Shoe Thief

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Fighter (Rune Knight), Level 05 HP: 49 / 49 Armor Class: 21 Conditions: N/A Location: Southmoore --> Road to the Vineyard Action: Blundering socially Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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"No no Lizbeth, do not apologize for me. I should have taken better care to learn the local customs." Kathryn spoke shamefully. Kathryn had not prepared a gift, but she figured maybe she could offer something to the grieving family. Adjusting her person and kit some, she pulled off one of the two waterskins she carried and set it on the box much like Lizbeth did the coins. "I must apologize I am still unfamiliar, so I hope this is acceptable. Some riesling from the vineyard and a well made waterskin." She paused again, before reaching into her coin purse and setting a gold piece with the wine filled waterskin. "I did not know Toombes personally, but I have heard nothing but kind words about him. The world will be a little more amiss without him. I am sorry again for your loss, and I will do everything in my power to make sure justice is delivered." She offered up with a curtsy. "And thank you for what you have shared. I shall leave you both to grieve." Kathryn said humbly and apologetically before turning to leave.

Grouse Rise. Luci of Grouse rise. Who had failed to show up to her lovers funeral? And the last known person to see Toombes. She didn't like it. She worried Luci was also in danger herself, or worse had suffered a fate much like Toombes. But it was getting close to dark. If Kathryn was by herself, she would take the chance and go. Though she wouldn't know the way... But having Lizbeth by her side? Sure, Kathryn was confident in her ability to hit hard and take a hit. But BB had shown that one wrong misstep or one bad chance, and Kathryn could be stunned, delayed, slowed, just long enough to take advantage of in a fight. In a moment like that she couldn't protect Lizbeth. She may be able to handle the beating that followed if she was by herself, but recovery would take too long. "Let's go see Luci in the morning. If Kosara is up for it maybe we can bring her along too. Though chances are low of something happening, I would rather not tempt fate unprepared." Kathryn said before ushering Lizbeth back towards the vineyard.

Though lower in priorities, Kathryn did take a few moments to stop, order a new caste of ale for the coach house, pay a rather handsom fee for it, and get moving at a good pace so she had plenty of time to sort out what little was left of the day. Though it wouldn't arrive until the next day, it would arrive in time for everyone's return whenever they did return. It would be a welcome find. She did let the shop keep know there was a chance that no one would be home when it was dropped off, so to just leave it by the door if no one answered.

On the return trip, Kathryn figured it was a good idea to cross her T's and dot her I's. Grabbing the sending stone from her belt she called into it so BB could receive the message. She knew there was a word limit, but she wasn't totally sure what it was. She also wasn't sure it could be recast or not quickly. "Got a lead on Toombes, heading to Grouse Rise in the morning with Kosara. Stay safe out there." Kathryn said into the stone before continuing to the vineyard.

Nearing the Coach House Kathryn spoke up to Lizbeth. "I do not know what we are going to find tomorrow. It could be nothing. It could be really, really bad. You heard a bit about Toombes and his fate, and I do fear we will see some of that as well. Though I am hopeful that will not be the case. You do not need to come with us tomorrow. If you would like to come and see things through, I will take you with us. But I do not want to pressure you either way. But I will leave the choice to you." Kathryn offered up. She wanted to protect Lizbeth, but she couldn't be sure the best ways too. And no matter what she wanted, Lizbeth was involved now. Only so much could be hidden from her.

Entering the coach house seemed much less a stresser than the rest of the day so far. It seemed Kosara had already returned and had begun food. Thank the gods, Kathryn felt like she could eat a horse in that moment. "We're back Kosara, need a hand with anything?" Kathryn offered up as she began to set her gear and pack down on one of the tavern tables. "Can I get you anything Lizbeth?" Kathryn offered to her would be squire.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Fighter (Rune Knight), Level 05 HP: 49 / 49 Armor Class: 21 Conditions: N/A Location: Road to Southmoore Action: Getting info from the grieving. Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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"I think it may be helpful to talk to them. To not only offer condolences, but to see if anyone in the household had noticed anything the night of the attack." Kathryn said mournfully. She hated the idea of bugging a grieving family, but she wanted to prevent even more from finding themselves in the same shoes. There was also the possibility of stumbling upon the attacker on the return trip. Look for spots that would make good ambush spots, maybe notice something else she missed on the way. Or maybe, the attacker would slip up. Maybe they would go after the duo on their return trip. Kathryn hated that Lizbeth was involved. Not only because she was young and innocent, but because she was who their foe was after. If it was just Kathryn, the half giant would be fine using herself as bait. But as the day dragged on she worried that beneficial or not, they could end up being bait themselves.

