Broom Clever: 2 | Fierce: 1 | Sly: 2 | Quick: 1 | Danger: 1 | Tidy, clean and mend Broom felt like squawking. He really wanted to squawk. He didn't like the look of that aged man and wanted to world to know. But somehow, he held his beak, feeling the danger of all the two-legs greater than his desire to caw. As they dipped over the roofline, he muttered. "Eyes of blue, eyes of blue, you saw them too?" Returning to the other companions, Broom set Elora on the ground and hopping from one taloned foot to the other, told them everything they saw, from the gathering of two-legs, some with Dash's feet, to the striking figure of the oldest human Broom had ever seen. "He sits in a house, just two streets over, two streets!" OOC Please assume Broom has revealed everything he saw.

Good to hear from you...I know how hard RL can bite! Looking forward to getting back into the story.

Having some clues to look for, the pair circle low over the roofs of the town. The clanging of the bellringer was more evident above the roof line. It only took a few minutes to identify a couple fairly large gatherings, only one of which looked to be mostly men and even had a few men with strings of rabbit's feet hung across their shoulders. The group was only a couple of streets over from the house, although Broom got the distinct feeling that they were wrapping up. Even as the crow and frog watch from overhead, a few of the men began walking away at a quick pace. Many of the men were burly, mean-looking types, although a few were whip-thin and sneaky-looking. There were nearly a dozen men, all told, packed into a house that from the outside looked very much like the one the others were at. As the two were about to return to the rest of the group, they caught a brief glance through the front window of what had to be the oldest looking human man they had ever seen. He was seated inside, surrounded by the other men and talking animatedly. He was thin and sour looking, dressed all in black with whispy strands of grey hair hanging lifelessly from his head and a wide brimmed hat was held in a hand. His brilliant blue eyes seemed to spear anyone he looked at. It is only with the greatest luck that Broom happens to disappear over the roof line before he happens to look out of the window.

So sorry for the lag everyone. I got busy IRL and then had a long fight with writer's block on many fronts. Just fighting through that all now and will have an update posted in the next day or two.

Not sure what's happening at the moment. FYI - Sorry...work is going to be intense for the next few days. Should be okay again by end of Thursday 🤞

Me too!

added my clever roll to my last post

The crow caught the toad in it's claws and took wing over the town again. Above the rooftops, the clanging of the bellringer the next street over grew loud again. Broom gain some elevation and the two animals peered around, looking for a large gathering of menfolk. Show this Let me get a Clever roll from both Broom and Elora

Elora "Yes I'll come" Elora says "Four eyes is better than two." The toad braces herself to get ready to be picked up by Broom.

Haha! True. We just need to figure out who is the lead witch hunter is, yes? And get their eyes... I mean. I don't suppose a deputy would do? We have a few names. Here are some notes I tossed together... does anyone have something to add or correct? First names: Gunter: Maybe Tiffany's partner, he left a charm at Tiffany's house that he will pick up before heading out on the next hunt... Maybe our best bet to be led to the whole group (witch hunter + deputies)? Unsure if Gunter is a deputy or the witch hunter Ernest: Mary's partner, a deputy Last names: Buckner: not Gunther or Ernest (at whose house the hunters are currently gathered, planning) Brindle: could be the witch hunter, could be Gunter?

It's probably also worth noting that getting the witch-hunter's eyes to resurrect your witch would go a long way to saving the next witch as well.

Hello! I noticed this in the last GM post and wondering if we should stay put waiting for Gunther to come back and follow that "two-legged" back on the hunt? Perhaps we if get a direction then... Broom could fly ahead to try to warn the next witch? I posted that he will do a tour though! Perhaps we can get a bead on them even faster!

Broom Clever: 2 | Fierce: 1 | Sly: 2 | Quick: 1 | Danger: 1 | Tidy, clean and mend "Eye, eyes, two eyes in the sky! Four if Elora comes with me!" Broom looks to the frog, and the tidy crow's feather's bristle in anticipation of flight. But then, he hesitates. "Where? Where to look? The sky is big! Much bigger than the ground!" The crow looks into the blueness of the sky, as if looking for an answer. "Do a round, do a round, I will to see if two-legs on horses are gathering and then come back quick." OOC Broom will fly, taking Elora if desired, on a round of the village, staying to the edges, trying to keep out of trouble.

"Dash" Clever: 0 | Fierce: 0 | Sly: 2 | Quick: 3 | Danger: 1 | Lock/Unlock, Open/Close Dash slowly and nervously comes out of hiding to listen to what Asteroth has to say. "Yes, yes! Let's find the meeting and warn the witch!" he agrees, nodding vigorously. "Broom, Broom...be our eye in the sky...can you find the meeting place?"

OK, thanks!

"There is a meeting going on about the next witch to be hunted. And we have a name, Gunter. That woman mentioned charms. We may need to find these charms and sabotage them.... let this next witch do our work for us to take out the hunters." "If we can find this meeting, we can find out who the witch is."

