[Game Thread] A Song of Silence

[Evoles]

Scarlett will cast detect magic and scan around for possible threats while continuing to move the children out of the cavern.

Well sorry kids I could of sworn I heard your parents out here. They must have gone.. Hmm what are we going to do with all these kids?
Back to the Village? No, probably not a good idea yet. Definitely not to the mine. Um.. not back into the cave.. ..slightly further away from the cave and away from the mine. Pshh kids will believe anything... I hope.

[HenryLockwood]

Gwydion pauses, startled at the suddenness of the old woman's fall. "I will stay to investigate this house - keep the children safe!" he says.

That done, he takes his time to search the dwelling.

OOC Taking 20 on Search, for 23

[Kailtrin]

Magnus continues to lie here, hoping someone will tend to his wounds while he is unconscious.

[Uruz]

The Dwarf's life continues to ebb from his body as a slow flow of blood trickles from his nostrils and mouth. The children continue to scream and file up the tunnel to the outside, ignoring the earnest appeals from the halfling sorceress. However, Scarlett can also tell that there are more sounds of screaming coming from the top of the tunnel.

Ignoring his wounded fellow, Gwydion takes a good long look around the cavern and finds the three wooden spoons and bowls which were used to feed them the night before and a battered, old, leather-bound book.

[Uruz]

While Gwydion busies himself with his search over a two minute period, Scarlett tries to ascertain what lies further up the cavern tunnel without exposing herself to danger - sadly, she can't make out anything more than terrifed screaming. The trauma of the battle seems to have stunned Aere as he has watched the life be snuffed out of two of his fellows in rapid succession.

And through it all, Magnus continues to bleed. The trickle of life turns frothy as his lungs fill with fluid and blood and his companions chjoose to ignore his bleeding, ruined body in their own pursuits. With mere moments to spare, his own internal systems manage to right themselves and the dwarf is - for the moment - placed beyond death's jaws.

OCC Magnus has stabilized at -9.

[Evoles]

Scarlett tries screaming over the... other screaming.

What is it? what do you see?

Scarlett sees nothing as many of the children are the same size as her. She angrily awaits some kind of reply.

If only I had time to summon my disc, although these terrified children do create an interesting form of concealment.

Scarlett dirties up her clothes some and tries to blend into the crowd.

[Ark]

OOC Sorry for my extended time away posting and glad that Magnus survived--trying to get back on regular schedule--life has just been...crazy

Och, I must have passed out for a bit after that crazed witch bashed me good. Moving over to Magnus, gingerly, Aere looks him over untrained heal checknot sure he could do much without making the situation worse and decides to leave well enough alone. It looks like he's not getting any worse, and I have no idea what to do for him anyway, having no training in the healing arts.

He inches over to a wall to sit against, feeling none too well himself and calls out to Gwydion, "Did you find anything looking about?"

[Kailtrin]

Magnus continues to lie on the ground, eyes closed and barely breathing but still alive.

[Ark]

Gwyidion, might I have a peek at that book? I'm just sitting here conserving energy for a moment--give me something useful to do--it might have some information we can use.

Aereforme, taking 20 on: knowledge-arcane-29, local-25 examines the book that Gwydion has found.

OOC Attempting the take 20 mechanic...if horsed up, please advise.

[Uruz]

The book seems to be nothing more than a diary written in a clean, neat hand in the Kanadaran tongue. The first page indicates it as the property of one Hesperath Mewsherat. Judging from the contents - all clearly dated in the flowing script of the author - the book comprises the last several years.

Turning to the last section of the book, the young Elf finds a passage dated the 13th Scorch of the year of Karand 1124 - 30 days ago - and several more following which draw his eyes.

13 Scorch, 1124 The villagers seem to be readying for a party of some sort - there's word they found something special in the mines; probably some new lode of gold which they hadn't tapped yet. I miss the old times with Shan; why he thought I should retire here instead of with him I can't begin to guess, but the old rascal's second sight was always true. I better try to find out what they found though; the Riftwalkers always need to know.

17 Scorch 1124 Blasted Potentate Arjuna won't open his doors to see me. The bloody butler of his is keeping everyone out; if he wasn't an arcanist of some repute I'd stuff his scaly head in a rain barrel certain sure! And that Matthias is being awful solicitous of my health all of a sudden; you'd think he'd taken a fancy to me! And no one seems to want to tell me what they found in the mine! Karand's lost balls, you'd think I was Tarantish with the reception I'm getting!

24 Scorch, 1124 Something's happening in town - people I've known for years are acting queer - like they don't really control their own actions or something anymore. I can't figure it out - its not magic; leastwise, not magic I can detect or recognize. And everyone seems to be looking towards the gaol when they don't think I'm watching - they look almost...expectant.

3 Dew, 1124 He took me! I only escaped now! But I feel Him - His eyes; boring, burning into my mind! His mouth pushing into me; swallowing me from the inside. Changing me. Pain like fiery needles in my bones all over. I KNOW now, but I can't say - not allowed. He'll hear...He hears all. But I got away. Took the children with me; those I could find. The whole town is Them now; we all eat our dreams and die while alive. I MUST not let Him find me. Too old now - not Hesperath any more but not someone else either; changed badly - broken. Eyes in the sky, ears in my head; escaped but not free.

The last passage is a frenzied scrawl, barely legible in comparison to the neat writing elsewhere.



Meanwhile, Scarlett manages to insinuate herself into the teaming throng of children making for the upper exit of the cave. As she nears the cave entrance she sees metallic, whiplike tendrils enveloping the fleeing children from above and carrying their screaming burdens aloft. Before she leaves the shelter within, the sorceress ducks down behind a boulder near the mouth of the cave so she won't be seen. The last of the children stream outwards like lemmings, only to be caught by the unseen lash wielders above; their screams echoing in the halfling's ears.

[Evoles]

Scarlett waits momentarily, making sure she hasn't been spotted, then hurries back down into the cave to report her findings.

Oh my various gods, Scarlett thinks to herself as she runs, I led those children right into a trap, and what's more I didn't even get a look at the ones wielding those whips, and most importantly... ...um why is the dwarf on the ground?

Scarlett's train of thought is interrupted as she emerges back into the main habitat. She sees Magnus on the floor untendeded, Aere reading a book, and Gwydion slowly searching the room.

Um... hey guys, Scarlett gives the dwarf a gentle nudge with her foot as she walks over to Aere.

Whatcha reading?

Scarlett's mind snaps back from the odd scene and starts blurting:

Oh..oh, so I was saving the children, and nothing else mind you, and these whips, or something that looked whips, although they could have been tentacles, I couldn't really see where they were coming from, but given our last few days I suppose they could have been tentacles, but now that I think of it they seemed to be metallic, which might suggest whips, but some rather strange ones at that, although they could have been armored tentacles, that would be cool...

Scarlett takes a deep breath.

They took the children.

[HenryLockwood]

"They?"

Gwydion's one-word question seems to be all he has to say, for a moment, before he collects himself and continues.

"If we are to do anything about this we must save who we can. Can either of you help Magnus? Must we wait for him to recover on his own?"

[Uruz]

OOC In my rush to describe what Gwydion found, I forgot to mention that the cauldron of bandages that the old woman used to heal you earlier still contains some bandages within - 2, to be precise. Most of it was spilled out during the melee.

[Evoles]

Scarlett spies the bandages in the kettle.

Well.. I'm not a master healer but these seemed to work the first time.

Scarlett places one of the bandages on a bloody spot (unwilling to clean the wound), and with more curiosity than concern, stands back to see if there is any result.

[Kailtrin]

Magnus lies still, unaware of what is going on.