[Game Thread] Chapter 1: The Spider Farm

[PinkFairyArmadilo]

A woman sits before the omphalos, surrounded by seven monoliths. She is elderly, her eyes milky with age. But she sees. Much she sees...

Darkness encroaching from all sides. Each side waiting... waiting for the others to move. An uneasy peace. One that is about to be broken. And when it is, it will surely lead to the destruction of all....

There is little hope. So very little. Just a pinpoint of light amidst the darkness that hasn't taken shape... yet.

A woman stumbles forward behind her, a child held limp at her chest, tears and terror in her voice. "Please. Please, I beg you. Help my son. He is weaker every day. You must help him. Please."

It has begun.

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The Old Kingdom. It's been your home for most of your life. It is a safe place. War is unheard of. The constabulary is polite and effective. Trade routes are secure. Bandits are dealt with quickly and harshly. It is very picture of peace and prosperity...

But that is not the life you were meant for. No, you are a creature of excitation. Of Adventure. And there is only one way for you to get what you need from life.

You set off, with whatever friends wished to accompany you and whomever you picked up along the way, to the East and unknown lands.

And like everyone leaving the Old Kingdom for the unknown East, you find yourself stopping at the small border town of Melford and the King's Head Inn. Once you cross the nearby River Mell there are no human settlements before the edge of your map, so it is a good place to stop. The town is well stocked with various supplies which adventurers such as yourself may need, making it a great place to stop. And the inn's owners, brother and sister Gerrit and Lena Wyke, have a secret recipe for honeyed mead that makes it, in fact, the absolute perfect place to stop.

You're getting close to deciding to retire to your room for the night when a man staggers in bloodied and exhausted. The other patrons gather around, but keep a touch more distance than you'd except as the man utters, "The farm.... The farm was attacked, by... by... creatures...."

As the man passes out from exhaustion and a few of the braver townsfolk move to give him first aid, a miasma of malaise settles over the inn. The uncomfortable aura piques your interest, and after much prying, you get the location of the farm, across the river, a scant few hours outside of town. You also learn what cursed crop the farm grows that people should treat it with such unease in this emergency. You, however, are not a superstitious, rural townsfolk. You are one destined for adventure.

And so you set off... to save the Spider Farm....

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You arrive at a fork in the road. The right fork leads further East into the untamed land. The left fork lead to a winding path up a wooded hill, atop which is the troubled farm for which you've set off. It is past midnight by this point. Only a sliver of moon lights your way. Crickets chirp incessantly.

And you can only imagine what waits for you at the top of the hill.

Now is probably your last best chance to plan your approach and strategies.

[MossStone]

Tryanne reaches for her wine skin, taking a nervous gulp of water, hoping the folk riding and walking alongside her don't notice, hoping she is not shaking. There is no fear in her regarding what might be at the farm. Spiders are sweet things after all, and once her master took her with him on a trip and she got to see dryders. No what scares her are her companions, any of whom could be bargains outlaws, thieves... if her though is cut she will never grow powerful enough to resurrect her master.

Memories of his final moments haunt her mind once more, screams of anger and betrayal- of shock and hate, final words of vengeance.

The memory makes the girl sit a little straighter, on the spotted donkey, the hem of long grey robe riding carelessly up to her just beneath the midcalf, like someone who is unused to haveing to sit well on a creaure and who has never been taught to ride side saddle. Or with a saddle, she is riding on a battered old saddle blanket.

Unconsciously she fingers the blue embroidery, the livery of a huge vulture holding an hour glass, her fingers moving from the embroidered lines to an almost identical brand on her neck she's made no move to hide. She glances back and forth from one face to another now trying to get a read on them. None of them seem like they are trying to kill her at the moment. I have nothing to fear- if the try to kill me I can use magic on them. None of them look like Noble men, and they will have tried to kill another man's property- that can not be legal even here. Best focus on the job at hand, Tryanne decides. If I make my self-invaluable they will need me around." "Do you want me to do magic?"" She asks softly hoping that music does not start up now. That would be bad timing."Or we could just burn the place down from a distance. Make sure whatever attacked it doesn't speed." She adds thoughtfully after a moment.

