Shoe Thief

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Fighter (Rune Knight), Level 05 HP: 49 / 49 Armor Class: 19 Conditions: N/A Location: The Big House Action: N/A Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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Kathryn was hesitant to enter without an answer, but truth be told, she was cold too. Truth be told, she wasn't sure if she could reasonably consider Cecily a suspect in all the chaos going on. Even if she did have motives that could be tied into things. "Okay, that sounds like a good plan." Kathryn said warmly, struggling to hide her dread from how things have begun to turn. Once inside, she closed the door behind her and found a comfortable spot to stand, too on edge to sit just yet. Too worried for more to go wrong. Inside the home it was... so much. She remembered how the keep she grew up in was also finely decorated. But this seemed so much even by what she remembered of home. She guessed it was a different kind of money compared too home. A lot more money had to be spent on fortifications and guard work. Homes had to be forts. There were no exceptions to that back home. But here? Wealth was spent on showing just how much wealth families had. She had seen that at home too, with some keeps white washing their stone walls, and some wealthier families gathering art, paintings, artifacts, and placing them on display across their homes. Showing a tale and strong history of their families and their conquests. Even then, this felt different. There was no need to show conquest, this was a land of relative peace. A disturbance in that meant something was wrong, rather than just another adventure for the local lords to deal with, or a local adventuring party.

When Cecily returned, Kathryn felt relieved, and concerned. She worried there would be more to things than just what she had asked of the poor woman. Maybe she had the keys? Maybe she didn't. Maybe... there was a catch. When Kathryn was offered the tea, she first thanked the worker who brought it to her with a soft head nod, and gently taking the cup with both hands. "Thank you very much." She tried to say warmly. But her nerves were beginning to show. She was tense. The tea did help, but the tension was in the air. "Thank you too Cecily. A warm drink was a good idea." She said taking a soft sip of the tea, and deciding she wanted it to cool just a bit more. "It's wonderful." Spoken through a gentle but mournful smile. Kathryn then took the pile of things gently and with care from the serving woman who seemed familiar. Kathryn wished she had taken better care to learn the names of the staff who had been helping to take care of them these last few months. "Thank you." She said to the woman before turning to Cecily again. "I will make sure she gets these things. You have my word."

Kathryn's expression darkened while listening to Cecily. As she talked a bit about Lizbeth's unknown condition, and about the situation leading up to the stranger events that had been taking place. But what really caught Kathryn's attention, was the most important statement. Lizbeth had died?! Hearing this, there was audible confusion on Kathryn's face. For the briefest of moments, Kathryn felt weak, like her legs wanted to give out from underneath her. How was she supposed to respond to such information?! Her body answered that for her by crashing down into the nearest chair she could find letting her legs give out from under her while her mind attempted to process the information she had just been told. With a few deep breaths, a bewildered expression, and a rather large sip of tea, Kathryn finally found the words to speak. "Are you sure?" She wanted to ask more, get more detailed. How long was she dead? Could she had been in a coma or some other deep sleep? Maybe she was too weak to register?! It didn't make sense... But the words couldn't come. The only thing that could come out was repeating the same question. "I mean, are you really sure?" Kathryn asked, this time a little sterner than she meant too. But the way she described it, she couldn't be too sure... But... could it be true? Did that make Lizbeth... Lizbeth? Or was she just a thrall like Morty? A thrall she was emotionally invested into. A thrall who she cared for and wanted to see live a good live. "Maybe she had recovered? Or one of the gods took pity on her and healed her?" Kathryn sounded almost desperate in her questioning. If Lizbeth had died, it complicated things so much more than they had been. The idea that the little squire she had been spending her days with was little more than an echo of the person she used to be, or a puppet being controlled from afar, or something... else. It unsettled Kathryn. Or maybe, just maybe, she was still herself? Maybe some powerful being had taken pity or mercy on her and saved her in their own way? But what did that mean for their current necromancer problem?

