Arty Fox

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Baronfjørd "Blackberry" Chedgusah Dragon Born, Monk (Astral self), Level 03 HP: 14 / 24 Armor Class: 15 Conditions: N/A Location: L12 -> Q5 Action: Flying Grapple on Guard 2 (Athletics 12) Bonus Action: Step of the Wind (Dash) Reaction: N/A Ki: 1/3

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Pandamonium and music filled the air as the fight continued around him. BlackBerry saw the next arrow come into view and flash through the air, and right into Kosara and he gave her an empathetic wince when she cried out; he knew how much one of those hurt.

Water splashed upon him, as if he wasn’t wet enough already, and he shot a quick befuddle glance towards his right where it had come from. Then he felt the energy course through like ripples on water. While it didn’t do anything about the arrow sticking out of his stomach he felt more energetic than he had moments before. BlackBerry fleshed the guard a toothy grin safe in the knowledge that his luck was about to turn.

Horribly, the order to scatter went up, and the ruffians took no time in enacting it. BlackBerry gasped and nearly swore at this, frustrated that the ruffians might get away. He went to lunge out to grab the Guard in front of him, then grimaced and recoiled away half a step; watching in fascinated horror as the man's face snapped and twisted into a more rodent-like form still wearing that same scornful sneer

The ruffians looked to scatter, running in different directions; Cavendish taking off down one end of the street and the two guards sprinting down the other.

“Come back here!” Snarling. “Cowards!”

BlackBerry rocked backwards in his stance, the muscles in his legs coiled and tensed in preparation. Power swirled and then surged out again from his core, but this time shooting down into his legs. There was a moment of stillness about him. Then he rocked forwards and shattered the moment. He surged forwards at a furious pace, sprinting after the Guard (guard 2), the fiery limbs taking a fraction of a second longer to react and follow after.

His feet carried him deftly over the slippery cobbles with barely a sound as he closed in on the Guard. He saw the Guard pause to look back and then dive to the left out of sight past the building's corner. BlackBerry pursued after with determined fury while pushing away the pain in his stomach. Skidding around the corner the Guard came back into view just a bit further up the street. BlackBerry pushed further ahead, arm pumping, feet pounding against the cobbles, fiery limbs leaving a trail of light behind him. Finally he was close to the man, just a few more steps, just a little closer. He reached out his arm trying to grab hold of the back of the Guards armour, but he was still out of reach!

An idea came to BlackBerry. He just needed one more step, then he leapt up high and let inertia carry him through the air towards the fleeing Guard with his limbs spread wide hoping to land upon the hapless guard…

He hit! BlackBerry slammed into the Guard and tried to wrap his arm around him but no matter how hard he tried the Guard wiggled harder! The arrow shifted from its spot with a searing lurch, causing BlackBerry to focus on swallowing a strangled cry but it was just what the Guard needed to slip free of his grasp.

BlackBerry stumbled back into his previous stance and watched the Guard.

“Leaving so soon? And we were just starting to have fun.”

@Sigil Guard 3's turn!!

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Baronfjørd "Blackberry" Chedgusah Dragon Born, Monk (Astral self), Level 03 HP: 14 / 24 Armor Class: 15 Conditions: N/A Location: L13 -> L12 Action: Attack Guard 2 (9: miss) Bonus Action: Attack Guard 2 (23: 6) Reaction: N/A Ki: 2/3

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Marita showed her full force as a Cleric as she entered the fray and brought the attackers to a standstill ,dropping their weapons, with a powerful command. For a moment there was a respitful pause. Just enough time for Lady Kathryn to regain her footing and use one of the weapons their attackers had dropped against them. BlackBerry watched the hammer strike home, it didn’t appear to cause as much as Kosara’s attacks but still a darn sight more than his own sword strike had done.

Are Rodent-thropes immune to swords?

Pain exploded from his abdomend, dragging out a ragged cry from his lips. He looked down to see the end of an arrow sticking out, having driven into him through his admittedly flimsy robes, and probably hitting something important. Hopefully, that would be a problem to solve later.

Something pinged gleefully off the building behind him, another arrow? His eyes shot upwards following where the arrow now stuck out from just below his ribs and traced it’s journey back upwards and across the street…

There! Two more Guards peeked out from the shutters with the crossbows in hand already loading up another salvo.

