now, you are about 40ft from him.

_ Tad's convulsing eased a moment, and his eyes seemed to focus on Choric as he moved closer. Obviously, the man is mad from pain, but it seems he has had a moment of clarity.

"He...hel....hellllpppp.....mmmeeeee....." he mumbled weakly. Another stream of blood began out of the corner of his mouth. His eyes fluttered, and again the convulsions wracked him. He slid another half inch down the spear and for a moment you thought you heard the distinct sound of wood sliding against bone._

OOC: Is Kal still going to go inside? He could probably bash the door open. He isn't aware of Tad, but he can see the others out of the corner of his eye and saw two characters vomit.


*Layout/Update:*

We have a farmhouse (on fire).

The PCs approached the farmhouse from the rear and moved around the left side to get a look at Tad. They are now standing roughly by the left side of the house (except Choric who just moved). Tad is roughly 40ft away and is impaled directly out in front of the house.

Kal is at the back door.

The smoking object is on the other side of the farm. You'd have to walk right past Tad or go around him to get to it. When Choric gets within 20ft of Tad, Tad speaks.

I assume Ilsha has cought up with the others and is with the main group. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Just so you know, on the other side of the house (about 150ft away from it), Bailey has a small barn and a pen for his livestock. Noone has gotten in a position to see it yet. You'd have to go around the house to get a look.

From the moment you arrived at the edge of the forest, till now, about 30 seconds have expired.

If some of this doesn't correspond with what you had in mind for your character, be sure to let me know.


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## Tokiwong (Aug 5, 2003)

Ilsha nearly feinted, but instead emptied the contents of her stomach, in a mess that was not befitting a young lady, "The Shadow..." she murmurs, "the shadows," through teary eyes, "why!?"

Ilsha although wishing to turn away cannot, the image slowly burning into every crevice of her mind, burning right into her soul, the sight a horror to her sheltered life.  She wept for the man, she wept for the fire, she wept because she knew not what she could do...


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## Guest 11456 (Aug 5, 2003)

Choric moves closer to the impaled figure.

"Wha... What can I do? Ho... How do you still live? What happened here? Where are the others?"

Choric looks around for any signs of life.


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## Swashbuckler (Aug 5, 2003)

*OoC*: I've edited my last post to be in line with what transpired at the back door.
--------------
*IC*:

Silence from inside the burning farmhouse.

Kal suddenly noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw Aerenar and the girl heaving their stomachs into the snowy ground. _What the ..._

Moving toward them, he was speaking. "What are you two doing?  Are you okay?"

Then he saw what had made them retch.  Poor Tad Bailey, impaled like a visceral animal on parade, twitching and spasming on a pike.  He felt his stomach do a lurch, but he fought the feeling down.  Kal stood there, staring, at the poor form of the farmer.  He knew then that it would be a miracle if anyone else on the farm had survived.

He also knew rage. Rage at what had become of the farmer, rage at the obvious implications of the sight (moreso whom or what was responsible), rage at his own worthless standing as a town 'guard'.  His grip on his mace tightened considerably.  He was vaguely aware of Tad trying to speak to Choric.  The man, near his own age, was sputtering out his last breaths of his life, while his blood pooled in an ever-increasing dark stain at his feet.

Kal was not even really consciously aware of the growl that escaped his lips, but all of his thoughts suddenly turned to the farmhouse, and to the door.  The locked door.  The door that might - against even his own intuition - have someone alive behind it, in desperate need of help.

He bounded to the door in just a few steps, and unleased all of his angst on the door with his mace.


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 5, 2003)

_The force from Kal's charge was enough to rip the old door from it's rusty hinges. A wave of heat erupted from the opening, and washed over him as he staggered inside. The roof was the worst of it, almost completely aflame. One of the interior walls appeared to have suffered heavy damage. Judging from the scattered debris, this is where at least one of the bolts of lightning had hit.

Kal looked around in a panic, his eyes burned and he was forced to hold his breath. Nothing stirred in the house. There was no sign of it's usual inhabitants._

OOC: You see nothing in the first round.

---------------------------------------------------------------
_
Choric looked on as the young man suffered. Tad appeared to be in a state of deep shock, and his eyes had begun to glaze over. His breathing was shallow and ragged. He was still alive, but seemed on the verge of unconsciousness. Choric knew the man wouldn't be able to say anymore and would likely... hopefully.... die very soon.... 

A raven called from the edge of the forest. 

The raven, a woman crying, a home in flames, and the ragged breathing of a suffering man was the only sound in the cold morning air._

OOC: [Spot DC:10 & 15] 12 + 4 = 16 (Success)

_ Tad's blood still looked fresh. He hadn't been up there long and couldn't have been impaled more than an hour before their arrival. 

Glancing down, Choric happened to notice a small section of churned up ground, as if a second spear had been driven into the cold earth, but had been pulled out. Around the small hole the snow looked to have been disturbed, possibly by thrashing._


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## Guest 11456 (Aug 5, 2003)

Finding there is little he can do for the man, Choric moves on to the smoking stuff at the far edge of the clearing. He continues to stay alert to possible trouble.


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## Sir Osis of Liver (Aug 5, 2003)

*Aerenar Tell*

Finally composing himself Aeren hurried to catch up with Choric, keeping his eyes to the ground as he passed Tad.


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## Emiricol (Aug 5, 2003)

Elig sees no reason now to expose himself, seeing his companions exploring the man, the burning area behind the house, and the house itself.  Instead, he focuses on keeping lookout for any trouble.

==========
OOC: Staying very still, and very alert.


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## Swashbuckler (Aug 6, 2003)

Kal crouched low, keeping his head out of the smoke as much as possible.  The place was going up fast; he didn't have much time. Already the roof was completely ablaze, and the walls were starting to go.  The heat inside was near unbearable, and Kal's breaths burned in his nose and throat, which had gone dry almost instantly.

He started searching around, desperate because he knew the place didn't have long.