"I... That sounds good. You don't need to send anyone tonight. We're stocked up enough to wait until the night passes or this current storm. I think we all have a lot to process." She was always uncomfortable with the idea of necromancy. But the idea that someone she cared for could be a puppet or thrall? It left a part of Kathryn feeling empty. It left a part of Kathryn feeling like a piece of her had withered away. But as Cecily said, she was still the same girl. She would die for her, and Kathryn decided that should it come to it she would do the same. Even if just an echo, even if she was surviving on magic gifted to her to grant her life where there was none, she was still the girl she had spent the fall training and having fun with. But, something was wrong with these lands, something was wrong with Lizbeth it seemed. Something was wrong in Avonshire. A part of her wondered if the patron who worked with Arnaud L'Rose was the same one to work with the late constable. The one who sent the silk laden thralls. She couldn't be sure, but she was determined to find out. "I'll take care of Lizbeth, and I will get to the bottom of this. You have my word on that." The mournful tone was still there, but pushing through it was a warm comforting smile of a woman with a will strong enough to do the right thing even when it would be hard. She would not allow any harm to fall to Lizbeth or anyone else here. Anyone who tried to do so otherwise she would send back into the soil herself.

The Dead Don't Die.

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June Fowler

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Location: Gas Station
Skills: N/A

The chaos of the gas station was far from fun. June's social anxiety was attempting to cause an emotional breakdown inside her head. Externally, she held the most uncomfortable smile in her desperate attempt to hide just how overwhelmed she was feeling today. Between watching the deaths of people she knew, losing her most prized possession, watching the collapse oh the local everything, and about to be dragged into an isolated cabin that she had no idea where it was because her other options consisted on running on foot for a few hundred miles, she was having a day. And by the looks of people around her, she was getting off easy. Sure, she wished she could express her empathy better than offering snacks, sure she wished she could help more than offering up snacks, and sure she wished she could do more to keep herself under wraps other than snacking on snacks. But alas, in this situation, snacks were her best friend. Though at least some of the people she was present with seemed to have decent heads on their shoulders, and most didn't give off creep vibes! She was still unsure about the rest. Though it made her wonder if she gave off creep vibes...

Finishing off the order, she turned to the clerk who checked her and her supply of snacks, magazines, and energy drinks. "Thanks dude. Uh... get home safe when you can yeah? Or if not home somewhere else you feel safe." She was sure they had their reasons for staying, working in retail under normal circumstances was hard enough, working in it while cannibals ate people in the streets? "Nothing this job offers is worth the risk." She tried to speak up sympathetically paying for her order with her credit card, and leaving $200 in cash for the two clerks hoping that it may help.

When June turned around she realized the value of the buddy system, and how flawed her attention span was in keeping to it, and noticed that she had lost Billy, and... she couldn't be totally sure she knew everyone's names yet but she was sure she lost them all in a store that she could see wall to wall. "Mother Fucker..." She swore realizing she now had to either navigate the store with her tower of energy drinks to look for her people, or she had to book it to the truck to drop it off and hope they were already there. Then she saw Billie in one of the side lanes and walked over to her with her leaning tower of energy drinks topped with a basket of random snacks, gummy worms, and magazines. June however was clumsy and slow like this, and wished she had a backpack on her to load some of this up with. Problem for later. As Billie rushed out to checkout and rushed out the door June could do little more as she caught her breath and spoke up. "wait wait wait!" But it came out as more of a squeak as the lean woman found herself quickly unbalanced forcefully setting down her loot. on the shelf, staying close so no one would try to claim it. She had missed Billie due to her own lack of ability to stay focused on task. Fuck. She did however notice one of the other woman from the truck!

LEX! Her name was LEX! June worried how awkward it would be if she had already forgotten the woman's name... always a weak point for the woman. And she was talking too... a dude who had seen better days. Pushing her loot down the shelf so she could get closer to Lex and the injured man without having to carry her loot June spoke up. "We shouldn't stay here longer than we have too. It's getting crazier by the moment." And what if more of the monsters came up? What if they were already here? What if their only hope of escape was the monsters getting distracted by mauling and eating someone else? But she also pitied the man in his situation. "There's gotta be an urgent care or hospital nearby, it may be a bit crazy but someone has got to look at that sooner or later, maybe wash it out with alcohol or somethin'?" She did want to help, but she was still shaken up, and did everything she could to not get too close to anyone, staying behind Lex but close enough to offer the woman assistance if she could. Alas, what aid that could be was limited. "Does anyone with us know how to stitch?" June tried to whisper quietly.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Fighter (Rune Knight), Level 05 HP: 49 / 49 Armor Class: 19 Conditions: N/A Location: Meeting point --> The Big House Action: N/A Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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Kathryn appriciated BB's niceties. She felt undeserving of them, but it was a nice jester none the less. "Let's play it safe then from this point forward. I'll watch your back, and you can watch mine. Together, I pity the poor bastards that try to stand in our way." She said with a little bit of her confidence returning. "I'll make sure to return myself safely as well, I thankfully have a much shorter trip once I am on my own than you did. I think we have to assume that things from this point are considered... Hostile." She pondered what to say for a solid moment. She wasn't totally sure how to approach the situation, but she had to do something. "We'll make sure to check in on your very good friend for you though. He seemed a little stressed about missing you since you left." Kathryn joked a bit before leaving.

