Broken Freehold Common Ground

**Evelynn East** · Feb 10th, 2016 01:52 PM

Evelynn was reaching for a hold on the throne when Green said to stop, pointing out the hollow under the tree. She held very still for a moment, her gaze flickering uncertainly between Green and the hollow. He was right, of course. They should go check it out. But Evelynn herself wasn't exactly in a position to actually do anything should an angry Hedge beast come roaring out of there, except maybe to stand in the way of those who could fight. But that left her with the question of whether or not it would be better to hang back - and be apart from the group.

She decided that, in the end, she could at least be a little use by making sure that nothing came out of the Thorns at them while they went to investigate the Scary Tree. So, with that in mind, she trotted over to Green, taking up a position behind him so that she could watch the Thorns unobstructed while the giant elemental continued his approach. It certainly had nothing to do with keeping a Mountain between her and the hollow. No sir.

Feb 10th, 2016 09:53 PM

Coming to a full stop before she began to pull on the Throne. She froze and looked where Green had pointed out.

“Um, I thought we were going to try and get out of her quickly so as not to disturb anything or draw attention to ourselves?” She had thought they were relatively quiet and had been sneaking about enough.

“And considering it’s shimmering, I’m not sure I trust it. It reminds me of Dragons…” Or even Draconics as it were, a specific Draconic no less.

**Daniel Leto** · Feb 11th, 2016 10:31 AM

As Green draws closer to the tunnel leading below ground, he's still not able to see how much farther it descends. The darkness in the hole conceals everything beyond the first couple of feet. Green can, however, hear the hollow breathing. A drawing in and exhaling of air. It sounds almost like... crying. Exactly like crying. And it's getting louder.

A pained and muffled woman's voice issues from beneath the earth between sobs, audible to all.

"Please, help me.

Oh god, I'm burning!

Please

help me"

"Ummm, Green?" Daniel asked looking to what amounted to their Hedge guide for instruction.

**Malcolm Green** · Feb 12th, 2016 05:09 AM

"Um. Yeah. I think... Yeah. Its over."

The mountain remained stock still but his hand moved quickly in the universal sign for "back up" and "get away".

Green holds his ground, expecting to have to fight whatever nightmare now lurked in the pain-polluted halls of the former Freehold Hollow. Winter was about hiding, watching, conserving energy for when it was needed. Sometimes sacrifices had to be made. Sometimes that sacrifice was a deliberate choice.

The mountain was quite willing to sacrifice himself so that three fellow Freeholder's, including the Emissary no less, could make a clean get away.

"GO!"

**Evelynn East** · Feb 14th, 2016 09:36 PM

Evelynn's eyes went wide with fear at the sound of the woman's voice issuing from the hollow. She nearly walked into Green's back when he stopped, and peered around from behind him at the shadowy source of the sound. It took her a moment to understand what he meant when he said "Its over" but once she did, she froze, unable to quite justify leaving him here by himself while she ran like a coward with her tail between her legs. Nevermind that she wouldn't be able to help if a Hedge beast attacked - it still felt wrong.

But, even so, she startled and squeaked when Green barked out the word "Go!" and scuttled backwards away from him, bouncing on the balls of her feet while she paused only a moment, wide, fearful eyes on Daniel and L'aire, waiting to see what they would do.

**Daniel Leto** · Feb 15th, 2016 02:34 AM

Daniel turned immediately and started to run. He didn't stop till he reached the charcoal arch. "Open!" he yelled, letting glamour infuse his words, rather than trusting the gateway to respond to his commands. The portal space shimmered and suddenly the night sky could be seen beyond. Mortal sky. Daniel put his hand through to hold the Door open for the others. It wasn't until then that he glanced over his shoulder and saw Green was still standing solid and solitary. Ready to defend the other's escape. Not even backing up.

"Damn, shit fuck," he breathed. The Gravewight wasn't about to stand by and let someone he cared about die. Not again. Except he was stuck wit his foot in the door.