OC: I hope the detiles about her past are ok. and Um yah... even eveil people are scared of .. people

[Nade]

One day, many years in the future, when he looked back, Korin would see the decision that he made that day as a turning point in his life. It was the day he woke up and he said to himself, today is the day. It is the day when I am no longer Korin Del'Andrial the farmer. I want to be Korin Del'Andrial the hero. Korin was always something of a daydreamer, at least on those occasions that he wasn't causing mischief or playing a prank on his long suffering friends. He would often sneak into the Shepherd's Rest every evening (as he wasn't considered an adult at the time he wouldn't have been allowed in himself). When inside Korin would find himself listening to the bard's that sometimes came in to play for their keep and a night in the stables. Losing himself in their tales of heroic adventures and derring do, Korin often found himself slipping into a make believe world of his own imagining. In this world he was the hero, and he was the one who would save the world from a great darkness, as well as the fair maiden from a fate worse than death of course. Korin never wanted for anything in his upbringing. Spoiled and doted upon by his adoptive parents, there was nevertheless one gaping hole in his life. One unanswered question and one black spot on his heart. And it was here, at the fork in the road that Korin reached into his tunic. Grasping at the amulet that hung around his neck, he felt it, its very touch and presence bringing comfort to his troubled heart and soul. My parents. Who are you? Where are you? Do you still live? It was an impulsive action that, on the surface at least, was spurred by his love for adventure and his desire to play the part of a hero in a tavern tale one day. But the hidden truth, deep down under the surface, was that Korin desired to discover the truth about his parents. He needed to know who they were, and why they had abandoned him. And as much as he loved his home, he knew in his heart of hearts that he would never truly be at peace with himself until he found the truth that his life had denied him. So, on that one day, when Korin walked down the stairs, and he approached his foster father, Randall Del'Andrial, he looked him in the eye. When he told him of his intentions, Randall knew full well that nothing would dissuade the boy that he had come to think of as his own flesh and blood, his own kin. And there was more to it than that. For in his youth, Randall had been an adventurer himself, gripped by the same wanderlust that even now infused itself through Korin's very veins. So Randall presented with a sword and his own gleaming suit of armour. For he knew that this day would inevitably come. Randall had, of course, trained Korin well in the use of a sword, and although Korin could hardly be called experienced or battle-tested, he was, at the very least, capable in the sword's use. That was the day that Randall Del'Andrial said goodbye to his son, knowing that the desire for the truth burned inside of him, and it was a flame that would not be extinguished. Korin did not travel alone. He gathered his trusted friends around him. The tormented Sheryl, so pale and ill-looking. The dwarf Thorin, stout and brave. His axe would be tested in the days to come. The girl, Tryanne, so driven and focussed on whatever goal burned within her. The gnome, Dalwinkle, so enamored with stories of distant lands as he was. The half-orc Raza, caught between two worlds, looking to make her own place in a world that so hated and distrusted her kind. And last but not least, his partner in crime and closest friend, the one known as Squirrel. Away they travelled, with adventure in their hearts, each with their own quest to fulfil. *** Korin could feel the cold beads of sweat making the palm of his hands clammy. Reaching down, he touched the hilt of his sword reassuringly, feeling the cool caress of its hilt against his skin. Knowing it was there made him feel more comfortable. Darkness hung in the air, its velvety gloom stretching over the hilltop, reaching all around them with dark fingers and encompassing them within its grasp. A tiny sliver of moonlight illuminated the fork in the road before them. Back in the King's Head Inn, when the bloody and battered man had implored them aid, the choice had seemed an easy one to make. Heroes never turn and flee. Heroes never deny the weak and needy their help. Heroes always rode to the rescue, regardless of the circumstances. It was only here and now, in this place, that Korin had belatedly realised that this was not a fairy tale or yarn spun from the lute of a bard. This was real, and they were walking headlong into danger. Yet he would not turn back, could not turn back, even though every single fiber of his being screamed at him to do so. That was not what a hero would do. So it was that Korin stepped forward, hand still on his hilt, glancing around and in front of him. The simple truth was that he had never seen battle before. He had never been placed in a life and death situation. And yet, if he was ever going to realise his desire to find his true parents, battle was something that he was going to have to face. The bloody sword of an enemy as it flashed in front of him, looking to separate his head from his shoulders..... How would he react? Would he bring his own blade up to deflect it in time? Or would he be too slow? If one of his friends was in danger how would he deal with it? Sighing quietly, he touched the amulet with his other hand again, silently drawing strength from it. The feel of it as it touched his breast over where his heart beat within, made him feel that he still had his parents deep within, holding them close to him always. "One day.....one day I will find you." His whisper was so low he did not know if any of the others heard it. Hearing a voice to his side, he looked over, regarding Tryanne. Watching her, he almost smiled wryly. She seemed almost as nervous as he was, and he couldn't blame her. If she felt anything like he felt.....well, he was pretty nervous truth be told. She touched the symbol on her clothes unconsciously. Korin had noticed the mark and that it matched a brand on her neck. It had always intrigued him but he had never asked her about it, fearing such a thing to be dreadfully rude. The corners of his mouth turned upwards in what he hoped was more a reassuring smile than a nervous rictus as he spoke slowly, responding to her. "Perhaps not yet. We should maybe scout the area first, see what the situation is and what we are up against." He swallowed nervously before continuing. "If-if you all agree that is?" Not the most confident of people, Korin looked to the others, gauging their opinions and wondering what they thought.

