The fields surrounding Duskshire Keep are a tangled mess of overgrown grass and shrubs that have grown too big for their britches. The keep looms in the distance where it has been built out of the granite, foreboding and haunting over the river. From here there doesn't seem to be movement inside the walls, at least not what anyone can tell from this far away. Not so far away are a cluster of crumbling buildings, a fenced in looking area and a strange lumpy hill. Our band of adventurers have made it out of the woods and now have some decisions to make. Which depressing looking area of the fields are they going to poke around?

Jonathan checked intellect + agriculture at difficulty 15, rolling 28 higher.

Genevieve checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 11 higher.

Jonathan can tell the fields suck and haven't grown anything well since before Norwood's hair gray from Adalyn driving him slowly insane.

Norwood's sword has found its way back into its sheathe, but he's not relaxed a moment. Stepping out of the woods his eyes find the stone of Duskshire. He keeps his expression flat and emotionless before he turns back from the keep itself to the ground before them. "The Abandoned hunters mentioned a second way into Duskshire."

"These fields are absolutely atrocious," Jonathan grumbles, his voice slightly muffled from underneath his helmet, the fearsome hound armor at odds with his youthful, bright demeanor. "Been like this for decades, I'd wager...And that they did, isn't it where that lumpy hill is?" He gestures in that direction with his waggling spear, looking ill at ease. Maybe. It's hard to tell with the armor.

Sir Jeffeth Bayweather is always willing to offer a helpful hand. So here he is, with two helping hands. He's on his huge draft horse, Friend. The big knight sits in his saddle, just, frowning at the fields. He bites down on his lower lip for a moment. "Uh." The big man grunts. Slowly looking at his companions. "So. Should we just.. Start walking around?" The big man slowly dismounts from his horse, going to tie her off at a nearby tree.

Bow and quiver over her back and axes at her belt, Genevieve nods at Norwood when he speaks. She's not there to take a leadership role. She's there to follow orders, scout around, shoot things and so forth. She trusts that the others will know where best to direct her efforts. As for her bearing, she's got her usual cool resting expression plastered across her face, and her gait is straight-backed but relaxed.

Genevieve checked perception at difficulty 15, rolling 2 higher.

Does offer some words up, however, "I saw something move past the windows of the keep." She points in that direction. "Just a second ago. Flash of white. Gone now, though."

Norwood examines the different locations then nods at Jonathan's words. "If those are the stones then it deserves a look. Keep a weather eye on those buildings though," Norwood nods in the direction of the buildings, "in case something comes at our back." Norwood is stepping towards the stones but Genevieve gets a glance before Norwood turns a searching gaze up to the keep. "We know there are... people," a twist to that word, "in the keep." He's going to keep going for the stones though.

stones=hill

Jeffeth has rolled a critical success!
Jeffeth checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 87 higher.

There are currently /still/ critters in this field. Granted it's really more rabbits and some fox and some squirrels. As of yet, there are no raging nests of wasps waiting to get anyone. The group heads towards the lumpy hill, which is covered in vines and plants and all manner of growth. Those with an eye for this kind of thing can probably tell that some of it doesn't look entirely naturally, more like someone is encouraging it to grow in a very particular fashion.

Norwood checked intellect + agriculture at difficulty 15, rolling 3 lower.

Genevieve lifts her shoulder in a small shrug at Norwood, prepared to follow him with her usual quiet, light-footed steps. She does cast occasional looks back towards the keep, though, as well as around her surroundings in general.

Jeffeth starts heading away from the horse, the big man is pushing into the fields. His eyes flick over to Norwood. "You said people funny." The big knight points out quietly as e pushes through the lumpy hill. Then big man pauses and then squats down, pushing some foliage away, then more, then more. Jeffeth is soon on his knees pushing away a whole bunch of grass before his head pops back up so everyone else can see him. He's frowning deeply. "Bones!" The big man calls out. "Lots of em!"

Genevieve checked perception + agriculture at difficulty 15, rolling 1 lower.

Jonathan checked perception + agriculture at difficulty 15, rolling 22 higher.

Norwood checked perception + agriculture at difficulty 15, rolling 14 higher.