Victoria was a treat as always, trying to work out her titles. Her compliments did warm Kathryn's hear a ton, and though she said her magic wasn't needed to bolster her, Kathryn still felt a boost of confidence and power with the bards words. "That has to be some of the nicest words I have heard you say about anything Victoria, I feel honored." Kathryn said pulling off her best curtsy in her dress, coat, and combat boots. "And you can use either title for me, both do the job rather well. I do much appreciate your kind words." Kathryn said warmly.

Kosara was a lot for Kathryn. Even in her confident state she still found herself blushing to Kosara's words. Sometimes this woman came off as a little dense, and other times she seemed to come off way too forward, and this felt much like the latter. "I uh.... I look forward to it." Kathryn said trying to hide her fluster. "Keep yourself safe, and stay warm. I wouldn't want you freezing out here." She said trying to softly redirect the conversation to hide her emotions.

The walk itself was quiet, she was concerned for a bit it was too quiet, but after passing the Coach house, approaching the house, and seeing the front doors, she decided it was just quiet. She also decided dresses were terrible, gods awful winter wear. The only part of her that was warm was her feet trapped in 2 pairs of socks and boots built to survive anything. Her jacket tried its best but it simply wasn't rated for this level of snow and cold. In her full kit? The leather lining in her armor provided excellent isolation. Her cloak also helped prevent the metal on her armor from getting too cold and added an extra layer of shielding! Cold weather fighting was some of her favorite! But this? This sucked. This sucked ten fold. She either needed to get better winter gear, or just wear her full kit anytime she went out while it was snowing. And one option was already paid for!

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Fighter (Rune Knight), Level 05 HP: 49 / 49 Armor Class: 19 Conditions: N/A Location: Meeting point --> The Big House Action: N/A Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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The group seemed to be in agreement. Time to solve the case, time to go home. It was cold and getting colder. But the longer they took to solve things, the more bodies that would turn up. The more bodies that would attack people. Kathryn sighed in relief when Toombes was finally not animated. It was an impressive skill, but it was something that still unnerved Kathryn. Cecily did prefer to return to her own main house, but she should not be forced to travel alone. "I'll take you back Cecily. If we have to split up I am in the best shape to fight solo." BB was in rough shape, and the only one who could out physical Kathryn in raw combat prowess. Seeing how roughed up he was Kathryn didn't want him on his own again. "Lizbeth if you would like you could come with me and your Aunt, otherwise the others will keep you safe." Kathryn said confidently like she wasn't terrified and upset at not knowing what to do on the inside. But Lizbeth didn't need to know that. Lizbeth needed strength. Kathryn would offer hers. "The rest of you, Grab Toombes and bring him back to the Coach house. We'll take better care of him in the morning. Please don't take any risks you don't have too, get back as quick as you can. If you're not at the Coach house by the time I return I'll come back out and bring you all back." She spoke confidently as if they were already on the path of victory! Standing tall and confident, in a coat not meant for extended exposure and dress, and a well worn sword at her belt, she refused to flinch or bend to the elements.

Turning to BB she walked up to him and let out a sigh. Not a defeated one, not of shame, just... tired. "I should have gone with you. I am glad you're okay. And I am glad you're on our side." She gave him a pat on the back trying her best to not hit anywhere that could be sore, and with as little force as possible. "Victoria, good work with the magic, next chance we get lets see what else we can do with it yeah?" She offered trying to hide how much it spooked her. Then with some hesitation, she spoke up to the bard again. "If... Cecily and I are going to be on our own for a bit, if you have any of that magical music stuff to give me a boost, I would much appreciate the inspiration?" Kathryn asked Victoria meekly.