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## Shadowfane (Aug 6, 2003)

Tamari’s fleeting levity of only moments ago evaporated like snowflakes in a flame as she took in the tableau lay before her disbelieving eyes. Forcing back the rising bile in her gullet, she nodded woodenly to Elig’s advice, his voice sounded muffled as though coming from a distance. 

Tamari had witnessed the brutality of the Shadow’s retribution before, in her travels as a child of a Sarcosan soldier, but never the horrific cruelty now set before her. 

Suddenly coming to a decision on an internal conflict she hadn’t even been aware she was having, Tamari stepped lightly across the scrub to the impaled figure of Tad. Taking her spear she thrust it through his neck, hoping to end the poor man’s suffering, as the blade slide into the flesh of his neck a tear rolled down her cheek and a sob racked her frame.


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## Tokiwong (Aug 6, 2003)

Shadowfane said:
			
		

> *Suddenly coming to a decision on an internal conflict she hadn’t even been aware she was having, Tamari stepped lightly across the scrub to the impaled figure of Tad. Taking her spear she thrust it through his neck, hoping to end the poor man’s suffering, as the blade slide into the flesh of his neck a tear rolled down her cheek and a sob racked her frame. *




Ilsha looks up to see Tamari doing what she could not, or would not, putting the poor lad out of his misery, despite the horror, she does not scream, growing numb, she slowly stands, swaying, lightly as if believing this is just a dream... a nightmare, but the senses are too real, the burning from the smoke, the smells, the sights, all too real, if she were any weaker she would break... but she has the blood of power in her, the fire the smoke is all to familiar, and yet altogether foreign.

Ilsha walks forward slowly, and as Tamari ends the poor lad's life, she closes his eyes as best as she can, she looks up and nods with tear stricken eyes, "The Shadow's embrace has him now, if he is dead, we must prevent the rise of a Fell, and any other fallen dead," she sniffles, "this is ghastly..." she finally mutters.


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 6, 2003)

_Tad gave a twitch as Tamari's spear tip pierced his throat. Blood rolled out in a crimson torrent, soaking his chest and the snow covered ground. Seconds later, he was dead. His breathing, ragged and panicked as it was, slowed to a stop. His eyes glazed over, the life leaving his body.

As Tamari lowered her eyes in mourning, she too noticed the spot where perhaps another spear stood.
_____________________________________________

Choric moved closer to the source of the smoke…. and the smell. What he discovered made him wish he had stayed back there with Tad. Near the edge of the forest, he found little Rob, Jon’s boy…….. or at least…. what remained.

The boy, a young lad of eight summers, lay in the snow in a position that should have been impossible. His left arm and shoulder was gone, and his head hang on with little more than slivers of flesh. Where the left side of his face should have been, was now a ruined mess. He had been burned, horribly, and his missing arm and shoulder appeared to have been blown off, as if by an explosion….. or lightning.

The ground around the child was blackened and scorched. Blood and pieces of flesh lay scattered about, burned and mangled. His forearm and hand looked to be a good ten feet away, half buried in the cold snow. The smell was overwhelming at this distance, and Choric could not resist the urge to bend double and vomit.

Aerenar, catching up to Choric, narrowly managed to avoid getting breakfast on his boot. When he saw the boy, he was suddenly glad his own stomach was empty.

______________________________________________

Elig, ever wary, scanned the area for danger, or for sign of who might have committed the atrocity. He was scanning the forest edge when he noticed Choric, leaning against a tree, spilling his breakfast. He was about to go check on him, when he heard a loud crash come from inside the house.

______________________________________________

Kal's lungs burned with the effort of breathing hot air. Crouched low, he made it into the last room, having already searched the others. It was Bailey's other son's room, Jon's and his wife, Tena's. The room was decorated as a woman would. Flowers on the window seal now shriveled from the heat. The beautiful curtains burned as well, and the fire that stemmed from them had recently set afire the quilt that Tena’s mother had knitted for them on their wedding day.

Suddenly, a section of the roof broke finally gave way. As it fell, it clipped Tal’s shoulder, burning him and almost knocking him to the ground. It took him a moment to force breath back into his lungs, and when he did, the heat of the air made it almost unbearable. As he turned, he noticed the rubble had fell across the doorway, blocking his exit._

OOC: 1 point of bludgeoning damage & 1 point of fire damage


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## Guest 11456 (Aug 6, 2003)

Choric stumbles away from the mess that was the boy. He pushes out the mental images racing through his brain. He wonders who or what could have done such atrocities. He makes his way back toward the burning house. As he walks he scans the area again, feeling that what ever did this might still be near.


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## Swashbuckler (Aug 6, 2003)

The room was burning around him.  His breathing was almost about to sear his throat. All around him, he saw only soot and flame.

And the lone window in the room.

Kal did the only thing that he could - with every ounce of strength he could muster in the blistering heat, he dove headlong towards the window, leading with his mace, covering his face with his free hand.

_If I don't make it through this, I'm done for._

-----------------
*OoC*: Have I mentioned that falling, flaming beams pi$$ me off?


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## Shadowfane (Aug 6, 2003)

Tamari's head drooped in shame at her action, yet she knew there was little else she could have done for the man. As her tear-stained vision cleared she noticed a hole in the ground as though made by a shaft of some sort…another spear? 

Crouching to get a better look she noticed the disturbed snow round about and a cold dread crept over her as her shock-numbed mind came to the only conclusion it could; someone else had been savagely skewered like Tad and set in the cold earth to die like some grisly scarecrow, but…but, they had managed to get themselves down and escape? Something didn’t fit here….Tamari checked the area again, surely there would be a trail if another victim of this appalling crime had managed to crawl away; the thought of the pain they would be in made Tamari feel sick. 

As Tamari’s mind struggled with the ghastly conundrum before her, a terrific crash from the burning farmhouse shattered her train of thought. Looking up she realised the house had begun to collapse in upon itself. ‘Where was Kal?’ she wondered; Tamari had last seen him heading towards the house, but had not paid attention after that, occupied as she was with poor Tad. She rose and hefting her spear began to walk slowly toward the conflagration looking for Tal, perhaps he had headed over to the barn?

