Café de Nuit

Realizing he was not the leader of this group, Erdwin had tried to stand back during the deliberations. However, he would not be led off to prison so willingly!

"Good sirs," he addresses himself again to the woodsmen, "by my request of succor I hardly imagined that I would be resting in your no doubt comfortably furnished prison cells. By all means, lead us to your village. I must demand, though, that we be allowed to see whatever authorities rule you. I will not be tried and judged summarily here."

He looks around at the others in the group, hoping that someone will back him up here...

Shana whispers back to Tavian;

"To be fair, we don't actually know how far from the city we are... but yes, I don't trust this pair at all. They don't look or act like any patrol I've ever seen, and I'm not going into any cells... we are victims of crime, if anything, not criminals!"

I speak up a little louder

"Absolutely. Summary imprisonment is just not acceptable here. What crime have we committed after all? we were driven to this place by monsters!"

"Take us to your city then, and we will see what fate lies for us there," says Tavian, motioning for the men to lead on.

Tavian gives a long, cold, knowing glare at Biggs.

"But be warned...any attempts to imprison us will not be met kindly."

Before following the two cretins, Tavian looks back to Erdwin and George, giving each a nod.

Adrian speaks up, saying, "Relax, guys! This really isn't a big deal. These gentlemen aren't trying and sentencing us themselves, it's just that the judge and other local authorities aren't likely to be around at this hour. They'll be at home with their families, and some might already be asleep. As such, these gentlemen are asking us to spend the night in the prison, just to wait on the judge for tomorrow."

Then, looking to Biggs and Wedge, he says, "But I understand my companions' concerns as well, Mr. Biggs and Mr. Wedge. Is there no other arrangement that will work, for example, having one of the city guard remain at the inn to ensure that we are still present in the morning? Or perhaps trying to contact the judge this evening?"

As you talk to the rangers, the rays of the sun touch the edge of the horizon...

A deep sound of groaning rolls over the pleasant landscape...

A mourning, as if pressed out from the earth itself...

Wedge and Biggs exchange a look, then, without any further words,
totally ignoring your shocked faces, turn, and run into the nearby woods,
on the way the came from before...

Something hard falls down on the ground before Erdwin... It's a dead bird.
- Has it fallen from the sky?!

With barely a glance at the dead bird, Shana bolts into the woods, following the rangers.

Suddenly, the risk of prison doesn't seem so serious...

Not wanting to be left alone out here, Tavian quickly follows Shana.

Spooked by the rangers' reactions and the dead bird, George also follows the group into the woods.

Adrian follows, not wanting to be left behind.

Moorkroft follows , as well.

[I assume noone is stupid enough to stay and follows...]

You chase through the evening woods...

What only a few minutes ago appeared a pleasant wood filled with life, turns now into a terror-filled vision you might well know out of your most recent nightmares...


The fog rising from the damp earth ceases to be picturesque...

The innocent chirping of the birds becomes the hunting scream of the nighthawk...



Moorkroft, the latest who started his run, feels an ice-cold touch on his leg and, paralyzed, falls down...

His face in the damp earth, he turns his head and perceives...



Moorkroft,

Your heart beats so heavy you have difficulties to keep your eyes open...

Something bitter in is your mouth, and you cry...

You cannot tell what hurt you, but it's JUST NOT RIGHT...

HELP!

HELP!

Do you others turn and help your friend or keep following the woodsmen into their supposed shelter?

Shana spins as she hears Moorkroft cry out, and gasps with terror, but cannot abandon her comrade to this thing. As desperation fills her mind, it opens a little wider to the flows of the universe, and she finds herself extending one hand at the thing, two glowing sparks appearing at the ends of her fingers, then leaping forward, trailing glitter behind them, to drive into the fiend standing over Moorkroft like tiny daggers.

[Magic Missile!]

Hoping the creature is, at least somewhat, distracted by the daggers of force rushing at it, George runs to Moorkroft, keeping low and grabs him. He will drag Moorkroft, if need be, but hopes Moorkroft will be able to run on his own.

When Moorcroft cries out Tavian takes a moment before turning. He considers leaving the poor man to his fate, as he would perhaps slow the enemy down a bit to allow everyone else to escape.

He makes a split second decision. Rather than firing at the new enemy, he does what he can to slow down the fleeing woodsmen

He utters a word that sends chills through your veins.

*Baleful Utterance on the pants of the nearest ranger - SHATTER spell not kill this time PLEASE if it works his pants should explode and he should be stunned *

Although he had no cause to risk himself for this man ("Moorkroft," was that his name? Erdwin had never even met him), the young paladin did feel it his duty to aid that woman who had aided him. With that thought in mind, he turned back...just in time to see said woman use sorcery to attack the thing. What was this? Witchery everywhere! Clearly this was not a group Erdwin would want to spend much more time with.

Regardless, his debt to her was unpaid. He continued running to Moorkroft's aid, trying to help the other man carry him after the woodsmen...