Fantasy Fading Flames 2: Farm

[Kabboom]

CHAPTER 1 MISSION: UNSANCTIONED, UNEXPECTED, UNSEEN...

​

Herbert's Farm was far enough away from Stately Keep to make itself a separate administrative entity, which was an administrative insult on top of the administrative injury that is Stately Keep. Originally founded by a dude named Herbert, other dudes soon flooded here, and set up rudimentary wooden huts on the fertile plains that lay just across the river from Stately Keep - which soon turned out to be a bad mood, because frequent cart traffic across the first Herbert-Stately bridges would result in terrible traffic jams, and frequent fatal bridge collapses. A rigid stone bridge was constructed the 11th time around, with abundant workers and resources as a result of the population boom - the bridge was soon rebuilt and reinforced with steel the 12th time around, when the King's Council had to step in and resolve the population problem. A separate pulley-lift ferry was set up next to the Herbert-Stately bridge to transport produce back and forth, skipping the part where the humble farmer and his smelly cart and mule had to sit in a long line behind a dozen other smelly carts, for the chance to cross the bridge.

A few empty carts full of men returned to the Farm, across the Herbert-Stately bridge on this fine and quiet night. Drinkers, jesters and amateur musicians, all of them - the average shop workers have returned home for the night. Another tidbit of Herbert (the locals just call it Herbert): It's less a farm complex and more of a village that happens to have a lot of farms. The populace is still very much up and alive, just not walking outside - that sort of stuff was reserved for drunkards, beggars and people up to no good. Perhaps the party that had signed up for Alorias' little raid belonged to the last type. The petite Maroni and her larger apprentice Merid were present, as was the expensive merc Damien. The lizardman of Clan Jadescale stood taller than everyone in the party, but he doesn't feel out of his element: these farms were his home for a time, especially the barn they were sitting in. The mischievous Iniko was there too, and he was an odd pick for this mission: the right skillset, yes, but the right mindset? To be seen.

The new face in this party, however, was Samuel Kaldwin. Over the three days of initial scouting and stakeouts, he'd revealed little about himself, other than what he knows about the place, and stuff that's relevant to the mission - like his history as a street urchin and retired rogue of the Guild, and the large scar on his leg, and a limp being the painful reminder of the strike that put him out of Adventurer business. As the few empty carts of people loudly passed the barn the team were huddled in, prepared with self-made ghillie suits courtesy of Maroni, one cart stopped. A few individuals, numbering 5 in total, hopped out of the back nonchalantly, and entered the target building. As this transpired, Samuel Kaldwin finally spoke up. Maybe the man wanted to inspire the team, or maybe he was mumbling.

"It's so quiet, and serene. It always sounds like this, before the infiltration begins. This is giving me flashbacks to my first mission. I was an Adventurer back then, doing some wetwork with my mentor Mackamellan. We were sneaking up on a bandit lord's hideout, set up near Foisten Brek. Back in the day, it was a gold mine for artifacts and loot - apparently Foisten Brek used to be an Elven city, you believe that? Even a decade later, a lot of bad guys still used it to get their hands on high-quality weapons, selling it to even badder guys for a profit. Cash for spent artifacts? That's one hell of a recipe for destruction. It was the first time our Guild had issued an assassination order since its founding. I remember... being scared shitless, heh. The place was a lot more patrolled, a lot more fortified than this farm we're infiltrating tonight, and I was sweating balls. Before we started, Mackamellan just looked over and said to me 'Oi, Suzy, are you daft? Just keep low and follow me, and we'll be fine.' I don't know how he did it, but we actually turned out fine. We just kept moving, we'd take a guy out when another's not looking and just kept getting closer in that way. And, well, we got the big bad who was running the trades, and Foisten Brek soon dissolved into what it is today."

By the time the man had finished his little tirade, the carts were long gone, and the street was silent, with only the muffled conversations indoors to keep the wind and the cicadas company. "Welp, our time's now. This is a lot easier than my mission. Your plan seems good," he gestured to Iniko as he put his 'sneaking helm' on, "I'll try to stick as close as I can." The night was dark and full of terrors, but this party was ready for it - hopefully. Unsanctioned, unexpected and unseen, the party prepared to head out and execute their mission, all ghillied up.

