[quote="Kaul"] I will climb down and join the rest of the party in the looting as any decent thief should. [/quote]
Slinging his bow, Kaul slips over the side and begins to downclimb. He manages to descend about halfway before losing his grip. There is a moment of blind panic, his hands scrabbling against the side of the building, before Kaul manages to grab the end of protruding piece of wood, arresting his fall before it begins.
Kaul spends a few moments slowing his breathing before continuing his now shaky descent.
[quote="Hengist"] ...since no one else is on it, I'll head from there over to the ill-omened sack to check it out. If I happen to see the spear I threw on the way over I'll grab it first. I know it's dark, but it should have hit the torch-bearer very near there. [/quote]
Hengist makes his way along the street towards the abandoned sack, spotting the dark line of his spear against the road's lighter background of bare dirt, lying near the far side. He quickly retrieves his weapon, hearing a low moan from the burlap sack as he does so. Turning sharply, Hengist eyes the burlap carefully, seeing it shift slightly as he watches it.
[quote="Gwydion"] Gwydion provides assistance with looting. In his efforts, he attempts to be very thorough, checking boots, belts, armpits, and hats. [/quote]
The black clad man bears a small sheathe strapped to his back, seemingly a fit for the stiletto. A strange lump in his boot reveals itself to be a small, finely detailed bronze key. A second, larger and more ordinary key of iron is in his other boot.
Gwydion then heads over to the other corpses. As he approaches them, he can see, even by the light of the moon, that something is entirely wrong with them. The proportions are wrong, the size is wrong, and the head is wrong.
The nearest one lies crumpled on its stomach in the spot where it fell. Gwydion reaches down and rolls the cloaked figure onto its back, the body flopping over, revealing a visage beneath its hood: a grotesque, pig-faced amalgam of animal and man stares back at the elf, a mockery of a normal human or demihuman.
[quote="Masov"] 'Hey, ya'll - Kerrick rode down the road that way after someone - loot could wait, perhaps?'
Masov will trot at whatever pace allows him to reload down the road. [/quote]
Turning from the others' looting, Masov heads south towards the gate, drawing the string on his crossbow as he jogs. There's enough light from the moon to make out the difference between buildings and sky, or grass and dirt road, but little beyond that is visible on any north-facing landscape. The dark silhouette of the palisade looms ahead, the gate standing open.
[quote="Kerrick Helmsworth"] Kerrick continues speaking to the former torchbearer. "The eye of Solis is turned away from you. By your own choices you have entered into darkness, and forfeit the protection of the light." [/quote]
"Darkness? We walk in light, and carry out Solis' great work, you cur! We are saving this town from darkness!" the man spits out. He pauses then, before continuing, almost hesitant, "The spider warned you would prattle on with such drivel...but we are in...the light?" For a moment, he seems almost confused, his rigid posture sagging...
[quote="Kerrick Helmsworth"] "I offer you one last chance to surrender. We require an explanation of your crimes, and you may be allowed to purchase your life with one." [/quote]
The man's posture returns to being ramrod straight, and an undeniable mettle is back in his voice: "You shall not stop me, servant of night!" he intones, then moves to pass around Kerrick's steed...