A Life Disturbed: IC

[Feirgon]

Ambrose Smith
Ambrose was shaken awake by his grandfather, Marlin.

"Wake-up boy! The town is under attack!" Marlin said in a loud whisper.

It took a moment or two, but Ambrose's senses caught up and he could hear some distant screaming. Then came the first of many explosions.

"Quickly, you must leave before they reach the center of town!"

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The house is small, your bedroom, Marlin's bedroom, and a great room that acts as a kitchen, dining room, and living room. The great room has an exit out to the street and a door that leads directly to the forge. The forge is organized neatly with a very small selection armors and weapons on one wall and a vast amount of tools and other items on another. The harp sits in the great room. A backpack sits at the foot of your bed, empty. There are windows in every room.

Jarrod Talloak
Jarrod's senses allow him a small advantage. He wakes up slowly unsure of what is actually to blame for his slumber being disturbed.

Then the dogs begin to bark and growl. He looks down to see that they are all highly focused at the door and have their ears back. Then the door bows back as some great force attempts to open it from outside.

His father opens his bedroom door as the front door caves. The youngest of the dogs leaps at the intruders and is quickly slain. And then Jarrod notices that these are not living creatures.

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This is a two story home at the outskirts of town. You sleep on the second floor which is actually small loft. Your bow, a few hunting supplies, and an always prepared pack are in this room. There are two rooms downstairs, your parent's bedroom and the great room. The great room contains furs, leathers, and most of the other hunting supplies. There is a window in all rooms including your loft.

Rickard Danton
The explosions where the first thing that Rickard heard. They were close, but the screams that followed were much closer. He looked out from his second story window and could see fire nearby and people running through the main street. Then he noticed that they were not running from the fires, but from soldiers. There was something unnatural about the way the soldiers moved, but it was dark and Rickard was still waking up.

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This is a larger house than most. The master bedroom is on the second floor and there is a proper kitchen, dinning room, and living room on the first floor. It is not far from the forge, only a few houses away. The bedroom has a few items of sentimental value. There is an empty pack in pantry of the kitchen. Dayna's lute is in the living room.

Gully Letterman
Gully's initial thought was "There's nothing in this town that can produce a sound like that!" The explosions where also far to frequent. He looked out the window of his third floor permanent residence above the inn. What he first noticed was the the nearby house that was ablaze. It wouldn't take long before the inn was also on fire. But when he looked down his heart stopped for a moment. In the street, the inn keeper and his wife were struck down by two skeletal figures. Each wore a helm and a shield and each wielded a large blade. One of them looked back up to Gully as the other brandished its weapon at presumably others trying to leave the inn.

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This space has effectively three rooms: the bedroom, a small common room, and an office. All of your writings and designs are in the office. Your travel bag is also in the office, though it is not fully prepared. There are no provisions in this living space as most everything is supplied by the inn keepers. There are books throughout.

Tomanny Miller
A powerful explosion knocked Tommany out of his bed. The blast had opened the door to his room and he could see that the hallway was on fire. His father's door was open wide and flames jumped out of his room. The floor lurched for a moment, as if the structure was ready to collapse.

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You and your father live on a farm. It is small house, but it has a lot of niceties: two small bedrooms, an office, a dining and kitchen area, and a living area. There is a barn nearby that is used to house a few animals and farm equipment including a wagon and horses. There is also a silo that is used to store crops from the fields. The house is currently on fire. There are windows in every room.

---

Everyone Read This:

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Take any actions you want. If you take too many, I may "interrupt" your post. If this happens, I will ask that you update your post to represent how far you actually got in your actions.

I will be online all day. So you don't need to make large posts. You can also interact with the story or other nearby characters. (None of you can interact with each other at the beginning).

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ambrose Smith

Without even stopping to think, Ambrose grabs the backpack and makes for the forge. He pauses briefly in the great room, looking at Marlin's harp, unimaginably old, the wood silk-smooth from the touch of hands. But no. As priceless as it was, it was too big to carry. He'd have to leave it. Once in the forge, he grabbed one of the swords meant for the militiamen. Any militia were probably already fighting now, and probably wouldn't need it. He also grabbed the heaviest hammer he could find. There was no time to put on armor. He returned to the great room and fills the backpack with food, and then goes to grab Marlin.

"Let's go, grandsire!"

