Session 13: After the Still Night Report
General Summary
After the somewhat uneventful night, the Hawks wanted to check out some of the other farms. Asking Leeka about nearby farmsteads, she provides information about the two nearest, the Durns and the Skree farms. The Hawks think the Durns farm lies most in the direction that they say the figures move towards during the night so they head there after refilling their water supply from Leeka's hand pump well.
After moving through a thick border section of woods and some open uncultivated fields, the Hawks come upon the Durns' fields of corn and alfalfa. Looking through a crossing lane between fields, they can see the rooftop and chimney of a house and maybe other buildings. Moving down to the end of the row, they find an abandoned hand cart. The farmstead seems still.
Patch sees something, however, sticking up from a small grassy and treed ditch between the field and the main farm buildings. A human forearm and hand stick up, laying against a rose-colored boulder. One of the farmhands lies here, his midsection torn apart.
Once they close in on the main farmhouse, they are hit by the smell of the creatures. Jericho, as always, takes the frontal approach and kicks in the slightly ajar door, entering into the family gathering area of the house. A dark, wet stain lies on the floor, as if someone dragged a large paintbrush across the wooden floorboards. The stain leads past the large stone fireplace and around a corner, ending at a raised floor box with an angled cover. The smell gets worse as the box is approached.
The rest of the party moves into the house, though Patch is encumbered by Leeka who buries her face into his shoulder and murmurs a steady stream of "no, no, no, no....". Jericho lifts the lid quickly, hinged legs dropping down to keep it open, and levels his shotgun down the hole. Outside the smell, nothing comes out of it and nothing seems to be moving.
Volk wants to throw a light down there, so he gathers some objects from the kitchen and makes a small makeshift torch, tossing it down to the base of the ladder/stairs leading down the hole. Immediately upon the fire hitting the ground, the whole basement explodes in motion and scraping sounds. A form bursts up through the hole, clawed hands and tentacles flailing out, and image the will haunt Jericho forever. Jericho's gunslinger instincts kick in and he unloads both barrels from his scattergun into the thing.
More of the creatures begin moving, using the external cellar doors to escape. Within seconds of the first, a second monster crashes through the kitchen window, claws reaching towards Volk. Patch, his rifle trained on the window, takes a shot but the nightmare ducks down just in time. Knife in hand, Charles tries to stab the thing, but its hard carapace turns the point. The creature's tentacles lash out, tiny barbs and hooks in their ends catching onto Volk's neck and shoulder. A cold weakness starts to run through him, his arms and legs starting to feel too heavy to move.
Yet another creature rips through Jerichos pant and boot. Once again, the scattergun barks and the monstrous head drops into the darkness. A fourth creature careens in through the open front door, claws streaking towards Patch. Having to turn towards the new assailant, he isn't quick enough to avoid the tearing talons of the monster as they rake down his chest. Already having been wounded several times over the last week, Patch is stunned by the blow and he falls to the ground. Leeka begins to shriek uncontrollably, her face buried between her knees.
Jericho draws Dave Q.'s double breaker from where he stashed it in his belt and fires at shot at the creature locked in combat with Charles, aiming for the only part of it that he can safely hit - its left arm. The powerful shot takes the arm off just above the elbow. The creature makes a horrid clicking, grinding, breathy sound, detaches from Charles and rushes Jericho, who meets it, knife in hand. Freed from the things grasping tentacles, Charles spins his crossbow from his back and fires a single bolt, breaking through the hardened plates that coat the monster.
Meanwhile, the last creature bends down to grab Leeka, but she screams. The room hums with power for a brief moment and a surge of energy propels out from her bursting apart her assailant.
The house failing quiet again, Jericho quickly sees to Patch, bringing him around. The group leaves the cursed abode and quickly finds a few useful items, loading them and the wounded into the hand cart. They head down the small cart track that seems to lead in the direction of the Skree farm.
Missions/Quests Completed
Created Content
Patch
Charles Volk
Jericho Caurd
Report Date
01 Sep 2020
Secondary Location