Death Incarnate: A Zombie Tale IC

Post by **ratwizard** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 3:54 pm

Prologue: The Shadow Rises

[SHOW]

The screaming from outside the walls finally goes silent and the sound of a body falling to the pavement is universally heard throughout the inn full of citizens seeking refuge. Whatever was chasing that poor lady must've caught up to her, because you hear no more bounding footsteps following her. Grisly images course through your imagination as you think about the creatures consuming her flesh, tearing at her eye-sockets, gnawing on her limbs. From the windows you can see that the sun is setting, and you shiver as the last bits of light disappear from the cracks between the curtains. One of the refugees offers to light a few candles to bring some light to the dark lobby. Another snaps back that it's a bad idea, as the creatures could be drawn to the lit inn and try to break in. With reluctance to leave the comforting lobby, you all retreat down the wooden staircase into the basement and another of you latches the door behind you, thankful for there being a lock on the inside.

Candles are set out on the ground, casting eery shadows around the basement's stone walls and wooden shelves. Within minutes, a few crates and barrels are curiously busted into by hungry and worried citizens, and they find some supplies amongst the storage containers. Wine, salted meat, and loaves of bread are some of the few things that are edible amongst the crates' contents, and the citizens taking refuge in the inn's basement sit on the stone floor, taking supper silently. Only a few of you speak in hushed murmurs; the rest sit preoccupied, staring off at the walls, recounting the horrific events of the day.

* * * * *

It is now night and the murmurs have grown to a hushed discussion, growing more and more heated as frustration rises and the fear in everyone's minds becomes less and less shielded. The citizens, just over a dozen of you, speak about a plan to action.

"We're going to starve if we stay here. You've already torn through most of the supplies that I've put away," the tavern owner says, his face a mixture of annoyance and fear.

A man with a bottle of wine, forcing himself to sober up speaks. "That's if we survive the night! Did you see what they did to people? They-"

"You're scaring my daughter! Please!" the mother interjects, holding on to her young daughter as she begins to bawl again.

A scantily clad woman speaks next. "We're not going out there, no matter what. We can't."

A man who lays injured in the corner clears his throat, coughing up a bit of blood. He looks to have suffered injuries to his upper torso, his tunic slashed and stained with his blood. "Somebody's going to have to," he says, his eyes dropping to the floor. "I don't think we have a choice."

The crickets are chirping outside, now, and any sounds of life are extinguished save for the occasional cry, whoop, or awful shriek you hear.

[SHOW]: There are what looks to be just over a dozen of you in the basement. If you want specifics, then ask.

Post by **Fialova** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 4:21 pm

Marcus is in disbelief about the entire situation. Monsters from nowhere, overrunning the once great city? It all seems so surreal. One moment he is having a drink and lightly flirting with Mathilda, as usual, and the next the Gilded Mare is flooded with terrified people off the streets. And to top it all off, they are already eating all of the food. Clearly these people know nothing about survival. None of them must have served.

"I will go," he speaks up, in response to the injured man. He turns to face the group of refugees, speaking assertively and seemingly without fear. "You folks can come with me or cower down in here, it doesn't really matter too much. If the topside is completely overrun then you will probably die like everyone else so far. If more of us go up, we might have a chance to secure the tavern." He looks around at the scared faces of civilians, sighing inwardly at the thought of having to help the helpless through what seems like a near-impossible situation. "So who is coming with me?"

Post by **Namelessjake** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 4:42 pm

Athena takes a couple of deep breaths, calming herself down. One minute she had been walking home, the next people were running for their lives and she had no choice but to join them. She had only looked behind once to see what they were running from, and she wasn't sure if it was something she would ever want to remember.

Athena watches Marcus present his call to arms intently. He has a rugged look to him, he definitely looks like he'll be able to survive up there, she thinks trying to make a decision, as she twirls her hair through her fingers. "I'll come," she says, smiling at Marcus. Whatever is going on I'd most like to avoid, but he is right, eventually they'll find us if we do nothing but hide.

kalis5 · Post by **kalis5** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 5:30 pm

Redros watches the proceedings as he leans against a wall close by. The bar seemed the safest location at the time, having been selling his meats and furs to the merchants above when those... Abominations took to the streets. He left most of what he owned above, and his own weapons are still at the gates to the capitol, in the customs office. Looking around, he notices how poorly armored they are. A rather large problem in the current situation.
He stands and moves to take position near the man that shows at least a modicum of bravery in these times.
"I shall accompany you as well. If I may make a suggestion, weapons will need to be our first priority. Daggers and shoes will not tide us over if the abominations above would dare to end our attempts at survival."

