[WFRP] The Waters of Life

[Thragka]

Valerie and Simon

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Marperic blinked. "... Well, they're certainly eager. I do hope they're coming back soon," he said absent-mindedly. "If they get killed, it had better be on my payroll."

The merchant waved one hand in a broad circle, indicating Laurent, the nameless in and possibly quite a few of the dispersing villagers with the careless motion. "I think it's time for a hot meal. Laurent, be helpful and snag us a table in the common room." The young man gave his employer a curious look, but walked on.

"I think we should arrange a watch for tonight," d'Abenne said quietly when Laurent was out of earshot. "Degaré ... scared me. I would not put it past him to try to come rifling through my goods again under cover of darkness. And there are particular items I don't want anyone to find. Least of all that rat." He did not make eye contact; somehow, the teenagers suspected that when he said we, he really meant you.

~

Siegfried, Abel and Heinrich

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For a moment, the only sound was the rustling of the undergrowth; hopefully, it was just the wind, but there could easily be any number of small creatures scurrying about the men's feet. But other than the quintet standing around awkwardly, the immediate vicinity was empty

Luc was growing visibly more agitated. "I know it was here, look - there's where I tripped." He pointed; indeed, the ground before a low-lying branch was scuffed with the marks of somebody desperately scrabbling with all four limbs.

"Well, he's not here now," muttered Claude sourly.

Something about the bush that Luc had first indicated caught Heinrich's eye - even though the pit fighter was more accustomed to an urban landscape, some tactical instinct made him take a second look. Many of the thorned branches were broken, and practically all of those were bent in one particular direction ...

[ZeltArruin]

Heinrich

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Heinrich seemed unamused at the superstition and worry of the locals that were guiding them, though he attempted to keep himself from appearing too put out. As they spoke and gestured ahead, indicating the area they were attacked in, Heinrich narrowed his eyes and leaned forward.

"Hm, looks like it left a trail to follow. See, the snapped twigs and branches lean the same," He said before moving towards the attack site, apparently not concerned that whatever attacked could still be lingering near.

[vegetalss4]

Abel

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Abel steps in behind Heinrich as he follows the track.
as he goes he tries to stay close enough to be able to protect the peasants should combat break out, but far enough back no to disturb the tracking attempt. The latter distance is determined through whatever small experience he has from hunting with his father even if that was rather flawed from none of the trackers ever having been willing to say if the nobility made their job harder in any way.

[BlueMagnusStorm]

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Siegfried sticks close to Abel as he follows Heinrich, keeping an eye on Abel in case his wounds cause any difficulty for him.

[Thragka]

Abel, Heinrich and Siegfried

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Heinrich crouched by the tangle of bent branches, drawing a line out along the ground with his eye - he had no real tracking experience, but it certainly looked plausible that something had moved in that direction at speed. A few tiny patches of flattened grass could be footsteps, and he could convince himself that the pattern of small particles of mud and stone along the forest floor traced a line away from the clearing ...

He shuddered, involuntarily. "Somebody just walked over your grave," his mother would have said, but much more likely it was just the rising wind that had chilled him. The others felt it too - the gloom was congealing between the trees, with all vestiges of the light and warmth of the afternoon sun becoming more and more faint with each passing minute.

"Maybe ... he got disoriented, and went that way," said Jean weakly - it seemed less of a question than just a tentative suggestion. "He can't have gone far."

"It's not safe after dark," replied Claude - even he had lost the grumbling edge to his tone, and wary. "We can bring the dogs tomorrow, perhaps ..."

Abel realised after a moment that the peasants were casting glances at him - neither of them seemed willing to make a definitive call for action while he stood there in silence.

[vegetalss4]

Abel

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Seeing the villagers hesitation Abel speaks
As you say danger rises after dark, thus I will not leave a wounded man to fend for himself in it. We will continue.
There is no question in his voice that his words will be followed, but he seems to soften as he continues
Still these trails seem clear enough, if monsieur Bischof believes he can follow them you may return to the safety of the village. Otherwise at least one of you will have to stay to help us find your friend.

[BlueMagnusStorm]

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Siegfried nods his head in agreement with Abel. " If there is an injured man out here in need of help, I'd be loathe to leave him.If he's in any kind of bad shape he may not last the night." Siegfried thinks for a moment " Though I also have no wish to get lost out here at night. If the trail seems clear and easy to follow, then we should follow it but otherwise for our own safety we may need to leave it until the morning""

.

