Lone Wolf I: Shadows on the Dorn

[Andrew D. Gable]

"Fire!" someone downstairs shouts. There's a lot of hustle and bustle as people clamber about to put out the blaze. The smell of burning wood and the sound of screams echo up the stairs.

Hoagar is about to withdraw when he notices the door down the hall, which was the object of Moon's Brand's suspicions, is slightly ajar. A black heap of something lies partly in, partly out of the room.

 

[Krug]

"Fire downstairs," shouts Hoagar. "Something is amiss! Lets get out of here!" He tries to look closely at what is at the door. His rifle is armed and ready.

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

Looking closer, it would appear that the heaped thing lying in the hall is, in fact, the body of the barmaid who showed you to the room...

 

[Paido]

"Fire. I hate fire." Swearing bitterly, Jesabela snaps at the others: "Come on, time to leave the sinking ship!" Poking her head into the hall, she takes a quick look around, then she leads the group to a room on the other side of the hall. I'll just assume for the time being that there is one. Alternatively, a window at one end of the hall would suffice as well - anything not on the same side of the inn as our room was. Motioning to Hoagar that he should open that door (breaking it open, should that prove necessary) and leaving the task of providing cover to the Kai Lords, she starts to ready her rope for an escape through the window ...

Sorry to have taken so long, guys, my work has been rather demanding lately. :\ Agreeing with Krug, BTW!

 

[Relenoir]

Sorry I haven't been around the last week either. Lots going on "in the real world". BTW, I am going on vacation next Wednesday and will be gone until Jan. 2. Finally, I third Krug & Paido's comments: Great job Andrew! Definitely making it interesting.
"Something is really wrong here. Davias, get inside the room with the rest of them," (or to the window at the end of the hall) Moon's Brand says, positioning herself by the door with bow at the ready in the event that anyone tries to attack them from outside the hall. Davias will be protected on the inside, ringed by the rest of the party.
Does the barmaid appear obviously dead or might she be unconscious? Do I still get a feeling of forboding from the room, or just the fire?"What ought we do about this little mess?" she inquires of the others.

 

[Krug]

Hoagar will break down the door as instructed. "Quickly! Let us be off! I do not think there is much hope for the barmaid," he says.

 

[Paido]

Forgot to mention: Jesabela will secretly keep an eye on Davias (or, more precisely, the one calling himself Davias) for the time being, as she doesn't trust him yet.

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

The door splinters and caves as the dwarf slams his shoulders into the weak wood. With a wrenching sound, it comes free of its hinges and falls to the floor with a bang. Jesabela rushes over and begins lowering her rope out the window of the burning building, while the others watch for danger. Davias watches the door nervously.

"What's all this, then?" a voice says from near the bashed door. "This door's ruined!" Mysteriously, it is the voice of the barmaid who showed you into the room - the one who now lies dead in the hall. Moon's Brand begins reaching back for her bow - the danger she sensed earlier, which had dropped away, is becoming strong once more.

 

[Krug]

"Aren't cha dead?" says Hoagar, raising his rifle. It be some ghost? Gnarly!

 

[Relenoir]

Dead barmaid, now an identical one speaks. . . probably not twins, especially since I sense danger again, Moon's Brand thinks to herself in that moment as she prepares her weapon. It could only be a . . . "Helghast!" she whispers sharply to her companions, trying to be do so quietly enough to avoid the spawn from hearing. "We need to get out of here, NOW!"

Andrew, is it likely that Moon's Brand would know that these events/clues would point toward a Helghast? I wouldn't want to jump to the conclusion that she would know if it weren't in character for her to.