[ArionNaomi]

When Fish had found her and told her he wanted to go adventuring, Siren didn't think twice. She said yes. She would follow her best friend across the world if he asked. She had no ties to the town, only bad memories. So she followed him.

For years, the pair of them had been the bane of the town, pranking everyone. Her favorite people to prank were the older girls that had been at the orphanage with her. She especially liked stealing things from them, unlocking their windows in the dead of night and taking things that they valued. It was proper compensation for the torment that she endured. Siren never flaunted her prizes, merely descretely selling them for coin and then buying dinner or supplies she needed for survival.*

She was glad for her preparations as she walked beside Fish. She didn't know so much about their other companions, save what she needed to assign them each a moniker. Names weren't needed except when things went south. Until then, they weren't necessary. Her assigning of names was all in good fun, though she supposed the more serious members of the group resented her for it.

She dressed in a grey hooded jacket and black trousers. Strung across her back was a quiver of arrows and her bow. Her pack sat atop it crammed with her worldly possessions and her gear.

When Birdie (she called her so because of the livery of the Vulture that she wore) mentioned setting the farm on fire, she smirked.

"Fun as that sounds, setting fire to everything, I doubt the owners of the farm would appreciate all their hard work going up in smoke. I'm with Fish, let us sneaky types go in and scout the perimeter, see what's going on. I volunteer!" She threw her hand up in the air to further accentuate her volunteering to scout. Sneaking around in the dark was something she had worked on getting good at since she left the orphanage.

 

Fish = Korin
Amazon = Raza
Shortie = Dalwinkle
Birdie = Tryanne
Red = Thorin
Shelly = Sheryllin

[ironbeard]

The dwarf did his best to keep up with the others. When the woman says to set fire to everything, he thinks her mad or more likely scared. "No, I agree we don't want to set fire to the farm, we would end up doing more damage than whatever is out there." He shakes his head. "No fire...."

"You are brave to volunteer, Lassie, but I would suggest we do this in stages. Say you sneak up to the top of the hill and see what you see, then wave your arm like you just did and we will join you. Thorin speaks calmly and clearly to make sure the others understand. "That way if there is something unpleasant then we are close enough to help." He looks at the woman intently.

"Then we do it again" The dwarf rubs his hands together and says. "Ok off with you, my dear, remember stop at the top...look around...wave your arm."

