Blood Run: A Terror Returns RPG

[piosenniel]

All Toby’s life, Bree had been such a peaceful place. The Great War had ended, and the King crowned, and the last of the ruffians driven from Breeland, all in the years before his birth. As he had grown up, Bree had flourished, even undergone something of a rebirth, and it was in an age of peace and prosperity that he had started his own family and raised his children; Robbie – or Rob, as he was more often called now – would be ready to start his own family in a few years, and even young Lark was hardly a child now, but blossoming into a young maid. The years went by so quickly, and till now they had gone by with hardly a care.

Of course, there were always the small concerns of daily life; whether most of the ewes would beget healthy lambs in spring, or whether the summer would receive enough rain for the grass to grow thick and green. But Toby was not the worrying sort; Nature takes care of itself, he’d often said.

This wasn’t just the weather or the sheep, though. An unknown menace had been prowling the area at night, killing local livestock. Some simply went missing. Others were ripped apart. Toby had lost four sheep now, within the past two weeks. And just last night, his trusty herding dog Rudy had gone missing. He had found the remains near the edge of his land, barely recognizable as his beloved dog. He had buried him out there, both out of sentimentality and practicality; not only did it seem wrong to simply leave him out there, but Toby also knew that the scent of fresh blood might draw the beast back, and he wasn’t just thinking about the protection of his sheep.

This was about the safety of his family.

Unaccustomed worry lines had creased his face in the past couple weeks. He felt defenseless against this thing, whatever it was - something, or someone, and that was a chilling thought. Long discounted tales from his childhood came to mind, tales about the nameless things that stirred in the Wild. The Wild suddenly seemed a very nearby and menacing place to Toby, who had always considered Bree the safest (if the only) place he knew.

So far, the beast had been content to kill only animals – mostly sheep and pigs, but some cows as well, and now his Rudy, and he had heard tell of a couple cats that had gone missing as well. But who was to say that it might not get a taste for hobbit? No one had ever seen it; would it break in the door? Slip through a window?

Finally, finally now, the mayor had agreed to do something about it. Not that it was much; anyone could hold a meeting to discuss the events. The mayor, Toby thought bitterly, was more fit to head up the social events of the town than to protect it from any real threat. Of course, up until a little while ago, that had been sufficient and Toby had never had much of a complaint. As long as something might happen as a result of the meeting… no, something would happen. Toby would not let the meeting end before a plan of action had been decided on. He himself would head it up if need be. Those town folk, Toby wasn’t sure if they really understood the seriousness of the matter, but there were others who lived out here outside the town walls, others who had the same fears as he, and they would follow him, he knew. They had just as much stake in this as he had – their lives and families to protect.

There had to be something he could do.

~ Firefoot

[piosenniel]

Mayor Hershman of Bree – a tall, willowy man with a large nose and a genuine smile – stood on a small platform at the front of the fair-sized hall. The room before him was filled with worried, excited, and angry townsfolk. He knew he had waited too long to call this meeting, and he knew that still this was not quite what the people were looking for. At times like these, people wanted action. But no one knew what was going on…did they expect him to know any better?

The people stood clumped together, and voices at various level echoed around the hall. Mayor Hershman did his best to look stately, but he found it uncomfortably warm in the town hall, though it was barely spring. The five elder “counselors” that aided him in his duties were seated behind him. Hershman glanced at them, searching their faces for something. Did the people really look to him and these men to help them? They were old men, including himself!

After the mayor felt he had watched enough people – men, women, and entire families – enter the town hall, he gave a nod to one of the counselors, who called the room to order and relative quiet with a booming voice and the ringing of what was little more than a cowbell. It worked well enough. Mayor Hershman wasn’t exactly soft-spoken, anyway.

“Breelanders,” he began, loudly but not as if he were shouting, “our livestock, our pets, and perhaps even ourselves and our families are in danger.” Of course a new set of murmurs and voices not so soft ran through the crowd, but no one was shocked by the mayor’s statement. Everyone knew it was true, everyone knew it was on all of their minds, and everyone knew Hershman never wasted any time skirting an issue – at least once he got down to it.

