Realistic or Modern Welcome To Shearport

[risaphoeniix]

Lita the Magpie





Lita's head shoots around when the others start running off into the woods and she moves to start to follow, but then something catches her eye. She'd spent many a summer afternoon (and sometimes a winter one) collecting shells on the beach, but..."I've never seen a shell that big before!" she exclaims.

 

[The Fuzz]

The Market





The odd folks of the market watch the chase unfolding with a sort of detached amusement. Some of them, anyway. Others perk up a little as the rain starts to fade away. Perhaps they will be able to set up their stalls soon!


Lita





Yep. That's a big shell. Beside the uh, um, nautilus, yeah, there's a conch shell. It's huge, all dusky pink and grey brown with shades of blue from inside its lip. BLunt, rounded spiky protrusions crown the curling outer side of it.


It's a big shell, being help up by a small goblin merchant, giving it a meaningful waggle.


"Young miss! Young miss! Don't think I don't see you eyeing this magificent work of slightly crusty art!"


This goblin is pale, with enormous eyes set into a vaguely bluish face, and a long, thin nose. He has a knowing grin, and the look of a man who is out to make a sale.


Sage, Liam, Zach





How helpful! There is suddenly a silver tray at about elbow level, held up by a pair of very small goblins, their oilskins in pastel shades of blue and purple.


"Daddy says we should make sure you see the entire service! It's great! We spent all summer polishing it!"


There is, indeed, a rather nice, only very slightly dinted silver tea service bobbing back and forth on the tray.


The Chase





The thing is haring off into the undergrowth as fast as its odd legs can carry it.


Give me some Dexterity + Athletics rolls to try to keep up.

 

[Grey]

Lucas Hood





Snarling, Hood tries to keep pace with Red and the thing.


[dice]5123[/dice]

Spoiler

Spent a Willpower.


Does the Woodland specialty apply?

 

[The Fuzz]

The Pursuit (Hood, Sackcloth, Red)





Hood makes the best progress after it, but all three of you are able to keep up. You can hear it crashing through the bushes ahead of you. Whatever it is, it's not a creature of grace and stealth.


It takes a moment or so of hard running, ducking under flailing branches and past low thorny growths, but Hood manages to drive it up into a tree. Red and Sackcloth are a bare step behind into the tiny clearing. The creature is just about visible, about 20 feet up in a tree, with no other obvious way to escape. Up closer....it's dark, has large patches of coarse hair, currently has its face turned away from you. It's wearing the dirty, torn remains of a pair of pants, and nothing else. You can hear it panting.

Spoiler

I'd like it if folks could just post their rolls in the main action thread, rather than in the OOC thread. Makes this In CHaracter thread look a little less neat, perhaps, but keeps the game itself neater.


And, yes, Grey, your Woodland specialty does apply to chasing things through the woods. No need to add it in now, but you can use it in future.

 

[Inari]

Red


The satisfaction of running with a pack was impossible to ignore. Red ran to one side of the chase, searching for a good angle to curl around and catch their quarry from another angle. The chase didn’t last long enough for that, though; Red burst into a clearing behind Hood to see the dark shape scrabbling up into a tree. Panting and frothing just a touch, Red wiped his mouth on his sleeve and circled around the base of the tree, attempting to get a good look at it and keep it from any obvious means of escape.


”Are you the one taking children?” Red called up, energetic joy bleeding over into the anger which had been building up. He held up the lost shoe he’d been carrying all morning like he was presenting a cross to a vampire.

 

[Axelgear]

Sackcloth


Bursting out of the thorn-bushes, covered in prickers, Sackcloth is hardly looking any more cheerful for the chase. Hammer in hand, he is the last to exit the briars and probably the most furious looking one in the group. Incredibly frustrated by it all, he picks up the nearest heavy rock he can find and hucks it at the creature hiding in the tree.

Spoiler

[dice]5200[/dice]


[dice]5201[/dice]


"Given what the Hedge does and for all we know," Sackcloth pants as he catches his breath, glaring up at the furry figure in the branches, "it might very well be one of the children."


Sackcloth finally catches his breath, relaxes, and looks down at the rocks he just threw at the frightened creature; a frightened thing that might very well be a child. He looks very intently at those stones...


... And once he's picked another good one, he hucks that at it too.