[Huhart]

Like Thorin, Dalwinkle lagged behind the tall folk. He didn’t mind. He was enjoying the view of his young female companions’ shapely posteriors. He also noticed Korin fiddling with his amulet again. Was he talking to it? Maybe it was a magical amulet with a spirit inside it. Dal had heard of such things. He thought about getting a closed look at the thing, if Korin ever left it lying about. But, that would be like stealing. A little voice in his head warned him that stealing had got him thrown into jail. Dal wished the little voice would go away because he was much happier without it.

When Tryanne stopped to talk, Dal took a more detailed look at her. He admired her tattoo and scars and wondered what other interesting markings might be hidden beneath her imposing robe. But, her talk of magic and fires really got him excited. “Oh! Can I cast a spell too? I know a really good one!” He exclaimed. With nary a breath taken, Dal added, “And I can help you light the fire! Fires are good!”

When the others disagreed with burning down the farm, Dal was a bit disappointed. But he heard the little voice in his head (again) remind him that burning things down had got him disowned by his family. The gnome quickly changed his tune. “No! We mustn’t burn stuff down. Fire is bad!” He shook his head emphatically. After another moments thought, he adds quietly “Well, maybe we could just make a little fire…a campfire! That would be fun.”

Siren was talking about sneaking around to scout out the farm. Dal thought it would be nice to watch her slither and undulate around in the dark in her tight black outfit, trying to be stealthy. Dal was going to ask if he could join in on the scouting mission, but he didn’t think Siren liked him very much. She called him “Shortie”, but Dal wasn’t sure why. Did she watch him when he was watering the bushes? Or was it his nose? Dal was really sensitive about his nose size. His hand involuntarily covered his schoz when he spoke to her. Fortunately, Thorin replied to her before Dal could say anything. Thorin’s suggestion seemed wise and made a certain sense, except for one thing. “Ummm, if we sneak up, then jump up wave our hands around… doesn’t that defeat the purpose of sneaking?”

[Nade]

At Siren's suggestion, Korin frowned slightly. Although he tried not to let it show, he was more than a little bit bothered about the thought of her going up there alone, into who knows what sort of danger to prowl about. Inwardly he cursed, wishing he had kept his mouth shut and that he had accepted Tryanne's original suggestion. It wasn't that he did not think Siren was incapable of looking after herself, he knew full well that she was capable of looking after herself. Although Siren had never told him the full story of what she had endured at the orphanage, he knew from the snippets he had gathered here and there that it had not been pleasant to say the least, and that to survive what she had done then she certainly had to be tougher than her outward appearance would otherwise suggest. Still, it was more the fact that she was his closest friend. For as long as he could remember, the two of them had been near inseparable, often getting into one scrape after the next, such as the time that Siren had provided a distraction whilst Korin had spiked the mayor's glass of mulled wine with laxative.... Smiling inwardly at the memory, Korin dismissed it, bringing his mind back to the present. The truth was the thought of anything happening to her and leaving him alone in the world was inconceivable with him. The world was a brighter place with his closest friend in it. So it was that he placed a light hand on Siren's shoulder and opened his mouth. He was about to say, you know, on second thought, burning the farm down doesn't seem like all that much of a bad idea now that Tryanne mentions it. But then Thorin jumped in and made his suggestion. Korin turned to the dwarf and nodded his head, smiling thankfully. It wasn't a bad suggestion. Not a bad suggestion at all. Siren could do her thing, and the others would be near enough to help her out if anything happened. Shaking his head, Korin turned his head back to Siren and smiled wryly. "He's right you know. And Squirrel....." His eyes met hers for a moment and he smiled slightly again as he finished his sentence, "......take care up there, ok. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Thinking about that for a second, he shook his head, ".....On second thoughts, forget I said that. You probably shouldn't do what I'd do. That would end pretty badly." Dal started speaking, and Korin smirked at the gnome's suggestion. His eyes remained on Siren as he responded. "Campfire probably wouldn't be the best idea right now, might give away our position if something bad is out there. And I'd probably suggest that when we get up there we don't jump up and down and wave our hands in the air." Finally averting his gaze from Siren, he then turned to fix his blue eyes on the gnome, grinning at him. "Lets save the waving and jumping about until we clear the farm, ok?"