OoC: no probs Ash, I've edited the post accordingly


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 6, 2003)

Shadowfane said:
			
		

> * Something didn’t fit here….Tamari checked the area again, where was the blood? If there was another victim of this appalling crime, surely there would be blood covering the snow about.  *




Sorry..... I should have been more clear.  From all the blood around, there could have been blood coming from a second victem as well. There is definately a little blood around the hole.


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## Emiricol (Aug 7, 2003)

A crash, loud enough to stop him in his tracks.  In a moment of horror, Elig realized Kal was in that building - _and the roof was caving in_ !

Without thinking, Elig bolted for the building, and, finding a lone window, moved towards it, intent on smashing it and seeing what he might of Kel. 

A quick look in the window, however, showed that Kel, despite the flames and rubble, was alright.  At least, alright enough to be charging headlong right at the window!  Elig ducked out of the way, and prepared to revise his plan depending on what happened next.

Good or bad, his cover was now blown.  If he'd been hunting squirrels, they'd have been long gone.  Too bad it wasn't just squirrels in the burning building.


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 7, 2003)

_Elig ducked just in time as Kal exploded through the window above him. Bits of wood and glass rained down on him and Kal's legs caught across his back. The blacksmith landed hard on the ground, knocking the breath out of him. The cold air was welcome to his scorched lungs, though as he lay on the ground, he noticed bits of glass had slashed him in various locations._

OOC: Passed Reflex save. Kal doesn't take any actual hit point damage.

_____________________________

Tamari spent a moment looking around, trying to discern whatever she could from the mess before. After a moment, she noticed what seemed to be a a trail of footprints heading in the direction of Bailey's barn and livestock pen.
_


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## Swashbuckler (Aug 7, 2003)

_Join the town guard, they said ... fun and adventure, they said ..._, the grumbled thoughts passed through Kal's mind as he sat upright, brushing himself off.  Shattered bits of glass were everywhere, and looking back, also all over Elig.

"Sorry about that, Elig.  But it was getting a little too toasty for comfort in there," he related in a low voice. "Come now, get away from the farmhouse.  It's done for, and I don't want it coming down on you."

Kal turned and surveyed the treeline.  He was aware of the fact that he was injured, and his shoulder stung where the hot beam had scalded him, but there was no time to think about that now.  Kal had a sense of foreboding, a sense that all was not right here ...

A sense that they were being watched.


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## Shadowfane (Aug 7, 2003)

Tamari had taken no more than a couple of steps when Kal came crashing through the farmhouse window. Startled she jumped back and readied her spear before she realised what was happening. Seeing that Elig was seeing to the blacksmith, Tamari turned her attention back to the footprints she had found and followed them towards the Bailey’s barn. 

The sense of foreboding tickled the back of Tamari's neck and as she moved cautiously towards the structure, staying low and using the shifting smoke for cover. Her breathing was coming short and fast now; from fear and adrenaline rather than exertion, and her eyes moved constantly taking in the surroundings. 

OoC: Move silently and Hide. Try to get into the barn and look for whoever left the footprints but keep an eye out for trouble.


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## Emiricol (Aug 7, 2003)

"Sorry about that, Elig. But it was getting a little too toasty for comfort in there. Come now, get away from the farmhouse. It's done for, and I don't want it coming down on you." 

"Damn. That's a shame." Elig replied somberly.  "Alright, this is a wash and I don't like the feeling I have.  Let's get out of here, or at least under some cover." 

Elig noticed Tamari sneak off.  He glanced to Kal and nudged him, drawing his attention, but when he looked back, she'd gone.  Elig wondered where she'd gone off to,  but the smoke was thick this close to the house - difficult to see through.

Elig moved out towards the nearby treeline.


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## Sir Osis of Liver (Aug 7, 2003)

*Aerenar Tell*

Aeren just stood there dumb founded as everything went on around him, not quite sure what to do. Finally he walked over to were Kal and Elig were retreating from the burning house, "who could have caused this? I-i don't think those lighning strikes were...natural."


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 8, 2003)

_Tamari moved hesitantly toward the barn, using the smoke as cover as best she could. Occasionally she was able to pick out another track and sometimes even a few specks of blood. Someone had definitely came this way.

As she neared the barn and the livestock pen, it finally occurred to her what was wrong. Silence.... no animals made any noise. While the pen was on the other side of the barn, sound carried far in the cold morning air and she should have been able to hear them.

The wind began to pick up a bit, snow flurrying across the ground. Suddenly.....there was a loud bang that echoed across the yard. Tamari jerked, startled, and looked up to see the barn door had blown open and slammed against the side of the barn.

The door now open, the inner depths of the barn were dark indeed. A chill ran down her spine not entirely caused by the cold.
_

OOC: Is Ilsha going to take care of Tad’s body?


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## Swashbuckler (Aug 8, 2003)

Elig nudged him, drawing Kal's attention.  He nodded his head behind him, obviously intent on showing him something, but there was nothing save the snow (in some cases, the bloody snow) and the burning farmhouse.  Elig must have noticed his slightly confused look, because he turned his head around and seemed to be searching ...

The _BANG!_ from the other side of the house caused Kal to jerk his head in that direction. "Let's go!"

Kal hoised his mace and stood to his feet, and was about to help Elig up when he saw that his friend was already standing.  Knowing Elig would be right behind him, Kal turned and hurried off in the direction of the noise. He finished brushing the debris off of his tunic as he moved.


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## Tokiwong (Aug 8, 2003)

Ilsha looks to Tad's corpse and begins the grisly work of removing him from the spear, and trying to remove the spear from him as best as she could, cursing to herself, for losing his composure, but not quite sure what else she would have, or should have done.  She was but a simple village girl, a hedge mystic at best, and if anything this was well outside of her knowledge, but she would face it, and overcome, and be stronger for it.

Now if only she could stop crying...


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## Guest 11456 (Aug 8, 2003)

As Choric continues to move away from the mess at the forest's edge, he hears the loud noise from the direction of the barn. (Of course. The barn. I forgot about that.) He hurries in the direction of the barn.