Oh no these are organised thugs!

“Archers. In the Attics across.” Quick, succinct, he called to the others.

The pause had left him open and vulnerable! The other Guard made his move, well practised steps and movements that BlackBerry couldn’t help but appreciate for a moment, and plucked the abandoned spear from the ground and lunged at BlackBerry. BlackBerry then took back a small step, already angled side-wards to the man, he let the attack slip by with barely a whisper. A silent ‘Thank you’ went up for Tymora after seeing how sharp the spear was glinting in the light.

In one smooth motion he sheathed his shortsword, knowing now it wouldn’t be much use, and stepped around and closer to the Guard who had just tried to attack him. His thinking being he could use the two guards between him and the crossbowmen as some sort of cover, but given how high up the attackers were it probably wouldn’t do much.

Now in place, BlackBerry dove forward to attack the Guard in front of him. A short step forward and his left fiery limb shooting out at the Guard only for the jab to stop a few inches short, he was out of range! The limb snapped back into place. Another step forward and planted hard on the cobbles, this time just a little further forward, and swung a tight circle with the right limb whilst twisting first at the hip and then up to his shoulder to really power up the motion. It struck hard against the Guards armour, the satisfying sound of it almost rivalled the searing pain from the arrow sticking out from his stomach.

He stepped back quickly and shifted uncomfortably in his stance. BlackBerry repressed a wince, but the grimace of pain was clear on his face.

His eyes flicked from the Guard to the view of the attics beyond…waiting for another volley to land.

@Sigil Guard 3 is up!

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Baronfjørd "Blackberry" Chedgusah Dragon Born, Monk (Astral self), Level 03 HP: 24 / 24 Armor Class: 15 Conditions: N/A Location: Outside the SilverSmith Action: Attack Guard 2 (Hit: 20. Dmg: 11) Bonus Action: Summon Astral Self (arms) Reaction: N/A Ki: 2/3

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BlackBerry blinked and the world turned sideways; Kathryn had been knocked to the ground by Cavendish and now being set upon by the other two guards. Cavendish had already strode past with frightful speed, but he wasn’t BlackBerry’s main concern right now, hopefully the other two in the silversmith could handle themselves. Right now he needed to get those two guards away from Kathryn, give her room to get back up.

The Guardshad revealed their true colours.

The shortsword scraped out of the sheethe and flashed dimly in the radiant light of Kosaras spell He held the sword aloft in his hand, keeping his left side, armed with the sword, forward in an almost fencing stance. The guard had the advantage with the pole, but BlackBerry hopefully had speed to avoid any attacks.

“Get away from her, you brutes!”

He strode closer to them hoping they would back off, they were too close. He swung viciously at the closest Guard, then drove forward. He watched its point sink deeply into the Guard with grim satisfaction. The Guard hissed and sputtered, crumpling back slightly. The blade withdrew with barely a wisp of blood upon it, quite easily, as if its physicality actively rejected the invasion of sharpened metal. The terrible wound that must have been inflicted wasn't present, however, as what damage was inflicted immediately rights itself.

BlackBerry looked aghast between the new hole in the guards armour, completely devoid of any sign of a wound or even any bloody, and the Guards wicked grin.

Oh. These weren’t just any thuggish guards.

“Fine.” He spat. Right foot slipping closer forward to his left and he sunk slightly into his knees. “Let's try something else.”

He felt the energy swirl inside him. From his core it pulsed and up through his chest where it split and poured out to his shoulders. Fire ignited at his shoulders, coiling , writhing, living columns burned into life and throwing out an otherworldly force at the offending Guards. The fiery limbs, burning without heat, sculpted themselves into the vague shape of arms and hunched around BlackBerry’s frame; a boxer's guard, right fiery hand close to his cheek and the left fiery hand held at the same at the same height but further forward, still allowing space for him to hold the short sword out and keep the Guard at bay.

@Dragoknighte - Your turn!

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Baronfjørd "Blackberry" Chedgusah Dragon Born, Monk (Astral self), Level 03 HP: 24 / 24 Armor Class: 15 Conditions: N/A Location: Outside the SilverSmith Action: N/A Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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The door slammed shut and then followed by the dull thud of something being moved behind it. BlackBerry supposed that this was one of the better outcomes from the whole scenario, and now it was up to Victoria and Marita.