[MossStone]

Tryanne though about all that was said, she should not have brought up fire. At least one of these fellows seemed to be an aspiring arsonist. And yet the idea was shot down so clearly, I am not fitting in. She needed to make herself needed.

"Then what we need is some other form of single. two. One to indicate that everything is safe, another as a warning." Of course that idea was going to gain her no favour if she did not have a single to suggest. ""Are there limbs of wood? You could bet them twice loudly if things go ill and three times if things are fine. If we do not hear from you in a quarter-hour we will assume you have been killed. "

She glances at the smallest fellow. A Gnome? A Halfing? A Kolb?
"Then we set if on fire. After all at that point whatever is in there is clearly a threat to pubic safety, surely the owners of the farm must see that. The Law must allow for that. If it does not however... we just kill whoever is in there". The Slip of a girl adds without the slightest trace of doubt or pity.

[Nade]

Korin shifted nervously. Not liking the thought of Siren going up there alone to start with, Tryanne's suggestion that they should assume that she is dead after a quarter hour did not sit well with him at all. He bit back a retort, uncomfortable with the suggestion, instead responding with a terse, "After a quarter hour, we should assume that you might need our help." Korin was conscious of how ill-at-ease Tryanne's words made him feel. Looking away from the both of them, he took a step ahead, peering into the gloom. Overhead the stars twinkled in the night sky, glimmering in and out of existence. Reaching to the cord he wore around his neck, he pulled the amulet out, letting it hang loose on top of the gleaming chain links that formed the mail shirt that he wore. Siren was the only one who knew the significance of the amulet, and how important it was to him. A mere trinket to everyone else, it had no special powers or abilities, but symbolically the amulet meant so much to him. It was the only link that he had to his parents, and the only thing that served to remind him that perhaps somehow, someway, they were still out there. Inwardly, Korin smiled at a thought that came to him unbidden. A memory, or a dream, locked within him. *** There is a warmth emanating from the amulet on my chest. There are two people looking down at me. Although I do not know who they are, I feel a warmth and kindness emanating towards them as they look at me. It is then that I realise. My parents. Is this real? Are these my parents? After all these years are they returned to me? I tried to speak, to reach out, but I could not. It was then that I understood that what was happening to me, what I was seeing was a memory that had been lost to time and years that had long since passed. Other words echoed within me, words that I had heard not so long ago. "You need to understand the truth about yourself, or you will die" "The amulet will show you the way." As the image of my parents faded, I felt the touch of a thousand upon my heart and soul. A line that had stretched behind me for countless generations. On my heart I felt a weight. It was a sensation that I wasn’t accustomed to feeling. If I had known any better, I would have recognised it as the weight of expectation. The thousand looked to me. They looked to me because I was the last of them. At this revelation I would have fallen there and then had from the crushing weight that fell on me from above, if it had not been for the presence of a shimmering form next to me, promising me that no matter what happened, we would face it together. *** The small sliver of moonlight did little to light the path ahead of them. It was through gritted teeth that Korin softly said, "But of course, you won't need us, will you?" Turning back, he walked towards the girl, Tryanne as she spoke once more of fire. Gods but the girl seemed obsessed with it. But why? He shook his head as he looked at her, puzzled as he was by her. She was certainly an enigma to say the very least. Korin did not know what drove the girl, but there was something inside her that drove her forwards, something that she sought. Not for the first time, he wondered what it was, just as he wondered how this pale slip of a girl found herself here, approaching a farmstead with who knows what inside of it. But her voice though, no doubt, or pity, was there even humanity in there? Looking her up and down, Korin was undecided. "Must we be so quick to burn? There might be bad things in there, as you say, but what if there is more than that? What if by burning down the farm we kill an innocent? What would your conscience say to that Tryanne?" He shook his head, unable to get a grasp on this strange, mysterious young girl. "If the farm is completely lost to us. If there is no hope and no other resort then yes, we should burn it down. But if there is a chance that someone innocent might be caught in it..... Lets just not be so quick to judge and assume that everything up there is evil."" Not wanting to offend the girl though, Korin then smiled genuinely as he nodded his head. "You'll get your chance Tryanne, I promise. Lets just be sure first before we do this."