[Feirgon]

Ambrose Smith

Without even stopping to think, Ambrose grabs the backpack and makes for the forge. He pauses briefly in the great room, looking at Marlin's harp, unimaginably old, the wood silk-smooth from the touch of hands. But no. As priceless as it was, it was too big to carry. He'd have to leave it. Once in the forge, he grabbed one of the swords meant for the militiamen. Any militia were probably already fighting now, and probably wouldn't need it. He also grabbed the heaviest hammer he could find. There was no time to put on armor. He returned to the great room and fills the backpack with food, and then goes to grab Marlin.

"Let's go, grandsire!"

"No." Marlin said coldly as his grandson motioned to him. "I cannot go with you. I will only slow you down. I will try to hide but you have to-"

The door to the forge is abruptly opened and three skeleton soldiers appear in the glow of the forge. One has two swords, the other has a mace and a shield and the other wields a long spear.

Marlin freezes with fear. They spot the two of you and start march quickly through the forge toward the two of you.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ambrose Smith

Without even stopping to think, Ambrose takes the hammer in his hands.

"My Lord the Sun give me strength."

He rushes at the one with the spear, hoping to dodge its thrusts and close with it so he could smash its ribcage with the hammer.

[mr1135]

Rickard stands at the window staring into the mayhem for a moment, half in disbelief and half to organize his thoughts. It wasn't until he saw a soldier run through a villager with its sword that he mind truly wakes. Murmuring under his breathe to himself while his eyes dart across the bedroom, "Sword - chest....clothes...belt - chair...shoes - foot of bed..." listing the first items he'll need.

Walking to the chest by the foot of the bed, he reaches in and picks out a short sword in a scabbard. In the dim light reflecting off from the fires outside, he can see along with his mind's eye, the intricate ivy filigree that extends from the guard to the pommel. Though nameless, the blade was forged for countless hours by himself decades past under the intense scrutiny of his father. Perfectly balanced and designed without a fault, it was this very blade that had finally allowed himself to be considered a master of his craft by the guilds-men of Dueggan. His finest work.

With screams of other villagers still outside, he rapidly he dons his clothing and boots before slipping the short sword into his leather work belt that still has his hammer and other tools secured safely. Looking out from the window one last time, he sees that the smithy has yet to be set a lit, and a sense of relief washes over him. "Smiths..." Without another thought he runs downstairs into the living room to get two last items on the back of his mind before he is ready to leave his home. He picks up his carving knife and Dayna's lute, both resting on the table by the fireplace, and stashes them into the many pockets of his workman's belt. Walking over to the backdoor by the pantry, he takes a deep breathe and opens the door...

[Feirgon]

Ambrose Smith

Without even stopping to think, Ambrose takes the hammer in his hands.

"My Lord the Sun give me strength."

He rushes at the one with the spear, hoping to dodge its thrusts and close with it so he could smash its ribcage with the hammer.

The skeleton with the shield steps directly in Ambrose's path and uses its sheild to launch Ambrose hard against the wall of tools. As uncomfortable as that is, it is nothing compared the sudden shock of a spear piercing through his right shoulder and pinning him to the wall.

And Ambrose watches helplessly as the third skeleton jumps over the forge fire, brandishing both scimitars, and lunges both blades into the stomach of Marlin.

Blood oozes out of Marlin's mouth as his eyes turn dark and he falls to his knees. The skeleton with the shield raises his mace, readying to make a killing blow on Ambrose.

[Space Lawyer]

Jerrod

Jerrod grabs his great bow and an arrow. He notches, draws back and fires at the skeleton. He slides down the ladder, with his hunting pack, connecting the loft to ground floor, giving a peculiar whistle the dogs are trained to recognize for [dangerous; predator; work as a pack]. "Pa! Get Ma and the kids on out the back! Me n' the dogs kin slow 'em down!"

[Feirgon]

Rickard stands at the window staring into the mayhem for a moment, half in disbelief and half to organize his thoughts. It wasn't until he saw a soldier run through a villager with its sword that he mind truly wakes. Murmuring under his breathe to himself while his eyes dart across the bedroom, "Sword - chest....clothes...belt - chair...shoes - foot of bed..." listing the first items he'll need.

Walking to the chest by the foot of the bed, he reaches in and picks out a short sword in a scabbard. In the dim light reflecting off from the fires outside, he can see along with his mind's eye, the intricate ivy filigree that extends from the guard to the pommel. Though nameless, the blade was forged for countless hours by himself decades past under the intense scrutiny of his father. Perfectly balanced and designed without a fault, it was this very blade that had finally allowed himself to be considered a master of his craft by the guilds-men of Dueggan. His finest work.

