The most voted option is: Adjust your armor real good, wrap that shard up, and stick it in your pocket, best keep it close. Light a torch(lets hope the shadows are afraid of fire and light. Then again, they might be snuffed out again, because magic) and make a run for it, a sprint if you will, for the manor. The glass of brandy was contested, but had less votes. A few also wanted to investigate the lines on the metal artifact. These two other things will be.. incorporated somehow
A brave choice you voted. Some would call it foolhardy. Let's see how it turns out
51 – A flight in the dark
You decide to quickly analyze the lines on the metal artifact. You don't have much time, but maybe you can find out something, or at least try to remember them for later. You kneel besides the artifact, and start to examine it closely. The item itself is rather small, smaller than your clenched fist. The lines that cover it are numerous and rather thin. They are now barely glowing blue and purple, and at this pace they will disappear in a few minutes. You try to see if there's any kind of pattern there, or maybe some writing that you know of.
You observe them clearly for maybe three minutes, but you find nothing that has any meaning to you. To be honest they do not seem like words, more like symbols. But if they have a meaning, it's lost to you. They are very complicated patterns, even if you had time it would take quite a while to copy them on paper. And you do not have time, in fact you're starting to feel cold once again. With one last glance you try at least to remember more or less the general shape of the patterns. You feel confident that you could at least recognize similar patterns now, though you have no idea of their meaning of course.
Enough, you have lingered here long enough already. You take the cloth and wrap up the metal artifact once again. It is slightly warm, you can feel it through the cloth, but nothing to worry about. You carefully place it in your deepest pocket. You give one last look outside, and see that nothing seems changed. You adjust your leather armor, you have no idea if it will be of any use but better have it than not. You look at the lantern, but decide against it. True it does give out more light than a torch, but it's not suited for running, and besides the shadows seemed to be afraid of the purple and blue flames. Better have something like a torch that could be used like a weapon, if needs be. You grab your sword with the other hand, and set out.
You leave your room and after closing the door you carefully make your way down the stairs As soon as you reach the lower floor you are confronted by a shadow. It's a misshapen, broken, malformed thing. You feel terribly cold looking at it. Terrified, you instinctively thrust your torch towards it. The thing immediately retreats, just out of range of the bright light. Hesitantly, you take a step forward, and see that the shadow is still retreating. It seems afraid of your torch, or at least wary. You decide to try advancing resolutely, and after you take a few steps the shadow flees down the corridor. You feel immensely relieved, these things seem to be afraid of the flame, this should help you immensely.
While making your way through the building, you hear some noises coming from the kitchen. It seems like... someone talking loudly? You think a moment about it and then decide to go and take a look. You carefully look inside, and see three servants with torches in their hands, keeping watch at the windows and looking very afraid. They have not seen you but... you can't bring yourself to leave them here. Besides moving with more torches could be a good thing. You enter the kitchen and do your best to calm them down.
After a few nervous moments you manage to convince them that staying here is too dangerous and that you should head towards the lord's manor, which is surely a safer place. They agree, and one of them offers you a bottle of brandy. You think about it, but decide against it. You can drink after you're safe, now you need to keep a clear head. Carefully, your small group reaches the door, and you can look at the village. It's dark out there, and you can see that the grass is frozen. The temperature seems to be akin that of a winter evening, but it's not impossibly cold. There are misshapen shadows lurking out there....
The servants are scared, but you insist that leaving is your best bet. You have four torches and those shadows seem to avoid the flames, you can surely make it. Reassured by your decided, charismatic words, the servants agree, and quickly you set out. You decide to make a run for it, but not too fast. The shadows seem to take a few moments to give way to the torches, you do not want to run too fast and collide with a shadow that did not have time to move out of the way. All the while you resolve to talk to the servants, to keep their morale up and to avoid having them panic.
As you run through the village you notice that there's nobody around. Either everyone made their way inside, or something happened to them. You hope the former... You run and run, it should not take so much time actually but you have to occasionally stop to let the shadows move out of the way, and besides you are so afraid, every step seems to take an eternity.