​

Ayama Pilgrim59 Inkles The Octo Trappy Midrick (if you need to, revise and fully discuss the details of plans, and just like spring into action. good luck men)

 

[Midrick]

"I'm not here to fuck spiders*, let's go." Damien said as he he crept along the the side of the barn, they had been told that engagement was off limits unless absolutely necessary, this seemed to be rather high risk, so he was being extremely cautious, even if they managed to kill anyone who spotted them, it would still raise the question of who killed them them and for what reason. Taking prisoners would also be out of the question, if they really were a cult than the disappearance would be noticed immediately. Damien turned to a wagon that had been there, apparently the guardian who was responsible for their hiring had provided some concealment for them. Damien removed what looked like a cloak and pants covers from the wagon, finding that it was in fact a Ghilli suit. Damien had used a variation of this type of concealment in Simeria, except they were white and generally made of scrub brush unlike these, which seemed to be made of long grass and brown colored leaves. He crouched down on one knee and began to prepare his suit.

afterthe had secured the suit to his preference, he peeked around the corner of the farm that served as their FOB, not seeing any signs of lights or movement in the darkness he rounded the corner and made a smooth transition to a prone stance and began to slowly crawl toward a large tree in front of the farm. He kept his body flat and moved slowly, onw thing he was taught was that what gave away a scout or soldier on recon the most was the desire to see the target, and naturally a human raises its head to get a better view. This was usually the demise of the would be scout, even the most minute difference in the level of the body was easy to spot when someone was prone, and even though he was trained Damien fought the urge to raise his head and look around, and when he did he rotated his head at a painstaking speed, never changing its altitude.

He finally made it to the tree and after making sure it was clear for him to change stances against ascended into a well concealed observation center. In reality it was a treehouse, but a damn good one, he surveyed the lit up buildings for any movement or signs of patrols before he would move to his specified area where he was supposed to be.



Fuck Spiders*: Slang used by expeditionary soldiers for sitting around and doing nothing or being useless.

Kabboom

 

[Pilgrim59]

Maroni
Sentinel of Trentino
「Herbert's Farm, Empire of Light」

Interacted: N/A
Mentioned:
Merid ( Inkles The Octo ), Garax ( Trappy ), Damien ( Midrick ), Iniko ( Ayama )
​

The general rundown of the planning phase went without so much as a hiccup. Much to Maroni's surprise, what she deemed to be a diverse cast of varies origins, had found a middle ground rather quickly. Or rather, a certain man was quick to take the rein. There had been a lull in the insistence of politics and personal glory - much to Maroni's delight. For now, that'll have to do, at least until dusk settles.

Courtesy of Garax's innovation and resourcefulness, the team had a few suits of woven leaves and netting at their disposal. In this particular environment of hedgerows and countryside shrubs, it had proven quite advantageous. When night fell, Maroni looked to her gears, leaving behind her pieces of her armor and her sword at the rally point. It was prudent for one to rkd themselves of shines and burdening equipment, lest they fall victim to their own noises. Even her shield was bound with netting and dampened leaves to help her blend into the hedgerows.

Seeing Damien off towards the treehouse and well-dug in, Maroni hand-signaled Merid further to her left, as the two began their concealed approach towards the target building. With the night as their ally, Maroni crossed the dirt road, avoiding the lamps and torches, as she leap-frogged it towards the side of entrance. There, she came to a halt behind a cart and slowly crawled forward. She remained as still as the moon, making sure particular personnel of interests would change their shifts. As they were preoccupied with their own chatters, Maroni relayed another hand signal towards Iniko this time. It was time for the main pair to make their insertion, while Maroni and her apprentice kept their post near the building.

 

[Ayama]

Iniko Fitaka l'Escroc

Thief - Saltimbanque - Ladies' Man

Male - Incruscan - Twenty Six

“Challenge me, but at your risk.
I never miss- ain't that right, miss?
I'll steal the pillow from your bed,
And all the dreams inside your head."

Location: Target building

With: Samuel, Mystface

When the short but shiny and well-dressed Guardian volunteered herself (as well as her tall and menacing apprentice) for the assignment, Iniko wanted to groan out loud. The Guardian, despite her size, was quite loud, and he doubted she'd ever had cause to learn any form of subtlety in her training. Her apprentice looked like she'd be more at ease bashing in skulls with those hammers or, as she'd said earlier, setting the farm on fire. The Guardian introduced herself (No one should have a name that long, Iniko complained to himself) as Maroni and her apprentice as Merid, bowing politely and saying they'd be 'in his care'. He stopped himself- just barely- from rolling his eyes at that one. Iniko was a thief- he looked out for himself, and was not in the habit of doing so for anyone else.

He didn't return the bow but did incline his head in response.

"Perhaps you would care to impart your wisdom pertaining to our given assignment, signore?" she asked, looking up at him. This time he really did roll his eyes.

"Call me Shade," he responded. "And I haven't gotten that far yet."