With Lizbeth's assistance, finding the family of the deceased wasn't too hard. There seemed to be a coming and going of those grieving, those wishing condolences, and those who seemed to wonder about unsure how too interact or what to say. There was one older couple who Kathryn assumed was the parents of Toombas who seemed to be the most centered of the event. Ceremony? She wasn't sure what the local term would be. But she still understood the importance of such events.

Walking up to the couple in the most humble demeanor someone pushing 7 feet in full armor could muster, Kathryn spoke with a warm and comforting tone. "Hello there. I am sorry for intruding, and I am even more sorry for your loss. My name is Lady Kathryn Pyke of Arcanaple. I was staying at the Vineyard when I heard what had happened, and I was hoping to offer assistance with bringing justice to those who may have been involved. I know the feelings you are feeling now, so I hate to bring them up. But if there was anything out of the ordinary that you could recall from that night. Words spoken, strangers in town, even an odd feeling, I would love the chance to pursue any lead that could help." Kathryn spoke softly, not necessarily like a caring mother, but like an older sibling who wanted to step up and do the right thing. Or a caretaker who feels extra steps may be needed to make sure their charge has the care they need. "And while we're here," Kathryn said emphasizing herself and Lizbeth. "Please do let me know if there is any assistance we can offer in your time of need. Losing a loved one is... The single worst feeling anyone could ever go through. And anything I can do to help alivieate that pain I shall." Kathryn offered up. Had she wanted to push the diplomatic side of things she may have wore something other than a full combat kit. But this wasn't in the original plan, and the chances she may need her kit were higher than she'd like to admit.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Fighter (Rune Knight), Level 05 HP: 49 / 49 Armor Class: 21 Conditions: N/A Location: Gazebo Yard --> Road to Southmoore Action: Investigation via evil dice box Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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"Me? See a dragon? Not outside of BB no." Kathryn chuckled, still wondering if dragonborns laid eggs. "The knight who trained me? Ser Lucas? He claims he did, and I am inclined to believe him. He carried a blade that reminded me of the obsidian daggers we found. But instead made of a large tooth. Once when he was sleeping I took it from his belt to get a good look, and it was so sharp I thought I would lose fingers when it slipped and sliced me." Kathryn said holding her hand up and wiggling her fingers. "I got a good smack and talking too after that. But the cut was so clean and shallow that there was barely a scare when it healed. That and Ser Lucas knew some healing magic. Still, that tooth was sharper than any steel I have ever seen." Kathryn said dramatically, like a story teller sharing her secretes.

The investigation was far less exciting. "If possible, I would love to see if we can find where Toombas was murdered. It may give us hints on the original attacker." She paused a moment before turning to Lizbeth. Near the edge of the lands, this was probably the safest place to turn back. "We're probably going to find and see things that are going to be... unpleasant. You do not need to be here for all of this. And the help you have provided has been more than your share. Even without considering your age. If you'd like to return to the estate house until I return, no one would fault you for it. There is no shame in it. But if you would like to continue with me, I won't protest." But it seemed Lizbeth wanted to stay. Kathryn couldn't blame her. But she worried for the girl.

The concern of seeing something horrible turned out to not be a problem, as nothing was found. It was like some evil third party was actively hindering her progress. No sign of the murder sight near where BB was attacked, or on the road to town. It was a shame, and rather infuriating. And it didn't help that Kathryn was worried all she was good for was her raw physical might. A part of her wanted to go in and check on his family, see if they knew anything. But if he was attacked afterwards, she wasn't too sure what adding additional grief to the family would do. "You know, I kind of wish I took up horse riding when I was younger. My sister did far better at it than I did. So did my brothers. I was more concerned with using Todd as a shield when him and his brothers tried to gang up on me. None of that lot were decent fighters though." She chuckled at the memory. "And Ser Lucas, he tried to teach me. But we couldn't keep a horse long. Sometimes we ran out of money for feed. Or they would get stolen. Killed. Or some other thing came up. It didn't help that I am rather big, and he was rather..." She paused. Looked at Lizbeth and chuckled. "Well he was considerably shorter than you. He was a bit short even by Halfling standards. So there were some conflicts in how training was handled. Especially horseback riding. A horse good for him wasn't for me, and vise versa."

