Above & Below

Brask is also looking around, but focusing on remaining threats and watchers from the shadows:  Perception 12

"Well, it might be an ally, if there's a Sister displeased with the Dark Forest's actions.  Still, Cadmael didn't notice anyone acting concerned at the docks, and he spotted Buck.  So either they don't know this happened, or they did this to their own.  I doubt the latter as this doesn't seem to be the work of human hands.  Though I wouldn't rule out the leaders of that pack making some sort of deal with a darker entity to sacrifice their own lesser members for more power.  We simply can't now until we find out more.  Kurama, have you found anything?" she asks, as she notices the monk searching through the corpses.

Touching her forehead with a murmur, Effort closes her eyes and extends her hands, trying to feel if there is any residual arcane energy left in the room, that might give any sort of clue as to what happened here.

Arcana: 19 (16 +3)

Brask, nobody hostile seems to be heading your way. As you look out onto the street from one of the windows, you eventually notice an elderly woman peering toward you from her home across the street. She cautiously exits and sets on her way down the road toward the center part of town.

Effort, as soon as you reach out, your vision is clouded. Hurry, now. A deep, almost jovial voice echoes inside your head. You've heard it before. 

Kurama, you don't find anything particularly helpful on the dead members, although you do find 3 gold pieces on them. As you reach down to check one of them with broken arms, his body jerks suddenly. His puffy eyes slowly open, and he looks around in a daze. He coughs, and blood spurts out onto his neck and chest. "Th-" he coughs again. "They went into the w-" He gasps for air. "Woods."

Kurama nearly jumped back in surprise as one of the men awoke in front of him.  Unsure how long the man would stay conscious or alive, he turned to him and asked softly,  "Who, or what, did this to you?  And why?"  

Haha oh my gosh I'm sorry about those 2d20 rolls!

The man tenses up, clearly in shock and dying. "Al..." His eyes start to spasm as they roll back, but he lets out one final sound. "Alpha..."

"We need to move," Effort says as she comes back to herself.  "Now.  Time is of the essence.  Do not ask how I know this, I can feel it.  Let's get to the docks."

You don't need to ask Brask twice.  He races out of the door and off towards the docks, checking to make sure the others are following.

Kurama had a host of questions for Effort but trusted her when he noted her urgency to get to the docks immediately.  Rising to his feet, he quickly followed Brask out the door.

Effort has Cadmael watching the docks closely as they approach, so that they can approach from a position with the least amount of attention garnered as possible.

(Cadmael perception: 14)

She touches her forehead for some guidance as she moves, wondering what the voice was spurring her to do.

As you start to move toward the docks, Effort, you feel a pull in the opposite direction. You can't really put your finger on what it is - it doesn't seem to be arcane from what you can tell. It's a surreal sensation, but it feels like what you sense when the voice speaks to you.

Kurama:

 Cadmael gets an excellent angle through one of the top windows of the warehouse. He peers inside, and can make out Buck and some others going about their business. They're moving boxes around, unpacking a crate, and one man appears to be repairing a small boat that's been flipped over. It looks like there are maybe half a dozen people in there - with one or two coming and going as he watches. Nothing particularly exciting seems to be happening...

Effort stops.  „Wait.  We‘re going in the wrong direction,“ she says, her head turning towards the pull.  Cadmael appears in a poof at her side, and she sends him in the opposite direction to scout.

Give me another perception for Cadmael.

Kurama was glad that Effort had them change directions.  While he trusted Effort's instincts, he was relieved that whatever danger she sensed was seemingly the same one the dying man had warned them about.  One less problem to deal with for the time being.

cad: 9

Brask hears the shouted instruction, skids to a halt, and looks at Effort in confusion.  What?

Sheesh, I know Cadmael rolls with advantage, but he barely ever needs it!

As you all get Brask and Pip on the same page, Cadmael wheels around mid-flight and heads back toward the forest. As he sails over the meadow, he can make out something strange amongst the many gnarled treetops. A structure, just barely sticking out. As he gets closer, he can tell it's some kind of man-made tower, maybe five or six stories high. Two men fight outside with blades - one wearing the bones of the Dark Forest, the other wearing a black cloak. Another man lies dead nearby with blood pooling around him. Suddenly, Cadmael feels the pull of his connection to Effort, and can't get any closer. 

"Does Cadamel see this 'Alpha' anywhere?"  Kurama asked Effort as they ran towards the woods.

„There is a tower in the forest. A black-cloaked man fights a Dark Forest member as we speak.  I do not know who that is, I only know that I feel we must be there,“ Effort replies, explaining Cadmael‘s report.

Well, let's pick up the pace, Brask says as he breaks into a sprint.  

Effort follows along, running as fast she can to keep up.