[-Sentinel-]

Simon and Valerie

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"I think it's time for a hot meal. Laurent, be helpful and snag us a table in the common room."

Simon's ears perked up. He was starving. "As long as it's not fish. I'm sick to death of fish."

"I think we should arrange a watch for tonight," d'Abenne said quietly when Laurent was out of earshot.

"I can take the first watch," offered Simon. "I'm used to staying up late. City life and all that..." And most of all, avoidance of any responsibility requiring him to get up early.

[Thragka]

Simon and Valerie

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"I'm an early riser," said Matias as they approached the inn. "I'd be fine with the last watch."

Marperic shrugged. "I was going to let the boy take that - not you," he added for Simon's benefit. "I meant Laurent. It is the easiest, don't you think?" Matias didn't respond, so d'Abenne continued talking as they reached the door to the common room.

"In any case, it should not be too taxing - between the seven of you it will certainly be little more than an hour each." He pushed the door open and sat down at an empty table. Laurent was talking to the innkeeper.

"What about you, Mademoiselle Hellsing? Which hour of the night would you find most convenient? You may not appear very threatening, but I am sure you are most capable of defending both yourself and my properties from any scoundrels that take the wrong first impression of you."

[Hemnon]

Valerie and Simon

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''Well, im alright with around midnight time. and you are right, i might not exel at physical violence, but i do have my own means of fighting.'' Valerie replied with a chuckle.

[ZeltArruin]

Heinrich

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"Yah," he said in affirmation of his companion's assessment. "I am not one for following game trails in the woods. If we are to find this missing person, alive or otherwise, it would be best to set out in the morning with a seasoned hunter and these lads," he went on in imperial after thinking the situation over for a moment. Realizing his error, he blushed and switched langauges. "Er, sorry. We should come back first thing in the morrow. No sense getting lost, yes?"

[vegetalss4]

Abel

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Abel looks thoughtful for a moment before speaking to the villagers, mentally preparing himself to having to return before finding the wounded.
Very well then, we will ascertain that your friend isn't lying a few yards beyond this bush, following the trail solely as far as you are able to make it out.

Should we not have found him by then you should prepare your hounds for the morrow.

[Thragka]

Simon and Valerie

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D’Abenne smiled thinly at Valerie, although it seemed a little forced. Laurent returned from the bar and sat down on a stool.

“What’s this about fighting?” he asked.

“Hopefully, nothing of the sort,” said Marperic. “But after that little showdown earlier with Degaré, I want you to take turns in the stables tonight and make sure our carriage does not receive any unwanted visitors. Before today, I would have doubted that even Achille would sink so low as to commit outright theft.” He frowned. “But this is a new low, even for him. Once we reach Couronne, I have no intention of ever associating with him again.”

The innkeeper arrived with their food - to Simon’s relief, it was not fish, but pork. The meat was stringy, though, and even a potent mix of spices and seasonings could not obscure the slightly unpleasant texture. The only accompaniment was hard, dark bread, probably days old. But the food was hot, and Marperic obliging paid for everybody’s portions.

The merchant kept glancing towards the door over the course of the meal, but of his other three employees there was no sign. D’Abenne passed the time talking of what he expected to be able to do with his wares in Couronne, but his discussion of market forces and trading strategies may as well have been in Arabyan for all the sense it made to Simon and Valerie. Matias seemed simply glum, staring down at his plate and offering little conversation.

It was perhaps half an hour before Siegfried, Heinrich and Sir Abel entered the tavern, their clothes spattered in dirt and their faces pale - although whether from hunger, fatigue or something more serious, the others could not tell.

~

Abel, Heinrich & Siegfried

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Jean darted forwards, following the slight indication of the trail, but indeed there was nobody behind the bush, nor visible within the next fifty yards or so as the group plodded on through the forest, and Abel slowly accepted that they had no choice but to hope the missing man would survive the night. When he gestured that it was time to turn back, Claude adopted a thankful expression. Even Jean did not look all that disappointed; at least, no more than he already was after discovering his friend missing.