The lizardman joined their group, greeting Maroni in his strange manner. Shortly thereafter, the man who'd been sitting eating cheese earlier (and who was clearly a mercenary) named his price for helping Alorias. Iniko's eyes went wide. Four figures in gold? Is he insane? The cat didn't seem remotely concerned with expenses, though he had said earlier that the transactions would not be handled by his master. The vagueness of his reply definitely bothered the thief, who wasn't about to lay his life on the line for this without at least some guaranteed riches promised to him.

To Iniko's surprise, the man then rose from his seat and headed towards their group.

"Seeing as I'm probably one of the only other people here who understand the concept of stealth and recon. I'll be joining you for the stakeout," he declared.

Iniko blinked, looking the man up and down while raising a skeptical eyebrow. He was large and muscular, wearing plate armor and carrying a sword and shield. He hardly looked like stealth was a specialty of his, and he certainly didn't have the build for effectively sneaking around but, since he said he had experience in the matter that was, as far as Iniko knew, one advantage compared to the other three in the group. He shrugged, not wanting to voice the vastness of his doubts aloud- any one of them could no doubt kill him easily, and antagonizing them was not a smart move.

At that moment, the cat spoke again, but was interrupted mid-sentence by something only he could sense, after which he promptly bid them farewell, and vanished. Iniko stared at the place he'd vacated in consternation. He was no longer around to answer any questions about the assignments- specifically about their payment. How on earth did he expect that this would still get done? Especially for the one party that contained a mercenary and was headed by a thief. Iniko shook his head, focusing on what lay before him.

He tried not to sound too awkward or inexperienced as he cleared his throat and faced the group.

"Well, uh, thank you for volunteering to join me on this assignment," he said. "I'm sure that, with our combined resources, we'll be able to make quick work of this and get the information we've been tasked with uncovering."

Since the others seemed about to start asking questions, he headed them off by holding up his hand.

"I'm sure you'd all like to get started on planning this but, as leader," he explained with awkward and unfamiliar emphasis, "I must first be sure to review all the information I was given," he waved the notebook he was holding, "and come up with a plan accordingly."

There were a few nods, though the mercenary and the apprentice both looked doubtful. It was clear they did not feel his words or demeanor inspired confidence. Iniko grinned, using his most charming smile and adopting the suave, confident manner he used most when bluffing at card games, seducing women, and talking his way out of sticky situations. He didn't need them to actually trust or believe him, really- just enough to let him get out of there.

"I want to make sure I don't miss anything, and that we do this right. After all, your lives will technically be in my hands, and I would be remiss if I didn't do my utmost to ensure both your safety and the success of this mission. Trust me- you're in good hands with Shade l'Escroc."

He laughed internally at that last- it was a fun little inside joke he played, telling people they were in good hands with him by stating his full name. Though the nickname Shade could refer to his ability to bend and manipulate shadows, in truth it was simply a nod to his dishonesty and what a shady individual he was. As for his last name, well, it literally meant 'crook', but people didn't know that so he was constantly amused at their expense.

"Let us meet mid-morning tomorrow at the abandoned cabin in Keiskand Forest," he declared. "That will give me enough time to go over all the information, and we can decide on a plan of action away from prying eyes and ears."

That last bit seemed to have convinced them enough, at least, so with a another wide grin he stepped past them and towards the door, resisting the urge to turn and look back as he walked out of the room with an ostentatious confident bound in his step. Once he had left the room and closed the great door behind him, his entire demeanor changed, as he hunched his shoulders defeatedly and heaved a great sigh, a dark expression coming to his face.

I need to get out of Seedingstate, he thought desperately. Now.

*****​

Ordinarily, in this situation, Iniko would simply have skipped town that very afternoon. However, this was no ordinary case of him getting caught cheating at cards or bedding the wrong woman- he was on the SKAG's radar, and there was a powerful Darkborne cult in town that was steadily growing in power; even infiltrating the Guardians. Seedingstate was no longer safe, and that meant he needed to get his mother and stepfather out of there as well.

He headed straight to the bakery from the Guild Hall, arriving just in time for their daily lunch- they retired to the back to eat at the same time every day, leaving the shop boy in charge to man the store should any customers arrive. He wasted no time and got straight to the point, detailing all he had learned and the urgent need for them to leave town. They took some convincing- after all, their business and their whole lives were in Seedingstate but, by the end of the hour, he had them convinced. He told them to pack what they needed after the shop closed- he would come and get them under cover of nightfall.

After this, Iniko returned to the tavern, unusually nervous and wary- though trying hard not to show it. He paid particular attention to his surroundings on the way, in case he was being watched, but he sensed nothing. This should have reassured him, but somehow instead it merely unnerved him further.