Jeffeth checked perception + agriculture at difficulty 15, rolling 9 higher.

Genevieve checked intellect + agriculture at difficulty 15, rolling 3 lower.

"Hmmm...Somebody has decided they don't like anyone seeing this door," Jonathan decides, noticing the growth there and moving that direction, pushing and tugging the growth aside to reveal...A door. A locked door, sadly, as he finds out a moment later. "Guys?" He calls out loudly, to attract attention to this discovery. But not too loudly. A loud kind of quiet.

"They're scum who took what isn't theirs." Norwood says flatly in response to Jeffeth's noticing that he's talking weird about the Duskshire inhabitants. The calling about bones brings Norwood towards Jeffeth with flickers of sorrow crossing his face. "We've been fighting over this land for decades." Standing over the bones Norwood adds knowledge of the fighting here too the other knight's findings. A shake of his head. "Best to leave them in peace." More quietly he heads towards Jonathan's discovery and eyes it. "We could knock it in."

Genevieve checked perception at difficulty 15, rolling 0 higher.

"Sir Jeffeth?" Norwood gestures towards the door.

Between Jeffeth's discovery and announcment of bones, and then Jonathan's own call, Genevieve's body is held with bow string tension. This is one of those times when she actually seems as though she's on edge. Looking towards Norwood with a frown, after the door is discovered, she quietly says, "Alright. This could just be me. But I feel like we're being watched." Glancing around with slowly blinking eyes, she keeps a guard over her surroundings. Other than that, she's willing to let the others take the initiative in this situation. She does offer, "Try and keep it as quiet as you can."

The big man straightens up with a light frown. "So they're not people anymore?" Jeffeth nods over the bones, leaving them in place before he follows after Norwood and Jonathan. Knock it in? This is what Jeffeth's do best. The big man rolls his shoulders. "Well, here we go." Lowering one shoulder the big man runs at the door to ram the thing in.

Jonathan steps smartly off to one side and faces the door, ready to rush in the second it is popped open, if it actually is. Probably is. Jeffeth is big.

check perception+survival

Jeffeth checked strength + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 57 higher.

Jeffeth breaks the door down. He also goes through it. It's kind of dark in there.

And there are cobwebs.

And dust.

Jonathan checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 3 lower.

"It's dark in here." Jeffeth yells out as he goes crashing through the door. Going to brace himself, trying to slap cobwebs. And dust. Out of his face.

"Oh yuck," Is Jonathan's first response to getting cobwebs and dust all up in his face..But there's a visor, so he has a bit of an easier time slapping stuff away from his face. "We need a torch, Genny. Or Sir. Whichever." Since he needs both hands to use his weapon, he doesn't offer himself up to carry a light source.

Bang goes that door, wringing a wince from Genevieve's face. And so while the dudes are intent on being all door-slammery, she keeps an eye on the landscape outside the portal. When Jonathan makes his request, she nods simply, "I'll hold a torch if you want. Sir Norwood?" She looks proper jittery as she asks for confirmation as to yay or nay, it's fair to say at this point. "Can't fire a bow while I'm holding one, though."

Norwood doesn't go into the doorway. That's a younger man's game. Instead he looks back at the keep, and those other buildings to see if there is a reaction outwardly to that door getting shattered. In a low tone to Genevieve, "Do you see anything else?" A nod towards the keep and the buildings. The call for the torch, "Just a moment." Norwood will cast around for some wood and some terrible plants to make into a torch. "I think I'd rather you keep that bow of yours ready. I'll hold it." That to Genevieve.

Genevieve checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 7 higher.

Jonathan checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 3 lower.

Jeffeth checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 22 higher.

The large man is standing in the darkness. Jeffeth lets his eyes adjust to the darkness, looking around. Not yet drawing his blade. "I can't really see anything. It's very dark. But I'm looking very /hard/."

At some point a torch is handed over to Jeffeth and Jonathan hanging out in the secret tunnel. It's very smoky and it makes the air unpleasant. They've made quite the mess of this area and there's really no way that whoever uses this tunnel /isn't/ going to notice. The thing stretches on for a loooong way. And it seems to curve in the direction of the keep itself. When Jeffeth looks to the ground, he'll be able tell that he and Jon aren't the first people to be here recently. There are disturbances on the ground, footprints from a variety of people.