“I am just as lost as you – no, I know of no one, either, who has seen this…this menace…and though I know that no matter what we’re up against, that we’re going to fight it with all we’ve got-” he paused, and there were a few shouts; not all the hearts in Bree had grown soft, even in this time of peace. But very few of them had actually faced any enemies before. It was Bree…nothing ever happened in Bree…

And yet, Hershman thought he remembered a story…no, those were never true.

“But before we can do a thing to stop…whatever, or, heaven forbid, whoever is threatening us, we have to figure out what we’re up against.” He paused to clear his throat, and this time there was mostly silence. Anyone in this hall could have come up with that thought, he knew. “Now, I know we all have what it takes to protect our land and our loved ones, but in this fearful time, I am calling for a group of Defenders of Bree…to be led by Toby Mugwort, a strong-hearted Breelander since birth.”

The shepherd had already proved to be a loud and dynamic voice in this matter, particularly with what he had already lost to this invisible threat. And the world knew that Hobbits could do great things. Allowing the duty that he hoped many would feel sink in, Mayor Hershman slowly scanned the room, making sure not to really look at anyone in particular, but taking in familiar faces. “Who else will answer the call?” The town hall was suddenly filled with a greater clatter than had been heard in Bree in many years.

~ Durelin

[piosenniel]

Crystal Heart's post

Eric came into the town meeting a little late. He lowered the hood of his green cloak and looked around. Indeed everyone was here to talk about the situation that had rocked the town. He folded his arms and listened to them speak.

What had been happening as of late highly worried him. His sisters were still young and they didn't understand threats. Though he had been trying to drill it into their heads they still went outside. He feared for their safety. He knew that their mother couldn't lose anyone else. Especially not a daughter. Eric was sure that their mother loved his sisters more than him. He looked too much like his father and since his father's death his mother had distanced herself from him.

He wanted to know what this thing was and how to stop it. For the safety of his family and their town. Too many had died already and they needed to stop whatever was doing it. He listened as they bantered about what should be done. Finally, Eric couldn't handle it any more.

"What we need is a group of our strongest and bravest men to go out and find whatever is killing everything and stop it. The more time we spend arguing about it the more this thing gets away with what it is doing," Eric pointed out.

The mayor looked up at him and gave him a hard stare. One that seemed to penetrate through Eric, but it didn't phase him. He was use to such stares from men of authority. Sometimes they didn't like his outbursts and sometimes he couldn't help but outburst. This was one of those outburst times.

"Indeed, Eric you are correct. Thank you for volunteering to be the first in the group to defend Bree," the mayor replied. Ericop ened his mouth to protest, but quickly closed it. Certainly he hadn't been volunteering himself! Well, he had been the one to think of the idea. He closed his mouth and took a deep breath.

"You are very welcome mayor. I would be glad to go with the noble men that would join me in defending our fair city," Eric replied with a clipped tone. What had he just gotten himself into?

[piosenniel]

Dunwen's post

Normally, Sam Tunnelly liked Big Folk. After all, he'd lived in Bree since he'd been apprenticed at the age of fourteen to the town smith, who was a Man himself. But at this day's town meeting, their sheer size made it hard for a Hobbit, even one as strong as Sam, to get through. Alas, he'd arrived too late to get a seat on one of the benches, so he had to listen as best he could. Seeing over the heads of the crowd would be unlikely for any of the Little Folk; seeing through the press of bodies a matter of luck.

Some town meetings attracted only a scant number of people of either size, but this one was about the rash of mangled animal corpses that had shown up all over the Breeland and it was packed. Sam's own Dad, a farmer on the outskirts of town, had sent word only yesterday that they'd lost one of their two milk cows and that a barn cat had been found torn to bits. Losing the cow was a hard blow for the family, as the extra dairy goods had brought a small but steady income to the farm. But the cat was scarier, for they seldom strayed far from the barn, and the barn was an easy walk from the door of their burrow. According to the neighboring farmer who'd brought word to Sam, his Dad wasn't letting his mother or two younger sisters step outside unless he or his oldest son, Sam's brother Frodo, was with them.

Many others were as frightened as his father, he learned as he listened carefully to the talk in his immediate vicinity. Sam recognized several voices. He stood up to his full four feet when he heard his old friend Eric Wadell speaking. Sam approved of Eric's suggestion for a group of Breelandrs to find the thing and stop it. He frowned at the mayor's high-handedness in telling Eric he had to be one of the searchers, though. He'd bet a gold piece that Eric hadn't intended to go on the hunt. His friend had a mother and sisters to support, after all.

