Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Three

[VAN]

The Raid

Filbert is glad to accept taking part of the raid. He has to settle a cscor with this gang anyway. He is a bit worried about Safana's health and hope they can get a sample of the poison as the priestess said so Safana can be cured. When the team is gathered Filbert has told Gunnar and the others everything he knows about the place and where is the secret room where the gang hides.

Once there he says:

"I will go first to take a look from the window, and if it's safe I will try to unlock the main door, they have entered from the side door not the main so maybe they will not expect us from there. If you don't see me back in couple minutes come to help!"

[ewancummins]

FILBERT

Filbert sees little through the frost covered window, just vague, still shapes like furniture. No movement. Looks darkened and empty inside.

He finds the crude iron lock closed on the front door (which leads into the taproom/bar area).
The Halfling listens at the panel edge. No noises close enough to hear.
He peeks through the keyhole using his special sight. No warm bodies near the doorway and it seems dark inside. Filbert takes out his tools and jimmies the lock; it sticks at first,he twists and prods until it loosens with a clacking sound.

He creeps inside and looks about with his gift of seeing in the dark.
Empty chairs, the counter, tables. Some of the seats show residual heat, as if occupied not long ago but abandoned now. Heat seeps from a rectangle in the wall behind the counter: the door to the kitchen.

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To his right, past tables, the hearth glows in the darkness. Looks like heat from ash and dying embers.

Filbert snoops around, listening at the door to the reception area, looking under tables, and creeping behind the bar counter.
He finds a man's body laid out on the floor behind the counter. Cold and still. No life or heat.
Stepping over the dead man, Filbert presses his ear to the door, his face turned to the right.
The air currents before him stir, cold draughts sweeping up as something lifts from the floor-- the hands of the corpse as it grabs at Filbert's neck!

Filbert jerks back, choking down a cry of alarm.
The faceless thing rises from the floor and lurches for him again. It's got him boxed in.
He dodges, draws his sword, defends himself.

They fight in the dark. Filbert stabs again and again, but never once does his enemy cry in pain. Those hands keep grabbing at Filbert's neck, nails scratching his throat.

Something falls in the dark, making a hollow wooden clatter.

The Halfling rolls past his attacker and backs up toward the main door with with his raised.
He bumps against the door, turns, and yanks the handle.
Cold wind hits his face. He sees a torch flare into life across the street.
And hears the footsteps behind him as he rushes out the door...



.....





EVERYONE ELSE


You all see Filbert go in.


No noises , at least nothing loud enough to carry over the rising night wind.
No lights.

The link boy's torch gutters, dying. He lights a new one.

One of Sir Gunnar's henchmen asks his master if they have waited long enough when the front door opens again. Filbert races out into the street with a naked sword gripped in his right hand.
A hooded man staggers after him!

[Adam]

Cranstel points, alarmed.

"I say, the little man seems to need some assistance."

He looks around at the others. "Well, go on!"

[Adam]

SEARCHERS

"I've nae reason to go lookin' fer some demon," Cormac says, "But we'll keep an eye fer it, while we're on the way. Aerik stands with me, an' I'm nae afraid o' some antlery goat thing."

He draws heavily from the drink in front of him and resumes eating.

[ewancummins]

Cranstel points, alarmed.

"I say, the little man seems to need some assistance."

He looks around at the others. "Well, go on!"

The two ducal guards assigned to Filbert do not wait for orders from the old apothecary. Cranstel hasn't even gotten past ''little man'' when the two armored footmen heft their halberds and dash to Filbert's aid.
One man pins the hooded figure with his polearm's point, and the other man chops down into the pinned enemy's head.
Thunk.
Filbert's attacker drops limp in the street.

Acting on previous orders, Sir Gunnar's men move in to secure all egresses.

Hoodies swarm out and attack with knives and clubs. The poorly armed thugs make such a sudden and vicious foray that they actually wound and drop several of the war band. But then the knight's men press back, driving the thugs back into the interior of the building.
No thugs escaped so far as any of the other party (PCs) can see, unless they got out by some back way. But Sir Gunnar had men stationed all around.

Sir Gunnar moves to join his men, a dagger held in each hand for close-in butchery.

One of the knight's lieutenants, a bearded man in splint armor, points at Jem the Glymjack.
''Boy! Bring light."

Priestess Idele moves behind the knight and his picked men, and starts to aid the wounded men of the warband. Gunnar's healer and another of the band join her.


...
INSIDE

Gunnar and his men plow into the thugs as soon as they have enough light to tell friend from foe.
The hoodies scream. They bleed. Some run, throwing chairs through windows and jumping out into the streets, or breaking for the reception area and the stairs going up.
But the knight's war band has covered all escape routes ( except the inner way, through the kitchen and to the pantry).

Four of the hooded men, backed against the common room hearth, thrown down their knives. They kneel on the floor with their hands raised. ''Please don't kill us!"

[alhoon]

Acting on previous orders, Sir Gunnar's men move in to secure all egresses.