"I'm sure you are, Jeffeth. Good job." Though her voice is bland, that's more because it's the way Genevieve speaks,and not indicative of any mockery in her voice. It's something to say, after all, something to subtly break the notable quietness -- that extremely notable quietness -- that hangs across the fields. While Norwood goes about cobbling together an improvised torch, she allows her gaze to glide over the landscape -- and that gaze widens suddenly as she looks towards the cluster low buildings. "Alright, it's not me. Saw that white flash again. Over there. Someone's watching us." A nod towards the direction. "Or we're being watched, at least. I think."

"Well, then we can expect for them to act as soon as we start down the tunnel, probably," Jonathan remarks quietly, and a little tensely. "But we /need/ to see what's down there, right? So we need to go, regardless." Because stepping into the trap is a great plan, really. He's a tactical genius.

Norwood checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 38 higher.

Drawing his blade, Jeffeth takes the lead down the tunnel. Holding his torch aloft. His sword is slowly drawn and Jeffeth is just heading down the tunnel. If this is a very bad idea, someone should probably tell Jeffeth quickly. Because he's heading down the tunnel at a slow pace, looking around for any sort of traps.

Jeffeth wields Silverfall, a diamondplate longsword.

Jonathan is right behind Jeffeth, really.

Norwood turns his attention to where Genevieve is pointing, his hand going to Queensguard's hilt. In a low tone to the two behind him, "How far down the tunnel can you go? Weapons out before you do. Genevieve, keep your bow on the flash you're seeing." Norwood stays in the doorway to back the two inside up, but also, not leaving Genevieve alone to face whatever is coming. In a lower tone to Geneveieve, "Any chance you can get close to it," whatever the white movement is, "without being seen?"

Tunnel seems empty so far. So far.

Jeffeth forges ahead!

From the empty buildings along the edges of the field, something falls. Loud and crashing. Quite a clatter. But at the same time from down in the tunnel, Jeffeth and Jonathan are nearly beyond Norwood's helpful advice. And that's when someone comes around the subtle bend of the tunnels curve. Their own torchlight bouncing off the dirt walls and meeting theirs.

Drawing her bow as Norwood advises, the archer gives him a small nod, "I think I can. Pretty certain. I'm willing to try if you want." Narrowing her eyes, she prepares to move as quietly and unobstrusively towards where the white flash was seen, keeping it within her sights at all times no matter where it goes. Ready with the bow, but only shooting -- should the need arise -- if she encounters something that is an obvious threat. Otherwise, this is all about scouting and getting a measure of the situation. No tally-ho business or anything. Sneaky sneaky.

Genevieve checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 5 higher.

Norwood bridges the gap between the two parties, the pair down the tunnel and Geneveieve going to get a better look at the flashes. Occasionally he glances towards the keep and across the fields just in case something else shows up.

As apparently Jonathan is /incapable/ of getting around Jeffeth despite his very earnest desires, Jonathan is restricted to tapping his shoulder and signalling for the man to hold up. If he listens. Man is a knight, he doesn't have to.

Jeffeth glances back to Jonathan. "I'm going to fight and block you. Just pat me with your free hand and tell me which way to move so you can strike." Jeffeth rumbles back to the man before looking back down the tunnel at the group approaching him. With his sword held up, his other hand goes up in a wave. "Hello down there!" The big man calls out, brightly. "Any chance you'd like to put your weapons down?"

"And here we go," Jon murmurs quietly at /that/ shout.

Norwood's eyes keep being drawn to the keep, a frown etching itself onto his lips. What the heck is up //there//. A note, ask Genevieve that when she returns.

Norwood could probably tell Jeffeth and Jonathan how this is going to go. He's done this very same thing before at Duskhire! Granted, not in the tunnel. Above ground! There are two wirey looking men that round the corner, their voices confused when they notice the torch light and smoke. Put their weapons down? "Who the fuck are you? You're not Smirking Clive!" And that's when the weapons are drawn from sheathes and the first fellow charges Jeffeth with his sword. They're Abandoned and they're in hostile territory and people from the Compact are not their friends.

