[IC] Return of the Runelords

[Deuce Traveler]

Michael snaps his eyes towards Teea in surprise, but upon seeing the look on her face his old instincts take over and his muscles tighten. He firmly, but gently takes the sword back from her and whispers, "Ready yourself, niece. And take a step behind me, please. I sense trouble."

Michael does not try to talk down whatever tension is happening between the nearby strangers. Talking was never his strong point. He preferred to leave that to others.

Initiative
[roll0]
Will
[roll1]

 

[Binder Fred]

Except that Teea didn't let him, staying just out of his reach.

Her slight left hand dismissed the other matter; before her right imperiously gestured up and down herself, eyebrows pointedly questioning. (The scabbarded sword switched hands in between like something alive, without apparent effort)


Did I mention that she can be stubborn?

[sblock=Michael]If he wants, Michael can grab at the sword handle, leaving a surprised Teea holding an empty scabbard?[/sblock]

 

[Shayuri]

Mei Ying noticed her fellows reacting more than whatever they were reacting too. She saw the gathering of course, near the 'punch' merchant, but it looked to her as if he was simply successful...

"Is something wrong?"

[sblock=Rolls]Init [roll0]
Will save [roll1]
Diplomacy [roll2][/sblock]

 

[Guest 11456]

A Ghostly Response

One of the thugs from the second group yells out “Us Roadkeepers were here first, and we’ll be here last!”

Teodor tries to diffuse the situation by calming the crowd with his words. As he speaks the two groups seem to calm a bit.

But all this is interrupted as a ghostly figure appears in the midst of the crowd. It is indistinct and hazy, a glowing and transparent humanoid form viewed as if through a haze of murky water. In a booming voice that sounds like it’s gurgling out of the throat of a drowning man, the ghostly figure cries out, “NO! MY COVE! NO!” before unleashing a frightful moan.

Everyone is panicked except for Randolf. The majority of the crowd including both groups of people flee in terror. Randolf notices that the ghostly figure fades away a moment later.

OOC: A panicked creature must drop anything it holds and flee at top speed from the source of its fear, as well as any other dangers it encounters, along a random path. It can’t take any other actions. In addition, the creature takes a –2 penalty on all saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. If cornered, a panicked creature cowers and does not attack, typically using the total defense action in combat. A panicked creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape.

Binder Fred, Teea is panicked for 1 round.
Deuce Traveler, Michael is panicked for 3 rounds.
Kaodi, Lunysh is panicked for 3 rounds.
Scotley, Teodor Kirila is panicked for 1 round.
Shayuri, Mei Ying is panicked for 2 round.

Please roleplay your panick and then the subsequent return to normal.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Michael frowned at Teea, then opened his mouth to scold her. The words get caught in his throat as the ghostly figure appears, and Michael instead grabs on her sleeve and pulls her away from the apparition. In his mind she is following him, so he continues to run on his own for safety. Need to get away from that thing, his mind shouts to itself. He's heard of ghosts draining the life from those they touch, and his thoughts are full of terror.

He gets a good distance away before his mind returns to normal, the shame sets in, and he can once more rationalize his actions.

 

[Kaodi]

As the ghost appears and unleashes it's baleful cry Shendra feels a strangled shriek gurgling up from deep within he pit of her stomach which shes unleashes as she turns in a panic and runs. As she scrambles by stalls and over tables filled with wares though, elbowing by others where she must, she has a distinct out of body experience. Was she running because she felt genuine fear, or was she running because her emotions had been hijacked again? A piece of her felt a certain sense of shame at that latter prospect, but the question was mostly academic - her legs were carrying her away at top speed regardless. Several moments pass by before she is able to calm down enough to stop fleeing, but her heart still feels like it is going to burst in her chest. Where were the others? She looks around, trying to spot them among the panicked throngs.

 

[Binder Fred]

For the first while Teea had no thoughts of her own, just screams filling her ears and filing her mind! She ran, pulled along by her uncle.

Then she spotted Pharasma's little chapel off to the left. That snapped her out of it. "The church! Head for the church, uncle!"

When that failed to get a reaction from the older man, she stubbornly planted her tiny feet and pulled, a living boat anchor trying to direct their ship towards salvation. That. A. way!


OOC: Run for one round, then try to get Michael to run with her towards the church -- for safety, and hopefully for help too.

 

[Guest 11456]

The Aftermath

Once you are back in control of your actions you decided to return to the circle market in order to try and determine what just happened. Randolf along with a handful of others is looking around. As you approach Randolf informs you that the ghost just faded away right after everyone started running away. Representatives of the town guard arrive on scene within a few minutes to try to sort things out. At first they are suspicious of you, but those around you mention how Teodor tried to calm the two groups down. The guards on the scene thank you for trying to stop things from escalating.

But then a morose elf approaches your group. Most of the group recognize her as Roderic's Cove's cemetary groundskeeper.

"Greetings. I am Audrahni. I was wondering if I might treat your entire group to dinner at the Creekside Tavern and Inn this evening? Say around 6?"

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Michael looks at the elf with some suspicion. It was an odd request from a stranger, and he had promised Teea to avoid drinking establishments. But they did just spend quite a bit of money, and a free meal would go a little ways into recovering from the shopping spree. "Well, I'd hate to turn down a meal from someone offering so politely." Michael glances at Teea for her approval for once instead of the other way around.

 

[Kaodi]

Shendra reaches behind her head to pull her hair over her shoulder and then sort of absently straightens it out to help get her nerves back under control. When the elf makes her offer she pauses and looks up, trying to get a read on the groundskeeper. "I have a room at the Creekside and I was likely to take supper there anyway," she says a bit nonchalantly. "If someone else wants to pay for that who am I to turn them down?"

OOC: Sense Motive: 1D20+9 = [11]+9 = 20