Cold Fear 1
The town of Murrayfield. Hardly a town, or even a village, it has faced hardship in recent years. The cold air from the ocean only nails that harder into the blood of the people here. Doors remain closed and locked, and those few that have to remain outside do so with people accompanying them, weapons on full display. That's because there's been word of a pack of lycanthropes lingering in the wilds near the village. The current civic leader of Murrayfield awaits questions, and greets adventurers looking to know more with a basic explanation of their plight when they arrive.
"I'm glad you could make it," he begins. "Last full moon one of our villagers turned unexpectedly. We didn't see the signs. He ransacked his neighbors and fled. They say he had strange visitors recently that were from out of town, and I found a letter in his house among the belongings he left behind."
'We need you.' Signed by K. The letter is otherwise blank.
"We mustn't have the curse spreading here. We'd never survive the losses, we'd have to abandon this place. I'm willing to pay the standard rate. Please."
Elena has arrived.
Tenoc has been uncertain of his presence, if not his reason for coming. The Elders asked him to come; to the Hunter, such a request could not be said 'no' to. Though aiding softskins against... fuzzy-soft-skins? It is confusing. Thus the Makar comes for two reasons: to obey the elders of Mictlan and to correct the gap in his knowledge. And possibly for the miunute, tiny, insignificant (EAGER) thrill of hunting something new!
The green-scaled Hunter-caste stands stoic against the cold temperature; rugged, grim, he reflects nothing of the absolute misery-- COLD. COOOOOLD.
So. Cold.
Shin had been dispatched because he's a follower of Eluna a bit. That, and sometimes you need a freaking strong guy. Even if he's kinda short. His trusty tiger was along, armored as he was with their obviously being there to hunt. "I see. So we have a bunch working together possibly?" He rubs his chin, looking at the note. He doesn't seem to mind the cold, even with just his cloak on.
Looking at the others that were called, he looks to the civic leader, "Do we have any leads on where they may be hiding? If not, I think my companion might be able to help there. Perhaps."
Elena arrives shortly after the others, armored and with her hair pulled back in a severe style. The holy symbol of Eluna shines from a brooch on her cloak, and she stands back a bit as the letter is read, face a bit more stoic than the others as she considers the words. "So you think this man is beyond redemption, then?" she asks the local, tone of voice suggesting that she doesn't necessarily agree.
Alongside the others, Stena is here and plainly enjoying the cold air. Reminds her of home, which she has noted out loud at least once. She's casually munching on some jerky at the moment, hanging back to allow others to take point. She's more than fine with this, as it allows more time for chewing. She's hungry, okay?
"I don't know much about werewolves," the mayor of this little town replies to Elena, and adds, "It isn't my place to decide whether or not a man can be redeemed. That's for the gods and their servants to decide." He crosses his arms defensively at that. He doesn't seem pleased with her inference of his opinion.
"No one wants to become afflicted. I don't blame them. There's signs they went into the hills nearby, but we have to keep our people safe and search for any others that might've been turned. We're not equipped to hunt werewolves... hell, I don't think a werewolf has been out this way in all my life. Maybe they hate the fishy smell. All I know is what I've been told to do if one sweeps through town."
Tenoc thumps his tail-- adding after a long pause, a nod of his head. He understands the Trade tongue better with practice, even if speaking is still... rough. But one thing he intimately understands-- the Headman protects those of his village. The Makar approves.
Shin hums, then looks to Elena. "I do not suppose you have experience in this? I have only had one encounter with a werewolf like being before. What is good against them? I have heard they are hard to face."
He looks to the headman. "Which direction from the village, and how long ago did the last attack take place?"
Davienne has arrived.
Elena gives a nod, clasping her cloak a bit tighter around herself, as if to ward off a chill, looking pensive as the man speaks. There are clear questions in her eyes -- but she can also read the room, so to speak, and knows that there might not be time. She gives a bit of a nod to Shin. "Silver," she says. "Magic. Though I tend to find that words are highly effective, if you catch them at the right time."
Davienne hangs towards the back of the gathered group. Listening quietly and thoughtfully. "The hills hmm? Is there anyone the most recent afflicted might have spoken too before disappearing?"