Norwood predicts dead bodies.

Jonathan checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 28 higher.

Jeffeth checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 43 higher.

"No I'm not. But. Smirking Clive sounds like a very fun name." Jeffeth admits with a broad smile. His sword is held aloft as the two men start rushing down the tunnel. The knight bends his knees preparing for the two, ready to parry and move out of Jonathan's way when the man behind him is ready to do some spear-stikcin'

"And left!" Jonathan exclaims, leaning around Jeffeth in that way and lunging hard with his long spear, aiming to stick that wiry bugger that's charging Jeffeth for the temerity of charging a knight. The Impertinence! "I know, right? I kind of want to meet him. Hope Genny and Sir Clement aren't stabbing him right now."

Something had to have caused that noise. The archer frowns, wondering if Norwood heard, and looks back in his direction. Taking one last search around for the source of what might have caused the noise, as well as smelling the air and listening carefully, she slowly heads back, towards the cave. Bow still drawn, waiting for trouble, eyes still scanning the scene all around. Behind her, behind Norwood, and everywhere in between.

The man who's looking for Smirking Clive will never be able to respond to Jeffeth, because he gets skewered by Jonathan's spear. Unless he lives. But there isn't a lot of medical help this far out in the country at the abandoned keep. Blood starts pouring out promptly all over the floor, making it muddy and gross. The second guy isn't entirely stupid. He takes one look at his dying friend and HOOFS it.

Genevieve checked perception + investigation at difficulty 15, rolling 0 higher.

Genevieve checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 16 higher.

Jeffeth checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 15 higher.

Jonathan checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 25, rolling 24 higher.

The second there's the sound of laughter Norwood has Queensguard out of his sheath. Plus the sound of FIGHTING down below. Since the cat is CLEARLY no longer in anyone's bag Norwood calls out, "Show yourself!" Maybe weird giggly-person will show.

Jonathan doesn't really think about it. As the man runs to go get help, he rears back and /hurls/ the spear toward the man, aiming for his legs to bring him down. Maybe it'll just tangle him up? Probably not, it's /very/ sharp and hurled /very forcefully/.

"Oh great. Now we can run him down and talk to him--" Jeffeth is saying just as Jonathan's spear flies right by him at the fellow. The big man frowns deeply, but sprints at the remaining figure that was trying to run.

Norwood checked composure at difficulty 30, rolling 18 lower.

Cristoph GM Roll checked luck(3) at difficulty 15, rolling 5 higher.

"//Shit//." Norwood can deal with some things, but CLEARLY whatever just happened is enough to shake ALL of his calm. Nope nope nope. He steps back to keep the lumpy hill at his back and to leave the doorway open in case Jonathan and JEffeth come out of it on top of their fighting.

The second guy is very lucky, very lucky. Because Jonathan's spear /does/ hit him in the leg. He goes sprawling to the ground and screaming, "MY LEG, MY LEG!!!" Which probably isn't too original, but he's probably going to have a limp for life. He'll be very easy for Jeffeth to catch now. From down in the tunnels they can hear Norwood's "//Shit//." echo down to them.

Jonathan checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 5 lower.

Running down the tunnel, the big man catches up with the man with the spear in his leg. Looking back down at Jonathan he holds up a thumb. "Good throw. I thought you were going to kill this guy!" Jeffeth clucks his tongue, going to sheathe his blade. The big man goes to clutch Jonathan's spear, looking down at the man. "So. I think we'll walk you back down the hallway so we can all talk to you alright."

Okay, so Norwood's freaking out and there's big clanging kerfuffle down in the tunnel. Where her husband is. Ack. Nonetheless, though she's probably on the verge of finally breaking, Genevieve turns to Norwood with wide eyes and says, "Nothing I could see there. Clattering sounds, that's it." Turning around, she tries to work out what got the knight so on edge. Bow still drawn, waiting for orders if needs be.

Genevieve checked perception at difficulty 15, rolling 12 lower.

