Archibald looks in on the animals to find out if he can determine what has them riled up, but he'll be moving out again quickly to see if the others found anything more obvious
The house remains eerily quiet as Branch makes her way upstairs. Mercifully, the house does not complain about her presence any more as she moves about its interior. Through simple deduction, she decides on what room must've been the source of the sound, but as she creeps up and gently tugs on the handle, it doesn't move. The door is locked. As she begins to ponder her next course of action, something else reaches her ears. It's the scream again, outside, not in the farmhouse but elsewhere in the compound.
Chatcho, not one to be a half-measure, ventures further in amoung the iron and wood constructions housed in this building, but search as he might, this building seems truly empty. He's just given up on the task, returning to the door and closing it behind him, when a scream echoes out into the night air. Without a doubt, now, it's coming from the other barn, the building Archibald chose.
It's a simple enough procedure. Archibald lifts the latch on the first stall, and lets the door swing out slightly. Inside, a heavily pregnant goat presses herself up against the far wall, frightened of the movement. But, with nothing else to hint as to the goat's distress, he shuts and latches the door again, and moves on to the next. The next stall, at first glance, seems to be a similar story. But as his eyes adjust to the scene before him, he notices something. A small hole in the wall, no bigger than a finger, in the corner of the stall where the far wall meets the divider that separates this stall from the next. He's just realized what this means--that something has broken through the wall in the next stall, the third stall--when the heavy thump of some footfall reaches his ear. Something is moving around outside. As he peers out through the hole at the empty moonlit field, nothing reaches his eye, until a shadow falls over the hole and blocks his view entirely.
The goat in the next stall begins to scream, an almost human sound.
At the scream, Branch slowly turns around and heads back out of the farmhouse. As she gets outside, she hears Archibald yell out and starts running in that direction.
The door was intriguing, but the screaming outside meant it wasn't what she was here for. Together, Branch and Chatcho emerge from their respective buildings and charge towards the barn Archibald had chosen, only in time to watch him disappear behind a stall door on the far side of the building.
Slamming open the stall door, Archibald turns quick, undoes the latch and throws the next stall's door open wide. Before him lies a massive hole in the building's wall, so large a horse and rider could both stand in the threshold. But it was not a horse and its rider that stood there, but the twisted shape of some fell creature. Filling the hole in the wall, a creature of bone and sinew, and limbs that were too long for its thin, emaciated body. Mange seemed to cover it, but whatever illness befell this abomination came from older, crueler gods. In some places scraps of fur remained, but most of the beast's flesh were covered in sores and bloody wounds, and in some places the stained-red bone was all that was left. Despite its gangly appearance, an unnatural strength rippled beneath its rotten hide, and a fang-riddled snout like that of a wolf's or bear's threatened to snap shut around the comparatively miniscule body of the young goat that was still screaming its fright.
With the stall door no longer latched shut the young goat bolts for the exit, but not before the creature's arm darts forward in an attempt to grab its prey. Archibald, no stranger to quick thinking, throws his weight aside and brings his sword down heavy on the creature's hand, severing several fingers. It wails, and snarls, and reels back a step from the wall. Archibald gives it no reprieve, however, stepping forward in turn and swinging his great axe in a wide overhand arc.
It stops far shy of biting the creature's flesh--or what remains of it--stopped by the creature's inhuman reflexes, and it's hand that had darted out and caught the haft of the axe mid-swing. Snarling a wet, gurgling, snarl the creature wastes no time in taking advantage of the break in Archibald's routine, its thin, gangly, limb slamming down over his shoulder, and then sweeping him bodily into the stall divider with such unnatural force that the wood gave way and fell in behind him.
Almost simultaneously, Chatcho and Branch swing the stall door wide to reveal the scene inside. Archibald, laying flat on his back amid a ruin of splintered wood, and this unknown, foul creature bearing down on him through the massive hole in the barn's wall. But, with their arrival, the creature's attention is drawn away from the man. Snarling through its half-rotten jaw, the creature backs out slowly, seeming not-so keen on fighting all three of them at once.
Focusing on his innate abilities, and honing them to a razor's edge with the help of some arcane arts, Chatcho delves easily into the creature's near undefended psyche, and finds himself awash in a tumultuous mind like no other. Through the chaos and clamour, a single word rises above the rest, a longing, an aching, an instinct.
Feed.
