Chapter 1: From the Darkness

[Basil_Bottletop]

Hektor Redgrove

 

They were getting somewhere. It wasn't the place that Hektor had expected, but he also hadn't expected the conversation to lead anywhere but into circles with such a large group. But it had. He knew what an council room full of advisors looked like, sounded like, acted like, smelled like. It was like a stew with so many ingredients that they all cancelled one another out and made pasted mush. Hektor nodded along with each new bit of verbal marching going on around him.

The momentary silence. The shout. It struck him like an unseen arrow from the treeline. The words disturbed him, as they hit his ear and swirled around in his mind before taking shape again for him to understand. If not for his body's slow reaction time, he would have been out of his seat first. Instead, he settled for somewhere in the middle of the pack. His chair slid across the floor in an aggressive and sharp yelp of its own, mirroring Hektor's own feelings on the matter.

"Quickly! Outside!" He growled to the heavens, before pushing his way through table and chairs alike to get to the front door.

 

 

 

 

[SerakHawk]

Akakzi Sriro

The Scream interrupted Joe's compliment and caused Akakzi's heart to skip a beat. Her eyes going wide she grabbed Joe's arm and looked in the direction of the shout. "What was that! Oli, Joe maybe it was Joe's Mom! Quick!"

Scanning her pack she sees her fishing spear loosely strapped to the side of it, snatches it and takes a few skipping steps in the direction of the shout. Turning back to see Joe already following, but Oli hesitating Akakzi shouts back. "Oli! Go get my parents and my siblings! C'mon Joe!"

[Peacemonger]

Akakzi can see Ollivarth stupiefied for a couple seconds before he shakes his head, lightly slights both sides of his face and takes off. Oli... not the fastest on his feet, but always reliable. She knows he'll make it to her family.

It's always been a bit of a contest between Joe and AKakzi of who's the fastest, and it's gone back and forth over the years. Now they run together. It takes only seconds and yet each feels stretched out. It's as if the tension in the cold, unnaturally cold for a spring, air trying to choke their lungs, slow them down. They are the first to arrive on the scene.

 

Meanwhile, many in the tavern rush out. Not all, but certainly more than half. It's hard for anyone to really tell as they're all rushing to the source of the shouting, the word 'monster' echoing in their mind. Even Bellamy, who's shorter stature and afflicted arm causing him to fall slightly behind has trouble paying attention to who is there and not. If it feels like a stretch for younger people to make it to Belluin, it feels more like ages to the rest...

 

And soon enough they are there, Belluin clutching a bleeding arm the window behind her broken. It takes a few seconds to register that she herself jumped from the window, her arm bleeding from wood, glass, or both. Her eyes are wide in fear, and as she looks up to the small crowd of almost a score people, she shakes her head. "Couldn't get a good look. Was in the darkness, corner of the room." Belluin is one of the most levelheaded people in the entire village made up of several people with level heads. She looks pale and is starting to sweat, as if her body is finally catching up to the fear in her mind.

And then another scream, from further away. It's a shrill, child's scream.

Edited October 21, 2023 by Peacemonger (see edit history)

[Nixis]

By Belluin's House

Sheshi races to Belluin's side and falls on her knees next to the dwarven woman, trusting the thick cloth of her cloak and robes to keep her knees from scuffing as she checks her wounds and begins to expertly bind them. She turns briefly as Bellamy comes near and grips his armGiving Bellarmy a Bardic Inspiration Die.

"Go! Check inside, but be careful. I have her."

As she continued to work, she also continued to talk, needing to hear her own voice to banish the sound of the child's scream from ringing in her ears.

"Okay! Two groups! One group stays here and checks in the house. The other finds that child. We will keep our home safe! Do not get split up further!"

 

OOC

Giving Bellarmy a Bardic Inspiration Die

And can that little rallying speech there at the end be the capstone to my Inspiring Leader feature, continuing on from my efforts and pep-talks in the earlier grown-ups meeting? If so, I think everyone there gets 3 temp HP (up to 7 people, but I think there were only 7 of us?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 22, 2023 by Nixis (see edit history)

[Basil_Bottletop]

Hektor Redgrove

 

The task of hustling to Belluin's home took the wind from Hektor. His nightly walks had been meant for mental and physical recharges and never for sport. He'd not paced himself well getting to the dwarf woman. At the sight of her bloody hand, Hektor blanched ever so slightly. It wasn't the thought of blood that caught him off-guard, it was implication such a tale told. His mind raced with what might be.

The second shout broke him from his awe and he turned to look in the direction it occurred. His heart wanted to give chase, but he wasn't sure his legs had enough for it. When the priestess offered an alternative -going inside to stomp out the monster hiding in the darkness- something inside Hektor revolted further. He needed to see what it was inside. He needed to know.