Once he got to his room, he placed the notebook in the small hiding nook he kept his money in, grabbing a handful of silvers to refill the pouch at his waist. Then he headed downstairs to join a game of cards. After all, if this was to be his last day in Seedingstate, he might as well enjoy it. Plus, since he usually spent his afternoons thus, he would avoid drawing suspicion or attention by being absent.

He won a few rounds at first, but his luck quickly turned. By the time the sun was beginning to set, he had lost most of his money and was in a sour mood. A darkness seemed to hover over him, apprehension and fear over what he had learned and his imminent plans seeming to hang above him like a cloud. He downed the last of his whiskey and folded his last hand, rising from the table and excusing himself before heading back upstairs to his room.

His mother and stepfather should be closing the shop just about then, and he needed to make his preparations as well. Since he had everything he needed to travel on him, however, he simply laid down on the bed, staring unseeingly up at the ceiling while dark thoughts swirled in his mind. He was still engaged thusly when an unpleasantly familiar voice startled him out of his ruminations.

"Hard at work planning for your mission, I see," Alastor's voice came from the shadows. Iniko jumped up from the bed, a knife appearing in his hand, as he whirled to face the magical cat. He hadn't seen, heard, or otherwise sensed it arrive, which was unprecedented for him. His own stealth-related talents made him virtually impossible to sneak up on, especially given his night vision and sharpened Incruscan hearing. He felt his heart pounding in his chest as he watched the feline, who seemed perfectly at ease, sitting poised on the small wooden table by the wall.

"Bit jumpy for a thief, aren't you?" Alastor calmly remarked, casually licking a paw. Iniko took a deep breath in through his nostrils.

"Yeah, well when I get asked to make myself an enemy of a Darkborne cult, I'll admit a little bit of my calm goes out the window," he responded cautiously, not dropping the knife. The cat gave an amused hiss Iniko understood to be its version of a laugh.

"I told Alorias hiring a cowardly thief was a bad idea, and you certainly don't disappoint." Iniko's eyes narrowed.

"Then why did you choose me?" he asked. The cat shrugged, continuing to lick his paw.

"Absence of backbone or morality aside, your skills are needed to successfully complete this mission."

"I see. In that case, why are you here? I already agreed to lead the mission." The derisive bite in the cat's voice became more pronounced.

"In case you had any foolish notions. Like, say, skipping town." He stopped licking his paw and looked Iniko dead in the eyes, and the thief felt his insides plummet. No... Alastor gave a predatory grin, displaying two extremely sharp incisors.

" We felt it appropriate to let you know exactly why that would be a bad idea." Iniko gulped, heartbeat accelerating.

"First of all, the Darkborne have operatives everywhere in this town, which means they might know we contacted you already." A chill went down the thief's spine. "Secondly, should you attempt to run, or sabotage the mission in any way, both the Guild and the Seedingstate guardsmen will be immediately notified of your activities over the last few months. I'm sure they'll be very interested to hear what you've been up to." Iniko gritted his teeth- so they'd had him under surveillance for that long?

"And lastly," the cat said, his tone colder and even more menacing than before, "you should know that, if you do not do this job for us, your mother's safety will be in serious jeopardy." The Incruscan's eyes went wide and he released a feral snarl.

"Leave her out of this," he threatened. Alastor snickered again.

"Or what? You're in no position to make threats here, Mr. l'Escroc."

"I thought you were supposed to be the good guys," Iniko snarled. "But you're as bad as the Darkborne." The cat hissed vehemently.

"We are the good guys, you halfwit. But unfortunately, the Darkborne are gaining influence quickly- too much of it-, and we're running out of both manpower and time to stop them before it's too late. So, if that means we have to blackmail a no-good thief into doing the right thing, then we will. Desperate times call for desperate measures." Iniko was trembling with rage- the threat against his mother, and trapping him by using it against him, was making him see red.

"Fine, I'll do your job," he spat, with utter disdain, "but in exchange I want you to promise me that my mother and her husband will be safe, and to get them out of Seedingstate." He knew the words were useless- he had none of the power in this situation. But the cat merely shrugged again.

"We cannot promise anything in these dark times, but you have my word that we will try to keep your family safe." Iniko nodded- it was about as good as he could expect.

"All right," he said, lowering the knife. He was still breathing hard, blood thundering in his ears. "So what happens now?" he asked, trying to keep his tone neutral.

"Now," the cat said, somehow producing the notebook Iniko had concealed earlier, along with the other two from the meeting, "you do the job."

*****​

Over the next couple hours, Iniko went closely over the information contained in the notebooks while Alastor sat calmly by. He had to admit- it was both extensive and impressive, containing information about the cult, fake identities for the team's members, and a detailed map of the farm's layout, as well as a short list of adventurers who could be hired to assist in this mission, including the two Alastor had mentioned before: Harryn Stuart and Mystface. He could see why they'd been recommended- Harryn was trained in stealth, and Mystface's ability to teleport using smoke was a notable asset for this kind of job.