Post by **Scratcherclaw** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 7:04 pm

Liviana has stayed quiet for most of the time in the inn, her mind racing with the traumatic experience that had occurred not long before. At one moment, she was taking a romantic stroll through the Calepha district with Felix while headed for a ship to Imardin. The next, chaos. After becoming separated from Felix in an altercation, she ran, finding refuge in the Gilded Mare.

She wonders how her family is doing back at the castle. They're fine, I'm sure. They've got all those guards to protect them.

Watching the others volunteer to go up, Liviana thinks to herself. Well, those two men certainly look like they could handle themselves. Maybe my beloved Felix will be up there to save me from this. "Um, I'll go. Sitting on the floor is getting my dress dirty anyways."

Post by **ratwizard** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 8:24 pm

Seated against one of the stone walls of the basement, a woman stands up, breaking her silence. "Aye," she says. "I'll go, too, Marcus." She has dark brown hair and a young face, seeming to be in her late twenties or early thirties. She wears a linen tunic that drops to her hips, a hemp cord holding it in place around her waist. Her boots look to be quite sturdy, a knife-sheath strapped to the right one, and she looks to be in decent shape.

"We need numbers for strength, however. This is not something that we should do with only a handful of men. Is anyone else brave enough for this?" she questions, knowing that what she is asking for is very grave.

Meanwhile, another woman perks up as she sees Marcus volunteer first to leave the basement. "Marcus! You're here!" she cries, relieved.

[SHOW]: You recognize the first woman as Cassia Brodus, one of the newly appointed Watchmen captains. You've worked with her before on the case with Grautus several months back, but you're nothing more than acquaintances at this point.

The second woman is Mathilda, the barkeep that you have a slight fancy for.

[SHOW]: Her accent, while very light, is recognizable to you as Imardanian.

Post by **Fialova** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 8:41 pm

"Ah, good to see you... Cassia was it? And glad you are still safe, lovely Mathilda," Marcus replies as he notices the two familiar faces. He is glad that Mathilda wasn't left behind upstairs when everyone began scrambling to the cellar.

Turning to the others again, "what she says is true, are you really so cowardly that you would allow these ladies to risk their lives before you?" he asks, motioning towards Liviana and Athena. Based on their attire he can only assume that both are of high birth, or at the very least quite wealthy. "If we can't seal off this building, then you are just going to be trapped down here. That is if they don't manage to get into the cellar."

[SHOW]: Intimidate to convince others to come: 22

Post by **ratwizard** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 9:04 pm

Cassia nods at Marcus' acknowledgement of her name. The man's words are laced with a tinge of fire, and it provokes a reaction from the four men among the survivors. The drunk speaks first, his fingers shaking a bit. He seems to be in some sort of shock. "I- I'm not... I'm not cut out for this!" he cries out. "I'm not going back out there with those things!

The tavern owner simply shakes his head. "I'd rather be a coward than a damn fool. I'll come up into the bar but I'm not leaving this place," he explains, calmly.

The injured man lays in a heap in the corner, his wounds noticeably worse. "I can't move, mister... I- help me, please!" he cries out as he twists in pain, fresh blood seeping from the open gash. Cassia steps over, kneeling next to him and taking his arm. "We need to bandage this man," she says, urgently.

A young voice is heard, as a teenaged boy steps forward, away from his mother and sister who has since stopped bawling. "I'll go," he says anxiously, his eyes darting between his mother and Marcus.

Post by **Scratcherclaw** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 9:21 pm

Liviana walks over to the injured man, rubbing her ring between her nimble fingers and whispering prayers to Aurelia. "Aurelia, please show this man your great radiance and heal him of his ailments with your love and care." Kneeling down before the man, she says, "Don't worry. You'll be fine. Aurelia is watching over you." She gives the man a sincere smile, reassuring him. Pulling out a clean handkerchief, she cleans his wounds of the crimson blood. Whispering more prayers, she channels the radiance and healing powers of the Goddess, and within moments, the man's wounds begin to heal.