"Perhaps the item Robert's requested isn't quite done?" He commented after a few quiet moments, thankfully devoid of any screaming coming from the building.

Damn it all. He thought. If the man really objects that much to me hiding under his roof from the rain he can come out and tell me himself.

He scuttled back under the overhang, beside the ever stoic Morty, and sighed when he escaped the oppressive drizzle. A flash in the distance made him tense and he instinctively counted the seconds; one, two, three…then the thunder whispered in the distance. He relaxed at the thought that the storm had now mostly moved on. For a moment he considered trying again to listen in to the sounds inside but decided that if the other two were in trouble they would make it known one way or another.

'Once bitten, twice shy.' A memory chided him.

He mulled over Kosara and Lady Kathryns words and the idea of somewhere with hardly any rain…

"That does sound rather nice. I have always held the belief we could do with a touch less rain." He shifted the weight of his bag in an attempt to unstick the robes on his back. "I shall have to visit, if there is anywhere in particular you would recommend?"

It was rather charming actually to see Kosara finding such joy in something as mundane and inconvenient, at least in his eyes, as rain.

He also wanted to hear if it was true someone could shrivel up like a raisin in the desert's heat. On the surface it sounded a bit silly but then again they were about to deal with Were-Rats so who was he to say what was silly or impossible these days.

A shrill whistle cut through the air, heralding the arrival of three others walking over to them. The shadows of the man's gaunt face accentuated the cruel twist of his smile. Constable Cavendish looked just as mean as BlackBerry had imagined when the man had been mentioned in the earlier conversation, and the hammer he held looked just as cruel. He could easily picture the man taking money from others, just as Kathryn had said and no doubt much worse.

BlackBerry tried his best to stifle a chuckle, it came out more as a snort, at Kosaras comment. Probably not the best idea from either of them but BlackBerry couldn’t fault a snide comment or joke at some unsavoury character's expense. Quickly he wiped the smile from his face.

BlackBerry listened intently while Kosara and Cavendish traded words. He undid the button clasp as the scene unfolded before him; Kathryn building herself up as an impenetrable wall of force between the guards and the silversmith and giving the three ruffians a verbal dressing down as she did so. He then winced when Lady Kathryn fumbled her words. He knew how that felt. But, there was a glimmer of information she had managed to goad from the man.

It was worth a try but as far as BlackBerry cared there was only one way to deal with bullies like them. He took the several steps needed to be by Lady Kathryns side, casting a quick look back to make sure Morty was standing guard, and readied himself for the fight he could feel brewing in the air around them all.

Perhaps they could hold off the storm though for however much longer the others inside needed. Maybe the three of them could get a message to the others somehow? Then again Lady Kathryns voice did carry far down the street so hopefully those inside had heard.

"Might we be so lucky that they would back down?" He whispered to Lady Kathryn with no small amount of incredulity.

He kept his hand on his sword, still kept safely in its sheathe. For now.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Baronfjørd "Blackberry" Chedgusah Dragon Born, Monk (Astral self), Level 03 HP: 24 / 24 Armor Class: 15 Conditions: N/A Location: Outside the SilverSmith Action: N/A Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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His attention was being pulled in two directions between Lady Kathryns attempts to appease Mr.Mallard, and Kosara splashing wildly in a puddle that was dangerously close. BlackBerry watched Kosara dance through the rain and jump into the puddles like an excited child, and the giggles she let out only reinforced the idea.

Pulling his attention back to Mr.Mallard as Lady Kathryn returned from returning a ring she had accidentally stolen earlier, possibly why she had volunteered against speaking to him before, and was it the same ring he had put in his mouth earlier? Just what was it that the other two had actually done to the poor man earlier? Kosara had mentioned he had been very eager to throw them out earlier. Speaking of, Blackberry hopped forward to avoid another splash from the woman.

Questions for later, after the door had closed with Mr.Mallard and his crossbow on the other side of it.

"Apologies sir, we don’t mean to cause any trouble." He held up his hand in a hopefully placating manner praying Mr.Mallard wouldn’t pull the trigger. "We are simply accompanying the other two but thought it best to wait outside."

He threw what he hoped to be another innocent smile at Mr.Mallard, trying hard not to look too guilty of anything under the man's wary glare. The same knot of worry twisted his stomach, the townspeople so far had been wary but cautiously accepting of him so far, but even so he couldn’t say any of them would trust him or even like him and it wouldn’t do for him to cause trouble now. His eyes locked onto the arrow notched in the crossbow for a moment, taking note of how razor sharp and undoubtedly painful it looked in the light.