He asked a few questions as he worked, forming plans in his head. How old were the maps? Was there anything unknown or likely to have changed? How would they find and hire the adventurers? Alastor answered his questions in detail, making Iniko feel more reassured. After he had finished perusing and memorizing the information, and gotten all the answers he needed, he left the room as the cat vanished once more, off to hire the extra hands and summon them to the following day's meeting while he set out to meet with the final piece of the puzzle- Samuel Kaldwin.

As expected, he found him discreetly encamped in the woods at the farm's edge, not far from the river. He introduced himself, disclosing who had sent him and why he was here. The older man's face broke into a relieved smile at the information.

"Finally," he said, "I know Alorias has a lot to deal with, but it's about time he sent a team down here to help me figure out what's going on." Iniko asked him what he was doing here and how he knew the elf. Kaldwin gave a dry laugh.

"We go way back," he explained. "I learned how to sneak around from my days growing up and living on the streets, and I was one of the only rogues routinely hired by the Guild, and back in the day we did a bunch of missions together. But then I got injured and that pretty much put an end to my adventuring days," he said ruefully, wincing as he readjusted his injured leg. "Alorias and I have kept in touch since then though, and I still try to do what I can to help, despite my condition. I've been trying to find out what's going on here for a few weeks now, but haven't had any luck actually catching the cult in the act."

Iniko eyed the man with interest- it wasn't often he met another in his line of business out here, especially since nearly all Guild members were either powerful sorcerers or big strapping fighting machines. In fact, he didn't know if he'd ever heard of a rogue working for the SKAG. In Iniko's mind, stealth and sneaking around were inextricably linked with thievery and making a dishonest living, so Kaldwin's honor and clear dedication to a cause greater than himself, rather than his own interests, was something for Iniko to wrap his mind around.

On top of that, injury aside, the man was middle-aged and yet still in this business, which he found quite impressive. He was under no illusions about the fact that those in his line of work usually ended their days in a cell, or at the point of a sword (or even in a noose). Very few extremely lucky ones might successfully retire, or transition to a different line of work, but he'd never heard of a rogue still exercising his skills past his mid-thirties. Kaldwin must have been extremely good at what he did, to work for the Guild and still be alive and working in the field now, and Iniko flashed back to what Alastor had said about him being able to learn a thing or two from him.

Kaldwin's hair was dyed nearly black- no doubt to help conceal him during missions, though the greying roots were beginning to show-, and wore clothing to match, older and more patched than Iniko's, but also obviously of finer make and quality. Though his appearance was grizzled and tired, his eyes showed knowledge and an alertness that betrayed his outward physical appearance, and Iniko sensed this was a man who knew much and had much to teach. Unable to resist, he tried to ask a few more personal questions.

Kaldwin seemed reticent to discuss the particulars of his life, but seemed pleased when the conversation turned to various situations and relevant skills. Iniko didn't dare outright ask the older man to show him some of his tricks, but he burned to do so. Instead, he asked about the farm. Here Kaldwin became serious and much more expansive, giving the thief detailed information.

Since he had posted himself here, he had found out about the farm's layout and inner workings. He knew who traveled down the target building's road and when, and had made notes about building infiltration. He hadn't, however, been able to penetrate inside the target building itself, due to his injury, which slowed him down considerably and made it too risky to attempt on his own- he needed a teammate, and backup should things end up going south. This was not a solo mission.

Iniko frowned at that last, biting his lip. Unlike Kaldwin, who had, it seemed, worked most of his life as part of a team, Iniko's entire career so far had been mostly a solo act, and he was unused to and uneasy about the idea of working with other people. Still, it had to be done, and Kaldwin clearly knew what he was doing and could help him to figure it out.

Iniko told him about the other members of the team and Kaldwin nodded to himself as he took in the information. Then they looked over the map together and came up with a rudimentary plan for the infiltration to present to the group and adjust/refine as needed. Iniko thanked him for his input and headed back across the river, stopping by the bakery to make sure his family was safe before heading back to the tavern to get some much need rest- he was going to need it.

*****​

When he met Kaldwin and his teammates at the abandoned cabin the following day, he could tell the mercenary and apprentice were surprised to see him there. They had clearly expected him to skip town. He ruefully thought to himself that he would have if that had been an option. Kaldwin showed up shortly afterwards, and he and Iniko first detailed the false identities the team members would be assuming and giving to Stuart and Mystface when they arrived.