He tapped his staff on the dirt at his feet. "I'll see to what's inside." He said firmly and confident. Unsure if he should wait for others to join or slip away, Hektor headed for the door expectantly alone. He didn't dare look to anyone for fear they'd make him change his mind with even the slightly glance.

 

 

 

 

[Peacemonger]

Everything happens so fast. It's hard to see who goes where. Perhaps for trained soldiers, intrepid adventurers, keeping track of one's surroundings comes natural. The people here are neither. They are out of their depth, and they are trying to do what they think is best in an unknown situation.

Do not split up further.

The words echo for everyone, whether they can live up to it remains to be seen.

Sheshi

"I'll be near." Sheshi hears a voice. A man's voice. It's Viktor. It takes a few moments to register, and Sheshi doesn't even have the time to look up at him before he's off in one direction or another.

Sheshi finds themselves alone now with Belluin, all others moving one direction or another.

As adrenaline risks Sheshi's judgement and perception, she relies on her training and checks the wounds. They're light. They're none fatal. As she glances back up to the window, it's clear that the Dwarf hurt herslef throwing herself out of the window and otherwise is unharmed.

"It... never saw, never felt something so... so unnatural." Belluin shakes her head trying her best to keep a level head and doing a halfway good job of it. "Gods above I have to leave this village, only we can't just leave it now."

Hektor and Bellamy

Hektor is, much to his surprise, the first one at the door around the other side. Three things become immediate to him. First, is there are deep gash marks on the doorframe, stained a sickly black with a bit of a greenish-grey-red hue. It's just like the rookery only the marks are deeper, the stains are thicker. Second, there is a slight smell in the air. As before, it's metallic-like, but also sweet, and also a bit burning to the nose. It's not enough to choke on, or even enough to bring about any tears, but the odor is there.

And finally... the main room is empty.

Bellamy and a few others are quickly in the room, weapons drawn check in the other rooms.

"Nothing here."

"Empty here too."

Viktor and Amise. It takes a moment to see that four came into the house, and the house seems to be safe... for the moment.

Akakzi

There is another scream.

This time from an adult woman.

Akakzi sees in terror as Brunhild races to the side of her husband, pale, bleeding, eyes looking up t the sky unmoving. Their daughter, Gold, is crying, confused and full of fear. At Gregor's side is a wooden shield that looks like it was near torn off his arm, and an axe that looks a bit rusted, and unused.

"Be alive. Leaf be with us, be alive." Brunhild checks to see if her husband is indeed among the living.

A voice bellows out. "Everyone! We've got a terrible beast in the village! Eyes and ears open!" It' Macran. He's never been one to raise his voice. Always there's been something intimidating about the soft spoken man who's clearly been in a few fights, a couple noticeable scars to prove it. Now shouting, he somehow seems less intimidating, less a step above all others.

He seems just as much a village as the rest of them, just slightly better armed and armored.

Joe turns to look at Akakzi. "My mother..." A dark possibility dawns on both of them.

 

[Craigmacc]

Bellamy "Ames" Woodcock

Bellamy was not the first to his sister’s side, but he made it there eventually. The shock of seeing her in such a state, and the relief that she was still standing, fogged the reality of his physical incompetence - he was struggling. But he nodded to Sheshi’s command, not thinking twice about the swiftness with which he followed this human’s request. He hesitated only slightly, a flesh hand on the door handle, a stone hand itching like a bag of nits. But he saw Hektor working his way around the other side, the larger fellow’s directness giving him confidence enough to open the door.

The smell had him raising his collar to cover his nose and mouth. Squinting, he proceeded. He was initially surprised at how mundane it all looked - the table he had sat at just minutes before, his porridge plate still on the side. He pointed for Forfar, who had followed him in, to check the back rooms. The fact that he was not growling immediately told him that in all likelihood, the place was empty.

He saw Hektor enter, and croaked at him. “Any sign of anything? Just seems she leapt out of the blasted window for nothing!” He knew that his sister would be the last to do such a thing unprovoked, but his head thumped at the absurdness of it, so it manifested in frustration.

 

[Basil_Bottletop]

Hektor Redgrove

 

There was something about being pragmatic that helped drown out the otherwise awfulness of some circumstances. Hektor hadn't been able to depart from the offal at his own property, but here he was nothing more than an inquisitive mind, a busybody in the dramatics of someone else, and he could somehow detach from such things. If not for the sheer length of time he was immersed in it, he may not have caught wind of the smell at all, as his perceptions had already noted, acknowledged, and moved on from the terrible smell.