[SHOW]: Heal check to administer first aid: 14(1d20) +10 = 24

Use Healing Word on injured man
He spends a healing surge and gains 6 hp
6(1d6) = 6

Post by **PureZaros** » Tue Sep 16, 2014 2:10 pm

Curled into one of the corners of the room, Elene nibbles on a husk of bread. The creatures had surprised her on a routine training route with some of her newer gang members. She had been showing them a method of stealing fish from the markets, but it turned into a nightmare as the fishmongers scattered in the wake of the... whatever they were. She was separated from her lackeys in the confusion, ending up in the inn with no idea if they had survived or not.

As the others around her talked about leaving, she shrinks back, remembering how the creatures tore at the flesh of those that were slower or less lucky than her. I hope the rest of Creep is alright... she thinks, uncurling slightly. Maybe I can find some of them out there. Please be alive.

Elene pushes herself up, going to stand near the man -Marcus, apparently- and idling quietly there as he chastises the others in the basement.

Post by **ratwizard** » Tue Sep 16, 2014 2:34 pm

His shoulder is starting a clot a bit, but from the looks of it, the injured man's wounds are too severe to simply patch up for now. "Thank you, Sister," he manages to say, assuming the woman to be a priestess of Aurelia, his blood loss making him feel lightheaded. "I'm not sure this will do in the long run," he explains. "I've seen this material that the surgeons here use. Some sort of salve. If you're going out there, keep an eye out for it," he says through gritted teeth, arduously. "Otherwise I'm as good as dead."

The young boy stands impatiently, waiting for Marcus to speak, his mother protesting his act of volunteering.

Post by **Fialova** » Tue Sep 16, 2014 2:45 pm

Marcus sighs as the only two new volunteers are mere children. Pathetic. "Well, it looks like this is everyone, then?" he asks, once more looking expectantly at the others. As no others chime in, he turns to the people who did agree to follow him.

"Alright, whatever is up there is clearly dangerous. Do any of you have a weapon handy? If not, you should find whatever you can in this cellar as a makeshift one. And be on your guard. Everyone stick together and we should be able to stay safe. If anyone separates from the group, you are on your own. Any questions?" He doesn't think to ask if anyone is against him taking charge, the man simply assumes command of his own volition.

Post by **ratwizard** » Tue Sep 16, 2014 2:52 pm

Cassia slips her boot-dagger from the sheath. "This is all I've got, really," she says, dejectedly. "So damn vulnerable," she whispers to herself.

The young boy picks up a plank of wood from one of the crates that contained supplies. "Be careful! I can't lose you like I lost your father," the mother cries, as she holds on to her young daughter. "I'll be safe, mother," he replies, sounding unsure of himself.

Post by **PureZaros** » Tue Sep 16, 2014 3:37 pm

Lifting her arm slightly, Elene lets the hilt of a dagger, blade wrapped in cloth against her upper arm, show. Feeling somewhat awkward in front of so many adults, she moves for the stairs, stepping up on the first one before turning to wait for the others.

Post by **Namelessjake** » Tue Sep 16, 2014 3:42 pm

"If anyone finds a knife or something, I can make myself useful," Athena says, not choosing to move and actually search for a weapon, expecting someone else to find one for her. In the past, someone usually would. "I've picked up a few tricks here and there," she adds.

Post by **ratwizard** » Tue Sep 16, 2014 3:49 pm

"There's a few cooking blades in the tavern, I suppose. But don't lose them!" the tavern-owner advises. As he speaks, Cassia and the young boy step over to the door as well. "Can you hear anything on the other side?" she asks Elene, raising a hand to quiet the room.

Post by **Scratcherclaw** » Tue Sep 16, 2014 4:42 pm

"Oh, I'm not a priestess, but you're welcome," Liviana says to the injured man. With the conversation turned to available weapons, she thinks for a moment. I've never used a weapon... Aurelia has just always protected me from harm. Felix too. She frowns thinking of her potentially lost love fallen on the streets, a victim of those monsters.

Speaking now, she says, "Well, I may be able to channel the radiance of Aurelia to protect us. She's always watched out for me, and I doubt now would be any different." She holds up her golden ring, the engraved symbol of Aurelia gleaming dimly in the low light.