In the meantime he had to, again, hop to the side to avoid being splashed by Kosara as she resumed her maddened dance through the rain. BlackBerry had to admit that she was really good, twisting this way and that through the rain drops, always moving and never in one place for more than a second, even where she did stop it was only to suddenly jump into another puddle.

"Careful!" He exclaimed and danced away from the errant splashes, pulling up his robes to avoid dragging them through the sodden ground. He snapped at her. "I would rather keep what little of me is still dry, just so thank you."

Despite his efforts, Kosara managed to spin a big drop of water right at his face. He scolded at his robes as he straightened them out again as best he could. Already they were starting to feel damp and heavy in the rain. BlackBerry eyed the slim dry space under the SilverSmiths roof beside the window he had been before Mr.Mallard had spooked him, or so he assumed at least. No, best not just yet…

Instead, BlackBerry let out a huff and calmed himself. It had been a nice dance Kosara had been doing, and he could tell (or hoped at least) that she hadn't actually meant to hit him or cause any trouble.

"Oh well. I suppose I can dry off again back at the open house." He spluttered at Kosara, and wiped away the water from his eye, and cast a sour look at the grey sky. “I assume there is not much rain where you are from?”

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Baronfjørd "Blackberry" Chedgusah Dragon Born, Monk (Astral self), Level 03 HP: 24 / 24 Armor Class: 15 Conditions: N/A Location: Outside the SilverSmith Action: Perception (20) Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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BlackBerry couldn't blame Mr Mallard for wanting to hole himself up and hide away from it all. The weather itself was ghastly enough for him to want to do the same. His hand fell down to the sword sort sheathed at his hip, the sheathe had long since lost its original colour and was now a very scuffed and dirty brown. The sword it contained was in a similar state but BlackBerry was thankful to have it anyway for the reassurance its weight on his hip gave him, and the silent warning it sent to any would-be-assailants.

BlackBerry watched Marita deposit her weapons on the cobbles and thought for a moment to pick them up and put them in the pigs little wagon for safety away from the dangers of the cold and damp. But, a quick glance confirmed that it didn't have its wagon, so the idea was washed away.

"This is one very well trained pig." BlackBerry marvelled at the swine standing diligently to attention. "I do wish the animals back home were half as well behaved."

Oddly the pig was incredibly well trained and barely seemed to move at all or even pay BlackBerry even the slightest bit of attention. Then there were the wrappings covering the animal from head to hoof. He frowned at the animal now feeling more unnerved by it than impressed, wondering if he should ask about it.

As Marita made their presence known something changed suddenly and BlackBerry cocked his head to the side trying to figure what it was. Then a voice came from inside, not loud enough to know if or what was said. He couldn't hear anything, but instead it was the sudden lack of noise that had caught his attention; the steady sound of metal being struck that had been hiding quietly beneath the whispering of rain and the party's general movement, that only its sudden disappearance had alerted him it had even been there and his mind scrambled through his memory to piece it all together again.

Why had it been so quiet?

BlackBerry held up a finger signalling for quiet as he tried to listen further. With bated breath he leaned further towards the crack between the boards, not even daring to look in case fate decided someone inside to look out. He opened his mouth to-

THUMP. BlackBerry jumped, choking and sputtering on whatever he had been about to say.

Stepping away from the building and towards Kosara and Kathryn, and back into the drizzle, he didn't have to try to hear the agitated rumblings. Orange light and a gruff, harassed voice broke the darkness, assumedly belonging to Mr. Mallard, who then beckoned Victoria and Marita into the building. For a moment it looked like everything was going to plan. But the threat Mr.Mallard carried and proving that he was armed caused BlackBerry to worry for them especially with how impenetrable the building looked at first glance. He wondered, if something were to go wrong, how he and the others could even get in?

“Do you suppose they will be safe?” He asked the other two.

The moment ended when Mr.Mallard shouted in his, and others, direction. Struck dumb by surprise for the second time, BlackBerry frantically tried to kick his brain into gear and think of something to say, something to do. For an instant there was panic on his face before he wiped it clean with a more calm and collected look, or as much as he could with rain dripping off his nose.