For the rest of the detail, each new thing felt as though he'd already lived through it. The claw marks, the wonton destruction, and even the emptiness of it all were just check marks on a list already created and put away in a drawer. His panic subsided almost instantly when seeing the inside of the room, like he didn't even consider there to actually be anything inside waiting for him. The boogey creature of the shadows had claimed another victory and become even more implausible.

"Nothing." He proclaimed confidently. His staff tapped about a moment longer, searching for some sign that he could possibly be wrong before it too fell silent and still at his side. "It was here, but it's not anymore."

He eyed the other two in the room that had not been at his rookery last night, giving them a look that suggested they heed the words he'd left unsaid as much as the ones he had spoken.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 13, 2023 by Basil_Bottletop (see edit history)

[Nixis]

By Belluin's House

Sheshi looks at the deep gash marks and draws a ragged breath as she helps pull Belluin up to her feet again.

"Okay. Okay. Weapons. We all need weapons, I think. Those of us who know how to use them."

 

Sheshi noted to herself that she was not one of those people, but still looked around and grabbed astout length of woodBehold! A Quarterstaff! and felt a little better with it in her hands.

 

"If nothing is here, we should find the others.

 

VIKTOR!" She shouts. "COME BACK!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SerakHawk]

Akakzi Sriro

Both Joe and Akakzi lock eyes before Akakzi snaps her focus to Macran.

"Macran! Have you seen Joe's Mother?! Have you seen the beast? Where do you want us - know how to use my spear."

[Peacemonger]

Bellamy, Viktor, Sheshi

It's clear to those inside that indeed the place is clear. Belluin's home is not elaborate, there are few hidden corners, few pieces of furniture to hide behind or under. Sheshi's voice calls out and Viktor is the first one out the door going back around to where they came from.

"Are you?..." Viktor's voice trails as he sees that things are all right. At the very least, the priestess isn't in imminent danger.

Belluin shakes her head and starts to get up. "I... I'm sorry. Can't say I got the best look. Just looked as big as a large dog or small person. I think I saw arms... or skinny legs. Damnation wish I could offer up more." The Dwarf is doing herself to put her mind together in the moment. "I swear on every ounce of reputation I have in this village, wasn't just smoke and mirrors. What... some of you lot are already armed?" It's then she begins to put two and two together, the warning from her brother, seeing some already with weapons, something that shouldn't have happened unless some people knew there might be a threat.

"The shouting's stopped." It's Viktor once more, looking towards the direction the others had gone. "What now?"

Akakzi

A look comes across Joe's face, one that Akakzi has never seen before as he looks down at the motionless Gregor. "It's not like her to just not come home..." There's an edge to his own swirling fears building up.

"I don't know, girl. I've scraped with beasts, and a few people. Not this. I don't know." Macran has both his stern exterior, and an admission that for all the rumors swirling around the toughest warrior in the village, apparently monster slaying is higher than his caliber. "Chase after the thing while the trail is fresh? Get everyone here... gods and devils, the outlying homes..."

He expresses the real trouble in the moment. Do they blindly charge after some unknown threat? If they gather everyone in one place, or at the very leas warn them... the inner village is one thing. To warn all the other families, that's splitting off into several directions or picking and choosing who to go to first... and who to see last.

"He's alive. Thank the Leaf, he's actually alive." Brunhild is kneeling over her husband, daughter in one hand, the other touching the pulse of his neck. Gregor doesn't look alive, pale, bleeding, and unmoving, but Brunhild is a capable woodswoman, and the concern is still in his voice. "We need to patch him up, these wounds..." At a closer look there's a dark tinge to the man's wounds, easy to miss at first glance, but looking closer it doesn't look good.

 

[Basil_Bottletop]

Hektor Redgrove

 

Hektor lingered there in the main room a moment longer. As the other two departed, it gave the room a stillness again that he felt he could weaponize in his own particular way. The room gave no new noises, no sudden movements. It was as calm and as dormant as the rookery had been in those passing hours between event and investigation. Even the proverbial dust had settled.

The heavyset man took another glance about, giving his mind a chance to look in the opposite places as his eyes. He could not explain it, but it was something he'd done before and it had helped him in a variety of ways. Sometimes it helped him find his pipe, other times it clued him into something on the verge of turning to disaster with one of his pupils. Small inconsequential things seen in the corners of his gaze.

Nothing struck him as mentionable. The house was in too much of a disarray for his amateur sleuthing to uncover simply by observation. Hektor sighed heavily and leaned on his staff as he left the home and joined the others out in the garden. He arrived just as the lady of the home finished her final frantic explanation. He nodded as if he could picture it exactly as she had described, but in reality it was an attempt to quiet her questions.