Seeing Cassia attempt to silence the room, she whispers to Athena, "Now this may not be the best time for it, but I have to say. I love your dress!"

Post by **Namelessjake** » Tue Sep 16, 2014 4:48 pm

"Thank you," Athena whispers back to Liviana, smiling. She had only be wearing it at the request of her client, the man she had just been to see, but she is glad someone thinks it looks good on her other than the man who bought it. "It was a gift," she whispers once again. "From a friend," she adds after a slight pause, deciding not to reveal her profession just yet. While what she does is completely legal, she knows many people still view it as immoral. If anyone would disapprove it would be this pious girl.

Post by **PureZaros** » Tue Sep 16, 2014 5:19 pm

Stepping up to the door, elene pulls out a small cone and places it against the door before pressing her ear against it. Standing silently, she listens intently for a minute.

[SHOW]: Perception to hear anyhting on the other side of the door: 23

Post by **ratwizard** » Tue Sep 16, 2014 5:27 pm

[SHOW]: Your ear pressed to the door, you hear distant wailing and cries. They don't sound to be coming from the tavern, but possibly outside.

Post by **PureZaros** » Tue Sep 16, 2014 5:53 pm

Elene stows her tool back in her little pack before turning to the others. "Nothing in the tavern it seems, but those things are outside. Be quiet when we go up."

Post by **Fialova** » Tue Sep 16, 2014 7:45 pm

"Alright then, good to know they haven't made it inside at least," Marcus says as he moves past the others towards the door. "I will go in first," he continues, this time a whisper. "Everyone stick close behind me. Like I said, being in a group is better than being alone. If anyone gets separated they risk being picked off. We should quickly scan the area for any creatures, then use anything we can to seal all of the entrances. Once that is done we can go from there." With dagger in hand, he slowly opens the door and peers into the tavern.

Post by **ratwizard** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 2:26 pm

The door creaks open as Marcus peers his head into the tavern. With the thick curtains pulled, the lobby is awfully dark and even after his eyes adjust, he can barely make out the outline of the contents of the room. He doesn't see any creatures from his vantage point, and the only sounds he hears are coming from behind him in the basement, or outside of the tavern entirely.

Cassia peeks her head around him, her dagger in hand. "Check our corners, Marcus. Who knows what lurks here," she whispers, her posture tense.

Post by **Fialova** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 3:08 pm

Marcus complies with Cassia's request, and sticks his head further out, looking every which way to make sure there are no lurking creatures waiting to pounce.

[SHOW]: Perception check to closely check the room: 5

Post by **ratwizard** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 3:10 pm

[SHOW]: The room is very dark, and you can only barely make out faint outlines of the furniture. You see nothing threatening, but then again you can't really see anything.

kalis5 · Post by **kalis5** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 3:12 pm

Redros joins Marcus in his searching. Although he does not know the man, he knows his own senses are better than his, having been honed in the wilds themselves. However, the sounds of the beasts outside distract him slightly, and he is not able to fully concentrate on the task at hand.

[SHOW]: Perception Check to investigate room: 5(1d20) +9 = 14

Post by **ratwizard** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 3:25 pm

[SHOW]: You stare into the darkness and your eyes adjust, with the only light coming in from the candles in the basement. Your eyes wide, your pupils dilating, you can just make out what looks to be the tavern's contents -- tables, the bar, the walls, the closed curtains.

Post by **Scratcherclaw** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 4:04 pm

Seeing the other volunteers at the door to the tavern lobby, Liviana grabs a candle from the cellar floor and scurries up the steps. She hands the burning candle off to Marcus, who seems to be in the lead, whispering, "Here. It's probably not the best idea to walk into a dark room."

kalis5 · Post by **kalis5** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 4:23 pm

Redros looks about the room for a few moments before nodding.
"The room appears to be clear. However, I would suggest we keep the lighting low and the curtains closed. We do not have the necessary manpower to deal with any threats to the tavern. There are numerous tables however. Perhaps we can at the least set up a defensive area at the entrance? I believe arming those below with weapons before we arm ourselves will be a prudent move towards everyone's survival."

Post by **ratwizard** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 5:30 pm

From the dim candlelight, the tavern looks to be more or less how it was left before you all retreated to the basement.

