80 Into the building


johnb (Admin)

You cluster around the doorway of the building trying to sort out which way you want to go. The noises from the nest, if thats what it is, seem to be getting louder.

OOC - Welcome to the all new Galinia game on the all new POW site etc ....

I have added maps of the ground and upper floors of this building (or at least as much as you are aware of) on the web site.

On the upper floor map the grey blob represents the ?nest? and the smaller maroon blobs represent the Dog Head corpses.

On the ground floor there are walls and doors and a big pile of rubbish.

Focus on matters of the moment


Rolf

"We'll worry about what to do when we know our options. For now, onward." Rolf motions to Callum and Ravn with the notched arrow, towards the wing which houses the nest.

Knock on wood


Ravn Ashengrey

Ravn motions Callum to stand back a ways.
"Good Callum, that door-knocking thing looks like fun. Mind if I have a go?"
He moves up to the door and gives it a solid kick. The door doesn't budge, but the same cannot be said for the rune-caster's ankle.
"OOUCHHH!!!!"
Ravn drops his spear to grab his sore foot and hobble about on his one good leg, cries of pain gushing from his throat like a geyser.
"OUW! OUW! OUWOUWOUW! OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHhh..."
His woeful calls are cut short by debris on the floor and his foot colliding with it. He falls headlong to the floor in a cloud of dust.
"OOOOFFF!!!"
OOC: That's a 17 on Open Doors with a twist for comic relief.

More conversation


Elsbeth

"I'm Zhiri. May the stars shine their light on you all your nights." She sketches a passable salaam, touching brow, heart and lips before winking again at Elsbeth. "I'm not from around here."

Elsbeth smothers a laugh. "Aye, I'd be thinking that," she replies, her eyes merry. "But then again, I'm thinking I'm likely the only one from around here, my village being not too far away."

Her conversation is interupted by the antics of Ravn. Elsbeth smothers her laughter. "And you're right, the lads are a mite noisy, aren't they?"

Following


Peter Gasgano

Peter stays in the middle of the group, gagging at the smell from the place but mastering it, even though it takes him some effort.

Trying to hold his breath, and breathing as shallowly as he can, he stand with shield and dagger ready.

a brief respite


Rolf

Despite the seriousness of the moment, the need not to embarass Ravn, Rolf can't help but smile at the mans antics. But as the man drops his weapons and hobbles about, Rolf grows serious again. This is not the time for such laxity. Rolf looks around, then frees a hand from his bow. Reaching down, he half helps and half drags Ravn to his feet. Yet still, the humor of the moment twitches at his lips. Once Ravn has retrieved his weapon, Rolf says, "Callum" and nods at the door, readying an arrow yet again.

Putting off the inevitable


Edgar

The Warden's decision to allow the nestlings to live for the time being does little to ease the tension within Edgar. Unpalatable as the creatures deaths may be, he still regards it as necessary. The fact that they are almost kin betwixt himself and the two-legs only makes it worse, for it brings to the fore thoughts and feelings that have never before surfaced - though he has seen two-legs fight and kill each other before, he has been somewhat removed from it.

And so, as Rolf orders the party onwards he sits, gripping Mandrake's shoulder (though not so hard now that he has steeled himself to what must be) quietly, unaffected by the comedy of Ravn's misfortune.

Back on track


Ravn Ashengrey

"Pardon me, good Constable, I seem to have strained a toe."
Ravn gratefully accepts Rolf's outstretched hand, gets to his feet and brushes himself off. He picks up of his spear again and half-hobbles back to the door, his foot evidently not permanently nor seriously damaged. He regards Callum with an embarassed smile.
"Apparently, you are the better of us at banging doors. I'm afraid you will have to show me the trick again before I master it."
Ravn motions proposingly at the door, readies his spear, and awaits the tall-haired Celt's assault on the portal's wooden surface.

Knock Knock


Callum mac Aonghas

Callum tries to hide a smile as the priest crumples after kicking the door. He turns to Rolf. "Will you not be wanting to wring the necks of yon beasts young afore we go any farther?" he asks, before excusing himself and delivering another mighty kick to the door, smashing it open.

Turning to Ravn, he says "You'll be needing to take your porridge of a morning to build ye up a wee bit."

Can't reach them yet


Rolf

In response to Callum's question, Rolf raises his notched arrow upwards, "Can you reach the beasts from here? There should be a way to the second floor somewhere. When we've got a better view of things, then we'll decide what must be done."

Porridge, eh..?


Ravn Ashengrey

Ravn looks with admiration at Callum's skillful demolition of the wooden obstacle. He nods his approval with a thoughtful expression.
"Porridge, you say? That could be it, you know, I haven't had a single serving of good porridge since I left home..."
After this brief reminiscense on past breakfasts, Ravn steps forward to peek through the doorway with a comment to Callum about wringing the nestlings' necks.
"The good Constable is right - we should learn more before we do anything irreversible."
The shrill shrieks from above make him raise an eye in the nest's direction.
"However, I sense by that cawing that these foul creatures will cause us more grief yet."

Why rush in


Mandrake

"If I might say so Rolf, I council that we leave the chicks for now. They can not be a risk or they would surely have done something already.

"Moreover, if as has been suggested, there is intelligence there, then they after study I can speak with them assuming that that intelligence is progressed enough to include a form of language.

"If they can be talked to then they could make a powerful ally for Richard, or at least a deterrent on an unprotected border, of which there are many presently.

"If they are not intelligent, then still they could be trained with the right precautions, a deaf master for example. And in this case don’t let this [Mandrake gestures to the bodies and debris about] sway your feeling to them in too great a way, for it is no different to the nesting areas of many another bird, it is merely the scale and the pray that differ.

"If none of these arguments sway you, the there is the practicality that this place looks to be in ruins, and whilst I am probably the best qualified to scale to those heights, I would not like to risk pulling the walls down, nor falling with them,"

The middle ground


Elsbeth

Elsbeth watches Madelyn carefully, then looks at Laddy to see what his reaction is to all this. Glancing at Mandrake, she sighs. "I'd be having to agree with Rolf that we should be seeing what we are up against now, I fear," she tells him softly. "While I'd prefer to give the beasties a chance, I'd not want to simply leave them behind either."

She steps over to Rolf. "I know you want to be protecting us by sending in the lads but might you want to be sending me? I can be defending myself and if there be one that can calm an animal or creature, t'would be me." She nods at her wolf by way of example.