The reasoning behind this was that, since the two were being hired, there was always the possibility that they could be bought out by another bidder, so the less information they had on the group, the better. And even if they were honorable, this would ensure that, should they be captured by the enemy and coerced into revealing what they knew, they at least wouldn't be able to give them the team members' names.

Once the two showed up, Iniko and Kaldwin detailed what they knew of the farm so far, laying out the map and the plan they had come up with. The others asked questions and made suggestions, and the plan was updated accordingly. Over the next two days, Garax would go undercover as a day worker at the farm, to get some more information, and the others would, in smaller teams, alternate between scouting missions, stakeouts, and prepping gear.

Iniko and Kaldwin paired together for these smaller missions, and the thief got to know the rogue a little better- how he worked, the things he knew, what his approach was. His specialties back in the day had been climbing, vaulting, and general sneaking around in urban areas and, though he could not longer demonstrate most of these, he was still able to give Iniko tips, tricks and traversal techniques.

They even had a couple occasions for Iniko to test these out, as he refined ways to sneak soundlessly across an open or crowded space, learned how to discern the way people moved and observed their surroundings, and use this to move past them even when right under their noses. This was quite invaluable, as it would keep Iniko from having to use his abilities, which tired him out and split his focus.

Samuel taught him the art of subduing people without making a sound or leaving any residual marks in an emergency, which could prove essential on a mission like this. He also instructed him in Silent Jumping- a special technique invented by the rogues of the Guild and passed down by Samuel's mentor whereby one could bound soundlessly and unnoticed across wide spaces and to often precarious landing points. Thanks to his Incruscan reflexes and balancing ability, Iniko mastered the technique with ease.

In addition to all of this, Samuel had a variety of special tools- notably a hooked-hilt dagger that could silently dig into a thin cottage's walls, useful for opening windows as well as easier locks (though it left easily-identifiable gouge marks after use).

Garax's stint undercover proved quite as successful as Iniko's training, and the results of it were as followed: the people at the farm were mostly peaceful, hardworking and simple-minded. Most folks living there were, well, farmers, and spend most of their time laboring in their fields for produce to cart back into the city for trade in the evening. Herbert's was also home to annoyed beggars, drunks, and disgruntled cityfolk who were gentrified out of Stately Keep but had too much money to be dwelling in Foisten Brek.

The traffic going in and out of their target house consisted of mostly the 'disgruntled cityfolk' type, but also a few outsiders not from the farm or the keep. These usually went out of their way to hide their origins, but not their faces, and didn't seem to interact with the populace much. Most of the others appeared to actively stay away from them, avoiding eye contact and getting out of their way- they probably weren't very fun folks to be around.

People came and went from the building in groups of two or three, usually staying inside for 45 minutes at least (2-3 hours at most). When Garax tried asking some of the other farmhands questions about what they'd observed since working there, most of them avoided answering, and just dismissed the topic altogether. One child he asked did say that the men 'weren't nice', and would make farmers disappear if they rubbed them the wrong way.

Finally, after two days of sneaking and scouting and what sometimes felt like endless back and forth discussions, they had a solid plan. The night before they were set to infiltrate the farm, Iniko had dinner with his mother and stepfather, trying not to dwell on what the next day's events would bring, and the potentially disastrous outcome they could have for him and his family.

*****​

That night, as they all sat in the barn waiting for the time to put their plan into action, Iniko went over and over all the details in his head, making sure he had everything perfectly memorized. He barely paid attention to the speech Samuel was giving, so preoccupied was he with their upcoming task. They made a strange-looking group, all of them save for Mystface, Samuel and himself equipped with the ghillie suits Garax and Maroni had supplied them with. They would provide excellent cover once they assumed their posts outside, but at the moment it made for a somewhat comical picture.

Samuel and Mystface wore their black stealth gear, complete with fitted helms, while Iniko was dressed the same as usual- his only sartorial concession being him having tied back his long hair to keep it out of his face. Mystface, a veteran and experienced adventurer, so named for his full-face mask (none of them knew what he actually looked like) sat calm and ready and waiting for him to give the order.

Before he could, however, Damien, impatient as always, had already started to move. They waited the few minutes it would take for him to reach the hidden tree outpost, then Merid and Maroni headed out as well. Iniko sat with bated breath, certain at any moment he would hear a cry or the sound of a sword being drawn, but all remained quiet. After enough time had elapsed for the two to reach their position at the first door, he nodded at the others and stepped out himself.

He, Samuel and Mystface crept forward silently in a tightly-knit group, Iniko using his abilities to help shield them from view. Garax, nearly invisible in his own own ghillie suit, followed close behind. Damien, Merid and Maroni kept a lookout for them, and would give one of the previously agreed-upon signals if anything was amiss. Luckily, no such issue occurred, and they made it safely to the cover of the bocage located behind their target building.

