Mists over the Musarde, Chapter Two

[ewancummins]

Inside the farmhouse


Norzak tries to cast his spell, but he's unable to focus properly with the beast on his back, mauling him. He does manage to snatch his dagger free from its sheath, though.

Jon tumbles into the room and attacks the beast. His knife cuts it deeply, but not mortally, he thinks.

Alain, peeking through a window and spotting the two men reloading their crossbows inside the farmhouse, reacts quickly with a murmured incantation. Conjured rocks fall suddenly down upon the men! When the fist-sized chunks of rocks have ceased to fall, the pair lay bleeding and dazed on the floor. They've dropped their weapons, and are struggling to rise.

The weasel-like monster bolts away from Norzak and Jon, moving to enter a closet, pushing the door open with its snout.

Outside the farmhouse-


Marie runs away from the house, towards the coaches. She screams-

''AHHHHHHH!!!!! Sir Cirdan, help us!''

[Adam]

Bennedict's eyes widen in shock, his hand reflexively grabbing the walking stick he has leaning against the table, though he is certain it will be useless.

"You are the doctor, nein?" he says, fighting to keep the quaver out of his voice, "I am certain that you know my name, but I confess to not knowing yours. But then again, since you have taken the things from my office, that would be only one of many advantages you have over me."

As he speaks, Bennedict's keen eyes examine the doctor's movements and general appearance, looking for any sign of strength or weakness that may be of use now or later. Not that I'm likely to get out of here so I can tell the others...

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio makes the sign of the Morninglord over the corpse in the pigpen, and mutters a few brief prayers. He is considering how to best extract the deceased from the mire when the crossbow bolt flies near him.

Looking at the angle, he shouts "ARCHER IN THE BARN!" That said, he starts running towards the barn, taking cover where he can find it.

[JMaytr]

Jonathan takes a stab at the man near his feet as Norzak follows the Weasel-Beast. Hearing Dorgio's warning alerts the boy that the party is surrounded. His mind races. Norzak was right,

"Gah! Elf, get yer behind in here, we's a bin expected!"

Who else knew they were coming to Marie's barn right then? The luck was too bad to be coincidence....

The girl's father? Denys....

The Pimp....Van Dieks....he could have gone back and found Marie missing and came back to her families farm for her....but risk a failed ambush on the party? The pimp seemed smarter than that.

Bennedict knew they planned to come to Marie's. Could he have found something at the archives that merited silencing the rest of the group?

The thoughts came instantly to Jonathan, never distracting his focus from the attackers in front of him.

[ewancummins]

in the archives-


As Benn talks with the Doctor, he spots something in the air above the man's left shoulder. It's a ghostly, disembodied hand!

The hand flies through the air and, before he can escape, touches Benn on his exposed face. As soon as the ethereal fingers contact warm skin, the hand pulls back, once more hanging in midair above the Doctor's left shoulder.


''My name? I am Doctor Anskuld. I will be performing your operation today, Bennedict. ''

A long serrated knife appears in the Doctor's right hand.

''If you hold still, I promise not to make a mess.''

[ewancummins]

the farm

-inside the farmhouse-

Jon stabs the thug on the right, driving the point of his dagger six inches deep into the man's unprotected neck. Jon's first victim falls to the floor, choking to death on his own blood. A lunging steps sideways carries Jon into the other goon, whom he stabs in the chest. The dagger must have reached something vital, because the man jerks about like a fish on a hook, then becomes very still and collapes like so much dead weight. The weapon is nearly pulled from Jon's hand by the falling body.

Norzak leaps at the beast, his dagger outstretched. He lands a solid hit, striking it in the hindquarters.

The thing keeps moving, with the murderous dwarf in pursuit. It makes it into the closet; the dwarf is a few steps behind it. Norzak stands in the open closet door, looking down at...

... a hole in the floor. The floorboards are broken in one corner, with the appearance of having been burst upward by something coming from beneath. Piles of dirt and disheleved clothing litter the floor of the small closet. The only sign of the creature is a smear of blood at the edge of the hole. Peering at the hole, Norzak can see that is a tunnel, and is big enough to admit the creature- or Norzak himself, provided he crawls on his hands and knees.

outside

Dorgio and Alain both take cover in the shadow of the barn, within an old [and currently without birds] chicken coop built close to the barn itself. The enemy shouldn't be able to see them in here.

Five horsemen in mail armor come thundering out of the barn. Three of them carry burning torches and the other two brandish swords. They ignore Dorgio and Alain [not seeing them in their refuge] and gallop towards the coaches!

[steveflam]

The dwarf growls at the beast even as his dagger strikes true. The thing moves on and into the closet? He follows through the door and is about to jump down but stops. He quickly analyses the direction of the tunnel. Those who created it were probably in a hurry thus the tunnel would be in a straight line to the barn!