“Yes?”

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Baronfjørd "Blackberry" Chedgusah Dragon Born, Monk (Astral self), Level 03 HP: 24 / 24 Armor Class: 15 Conditions: N/A Location: Neil & Bobs Public House -> The Street Action: Perception (3) Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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BlackBerry nodded to Maritas answer to his question. It was fair enough really if it was going to take them out of their way. He grabbed his bag as the others too gathered their things.

"Thank you kindly for the wonderful meal. Take care!"

BlackBerry followed the others out of the Open house, and cast a glance left and right but saw nothing, not even the occasional figure drenched or otherwise hiding from the rain. It was a shocking contrast to the crowds that had filled the streets yesterday and made BlackBerry pull his shoulders up around himself.

"I would recommend getting something made of hide, or the like." He added to the party's talk on cloaks and hats. "Simple wool or cotton is enough for the most part, but as a defense against the rain they leave much to be desired, unfortunately."

Pulling the fabric of his scarf back over his head, BlackBerry immediately turned to his right trying to hide away from the remaining drizzle, as much as he could. Despite his best attempts, the rain found him and left damp patches on his shoulders and head, almost as if trying to confirm his advice.

"I think I shall buy a rugged cloak also, when the chance arises." BlackBerry muttered to himself, and not for the first time making that same.mental note.

"How long should they take to gather their belongings, do you think?" He asked Kosara.

He expected to see the others wander down the street and off to their camp. But instead he turned to see Lady Kathryn and Marita enter a building on the street opposite them. BlackBerry frowned in confusion for a moment before remembering Marita had mentioned herself and the group were staying in a Hayloft.

Evidently, Lady Kathryn had lied about the camp and a scowl flickered across his face. Then he remembered Marita had mentioned she and the others were staying in a Hayloft.

"'Not very far' indeed." He muttered, scuttling over to join the rest.

BlackBerry followed the others towards a vaguely familiar street, thinking he may have passed through it once or twice during his stay. A feeling of restlessness nagged at him. While the warmth and food had settled his nerves for the most part, the knowledge of a nearby were-rat horde (Nest? Troop?) had him looking over his shoulder and shooting glances at shadows.

"Ah is this the one?." He commented upon spotting the silversmith sign, and then saw the state it was in.

He walked up smoothly to the building to investigate the meager signs of life and light coming through between the boards that had been put up. The thought to put his eyes to the boards and peer in cropped up, but heeding Robert's advice BlackBerry resisted; for one, it was rude to look through someone else's window, and two he didn't want to scare the poor silversmith if he was spotted. Instead he simply put his hand on the nearest board, just to confirm it was there, and felt the sturdy material now slick with water. Everything about the building said only two words to BlackBerry: "GO AWAY"

"I must say it doesn't look terribly inviting. Is it even open?" He motioned his head towards the door.

Between going into a boarded up building or hiding out in the rain, he couldn't quite decide what was the worst option.

"Regardless, I shall wait out here as discussed. Best not to scare the poor man." He looked here and there again trying to find even a shred of dry land to hide in.

BlackBerry couldn't help also turning his own gaze vaguely northwards. The curtain of rain and the squat buildings all around hid the Municipal Building from sight, not that he knew what to look for or what it looked like, but he wanted to know where it was at the very least. Even he could feel anxiety pouring out of every closed door and empty window staring blindly at him, a feeling that had pervaded just under the surface of everything during his time in Avonshire, and now he knew the reason for it. The idea of scuttling off to investigate tempted him and left a gleam in his eye.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Baronfjørd "Blackberry" Chedgusah Dragon Born, Monk (Astral self), Level 03 HP: 24 / 24 Armor Class: 15 Conditions: N/A Location: Neil & Bobs Public House Action: N/A Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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BlackBerry frowned a little as the others made several very good points against splitting up; everyone knew the trope and its often very real, and just as often very gorey, end.

“Well, it was an idea to put to the table.” He mumbled, good naturedly, watching the option sink beneath the proverbial tide.

Maritas offer to escort him away from the township touched a still raw nerve from his embarrassment earlier in the day. He stared at her for a moment, finding himself caught between betrayed and insulted. BlackBerry wasn't about to let this, the first lead in months that might actually lead to something useful, be taken away from him out of some misplaced concern. By the Gods! Fighting for his life wasn't entirely unfamiliar territory to him.