"Now we pick up the trail." Hektor said with some trepidation. He hadn't really a solid way of doing so, but it seemed as though following the screaming made sense. "Get her on her feet, she either goes with us or she heads back to the inn where she can get a warm meal and warm hearth."

 

 

 

 

 

[Craigmacc]

Bellamy "Ames" Woodcock

Bellamy was glad to be out of the house, and it wasn't just because of the smell. Something else he couldn't put his finger on.

Once outside, he kneeled and rested his hand on Belluin's shoulder, as intimate a gesture as he'd had with his sister in decades. “No need to be sorry.” He was frustrated too, that she hadn't seen anything solid that could help them get to the bottom of this. But perhaps… “Did you notice the smell? It's like a rat’s rear end in there.”

The question from Viktor hung in the air, with nobody ready with an answer. He recalled his (short) time in military duty, how a superior always made the call. He had been trained to follow, not lead. But his mind was settling on a course of action, even as Hektor suggested it.

He looked to Viktor - “He's right. There's little else to go on. Let's be after the beast, 'fore it gets to anyone else. Forfar, stay close. Belluin - you'll know yourself if you're up to it, but I'd say you come with us. If you can?” He rose, and offered her his hand to get upright. Even as he did so, he was looking down the road in the direction of the latest scream. The last direction he wanted to be heading in a hurry. His stomach growled, and his arm itched.

[Peacemonger]

Murmurs of agreement rise to Hektor's words. Whatever is happening, it will not be solved by running and hiding. Now that they've a group together, now that they're armed, they have to find out what's happening.

"Right. With you, brother." Belluin runs her scraped arm with a wince, but offers a smile in a show of bravery.

And soon they're off. It takes but moments to reach the others. Brunhild is leaning over her wounded, pale husband. "Go. I'll take this big lug to the inn. Go!" She starts to lift her handsome, muscle-bound husband, dauther in tow as everyone searches for where the monster went.

Perhaps it is rising up to the moment. Perhaps it is that this creature is sloppy in its retreat. Perhaps it is the fact that the people of Hearth know their community inside and out. Regardless of what it is, they keep to the clawed tracks with ease. They do not slow down. People spread out a bit to make sure nothing is missed, but it's unnecessary. The creature is running, and soon the possy finds themselves outside the village proper and moving into the forest. The trees are spread out, and they see... something... up ahead.

A minute passes, then two, but soon the group is upon...

... a thing of nightmares. A thing that should not exist. It looks like a man, almost. But its hands are blackened and clawed, its face shrouded but for two large orbs of pale light. Its chest weeps a darkly ichor. It is nothing like any of the good people of Hearth have ever heard about let alone seen. It turns to them.

"sssssssssssrrrRRRRAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEECCCCCHH!"

It's piercing wail is enough to shake the boldest of them, and yet here it is, like a cornered animal, outnumbered, ten-to-one, including Forfar who growls in a way Bellamy has never heard.

Combat!

Because of both a natural 20, and because both rolls beat this monster's check to get away, I'm giving a surprise round. PCs go first, and include Initiative just in case. Assume you're between 30'-50' away to start with.

 

Edited January 27 by Peacemonger (see edit history)

[Craigmacc]

Bellamy "Ames" Woodcock

Bellamy limped along, carried by the determined throng of his fellow townsfolk. He did not like these people, for the most part, but most had his respect. So the group gave him some reassurance, that someone might know what to do when they eventually caught up with the thing they were hunting. Because he certainly did not.

Forfar bounded on ahead, with energy rarely seen in his later years. Bellamy feared for his companion, getting too far away from the others, and had to whistle him back a time or two. As they reached the edge of the town and got closer to the forest, he pulled out his dagger. It was little more than a knife, an oft sharpened tool of his profession. But it was better than nothing. He feared he would have to use it. He limped on.

He wasn't looking far ahead when the creature was spotted, just worrying about each step. The rising slope up to the forest edge was proving difficult on his old legs and out of practice lungs. He nearly bumped into the back of Hektor, as the group halted suddenly.

The screech told him that he would die that day. Nothing could make that noise and not scythe through the lot of them, he was sure of it. But something in Forfar's growl, an act of defiance almost as shocking as the creature's vile appearance, made Bellmay clutch his dagger tight.

“That's it.” It was obvious, but felt it had to be said. “That's what's been in your ravens, what's been in our houses!” He raised his arm and pointed with his dagger. Its blade wobbled. “Move together.” His throat was dry. He wanted to move anywhere but towards the beast, but if they stayed together, maybe they would have a chance.

Besides, that thing had tried to get Belluin.

He stepped forward, up beside his Forfar, and hoped others would step with him.