Turning to Lizbeth she looked at the young woman she had been training to fight, training discipline, endurance, and here she was ready to face the day. "Keep them safe for me yeah?" She requested to the girl. She was mature for her age, losing so much of her childhood to trauma and a bad situation. She had no idea how to help the poor girl in this regard. But she would do whatever she could. Then, turning to Kosara, walking up and taking the tiefling woman's hands with a warm smile. "I had a wonderful date, thanks for asking me out." Then she leaned in and whispered. "I don't think we're going to get to too much girlfriend stuff tonight huh?" She chuckled before returning to Cecily. "Let's get going. It's cold, and we're going to have a busy time ahead of us starting tomorrow." She tried to say warmly without overpowering the mournful feelings that Cecily must be going through.

The walk was cold. The walk was dark. Kathryn not only didn't have any torches on her, she didn't have her hammer or any other means of light. In short, Fuck. To make it worse, she was pretty sure she was the only one in the party who couldn't see in the dark. Double Fuck. But thankfully, she still wore boots. Not because she planned on tracking through the snow tonight, but because it was this or her glorified casual wear shoes. If she was going to wear footwear that didn't match, she wanted something comfortable AND practical. So far the only good choice she's made tonight. Kathryn has always held up well to the cold, her height also made it easier to wade through the snow than many. Cecily she would offer help and assist wherever she could. She didn't want to overstep any boundaries, but they were both going to get cold and sick at this rate. But, maybe boundaries needed to be stepped on. Once they had passed the Coach house and the path became easier, Kathryn sighed. She was going to insist, something she really didn't like doing. "Something awful is happening here Cecily. And it is only getting worse. We need to figure out what is going on before it hits a breaking point, and something horrible happens." Kathryn said solemnly. "And your father in law was involved. I do not know how, but I know he was involved. With other evidence we have seen, I suspect the winery is involved too. So know that I do not ask this lightly, but I need the keys to the winery. All of them." She wasn't aggressive with her tone, but it was firm. This was a need. But it was the furthest thing from a threat to the woman. She would never shake down Cecily to get what she wanted.

"With the keys, I need unrestricted access to everything. And I do mean everything. I know it's a big ask, but I hope you can understand we are at the point of big asks." She did try to soften the serious request with a little joke. "If it means anything, I promise I am not stealing company secretes to sell to your competitors." She smiled with a soft chuckle. But it died fast. She was asking to examine every surface of her home, to unearth every aspect of her private life. And they didn't have the time to be gentle, and being considerate about it would have to become a secondary concern. She would have to treat the people who welcomed her in as a guest as suspects until she knew for sure who or what was involved.

The Dead Don't Die.

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June Fowler

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Location: Gas Station
Skills: N/A

It appeared June's car was a loss. Between several of the group wishing to exit the area surrounding the city as fast as possible, and the jets flying overhead, the pet project she worked on with her dad would find its resting place in some parking lot in the outskirts of the city. Shame really. And from the looks of it, she wouldn't get a good chance to go home for a while either. In that moment she understood a bit more why people kept physical photos of their loved ones in their wallet. "All things considering we're still pretty lucky. Though I can see the lawsuit ads coming in the future. "Have you or a loved one lost your paid off vehicle and or loved ones when the government closed the city! Well call us, Tim Dyson at 1-800, 123 go fuck yourself to join the suit!"" June joked in her best announcer voice. "Followed by an ad for slightly used cars, no questions asked that nostalgically may even look like the cars you lost in NYC! Sold by a dude who looks a ton like the dude in the lawsuit ass, just with a fancy handlebar mustache! "Hello! I am Jim Dyson from Jim Dyson's used nostalgic lost New York cars. You can't put a price on trauma!"" June joked repeating the announcer voice a huge smile on her face as she joked. She was going to miss the car though. She wasn't even sure she had a photo of her dad on her phone, she knew she didn't of her mom. There were several at home. 6 hours drive in the best of conditions. Without the deaths, the blockades, the traffic jams, the collapse of society. But alas, June's inability to properly cope made it easy to put up the mask right now.