With screams of other villagers still outside, he rapidly he dons his clothing and boots before slipping the short sword into his leather work belt that still has his hammer and other tools secured safely. Looking out from the window one last time, he sees that the smithy has yet to be set a lit, and a sense of relief washes over him. "Smiths..." Without another thought he runs downstairs into the living room to get two last items on the back of his mind before he is ready to leave his home. He picks up his carving knife and Dayna's lute, both resting on the table by the fireplace, and stashes them into the many pockets of his workman's belt. Walking over to the backdoor by the pantry, he takes a deep breathe and opens the door...

As Rickard goes to open the door, a large explosion launches him forward into the street. Behind him, his house is nearly demolished and that which still stands is on fire. His head reels from the shock and he takes a few moments to catch his breath before he feels capable to lift himself from the ground. But he pauses a moment as a few soldiers pass by a flaming house. From this vantage he can clearly make them out.

The thought that he had initially ignored suddenly comes to the forefront. These soldiers are indeed unnatural.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ambrose Smith

Ambrose screams in pain and in horror. Knowing he didn't have much of a chance of surviving, he grits his teeth and swings the hammer, not at the skeleton, but at the haft of the spear, splintering the wood. Once he's loose from the wall, he tries to make a run for it, despite the pain. He had to run. Now there was no choice.

[mr1135]

Hugging the shadows the best he can, Rickard moves from house to house in the back street until he is across the street from the smithy. He takes a look into the street to see if there are any of these "unnatural soldiers" before making a run towards it.

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Did Rickard during his times at the window before leaving the house, or after while moving towards the smithy, see any of the soldiers enter the smithy? If he has, he'll make sure that his blade is drawn before he enters.

[Feirgon]

Jerrod

Jerrod grabs his great bow and an arrow. He notches, draws back and fires at the skeleton. He slides down the ladder, with his hunting pack, connecting the loft to ground floor, giving a peculiar whistle the dogs are trained to recognize for [dangerous; predator; work as a pack]. "Pa! Get Ma and the kids on out the back! Me n' the dogs kin slow 'em down!"

Jerrod barely notices but the arrow bounces off the skeleton as if it had no effect on the creature. There are two of them and they each have a long sword. But then there is the crash off windows and screaming can be heard from the other two bedrooms (one from your mother and the others your siblings). Jerron dashes back into his bedroom shouting at the top of his lungs as you hear him fighting.

Your attention shifts slightly as the two skeletons lunge forward at you and your dogs.

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I added another bedroom for your siblings . Also, how many dogs do you have?

[Feirgon]

Ambrose Smith

Ambrose screams in pain and in horror. Knowing he didn't have much of a chance of surviving, he grits his teeth and swings the hammer, not at the skeleton, but at the haft of the spear, splintering the wood. Once he's loose from the wall, he tries to make a run for it, despite the pain. He had to run. Now there was no choice.

The head of the mace makes a powerful impact where Ambrose's chest once was. So hard was the strike that the weapon embeds itself into the wall. As the shield skeleton attempts to pull free the weapon. The now unarmed skeleton leaps into the air to tackle Ambrose.

[Space Lawyer]

Jerrod

The four dogs that slept indoors that night spread out in a loose semicircle, two on each side of Jerrod. The alpha, Tiro, an enormous mastiff bred for hunting bears and boars, is on the farthest left. As the skeletons lunge, Jerrod takes one hand off the bow and grabs the fireplace poker nearby, bringing it up to defend himself. He then whistles [attack together; bring down].

[Feirgon]

Hugging the shadows the best he can, Rickard moves from house to house in the back street until he is across the street from the smithy. He takes a look into the street to see if there are any of these "unnatural soldiers" before making a run towards it.

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Did Rickard during his times at the window before leaving the house, or after while moving towards the smithy, see any of the soldiers enter the smithy? If he has, he'll make sure that his blade is drawn before he enters.

Rickard's head still aches with the pain of the sudden explosion and his first few steps were laborious. His movement through the shadows was slow and when he finally spots the smithy across the street, he sees that the doors are wide open and that Ambrose is currently fighting two skeletons. This is soon followed by the unnerving sound of bones behind him.

Looking quickly behind, he sees a single skeleton running at him with two swords in hand. The creature will catch-up to Rickard before he can reach the smithy and the ringing in his ears has yet to subside.

[mr1135]

Though surprised by the abomination before him, his recognition of the danger in which it poses keeps his body unfrozen. Rickard, though not part of the militia, has had his fair share of sparring experiences in his youth while crafting wares for the guards of Dueggan alongside his father. Taking a ready stance, he takes a deep breathe to calm himself before preparing to leap out of the way (full defense) as the skeleton bares down upon him.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ambrose stumbles towards the door. Barely heeding anything. Just run. Go. Get out of here. By My Lord the Sun don't let me die now!