As talk went on in the meeting, Sam had a small debate with himself. He didn't like the idea of going out and looking for some unknown and bloodthirsty thing, but there were others, Big and Little, who volunteered to join Eric in doing just that. He thought of his Dad's fears for their womenfolk. It occured to him that he was probably the strongest hobbit in Bree and at only 34 years old, he had no one depending on him for support. He'd learned some woodcraft as a boy hunting with bow and arrow. And if one of his best friends was going --

"Hi!" The burly hobbit jumped and waved his hand to get the mayor's attention. "I'll go, too." He cleared his throat and added, "Sam Tunnelly, journeyman smith," somewhat unnecessarily, as he was known to most of Bree.

'Well, I've put my toes in the fire now,' he thought unhappily, as the meeting went on around him. 'I hope they don't get eaten along with the rest of me.'

[piosenniel]

Dimturiel's post

The Town Hall had never been so crowded, thought Erling. Nor had the faces of the people there shown so much concern. Anxiety was not something those of Bree usually felt. The lands had been quiet ever since Erling could remember, and they were becoming even quieter with every year that passed. Fewer were now the tales of troubled times, and only the old ones remembered such days. the world seemed to have become peaceful and sleepy.

Yet now something was happening, something hard to explain, and harder still to accept. The malice-whatever that consisted of, for they had no idea-had descened upon them without so much as the most insignificant sign to herald its presence. It had managed to elude all vigillance, to pass all that they have considered unpassable by such evils, and it crept in their midst to strike with a suddeness that had nearly made them helpless. Who had been prepared for something like this? Who could have foretold its coming?

Who could tell now who had been the first farmer that, going one morning to inspect his flock, had discovered one or two sheep missing or had found their body lying in a pool of blood? And even then, who had paid much attention to such incident that, however unusual and gruesome foretold nothing at the time? And yet, as the days went by, these happenings became more and more frequent, and it was clear that the danger was greater than they had first thought it to be. None could ignore it now.

Erling was among those who had suffered from the terror, although their animals had been attacked more recently than those of other villagers. He remembered that he had just gone with his father to look at the sheep when they saw that two of them were missing. That was how it all started. Yet no, he thought. It had not begun with the sheep. There had been a stray dog near Erling's farm. The boy would sometimes cast food at it. It was by no means a friendly creature-it could actually be quite ferocious when provoked,-but it tolerated Erling and seemed even to be quite fond of him. Late into the night, Erling could hear its barking, and it seemed in a way comforting, as if it were a proof that the world and everything familiar in it were still there. One night, however, Erling woke up and realised he could hear nothing. There was no barking. And then he knew something had happened. He had not seen the dog since.

True, things had become quite serious, and that meeting from the Town Hall was proof of that. Erling had gone there at the bidding of his father.He would not have gone otherwise, unable to see how his presence might improve the situation.

But as he was listening to the Mayor's talk of a group that would try and put a stop to what was happening he suddenly felt excited. There would be intresting stories to be told after all that was over, he thought. But it was not only that. There was also something else, something he could not quite understand.

Till the end of his days, Erling was unable to understand what had possessed him then. He had often wonderer what had really happened there, but he could never get a satisfactory answer. All he knew was that he suddenly found himself getting up and heading towards where the mayor stood.

"I wish to go, too." he anounced, loud enough so that everyone heard him. "I...I wish to be of some use."

He paused looking around him. The others seemed to have accepted his expressed intention of being one of the "Defenders", as the Mayor called them. He, however, began to feel a little puzzled. He leaned against the wall, a baffled expression in his eyes.

"What have I done now?" he muttered to himself.

[piosenniel]

Forest Elf's post

Grimbeorn sat there, his ears working and listening as he took in every word that was said. He was alert and aware or everything going on around him. He could see fear for the welfare of the ones these people held close to their hearts; he could see their fear and worry about where this creature or, this being was going to take its next meal from. Keeping his face guarded so as not to show any of his feelings, as he had done before at events in any town, city, or hall’s meetings. It was a habit he had, one that he knew he should quit, but found that he liked being at these meetings with such a look, even though at this guarded look could send people wondering if he was the one behind this. He could always say that he had merely gotten here yesterday, as he had, but he doubted that anyone would believe him on that.