Pulling into the gas station Billie came up with a reasonable plan. Stay close in case more hostiles came in and tried to kill them. In her coping state, she almost spoke up about how instead of just going for the most unlucky sucker who happened to stay a little too far, now they'll go for the slowest! Then she realized she may be masking her fears a little too much, and saying something like that out loud would probably not go down too well. Humor as a shield could only go so far. When Lex brought up toilet paper it reminded June that they were going to be in a likely cramped cabin together for god knows how long. "I'll find us some snacks and coffee. Maybe some tooth paste and pads and all that other fun stuff." She said trying to sound serious. Not that June was ever good at sounding serious. But she did her best. Water was also a good point, but June's thoughts trailed off after she got out of the truck.

Shopping was thankfully a lot less eventful. For better and worse. The first stop? Filling her shopping basket full of as many gummy worms as she could get her hands on. Less than she expected to be left, but! More than enough to satisfy her needs for a little while. Even if she decided to share with the others. She then thought about her tablet, laptop, and phone. Sure, she had a couple battery packs in her bag, one of which could even keep her laptop going for a little while. But not forever. And she wasn't sure how often she would get a chance to charge her gear or batteries. So ransacking the overpriced low quality electronics, she picked up some cables, battery packs, and fuck it some USB sticks as well. Wifi was not guaranteed anywhere they were going! Plus she had the bag space.

She was also beginning to realize how tired she was getting. Deciding to do something about it before she got too tired to function while they were on the run, she went over to the coffee section, grabbed herself a drink carrier and all the biggest cups she could get her hands on, and began to pour! Except.... There was no coffee. "....mother fuckers...." Then she peaked her head over the shelves to call out to the clerks. "Hey! All your machines are out of coffee!" Even if they began to make more now, she didn't want to stay here any longer than she needed too. Time for plan B. On her way over, she took time to stop for the things she told the group she was going to grab. Pads and toothpaste! Also... out. "Son of a shite..." she mumbled, sounding more defeated than anything. This was going to be a long apocalypse. She did however, get one victory! The energy drinks. Nearly totally untouched! Dumb shit panic buyers had no idea what they were missing out on! Cases and cases of Caffeine! Setting down the basket and crawling into the fridge to grab the unopened cases from around the shelving units she dragged them out, carrying far, far more than she probably could safely carry. But she was preparing for the long haul. Setting the shopping basket ontop of the tower of cases she was carrying she stumbled to the counter. "Got what I need, let me know if y'all need some help yeah?" She called out to the others in her group.

Setting down her loot horde on the counter to buy out she paused, turned around, and grabbed a couple random snack and food items from a nearby shell. "This, should be all from me. And uh, put the stuff from the other ladies on this card too yeah?." She said pulling out her credit car and sliding it over to the clerk. "Oh! If you're willing to part with it I'll buy the gun behind the counter, name your price!" She joked with the dumbest smile on her face. But hey, maybe she could walk out of here armed. But it was mostly just a joke to hide how panicked she was.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Fighter (Rune Knight), Level 05 HP: 49 / 49 Armor Class: 19 Conditions: N/A Location: Meeting point Action: N/A Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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The floating head was still unnerving to Kathryn. She could dish out an insane amount of physical punishment, and could take more than her fair share. She had taken hits that could kill some, and she had dished out hits that could kill most. Sometimes a lot more brutal than she intended too. Especially with heads now that she thought about it. This however seemed far worse. The way it floated there. Though Kosara had a point, the skull probably was not something that should be held with bare hands. Kosara did surprise Kathryn with her own insight to the situation, providing more questions they could ask... Toombes. "So we figure out the deal, we figure out the magic, and we stop this senseless horror before anyone else gets hurt." Kosara had another point, what if the next attack was worse? Far worse? More people hurt? What if the next victim had been someone who couldn't defend themselves as well as BB did? Even he struggled to keep up.

Then she looked back at the skull. It was still... there. Still undead. Still... a man who had been alive a couple hours ago, but was now a shell of their former selves. It was haunting. Kathryn watched on as Cecily pleaded with the remains of master Toombes. Kathryn opened her mouth to say she wasn't sure that Master Toombes could reply to that, or that they were just talking to an echo. But she closed her lips figuring this was also acting as a bit of closure for the poor woman. Kathryn didn't want to be the one to take that away from her.

Toombes answering the question on the weird weapon, all but confirmed that everything that was happening here was related. In some way shape or form it was related. They needed the details of that deal. They needed to know how to end it. Kathryn felt out of her depth again. She could win a lot of fights against most people. But she wasn't an expert investigator, and she wasn't proficient with the arcane and it's abilities. Though she didn't feel like an active hindered, she still felt least qualified. It didn't help that yet again as the party protector, she let BB get attacked and fend for himself. To get wasted and have fun. To focus on building herself rather than assisting her team.