"You're not usin' my tables for scrap wood! I had those made custom for the tavern." the tavern-owner calls up from the basement, hearing Redros' words. "If there's absolutely nothing else we can use for barricades n' such, then... I suppose they'll do, however. Just be careful with 'em"

Cassia speaks up as well, responding to Redros. "With all due respect, I don't reckon that giving weapons to the helpless while the able-bodied lack them is a sound plan," she says, disproving of the man's plan. She steps into the room slowly, her eyes adjusting to the candlelight.

Post by **PureZaros** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 6:07 pm

Trotting into the inn's main room, Elene quietly walks over to one of the windows. "I'll keep an eye out on the out," she whispers. Pulling back the curtain slightly, she peers through the crack in the thick fabric to the streets beyond.

[SHOW]: Perception to see what is outside of the tavern: 20

Post by **ratwizard** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 6:16 pm

[SHOW]: Pulling back the curtains, you take a glimpse out the windows of the tavern. It's unsurprisingly dark, but your young eyes see a handful of the creatures outside. You can't see much detail through the glass and the dark, but from what it looks like, they appear vaguely humanoid, in various stages of decay. Some of them wear tattered remnants of clothes. They do not notice your small face in the window.

Post by **Namelessjake** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 6:18 pm

Athena makes her way into the room, heading straight for the bar. There she searches around for any of the knives the owner had mentioned, trying to make as little noise as possible.

[SHOW]: Perception check to search for weapons around the bar area: 20(1d20) +5 = 25

Post by **ratwizard** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 6:24 pm

[SHOW]: Over the bar's counter, you find three cooking knives, of varying lengths. The tavern-owner apparently kept them pretty sharp. In addition, there are several heavy, metal flagons and a few glass ones.

Post by **Namelessjake** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 6:27 pm

Athena takes the largest of the kitchen knives for herself before whispering to the others. "There are a couple of knives over here. Some heavy flagons we could use as weapons too."

Post by **PureZaros** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 6:35 pm

Elene takes in breath sharply, flinching back before slowly letting the curtain back into place. Trying to settle her erratic breathing, she whispers to the others. "They're out there... At least four."

Post by **Fialova** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 7:12 pm

"Right, then we should get to work on barricading this place," Marcus adds, after taking the candle. "Old man, are there any nails or tools of any sort in this place? We will need them to seal the windows. Don't need anything sneaking in through there. We can use the tables to block the door, but the windows are glass and easily breakable."

Post by **ratwizard** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 8:49 pm

The tavern-owner shakes his head, gravely. "I used to do my own maintenance and repairs up until a couple decades ago. With my back gone, I had to hire out. I can check the attic but I doubt I have much, if any." He stands up. "Is it truly safe up there? I'm headed up." He reaches for the banister, slowly stepping up the stairs to get back to his pride and glory.

Post by **Fialova** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 9:14 pm

"Well, safe compared to outside. There are no monsters in here that we can see." With this, Marcus steps further into the room, then takes the candle to the tavern counter and sets it down. "Someone help me move these tables," he whispers, as he stands at the end of one, prepared to lift one end of it.

Post by **ratwizard** » Thu Sep 18, 2014 2:56 pm

The tavern-owner makes it to the top of the stairs with help from the young boy and walks into the room with a limp. "Help him with that, would you?" he asks Cassia, who nods and steps over to help lift the load. "We need to see what remains of the Watchmen, and if any of my men are still in the district," she says, mostly to herself.

The young boy walks toward the bar, taking one of the other knives for himself and ditching the wooden plank he had been holding before. "What do they look like?" he whispers to Elene, stepping over to peek out the window as well, before flinching at the sight and backing up.

Post by **Fialova** » Thu Sep 18, 2014 3:00 pm

With Cassia's help, Marcus lifts the table, carefully and quietly bringing it to the tavern entrance. He gives the guardswoman a signal to tilt the table sideways, and they do so, leaving it propped up against the door.

Once in place, the man looks it over and is not entirely satisfied that it will be enough. "Shall we grab another?"

Post by **PureZaros** » Thu Sep 18, 2014 7:11 pm

"They're scary, duh," Elene whispers to the white-faced boy. "Now shut it." She pulls back the curtain slightly once more, peeking out to see what the creatures outside are doing.