Norzak quickly checks two of his many pouches on his armor. The two items were still there! He turns around and passes Jon "I's got me a beast to burn, laddie! There's a tunnel an it goes to tha barn. Take care 'o' tha thugs with Alain, laddie! We need prisoners, keep em alive."

Norzak races as fast as his short legs will carry him to the barn door! He hoped his calculations were correct.

[Adam]

"I think you shall find me a bit less cooperative than your last patient, Doctor Anskuld," Bennedict returns, lifting the cane into a position where it can be used as a club. He quickly recites the word to an ancient rhyme used by Hedge Witches to keep harmful spirits at bay.

[ewancummins]

"I think you shall find me a bit less cooperative than your last patient, Doctor Anskuld," Bennedict returns, lifting the cane into a position where it can be used as a club. He quickly recites the word to an ancient rhyme used by Hedge Witches to keep harmful spirits at bay.

The Doctor waves his left hand and the ghostly hand flies forward towards Benn. The Doctor gets a pained look on his face, then sighs in apparent frustration. The ghost hand withdraws.

''Curse you!''

Just then, Benn hears a noise outside the door. The Doctor must have heard it too, for he looks quickly at the door, then back at Benn.


Acting very quickly, the Doctor snatches a vial of green liquid from his coat pocket and gulps it down in one swallow. His body and everything he carries begin to dissolve into a cloud of greenish vapor.

[JMaytr]

Jonathan moves outside looking for Alain and Dorgio and any other thugs. Seeing the men on horseback the boy makes a run for the out house trying to spy any crossbow men along the way.

[ewancummins]

In the archives-


Bennedict sees the Doctor transform into a man-shaped cloud of green gas. The cloud-man moves away from Benn, passing through a crack in the wall to exit the chamber.

As the last trace of green gas seeps through the crevice in the stonework, the door swings open and a young acolyte, in white robes, enters the room. He carries a platter of cheese, bread, and fruit- along with a bottle of wine. It all crashes to the floor when the boy sees what's happened to the head librarian. His head swivels toward Benn and his mouth opens-

''YOU killed him! Murderer! Help!''

[ewancummins]

outside the farmhouse


Jon makes it safely to the outhouse. The door is closed but it isn't locked or latched....

Marie runs into the first coach, where Evangeline and Evie are huddled together.

Sir Cirdan has gotten out and is prepared to defend the womenfolk.

The two coachmen, although they are not properly armed, have joined the knight. They pick up stones from the road- poor weapons against armored riders!

Norzak runs towards the Barn. As he moves toward his objective, he sees the riders galloping toward the coaches, where Cirdan and two coachmen are the only line of defense protecting Evangeline, Marie, and old Hannah. The barn door stands open...

Alain and Dorgio can also see the situation beside the road, from inside the coop.

[Adam]

In the archives-


Bennedict sees the Doctor transform into a man-shaped cloud of green gas. The cloud-man moves away from Benn, passing through a crack in the wall to exit the chamber.

As the last trace of green gas seeps through the crevice in the stonework, the door swings open and a young acolyte, in white robes, enters the room. He carries a platter of cheese, bread, and fruit- along with a bottle of wine. It all crashes to the floor when the boy sees what's happened to the head librarian. His head swivels toward Benn and his mouth opens-

''YOU killed him! Murderer! Help!''

"Mein Gott," the archivist says, turning away from the doctor's fleeing form towards the acolyte. "Yes, you caught me, you moron. My ingenious plan was to walk into your church, let EVERYONE know I was here, and then murder a man I met only yesterday. Honestly, is there ANYONE in this godforsaken city that is capable of using their brain!"

He kneels next to the priest, checking his pulse on the off chance the doctor missed the brainstem. "Go and call the gendarmes," he says, "but I swear, if you have them arrest me, you and your order will regret it. You KNOW who authorized me to search these archives."

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio stifles a curse, then slings his spear and takes out his crossbow. He taps Alain on the shoulder, points to him, and then points upwards, trying to signal Alain to move upstairs and attack the archer.

Then, from his position inside the barn, he chants a prayer to bring the heat of the sun on the rider nearest to the coach.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Cirdan will grab Evangeline's wrist.

"Take your sister and hide in the woods! I'll keep those men here occupied."

(I assume the knight was riding on a horse.)

Cirdan will give the spurs to his stallion and rush against the attackers.

"Let's see who of you can dance with me!" [Knight's Clallenge.]

Rather than to hack his way through them, he'll try to pin them on their way,
and to force them to focus on him first.

In his usual manner, he'll try to run over the first one, though. [Power attack!]