"Keep running!" he called at Evelynn with a commanding calm that he didn't really feel "Get get through the Gate!"

"Green! Get over here!"

The wailing continued to increase in pitch.

No please, I'm burning!

I'm me!

Help me oh god!

Help me burn!

Please!

Green can see movement within the hollow, like the darkness has started to bubble.

Feb 15th, 2016 08:00 PM

‘Help me burn’? Were the only words that rang through the Fairest’s ears. Everyone the Dancer knew had been accounted for or dead that was here when Fairweather had torched the place. None of them were female. “This is a trap.” She muttered quickly while backing toward the gate near where Evelynn had ended her steps. Night had befallen outside now, they’d spent more time than she thought they had.

It wasn’t that L’aire didn’t care about who was burning, but she didn’t trust the Hedge. “Green, Daniel. Whatever it is, this is a trap. Who says help me burn?” Her voice panicked and any light that hit her eyes showed how wide they’d become. She stood with Daniel to hold the Gate and awaited their Onyx brethren.

“Malcolm, please. We can’t lose you.” Her aquiline hand outstretched toward the Mountainous giant.

**Malcolm Green** · Feb 16th, 2016 12:50 AM

Eyes wide, Green utters a harsh: "SHIT!"

And then the words of the Emissary galvanise him to action. He is a freight train of a man, slow to start but gathering momentum as he goes.

Green backs quickly the way he had come: the way toward the Gate, the way towards the other Lost.

For once he actually wishes he was made of lighter material so he could move... faster!

**Evelynn East** · Feb 16th, 2016 03:07 AM

Evelynn jumped again, this time shocked into action by the sound Daniel shouting at her. She scampered towards the Gate, running full-tilt through it only to come immediately to a stop on the other side. Her hands were clasped in front of her, white-knuckled in her tight grip, and she was bouncing on the balls of her feet, unable to properly express her anxiety at the sickening thought of leaving anyone behind. L'aire was at the door now, too, but Green was still lumbering toward them, too slow, too slow!

"Green, Green, hurry, hurry!" she chanted under her breath, more to herself than anyone else.

**Parable** · Feb 16th, 2016 04:08 AM

Flesh began to pour from the ground. It was like the tree was vomiting up angry flame-scarred tissue. Distorted skin flowed out from and over the trunk. The shimmering red of the oak blended with the pulsating slick mass of twisted scarlet tissue till it was hard to say where one started and the other began. Malformed limbs stretched out to drag the creature's body along the ground before being reabsorbed again. In the center of the mass, a pale indistinct humanoid figure could be seen partially absorbed into the Hedge Beast. It's body jerked and contorted. And all the time it kept screaming as if in panic between wracking sobs.

I BUrN oh GOd

HELP

plEAAAse hELp MEE OH BURNING GOD!

heLp PLEASE ME!

I’m GoD!

BUUUURN GOD!

Daniel's eyes widen as... what ever the thing is rises from its lair. For a second all Daniel feels is fear and revulsion. Then his eyes dart to Green and from Green to L'aire with her hand urging him to go faster and to Evelynn frozen on the threshold and finally to the city lights shining like stars behind her. And the terrible realization comes. The cold calculation of lives.

"We can't let it through," he said to L'aire, his voice oddly dead against the background of screams. All the guilt and rage and sadness if Green died would come later. Right now... they had to save those they knew they could save.

Daniel stepped through the Gate leaving L'aire as the only one holding the Door open. The gravewight felt a sense of of dizziness. Black eyes turned back to watch the Elemental. Hoping he'd be fast enough to make it through before the Gate closed. Witnessing his death if that's what it came to.

Deathly Calm

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2016-02-16 03:42:44		Daniel Leto rolls 6 to Wits+Comp (10 Again)		7, 3, 10, 8, 1, 7, 2		2 successes

Broken Freehold Common Ground

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