"Ha!" His laugh was like a bark, and only a little bit forced. "And miss out on such a wild adventure? Surely you jest!"

A few more chuckles were forced out before he regained his composure.

"While I appreciate the concern, it is unwarranted." He flashed a confident, toothy grin. "I've handled a few ruffians and unsavory types before. Admittedly, not Were-Rats though. That, that is new. But as they say, ‘There is a first time for everything’. So for now I shall accompany you to meet this Mr. Mallard, as originally planned, and I'll stay outside to keep watch for any trouble."

Turning round to Kosara he added in an attempt to reassure her worries. "With that, trying to regroup isn't an issue, should trouble arise."

He made a mental note to ask about any specific trouble he should look out for once he and the others were outside. Already, he had an inkling the local law enforcers weren’t the trustworthy type, if what the others had said was true, and any other were-rats would hopefully be easy to spot…

“And, it’s ‘BlackBerry’, though I do understand the confusion.” He motioned to himself. Should he explain the reason? Not, best not get side tracked any further. He waved away the issue. “Moving on; A gut feeling, however, might not be the worst thing to go on."

Shrugging at Maritas suggestion. It was better than anything he had. "Where is the municipal building?"

BlackBerry shifted restless in his seat finding all this sitting around and talking…not boring but certainly not the most interesting thing in the world. He desperately needed something to do.

"So…when would be the best time to head off then?" His eyes again zipped over to the window. “The rain looks to be lessening now.”

He said, just in time for Lady Katheryn to mention making her way to their camp.

”Good Gracious, I hope you haven’t camped out too far from here.” He said with an almost incredulous look. ”If it’s any consolation I don’t believe it was raining too hard, so hopefully your things are still in decent condition. Do you need a hand at all?”

Secretly, BlackBerry hoped she would say no. It had been bad enough trudging through the rain across the water slick cobbles and over muddy rivulettes running down the street to the Open house, so gods knew how bad it would be outside the town gates and off the beaten path. He supposed it was just as well though the party had somewhere to stay given Roberts sudden…threat? Yes it was definitely a threat. Lots of mixed signals coming from that guy just now.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Baronfjørd "Blackberry" Chedgusah Dragon Born, Monk (Astral self), Level 03 HP: 24 / 24 Armor Class: 15 Conditions: N/A Location: Neil & Bobs Public House Action: finishing his meal. Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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BlackBerry continued his own meal as Marita explained what the group knew and what investigation they had had the chance to do. It was a shame it wasn't much they knew, or that she decided to share with him, but it couldn't be helped.

He couldn't hide his concern for Robert when the man thanked the group for moving onto another topic. Clearly he should've had more faith in Kosara as her intuition about Robert being enchanted had been right on the money.

But then again her plan to cause as much ruckus as possible for the silversmith didn't fill BlackBerry with much confidence. He hoped the others left that idea as plan B.

"Maybe so, but it would still be useful to find out the general area where the horde is hiding, if not their actual hiding spot." He nodded in agreement with Lady Kathryn's suggestion that they should make a few preparations before tackling the were rats.

"You needn't worry, it wasn't a suggestion to tackle the horde just yet, were-rats or otherwise." Blackberry waved away the idea like a bad smell. "Simply another bit of information to gather before tackling them. If we know where they're based we can account for any obstacles, and defenses, and the like."

It certainly wouldn't do to go wandering around without any idea of what may be lurking around the corner, afterall!

He nodded as Victoria gave some clarification to the group's cover story, and the tale of Samthe and Carl was an interesting one and was a nice change of pace from the previous topic.

"Oh dear. Well I do hope the poor fellow was able to sort out his affliction." He watched Victoria tidy away the coins. Admittedly, now that he had volunteered to look for the Were-Rats he had no right to argue. "I don't know. If you're an assassin I could see that your victim might try to escape, so you may be unwilling to be pulled into a life of adventure in pursuit. A rather unsavoury reason for an adventure though." He grimaced at the thought.