The noises that came from Toombes before his skull darkened were... something that sounded unsettling. It sounded wrong, it sounded... dark. Kathryn did her best to hide her concern, but overall, she struggled. Lizbeth translating the words was somehow... worse. Kathryn couldn't be sure how Lizbeth knew the words, but she seemed just as unsettled as Kathryn was. The warrior woman had to be strong. If not for herself than for her student, this poor girl who needed help now more than ever. "Are you going to be okay Lizbeth? Maybe we can go back and go warm up." Kathryn didn't realize just how cold she was getting. In a dress and a coat she was far more exposed than usual. The cold hit hard, even for someone used to colder climates.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Fighter (Rune Knight), Level 05 HP: 49 / 49 Armor Class: 19 Conditions: Drunken Clutz Location: Vineyard Storage Room --> Meeting point Action: N/A Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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Such a great night turned disaster. She had gotten a date, gotten tipsy without getting shitfaced, assisted her party in what she was pretty sure was a heist, had gotten a date with a man at least 2-3 times her age scheduled, a man with large plots of land. Land that Kathryn wanted all for herself. Seeing the floating head should have been yet another bad omen when the whole thing played out. To add to that, BB was pissed. And rightfully so. Kathryn had yet again fucked up. Her carelessness, her desires to rule the situation socially and to have fun over work, have struck again. This would be a big hit for Kathryn, and she would Have to do better. When he had mentioned trying to call Kathryn, she froze a moment a bit unsure what the dragonborn could mean. But... Then it hit her, the sending stone. She normally kept it on a pouch on her belt! Which she had on her?! Reaching down to check it she froze the second her hand touched the pouch. It was simply some of her notes from studying earlier in the week. The sending stone was in a very similar spot, on either the belt her hammer was attached too, or one of the belts used to hold up her chain mail. "I'm so sorry BB, I didn't think to bring it with me. It won't happen again." Kathryn spoke swiftly and matter of factly. She had fucked up again, and again someone else paid for it.

Cecily was... a different matter. The woman came, she saw, and she threw up all of that expensive wine all over the pathway. Looking back to the skull, it was an appropriate reaction. Especially for someone you knew well. "I'm so sorry Cecily. We're going to figure out what is going on, and we're going to deal with it." There was however the ever real chance that Cecily knew more. Her reaction here implied at least she either didn't have the full story or something had gone horribly wrong. Or was a good liar. And that was assuming that Cecily was involved at all. Lizbeth was holding up... in her own way. The poor girl looked like she was stone cold, coasting in thought and letting her defensive instincts kick in that Kathryn had been training her. In all of their trainings Kathryn had keep enforcing the idea that most of the people Lizbeth may ever face will be bigger than her, and meaner. In front of her now, was something fair, fair meaner. The poor girl looked like she would get sick if she wasn't so focused on keeping herself ready for a fight. She had no idea how she was going to help the girl. Apart of her wanted to bring an end to the training. But another part of her knew that if push came to shove, the poor girl needed to be able to defend herself. Especially if if she would still be the one to protect her student. She couldn't even protect the people trained to protect themselves.

To add to the chaos of the night, sometimes Kathryn forgot just how scary Victoria could be. There was the mind breaking she did to the giant bugs, there was the way she Killed Kathryn. And now... there was Toombes. "Mother Fucker!" Kathryn exclaimed when the once very dead skull came back to life. Ideas of questions were tossed about, but hearing the skull speak, Kathryn froze solid. It reminded her too much of that basement back in town. The corpses and what the constable had been doing to them. All of those missing people stacked up and broken down for parts. It was... Something Kathryn hoped she wouldn't be reminded of ever again. With Morty things were different. Morty was a pig, Morty was an emergency snack that Kathryn had also probably eaten more than her fair share. Morty wasn't a person tortured to death for his friends and loved ones to see a shell of himself come back and answer off questions like a hollow shell of ones former self.