Termelan has a look of grim determination. He doesn't seem to enjoy witnessing the stories he tells to unfold but he seems determined to do what he can so the right side would win. He steps out of his hiding place as the soldiers break into the inn.

He takes a deep breath of the cold wind and begins to sing. The tune, notes and words of the war song, a song about the honor of defending one's country, exalting patriotism, bravery and duty, are carried by his voice far and over the clanging of battle and screams without falter or cold. Not everyone could have the lungs and training to do that in the cold night air even if their voice and training were adequate for salon entertainment and wedding performances. Termelan strives his best to prove that the Bardic College of Fazzeta doesn't give licenses just to people with pretty faces and a knack with a musical instrument or two.

More than just the words of the song, the tone, the voice of the skilled bard, the performance seeks to help Gunnar's men coordinate better future attacks; inspire them to take calculated risks when an opening presents itself.

As the front shifts and the ground floor is secured the bard follows the soldiers in, crossbow in hand and singing. As the soldiers are less distracted by the battle now, his words start to sink in and influence them.

[ewancummins]

Gunnar's men secure prisoners, ignoring the dead.

One of them moves to investigate noises from the kitchen.
As he touches the door handle the door flies open and a sword slashes out at him. The man jumps back and rolls over the bar counter, unhurt.

An old woman appears in the crack of the doorway. She glares at Termelan and cries out." Kill the noisy one first!"
She slams the door.
And then all the hoodies lying dead on the floor get up and converge on the minstrel...

[kintire]

Safana steps back, murmuring to herself. She seems to shimmer slightly, then her face turns pale, and her eyes sink into black pits. It and her body become vague, fading into shadow where her feet were. Flickers of movement can be seen through her, as if she were no longer really there. She drifts smoothly across the room, ignoring the hooded figures, and seeps like a mist through the door the old woman glared through, into the room beyond.

[alhoon]

Termelan's song is cut abruptly as he yelps in surprise. But he quickly regains his much of his composure and leaves a sigh. It seems it is not his first combat with nightmares created by mages nor by far the first battle where his abilities made him the main target.

Termelan tries to quickly back out of the door, letting loose a crossbow bolt targeting an undead hoodie on the way.
He shouts "They will target me first! Use that to your advantage!
Remember! A mage usually needs to be able to speak to cast magic! "


And then, he spots Safana also using True magic. And swallows his tongue. For some reason, this seems to disturb him nearly as much as the undead abominations that rose to kill him.

[ewancummins]

THE THREE PENNY

Gunnar's men stare in horror as five dead men rise from the floor.

Safana casts her spell.

Termelan looses a bolt at one of the hooded revenants as it closes on him, grabbing at his neck.

[ewancummins]

Safana steps back, murmuring to herself. She seems to shimmer slightly, then her face turns pale, and her eyes sink into black pits. It and her body become vague, fading into shadow where her feet were. Flickers of movement can be seen through her, as if she were no longer really there. She drifts smoothly across the room, ignoring the hooded figures, and seeps like a mist through the door the old woman glared through, into the room beyond.

THE KITCHEN

The kitchen is dark when she enters. A little light to one side...

Thunk.
Thunk.
The alley side door bursts open and light spills in. Two of Gunnar's men, holding axes, a torch flaring behind them.

The men do not see it, but she does: the pantry door closing, candle glow behind it disappearing as the panel shuts. She hears something slide,scrape, click in the pantry.

[Varrus the Ethical]

Searchers

Roald listens to Sir Egremore's tale, and nods when the robber knight finishes.

"Your tale is not as unbelievable as you might think." Roald takes a gulp from his drink. "We too encountered one who could change form. A woman who could change into a fox and charm men into her service. We captured her and learned she was a mercenary, working for the Manslayer." Not at all unpleasant feelings at the memory of her intrude on his mind. "She... escaped during a skirmish with a band of Elvish raiders."

[ewancummins]

Searchers

Roald listens to Sir Egremore's tale, and nods when the robber knight finishes.

"Your tale is not as unbelievable as you might think." Roald takes a gulp from his drink. "We too encountered one who could change form. A woman who could change into a fox and charm men into her service. We captured her and learned she was a mercenary, working for the Manslayer." Not at all unpleasant feelings at the memory of her intrude on his mind. "She... escaped during a skirmish with a band of Elvish raiders."

"Indeed?"
The robber knight tugs at his beard.
" Back home in Silverhill the old people always swore that some foxes were really devils who led children and hunters astray in the woods. To their deaths. Maybe part of that was true?"

[Varrus the Ethical]

Searchers

"Maybe," Roald says. "It wouldn't be the strangest thing I've seen."

[kintire]

Safana calls "In the pantry!" To the men bursting in and seeps smoothly through the door, looking swiftly around for the fleeing Crone. She is poised between looking confident and competent for the men behind her and not wishing to get too far ahead of them!

As she enters the pantry she looks swiftly around, seeking any signs of foes...