[WFRP] The Hour After Midnight

[goblinpaladin]

"We're workin' with the guard, and the good doctor. You know the doc, right? Well, I offered to look int' this for him. My name is Lothar, this is Pieter. What's your name?"

[LCP]

"Down the well, uh? Strange..." Pieter smiled at the girl encouragingly. "My friend indeed has a lot of very good stories, and so do I. Now, I wonder what's a monk doing down here? Is he a hermit of some sort?"

The little girl blinked implacably at Pieter.

"Mother says he isn't real," she said, after a long pause. She looked back at Lothar. "Your friend is odd."

"My name is Lothar, this is Pieter. What's your name?"

"Lira," she said, quietly.

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar suppressed a grin. Actually, that's a story- but he gave it a good try, and smiled again at the girl. "Uh, yeah, he is. Well, Fraulein Lira, I believe you. I've seen lots of strange things, and some people didn' believe me neither."

Better not to draw attention to Illiiya. She's acting odd, and I don' wanna weird the kid out with the elves, the soldier thought. Yeah, that's it Lothar- not that she's freaking you the hell out.

[-Sentinel-]

Who's odd? Ithelus?

"Um, yes. Grown-ups often tell their children they're wrong when they're afraid they might be right. But we've heard of something strange about that well, so I think we all believe you."

[LCP]

Lira seemed emboldened by their words. "He wears a hood, like the monks do. All raggedy. That's why he's called the raggedy monk." She was clearly quite wrapped up in being the centre of attention. "He's very small. You'd have to be small, to live down a well."

She looked at the rope dangling over the edge.

"Is your friend down there now?"

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

As if in answer to Lira's question, the well belches out a noise that might be a bellow from below.

Anyone who comes to the edge can make out words:

"Up! Up, up!"

Raffy repeats this shout until he feels the rope pulling him up again.

Once he is at the top, he clings to the wall of the well with both arms and speaks primarily to Lothar. "A prybar! I need a prybar. This net isn't gonna do the job."

Frowning, he ponders. "Well, I can dredge it too, just in case. But there's a trap door down there leaking something into the water. I need a prybar to lift the door without touching the stuff directly."

Then he sees the little girl. He can't help himself, she looks so happy to be the centre of attention and so curious at someone full-sized coming out of the well, he gives her a big warm smile. "Hello dear," he says. "Just cleaning out the well here."

[-Sentinel-]

"Yep. Went to take a look."

Leaning over the well, he shouted down: "Careful, Falcon. You might have company down here."

[goblinpaladin]

"Aye- Raffy, this is Lira. Lira, this man here is the Sparrowhawk, a great big hero." Lothar looked between the two, amused. "Sparrow, Lira tells us that a raggedy monk who's real small lives down there. So you might need a crowbar alright."

"Lira, anythin' else you can tell us? Like- you seen him anywhere else? Any o' yer friends? Does he have anythin' else strange, like a crest or a tail or somethin'?"

[LCP]

"No, he's all swaddled up in his clothes." She tried to shrink into her tunic to demonstrate. "Like the sick men in the temple of Shallya. But he can climb really well. He hasn't got a rope or anything." She paused, remembering. "He comes out lots of nights. Not every night. But lots of nights."

She looked up at Lothar again. "You said you'd tell me a story now."

[Another_Poet]

Anyone:

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While Lothat tells a story, can anyone get me a prybar?

If not, Raffy un-harnesses himself and goes off to buy or borrow one from somewhere nearby.

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar grinned, and leaned against the stones of the well to relight his pipe. "This one happened to my dad, who's a fisherman waaaay up north. You ever hear of Nordland? It's a county on the coast, an' that's where I grew up," he pointed vaguely north and west with the pipe. "I was around your age when it 'appened."

"Ol' Dad was out in 'is boat -not that it was his boat back then, he was still rentin'- and this big ol' storm came in, all lightnin' an' thunder, very very frightenin'. He got washed out a ways, and came onto a small island a bit after sunset. Couple of goats, some straggly trees- and up ahead he saw a little fire. He thought to himself 'hey now, old Aldo- some place to get warm,' so he headed on up."