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Fighter (Rune Knight), Level 05 HP: 49 / 49 Armor Class: 21 Conditions: N/A Location: Tall tower thingy --> Frozen Docks --> Gazebo Yard Action: Investigation via evil dice box Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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"Not only did I say it out loud, I said it in front of the whole noble family of the region. The knight who was training me, and several influential locals. Some maybe not so local. I worked hard to make myself unknown for a while after that. My only saving grace is that maybe some of those people thought it was my sister who said that. Shes a bit more out going than myself, and that crowd is more her own. SO! Its not too improbable." Kathryn chuckled while she took Lizbeth to keep exploring. Alas, the task of investigating was not the half giant's strong suit.

Kathryn found the story of the tinker boy rather interesting. She guessed the tinker profession made sense, but it was rather new to Kathryn. At least the version that Lizbeth was describing. "I mean, I guess we had some in Arcanaple. But I guessed they worked different back home. Many lords had a Mason on hand in some form. A skilled laborer and their apprentices. And generally a country may have a couple as well. More isolated regions would have the bulk of the populace work on their products themselves to try and keep them going, or have to reply on trade. Much of Arcanaple is mountainous, so travel through much of the year is a risky challenge. That ignores the weather, bandits, goblins, and if stories are to believed dragons!" Kathryn said with dramatic excitement. "Though my parents say the last dragon of Arcanaple died centuries ago. My uncle said he saw one once though one of the times he went off to war. Though I learned he embellished a lot of his stories over the years." And left out the ugly parts. The really, gods awful ugly parts. "Still, a lot of people didn't travel unless it was in large groups. Though travel was easier along rivers, or if you were staying within your own valley or on the coast, a lot of towns and regions traveling in groups less than a few dozen was a good way to not get to your destination." Sure, there were exceptions, but those exceptions were there own story.

Passing down towards the Docks, Kathryn did take note of the lady of the house watching them as they crossed the back courtyard. Kathryn gave a smile and a polite wave before they were out of sight. Unfortunately, not much was seen on the way to the docks, at the docks, or on the way back up towards the Gazebo. Though she had hoped to see a large cap stone hidden within the stoneworks, she should have known better. There was not much room for much else once the storage below them was accounted for. "I imagine this isn't doing a ton for making my ability to investigate look impressive huh?" Kathryn joked.

"You know, when we get the time we should practice on you learning how to use your magic in synergy with your martial skills. I know you said you wanted them to be their own independent ability, but if you have a skill set over someone who wants to cause you harm, or a tool and asset that gives you an edge over your enemies, you should know how to use it to its fullest potential." Kathryn tried to offer up optimistically.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Fighter (Rune Knight), Level 05 HP: 49 / 49 Armor Class: 21 Conditions: N/A Location: The isolated Storage --. Crop Break woods --> Tall tower thingy Action: Investigation via evil dice box Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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The searching of the lower field could have gone better. Kathryn hoped the others were having better luck on their adventures, but since they were likely still on the road she had her doubts. "I suppose we could look for quarries, or maybe the door could have been made on sight by digging into the bedrock or into a nearby boulder? Let us see if we can find anything hidden within the trees, and make our way to the top of the tower and see what there is to see yeah?" Kathryn offered up optimistically. Doing her best to seal the doorway behind her, she decided she would come back and look later. Maybe when the gods were more in her favor? Maybe when she could muster up her own will and ability to work in her favor.