Backing away into the open night air, the creature continues its gurgling snarl as Branch and Archibald harass it, diving in and out, searching for the opening that would surely present itself, and it is made when its attention rest on Archibald just long enough for Branch to drive her rapier into the creature's side, slicing a deep cut in it's arm as she ducks back out of range before it can react. As it swings wildly at her, and threatens to charge, Archibald then steps in close and brings his sword down hard upon the crown of its head, the blade biting into flesh and bone.
It scrambles back now, howling its pain through the connection with Chatcho as much as it does aloud, a wailing, whimpering cry. The whimpering quickly dies however, as the pain subsides as quickly as it was brought on. Hunger. The inner voice calls, causing the creature to hesitate in its flight, and cast a longing glance at the bodies of flesh and bone, enough to sate itself, perhaps? Pain. It seems to need to remind itself, as it hangs a half-step closer, a half-step in returning to the fight.
Feed!Instinct demands, but just as fervently the memory of Pain! shoots through the creature's mind, and finally wins out. With one last longing glance, it turns back towards the open fields and forests that surround the town, and gallops into the night.
Branch lowers her weapons as the creature runs off into the forest. She looks to her friends and the area she is in. Then addressing Archibald, "How many animals do you think it got? Man, that goat sure can scream."
Sheathing her blades, she turns to leave, "We should really alert the farmer and his family, come on." And she starts heading back towards the farmhouse. Knowing if it was her, she'd be pissed if they waited till morning to mention what went on here.
Chatcho searches the farm equipment for anything or anyone out of the ordinary.
Investigation: 8
Archibald looks in on the animals to find out if he can determine what has them riled up, but he'll be moving out again quickly to see if the others found anything more obvious
Paladin - warforged - orange
Branch silently curses after making the noise on the floorboards, but searches for stairs and starts heading up.
Stealth: 17
The house remains eerily quiet as Branch makes her way upstairs. Mercifully, the house does not complain about her presence any more as she moves about its interior. Through simple deduction, she decides on what room must've been the source of the sound, but as she creeps up and gently tugs on the handle, it doesn't move. The door is locked. As she begins to ponder her next course of action, something else reaches her ears. It's the scream again, outside, not in the farmhouse but elsewhere in the compound.
Chatcho, not one to be a half-measure, ventures further in amoung the iron and wood constructions housed in this building, but search as he might, this building seems truly empty. He's just given up on the task, returning to the door and closing it behind him, when a scream echoes out into the night air. Without a doubt, now, it's coming from the other barn, the building Archibald chose.
It's a simple enough procedure. Archibald lifts the latch on the first stall, and lets the door swing out slightly. Inside, a heavily pregnant goat presses herself up against the far wall, frightened of the movement. But, with nothing else to hint as to the goat's distress, he shuts and latches the door again, and moves on to the next. The next stall, at first glance, seems to be a similar story. But as his eyes adjust to the scene before him, he notices something. A small hole in the wall, no bigger than a finger, in the corner of the stall where the far wall meets the divider that separates this stall from the next. He's just realized what this means--that something has broken through the wall in the next stall, the third stall--when the heavy thump of some footfall reaches his ear. Something is moving around outside. As he peers out through the hole at the empty moonlit field, nothing reaches his eye, until a shadow falls over the hole and blocks his view entirely.
The goat in the next stall begins to scream, an almost human sound.
Chatcho races out to the barn where the screams are emanating.
Archibald heads around the barn and shouts "The barn!"
Paladin - warforged - orange
At the scream, Branch slowly turns around and heads back out of the farmhouse. As she gets outside, she hears Archibald yell out and starts running in that direction.
The door was intriguing, but the screaming outside meant it wasn't what she was here for. Together, Branch and Chatcho emerge from their respective buildings and charge towards the barn Archibald had chosen, only in time to watch him disappear behind a stall door on the far side of the building.
Slamming open the stall door, Archibald turns quick, undoes the latch and throws the next stall's door open wide. Before him lies a massive hole in the building's wall, so large a horse and rider could both stand in the threshold. But it was not a horse and its rider that stood there, but the twisted shape of some fell creature. Filling the hole in the wall, a creature of bone and sinew, and limbs that were too long for its thin, emaciated body. Mange seemed to cover it, but whatever illness befell this abomination came from older, crueler gods. In some places scraps of fur remained, but most of the beast's flesh were covered in sores and bloody wounds, and in some places the stained-red bone was all that was left. Despite its gangly appearance, an unnatural strength rippled beneath its rotten hide, and a fang-riddled snout like that of a wolf's or bear's threatened to snap shut around the comparatively miniscule body of the young goat that was still screaming its fright.