[Feirgon]

Jerrod

The four dogs that slept indoors that night spread out in a loose semicircle, two on each side of Jerrod. The alpha, Tiro, an enormous mastiff bred for hunting bears and boars, is on the farthest left. As the skeletons lunge, Jerrod takes one hand off the bow and grabs the fireplace poker nearby, bringing it up to defend himself. He then whistles [attack together; bring down].

The first skeleton to attack makes a solid strike against one of the dogs nearest to Jerrod. Despite his best effort to deflect the blow, hit was too strong. The second skeleton follows up, but as it raises its sword above his head, Tiro tackles the creature and it shatters into pieces as it falls on its own weapon.

An explosion can be heard nearby. By Jerrod's estimates, it was a nearby farmhouse.

[Feirgon]

Though surprised by the abomination before him, his recognition of the danger in which it poses keeps his body unfrozen. Rickard, though not part of the militia, has had his fair share of sparring experiences in his youth while crafting wares for the guards of Dueggan alongside his father. Taking a ready stance, he takes a deep breathe to calm himself before preparing to leap out of the way (full defense) as the skeleton bares down upon him.

The skeleton leaps into the air swings both swords down. Despite Rickard's best efforts, he gets a shallow cut by one of the blades. The creature moves with a swiftness that is hard to defend against. Each thrust and parry pushes Rickard back, toward the forge. He realizes that the short sword will not be able to defend against two scimitars for very long.

[Feirgon]

Ambrose stumbles towards the door. Barely heeding anything. Just run. Go. Get out of here. By My Lord the Sun don't let me die now!

The tackle misses Ambrose, and the hammer in Ambrose's right hand swings into the skull of the creature. It continues to fall to the floor and shatters into many pieces. The skeleton with the shield, unable to remove the mace, looks across the room and notices the weapons on the opposite wall. The creature that had killed Marlon turns back to see Ambrose escaping and runs across the forge toward him.

Ambrose, as he stumbles out of the forge, sees Rickard defending against another skeleton in the middle of the street.

[Space Lawyer]

Jerrod

Jerrod notes the death of another of his beloved dogs with dismay. It was Sela, not a great hunting dog, but his siblings' favorite. There is no time to mourn though. Jerrod raises the poker high and swings down, hoping to attack from above while the dogs take out the creature from below.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Ambrose continues to move towards Rickard.

"Rickard! Help!"

[mr1135]

Hearing the lad's voice from the smithy, Rickard risks a quick glance behind him and sees him alone. Run boy! We've got to get out of the village! Where is Marlin?" yells Rickard, while parrying another swing from the unnatural being. Blood slowly drips down from his right arm from the previous glancing blow.

"How in all that is holy are we going to defeat these undead monsters..." thought Rickard as he struggles against the advancing skeleton. "No, the village is lost...we cannot hope to fight against soldiers, much less dragons. We've got to get ourselves to Dueggan and warn the Magistrates."

[Feirgon]

Jerrod

Jerrod notes the death of another of his beloved dogs with dismay. It was Sela, not a great hunting dog, but his siblings' favorite. There is no time to mourn though. Jerrod raises the poker high and swings down, hoping to attack from above while the dogs take out the creature from below.

The skeleton attempts to block the attack with his sword, but the large weapon is too slow and the creature stumbles backwards towards your parents' room. Your father walks out of the room and makes a powerful blow with a mace against the creature's skull, shattering it to pieces.

You can see blood all over him and it is obvious that he is injured. The look on his face is pained.

"I'm probably not-"

Two more creatures bust out of your siblings' room. It is now that Jarrod is aware of the silence. There are no more screams. The look on his fathers's face turns to rage. He whistles and one of the dogs leaves your side to join your father.

"Take Tiro and leave! Survive! I beg you not to stay here!"

Tears streak down his face as he clutches the mace.

"I'll take care of these two bastards!"

[Space Lawyer]

Jerrod

Jerrod is torn as to what to do. I can't just abandon them! He hesitates for a second, then whistles Tiro to his side. With one last "I'll bring help! I'll see you soon!" over his shoulder, Jerrod runs into his parents room.