As he listened to the argument, he felt that it was very pointless. After a few men had volunteered he stood. Looking at the mayor he stated, loudly, “I have traveled for many days to get here, after word of the killings got to my ear. I did not come all this way to simply sit around listening to arguments and plans, I came here to help find out what…this, this thing is that’s killing these livestock and few pets and put an end to these killings that have been ruining the lives of these peoples!” Then, he after realizing what he had said, he thought he may have appeared a bit wilder and dangerous with making that statement. He didn’t wish to pose as a threat to anyone but that thing that was taking the livestock. He lowered his head a little to hide his scars, thankful that his hair was long enough to conceal it away in shadows, so that he might not appear as frightening.

[Firefoot]

"Very well, then," the mayor concluded. "Unless there are any other volunteers...?" None were forthcoming. "The general meeting is dismissed, but I believe that Toby would like to have a few words with the Defenders," he said, casting a questioning look at Toby who was standing near the front of the room. Toby affirmed this statement with a nod, and the mayor continued, "If those of you could meet right up here."

The Defenders, such as they were, made their way to the front where Toby was waiting, appraising the group of which he had been placed in charge. He was grateful that Madoc had volunteered; he was a stout hobbit whose situation was similar to Toby's own. As for the rest of the lot, Toby wasn't as sure. Many of them were so young - Toby was more familiar with their fathers than them; his children might be friends with this lot. And one of them was a young woman! Toby would never have let his wife or any of his daughters volunteer for this perilous venture. He hoped that these young folk really did understand the gravity of their plight and didn't just see the whole affair as a great 'adventure.'

Then there were those two strangers whom Toby had never seen before, one of them that Dwarf who had made some fuss about his mace being thirsty for bloodshed. What sort of talk was that? At this point, Toby was almost willing to believe that one of them had somehow been behind all these killings, and had only joined the Defenders to cover it up. But he supposed that was tomfoolery; surely no person had ripped apart his sheep and dog like that! Or so he hoped.

"Now, then," he said, clearing his throat as the last of the Defenders gathered around. "I suppose most of you have a fair idea of this creature's methods...?" There was some nodding. "I'd like to start by having you all share your experiences and propose any ideas you have on what might be behind it."

[Forest Elf]

Grimbeorn, in seeing that no one was too excited to speak up, he said, “I have had a few experiences with creatures before. Would…was there any sign of footprints in the ground around the killings? Or were the grounds just bare? If it were a creature…surely it would have left foot prints.”

Grimbeorn’s face was still in shadow, he wasn’t sure what these folk would think of him when they saw his scar. He didn’t want to appear frightening to them…and he certainly didn’t want to become a suspect. He gently fingered his sword hilt, reminding himself that he hadn’t practiced much in the past week or so. That would also mean he’d have to get some target practice in as well.

[Farael]

“Footprints? I would not know my good Sir, my father’s cattle has been safe from this… thing. We have some ferocious dogs guarding our sheep, and that seems to suffice. Surely this nuisance is nothing more than that, some wild animal or another.” Answered Robby, feeling uncomfortable by the sense of gloom in the group around him.

“Now, I dare say the big folk among us will laugh at me and call me too much of a hobbit, if that was ever possible, but I believe that a little food would do us no harm. I see no reason to be so grim, let us sit around the table and discuss what to do next! Although… I suppose talking about dead animals, bloodied carcasses and the like would certainly ruin our appetite. Not to mention that, as my Pa’ says, bad news at the table makes for worse news after. We would not want to start our trip with an indigestion! No sir, that will not do at all. Perhaps we should all leave food for after we have discussed this grim business?” offered the hobbit, forgetting not only that he had been the one to propose food in the first place, but also that he had not given anyone else a chance to talk.

Feeling his verbosity abate, Robby crossed his arms and tried to look as serious as he could manage. “Well, then I would say that those of us who have had trouble with whatever we are after should speak up first. There is no point in having this hobbit speaking his lungs out if he knows little that can help us right now.”

[Durelin]

When the Town Hall had been cleared of all but the freshly named "Defenders of Bree", it suddenly seemed much larger. The walls loomed down on Parkun, and the floorboards glared up at him. "And why are you here?" they taunted, though he found the glances of any of the others in the group to be worse: more questioning, more accusing. But accusing of what? Did they really look at each other and think that maybe, just maybe the 'it' everyone was afraid of was right there in front of their noses?