Lothar shifted, scratching his cheek. "Now, my old Dad wasn't the sharpest tooth in a fish. I bet you know not to just go up to any old group of strangers, but he was wet, and tired, and it was dark. Not a fun place o' mind, aye? So up he goes, and looks about the fire. Seein' no-one there, he decides to 'ave a kip, and lies down next to the fire." He shook his head. "Silly old bugger, 'cause this was the lair of some SEA TROLLS."

The soldier's eyes got really big and serious as he gazed down at the girl.

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar puffed on his pipe for a moment before continuing. "So ol' Dad's lying down, havin' a kip, and these sea trolls jump up. There's three of the blighters, big an' scaly beasties, covered in kelp -that's like bushes that grow in the ocean- with great big--" the soldier paused, his hands cupping his chest "--um, they were great and, uh, big." He coughed, glaring at Raffy out of the corner of his eye.

"So anyway, one of these trolls picks m'Dad up by a leg and says in a big growly voice," Lothar immediately made his voice deep and gravelly (not that it is hard for a man who smokes), "'O my Sisters, look what we have here! Some Breakfast!' The second says in a squeaky voice," the soldier had more trouble here, "O my Sisters, we have a new meal!"

"The third said nothing, but poked my Dad's belly with her scaly claw and grinned, all sharp teeth and green teeth."

[LCP]

Lira looked up at the soldier in wonder.

"The trolls were ladies?" she whispered

From inside the house, a woman's muffled voice could be heard, calling Lira's name - Lira glanced over her shoulder, looking sorely disappointed. She turned sharply back to Lothar.

"What happened next?" she pleaded, urgently.

[goblinpaladin]

"Well," said Lothar, clearly enjoying himself, "the first sister said, 'We should crush him, O my Sisters, and mash him like scrambled eggs.' 'No, no,' said the squeaky second sister, 'O my Sisters, we must slice him up and roast him in the fire.' The third sister just grinned widely and tousled Dad's hair."

Lothar shook his head. "Dad was in a pickle a'right, like herrings in brine- but he thought and he thought and they argued and they argued, and the third sister kept fondling him like a hunk of goat. Event'ally they agreed: they'd chop him into bits, and each'd 'ave him as they liked. So the first sister stood up to get 'erself a fryin' pan, an' the second sister went to get their big butcherin' knife (it was made out of whalebone- a whale is a big fish which eats people) and the third sister stayed next to ol' Dad, pokin' at his thighs."

"Dad wiggled a bit and then whispered to the third sister, 'Don't you think it's a mite unfair that they made all the decisioning, and you can't speak up? What is it that YOU want?' and the third sister just grinning at him and ran her claws down his arm. Poor ol' Dad. He shivered and yelled out, and the first sister came back with her fryin' pan."

"'Hey now,' she said, 'O my dinner. There is no one to help you.' And Dad said, 'But your sisters, they are getting the juiciest parts. Why do you only get me brain-box, an' they get all the meaty bits?' And the first sister she said, 'You have a point, O Lunch.' The second sister came back from the woods at that time and said, 'O my sister, you are the eldest so you had first choice.'"

Lothar smiled at Lira. "I bet you and yer friends know that ya can't have takebacks, am I right? Well, it's the same for trolls, and so they quarelled over it. The first sister wanted more, and the second sister wanted what was fair, and the third sister just sat there, drool dripping from her crusted lips."

The soldier stuck out his tongue and made a face. "Ew."

"And then, just as they reached a decision, an' ol' Dad was gonna get all his bits chopped into thirds, the third sister stood up and said in a voice like waves crashing on the rocks, 'O my sisters, we should keep him alive, for his blood is fresh and his limbs are strong.' And the first two sisters glared at the third sister, and she grinned back and her teeth were sharp."

Lothar shook his head. "It didn't look good for Dad- either he'd be fishfood, or a slave forever beneath the water! But Dad could see that the stars were winkin' out, an' so he said, ''Ere, you can't take me down there, 'cause I already paid me dues to Mannan in fish an' coin an' mornin' prayer. You gotta eat me.' And the first sister and the second sister looked at the third sister and said together, 'O my sister, the supper is right, we must eat him.'

"The third sister smiled at the first two, all dripping brine and water and drool and her hair was crusty with salt water and she said: 'Fine, O my sisters...'"

Lothar paused, fiddling with his pipe as though something was wrong with it, but he watched Lira from the corner of his eye.