They returned to the village quickly, the two locals leading the way as they scrambled across the uneven ground. The sun had well and truly set by the time the trees began to thin, and with the eerie howling of the wind between the branches overhead, it was easy to believe they might be well and truly lost for the night; only minute pinpoints of light visible between trunks marked the torches of Remy-sur-Orne’s buildings.

When they cleared the trees, Jean took one last, wistful look back, before bowing quickly to Abel and taking his leave. Claude cleared his throat.

“If it please my lord, the hounds will be on t’other side of the river in the morning. An hour after sunrise be time enough to get them up and ready.” With that, he too left the trio, walking quickly away between the ramshackle peasant dwellings.

Even from between the market stalls, the tavern’s patron’s could be heard occasionally laughing or shouting from the common room. Wasting as little time as necessary out in the cold, the group headed for the door.

~

When Abel, Siegfried and Heinrich entered the nameless inn, they found Marperic lecturing at length on principles of seasonal trade to his other employees, all of whom seemed to have rather blank expressions and glassy eyes. When the merchant noticed them enter, he waved them over to the table and signalled the innkeeper; within a minute, three plates of roast pork and hunks of dry bread were set down before them.

“About time you got here,” said d’Abenne. “I was starting to get worried you’d gotten into trouble. I’ve just been saying to the others that I’d like you to sort out a watch for the night, in case Achille tries to push his luck and come snooping around again.” He yawned loudly. “But you can sort out the details between yourselves. I rather think it’s time for bed for me.” He flicked his wrist by way of bidding them good evening before plodding off up the stairs.

[ZeltArruin]

"Eh? Watch, in a town?" Heinrich said frowning. Perhaps it was laziness, or maybe just the threat of boredom, but the pitfighter did not look on the unexpected watch with much enthusiasm. "Eh, I mean no offense, I'll do it. I'll just be sleepy," he told the others with a shrug. If Heinrich had proven anything about himself so far, it was his loyalty to gold and drink. And with that, he ordered a pair of steins for himself.

[vegetalss4]

Abel

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Before leaving for the inn Abel assures the peasant that he intends to be there in the morrow.

That might very well be wise. Do any of you have any preferences as to which shift you will take? Abel asks his fellows
Personally I have given my word as to help find a lost villager shortly after sunrise, due to which I cannot take the last watch for as long as I feel it would be wise to extend it. he continues as he picks at his food.
Through if one you you learned in the doctors art would see to my wounds during said watch we could use our time more effectively, and I keep them company for at least part of their watch.
With these words he looks to Simon and Siegfried for a response.

[-Sentinel-]

Through if one you learned in the doctors art would see to my wounds during said watch we could use our time more effectively, and I keep them company for at least part of their watch.

"I could give it a look," Simon offered. "No guarantee I can do much, though."

He began to wolf down his meal. "So. What about the threat? You fight any goblins?"

[ZeltArruin]

"Ah, no. We found nothing but a path through the brush. We would have gone further, but feared getting lost or killed in the night. As Sir Abel said, we are to go back out in the morning," Heinrich explained, pausing mid-sentence to take a drink. He didn't plan on over-drinking, but something about this town put him on edge, it wouldn't do well to stand guard drunk.

[BlueMagnusStorm]

Abel
Through if one you you learned in the doctors art would see to my wounds during said watch we could use our time more effectively, and I keep them company for at least part of their watch.

"As could I if needed, though Simon's probably got it under control so that's probably not necessary" Siegfried said. " As for which shift on watch I take I have no great preference. I will take which ever watch is left over".

[Hemnon]

Valerie refrained from touching any alcohol, knowing full well that keepinga level head would be paramount in just a few hours.

''I still intend on taking the midnight watch, so if anyone else wants to accompany me, I would gladly accept.'' She said to the others with a thoughtful expression on her face.

[vegetalss4]

It would be my pleasure my'lady Abel says with a nod, a bow being impossible while seated.
Given these preferences I suggest the following.
The first shift will go to monsieur Leitmann, followed by monsuir Lehirmann.
Who will in turn be replaced with lady Hellsing and myself.
Monsuir Bischof will then take the late shift and finally monsieur Simon will stand guard for the last part of the night at which point I shall visit him to have my wounds treated.
As he mentions them Abel looks at his companions in turn, before adding after a seconds pause.
Would this be satisfactory to everyone?