But it yielded results. Not huge ones, but ones that could get them started. He knew little of the local problems, but they appear to have been going on a while. Just... more subtly sometimes. Kathryn would have to teach herself some local lore when she could. It may also be a good time to see how her titles would work regionally. The description of the killer though... She wondered if it was like the band of goons they saw in the fields a few weeks back? She wondered if it had anything to do with her dreams. She wondered a lot of things. But foreign blade got her attention for sure. Kathryn made sure to stay close to Cecily and Lizbeth. Apart of her worried that whoever did this could still be close, and if anyone tried to approach, she wanted to be ready to cut them down.

The Dead Don't Die.

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June Fowler

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Location: On the road again!
Skills: N/A

June almost made a comment about how fines were something that are still a thing to worry about, but with the other woman's reassurance that it wasn't, June made a decision rare for herself, and shut up. No need to create problems where there weren't any while the world burned. She did make a good point on the tunnels. "Gotta agree with you about that. At least a bridge there may be ways to get off it should the roadway be jammed up, but a tunnel? Noooo thank you." She also didn't want to be trapped down there should the power go out. Yes she hated heights, but bridges were bridges. Even if they were about to be blasted to bits... She also hoped she would be able to get back to her car. Yes the ride in a military vehicle was fun and secure, but something about having her own hands behind the wheel was its own form of reassuring. Even if she was less qualified than the dude behind the wheel, something about knowing her own limits while being in control made her feel more safe. Speaking of which, she took note of the rifle that was being carried in. The idea of being armed was still crossing her mind. But she was also pretty sure that when push came to shove she would freeze up. She had only held a gun to a living thing once. A twelve year old little June going hunting with her father, and she didn't have it in her to pull the trigger then. Maybe she could picture them as the targets on the range? Maybe she could just turn off that part of her mind while defending herself? That was a big if though. Better to leave the gun in the hands of someone who could use it than ask for it herself. Plus, she doubted she would be granted such a request.

"Good to meet ya Isaac. Name's June. Private contractor and gummy worm connoisseur." She said jokingly as she attempted to break the tension with a little humor. "And a pleasure to meet you too Illiana." June listened intently as a rough plan was laid out, and honestly the woods seemed like a good idea as a whole. Assuming supplies lasted. She did have concern with trusting strangers enough to disappear with them while they waited for this whole thing to blow over. But she didn't have a ton of ideas in that regard. Or... did she. "When you say a few hours from here, by chance do you mean like Adirondacks? If so my own home is along the way a few hours north of here. Syracuse area if it's close." Though if he was going the other direction, or was going somewhere closer then it wasn't really relevant. But she had to ask. Plus, a few hours meant different things to different people. "I also took a train into the city today, my car is in a parking lot not too far if it were at possible to swing by?" She asked hopeful. If Gus wasn't willing to go out of his way to take her to the old car, then she wasn't so sure she would take the chance to get it. She spent much of the day fleeing on foot, and unless she could physically see her car, she didn't really want too risk trying to get to it. There's no telling what shape it was in if everywhere was beginning to look as bad as the city itself.

June tensed as they pulled up to the check point. This briefly reminded her about the opening act to Stephen King's The Stand and she wasn't so sure if things had gotten That bad yet. Then again, they were getting ready to cut off one of the most populated cities in the United States like a gangrene limb in a desperate attempt to save the rest of the body. As soon as they were off the bridge June sighed an audible breath not realizing she had held her breath in just a little too long waiting to see what would happen. "Car, home, then wait with a shotgun to the door while I wait for this whole thing to blow over. Though, I am flexible on those points for any better suggestions. I don't really have anything close, and the most I know of the area are the areas I work in, and the blocks around my hotel. Somewhere I don't intend on staying to wait this whole thing out." Billie seemed to be open to the idea of the isolated cabin. Brave on her for trusting strangers to disappear into a cabin in the woods. Then again, June was considering the same. She had mixed feelings about it, but she was for all intents and purposes, attached to these people. Thankfully they seemed like a decent bunch of people. Even if she was able to get to her car she doubted she would stay too far from them. And even then, she was convinced now, if she couldn't easily get to her car she wasn't branching off at all.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Fighter (Rune Knight), Level 05 HP: 49 / 49 Armor Class: 19 Conditions: Drunken Clutz Location: Vineyard Storage Room --> Meeting point Action: N/A Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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Kathryn absolutely loved the idea of ending the night on sampling more wine. Sure, wine wasn't her go too. But even she had to admit this was some damn good wine the winery had at their disposal. Buuuuuut the others were not present. So... That would slow things down sadly enough. Kathryn was ready to go and grab everyone when Lizbeth ran in to greet them all! Give them updates! And help wrap up such a wonderful night! Or so she hoped... BB was attacked. BB was hurt. Sure, he survived and was patched up. But he was hurt, and Kathryn had brushed off helping the man. Could she have made a difference? Could she have helped? Yes. Simply put, yes. She was armed, had a couple of her runes, and at the very least could throw some attacker a good distance should worst come to worst. Instead, she was here getting shitfaced, planning political moves, and relaxing.