[SHOW]: Perception check to see what the zombies outside are doing: 27

Post by **Namelessjake** » Thu Sep 18, 2014 8:07 pm

As the others go about barricading the doors, Athena leans against the bar, looking over her new weapon. The weight of the knife feels good, not that she would know the best way to use it. Her thoughts turn to her family, wondering if she'll ever see them again as she twirls a lock of her hair around her finger. I never thought I'd look forward to going back to that tiny boring old village, it must be the fact the street is full of walking corpses, she muses as she lets the others do the work.

Post by **ratwizard** » Fri Sep 19, 2014 6:26 pm

[SHOW]: For the most part, the creatures outside the window seem to be idly standing in the street, a couple of them slowly ambling in no specific direction. You get a bit closer of a look as you squint your eyes at them: one of them seems to have its lower jaw torn or decayed off, leaving a gaping chasm for a mouth. Another looks to have already been in some sort of a scruffle, because it is missing its right arm at the joint. One of them looks less decayed, as if it were human.

Cassia nods her head at Marcus' request and they place another few tables at the double doors into the tavern. Making a makeshift sort of phalanx of the tables, she dusts her hands off together. "This looks decent for now. Not sure how useful it will be but it's better than nothing," she says quietly, with hope.

Post by **Fialova** » Fri Sep 19, 2014 6:52 pm

"Right, it is the best we can do," he says in a hushed tone, before turning to the tavern owner. "Now old man, you were going to check for some tools? And do you have any spare boards, or anything we can rip apart? We can always help replace things later, for now we just need to get this place safe."

Post by **ratwizard** » Fri Sep 19, 2014 7:01 pm

"Yes, yes, I can only move so fast," he says, annoyed. "But none of you are allowed in the attic. I'll see what tools there are but I doubt it'll be much." He holds up the key on a necklace he wears for a moment, before snatching it closed in his hands, protecively. He narrows his eyes at Marcus' question. "I try not to hang on to unneeded crap," he says grouchily. "You're headed out there anyways, why not take a few boards off my bastard competitor's tavern? He's probably dead or worse, anyways. Not like he'd miss them."

Cassia frowns, muttering under her breath. "Quite the abrasive man," she notes quietly.

Post by **Fialova** » Fri Sep 19, 2014 7:28 pm

"Abrasive, but probably right. If we can safely get some boards from next door, I'm sure no one there will miss them. If there is anyone hiding inside, they can simply join us here. As I said, we can replace stuff once whatever is happening dies out."

Marcus turns to the girl at the window, who seems to have taken to being the scout. "Exactly how far are the creatures you can see from this place? Far enough that we could slip out unnoticed?"

Post by **PureZaros** » Fri Sep 19, 2014 9:02 pm

Distracted momentarily by the innkeep flashing a key of apparent value, Elene turns from the window, letting the curtain drop again. I want it, she thinks, until Marcus distracts her again. Spinning around to take another peek outside and reconfirm the creature's locations, she shakes her head. "Slip out? Sure. Them not seeing you? Never," she whispers over her shoulder. "You might get away from the one with no arms, though."

An idea strikes her suddenly, as she realizes these things probably can't climb very well. "The roofs! I bet they can't get up there. Easy gettin' around."

Post by **Scratcherclaw** » Sat Sep 20, 2014 9:51 am

"I'm not exactly sure how well I could do on a rooftop in this attire," Liviana says, gesturing to her long azure dress. "I'd surely slip and fall, and then I'd be vulnerable to those things. And what if they can get up on the roofs? What then?" I'd rather not have my life riding on the thoughts of a deranged, smelly little girl.

Post by **Fialova** » Sat Sep 20, 2014 5:46 pm

"The roof is a good idea. Now we just need to convince the old man to let us into the attic. Maybe giving him a glimpse out the window at what we are dealing with will be enough to change his mind," Marcus responds, a bit annoyed by the tavern keeper's distrust of them in such a dire situation. What could he be hiding up there? It's probably valuable. I will have to look into it once this all blows over.

Turning to Liviana, he adds "well you could always take the dress off," not intending to sound like a pervert, but doing so nonetheless. "I am sure you have enough on underneath to still be covered?" he quickly adds. Though I wouldn't be disappointed if not.