Archibald recognizes the face of evil! He strikes, the time of the sword and the axe is nigh!
Attack: 10 Damage: 5
Attack: 8 Damage: 9
Shing-shing!
Paladin - warforged - orange
Chatcho follows Archibald around the stall door.
Branch continues to run, seeing Archibald she follows where he went, happy to see chatcho as well. "Anyone seen Alvue?"
With the stall door no longer latched shut the young goat bolts for the exit, but not before the creature's arm darts forward in an attempt to grab its prey. Archibald, no stranger to quick thinking, throws his weight aside and brings his sword down heavy on the creature's hand, severing several fingers. It wails, and snarls, and reels back a step from the wall. Archibald gives it no reprieve, however, stepping forward in turn and swinging his great axe in a wide overhand arc.
It stops far shy of biting the creature's flesh--or what remains of it--stopped by the creature's inhuman reflexes, and it's hand that had darted out and caught the haft of the axe mid-swing. Snarling a wet, gurgling, snarl the creature wastes no time in taking advantage of the break in Archibald's routine, its thin, gangly, limb slamming down over his shoulder, and then sweeping him bodily into the stall divider with such unnatural force that the wood gave way and fell in behind him.
Almost simultaneously, Chatcho and Branch swing the stall door wide to reveal the scene inside. Archibald, laying flat on his back amid a ruin of splintered wood, and this unknown, foul creature bearing down on him through the massive hole in the barn's wall. But, with their arrival, the creature's attention is drawn away from the man. Snarling through its half-rotten jaw, the creature backs out slowly, seeming not-so keen on fighting all three of them at once.
Creature Attack 1: 16 Damage: 9
Creature Attack 2: 19 Damage: 7
"Another one?! Here? I thought this village was safe!!" Branch cries as she pulls her weapons and attacks..
Attack: 17 Damage: 6
Attack: 22 Damage: 1
Sneak attack damage if one hits: 5
Archibald gets up, ready to jump back in the fight, slashing with his sword to keep the monster's attention.
"Hey ugly! I'm not done with you."
second wind 8
Sword Attack: 16 Damage: 7
Paladin - warforged - orange
Intrigued as he is alarmed, Chatcho attempts to probe the creature’s mind with detect thoughts.
Focusing on his innate abilities, and honing them to a razor's edge with the help of some arcane arts, Chatcho delves easily into the creature's near undefended psyche, and finds himself awash in a tumultuous mind like no other. Through the chaos and clamour, a single word rises above the rest, a longing, an aching, an instinct.
Feed.
Backing away into the open night air, the creature continues its gurgling snarl as Branch and Archibald harass it, diving in and out, searching for the opening that would surely present itself, and it is made when its attention rest on Archibald just long enough for Branch to drive her rapier into the creature's side, slicing a deep cut in it's arm as she ducks back out of range before it can react. As it swings wildly at her, and threatens to charge, Archibald then steps in close and brings his sword down hard upon the crown of its head, the blade biting into flesh and bone.
It scrambles back now, howling its pain through the connection with Chatcho as much as it does aloud, a wailing, whimpering cry. The whimpering quickly dies however, as the pain subsides as quickly as it was brought on. Hunger. The inner voice calls, causing the creature to hesitate in its flight, and cast a longing glance at the bodies of flesh and bone, enough to sate itself, perhaps? Pain. It seems to need to remind itself, as it hangs a half-step closer, a half-step in returning to the fight.
Feed! Instinct demands, but just as fervently the memory of Pain! shoots through the creature's mind, and finally wins out. With one last longing glance, it turns back towards the open fields and forests that surround the town, and gallops into the night.
Archibald catches his breath. "What unholy monster was that?? Those poor animals. The farmer will surely miss those."
Paladin - warforged - orange
Chatcho exhales an exasperated breath and summons Tik-Tik back to the material plane.
What now?
Branch lowers her weapons as the creature runs off into the forest. She looks to her friends and the area she is in. Then addressing Archibald, "How many animals do you think it got? Man, that goat sure can scream."
Sheathing her blades, she turns to leave, "We should really alert the farmer and his family, come on." And she starts heading back towards the farmhouse. Knowing if it was her, she'd be pissed if they waited till morning to mention what went on here.
Archibald heads for the farmhouse and up to check on them. "They've been awfully quiet. Did they sleep through all that?"
Paladin - warforged - orange