[-Sentinel-]

"Ah... I'm afraid I already called first watch, Sir Knight," said Simon, with the kind of presumption that would shock most of his fellow lowborn - and anger most noblemen. "Fits more with my old sleep schedule. But I can check your wounds at any time."

[ZeltArruin]

"The Simon is first and I am last. No different to me. I prefer the early rise for our adventures anyways. Get the blood flowing before I make other thing's blood flow, yes?" Heinrich said, nodding in agreement to the plan and started to eat, demonstrating some skill with cutlery, showing more culture, or mock culture at least, than expected from a man who fights for a living.

[Hemnon]

It would be my pleasure my'lady Abel says with a nod, a bow being impossible while seated.
Given these preferences I suggest the following.
The first shift will go to monsieur Leitmann, followed by monsuir Lehirmann.
Who will in turn be replaced with lady Hellsing and myself.
Monsuir Bischof will then take the late shift and finally monsieur Simon will stand guard for the last part of the night at which point I shall visit him to have my wounds treated.
As he mentions them Abel looks at his companions in turn, before adding after a seconds pause.
Would this be satisfactory to everyone?

''I appreciate it very much sir Abel.'' Valerie said with a smile and a generally happy expression. it could have been much worse than having a knight watching over you while guarding the wares.

[BlueMagnusStorm]

"That seems satisfactory to me Abel. Though I do hope that our watches will be naught but a precaution and will prove unnecessary come morning." Siegfried says a look of concern clearly present on his face.

"I prefer the early rise for our adventures anyways. Get the blood flowing before I make other thing's blood flow, yes?"

After Heinrich finished speaking Siegfried turn to him and said. "Indeed in my experience an early start to the day is usually best. Though I do hope that blood letting will be unnecessary or at the very least that it's not one of us having there blood let. I do not relish the thought of having to patch up another member of our party."

[ZeltArruin]

After Heinrich finished speaking Siegfried turn to him and said. "Indeed in my experience an early start to the day is usually best. Though I do hope that blood letting will be unnecessary or at the very least that it's not one of us having there blood let. I do not relish the thought of having to patch up another member of our party."

"Nah, what ever this beastie is in the forest. If it bleeds, I'll kill it," Heinrich said, jutting his thumb over his shoulder, grinning confidently.

[BlueMagnusStorm]

"Nah, what ever this beastie is in the forest. If it bleeds, I'll kill it," Heinrich said, jutting his thumb over his shoulder, grinning confidently.

"For all our sakes I hope that you are correct." Siegfried replies.

[Thragka]

“I’ll go after you if Simon wants the first watch,” Matias said to Heinrich. He pushed his chair back and stood up. “Wake me when you’re done.” The mercenary wandered over to the bar and held a quick conversation in muffled tones with the innkeeper, who fished around in his pockets for a moment before handing over a small key. Matias waved back at the others without looking at them as he headed upstairs, each step clunking as he plodded off to bed.

The innkeeper came to the table, retrieving empty plates and handing out room keys to the rest of the group, save Abel. One by one, the party bid Simon goodnight, until he was alone at the table. Even the innkeeper gave him a pointed look as he put the fire out - sighing, the young man stepped out into the dark stable, looking for a comfortable spot to pass the hours of the first watch.

~

Simon

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He found a mound of hay in one of the unoccupied stables that provided a good view of both Marperic’s coach and the stable door. Simon hunkered down and leant back against the pile - it was a little scratchy, but not uncomfortable. In fact, he thought dozily, hay wasn’t the worst thing one could lie against on a warm summer’s evening with a roof over one’s head. Perhaps the countryside wasn’t so bad after all. It’s not like he had much experience outside the city …

The city was cold, far colder than it should have been on a summer night, but then as Simon looked around him, he noticed the fingers of frost curling up the wooden posts of the quay. Maybe he’d been wrong and it wasn’t summer after all. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his cloak, he pressed on. He couldn’t remember where he was going, but he did know it was dreadfully important that he got there in time.

The river on his right-hand side was loud, the rushing water gurgling, obscuring the noise of his footsteps. The quay was slick with patches of ice, and more than once he nearly slid sideways into the roiling Sannez, but each time he caught his balance just at the last moment. As he left the business district, the wooden boardwalk ended, replaced with a street of cobblestones. He knew this area intimately; he was very close to home. Perhaps that’s where he was going; but no - at the junction that would have taken him to his family’s rooms, he simply kept walking, following the river. The full moon shone through the arches of an ornate bridge crossing the river just up ahead. He didn’t recognise the structure - odd, that, since he knew this area of L’Anguille like the back of his hand - but something about it seemed familiar. He climbed the steps and paused at the halfway point, leaning against the stone side and gazing upriver into the gloom.