The walk through the woods was a bit fun at least. "You know, while growing up my siblings and I had our own teacher to teach us things. How to make words sound pretty, how to solve problems, how to talk to people above and below our station in respectable manners, or to demand dignity and respect. Either talking upwards or downwards. I never really liked the idea of talking down to people, even in respectable fashions. At least by titles alone. A few years younger than you I may have been called something of a brat. I'd push around the smaller kids and demand respect through force. Much, to my uncles encouragement. Though a gentleman as big as him? He could bully just about anyone into submission. I'd look like a small child even now standing next to him." Kathryn joked with Lizbeth. "Point being, I was trained in a lot of skills that on paper could be rather useful for situations like this. However, the ability to solve problems, and the ability to find the question, and to literally find the answers, I have in recent years tragically learned are not the same skill set. Land dispute? Got an education for that. Tax exceptions? An education for that! How to use a small child at the age of 8 as a weapon against another small child? Surprisingly, there is education for that." Kathryn said in jest to brighten the mood a bit. It also helped pass the time as they went through the trees, and found absolutely, fucking, nothing. She wasn't going to lie, she was a little disappointed in herself. Maybe she could have become a Cleric like her sister? Or an Ambassador like her other sister. But no, she wanted to stab bad people really, really good. Sure, it came in handy when spooky undead things crawled out of basements. However, that didn't happen too often. SO far at least.

As they trudged along, Kathryn spoke up, noticing the build up of snow while they were off the beaten pass. She took a look over to Lizbeth and though she seemed to be doing okay in the snow, Kathryn still offered up some help. "If ya want, you can ride on my shoulders? Pretty sure my pack weighs more than you so it wouldn't be an inconvenience?" Kathryn offered up the heiress. Though she did decline, this was another step that Kathryn wanted to take to help Lizbeth get at least some feelings to a normal childhood. There wasn't much in the tower either. At the top, the view was still spectacular. She wondered how it would be once everything thawed. Though she was deep down infuriated. A part of her felt like she should be aggressively biting on some sort of eldritch being for her misfortunes. But the logic did not make sense to her. So she brushed it off.

"Hey, so it seems we aren't figuring out as much as we would have hoped too. I am not saying we give up today, but maybe with the place cleared out we can relax some with a bit less chaos ya know? Some fun girl chats. You mentioned a tinker boy in town?" Kathryn had asked with some intrigue. "Well, maybe I shouldn't be the only one spilling beans." Kathryn joked taking int he view. "When I was a wee lass, maybe half your age, before I even understood what a crush even was really, I had the wildest fascination with the baker my parents hired. I don't remember her face now... she left some years later but I can't remember why... The point being, I likely saw a woman who I could get extra treats out of without needing to ask my parents approval, and being the small brat I was at the time, I tried to make my parents marry her to me. I remember specifically my father letting out the most disappointing sigh of his life. My mother burst out laughing so loud that our Steward rushed into the room thinking she was choking. Then I met the boy who I was supposed to marry. Despite being two years older than me, I was still nearly a head taller than him. The poor lad tried to assert dominance in the relationship. As my uncle put it, he hadn't seen a lad so scared of death since the frontier wars. But he was kind, offered me chocolates, and helped show me how to use a blade as something more than just a sharp club. A really sweet boy. I am still a bit saddened it didn't work out." She spoke with a smile, though that one did hurt a bit. She was struggling to remember his face too now...