[dice]5202[/dice]

 

[PixelWitch]

Zach - On a Boat


"I guess you're right..." he sighs to Sage, "I just hope they don't mangle the first lead we have..."


"Don't forget why we're here... aaaand they broke the first rule too..." he frowns.


When the hell did I become such a bore? .. Oh right the Hedge. Yes. That. That thing.


"Tea'd be great," he notes to Liam, rubbing his softly glowing eyes.

 

[Grey]

Hood


Hood doesn't allow himself to think too hard about this. Maybe it's a missing child, or it was, or it takes on the features of its prey, or it's a trap, or it's guilt made manifest. Nope. Catch first, questions after, violence as necessary.


Sackcloth is probably not far wrong.


Hood lets the magic lift him, and begins to climb.


[dice]5207[/dice]

 

[Alexandra]

Sage


Peering at the tea set that is about level with her nose, she manages a reply; "The whole summer, you say....hmm..."


She tries to tell if it is magical in any way.

 

[The Fuzz]

----> Sage





A Kenning roll....wouldn't actually be a great idea, as it would mostly tell you that yep, there's a bunch of supernatural shit going on.


If you want, though, you can roll Wits + Occult at a -3 to examine the tea set and try and figure out what its deal is.


---> The Hunters, Hood, Red, Sackcloth





The thing in the tree dodges the first rock handily, and you can hear it BLRRRRRRRRRRR-ing you a raspberry. The urgent display of disrespect is abruptly cut short by the second rock, which hits the thing right as Hood is only a couple of feet beneath it. It cries out in pain, and loses its grip, falling a little and smacking itself a good one on the next branch down, right beside Hood.


Hood, give me a Dexterity + Athletics check (if you're trying to catch it as it falls.)


Red, if Hood doesn't catch it, you can try the same check before it hits the ground.


Either way, y'all get a decent look at it. It's got the face of a little boy, but with his mouth and nose stretched out and given dark patches of fur, with his hands become paws. His shoulders have warped a little, and you can see now how his frame has adjusted to running on all fours.


Also....Hood, give me a Wits + Composure check.

 

[risaphoeniix]

Lita the Magpie - Among the Shinies!





Lita ignores the hobgoblin for a moment, leaning in to get a closer look at the big shell. Then, without looking up, "what kinda shell is this?"

 

[Grey]

Hood





Hood reaches out, trying to catch the falling prey.


[dice]5332[/dice]


[dice]5333[/dice]


[dice]5334[/dice]

 

[Alexandra]

Sage


"Yes, it does look like you put in quite the effort. Your Daddy must be very pleased."


[dice]5338[/dice]

 

[The Fuzz]

Hood





The....boy lands in your arms, and immediately starts struggling and growling and yelling. Even so, you can tell, your eyes picking out features and reassembling a mental mugshot with the years of practice. This is Ian Harte.


Sackcloth, Red





You can see that it looks like a boy, but with warped features. He's struggling and hollering and trying to get out of Hood's grasp.


Also, roll me Wits + Composure, just you two guys.

 

[Inari]

Red


Red frowned at the rock-throwing…only for Sackcloth’s suggestion to make him blink and look back up at the furry form. Hood took to climbing first, so Red set to prowling about beneath. The second rock startles the wolf, and he moves underneath the falling figure, spreading his arms. Hood still beat him to the punch, but he got a better look for it.

Spoiler

[dice]5354[/dice]


[dice]5355[/dice]

 

[Axelgear]

Sackcloth


Sackcloth watches the fuzzy figure fall into Hood's waiting arms with a leveled stare, a frown on his cloth lips. He glances down at the third rock in his hand, then back at the boy, then back at the rock, then at Hood, then at the rock, then at Red, then at the rock, then back at Hood, then back at the rock, then back at Hood, then back at the rock...


Nah. Tossing the rock over his shoulder, Sackcloth holsters his hammer and, once he's sure no-one is looking, pumps his fist.


"I've got more rocks where that came from, if you don't stop squirming!" He shouts, and this time hefts up a thing the size of a cinderblock... With considerable effort. Carrying it on his shoulder, he approaches to join the others, gladly playing the bad cop.

Spoiler

[dice]5364[/dice]


[dice]5365[/dice]

 

[The Fuzz]

--> Sage





This is quality silverwork. A hundred years old if it's a day, with only a few dings here and there. Nice ivory handles, slightly yellowed but not cracked. Nothing really supernatural about it, though.