Out of the murky distance, a shape floated towards him. He took it to be a floating log, or perhaps a small raft that had got loose of its moorings, until the moonlight illuminated the figure of a man, facedown in the water. His travelling clothes were dirty and torn, and his greying hair was long and matted, knots in the thick mane reaching almost down to the small of his back.

“Surprised to see me again, then, boy?” The watery voice insinuated its way into Simon’s head without seeming to need to pass through his ears first. It was Valerie’s master that the Sannez was carrying towards him.

“You may have thought it was all too good to be true, I suppose,” the drowned man continued. “Two Imperial wizards appearing out of thin air to take you away and teach you to be a great magister, eh? Spot of luck for you. Hah.” The laughter came out as a series of bubbles. Simon didn’t respond; there didn’t seem to be anything to say. The corpse was just reaching the bridge, about to pass underneath. Simon crossed to the other side to watch it emerge downstream. Now it was on its back, empty dead eyes staring back up at him, and the young man felt totally naked.

More words came without the Imperial wizard’s lips moving. “Of course, there’s one other possibility. Maybe it wasn’t luck. Maybe it was fate. After all, you’re a pretty special fellow.”

Simon shrugged noncommittally.

“Oh, no need for that false modesty, boy. I wouldn’t have recruited you if I didn’t think you were destined for bigger and better things than this slum. And I am sorry that I went and disappeared like that. Drowned, it seems. It’s something of a spot of bother really, leaving you and the young lady unsupervised in the … volatile state you’re in. But that sort of thing seems a bit less important when you’re dead.”

The corpse was receding now, floating away towards the sea. But to Simon, it still seemed like he was looking down on it from directly overhead. Perhaps he was floating, too, borne away in mid-air through the air just as the dead magister was being pulled onwards by the river. The dead man’s clothes had separated from his body, coming apart at the seams and dissolving into the turgid waters. Pale skin was stretched across a thin frame.

“Still,” the corpse continued. “I’m not entirely removed from proceedings. And what you’re about to go through disturbs even me. Sometimes even the dead don’t rest easy. So I thought I ought to try and give you fair warning. You’ll have to figure most of it out yourself, though.” The voice in Simon’s head was getting fainter. “That oughtn’t pose much of a difficulty to a brilliant young man like yourself. But I’ll give you one piece of advice. Important for a man with so many opportunities like yourself. Wish someone had told me.” The body had reached the mouth of the Sannez, emerging into the sea. The voice was barely a whisper now.

“Everybody makes plans, and that’s their first mistake. True power comes only from adaptability - “

A seagull swept down from the midnight sky and tore the corpse’s tongue from its mouth. The water around the shrivelled wizard seemed to be suddenly boiling as hundreds of small silver fish appeared, leaping onto the dead man’s chest. As they flopped against his skin, they shuddered, gills gulping at the air that would not sustain them. Their death throes quickly obscured the human, and the entire mass of corpses, fish and human alike, slipped beneath the surface of the sea as the terrible weight increased.

He was above the city, the Sannez shining bright in the moonlight. In fact he could see the entire river as it wound its way across the northern duchies to Couronne. The curved shape wriggled, stretching out into a straight line. Other perfectly straight rivers appeared, intersecting with it, forming a vast network of lines and pools across Bretonnia - no, he thought as he rose higher, across the entire Old World. They grew brighter and brighter, flaring with each heartbeat that resounded in his ears, the network of lights becoming almost painful to watch, until he couldn’t bear it any more, he had to turn away, he had to wrench himself free of the light -

Simon awoke with a start, nearly throwing himself sideways in his efforts to free himself from the dream. For a second he thought his heart was still pounding, but then he realised the low thudding noise in his ears were in fact footsteps from outside. But they were awfully loud, given that he was indoors - and when he closed his eyes he could actually see them, each step a small maroon smudge against the dark background in his witchsight ...