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## Sir Osis of Liver (Aug 8, 2003)

*Aerenar Tell*

Aeren pauses briefly to pull out his knife, then follows Elig, and Kel over to the barn.


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## Emiricol (Aug 8, 2003)

Elig quickly and quietly follows Kal, and as they approach the barn Elig angles off to the right, the better to flank any danger.  He glances at the others as they approach, gives a nod to each, appreciative that they are still here.


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## Shadowfane (Aug 8, 2003)

Tamari was scared; there was no other word for it. She knew she should call for the others, but something, a need to find and help the person who had left the trail perhaps, drew her on.

Her knuckles were white on the shaft of her spear, and the only noise after the loud bang of the barn door was the hammering of her heart in her ears. Moving with what grace she had left, Tamari moved quietly into the barn, hugging the shadows as she went and try to adjust her vision to the gloom – she found that her developing night vision quickly adjusted to the dark interior, and she moved forward with only a moments hesitation.

OoC: Still moving silently and hiding in shadows. Tamari will look out for the bloody trail and see if she can find the person who left it


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 8, 2003)

OOC: Sorry for the lack of posting today guys. I've been pretty busy. Hopefully I'll be able to post some this weekend. My monitor at home is trying to crap out on me though, so no promises.

If your bored, get involved in the Great Character Collection Project!.


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 11, 2003)

_ The interior of the barn was dark and foreboding with slivers of light streaming in-between warped and knotted boards. As Tamari approached, she noticed a large pool of blood just off to the side of the barn. It seemed to be the source of a trail of blood that led into the barn. The smell of blood and death was strong here, and it only grew stronger as she got closer. 

Still unable to hear any animals, she took a moment to peek around the side of the barn. Then she knew the reason for the silence…

Old Man Bailey had raised goats for years. Now, it seemed over half of them where missing. The rest, however, where still here. In fact, they were everywhere…… The animals had been mutilated. Some where missing their heads, or legs, or where simply disemboweled, their entrails spread about the pen. The smell was nearly overwhelming. 

A raven, picking at one of the goat’s ruined eyes, called in alarm when it saw Tamari and took to the sky.

Glancing back within the barn, her eyes adjusted to the darkness. In the densely shadowed areas, she could see the interior. She couldn’t see color, but she could see detail, and she could see the bails of hay shift as something moved behind them. Her mouth went dry and the hair rose on the back of her neck as she heard the wet ripping sound of flesh tearing. The trail of blood led further back into the barn…

The others approached the barn from behind Tamari, looking into its dark interior. *BANG* The door cracked against the outside wall and another raven called and flew into the forest, drawing the other’s attention to the mutilated livestock remains. 

________________________________________________

Elig, having broken away from the rest of the group, was the first among them (not counting Tamari) to notice the pool of blood. As he looked at it, he noticed the ground around the blood was disturbed as if someone, lying on the ground, had been writhing violently. Likely, whoever had been wounded there had been the source of the blood. It was also likely that that amount of blood loss would have been fatal…..

The blood trailed off toward the barn. It was smeared, as if whoever it belonged to had crawled away or had been dragged.

________________________________________________

Having pulled Tad to the ground, it took all of Ilsha’s strength to pull the spear free of the grisly corpse. It was slick with now cold blood, which made the work all the more difficult. _

*OOC Summery:*
Ilsha is still back with Tad.
Elig is standing off to the side of the barn. (Roughly 20’ away from the others.)
The others are standing in the barn’s doorway.

The barn is 15’ x 30’ and is only one story. It has a raised platform in the back with a ladder going up to it. The platform is covered in hay. Beneath the platform is very dark and shadowed. The trail of blood leads back to the shadowed area below the platform. The tearing sound comes from the same location. A man sized pile of hay, stacked on the barn’s floor, blocks your view of whatever is making the sound. 

Let me know if I’m unclear on your intentions or if you need further clarification.


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## Guest 11456 (Aug 11, 2003)

Choric moves forward and nods to Kal. As he passes Tamari he glances at the spear, then to her, and finally back to the spear. Although he knew that it was a criminal offense, he was glad to have the help. He was not sure of what they might find.

Choric moves forward and to the left of the hay. He motions for Kal to circle the hay to the right. He readies his mace and tries to stay alert in the darkness of the barn.


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## Emiricol (Aug 11, 2003)

Elig nods grimly to Kal as his friend circles towards him.

Elig motions to Tamari, points to the pool of blood, then makes a slashing movement across his throat, then points at the shed.

To Kal he says,  "Look at all the blood - it was either dragged off or has Risen, and neither option bodes well for us.  I don't know where she got a spear, but I stand ready with my sling..."


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## Shadowfane (Aug 11, 2003)

Tamari returned Choric’s glance with a glare and gripped the spear tighter. A hard knot formed in her throat and with some effort she swallowed. She noticed Elig approach from the direction of the slaughtered goats, and acknowledged his signal with a nod of understanding. 

Moving forward with the others, Tamari kept her spear ready, her every sense bristling with anticipation and fear. The disturbing, wet noises coming from behind the hay made her guts churn and her already overwrought mind worked overtime to conjure nightmare images of what might lie back there in the barn’s gloom; not that it had to work too hard after the scenes she had just witnessed. 

OoC: Moves forward with Choric and Kal, keeping to the left with Choric.


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## Tokiwong (Aug 12, 2003)

Ilsha seeing the corpse stabs the spear into the ground, and drags the corpse towards the flames, and does her best to try and dispose of the corpse before it can return as a Fell.  Knowing that such a scourge would be an even greater bane, "By the Shadow," she mutters, "he is heavy..."


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## Swashbuckler (Aug 12, 2003)

Kal, emboldened by the bravery of his companions, tightens his grip on his mace. He looked to Choric, who was moving forward and to the left. Kal moved forward and to the right, the vulgar and inhuman sounds getting louder as they circled the hay bale.  He motions to to Elig to follow him, but to stay back far enough to be effective with his sling.

With a look over to Choric, and timing their actions, the two guardsmen stalked cautiously around the interposing hay.