Jonathan does /not/ take this well. It's rather clear that he was just trying to /stop/ the dude, not potentially kill him. He tries to grab the man under the arms, easily able to lift and carry him as they both try to walk him back.. As he turns though, still obviously very shaken by what's occured, he hears Norwood's shout. "Shit," he echoes, turning and starting down the corridor as he tells Jeffeth, "Hurry!"

Genevieve has rolled a critical success!
Genevieve checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 75 higher.

"Something just touched my face and fucking giggled." Norwood rather enjoys when there is something to swing his SWORD at. But there's nothing right now. His mouth drawn into a straight line. "Jonathan, Jeffeth. Get up here."

Jonathan and Jeffeth should have no problem carrying this guy out of the tunnels. He's not very big to start off with. His friend is dead though, so he's pretty upset and also in a lot of pain. Whlie Jeffeth may want to talk to him, it's possible that he's not going to be too interested in being friends. When he's brought up, he spots Norwood and his sword and shouts: "BLOODY LAURENTS! I hope we kill everyone of you that comes out here! This is our place now!" He's very happy.

Norwood doesn't care about pose order and steps forward as the pair bring their man out of the tunnel. He reaches forward with his free hand and grabs the man's hair to look him in the eye. "Duke Cristoph has come to reclaim these lands. If you want any sort of mercy you'd better leave now or stop claiming our blood."

Well, not that one, obviously. But the REST of the Duskshire Abandoned.

Jonathan is a bit freaked out, really, but carrying the wiry man as best he can. When Norwood just starts railing at him right in his face, he blinks a couple times, but doesn't even try to stop the tirade. "If we don't stop his bleeding, he won't have any blood left, let alone claim anyone else's, Sir. What the Abyss happened?" He's looking around, totally mystified.

Touched his face and giggled. And even though that doesn't sound very scary. The big man walks down the tunnel with the poor yelling guy. "Hey now. You stop yelling." Jeffeth rumbles in a voice that doesn't necessarily sound stern. But at least it's a command. Glancing up to Norwood, Jeffeth leans in to peer at his face.

Jonathan is really right on about the bleeding thing. The spear put a nice hole in his leg and while he's not exactly dying, he's not really going to stay conscious much longer. It does not stop him from muttering some more choice words at Norwood. Like, 'murderers' and 'Compact scum' and 'haven't claimed it all that well before'.

Whoa, did Sir Norwood Clement just let out a swear? Alright, so things have officially descended into the realms of FREAKY SHIT. Turning to the knight with a face bleached of colour, Genevieve eyes him with... well, wide eyes. Words spill out of her mouth. "Saw that figure again. Keep window. Woman. Sad face. Gone now, into the darkness" A long pause as she just ignores bleeding man and the stabbers, she things a while but then it's back again. "Okay, so. Flashes of white. Sounds in empty buildings. Bones in fields. Ghosts, right?" That might be obvious. Probably.

Either that or Genevieve has finally lost her marbles!

"Or an actual woman." Norwood refuses to go down a mystical rabbit hole until other possibilities have been established. He eyes the man, "Jonathan, get something around that man's legs. If he wants to talk he can do it where he can tell us something helpful." Aka, not with the freaky touchy-giggly types about.

Jonathan wraps a long strip of cloth around the man's leg, because really, that's the extent of the medicine he knows. Seriously. He is shaking slightly, and that's /really/ not helping, as he peers aside to his wife. "Well, that's just lovely. Because shavs aren't bad enough, we have to get into the other level of bad. Always has to be ghosts...At least it's human this time." He lets Jeffeth heft the man while he fixes him, figuring the big dude can handle it.

Once Jonathan gets something wrapped Jeffeth goes to heft up the man, putting him over his shoulders to go ahead and carry him away.

Cristoph checked strength + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 0 higher.

Norwood checked strength + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 6 lower.

Jeffeth checked strength + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 4 higher.

White-faced and drained looking, Genevieve goes to stand by Jonathan, walking with him wherever he goes.

Genevieve checked strength + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 18 higher.

Jonathan stays close to the speared man, making sure he makes no trouble, his posture weary and still slightly shaking. After they get well away from the sight of this latest horror-show, he reaches out and gently wraps one arm around his wife's shoulders in silence

Jonathan checked strength + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 2 higher.