Staunton Bluffs Episode IV: Siege and Stand

[steveflam]

Brethana walks to the front door, opens it, looks around and finds a quiet corner , sits on the floor and eats a ration. She keeps her back to the wall , alert , keeping to herself, nodding at anyone who acknowledge her.

[LouisVendredi]

George leads the boy into the main house and places him in front of the fireplace. If there's not a fire going already, he starts one.

George then says to whoever is at the fireplace, "Please keep an eye on this child while I look for food."

George goes in search of a kitchen, and some food.

[Le Noir Faineant]

... face pinched, he turns away without responding and marches up to the front door of the farmhouse, trying it to see if it will open.

The door swings open...

And you all see a comfortable living room before you.



Everything seems clean and tidy, like waiting for you to sit down and take a rest.

Further investigation reveals a kitchen and two sleeping rooms in the first level of the house, and two stairs, one leading to the cellar, another one to the level under the roof.

You are delighted to find the kitchen clean as the rest of the house, with all sorts of vegetables stuffed on the big tables...



Judging from your instincts, you would say that this peaceful spot is but the product of a dream, contrasting the perverse sceneries you have encountered on your way so far...

But this here... It's not only free of fiends and werebeasts, it's almost...

Cozy!

Meanwhile, the child with the cold hands keeps walking at George's side.

"If you are hungry, please take what you want. Uncle Henry just doesn't want that anyone eats the meat without his permission."

[Le Noir Faineant]

[Does anyone want to check the rooms up- and downstairs?]

[steveflam]

Brethana finishes her rations, notices the food in the kitchen and smiles eagerly, as she walks to the stairs, takes a listen to the upstairs , then as silently as possible walks up the stairs.

[LouisVendredi]

George brings in a bowl of assorted fruit from the kitchen to the boy at the hearth, a little perturbed by the meat comment and says under his breath to himself, "Well, if this is all an illusion, at least now it's a pleasant one."

[kintire]

Shana looks around, a little suspiciously, but settles to preparing a vegetarian meal.

"We'd better stay together once it's dark. Anyone else want some salad?"

[ewancummins]

Moorkroft grabs an armload of vegetables and begins fixing plates of salad. He uses his knife to chop away at the greens like a madman, in a real culinary frenzy. Minutes later, he brings 4 plates of chopped salad over by the fire. He then sits down , spreading the plates in a semicircle in front of him. ''Shana, I hope I made enough for everyone'', he says. Pausing for a moment, he wipes sweat from his brow[that was some quick knifework!] and then continues, ''I think I may have a problem.''

[BigBadQDaddy]

Alain will look through the house, top and bottom, before deciding to settle in a chair to record more information into his "story".
The return of Jarryd has brought him some comfort, but still, there may be hope that some of his other former companions may return at some point.
Looking through his notes he give an audible chuckle.
"Ha! I cannot believe I had forgotten...Look..."He says to anyone present at the time. In his left hand, he is holding his beat up and worn writing journal, in his right, he holds a piece of paper in his hand.
"Do you all remember these?" he says gleefully, reffering to the note and to the remaining original party members.
"Promissary notes from our good friend, the cowardly satyr, Lodissio and his lot at the Inn. Lot of good these papers will do, Being that our mission is at a loss. I do not even know if we are anywhere close to the land we are suppose to be investigating. Strange how much we have seen since that day." He says as his face becomes sorrowfull. He places the note back into the cover of his book, almost tenderly.
He then mumbles to himself "Why did we ever agree this?"

[ewancummins]

Moorkroft looks quizzically at Alain. ''What exactly did you all agree to do? '' Then he flicks his ears with a carrot. ''Arrggh, but these things try my patience. Won't you shut up, vile beasts? What good is it to attempt reason with such fiends? Can you truly not see them, my friends?'' His expression admits of a disturbed mind, his eyes focus and unfocus rapidly, and he rocks forward and backward as he sits on the floor.

[Nathan of the FoS]

After a cursory examination of the front few rooms on the first floor, Roland goes back outside and gets his trunk, hauling it into the house. He comes into the kitchen just in time to get one of Moorkroft's plates of salad, which he takes with an ill grace.

"Don't they have any meat in this house?" he asks, frowning at his dish of peppers and lettuce as if he can't recognize the vegetables as food.

OOC: Let's presume, for the sake of amusement, that Roland missed young Master Arlington's warning about not eating the meat here.

[kintire]

[OOC: Tragically, Shana is too nice to take advantage ]

"The lad says we aren't supposed to eat the meat." Shana begins to tuck into the salad with gusto, smiling at Alain. "I no longer think this Staunton Bluffs place exists. Who knows? Maybe we'll wake up there tomorrow...



"So, Moorkroft, what's up? I can't see anything. "

[ewancummins]

''Shana, you really cannot see?'' He is speaking somewhat loudly. ''Ever since we awoke in the barn, these creatures have been with me. '' He indicates the apparently empty space above either shoulder. ''They gibber and mock most obscenely, even now. It is maddening. At first I thought them a divine punishment for my sins, yet Ezra has not withdrawn her favor, so there must be another reason. It is difficult to sleep, even my earplugs don't seem to help much any longer.''

[Le Noir Faineant]

Brethana finishes her rations, notices the food in the kitchen and smiles eagerly, as she walks to the stairs, takes a listen to the upstairs , then as silently as possible walks up the stairs.

Above, Brethana finds something that looks like a collection of meorablila.

Old armour, like you've never seen, all sorts of weapons, maps, books, bags, clothing... A paradise for a thief, it seems...

In the centre of the troof stands a big canvas.

Several broken pencils and pieces of coal lie around it.

This is what is painted on it:

"Well, if this is all an illusion, at least now it's a pleasant one."

The boy takes an apple and heartily bites into it.

He grins, the applejuice running out of his mouth.



Downstairs, you all can enjoy the meal - for the first time in ages, it seems to you, without immediate fear, and in peace...

On a cottage, somewhere in no man's land...

[steveflam]

Brethana takes it all in, then moves back towards the stairs and calls down "HEY I FOUND SOMETHING UP HERE OF INTEREST! COME SEE! THERE'S WEAPONS, A CANVAS AND OTHER ITEMS!" Brethana returns to the room and inspects the items carefully.