[LCP]

Lira was still watching rapidly – her expression fell into one of deep despondency as a broad figure appeared in the doorway behind her, her mother’s voice calling straight out into the square.

“Lira Hofstadter, what are you doing?” The burly woman bustled out into the light. “You botherin’ these gentlemen? Get back inside at once.”
“But mother, I want to hear the end of the story!”
“You’ll get back inside or you’ll feel the back of my hand, young miss.” Mrs Hofstadter looked up at the party. “Sorry, gentlemen... and lady,” she added, catching sight of Illiiya. On the sight of the elves, her whole manner became somewhat more wary and defensive. “She don’t know no manners, talking to strangers.”

[goblinpaladin]

"Oh that's alright, Fraulein. We're just fixin' up the well for the doctor, an' she was making sure we were respectable folk." He smiled, tapping his pipe against the well, and grinned at Lira.

"Just as the third sister said 'Fine,' the eastern sky became all red and bright, and the shadows got all sharp and long, and the sky overhead lightened, and the sun came up! And the first two sisters were washed away into sea-foam, puddling around ol' Dad. The third sister started to melt away like the other two, but y'know what happened to all them sharp teeth? They all came together, gettin' brighter and brighter, an' became an albatross, which flew away."

The soldier straightened up and nodded at Lira. "An' that's why you always pay yer respects to Mannann before settin' out t' sea."

[Another_Poet]

Once the pry-bar has been fetched, Raffy allows himself to be lowered back in.

Dangling a couple feet above the door, he uses the bar to snag the bottom of it, and pull it open, hoping a torrent of yellow ooze does not come spilling out....

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Reminder for GM: I have the Nightvision trait, and a Perception of 30.

[LCP]

"Oohhh," said Lira. Shaking her head, her mother shooed her back inside.

"Well," she said, lingering awkwardly on the threshold. "I'm sure you gentlemen are, ah, very... respectable. Good luck with that... well... there."

The door closed rather quickly behind her.

Raffy

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The hatch came away easily under the application of pressure: on the other side, a rough, muddy tunnel led away into blackness. Even with his trained eyes, Raffy could only see the few feet nearest the edge - this was real dark, no light from the mouth of the well high above reaching far beyond the opening of the trapdoor.

One thing was clearly visible: the source of the yellow trickle. A large, black rat was pissing against the wall of the tunnel, its bladder seemingly bottomless. On seeing Raffy, it stopped, squeaked, and scampered away into the black.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

She had really heard them, hadn't she? She didn't know what was real anymore. For the briefest of moments, she had felt stronger. Like something was shoring her confidence up... taking the fear away. But then, just like that, it had been pulled from under her, leaving her suspended over the dark, alone.

Illiiya stayed quiet, looking about warily as Lothar entertained the little girl. Yes, just a little girl... and nothing else. Maybe she was seeing things. Maybe it was all in her head. She only wished she knew how to make it stop.

But she didn't want to be a burden anymore. Finding a trace of the willpower she'd had earlier, she forced herself to stand up straight and dried her eyes. She would at least try to compose herself. Closing her eyes, she stood still a long moment, her mind racing.

You're mad, you know. Everything they say about witches is right. You broke into more pieces than you could ever find.

I'm not listening to you. You're not real.

I'm more real than you are. You're just a sad mockery of something far, far greater.

Shut up and go away! You're not real! There's no other person in my head. I'm just imagining you!

And what makes you think that we're different people?

What? What do you mean?

But only silence answered her.

[-Sentinel-]

"Not a bad story, Lothar. One day I'll have to tell you the tale of the knight errant and the shepherdess."

He looked down, squinting uselessly.

"Wonder what's going on down here... Should we hope Rafale meets the monk, or pray he doesn't? I'm far from sure this monk is a saint, but he surely knows something."

[Another_Poet]

Raffy lets the door close again.

Another shout comes up the well:

"I need a light! And my arms!"

He'll either let them throw the items down, or wait for them to haul him up to don his weapons and grab a light - whichever method is easier.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

Raffy's sudden yell echoing up from the well snapped Illiiya from her own thoughts.

Oh no! Raffy is in trouble!

Illiiya grabbed up Raffy's things, stepping to the edge of the well with his weaponry.