Having now finished his own meal (the bowl damn near scraped clean) BlackBerry turned his focus to the window, a little signal that he was happy to head off whenever the oothers were ready. The warn food and his clothes being now almost dry, had done wonders to his overall mood; he was still less than inclined to go traipsing out into the storm but the odd grumbles from heavens didn't have quite the same effect on him anymore, now that the storm had been robbed of its lightning.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Baronfjørd "Blackberry" Chedgusah Dragon Born, Monk (Astral self), Level 03 HP: 24 / 24 Armor Class: 15 Conditions: N/A Location: Neil & Bobs Public House Action: History on Were-Rat rumours: 13 Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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Were-Rats.

The ridges of BlackBerrys eyebrows rose to impressive heights.

Giant Rats, he had dealt with. Average sized bandits, he had dealt with. Supposedly, it had just been a matter of time before the Gods decided to slam the two together and throw the results at him. Thinking back on the scene from the market earlier the child did take on a more…ratty appearance, even the noises the child had made had sounded fairly rodent-like.

And Sheriff Alberlast had tasked these people to deal with them? Truly, it seemed the group had one hell of a task ahead of them.

After watching the others start their meals, (Lady Katheryn inhaling hers with a worrying speed) he finally faced the inevitable and looked to start digging into his own bowl of soup.

Tendrils of steam from the warm soup seductively wrapping around his nose with the smell of roasted butternut squash, with hints of the sharp smell of something having been slightly burnt, and something else that he couldn't place. It was a thick soup coloured to a cozy yellow-orange bespeckled by dots of brown pepper and small tufts of something green sitting below the surface. It looked wonderfully smooth and inviting.

Blackberry picked up the small bread roll he had been given and broke it into large chunks by digging his thumb in and prising it apart. To his delight the bread was soft and fresh with large, even holes throughout. He dunked a piece into the soup and idly stirred with it.

The action was something to focus on as he was lost within Robert's double speak, leading in several different directions only to end up almost exactly where he had started, and BlackBerrys eyes flicked in just as many directions as he thought it all through.

Marita mentioned Were-rats. Not were-wolves." BlackBerry corrected Robert, as politely as he could. "I suppose that would make them…Rodent-thropes?"

His eyes shot upwards as he hunted through his mind for anything he had heard about them; werewolves were common enough in stories and cautionary tales, but were-rats not so much for one reason or another.

"Thankfully I have not had any run-ins with the beasts myself." BlackBerry perked up as the memory came back to him, one from another evening spent in an open house chatting with the locals elsewhere. "However, I have heard that a city far north of here; Argentum, had the same issue, repeatedly, even."

He pulled the chunk of bread out of the soup to let the excess drain off and drip, drip, drip back into the bowl. He took the moment to shoot a glance over to Robert, then Daisy and Lea. On the one hand, he didn't want to make them worry, this was their home after all and wouldn't do any good repeating old rumours that may do nothing more than make them worry. But on the other hand, if he had any information that might help then he must have the obligation to share it, just as Victoria had done.

He continued."They were surprisingly well organised then; keeping their numbers managed, targeting the less fortunate as their victims, all so that they can stay unnoticed as long as they can, as sad as that is to say. Luckily, however, they mostly keep to larger towns, cities, and the like." Giving the locals around him an apologetic grimace, he tried to use a more upbeat tone, adding. "But, if they are organised then that also means that could be talked to, or even reasoned with. If this is the case then there might be a way to solve this problem without any bloodshed." The last bit directed at the group of adventures.

He liked Lady Kathryn's idea to try and cure the Were-Rats rather than...exterminate them.

BlackBerry plopped the now soup-soaked chunk of bread into his mouth and was wonderfully rewarded with the warm and comforting flavour of roasted butternut with sharp undertones of pepper, and no doubt several other vegetables to bulk it out. A minty taste was also in the mix, almost sour, which he figured must be from that green herb he spotted tufts of in the mix.

Victoria volunteered to go see Mr Mallard after sharing a bit more information on their current, supposed foe. Following her lead, and nodding vigorously with her compliments to the chef as he had his mouth full at that moment, BlackBerry decided on his next task.

"Well, if that's the case I would like to volunteer to try and find the Were-Rats. I imagine word has spread of Maritia and yourself regarding your employer after this morning, and any investigations you may have been doing. Other than asking around I have no affiliation with him. Although…" With second thoughts appearing, he had a spoonful of soup before continuing and deciding he may as well ask for some details at this point. "You've been doing some investigation, have you not? With the missing who have returned, how have they been changed?"

He dreaded to think of the answer, and wondered just what befell those who didn't return.