_May Fate smile upon us, for I fear the Shadow is stronger this day ..._


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 12, 2003)

_It was dark behind the stack of hay. The shadows covered most of the area, the only light was what little trickled between the boards. Unfortunately, the pale light that washed in was just enough to illuminate the horrific sight before you.

The naked form of an old man crouched before. It was Old Man Bailey, stripped of clothes and crouching over the unmoving form of his eldest son. His slowly raised his head to gaze upon the newcomers. Blood streamed down his chin, his eyes were wild and feral like a cornered animal.

On the floor lay the remains of his eldest son, Jon, dressed in simple farmer's clothes. His head looked to have been nearly severed with a clean cut. 

His father had been pulling flesh from the wound and had managed to strip away most of the meat on his neck and right shoulder.

With a shriek, Bailey lunged away. Screaming and clawing, he stumbled against the wall of the barn. He moved with a crippled gate, ruining any grace he might have had. A spear's blade emerged out of the man's neck, the other end, from his anus. It dragged along the barn's floor, protruding a good three feet from his body. He jerked at the spear, trying to yank it free, but it did not give._

*Initiatives:*
Ilsha 16
Aeren 15
 - Bailey 14
Kal 13
Choric 9
Elig 3
Tamari 5


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## Tokiwong (Aug 13, 2003)

Ilsha will continue to drag the corpse to the flames, as fast as she can, not aware of the troubles in the barn, unless that is where the fire is.

_*OOC:*I am confused, does Ilsha see this?_


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 13, 2003)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Ilsha will continue to drag the corpse to the flames, as fast as she can, not aware of the troubles in the barn, unless that is where the fire is.
> 
> OOC:I am confused, does Ilsha see this? *




No, Ilsha isn't aware of exactly what is going on, but she hears Bailey's screams.


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## Tokiwong (Aug 13, 2003)

Ashrem Bayle said:
			
		

> *
> 
> No, Ilsha isn't aware of exactly what is going on, but she hears Bailey's screams. *




_*OOC:* Ilsha will continue her action, throwing the body in the fire._


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## Swashbuckler (Aug 13, 2003)

Kal didn't know whether to be sick from the sight, cower and run in fear at the cold chill running the length of his spine, or run forward and splatter the thing with his mace. The gruesome scene was like something straight out of a nightmare.  There could be no doubt that the Shadow was responsible for all of this.

His resolve started to win through. He fought down the urge to be sick. He steadily was mastering his fear, for he knew that to run away now might leave some of his comrades vulnerable to the abomination before them, and worse, allow another hideous monstrosity to plague the surrounding lands in the days to come.

He chose to advance and put an end to the foul thing.

--------------

*OoC*:  Watching out not to trip on Jon's corpse, Kal will attack, trying to coordinate his strikes with anyone else who might be attacking.  If he is the only one, he will swing his mace straight for the Fell's head.


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## Guest 11456 (Aug 13, 2003)

Seeing Kal move to attack the thing that was Old Man Bailey, Choric moves to positon himself opposite Kal's. Once lined up for the attack, he swings his mace low toward its legs.


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## Shadowfane (Aug 13, 2003)

The shock of seeing the thing that had been Old Man Bailey froze Tamari for a second; even her fevered imaginings hadn’t envisioned such a horrifying sight. 

(OoC: trying to role-play my cr&*!y initiative roll; are you using that orange dice again Ash?!  )

Seeing the two guardsmen, her friends, move to attack the Fell, Tamari positions herself between them and lunges at the risen corpse with her spear, aiming for the chest. 

OoC: Unless I misunderstood, Choric is attacking from the left and Kal from the right; so Tamari is attacking from head on (or in between the two at any rate as I’m not sure which way the Fell is facing with respect to their attacks).


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## Emiricol (Aug 14, 2003)

Seeing the others charge in, Elig slowly continued to circle until he had a line of site.  The chill of seeing one of the Fell ran straight down his spine, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as his adrenaline surged.  Between that and the horror of the scene, with the burning house and the half-eaten son - a son Elig knew, if only impersonally - was nearly maddening.

Fighting that feeling, Elig took a stone and whipped it out at the creature with his sling, being more cautious than he might had not his companions been so close to it.


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 15, 2003)

_*Ilsha*_

_An ice cold breeze seemed to slice through Ilsha's clothes like they were nothing. As she approached the burning home, she would have been thankful for the heat if not for the gruesome task at hand. She pulled Tad's lifeless body behind her, leaving a bloody trail in the snow.

She had just managed to get him onto the porch when another crash sounded from inside. The house wouldn't last long at this rate.

The roar of the flames where not enough keep her from hearing the sounds of battle that suddenly erupted from the barn.

________________________________________________

*Aeren*

Aeren stepped aside as the others moved cautiously forward. A chill ran down his spine, and he suddenly wished he had the dagger that was still hidden under his mattress. In fact, he wished he himself was hidden under his mattress right now. He searched around quickly, and saw an old rusted pitchfork propped against the wall.

He couldn't see what was happening behind the hay, but when the others suddenly surged forward, accompanied by a horrific scream echoing through the barn, he hurried to grab the pitchfork and held it at the ready.

_OOC: Readied action to attack the Fell if it comes near._ 

_______________________________________________

*Bailey*

A combination of the terrible events he had recently witnessed, and the shock of death and rebirth as one of the dreaded Fell, had robbed the old man of his sanity. There was a mad, feral, look in his eyes as he suddenly lurched forward, the spear dragging the floor, causing him to fall as much as lunge toward Choric.

_ OOC: Attack of Opportunity
_

His face a snarl of rage, he reached out in an attempt to grab the young guardsman. Unfortunately for him, Choric's fear fueled reflexes where quick to take advantage of the opening. As he leapt to get out of the creature's grasp, he swung his weapon to defend himself, cracking the creature's skull with the force of his blow.

The blow knocked the Fell's head to the side, causing it to stumble away, but it wasn't enough to stop the creature.


________________________________________________

*Kal*

Kal, his own mace in hand, staggered back in surprise as the Fell lunged at his friend. It was with grim satisfaction that he saw Choric's mace collide with the old man's head. 

