Chapter 8: The Vanishing

[Philulhu]

Captain FitzWilliam dropped from the sleigh and marched, tall and stiff-backed, between the two groups. Drawing upon all his experience of dealing with unruly Zulus in Natal, bellowed, ”What is happening here?” in his most commanding voice.

OOC,I would use Intimidate but I don’t have that skill listed?

[HoneyDog]

OOC,No need!

McKenzie brings the sleigh to a skidding halt, its bells tinkling. Faced with the wrathful countenance of Captain Fitzwilliam, the villagers and gypsies are distracted, which dissipates their fury somewhat.

“They took the children!” shouts one villager. “Four of our children have gone!”

“What about our Reuben?” shouts one of the gypsy women. “Where is he, eh?”

The angry accusations begin to start again.

[Mr. Handy]

"We've come here looking for a missing child too," says Alexander, coming forward. "We followed the tracks of multiple children to this area. We all want to find them, so let's work together."

OOC,Intimidate was added in 7th edition. Persuade roll (60% skill) to get everyone to calm down and work together: [dice]0[/dice]

[aine]

"It really is the Pied Piper all over again!" Murmurs Isolde.

"These crowds won't believe the truth but you've got to placate them somehow; and we have to follow to the end of the tracks before they fill with snow. Ask the gypsies who their best trackers or poachers are and get them on those tracks! And bring some villagers to balance it out."

Persuade,(25%) [dice]0[/dice]

Isolde leaves it for one of her companions to do the talking; those men are in no mood to take orders from a woman.

[Philulhu]

”You heard Miss Beauchamp!” roared Captain FitzWilliam. ”If you want to save your children, you must work together!”

He turned and looked at the Maria. ”Who among you is best at following a trail? Bring him forth before we lose them altogether!”

[HoneyDog]

Smith and McKenzie both add their voices to the fray.

"A child very dear to me is missing" Smith pleas. "Let us not waste time arguing. We need to find them all!"

"Aye!" shouts McKenzie. "An whit's all this blather aboot 'murderers' ah hear?"

"The newcomers have all been killed!" shouts one of the villagers. "We found them hacked to pieces in their cottages!"

"We found this!"says another villager, holding out what looks like a sharpened piece of flint.

OOC,All can roll History or Archaeology.

[Philulhu]

”Killed with this?!” said Captain FitzWilliam, studying the flint intently.

History (20%),[dice]0[/dice]

[aine]

History,(70)[dice]0[/dice]

"And the druids called up goblins from the ground who fell upon the centurions and slayed them all." Isolde quotes in a low voice.

"It's just like in that book we read! I'm not sure I recognise the age of that flint but it surely isn't local; isn't it all granite on the moor?
To think all those strong men were killed- it's incredible! We mustn't waste anytime- let the trackers begin!" She finishes with a shout at the mob.

[Mr. Handy]

"I doubt this is the murder weapon," says Alexander. "There's nae blood on it, for one thing."

OOC,History roll (40% skill) about the flint: [dice]0[/dice]

[Rooter]

History,20%[dice]0[/dice]

Percy nods in agreement. "It would take someone or something unnaturally strong to do such a thing with a bit of flint."

[HoneyDog]

“I wiped the blood off it” says the villager. “It most certainly was used to kill those poor fellows. Ripped to pieces they were.”

He looks sickened by the recollection.

Maria Petulengro approaches the companions.

“Our men will join you. We need to find Reuben and the other children!”

“But what direction should we take?” says the villager. “We lost the tracks.”

OOC,All can roll Spot Hidden.

[Philulhu]

Captain FitzWilliam looked around for signs of where the children may have gone.

Spot Hidden (25%),[dice]0[/dice]

[aine]

spot hidden,(25)[dice]0[/dice]

"I've no idea." Says Isolde.

[Mr. Handy]

Alexander's keen scientist's eyes spot something.

OOC,Spot Hidden roll (60% skill) about the flint: [dice]0[/dice]

[HoneyDog]

Alexander,Scouting around for the tracks, Alexander spots something through a break in the clouds. It looks like a light, away to the southeast.

[Mr. Handy]

"There, a light!" calls Alexander, pointing off to the southeast. He gets back on the sleigh. "Let's head for it."

[HoneyDog]

The crowd looks up and sees the light.

“It must be coming from Eagle Tor!” says one. “It’s the only place high enough!”

Soon the collection of villagers and gypsies moves off, accompanying the sleigh. The snow has stopped but the sky is still overcast, and it is slow going over the ice-encrusted rocks. However, as the evening draws on, they make progress, and are rewarded with the sight of the light growing brighter. They are now within a mile or so of Eagle Tor.

OOC,Everybody can roll Listen.

[Mr. Handy]

Alexander hears something clearly.

OOC,Listen roll (55% skill) approaching Eagle Tor: [dice]0[/dice]

[Philulhu]

Try as he might, Captain FitzWilliam couldn’t hear a thing.

Listen (25%),[dice]0[/dice]

[aine]

Listen,25 [dice]0[/dice]

"We must be more circumspect!" Insists Isolde. "If they see this great mob charging up the hillside the pixies will hurry the children underground and shut the gate for ever more; we'd never find it or the children. Gosh, someone must have really crossed them to make them take so many. It can't be the curse else why take the gypsy children too?"