DCC DotSK: Act 1-3

Dufgal, not one for pleasantry nor pageantry, simply brushes past the woman and her ‘tweens. He turns towards the sound of the priest’s voice and eagerly seeks reunion.

With mere minutes following his ranting, once again Dufgal is facing Aldric's manhood unsheathed. Again he thinks, This man is unlike any priest he’s ever seen. And again, the thief finds himself holding his tongue. What really is there to say anyway? The beast is upon us all.

Dufgal looks to the spear on display. If he’s getting into a fight with a hellhound this night, he well may need a weapon with greater reach.

"I suspect the words would fall quite freely from her mouth, if she was to be offered to be the beast next."

Then the tavern shudders, and Anora’s heart begins to race. She looks to her elven companion, and wonders if he will join her in her next act.

She throws up her hair hastily, so that it sits messily atop her head, and out of her eyes. She clutches up her sword, and without a word, races out into the hall.

The beast would rue seeking prey within the tavern tonight!

After Anora throws up her tresses and dashes out, Tyravasiel looks to Morgan and Dolsten, right through the blindfold. If they could see his weird, too-green eyes, and read the expression in them, they would find a look verging on apology.

"This is madness, of course," he tells them. "Good sir, pulchritudinous lady, I advise you to keep your place here and bar the door as best you may. Those of us who haven't been devoured will rejoin you soon."

Ty sketches his beggarly bow, straightens, and faces the door with a sigh. Anora the Blue plays deadly games, it seems; he's not quite sure he wants to play along. But his payment depends upon her safety, so...

Clutching his cane, and tottering not at all, the elf strides out. He doesn't run after Anora, as he wishes to survey the state of any battle before engaging.

As the very bones of the building shudder again, and as a terrible, slavering growl comes from the back yard near the kitchen, Anora, Aldric, Dufgal and Ty come together in the hallway off the common room -- the one the 'blind' elf first investigated. Dufgal comes pumping down the stairs two at a time while Anora leads the charge from the back room where fair Morgan is left puzzled, wondering what pulchritudinous means.

In the hall between them? Naked, raving Aldric, with his oar and little else...

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ROUND 1

Laying eyes upon the whole of the crew gives Dufgal much encouragement and renews his vigor in protection of the Lady Anora. Although it was his contract to do so, he would now do it without the promise of silver.

He heads straight into the common room and crosses the distance to the opposite wall where the namesake weapon is mounted above the hearth’s mantle. He grabs a chair to prop him up.

Aldric, clad in the droplets of his Goddess's domain, strides into action!

Trailing only slight behind the Dufgal, The Waveborn priest reaches out to the big man as he removes the spear. "Dufgal, prepare for gift of The Bitch Queen's spite and fury!"A crown in the form of tiny storm clouds forms around Dufgal's temples as the spell takes effect. Small arcs of lightning lash out in time with the thief's heartbeat, accelerating his thoughts and reflexes.

Anora keeps her eyes off of Aldric, as they both enter the hall. She keeps her sword ready, and wonders on what the best way forward might be! She allows herself a moment, before deciding on a dangerous course of action!

"I will bind this creature before it has a chance to make its way inside!" she says, sure of her ability.

She crosses to the door, and gets ready to undo the latch and spring into the space beyond!

"Go no further than you will." she offers, softly to the others, releasing them of their contract, should her powers fail her and she is set upon!

Then she undoes the latch, and steps outside; her arms outstretched and her incantation being weaved!

Ty wanders into the Wolf Spear's common room after Anora. Where he finds-

Is... is the mad Pelagian naked? He's going to fight the spectral hound naked?

"Ah... father Aldric--" How to put this, when he's meant to be blind and there are villagers about?

Before the elf can puzzle through that question, Anora the Blue is opening the inn door and stepping out into the night. What in all the painted hells is she doing?!

"Is... is that the sound of a latch I hear?" the beggar whines. He doesn't have to fake his disbelief or the edge of panic in his voice.

Several villagers who are seeking cover, having buttoned up the building, flee the common room as the fiend that haunts their village tries to gain access through the back kitchen door. Several exclaim at the sight of Aldric, but carry on to take cover in the private rooms, slamming the doors behind them.

From the kitchen, heavy impacts are accompanied by splintering sounds... is the thing clawing straight through the door?!

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ROUND 2

It doesn't take more than a span of seconds for the common room to empty -- save for the four strangers who have so recently come to town. The door to the yard shudders in the kitchen, but then Dufgal is retrieving the impressive-looking spear from its mounts on the wall above the inn's large stone hearth. Pelagia's blessings gird the man as he jumps off the chair he dragged over, spear now in hand.

At the front door, Ty watches (through his blindfold) in amazement as Anora -- starts unbolting the front door!

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ROUND 3

Silently wondering if the commonfolk aren’t wiser for hiding and partaking in another form of lottery, Dufgal shakes it off and rushes to follow Anora even though she seems possessed of a wish for death. These high society folk are quite strange, he thinks. Telling us in the height of tension that we are released from our bond. But you aren’t the one paying, milady.

Nonetheless, the earnest thief takes his charge serious and prepares to defend her person.

As he moves towards Anora the Blue, Dufgal notices something. The weight of the spear seems... off. It's quite light; a quick inspection shows that the blade at the end of the things isn't metal -- it's painted wood!

Foregoing feeling foolish at the fondling of the fake, Dufgal snickers to himself and wonders where the real wolfspear is. The one which legends say fought off the hellhounds in the past. No matter. Not at this moment anyway. He quickly drops the display spear and switches tactics. He ducks for cover and readies his garrote.

Hoping to convince the Blue Wizardess of the folly of this course of action, Ty has no choice but to totter into the night after her.

"My lady," he calls, "have you evolved some sort of plan to defeat the monstrosity that seems already to have devoured the Skald Lloré?"

Strong shutters aren't much of a plan, but compared to this, the human villagers have the right idea. Or at least an idea.

"Or do you mean to overwhelm the beast with the sheer force of your righteous indignation?"

Aldric is convinced that Pelagia wants him to confront this beast! But, he's going to do even better than that. He has brought not just himself, but others to do the dirty work stand beside him. By anointing them Her power, surely they will prevail!

"All praise Pelagia, defender of Hirot!!" he cries out.

Anora is uttering quiet words of power and gesturing as she strides through the now-open front doors. Out onto the edge of the village center she goes, to the currently deserted open-air market that stands between the Wolf-Spear and the Church of Justicia -- and that leads to the road beyond that leads up to the Jarl's holdfast.

"Bless you! Oh, bless you!" comes a hissed whisper from the darkness that both Anora and Ty hear above the ruckus coming from the other side of the building; soon enough a single villager breaks cover and runs for the front doors! The inn is one of the most fortified buildings in town, and as such a sought-after refuge.

Inside the buidling, Dufgal casts aside the faux spear, which thumps and clatters onto the wooden floor. Nearby, Aldric feels the scornful gaze of his deity, or her watery, eye-stalked agents. His blessing for Anora has been rejected, and Pelagia's fathomless displeasure is rising again...

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ROUND 4