Midnight - Crown of Shadow

[Ashrem Bayle]

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.

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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.

 

[Swashbuckler]

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.

 

[Shadowfane]

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.

 

[Emiricol]

"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.

 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

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."

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

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?

 

[Swashbuckler]

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.

 

[Tokiwong]

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...

 

[Guest 11456]

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.

 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Aerenar Tell

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