~

Siegfried

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Siegfried snatched a couple of hours of fitful sleep in his cramped bedroom upstairs - every time he got comfortable, he was jolted awake by the worry that he had overslept and missed the start of his shift. Eventually he gave up trying to sleep, staring blankly at the dark ceiling for a stretch of fifteen or twenty minutes before he decided it was time to relieve Simon.

When the apothecary met the younger man in the stable, the latter looked surprisingly cheerful - and rather well-rested, Siegfried judged with a twinge of resentment. Sighing, he clambered up onto the carriage and sat down on the uncomfortable driver’s bench - the knots of wood digging into his spine would make it difficult to doze off. With a long yawn, he hunkered over and began his shift of staring at the stable door.

The night was quiet, save for the occasional huff from the sleeping horses sharing the stable with him. It was not until almost an hour had passed that Siegfried became aware of a rhythm intruding on the otherwise peaceful night - outside, there was an odd shuffling noise, a triplet of light taps repeating every few seconds.

~

Abel and Valerie

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Valerie only

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Valerie dreamt that she was standing by the tiny, thin window in her room at the inn, gazing down across the Orne to a figure standing on the opposite riverbank. His travelling cloak was dusty and frayed; his greying hair was more matted than braided where it hung around his shoulders. It was her master, the Jade Magister who had brought her to Couronne, recruited Simon and then disappeared without a trace.

His throat was slit in an arc from cheek to cheek; from the ragged smile poured not blood, but muddy water.

He opened his mouth to speak, but instead of words, only the gurgle of a brook emerged. She saw him mouth her name.

He raised an arm. The sleeve of the coat was frayed, and she saw that it was not woven of fabric, but of seaweed. One thin finger pointed south.

Valerie turned on the spot; the opposite wall of the inn was not there. Instead she could see across the sleeping village, down to the twisted trees that formed the edge of the forest of Ardens; a cohort of misshapen, menacing figures, reminding her of childhood stories about forests that moved at night, swallowing up whole Imperial villages overnight. The branches cackled at her as the trees creaked in the wind.

She turned back to her master; now his face was contorted in pain. His mouth opened wide in a scream, but the only sound that emerged was the howling wind.

He stumbled, staggering forwards off the bank and falling into the river. The waters swallowed him instantly. The mad laughter of the trees was louder, and behind the cracking of wood she thought she could make out a high-pitched human voice, its words interspersed with giggles.

”All is the wind …”

Her eyes snapped open in the dark room as she awoke. She knew the time without consulting any instrument. It was midnight.

Valerie woke Abel with a knock on his door. Together they walked downstairs and out to the stable; Siegfried looked grateful to be relieved. The stable was dark, and rather chilly, and it took a few minutes for their eyes to adjust to the gloom. What little moonlight there was spilled in through the crack under the door, illuminating the layer of dust wafting in the air close to the ground.

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Perception tests (with no modifier), please.

~

Heinrich

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The darkest hours of the night had passed by the time Heinrich wandered downstairs to relieve Sir Abel and Valerie; the sky (if he looked at it), although not quite light, was a somewhat drab grey rather than the full-bodied dark of the previous hours. Regardless, the stable was still pitch-black, and the pit fighter sat there feeling a little bit silly for a few minutes as he let his eyes accustom to the gloom.

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Make a Perception test with no modifier, please (so you’re testing against half Int, I believe, since Heinrich’s untrained in Perception).

[ZeltArruin]

Heinrich

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Heinrich began to hum softly to himself as he sat in the stable, cross armed and cross legged as he watched for potential villains to present themselves. It hardly seemed worth the time, but work was work when you are getting paid for your services.

perception: (1d100)[69] vs 16

[-Sentinel-]

Simon

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Simon brushed his sleepiness off, angry at himself for failing to stay awake on the very first shift. What a guard he was... His first impulse was to think about his strange dream again to keep the details from escaping him; it struck him as important for some reason, and he did not remember ever having such a vivid dream. But there was a more urgent matter at hand, namely, the approaching footsteps.

He probed the air with his mind to make sure the winds blew strong. Then he rested his hand on his staff almost negligently, closed his eyes and pretended to sleep. Let the intruder come. Simon had no further plan beyond that; adaptability, the old wizard had said.

[vegetalss4]

Abel

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good evening, m'lady. Abel greets Valerie as she knocks his door.

Perception (1d100)[24]