With the words Lizbeth spoke Kathryn's posture and facial expression quickly changed into something far more serious and dark. Now it was time for Kathryn to become the profesional she was deep down. Not political, not social, the warrior side of herself was ready to take the reigns and kick some ass. "Let's go Cecily." Kathryn spoke matter of factly as she strode to the exit, one hand on the hilt of her sword. The poor blade needed much more work, but it was a good sword none the less. Should some dumb bastard get between her and those she intended to protect they would feel the old blade's sharp edge. Or be ripped in half should Kathryn have her way.

Kathryn made her way outside into the frigged snow and did regret not bringing something warmer than her simple coat. At this point she would have to keep moving to keep warm, something she was more than used too at this point. It would be nice to say Kathryn caught up quickly, but she was far from the fasted in the party, and she also had a delayed start compared to the others. But their tracks were easy enough to follow. The path being lit helped as well. Should Cecily decide to not come Kathryn wouldn't force her. Her main priority was making sure that BB and the others were safe. If Cecily did come Kathryn would do her best to keep pace with the woman so neither of them would be too far from one another.

She could have sworn she heard Kosara yelling, so picking up the pace she did the best she could to catch up and assess the situation. Everyone still seemed to have all of their limbs at least, or at least as many as she saw when she last saw everyone. "What the hell happened?!" Kathryn asked not really sure who she was directing the question to amongst her party. She did take a moment to rush over to BB to make sure he was alright. "I'm so sorry BB, are you okay? Who's head am I ripping off!" She wasn't totally sure if she was being literal herself, but she was furious. With herself, and whatever dumb shit attacked her friends.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Fighter (Rune Knight), Level 05 HP: 49 / 49 Armor Class: 19 Conditions: Drunken Clutz Location: Vineyard Storage Room Action: N/A Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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It seemed that other than Laurent everyone more or less had a decent time. Even Laurent to an extent if Tarace could be believed! She had no reason to doubt the halfling though. "He is just, ever so slightly, kind of full of himself." Kathryn said doing a comically soft voice while pinching her two fingers as close as possible to each other as they could be without touching. "But it was fun overall. So I'd call it a win." She said far more confidently now. A little social justice as well as assisting the party AS WELL!! As having a great night. She hoped everyone else in the party was having as much fun as she was and enjoying their night even half as much as she was! It is a shame how BB had missed most of the night so far.

With the comment of an angle from Laurent Kathryn did a twirl so her skirt lifted and floated just above her ankles. "Good, I happen to like angles. I have so many angles!" Okay maaaaaybe she was a bit drunk. Maybe. But she had her in. Or at least a chance at one. If nothing else, it'll be a good teaching experience to learn how to bargain titles for money and resources. This was something she could do.

She was especially pleased to hear that Cecily wasn't pissed and overall seemed to have a good time. The woman would have a lot of right to be upset at Kathryn, a risk the tall woman took in an attempt to buy time for her team. But not only did she buy the time, she didn't lose for it. "Let's find something good to toast with then. Nothing too strong, I need to be coherent when I take my date home tonight." Kathryn said rather proudly. Okay, so she was very drunk. But she still had majority control of the thought process that made of Kathryn, the alcohol only held a minority position on the counsel chamber known as Kathryn's internal thought process. Like... 40% probably. Give or take 15%. "Saw Kosara here somewhere, Laurent pointed her out but I haven't seen her since." Kathryn mumbled when Cecily requested that they gather the rest of the guests. "Maybe Toombed got a head start to the tasting tonight, and got a little carried away because a lot of people can't hold their liquor as good as me." The tall warrior woman spoke with a semi regular but soft slur with as much confidence of a woman who somehow got everything she wanted from a night all at once! Finishing said sentence with a very poorly timed hiccup.