Off balance, due partly to the blow, and partly to the large spear still running the length of his body, Old Man Bailey stumbled away from Choric in Kal's direction.

As the fell neared, Kal tightened the grip on his mace, and after only a moment of uncertainty, he swung the mace for the first time in his life with the intent to kill.

 OOC: Attack

The mace whistled as it cut through the air. The fell turned, as the mace crashed against his shoulder. Old Man Bailey snarled, blood and drool spilling from his mouth, and he let out another maddened shriek. 

____________________________________________

*Choric*

Choric's initial blow landed across the side of the old man's head, sending him stumbling away toward his friend who responded with his own attack. Choric didn't let up, knowing that to do so might mean their deaths. He lunged at the creature's back, swinging his mace in a panicked frenzy.

 OOC: Flanking Attack

Once again Choric's mace found its mark. The Fell's head jerked hard to the side, the skull cracking from the force of the blow. A stream of blood flew through the air and splattered across Tamari's face.

The creature staggered, its head a ruined mess. Yet it did not die......

_____________________________________________

*Elig*

As his friends advanced, Elig had set a stone spinning in his sling. So much was happening at once, and it was hard to get a good shot at the monster that stood before him, threatening his friends. 

Finally, seeing a clear opportunity, he let the stone fly. 

 OOC: Ranged Attack

If the god's still listened, Elig would have thanked them. 

The stone whizzed through the air and the hit the creature with an audible *THUNK*. The stone had buried itself in the Fell's already horribly damaged head.

The thing jerked with a spasm, and fell forward lifelessly at Tamari's feet.

_______________________________________________

*Tamari*

Tamari almost vomited when the old man's blood splashed across her face. The fear and revulsion where terrible and it took all she had to regain her senses. 

Suddenly angry at her own fear, and angry at the creature before her for inspiring that fear, she lunged at it with her spear, intent on ending its miserable mockery of a life. She was almost upon it when a stone whistled past her ear and struck the creature in its head. It jerked and convulsed only once before it collapsed at her feet, almost tripping her. 

The heat of battle subsided as, with an audibly crunch; she buried her spear in the creature's chest, insuring its return to death.

________________________________________________

For a time, the barn was silent as everyone stared in shock at the creature that lay before them.

 OOC: Wow. Those where some really good rolls. _


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## Sir Osis of Liver (Aug 15, 2003)

*Aerenar Tell*

As he watched the fell fal to the ground dead, Aeren let the pitchfork drop from his hands. Aeren didn't notice though, he just stood there moulth gapping in shock.


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## Swashbuckler (Aug 15, 2003)

A grim satisfaction washed over Kal as the creature collapsed, but he was inwardly shamed. He had hesitated at first to attack the creature, and he resolved then and there to never hesitate again against one of the Fell.  The creature that was Old Man Bailey was not a natural thing, and it was perversion of the highest order to his spirit in returning to life as one of the Fell. His resolution extended to find the perpetrators of this atrocity, and to make them pay - however in the world that might be accomplished. He doubted very seriously that any of the people gathered with him would join him in his quest, but that did not matter.

He looked to Choric for a moment, seeing some warring emotions on the face of his lieutenant as well. Finally, he spoke.

"We'd best burn the body. Don't want it coming back ... again."


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## Emiricol (Aug 15, 2003)

Elig slowly approached, grim resolution on his face though his thoughts were his own.  They might be easily guessed, however.

Tucking his sling back in his belt, he turned to look around at those with him.

Kal: "We'd best burn the body. Don't want it coming back ... again." 

Elig grimaces.  "Is such a thing possible?  Shadows, this thing took enough damage to just kill any two of us put together, surely it can't... come back... I've never seen a real Fell before, though.  Yes, caution is wise, friend Kal..."

EDIT: removed my damn sig block again.  Jeeze I keep doing that.


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## Shadowfane (Aug 15, 2003)

Tamari stared at the body lying at her feet, a body that had recently been Old Man Bailey, and whose blood was sticky on her face. With hardened resolve she put her foot on the Fell’s shoulder and pulled her spear free; the second time she had voided flesh with the blade in less than an hour.

Looking up she felt tears of anger stand bright in her eyes. She looked from Kal to Elig as they discussed disposing of the corpse and a cold realisation dawned. They had all witnessed something today that changed them forever. Something irrevocable had occurred, shattering the fragile veil of normalcy that had recently obscured the truth of their lives. 

Her voice breaking, Tamari spoke to her companions "Why? Why did they do this?" There was no need to say who “they” were, or even answer her question. Before the others could answer she spoke again, her voice small, trailing off in dread “we should check back at the village…..”.


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 18, 2003)

Shadowfane said:
			
		

> * her voice small, trailing off in dread “we should check back at the village…..”. *




_A second after Tamari spoke, thunder boomed, causing the fragile barn to tremble. _


*Ilsha*

_Ilsha wiped the sweat and tears, from her face. Her grissly work done, she stood frozen, watching the body of young Tad burn in what still stood of his home.

Ilsha jumped, startled, as a sudden blast of thunder rattled the world around her. For a split second, the sky lit up with a stroke of lightning that appeared to hit the ground.......... near her home._


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## Tokiwong (Aug 18, 2003)

Ilsha watches the corpse, and says nothing until she sees the lightning strike, and then realizing where it landed, or might have landed she screams, and breaks off in a run, holding her dress up, to allow her to run easily, errant thoughts of worry racing through her mind... maybe it was just coincidence, but the feeling in the air, it did little to soothe her beating heart.


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## Shadowfane (Aug 18, 2003)

Tamari’s brown eyes widen as the thunder then lightning punctuate her seemingly prophetic statement. “Dal Sahaad! ” Her voice is a barely audible whisper, choked as it is by the knot of fear in her throat. Her legs feel weak and sluggish. Her palms are sweaty as fumbling she pulls her spear from Old Man Bailey’s chest and runs back towards the woods and her home.