Slightly yellowed but not cracked teeth sparkle with grins from the pair of teeny merchants.


"Dad sez we can sell it, and we wuz thinking we'd sell it for fifty dollars and some seriousness."


The other one, in purple, pipes up.


"We really need some seriousness, Missus. People keep laughing at us and telling us to go play, or polish things."


---> Lita





"Aha, young miss, this is the shell of a Hermit Greedy Curmudgeon. Watch closely, now."


The goblin reaches into his oilskin cap and produces a dinged and battered and rather useless looking brass chain, and slowly dangles it in front of the conch shell's opening. A crusty claw comes out and takes the chain, pulling it back into the shell. After a few seconds, the claw comes out again, holding up a tiny slip of paper.


The merchant beams.


"See? Perfect security for those valuable little items, retrieved at a moment's notice, provided you hang onto the receipt."


---> The Hunters





Sackcloth, Red.....you see furtive movement in the bushes at the edge of the clearing. That's a nice ambush these things are attempting.

 

[Grey]

Hood





Snarling, Hood holds the boy in one gnarled fist around one skinny wrist.


"Stop. Struggling." He says, before looking down to Red. "Red, catch him so I can get 'im down," he orders before carefully dropping down, assuming Red'll take the kid's weight.

 

[Inari]

Red


Red looked down from the tree, scanning the greenery. Snuffling at the air. Another growl built up in his throat and he edged closer to Sackcloth, putting his back to the puppet. Whether this was protection or pack tactics was anyone’s guess.


”Found the rest,” he had the presence of thought to say.

Spoiler

Red is going to aim to look as imposing as possible while he puts his back to Sackcloth. If a roll is justified…


[dice]5367[/dice]


[dice]5368[/dice]


If the “Stare-down” specialty doesn’t apply here, ignore that last die on both rolls.

 

[Axelgear]

Sackcloth


Sackcloth sees. He drops the rock in favour of his trusty hammer and turns about slowly to put the tree to his back, in hopes of limiting the range of possible ambush routes.


"Right you are, Master Red..." Sackcloth nods in agreement, trying to get a count on numbers and on whether the wee blighters look hostile.

 

[The Fuzz]

The Hunters





There are two other shapes in the brush. The undergrowth rustles, and before the things step out, you hear a high piping voice...


"You're an asshole! We wuz just playing!"





Ian Harte (either hits the ground hard and awkward, or lands in Red's arms, if Red attempts to catch him.)

 

[Axelgear]

Sackcloth


"Correction," the brownie reminds them, holding up the weighty implement, "I am an asshole with a steel hammer and surprisingly effective aim." Reminder given, Sackcloth then gives a deferential glance towards Red, letting fearless leader be the one to speak with them.

 

[Inari]

Red- Out in the Hedge


Red caught the falling tangle of fur and cloth with a grunt, before taking the thing by the scruff to get a good look at the kid’s face. The growl died down in his throat. It really was a kid…


”Hold still. Is Melanie Grace with you? ” Red inquired, keeping a hold on the furry thing while looking into the bushes for his pack. ”Ian Harte?”

Spoiler

Would like to list other names, but I don’t think Hood specified besides the two. Don’t think Red saw a picture of Ian, either.

 

[Grey]

Hood





The Sheriff rises to his full height, holding Harte by the collar, badge gleaming on his chest.


"Harte's here. Who are the rest of you? Time we got you home to your folks."

 

[The Fuzz]

The Hunters





The voice from the bushes pipes up again.


"I'm Melanie. Uh, I think Ian is here."


The bush rustles, and a girl steps out. She is much more immediately recognisable as Melanie Grace. Her hair is wild and filthy and shaggy, and the nails on her fingers and bare feet are long, jagged and yellow, but she looks....reassuringly human compared to the boy in Red's grasp.


She stares at you, kind of dumbfounded. She looks like a kid who wanted to play a game, but then found that the rules got changed and no-one told her.


"Uh....I think that's Ian, Mr. Wolf. I'm not sure cuz he's not sure."


Ian struggles and snarls, but within a moment, his snarling turns to a cry.


"Let me go! Let me go! I'll kill you let me go!"


The remaining shape in the bushes....doesn't come out. It snarls and whimpers, though. It, too, seems nervous about the way the game has changed.