But as you run along a road, suddenly a shadow comes out from behind a corner. It's right in your face, you cannot stop or change route in time. The misshapen thing quickly wraps around your right leg, as panic ensues. Two of the men with your start to scream and flee in opposite directions, the other one seems to be paralyzed. The shadow has completely engulfed your leg. It's cold.... so... cold........
Then the other servant thrusts his torch into the shadow, and you are suddenly released. You fall on the ground as the shadow flees quickly. You are stunned, and can barely think, but the servant helps you up and starts to half pull, half carry you towards the manor, all the while screaming for help. More and more shadows seems to swarm all around you, just outside the light, but suddenly you hear voices and many torches appear, sending the shadows fleeing. With a start you realize you reached the manor, and the guards heard the man screaming and came outside to help you. Gratefully, you let yourself be ushered inside, into a bright, warm, well lit room.
A guard carries you upstairs, and suddenly Kalz and the lord are there, talking, asking you what happened, and checking if you are injured. You are in daze, and answer hesitantly, barely managing to avoid telling them about the metal artifact. They realize the state you're in, and give you something strong to drink. You feel the burning liquor filling you with warmth, and suddenly you feel so sleepy... Kalz gently brings you to a bed, and you fall asleep in a few seconds.
You wake up a couple of hours later, and go back to the room where the others are. You find out that the darkness is starting to lift. The sun is still pale, but at least it's not longer so dark outside and slowly, it's getting brighter. Kalz tells you that the sun started to get brighter about a hour ago, and that the shadows immediately disappeared. The lord waited for about another hour to be sure, but now his men are starting to move out, in order to bring help to the villagers. He also tells you to take it easy for a little while.
In another three hours the sun is once again bright and warm, and it seems like nothing ever happened. You go back to the bedroom and examine the metal artifact, but the lines are long gone. Now it resembles a cold, irregular lump of metal. But you know it to be much more than that. You wonder how you could learn some more....
You feel better after eating something, and think that maybe you could help out, do something useful. The first reports are coming in from the village, and it seems there were no casualties, apart from a couple of old men who seemingly died of fear. Nobody else died or is permanently injured. There is much confusion, but you are told that the few ones that were caught outside by the shadows just lost consciousness after feeling a terrible cold. They are alive, but weakened for now.
But this event does have a fallout for you. As you woke up earlier, you were afraid, and even now you look at dark shadows with mistrust. You wonder when you will be able to let go of this... wariness you now feel.
(You have gained a personality trait: You are somewhat afraid of shadows and darkness)
So Kyoss, what should you do for the next couple of days?
- You will help out securing the village and treating the villagers.
- You will go back to the caravan, and try to put some order there. You do not want the caravan to lose precious goods.
- You will investigate the village, trying to find out any possible clue as to what really happened here .
- Other, maker a proposal and number it.
And where will you keep the metal artifact?
I) In your pocket, wrapped inside a piece of cloth. You want to be able to feel if it heats up, since it was warm before.
II) Put it back in your backpack. You do not want it on your person.
III) You want to keep it against your skin. It might have protected you....
IV) Other. Make a proposal.
Also, the caravan was slated to leave in about two days. The lord is sending his fastest messenger to bring a letter to Lord Medah, who is the most important lord up here in the north. But it will be many days before he will be back. With a bit of luck, the caravan will not be delayed by more than a couple of days, and you with it. If you want it to depart, that is.
What do you suggest regarding this?
A) You should leave with the caravan as soon as it's ready. You have a mission, this cargo is needed at Bitak.
B) You should leave with the caravan, but after waiting a couple more days, partly to see if anything happens and partly to ensure the caravan is perfectly functional.
C) You should stay here and wait for instruction from Bitak.
D) You should leave immediately, you have no time to wait for the caravan. It would mean traveling in a small group however.
E) Other. Make a proposal and assign a letter to it.