Broom could tell that the bellringers appears to not be headed anywhere in particular. They seem to just wander the streets on some kind of loose schedule.

Broom Clever: 2 | Fierce: 1 | Sly: 2 | Quick: 1 | Danger: 1 | Tidy, clean and mend As the noise passes, Broom hops back to the ground and looks to Asteroth. "What, what did they say? Did you hear anything? Should we follow the noise?" OOC From Broom's vantage point on the roof and his previous passes over the town, would he have any idea where the bell clangers might have been going?

The clangorous noise grew louder and louder as the bell ringer drew closer. From up on the roof, Broom noticed woman he had seen in the kitchen of the house rush out of the front door to replicate the same gesture her neighbors were making towards the bells. She turned and waved at the neighbor on her right, a woman of roughly the same dimensions but with brown hair and slightly taller. She stepped off the porch to meet her midway between the houses. They were chatty, loud and cheerful. The neighbor on the other side simply turned and went back inside. The jangling clang of the bells began to lessen as the staff bearer continued down the street without breaking his stride or acknowledging the various gesticulating townies. Asteroth could make out some of what the two women were talking about. Their conversation seemed to mainly focus on recipes and the weather, although one part of the exchange really jumped out at the rat listening in. Overhearing this conversation also revealed that the woman of the house they were currently hiding under and around was named Mary and her neighbor was named Tiffany. Mary: ".... so warm lately, it's been lovely." Tiffany: "I would imagine Ernest is enjoying it as well." Mary: "Of course, couldn't ask for better witch hunting weather, he says." She smiled at the thought. "That's why he and other deputies not on field duty are over at Buckner's, having lunch and planning their next raid." Tiffany: "Did you hear what that ruckus earlier was about?" Mary: "No, must not have been too bad or..." at that moment a large cloud passed over the sun, throwing both women into shadow. Tiffany immediately made the same gesture that the farmhands and grooms had been making earlier, while Mary pulled what appeared to be a small copper coin from a pocket of her apron. She rubbed it while making the same gesture as Tiffany. After just a moment the cloud had blown away and with a gasp, both women released their held breath nearly simultaneously. With a small chuckle, Mary continued, "It must not have been too bad or a crier would have come through. You know what they say, 'if the bells are ringing, the angels are singing'." She glanced in the direction of the bell-ringer, who was just disappeared around the corner at the end of the street. Tiffany: "Well, they better come home before heading out. Gunter left his latest charm here this morning. I can't imagine him going on a hunt without it, especially given how easy and quick the last one was." The conversation between the two women went on for another minute or two, quietly catching up on the various small town gossip, but nothing that seemed immediately relevant to the familiar's mission.

Elora Elora tries to hide. OOC Under or behind the hutch if there is space otherwise she looks for or digs a hole in the ground beneath the grass.

Broom Clever: 2 | Fierce: 1 | Sly: 2 | Quick: 1 | Danger: 2 | Tidy, clean and mend "Noise, noise! Don't like! Don't like!" Broom looks, for a moment, as if to try to follow Dash into the bushes. But, scrambling along the ground into the bushes was really not in his nature. He flitted up to the roof of the house, hoping to find a hiding spot in the eaves or behind a chimney. Perhaps he could keep eye on the horrible noisemakers from there.

OOC That is a fail on your clever roll , please take a point of DANGER. That was also a fail for & if you haven't already bumped your DANGER for it. , Elora can still make a roll if you like. Asteroth quickly dashes to the line, catching a little of the powder in his whiskers before rushing back into hiding. He could confirm that someone was approaching on the street, carrying one of those big staff of bells that Broom had spotted walking through the town at the start of the day. The bells on it clanged and jangled with each step. Several people had stepped out of their houses and made some kind of gesture in the direction of the bells. It was different than the gesture the grooms and fieldhands were doing. Brushing the crystalline powder from his whiskers and giving it a taste Asteroth confirmed that the powder was indeed mostly salt, although there was something else mixed in with it. Something glittery, hard and bright, but ground so found there was no way to tell what it was in its current form. It had no flavor or smell other than the salt that was mixed with it. While he did not know exactly what it was, it certainly wasn't a mixture that any of the familiars could remember the Witch using herself.

Just so everyone knows, I will be travelling to officiate my son's wedding this weekend, so I may not be able to post until I get back home on 3/19. Feel free to work out what your next steps are and post as you like.

Asteroth examines the lines, if anyone could figure it out it was him.

"Dash" Clever: 0 | Fierce: 0 | Sly: 2 | Quick: 3 | Danger: 1 | Lock/Unlock, Open/Close Dash screws up his face in discomfort, ears flattened as the clanging approaches. "What, what...someone comes...hide!" he yelps before scrabbling to try to find a hiding place behind the garden wall.