"There was this one guy too, out in this vassal state some leagues from here. The third son of the estate had been looking for a wife for sometime. And me finally out of my bullying those weaker than me to get what I want phase, Ser Lucas, my instructor, had arranged a meeting in the slim chance that he'd take me for a wife. I even got help from one of his..." She paused, looking at Lizbeth. And debated how much to sugarcoat this story. "...friends... to uh... help pretty me up. She called me a bit of a brute, but she said I had the real potential to be a rather pretty lass. When I finally got to meet him on the steps outside of his home I got so excited! I imagined our lovely wedding, I imagined the parties, the balls, building our home together, having near a dozen kids with him, and in that moment I got so excited I blurted out the last thought that went through my mind." She said with giggled restraint. "I said, out loud, infront of him, Ser Lucas, his brothers, his parents, his staff, and a large potion of the influential people in town... "I am going to have ALL of your babies". I said it in probably the highest pitch voice I could muster too to add insult to injury. Needless to say, I fled town so red I could be mistaken for a hobgoblin." Kathryn said with cheer in her town, trying to give Lizbeth something different to think about rather than the unfortunate situation she was in. "So, now that I have shared a couple of my embarrassing stories, tell me about this tinker boy yeah?" Kathryn said, relaxing on the edge of the tower. Also stalling time to decide their next move.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Fighter (Rune Knight), Level 05 HP: 49 / 49 Armor Class: 21 Conditions: N/A Location: Catching up with breakfast --> Exploring --> The isolated Storage Action: Investigation via evil dice box Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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Breakfast with BB had worked out rather well. BB had agreed to take in Kathryn's letter, which Kathryn may or may not get a reply too. Kathryn enjoyed a good hardy homemade breakfast. And, she got to have a less than fun chat about her dreams... "I wish i had some more positive information to share. But it was mostly... unsettling again. Lots of dead... and undead. A slave collection of some kind but... it was hard to make sense of it. What throws me off... is the knight, the one I am seeing things through... They seemed as unwilling in the events unfolding as I did. I don't know if that was me just projecting or if there is more going on with this character I need to process. From what I understand, the knight I dream as was put in this position because of failing a task previously. I don't know if the price was the one who gave the previous task, or if failing the task gave the prince control over the knight. But it does not come across as a willing relationship." Kathryn said grimly as she did her best to explain her dreams. Dreams were always hard to explain. So.. Vivid. Yet so unreal. A part of Kathryn couldn't tell if she was more scared of the idea that these events had already happened, or that these may be forewarning to events to be. All she could confirm was that the events were close... She was not pleased with the situation involving the rules being broken. But she had no means to enforce those rules. And... No one as hurt. But to hear that Victoria was the one who broke the rules first? Sometimes she swore that Victoria was a more entitled noble woman than herself sometimes! Then again, Kathryn fit the classic noble woman rather poorly. And, she couldn't stay mad at Victoria. The lass was rather charming herself. "Well, be safe on the road. Use the sending stone if you need help. I'll catch a ride into town if need be. And see if you can figure out through Victoria if you can get the specifics of the deal that Grandfather L'Rose made. Or any more sites of interest that we could investigate if you have spare questions." Kathryn offered up with a shrug.

Training was far less depressing thankfully. Lizbeth's skill with a blade and whip were rather impressive. Kathryn still had to watch her own pacing to make sure she didn't accidentally put Lizbeth into a coma... But unlike the early days of training where Kathryn could be seen practically toying with Lizbeth as she effortlessly blocked her blows, and would disarm her just for taking a misstep from time to time, Kathryn had to take deliberate efforts to not cause real harm to Lizbeth. Though Kathryn still won their training matches, Kathryn did have to take them seriously now. She hoped that Lizbeth wouldn't ask her how to shoot a bow. Kathryn knew how, but she wasn't particularly skilled with it. Maybe she could show Lizbeth how to throw knives or something? A part of her wanted to work on Lizbeth to integrate her martial abilities with her magical abilities. Not only because if push came to shove, and if someone wanted to hurt Lizbeth, they wouldn't hold back and she would need every tool at her disposal, but because Kathryn wanted to work on her own skills in that regard too. But, Lizbeth made it clear that she didn't want to focus on her skills in that matter. Kathryn may bring it up in the future though.

Today's investigations were not on the best start either. She took Lizbeth to explore the lower fields, and did not find much. After some time there, she decided to return to the old storage room that had been found before. Now that the magic buildup had worn down that should be far less a threat. And maybe, they could even find this capstone. Maybe there was more to this structure that could be unearthed. "Lizbeth, without breaking some serious ethics, a lot of our leads are not giving us result. But we got results here. We need to get inside." She said solemnly. She didn't want to go around destroying this poor girl's home. But the longer things went on, the worse they could get. Though her fill in squire had concerns, she did not go to stop her from this. It did not take much force to leverage off the lock, nor lift away the barricade that sealed the doorway. Donning her helm, Kathryn stepped inside, hammer drawn, glowing softly in the dim light. Shield in her other hand, she wanted to be prepared if any of the dead had decided to wake up since they had been present. But... it was eerily quiet.

With Lizbeth's help, the duo began to search the room. Though Kathryn was looking for that capstone specifically, so far she had no luck. The place not only seemed unchanged, nothing seemed out of place either. Kathryn had felt like she had unlearned things with how little she learned while entering. "Well, this is a shame. It may be best to move onto another location to check out." A part of her wondered if the best thing to have done would have been following the others into town. She was far from the best investigator. Though she is smarter than many, most of her strengths were tied to... well her strength. Physically. "Don't suppose you have some ideas on where that capstone could be?" Kosara found this place on accident. On Accident?! Surely Kathryn could use her skills for more than property damage?!