"It's good," says Stena between mouthfuls of jerky. "Anything can be subdued for capture if we hit it hard enough on the head with a hammer. Good thing I brought a big one. Werewolves. Never met one. Guess that's changing." She seems mildly excited about that.
The mayor points north-eastward. "Hills are that way. Tracks will be worn out by now, weathered out." He turns back to the party. "Two weeks back. We had the ones that got attacked checked as soon as we could. Don't need that getting out of hand." He crosses his arms again. His eyes turn to each as they speak. Davienne's question prompts a lift of his brow.
"He always kept to himself. Normally he's our fletcher. A shame, it'll be hard to get hunting supplies made without him. Gonna need to find a need craftsman..." He scratches his head, eyes briefly closing.
The Makar rumbles quietly, straightening his posture as he turns his eyes in the pointed-out direction. Could use spears-- but Tenoc is silent. A problem for others to solve; he sniffs the air, shivering-- COLD. He exhales-- briefly, endlessly amused at the mist formed from his breath. An absent scratch on the air-- ward against Evil Spirits. Brrr!
"Fletcher... huh..." Shin looks curious, reaching back to run a hand over his own arrows as if in thought. Then he looks curious, "What were his supply far as feathers for the arrows?" He asks.
Davienne bobs her head slowly and thoughtfully. "It's a place to start. If they're living in those hills there might be more recent tracks," She says before pursing her lips thoughtfully. "Do you have any idea of their actual number?"
"Eh, we'll see what happens. Don't worry about it /yet/." Stena looks in the directions of the hills. "I'm Stena, by the way," She adds to her companions. She was kind of quiet on t he way over and introductions do feel like they're in order.
Elena exhales longsufferingly. "Do try and remember that your fletcher is still the fletcher," she tells the mayor -- with a glance to the others as well. "Let's not start plotting his replacement until we're sure there is a need for such."
Asking about the feathers he used for his arrows makes the mayor look at Shin in a 'really?' kind of way. "Hell if I know. Is that really important?" He doesn't seem annoyed, he just seems baffled by that question right now in a time of crisis. Davienne gets a sigh. "Three, maybe four. They saw two visit him before this happened, but they were talking about a fourth person. Neighbors couldn't tell me much."
Elena's words get him to put up his hands defensively. "Sorry. I have to think about that. It's my job." He smiles wanly. He waves off Stena's introduction and grunts. He doesn't seem so concerned about who the adventurers are beyond problem solvers. He also doesn't seem concerned about HOW they do this. Considering how weather-worn he looks, he's probably a fisherman by trade after being a mayor, and has an infinite well of patience.
"I'm not saying to kill him. But the scare has slowed us down to a crawl. We need to know. Could you hurry?"
"Well, the right kind of cleric can help your friends. If they want to be helped anyway," Davienne says before glancing at the others with a nod. "Davienne," She introduces herself to the others. "Let's not waste daylight." And she glances towards the door meaningfully.
Tenoc nods with a last thump of his tail, turning from Headman and the sea, gazing off towards the hills. "Hssk. One is Tenoc," the Makar growls grudgingly. "Hunter caste. This one will find your fletcher-man-softskin before fuzzy-thingness." Still working on the tradespeech.
He moves towards the village's outer edge, hunching over as he begins his own, curious motions. Snuffling. Scenting. A breath here and there. Intoning a mantra in some hissing speech...
Shin looks over as he follows after, "My apologies. I am called Shin. The tigress is Mirai." He looks to the Sith. "You are welcome to. It would take a bit for Mirai to get the scent or something. And I am very rusty on my hunting skills."
GAME: Tenoc rolls Perception: (3)+9: 12
GAME: Tenoc rolls Survival: (6)+9: 15
GAME: Davienne rolls perception: (16)+8: 24
GAME: Davienne rolls survival: (14)+6: 20
GAME: Elena rolls Perception: (7)+6: 13
GAME: Elena rolls Survival: (3)+4: 7
Davienne moves out with the rest of the group. The moment she is outside she slinks forwards, bent slightly, leaning into the direction she follows. It allows her to bend and dart here and there as they move towards the hills. Looking for tracks and the like. "This way I think," She calls towards the others.
Elena nods, looking to the others. "I think it would be wise to find them before someone else does," she agrees. "Or before they find someone else." While the cleric clearly isn't entirely satisfied with the situation, it seems that at least even she can appreciate the fact that time is of the essence, setting out with the others, following Davienne's lead.