[ironbeard]

'As I remember my dear, you had both feet on the ground and raised one hand and waved it, I guess the others were not looking. This seems to getting too complicated. Let's just go to the top of the hill and see what we see. At some point there will have to be a confrontation with whatever is at the farm and better if we are together, as having a person sneak to the top and signal seems beyond the pale." The dwarf moves up the hill as quietly as he can following the girl who couldn't remember peoples names.

[ArionNaomi]

Siren regarded the dwarf. Now it must be said that that Siren knew everyone's name, and the monikers were merely nicknames she assigned everyone. She knew Fish's name was Korin and and Red was Thorin.

"Waving arms is so last year! Bird calls, now that's something! A crow's caw for trouble and an owl's hoot for safe. It's easy! Just like when we prank, yeah Fish?" She said with a wink.

Shortie brought up the fire. What was it with everyone and fire? Still she wasn't about to say, again, that wanton destruction was what should be done. Only if there was no other way. Instead she shook her head and went to move up the hill.

Then Fish just had to say "don't do anything I wouldn't do." She grinned at her best friend. "Mmmm! What a good idea! Thanks Fish!"

Birdie suggested banging on sticks. Siren shook her head again. "Yeah, no, I've got this."

That the woman was so keen on setting things on fire made her a little nervous. They couldn't just destroy the farm to rid it of the threat. They would destroy the farmer's livelihood and home. "Let's just be careful with that fire, m'kay?" She said moving toward the hill.

"I'll be fine, Korin, sheesh. Stop worrying would ya? You're making me nervous!"

She moved carefully up the hill and turned when she heard footsteps behind her. "Coming too, Red?" She said with a grin. "Just don't stare at my assets like someone else does!"

 

Fish = Korin
Amazon = Raza
Shortie = Dalwinkle
Birdie = Tryanne
Red = Thorin
Shelly = Sheryllin

[Drachenspirit]

Raza kept towards the front of the group, behind Kor (as she had come to call the thin male human) mostly as he seemed to be something of a tracker.
If she was anything, she was a warrior. That much was clear just by looking at her. What wasn't clear was that which motivated her, and for some that might come as a surprise given her countenance.
She had come to refer to some as Siren did, others she mostly just shortened their names for simplicity's sake. She called Thorin 'Red', and the skinny short girl 'Shelly" also, but she didn't call Korin fish. She called him Kor.
She called the gnome simply 'Dal' as she found the rest of his name insulting - not to her, but to him. It just didn't seem right callling him a name that seemed to belittle him even more than... well his stature already was.
She called the only other person of her height in the group Tyr for short. Apart from their height, that's where the similarities ended. Having some orc blood in he veins, she was as wide as, if not wider than the dwarf Thorin, and was well over 200 pounds in weight, edging closer to two hundred and a half than the lesser actually. It was a good thing probably due to the massive spear she carried, which was easily eight feet high from tip to butt end.
She had a long bow across her shoulders, a quiver on her back next to her pack and a woodcutters knife in her belt.
She paused as everyone else spoke, listening to all of them with a raised eyebrow as the wind blew the dangling feathers and bits of trinket and bone pieces intertwined in her few long braids. They clinked together from their hanging position, made possible from her odd stance of leaning against her longspear with her cheek, her butt out slightly with one foot set against her leg just below the knee.
She took in a slow deep breath and once again Siren brought a smile to her face. She hadn't decided if the frail rogue was foolhardy brave, or just batcrap crazy yet. She had decided that either way, it turned out, she liked her.
She dropped her foot and set out behind Siren, shortening her name as well as she closed on her with her normal long-strided gait.
Hold on there Psy. I got's yer back. Don't know who's been brushing yer hair from th' back lately, but they shoulda told you that yet assets be needin' some meat nowdays."
Whether anyone got her joke or not, she didn't mind. Growing up in the company of free thinking women meant she almost always spoke her mind. The times when she didn't, well... it probably meant she was asleep or comtemplating a fight.