Perhaps they did...it was possible.

The silence at first, after Toby did his best to initiate whatever planning they were going to do, made Parkun wonder how long it would take before they all scared themselves out of being "Defenders", but when one of the men finally spoke, sensibility seemed to suddenly return. Of course, he had little to pose other than a question regarding footprints. Kun had not heard of any signs of what was behind the attacks at all - he had heard from some naive children and crazy old men that it was a spirit, a shadow. Some creature leftover from the war, when sorcery was real...

One of the Hobbits of the group broke in, and Parkun had to resist cradling his head in his hand as the halfling rambled. How reliably typical, he thought bitterly. The young man only half listened to what the Hobbit said, but one word in particular hooked his attention: 'trip'.

Parkun opened his mouth to interject, but the Hobbit was not finished. Waiting until the shorter being had actually acknowledged that he was 'speaking his lungs out', the strawberry-blonde asked bluntly, "Our trip?"

[mormegil]

“It be trolls I tell ya” blurted Kuric abruptly. All of this talk about this being a simple creature had made him boil over, for he truly wanted it to be more, and he was irritated at how naïve and simple these folk were. “Yep this is the work of trolls or I don’t have a beard.” To emphasize the point Kuric stroked his beard slowly and thoughtfully. “Perhaps it a werewolf though, I’ve heard of ‘em up in these parts in times past. Times have changed and not all for the better, I say. Used to be that a dwarf could come up north here and find some good excitement, problem is now that this new king has tamed most of the wild, but it looks like he missed a something. I’ve seen more than the lot of you put together ‘ave seen and I’ve been through these parts in the old days back when things weren’t so safe and calm” Kuric’s face was giddy with anticipation, hoping that it truly was a troll or some other evil creature. “I tell you lot this much, this ain’t no simple task before ya now. I’m a bit concerned fer ya ta be honest, meaning no disrespect, of course, but I’d rather not have a hobbit leadin’ us and that’d be why I stepped in. Ye’ll need some old campaigner for the leader here and I’m the person fer the job.” Kuric looked at the rag-tag group before him, completely confident that no further discussion would be needed.

“Now what we need to do is get busy, and this hobbit had some sense in thinking about some food first. I’m saying we need some ale and we need it quick. Nothing puts me in the mood for a hunt quite like some good ol’ ale” Kuric chuckled at himself. Looking to Toby Kuric said, “Now what are ya waiting for lad, run along and get us some ale.” With that Kuric gave a dismissive wave of his hand.

[Thinlómien]

After a little more arguing the matter was finally settled. Leanora didn't still cherish the idea of Orin coming with them and Ash didn't seemed to be pleased by it either. So, in the end, only the youngest of the Winkle children was pleased when they finished their little debate.

"Hey, where did all the folks go? That grumpy dwarf and those two others?" Orin asked, seemingly displeased by the fact that he had been disincluded of some adventure. Before either of his elder siblings could rebuke him, Toby replied his question politely: "They went to the woods to meet Edin Cengal."

"They did?" Lea asked, somehwat stupidly.
"You mean Kuric, Sam and Erling?" Ash blurted out at the same time.
The twins glanced at each other.
"Master Toby," Leanora said, "this dwarf has little knowledge of the surroundings of Bree. If I've understood correctly, neither Sam Tunnelly nor Erling Headstrong know the woodsparticularly well either, so..."
"...we think it would be best if we followed them," Ash finished smoothly, "It's no fun getting lost in the woods at night, especially if there's some unknown... thing around."

"You might be right", Master Mugwort agreed, "you'll be taking your brother with you, right?"
Both Ash and Lea nodded.

Grimbeorn, who had been following the discussion in silence, rose up. "I think I'd best come with you", he said in a quiet voice.
Ash and Lea glanced at each other.
"You're most welcome", Lea said with a small smile, "but let's go then, otherwise we won't be able to find them anymore and then we are going to get lost."

The four hurried out of the Inn, into the night. Lea could hear Orin whisper to his big brother: "Ash, wouldn't it be really exciting to get lost?"

[Finduilas]

“Oh excellent,” thought Ash, “They went traipsing off into the wild, with that pushy dwarf!” What ever Sam and Erling might know of the surrounding area, he would lead them which ever way he thought best.