Tenoc's abilities are on display-- and also on display, how one suited for hunting the jungles of Am'shere is not at his best stalking through colder climes! He quickly settles into a semi-groupthiunk: he supports Davienne's better tracking in this domain, pausing to rumble and investigate clues further, or discard as the need warrants. Hunter's stalk!
GAME: Shin rolls Perception: (9)+0: 9
GAME: Shin rolls +7: (6)++7: 13
GAME: Shin rolls 1d20+7: (13)+7: 20
GAME: Stena rolls Perception: (8)+0: 8
GAME: Stena rolls Survival: (10)+0: 10
The tigress with Shin moves over to something that looks a bit weathered, sniffing at them almost at the same time that Davienne finds them before she starts to move to follow her. Shin blinks a few times, then hurries after the two. The tigress does look back, giving what sounds like a huff before Shin blinks a few times. "Sure, sure... I told you we haven't been hunting in a long while." The human shakes his head, "I swear she prefers you to me." He says towards Davienne as he follows after the tigress and the one who obviously knows tracking.
Stena is juset... sort of looking around. She isn't really seeing anything, and dang if this jerky isn't tastey. "Owlbears are yummy. Who knew?" she says to nobody in particular.
Still, Davienne seems to have an idea of where to go, so she's fine with following her.
The party is led on a journey that takes about two hours. The hills are a rough area to reach and travel through, but eventually they find fresher signs of tracks. Boot prints, and wolf prints. They come across someone, or something, standing up on a cliffside that has some kind of old ruin embedded into the dirt, who has seen them approaching. He's about 50 feet away.
Someone that has a longbow in their hands. Someone with a lupine head. He holds his weapon like that, and yells over the still air, fog blowing from his toothy maw, "Step no further! You trespass here!" It's clear if the party makes any funny moves, he might get violent. But it's probably a good sign he hasn't already shot at them.
"State your business!"
Davienne chuckles at Shin's words. Soft and brief, but it leaves a smile on her lips. "Well, I do have a way with animals. Though never the pleasure of hanging with so noble a specimen of the feline caste," She says with a glance for the tigress.
After about two hours of tracking there is signs of life. And so Davienne slows down, pointing out the fresher tracks. "Wolf and humanoid," She says with a glance around the area. And then a little further and she freeezes. Hands out and fingers spread she slowly raises them, showing she is currently unarmed. Though she may be in the lead she glances at the others expectantly. She does the finding. Not the talking.
Shin moves to step forward, hand raising to show he is unarmed and doesn't have his bow out, just the glaive because... seriously, how do you put a glaive away? Then he plants the butt of the glaive in the ground. "Greetings! We mean you and yours no harm!"
The tigress moves carefully to shadow Shin, obviously ready just in case of trouble.
"We were hired by the town of Murrayfield! We seek answers as to what happened and were lead here by what tracks we could find! All we wish is to talk and hear both sides of what happened!"
GAME: Shin rolls Diplomacy: (5)+11: 16
Tenoc falls into rote and routine. An easy thing, doing what is intimately known, natural-- even if the weather and terrain is unfamiliar. At the challenge, he immediately stills, freezes-- the focus of glittery reptilian eyes is immediate, sharply focused on the lupine logbowman. Longbow-wolf? Whichever-- he tightens, tenses, unmoving as stone as he awaits word. Action or relaxation; only the rumble in his chest belies his eagerness.
GAME: Elena rolls Diplo: (3)+Diplo: 3
GAME: Elena rolls Diplomacy: (6)+8: 14
Elena steps forward a bit, hands clasped neatly in front of her, absent of a weapon. "Hello," she greets the man with a bow, caution in her voice. Spreading her hands to the sides, probably to show that they're empty (or perhaps to spread the cloak back a bit from that pin showing Eluna's symbol), she says, "I don't believe that violence will be necessary today."
"Oi! Watch where you're shooting," says Stena! This is very diplomatic. See? "I'm eating here!" She stops dead, though, and then glances towards the others. Lets them talk. She just wanted to make a point of having meat.
The violence in the wolf's posture is clear. His fur is on end, his body is tense. He stands stock-still, ready to fire on any one of them if they so much as wave their hands around in what he sees as a magical fashion. The man with the tiger gets a look, nose dipping to look at the animal. His head turns as each of them speak. He doesn't seem to get any nicer.