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Fighter (Rune Knight), Level 05 HP: 49 / 49 Armor Class: 21 Conditions: N/A Location: Kathryn's room --> Taproom --> Outside Action: N/A Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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Kathryn was growing to hate these deep brandy dreams. So many... she had cut down. It felt so indiscriminate. Violence for the sake of being violent. The dreams always made her feel something like a warlord. No care of the harm they cause as long as they can take whatever they want. But even this, it felt terrible. In her semi panicked state, Kathryn hadn't even realized that she had drawn her heirloom sword. The rather large sword, scratched and chipped, it was still a rather deadly weapon. A part of her wondered if she had swung it as she woke or if she had only just pulled it out instinctively as she woke to fight off the fear effect from her dreams. Seemed Kathryn wasn't the only one with bad dreams. She could hear the screaming from her room. Though this was odd... she normally did not sleep in this late. The sun was already beginning to show outside! She would need to work on her own self discipline. Getting clothes on as hurriedly as she could, Kathryn rushed out to check on the two halflings. "Are you both alright? Do either of you need assistance?" She called out through the door. She got a reply back that seemed to more or less state assistance would not be required. "Drink it? uh...." She responded back when Barbal mentioned preferring to drink his breakfast. Kathryn wasn't really sure what that meant... but she wanted to be a decent host. "Sure? I don't see why not?"

Getting a late start to the day, Kathryn made her way downstairs now dressed in her full kit. Blades, blunts, plates, pockets. Everything a lass needs to take on her day. "Good morning BB. Sleep was... Iffy. But I guess that was to be expected." She said with a shrug. "Hey did you come down here first by yourself?" Kathryn asked the dragonborn in her best non accusatory tone. But she was already losing a grip she didn't have. She worried so much about someone getting ambushed again. But other than insistence, Kathryn had no tools at her disposal to make people follow the guidelines.

Though she guessed Kosara being down here was a good start. Maybe, just maybe the guide was being followed! No more people would get ambushed! It was going to be fantastic! No one else would get attacked and be helpless! She hoped... "Be careful Kosara! If we're not back when you get back, Lizbeth and I may have moved to check out the storage building that was talked about." Kathryn offered up the information to Kosara hoping the tiefling woman wouldn't get into too much trouble on her own. Turning back to BB Kathryn reached into one of her pockets and produced a sealed envelope, shut with a wax seal. "Hey BB, while you are passing into town, could you get this sent out? It has the destination marked on it but if the courier is worried about it making it to it's destination, it will be in the Clouton region of Arcanaple. Local deliveries should be able to take it up from that point. Just let me know how much postage is and I can pay you back." She paused for a moment, before thinking rather visibly. Then pulled out a few silvers. "Actually... I have 16 silvers here. I don't know how much this will cost to send but if it costs more then let me know. But I would really appreciate this."

But alas! Kathryn had work to do. Taking her stand in squire the half giant made her way out the entryway for the courtyard, and began walking the perimeter of the structure. Nothing out of the ordinary. Probably best, but she wouldn't have minded a hint or clue to follow up on. "I guess no news is good news Lizbeth." Kathryn said before taking her squire to the courtyard. Training would be short today. Some endurance training, blade and maneuver training. And perfect stabbing places to kill people training! Everything a growing teenager needs to become a menace to society. Once it was all wrapped up, it was time to head to the field where that storage structure was at.

The Dead Don't Die: Paradise Lost.

June Fowler

Location: Light of the house
Skills: N/A

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"God yeah no I can't stand fish. Too... fishy." June said in reply to the coffee and energy drink stockpile that may or may not exist inside the lighthouse. Thankfully! There were other things to keep her mind on while she was up in the lighthouse tower! The radio! The gun! The dead body! The view! The dead people down the coastlines and on their path back to camp! All the things to think about. And that small voice in the back of her head that was now calling her a dumbass for declining to join AV club in favor of playing roblox back when she was in middle school. Sure, a machine was a machine, but now the learning curve would be longer to figure out how to use it. BUT! IF she got the radio working, maybe she could use the radio to transmit to her homemade drone once she got it working? That should give her leagues more options rather than the limited range of her bluetooth equipment. She knew that the raspberry pi's she had in her bags had wi-fi capabilities, maybe she could use this radio set to talk back and forth with them since wi-fi ran on radio waves too? But could the radio even transmit at the same frequencies? Only one way to find out! OR two if you included reading the instructions.