[PinkFairyArmadilo]

The group chosen to scout ahead carefully make their way up the wooded hill to the compound at the top. They don't run into any trouble, nor do they see any signs of trouble. Everything is quiet. Far, far too quiet. The chorus of insects you'd expect at this time of night doesn't even serenade you. It's eerie.

The farm in question seems to be composed of a series of buildings, mostly, with a large conical cage in the center. The empty road forks just before the compound, with one fork leading to an (L, 5)Eastern building and the other circling around (F, 18)South to a stable. There are no lanterns lit, nor lights in the windows of any of the buildings.... There don't appear to be any workers, creatures, or even spiders about.... It's... odd.

 

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[ironbeard]

'Now, what do you suppose was in that large empty cage? A giant man eating spider? Thorin whispers to the group.

[Nade]

The three of them departed. Siren, Thorin and Raza went in the first instance. Watching them go up to the hill towards the farmhouse Korin pouted slightly. His main reason for not wanting to go with Siren was because he was concerned that being, you know, more muscle brained moron than stealthy burglar would have meant that his presence would have drawn more attention to them than necessary. After all, the lug-headed, lumbering oaf that was Korin would have no doubt tripped over a exposed root, or trod on every loud branch or just generally would have made some oafish, uncoordinated mess of things. Yet with the dwarf and the half-orc of all people going with her he started thinking to himself that he should have just gone with them. Still pouting slightly, Korin shrugged his shoulders in resignation before whispering to the others, "I should have gone with them. There is no way that Raza and Thorin are more sneaky than me. No way. I'm Korin, uncrowned King of Sneakiness. What do you think?" He wasn't talking to anyone in particular, it was more a plaintive complaint directed towards anyone who had the misfortune to be paying attention. It was also, of course, a lie. Korin, although slightly more nimble and dexterous than, say, an arthritic sloth, was still a clumsy oaf, at least when compared to Siren. He cast his mind back to the many pranks that the two of them had committed in the good name of mischief. Like the time that he had talked a spellcasting friend of his to use his Wand of Entangle on an open room in the village where he had grown up (ostensibly because there were kobolds in the room, or so he said, but truthfully because he wanted a chuckle at the sight of the elderly matron lying asleep in the room being dragged out by her ankles) and got caught in the spell backlash. And the time he had fired a pebble from a catapult, smashing the local temple's window. He had attempted to scurry up a nearby tree to hide, only to fall out of the topmost branches to end up lying in a broken, bruised heap in front of the angry temple orderlies, smiling weakly. Grinning to himself at the memories, Korin suddenly straightened his expression when he remembered the peril that the others might possibly be facing. Glancing up the trail, he watched and listened out for any sign of his friends to no avail. As the gloom deepened and the night grew bolder, he watched and listened in vain. His imagination began to play tricks on him, standing as he was in the dark. In his mind's eye, Korin fancied that the shadows around him began to grow and pulsate. Icy cold, black tendrils of inky black darkness flexed claws and talons of deepest darkest night as they stretched, weaving across the ground towards where he stood.... Shivering slightly, Korin banished the thought, shaking his head and closing his eyes. The shadows withdrew. Opening them again, he exhaled sharply. In truth, he had likely been there only mere seconds since the others had departed, but to Korin it felt like an age. My imagination. Nothing more. Swallowing suddenly, Korin took a step back and turned to walk back to the others. The waiting was the worst. Korin could do action, but the waiting was the worst. Looking over to Tryanne, a sudden thought came to him, keeping in-line with his sense of mischief. The corners of his mouth turned up in a small, mischievous smile as he said, "Setting fire to the farm might be a bad idea in case we hurt someone, but why don't we set fire to a random tree in the other direction..." Pointing with his finger in the opposite direction from the farm, he smirked to himself. "Nobody needs random trees and it gives us something to do. Come on, what's the worst that could happen?" His eyes sparkled in mischief.