The lights were currently lit on both the first and second floor. Silhouettes could be seen moving up on the latter, but they were unsure about the former. Damien would be able to get information about that as, while they were breaking into the windmill and getting up onto the building's roof, he would be replaced in the tree by Harryn and would make his way carefully to the front, spotted by Harryn and Merid and Maroni, staying hidden but able to take a look inside.

Harryn was a novice knight whose attire (a tightly-cut and form-fitting robe) and days spent as a squire had given him quite a bit of experience in sneaking around unnoticed. He was a strapping youth with a straggly mustache, though he usually kept the lower half of his face covered. Iniko was straining to listen for any unusual sounds, but trying not to focus too much on what might be happening on the other side of the building, as he had his own task to perform.

With Garax spotting them from the cover of the bocage, Iniko, Samuel and Mystface crept silently up to the windmill's rear door. Samuel had informed them that, while the windmill doors were locked, they could be easily picked open, which was precisely what Iniko proceeded to do. They slipped inside, closing the door behind them, and made their way upwards as Garax took up his post near the edge of the hedgerow, with a view of the building's second door.

It was up to them now. With their combined skills, they easily made their way from the windmill onto the target building's roof. The windows, as expected, were unlocked, and easily opened from the outside. Samuel's observations had garnered that, while the building's walls were made of brick, the interior seemed to be made of wood, which would be convenient if the need arose to use his specialized dagger.

Checking quickly to make certain that no one was looking this way, Iniko dropped down, opened the window, and jumped up to conceal himself directly under the roof, in the rafters. He was followed by Mystface, then Samuel, who closed the window behind them. Their job was to spy, undetected, on the goings-on they could observe, and gather as much information as they could. Iniko would use his abilities to help keep them concealed, Samuel was tasked with silently subduing anyone they might encounter, should the need arise, and Mystface's sole purpose was to aid in their escape should they need to make a quick, clean getaway.

The range of his powers meant he could safely return them to the barn or the concealed outpost in the tree, and they could make their way, hopefully unmolested, from there. Though of course they hoped it wouldn't come to that. Ideally, they would be in and out without anyone becoming the wiser. But really, when did spying on a cruel, power-hungry cult with nothing but a couple of daggers for protection ever go the way you planned?

codedbycrucialstar​

 

[Kabboom]

GM

The moon's lunar halo hovered over Herbert's Farm, its silent cry clinging to the walls that faced the sky, to the blades of grass standing in defiance of the shadows. The pale hue of that lunar light stuck onto every surface it could reach, unfettered by any cloud or bird in the night sky. For the tepid farmer falling asleep or having a wank in their room on this night, the halo meant that there would be more suffering than usual tomorrow - the fields might become caked mud, the cobblestone roads would become more slippery, their roofs might leak,.... Every farmer in Herbert's was taught the phrase when they were little: "Circle near, water far; Circle far, water near." A lunar halo, as opposed to a lunar corona, heralded rain over the coming days, and they'd have to prepare accordingly first thing tomorrow morning.

For a certain team of adventurers snooping around in a certain house on a certain mission, however, this means they'll have less stealth in the open, as the moonlight accentuates even the smallest shadows created by a deviant outline, thus more likely to betray their presence even with their ghillie suits. The ones inside the roof of the house were safe from this, of course; the rafters were clouded in darkness and not inspected often, and nobody was actually on the top floor of the house at the time. The entirety of the roof was unlit - an extinguished candle lamp sat next to the lone door in 'front' of the adventurers, the room was only made visible by the moonlight through the window, and a light source peering through the crevices of said lone door.

Samuel emerged from cover and crept up to the door, his own hook-knife in hand. His limp, residual of his leg injury, was still apparent if one had known he had a limp, but Sneaky Sam was a different person than Normal Sam. Making no noise at all with his low crawling stance, he crept up to the door, and pressed his cheek to the cold wooden floor to peer through the bottom crevice. After roughly 30 seconds, the Kaldwin man deemed it satisfactory, and inspected the hinges of the door for any signs of rust or booby-trapping. Then he slipped one hand under the bottom of the door with the other on the door handle, and slowly lift-pulled the door open - lifting the door meant the hinges would press against the top of each other, less likely to creak.

Moving through the discovered area quickly, Samuel Kaldwin soundlessly scouted out everything on the other side of the door: another room sat to their opposite, with its door closed; Samuel had opened up to a hallway, illuminated by a candle lantern revealing a stairway to the right, which ultimately led down to another door that was closed. Peeking through the lock on the second room, Samuel relayed his findings through sign language. A man was asleep on the bed inside that room, and his snoring was almost audible through the walls.