"I mean do we really? If someone fired off a gunshot in camp I would bet money someone would come running to check it out. Or if I took this here pistol that ser dead lighthouse guy left us and fired it out the window, I am pretty confident everyone below would charge up to see what's up. Then I would probably get yelled at for making a ton of racket, wasting a newly found bullet, and someone would probably use really mean words." June said disapprovingly. "But since I found even more bullets, AND! I can probably get this lighthouse going again. I think I can get off easy without too much punishment. And if someone yells at me I will probably just break down and block it out." She said matter of factly with a shrug before sliding her shotgun under her arm and attempting to find where in her waistband would be the best spot to hold her new found pistol.

Then, the power came back on. At first, June reacted to the buzzing in the wall. Not because it was particularly loud. But because it was... different. Once you get used to specific noises and notice them missing, they stuck out like a sore thumb when they returned. Though people always told June that no one else could really notice the noises unless their heads were pressed against the walls, and even then only at some points. The light flashing on really got to her too, but the light was manageable. Even if she did prefer darker rooms to the bright lights. But that isn't what got to her. What was getting to her was the noises the motor was making as it began to wake up. Louder, and louder. Sharper and sharper. Was it always this loud? Were they all this loud?

June began to be visibly distressed. It felt like the motor was hitting all her nerves in just the wrong places. Pressing both her hands to her ears she hunched over in an attempt to shut out the noise. Pistol still in one hand holding it rather improperly as she desperately tried to block out the loud noise. Being hunched over though looking out the glass, it really just hit her how high up she was. She was... really... high up. "Oh Shit. Oh Fuck." She said sharply as it all began to hit her all at once. The loud motor, the high fall outside the glass, the dead man who died trapped up in the tall tall tower, everyone who was dead outside, everyone who was screaming outside. Was Sam one of these things too? What if this had already escaped? What if the moment they left they were shot? Hung? What if they were already dead?! She couldn't think. All she could hear was the motor getting louder and louder in her head. "Shut up shut up shut up SHUT UP!!!" She eventually screamed as she flailed the gun towards the light one hand still on her head trying to drown out the noise. Squeezing the grip, finger far from the trigger as she was still holding the gun incorrectly. Realizing this with what processing she still had left, she threw the gun across the floor and ran down a light of stairs onto one of the middle landings. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck..." She said between breaths. It was the end of the world. They were trapped on this island with no way home. No one was coming to save them and they were trapped. No one was coming and they were trapped. Stopping part way down the stairs she sat covering her ears with both hands taking as deep of breaths as she could muster in an attempt to let herself catch up.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Fighter (Rune Knight), Level 05 HP: 49 / 49 Armor Class: 21 Conditions: N/A Location: Taproom Action: N/A Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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"Then let's stay here tomorrow. We can go check out the location that storage shelter should be at, and see if we can uncover anything there. And if there are any critical updates, BB can inform us with the sending stone." Kathryn said confidently as if everything was under control. She would also have to make sure she had the sending stone this time. Though if something went wrong it would take the better part of a day to get to town. "Kosara, you are welcome to join Lizbeth and I while we go searching? We could always use an extra set of eyes. Just... If you come please be watchful of what you destroy incase we could use the evidence." Kathryn said meekly with a smile. The tiefling woman had a way of putting down problems so they wouldn't be a problem. But they also needed to learn some of what was going on.

As plans for the night came about Kathryn reassured Victoria of her requests. "I'll bring a chair up when I go up tonight. Lizbeth and I may end up going last so we can follow the two person rule, make sure everyone is accounted for and all that. And make it harder for some neerdowell to catch someone off guard." She would be lying if she said she didn't want some poor sod to try it. The sneaking, the stalking, the ambushes? Added with the cruel and evil intentions, Kathryn wanted to show them true punishments for their evil decisions.

BB was thankfully a bit of an easier manner. "Sounds good, Cinnamon rolls for a bedroll by the fire. I will have it set up for you before I go to bed. That way it'll be ready for you by the time your watch ends." Kathryn said cheerfully. And thankful that BB agreed to stay upstairs. If the stairwell was internal Kathryn would be more optimistic. But it wasn't, and the upstairs door would be locked from the inside. Someone would have to let BB in. Plus, he had already been ambushed out in the dark once before. Last thing Kathryn wanted was for him to get attacked again. At least if he was upstairs Kathryn could react if something tried to cause harm.