Raffy, here! Catch! She said, giving him a second or two to take note before she carefully dropped his things to him. What is down there?

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter had a bad feeling about this.

Gods, I hope Rafale's blunderbuss didn't get wet.

"Um. Maybe we should find you a torch or something before you go further. You may not be alone."

[Another_Poet]

Raffy waits with one arm extended to catch his weapons and a torch. He trusts his reflexes. But as it becomes apparent that those topside are scrambling to find a torch, and aren't sure about throwing his gun, he hollers to be pulled up.

Once topside he will don his belt with both loaded 'buss and well-oiled broadsword. As long as they need to fetch something, he asks if it might be possible to get a covered lantern rather than a torch, since a lantern would be easier to use down there.

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It's like playing King's Quest!

[LCP]

Running back to the same helpful local who had supplied the crowbar, Ithelus returned with a lantern – this time the man came with him, a burly, moustachioed fellow wanting to make sure his loaned tools did not run off.

Loading up Raffy with the lantern and his weapons, they lowered him down once more. Shouting for them to stop as he got to the lip of the tunnel, he raised the lit lantern to the darkness ahead.

The tunnel stretched on beyond the reach of the light, a black gullet descending into the earth – wherever it went, it ran deep. To see further, he would have to walk down the tunnel, into the dark.

[Exeson]

Ithelus knelt down by Illiiya. 'You're remembering aren't you? about yourself?' He puts a hand on her shoulder. 'Don't fight it, you will cause yourself harm'

Before Raffy descends again

He turns to Raffy. 'If your door leads into anything but a very small room you call up and a few more of us will come with. I'm not liking the sound of this at all.'

[Another_Poet]

Raffy shouts up. "It's a long tunnel. I'm goin' in. If somebody wants to back me up...." he pauses. "Send the elf girl!"

He then follows these steps in order:

1) Secure the crowbar in his belt (1 hand is now free, other hand on lantern)

2) Swing over to the tunnel

3) Get inside the tunnel

4) Make sure he has good footing.

5) Untie the rope from himself, leaving it dangling so others can use it.

6) Draw his 'buss (one hand on gun, other hand on lantern)

7) Point 'buss ahead of him in the tunnel

8) Advance slowly.

[LCP]

Raffy

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Advancing warily into the tunnel, Raffy had to bow his head to fit under the roof of the dripping passageway. The Sparrowhawk had to advance maybe thirty feet before he could see any change – up ahead, the tunnel forked, one branch veering off to the right, while the other zig-zagged deeper down into the earth. Both branches led off into blackness, no end in sight. Raffy thought he could make out a faint, rhythmic thumping, like distant machinery working somewhere far away down in the dark...

OOC: Anyone who follows Raffy should feel free to read these spoilers.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

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Raffy stops to take a deep whiff of the pomander tied around his neck. He considers.

If I was a mutant living in a mutant hole, I'd have a trapped side-passage that collapses on whoever goes down it, he reasoned. But which one is the trap?

He strains his ears, listening to see which side the machinery noise is coming from.

((I assume this doesn't require a check; if I'm wrong, my Perception is 30)).

"That way," he breathes. He wishes he had something he could throw down the passage ahead of himself. He reaches into his sling sack and pulls out a wooden bowl. Looking at it dubiously by the lantern-light, he flings it like a frisbee down the tunnel with the macine noise. If it doesn't trigger any scary collapsing noises, he starts slowly down that passage, scanning the walls and support beams ahead with the lantern to look for signs of sabotage.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

Pre-Raffy's Tunnel Dive: Illiiya looked at Ithelus, confused and torn. She didn't know if she should tell him. She didn't even know what she would tell him. "They'll all turn on you" it had said. She didn't want to believe it, but she was terrified that they might. Telling them that she was hearing voices that said horrible, horrible things might be too much. Especially if she told them how right those things felt to her.

It hurts, Ith. It hurts so much. She muttered, wrapping her arms tight around herself, I... I'm not sure I want to remember. Everytime I used to try... it just... hurts. Now I feel different... and... and I think maybe... I could.... but, I'm scared. I'm so scared it will hurt again Ith. Please don't make me remember.


Post-Raffy's descent.

M-me? He wants me to... in there? Illiiya said, looking nervously at the well. I... I... I don't know. W-why me?