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## Sir Osis of Liver (Aug 18, 2003)

*Aerenar Tell*

The thunder shakes Aeren back to reality, "Ahh!". Aeren turns and looks outside as Tamari runs past him. "H-hey! Wait for us!" Aeren shoats at her back as he starts running toward town.


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## Guest 11456 (Aug 18, 2003)

Choric nods at Kal's words and walks over to the crushed body that was Old Man Bailey. As he is about to bend down to grab the corpse, the clap of thunder makes him jump. Racing to the barn exit he looks for the source of the noise. His gaze locks on Ilsha heading back toward town. He turns to the others and yells. "Back to town! Hurry!" Then he turns and runs quickly toward town. (What now?)


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 20, 2003)

OOC: Swash? Emiricol? You guys still with us?


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## Emiricol (Aug 20, 2003)

((Sorry, busy day yesterday and internet went down.  That'll teach me to put off my post "until this project is out" lol))

Elig curses under his breath, and runs along with the others.  To Kal and Choric, who are near him, he says as they run, "This is turning bad - two attacks?  It is like wolves picking off the outlying sheep before charging the main herd..."


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 22, 2003)

_The morning fog was still dense on the floor of the old forest, making the way ahead treacherous indeed. Between the evergreens, you could occasionally see the column of smoke as it rose into the air. As you grew closer, it was obvious it's source was within the town's protective walls.

The old rusted gate was already open as Ilsha rushed through it, the others close behind. Their heartbeat quickened as their fears where confirmed.....


As Ilsha rounded the corner of Frad Ganny's house, her uncle's shop came into view. Its porch had collapsed and tendrils of fire were creeping across the roof.

The herb shop sat on the side of the town's main road, which now appeared to be brimming with growing chaos. It seemed most everyone in the village was gathered in a writhing crowd trembling with fear.

As the others came up behind Ilsha, they saw the scene that was causing their friend to tremble. Among the good people of Calim's Spring, evil dwelled. Two men, dressed in the dead black of the Order of Shadow, where addressing the villagers. Among the crowd, hushing them with their mere presence, other servants of the One God moved about. 

The big hulking creatures loomed like wolves among sheep. They wore black armor, augmented with various spikes and blades, and carried huge, wickedly curved, swords on their hips and backs. Most stood easily 7ft tall, their bodies rippled with muscle and where adorned with various patterns of scars and tattoos that likely had some significance to those knowledgeable in such things. Their skin ranged between grey and grayish green and their eyes where the feral yellow of a predator. Many wore their long black hair in elaborate braids; others shaved part or all of theirs off completely. They growled at townsfolk who got too close, their mouths full of sharp teeth, with oversized canines, and a pair of lower tusks just long enough to protrude just over their upper lip.

Isen Valnev, the herbalist, sat on his knees before one of the orcs. His head hang in despair, or was perhaps forced down by the orc who gripped his hair.

The town’s guardsmen moved about he crowd, urging them to be quiet and not make a scene. Choric spotted his father, Danil Evenhand, directing the guardsmen, and trying to keep order in the crowd.

Kal looked around, desperately trying to get a look at the blacksmith’s shop through the crowd. For a moment he got a glimpse, and saw his mother and father being held by orcs as they violently searched their home and shop.

Nearby, another orc held a human woman. She was forced to her knees, bound with her arms tied to a shaft of wood across her shoulders. The woman was Tena Bailey, Jon’s widow. Her face was bruised, her nose bleeding, and her cheeks stained with tears. 

Constable Grady Stover was being confronted by one of the men in black. The man wore black plate armor, and wore a cruel looking longsword on his back over his cloak. The hood of his cloak was thrown back, revealing long brown hair and icy blue eyes. A crow sat on a barrel nearby, as if listening to the conversation between the two. Stover was shaking his head rigorously, as if denying some misdeed.

The other man turned toward the crowd. This man wore the same black platemail that his accomplice wore, but he was much older, nearing his 60s by your best guess. Long white hair cascaded down his back, and his sword, black as if carved from obsidian and adorned with silver, hung at his side. His right hand wore a strange gauntlet of black metal. A large red ruby was set in the back of the gauntlet and each fingertip was adorned with a one inch long sharpened claw shaped ruby. A pink scar ran across a milky white left eye and down his cheek. His other eye was emerald green, and glanced about as if searching for something. A large black wolf sat lazily at his side, observing the crowd and acting as a guardian for his master. The older man sighed, mumbled something to himself, and raised his hands. Suddenly his voice boomed unnaturally loud. 

“Know you all that you look upon Sirifai Caleborn, Legate of the Shadow, Servant of the One God, Priest of the Order of Shadow, and Ambassador of Theros Obsidia! 

Under the Legate’s gaze, the crowd fell as silent as the dead....._


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## Tokiwong (Aug 22, 2003)

Ilsha fell in with the rest of the crowd, masking her emotions as best as she could, there was little she could do for her uncle, and to risk the village for one life, was not something she wanted to be the cause of.  She fell in next to a enighbor, and watched as the Legate cointinues his speech, not sure what has transpired, or how, but it was only going to get worse before it got better.


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 22, 2003)

OOC: Everyone be sure to check the OOC thread.

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58275


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## Guest 11456 (Aug 22, 2003)

Choric moved up and took a position in the rear of the crowd. He tried to get closer so that he could tell what was going on.


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## Shadowfane (Aug 22, 2003)

Her heart hammering hard in her chest, Tamari moved surreptitiously through the crowd, keeping her spear well hidden, wrapped in her cloak so as it appears as a bundle of sticks or some-such. She stopped near the wall of a building in view of the proceedings, but afforded an easier route of escape and place to hide her spear if it looked like the legates’ orcs were approaching.

Searching the crowd for Ilsha, Tamari’s heart went out to the girl whose uncle now knelt in the clutches of the black priests.  She also looked anxiously for her own family, knowing it unlikely her sick mother would be outside. As the dark one called Sirifai Caleborn spoke a cold sense of dread crept down Tamari’s spine.


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## Emiricol (Aug 23, 2003)

Elig melted into the back of the crowd as well.  He tried to coverty look around and locate the most immediate threats to his well being, tried to keep tabs on his friends, and tried to spy out the best escape path if things get out of control, but it was a lot to keep track of.