"Outsiders have no right to be here," he barks, "You should leave!"
Yeah they aren't making much progress.
Davienne glances at Shin and then Elena hopefully. Things don't seem to be going very well so far. She licks her lips and turns to scanning the rest of the area. Looking for others in hiding. Wolves are pack animals. Where there is one...
GAME: Iuitl rolls 1d20+10: (10)+10: 20
GAME: Tenoc rolls Perception: (2)+9: 11
GAME: Davienne rolls perception: (18)+8: 26
Shin calls out, "Do you not wish for us to hear the side of this fletcher that was turned into a werewolf, which I assume you are? What do you need us to do to prove that we mean no harm? We did not come here with weapons drawn, we have not tried to attack you while you are obviously alone. I ask you if you wish to have conflict, and why?"
Shin glances to Elena, then to the armed wolf man. "I mean you no harm. I am no mage either. May I step closer so that we may speak clearly and in as non-violent a fashion as possible?"
Tenoc does not shiver as the temperature swirls with chill-- not necessarily a good thing. With the barest of glances around him, he rises from his crouch to full height. Unlevelled but there, he carries the greatspear beside him, staring grimly at the fuzzy archer. He glances sidewards at Shin, but remains noncommital and stoic. And staring at the wolfman-- much staring.
It might be interesting to3 note that Stena doesn't seem to mind the wolf's appearance. "Dang. You're talkative. I heard wolves were all 'rawr' and shit typically, so this is pretty great. We're not here to hurt anyone and we just want to talk. Aaaand I have jerky. Really good jerky, straight from my mom's kitchen." She holds it up. "Owlbear," she adds. "Ever had owlbear meat? Super tasty, if you can get past the fact that it's, you know, an owl and a bear at the same time."
Elena doesn't move forward. But neither does she move back. Lowering her hands, she says, "If you turn us away, as is your right, they'll simply send others," she informs the archer. "And I cannot promise that they'll be of the same disposition. But if you speak to us in good faith, I can ask the Temple to intercede on your behalf."
GAME: Stena rolls diplomacy: (1)+3: 4 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Iuitl rolls 1d20+7: (7)+7: 14
"Outsiders. Are. Not. Welcome!" the wolfman reiterates, his snout wrinkling. He fires at the dirt at Shin's feet, creating a brief puff of dirt and a terrifying elastic noise of the haft of the arrow wobbling. He's a crack shot. "You will go no further!" It's very likely he'll hit next time. He's not just a fletcher... He's had training.
Upon being noticed, the other person emerges from a set of wild shrubs nearby the group. This man would've been on top of them in an instant if things got violent. He steps forward, weighing the black dagger in his hand. He's silent, and in human form. He looks older, with braided greying brown hair.
The bow-wolf speaks up. He has chosen to ignore Stena, who has failed to read the situation at all. Probably for the best. "Those others had stolen from us. I couldn't leave without our possessions. I have no intention of going back with you. You should forget we exist."
They're guarding this ruin for some reason that he's still not explaining. And only two are accounted for, the others are nowhere to be seen.
Davienne stops looking around the area and stares at a shrub. There is even a little nod of her head given before she turns her eyes back to the man with the bow. However she isn't so stoic that she doesn't jump back slightly when the arrow strikes ground. Even if it wasn't aimed at her. She looks at the older man with the dagger thoughtfully and asks, "And what do you have to say?"
Tenoc approves of the shot-- if not the reason for letting it loose. The tension returns-- muscle tightening beneath hard scale. Not so swift as an arrow, but as prepared-- The Makar awaits the outcome, a glance to the newly-appeared gathering his eye with growing certainty.
"I'm sor ry. Did you say stolen?" You know, it's interesting that Stena doesn't seem rattled by their appearance, even slightly. She's clearly seen some strange things before. She puts the meat away and then adds, "So, we jusst want to help. Why don't you explain what's going on? That's why we're here. See, we got hired and, well you know how it is with us adventurers. We go back without answers, they'll just hire more. You hurt us and maybe we die, sure, but then you've got a bigger mess on your hands. I think you know that. I think we know that too. See? No weapons." She holds up her empty hands. "So... can we parley and shit or what have you?"