[Scholar23]

"Bloodly hells" he muttered as he grabed his bag "Gods help those poor souls." He kept low and awy from the windows as he pulled several books at random from the shelves and an old map he had found in the towns archives. Looking to his left he found his letter opener. A small blade no longer than his finger but it was better then nothing. Throughing the pack over his shoulder he also grabbed an antique oil lamp that had been given to him from a whaler from the east. Liting it he held the knife in his right hand and the lamp in his left. Shielding the lite with his body he began to creep forwrd.

Knowing the skeletons had saw him he he waited beside the door to attack the skeleton once it enters the room, knowing in a straight on fight he would simply die.

[Feirgon]

Jerrod

Jerrod is torn as to what to do. I can't just abandon them! He hesitates for a second, then whistles Tiro to his side. With one last "I'll bring help! I'll see you soon!" over his shoulder, Jerrod runs into his parents room.

Jarrod's father shouts, "Don't go in there!" as he fends off the two skeletons. But by then it is too late.

Jarrod was accustomed to seeing blood. It came with the occupation and it rarely had any effect on him anymore. But the sight of his mother in mulitple pieces about the room and the horrified look remaining on her face was more than Jarrod could bear.

He wanted to cry, vomit, anything, but he was frozen with guilt and horror. He dropped to his knees and clenched his fist. For a moment, the world disappeared and he wanted nothing more than to disappear with it. But, the sounds of his father fighting the undead brought him back to reality. For now, he had to leave the images of his mother in the back of mind.

One of the skeletons falls to pieces as your father makes successful use of the teamwork between him and the dog. But the dog falls to the other skeleton's attack. Two more skeletons walk in through the front door, these two carry maces, shields and are wearing helmets.

"Please son! Go!"

The shout of your father urges you on. But now he will be fighting three on one; losing odds even if he wasn't badly injured.

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You can now probably take the bear skin, though it is soaked in your mother's blood.

[Space Lawyer]

Jerrod

Jerrod is sobbing, but he knows that he must escape. He know how to to give his father a fighting chance though. He tearfully takes the bearskin, a last memento of his family, and quickly moves through the backdoor. "Pa, get to the back, I'm lettin' out the rest of the dogs!"He runs to the eyrie and kennel. He releases the dogs and points most of them towards house, with the whistle for [attack; kill]. They won't attack Pa, but the skeletons are in trouble. He reaches into one of the birdcages and grabs Hieronymus, older than most of the other hawks, but smart and fierce. He sets the bird on his shoulder, and sets off towards the source of the explosion he heard earlier.

[Feirgon]

"Bloodly hells" he muttered as he grabed his bag "Gods help those poor souls." He kept low and awy from the windows as he pulled several books at random from the shelves and an old map he had found in the towns archives. Looking to his left he found his letter opener. A small blade no longer than his finger but it was better then nothing. Throughing the pack over his shoulder he also grabbed an antique oil lamp that had been given to him from a whaler from the east. Liting it he held the knife in his right hand and the lamp in his left. Shielding the lite with his body he began to creep forwrd.

Knowing the skeletons had saw him he he waited beside the door to attack the skeleton once it enters the room, knowing in a straight on fight he would simply die.

A single skeleton with helm, shield, and sword bursts through Gully's door. And as it does, it is welcomed with a flaming lantern to the skull. The skeleton drops its shield as its helmet flies off and staggers back. It's skull continues to burn and it seems to wobble. And as it tries to keep itself from staggering, it sets a nearby bookshelf on fire.

Gully can see that the hallway down is clear. It seems this was the only one that came all the way to the third floor. He also gets the feeling that the inn is now on fire as he can see smoke rising from the walls.

There is time and space to escape, but the creature will most likely make chase.

[Feirgon]

Jerrod

Jerrod is sobbing, but he knows that he must escape. He know how to to give his father a fighting chance though. He tearfully takes the bearskin, a last memento of his family, and quickly moves through the backdoor. "Pa, get to the back, I'm lettin' out the rest of the dogs!"He runs to the eyrie and kennel. He releases the dogs and points most of them towards house, with the whistle for [attack; kill]. They won't attack Pa, but the skeletons are in trouble. He reaches into one of the birdcages and grabs Hieronymus, older than most of the other hawks, but smart and fierce. He sets the bird on his shoulder, and sets off towards the source of the explosion he heard earlier.

As Jarrod moves through the open field, he takes notice of the large flying beasts overhead. The look to be the skeletons of dragons and upon them are mages. He counts five and he sees the dragons launch balls of fire at the farms and the mages send bolts of lightning toward the center of town. Each delivers a terrible explosion.

It is obvious that the intent is to destroy the town and everyone in it.

[Scholar23]

As the creature staggers he brings both hands together and slams down on the skeletons back.