But mostly Elig wished fervently that there was some way he could help the poor girl...


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## Sir Osis of Liver (Aug 23, 2003)

*Aerenar Tell*

Ingnoring the instict to flee, Aeren stuck with the others and moved into the crowd. Trying his best to remain unoticed, and close tro his friends.


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## Ashrem Bayle (Aug 25, 2003)

_"One among you is a breaker of the Black Commandments," Sirifai continued. "One among you dares wield the arcane without the blessing of the One God!"

He paused a moment to listen to the low rumble of murmurs and exclamations that rippled through the gathered crowd. 

"A witch walks among you, having arrived here a few months ago. She will be punished for her crimes against the Shadow and those who harbor her will also be punished as well."

"Give over the witch...," he said with a cold grin, "...and all shall be forgiven."

Choric caught the sight of Char out of the corner of his eye. She was watching the scene from the porch of the town's small inn. Her face was a grim mask of sorrow and fear, but she did not move._


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## Tokiwong (Aug 25, 2003)

Ilsha shifts slightly, she looks around, and then looks forward, running thoughts through her mind, _I wonder who it could be, if they are exposed, perhaps they will leave, but then, they may die!  But then we could all die, the Shadow knows no mercy, only justice.  Perhaps it is me, but I am barely ready to cast a spell, let alone be a witch...._

Ilsha wrings her hands, and mutters, "Damn that witch..." trying to keep her voice low, and looking around to see what the others do.


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## Guest 11456 (Aug 25, 2003)

Choric tries to keep his eyes away from the porch. He did not want to give away his mentor. He continued to watch the crowd, but he also began counting the number of orcs. If it came down to a fight, he wanted to know what he was up against. (Hmmm. Two legates and a wolf. I wonder about the wolf.) If he could make it through the day, perhaps he could sneak Char out of town. But if he did that he would most likely have to leave as well. He knew if there was trouble that the legates would just as soon kill everyone in town as to let them go. He must somehow get them away from the town, but how?

He snaps back to the here and now and tries to stay alert.


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## Swashbuckler (Aug 29, 2003)

*I ... have ... returned! *

Kal had run along and caught up with everyone else, the telling plumes of smoke coming from his town causing him to completely disregard the incident at the farm.

Arriving in town with the others, he finally caught sight of his parents. Seeing them in the hands of the orcs made his blood boil! He reflexively grasped his mace tight ... but then he understood he'd be condemning not only himself, indeed, not only himself _and_ his family, but the whole town to death if he attacked the orcs.

The legate was bantering and posturing and accusing someone in town of magic-use.  It was a fair-sized town, so Kal didn't rule out that _someone_ there might be practiced in that art. He just couldn't believe that this was happening.

With one last glance to his parents, who were both being held while they searched the shop and forge, Kal turned to look at Choric, his official 'boss'.  The look on Kal's face spoke volumes without a word; if it came down to it, he'd do his part to kill every last stinking servant of the Shadow that was here.

Looking back to the legates and their animal companions, he listened to their words with apprehension, but not fear.  These were some of the most vile, fiendish men that had ever lived.  _To sign on and honestly serve the Shadow ..._ A cold shiver ran down Kal's spine. Twisted and evil ... _someone, one day, has got to do something about it!_ Kal's emotions fumed inside, but outwardly, he appreared calm. _Maybe that someone should be me._

He bode his time, keeping his mace handy, and staying close to Choric, just in case something broke out.  He also kept a close eye on the events traspiring at the Blacksmithy, where his parents were being searched, as was their home ...
-----------------------------------------

*OoC*: Apologies ... the site ran like a dinosaur last night when I tried posting.  It never showed my message, so I tried re-posting it, etc.

Now, of course, it won't allow me to 'delete' the extra messages!  <insert massive grumbling>


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## Swashbuckler (Aug 29, 2003)

bah!


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## Swashbuckler (Aug 29, 2003)

*I ... have ... returned! *

bah


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## Swashbuckler (Aug 29, 2003)

bah


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## Swashbuckler (Aug 29, 2003)

bah


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## Emiricol (Sep 2, 2003)

Ashrem Bayle said:
			
		

> OOC: Swash? Emiricol? You guys still with us?




My turn!  Ash, you still here?


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## Guest 11456 (Sep 2, 2003)

Choric nods to Kal and motions to a spot in the crowd where no guardsman is. He then continues to try and keep the peace as the legate speaks.


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## Ashrem Bayle (Sep 2, 2003)

OOC: Sorry guys. Things have been hectic and I couldn't post this weekend. Now.... let the fun begin....

_The crowd mumbled quietly as the black priest scanned it for anyone who would speak out. The orcs stalked among them, the villagers clearing a path so as not to get in their way. Assembled, there was maybe fifty people. Taking a quick count, you could easily see at least fifteen orcs and the two legates.

Suddenly the quiet was shattered as a woman screemed. "No! Jaby come back! Jaby!" The crowd parted, and you could see the cause for the woman's sudden panic. Her son, Jaby, a toddler of almost two summers had gotten away from his mother and was stumbling toward one of the orcs.

Before anyone could react, the creature reached down and swooped up the child. He looked like a doll in tha mamoth's scarred arms. Holding the child by the back of his over-alls, a cruel grin split the creature's face as it looked to its master. His mother, Bernice, fell backward in horror.

The legate, Caleborn, turned to address the crowd once again. "None will come forward? None will submit themselves to the shadow?" 

Out of the corner of his eye, Choric saw Char slowly slinking away into the crowd._


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## Guest 11456 (Sep 3, 2003)

Seeing Char moving, Choric decides to follow as best he can. He continues to watch the crowd, but starts to move in the direction Char is moving. He tries to look as official as possible. He continues to scan the crowd but also makes sure to glance in her direction enough to keep up with her location.


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## Ashrem Bayle (Sep 3, 2003)

I've grown tired of ENWorld's spontaneous outages....

See here for the continuation of this game.


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