Elena watches as the other comes out of the woods, nodding a greeting to him as well. "If you truly don't wish our help, we can't force it on you. Or, at least, I won't," she agrees. "Though the goddess has called us to help those that we can. If you believe that you have been unfairly acted against, I would offer what aid you'll accept."
Turning to look at the other one, Shin looks forward. "She has a point. Not forcing our aide is one thing, but I still wish to know. I do not wish for this to come to conflict between us. I have no intention of harming you or yours, nor whatever you have in the ruins. We came here to find one person who was a fletcher in Murrayfield. To talk. Nothing else, nothing more."
Shin shrugs, "But, if he does not want to clear his name or the like, I assume he is not here or has left."
Shin looks at the arrow at his feet. He looks up at the fletcher. "Stolen? Can you show us proof of this? I am a man of justice, not someone in this for the gold."
He looks to his tiger, quickly showing an open palm and turning it down towards the ground. "Mirai, stay!" The great cat almost looked ready to move from the shot, but instead stays right where she is, hackles raised and growling.
Looking to the fletcher again, Shin voices, "I ask for the proof of the stealing, good sir. We do not mean you or yours harm. If there is none on your part, tell us what happened. We will go and see for ourselves if that is what happened."
The older man fixes Davienne with a dangerous stare. He doesn't seem as talkative as the bowman, though that may just be due to proximity. He could be in serious danger if this goes badly. He glances up at the bowman, quirking a brow, then he sheathes the dagger, deciding these people aren't going to kill him if he walks up unarmed.
He steps up to Davienne and speaks at a hushed tone of voice, so the bowman doesn't overhear. "His sister died," he explains, "He's not thinking straight. He's seeing enemies and thieves everywhere. He wants someone to blame so he doesn't blame himself. He's been like this since the last moon."
"It was the plague," he adds. "We couldn't do anything for her. It was a miserable way to go."
He steps back and walks back over to the ruin, finding a pillar to lean against. The bow-wolf remains as still as a statue, waiting for them to decide what they wanna do, while the older man closes his eyes and waits in a more relaxed fashion.
Tenoc takes a few seconds to place the word. Sister? Ah-- relation. Blood. Sibling. The Makar nods as he eases his grasp, eyesing the bow-wolf with a more cautious eye. And resisting the momentary urge to sketch another ward agaisnt Evil Spirits on the air. Eviol, rabid, hungry spirits. Like hungry swifts scenting too much blood. He rumbles, finally glancing away for a heartbeat.
Davienne listens to the man's words. Concern and then understanding cross her features as she turns mismatched eyes up to the archer. "We truly mean no harm, can you please lower the bow and we can talk like reasonable folk?" She is no diplomat, but her voice is kind or so she has been told. She glances at Shin and back at the tense wolfman. "I know you're just defending your territory. Your pack. They're precious. Please, let us help? You don't want more death anymore than the people in the village I'm guessing." She speaks with a little hesitation, glancing at the other more diplomatic types.
Shin rubs the back of his head as he steps back. He looks to Davienne and Elena, shrugging, "I am at a loss here." He keeps his voice low. "We need proof of what happened either way, else others will come. And I would really rather not be shot. Pulling arrows out really hurts, you know?"
Mirai meanwhile continues watching, tail flicking back and forth and growling.
Shin looks to the bowman, "Look, we've all said it. We are not here to harm you. You say they stole from you. Who did and how? If you will allow me to, I will write your words down word for word. If nothing else, we are more reasonable than some adventurers that could have been called. And if this is a false claim, the Guild will probably take offense about it."
Stena looks on curiously, but she misses some of the more subtle details. At least she's not eating a horrible monster anymore.
Then she coughs once, puts her hands up in a disarming gesture. "See? No trouble. But if there's thieves about, I'd like to go punch them. Nothing worse than a thief," says the loot-happy adventurer who robs the corpses of her enemies.
Elena takes a step back, apparently making peace with the idea that their help isn't wanted, though she still seems less than thrilled about the situation. "If finding the thieves and making sure their crimes are exposed would help you," she offers, "then I think we might start there." She starts to turn, though does cast one last glance over her shoulder, adding, "They found a note. Asking for help," she mentions. "If that wasn't from one of you -- then consider at least letting us help the one in need before we go."