“Ash, wouldn’t it be really exciting to get lost?” Orin whispered.

Ash looked down at Orin and smiled. Now that he was outside again, moving, doing something, he was less angry at Orin, and he remembered how he would have been had he been left out of such an adventure.

“Not really. Not these days,” he said, referring to the unknown thing. But he gave Orin a wink, so that he wouldn’t catch the worrisome fear that had most of Bree in its grip.

They hurried out of the gate, asking the gatekeeper if he had seen a dwarf, a man, and a hobbit, and getting an affirmative, went faster, even though it had grown quite dark. Soon, they heard raised voices ahead of them in the darkness.

[Dunwen]

With his short legs, Sam quickly fell behind Erling. It took him a few minutes of running to crest the hilltop Kuric and then the Man had disappeared over. Pausing to catch his breath he saw his two companions confronting a sturdy figure holding a shield and an axe.

“Wonderful,” Sam muttered. “Kuric’s got himself in a fight already.” He sighed and hurried down the hill. He wouldn’t be much good fighting with swords or axes, but if someone could disarm the stranger, he should be able to wrestle him to the ground. After sizing up their opponent, his sour humor increased. Another dwarf! He was getting his fill of them.

Although Sam’s dislike of him was growing by the minute, Kuric had offered to help the Breelanders. For all Sam knew, this strange dwarf was behind the attacks. Taking a spread-legged stance next to Erling, he gazed up at the dwarf.

"I thought I heard my friend ask your name and business," he said evenly. "We've been having trouble with something or someone killing off livestock round about, so we don't trust outsiders much right now. It'd be a good idea to give us an answer."

[Groin Redbeard]

The two figures came running down the hill, the taller one reaching the other dwarf’s side faster the smaller figure. He spoke sharply, asking who he was and what his business was. Just then the smaller figure came running down the hill after the taller figure.
“I thought I heard my friend ask your name and business,” he said evenly. “We've been having trouble with something or someone killing off livestock round about, so we don't trust outsiders much right now. It'd be a good idea to give us an answer.”

Gorin could see that he was a hobbit, and a feisty one at that. Probably these people were justices of the peace in Bree. Although how they got such an odd arrangement of sheriffs was beyond his knowing.

He had been in some tough scrapes and this one was no different, but as much as he wanted to fight, Gorin knew that it was best to keep his cool. He put the axe back into his belt and left the shield fall to the ground.

“I bid you no harm.” He said, “I am Gorin Redbrow, the wilderness is my home. I have come from the far north to rest in your village and gather supplies before I head back north.

“Tell me, what is this trouble you’ve been having with your livestock?” Gorin paused and stroked his beard. “Perhaps I could be of some help.”

[mormegil]

Kuric, with mace tightly in hand, began surverying this strange new dwarf. Naturally, he had a strong distrust for anybody that found in the wild during these times. Despite this, there was a natural affinity he held for dwarves. Accordingly, he found himself wanting, longing even, to trust him.

The dwarf spoke up and said, “I bid you no harm. I am Gorin Redbrow, the wilderness is my home. I have come from the far north to rest in your village and gather supplies before I head back north. Tell me, what is this trouble you’ve been having with your livestock? Perhaps I could be of some help.”

The name didn't sound familiar to him but he sounded like an honest dwarf and one that loved the wild. This struck a cord in the deep and oft unused heart of Kuric. Unwittingly he found himself letting down his guard a bit.

In a supringly pleasant and friendly tone Kuric began, “From the North did ya say, which clan do ye hail from lad? I've passed the north recently enough, I don't seem to recall seein yer clan or even hearin of them fer that matter. Of course, I didn't meet many kinsmen up in those parts, to be sure, but..." Kuric cut off abruptly, realizing that he had become too friendly with a stranger who could be dangerous despite being a kinsman.

"Now, lad, you listen here, what business do ya have here in these parts." Kuric stated gruffly lifting his mace slightly from the relaxed position it had been in. "We've had livestock go a missin lately without much of a trace, and then you show up looking fer supplies. Tell me are you killin these townsmen livestock?"

Kuric planted his feet firmly, looking at his compatriots knowing that they would approve of his actions and then he turned his glare to Gorin impatiently awaiting his response.