On the outside, the situation has changed a bit. The moon's prediction of rain became true faster than anyone expected, as the sky was soon blotted out by dark clouds, dripping rain over Herbert's Farm shortly after Samuel Kaldwin had opened the first door. 'Curious how the world works', a farmer thought as he roused from sleep from rain hitting his rooftop, before going back to sleep again. To this farmer, this was just a rainy night. To the team members lying in the grass keeping a lookout outside, they'd traded one disadvantage for another - on one hand, there is no moonlight anymore, but on the other, they have the cold rain to contend with.

Competition came in the form of a carriage riding down the street. At this hour, this was no dainty villager going home for a weary nap, and the attire of the riders reflected their intentions: stone-faced 'civilians' in baggy dark tunics and ponchos, with broad-rimmed hats enough to conceal their whole face if they looked down. Their eyes were completely fixated on the target building, with coach included - they looked upon it as if it were their muse, their sole purpose in life. Grey horses reeling to a stop outside the target building, they hopped down nonchalantly, and stood out on the entrance staring up at the windows.

What are they up to? How will this affect the mission now? Who's that farmer having a wank? Questions, questions...

Ayama Pilgrim59 Inkles The Octo Trappy Midrick

 

[Midrick]

Damien watched as a new group of unidentified persons pulled up near the main house, and they looked like they weren't just some village rabble, after a little more time passed he descended the treehouse in the choking darkness, the moon was covered by storm clouds and it had began to rain, Damien resumed his crawl, he could be lax now with how level his prone form was, as well as the speed he crawled at. These men by the wagon seemed very interested in the farmstead, their gazes were glued to it like their lives depended on it.

After most of them had departed and moved toward the main house itself, Damien raised himself into a crouch and moved alongside the wagon, he drew the curved dagger that was inside his boot. After he was sure there was no one left at the wagon he turned to the back of it and slowly lowered the tailgate, the rain had turned to a downpour as the strength and sound of the rain increased.

Kabboom

 

[Trappy]

Garax
Throughout the night at his post, Garax lied still as a rock 'neath the moonlight, a pair of yellow eyes amidst the hedge, watching the entry he was assigned to and silently acknowledged every shifts in the environment around him, without a word. Even his rhythmic breathing was so gentle it was not distinguishable from the calm evening breeze at all. Such was the hunter during the stalking phase. His trainings with the hunters of the tribe had forged the lizardman a formidable predator.

And then it rained.
Garax cautiously emerged. It was not the slow drips that slowly became a downpour that got his attention, but sounds of clopping. Riders? A big human cart came rolling into his vision, Garax watched as a fellow hunter, 'Damien' if he recalls, moved to inspect it. The Lizardman situated himself in a more favourable position, ready to initiate the hunt at the first sight of trouble.

 

[Kabboom]

GM

Peering into the lowered tailgate, Damien's eyes struggled against the rainy downpour's darkness. The coach traveled light, fortunately with no lock for the tailgate - the splashing of raindrops on puddles perfectly masked the slight creak of him opening the tailgate, so its dismounted passengers were none the wiser. Within, Damien could locate - with both touch and sight - a folder, or a binder of sorts; the cover was velvety to the touch, and imbued with a strange kind of magic from the feel of it. The binder visibly contained paper within it, but would not open to any physical attempts to open it, despite the lack of any locks or binds keeping it shut. Aside from that, a variety of coins, worth 50 Imperial Silvers in all, were sprawled over the interior of the compartment - a curious sight, considering that normal people would like to keep this stuff secure and orderly in a pouch. Lastly, a knife with a waxy tip can be seen; forged with reflective silver, this appeared to be an ornate piece of cutlery, though the markings depicted on the handle - screaming Darkwolves tearing mortals apart in a triangular pattern - suggests this isn't something you'd gift to an Imperial noble (not the proper ones, anyway).

The new arrivals - four in number - ended whatever conversation they were having and were now on the move. Three of them nodded to each other and approached the door, knocking it a few times, speaking a code word in a tongue unfamiliar to any of the team members in earshot. The door opened discreetly, and the three shuffled inside, with the entrance closing shut swiftly behind. The fourth one had a different task, it seemed: shaking himself free of the rainwater building up on the nooks and crannies of his poncho, the man took a leisurely stroll in Maroni's direction. He didn't even bother to cast a glance back at the stagecoach he rode in on, instead opting to walk away from the place - passing by Maroni's camouflaged self without the slightest hint of awareness or caution. He seemed to be walking further down the road, but to where? What is his duty? Interesting.

Ayama Pilgrim59 Inkles The Octo Trappy Midrick