Waiting until all were upstairs but herself and Lizbeth, Kathryn piped up to her would be squire. "Alright, we're the last, so let's take our final steps down here and we can head off to bed." Kathryn said doing one last walk around before wrapping up. Giving Lizbeth time to do anything she needed to do as well. Kathryn did notice the pot. A part of her wanted to try and get it washed, but she and dishes had a sour relationship. And, she was tired. "Let's... deal with that in the morning." Kathryn mumbled before making her way upstairs with Lizbeth, a pair of chairs in hand. Why two? Why not?

Once upstairs, Kathryn took a moment to set up the cross bar on the door before setting the chairs by BB. "Here you go. If you can also make sure to check in on each room at some point during your watch just in case. I want everyone to get a good night's rest, so no need to wake anyone unless it's needed. But I don't want to find out the hard way how crafty our foe may be." Kathryn said rather relaxed. Not concerned, but more as just an extra precaution. Kathryn then waved goodnight to the dragonborn before making her way to her room, grabbing her bedroll with all the extra padding to make it partially protected from potential bladed weapons during one's sleep, and set it up a few feet from the fire. Before laying down in bed herself. "Sleep well Lizbeth. Tomorrow, we're going to have a good and productive day yeah?" Kathryn said optimistically.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Fighter (Rune Knight), Level 05 HP: 49 / 49 Armor Class: 21 Conditions: N/A Location: Taproom Action: N/A Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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Kathryn couldn't imagine the stress and pressure Lizbeth was under currently. She was working hard to accommodate them while she learned more and more how much of her life held much darker tones than she had known. When she asked about what they were talking about, Victoria had explained it best. Even if the news was upsetting. "As well Lizbeth, if tomorrow would be too much for you to go with Victoria, there is still that long term storage we need to look for and you can join me on that? But at the end of the day, the choice is yours." Kathryn said sympathetic. Wishing she could do more. "Or if you would want extra hands, I can tag along and we can check out the storage later on?" Kathryn offered in case Lizbeth wanted her to go with her to make sure ethics were followed.

BB was another tale. "Next time I make the return trip you are more than welcome to accompany me. Though I may have to go strait to the frontiers depending on the conditions of my return." This was ignoring the fact she needed people with power backing her. And a few thousand gold. Allies that would make her enemies question if going after her was worth the push back. Strength to push back in case they were stupid enough to still try. "I must insist against you staying down here tonight. Not only does that go against the safety outlines I just brought up, but if you do notice something there will be at least one barred door between you and the rest of us. And without the courtyard secure, you would have to pass through what I personally consider an easy spot to ambush. Changing watch would prove rather hard too. If space is what you are worried about I can move another bed into my room and set you up closer to the fire? Though if the concerns are culturally, I have a sleeping bag we can sew you shut in? And I happen to have a very capable squire who will be present to act as witness, and enforcer to make sure all parties behave." Kathryn said in jest, but she was trying to also hype up Lizbeth's importance. There was honestly a part of her that wished she could properly have Lizbeth as a squire. Or even a page, though she was a bit old for that role now. "Also, if something or someone sneaks in through the second story window, you are more likely to notice on watch. So, for moral and practical reasons, please don't sleep down here. If I must bribe you, Kosara and I can make Cinnamon rolls again. And we will have you present so you can have some fresh." Kathryn said trying to add some humor to her insistence so she wouldn't come across as someone who wanted to weaponize her power. Especially since she didn't actually hold any authority in the region.

Victoria explained a bit of what her mission the next day would look like. "Robert's may have room too. I doubt our current issue spreads to town like it did last time. But if we can learn the details of this deal, and the conditions needed to meet or break it, I think it would go a long way. Or, a way to communicate with this... employer." Kathryn said uneasy. As the talks of the next day continued, Kathryn got up and grabbed herself another bowl. BUT! No one had said anything to her which was nice. But the magic she pushed today really took a lot out of her. Not as badly as previous battles, but she was reminded she needed to practice what magic she did know so it didn't wipe her out so badly. "Tame a bear? Kosara I do not think we have the means to do that, nor to take care of a tamed bear." Kathryn would be lying if she said that the idea wasn't at least a little cool.