LoF: Lockesville

[Larry_OHF]

The owner of the establishment was now smiling rather largely.

"Look 'ere. Me offer is one o'da only yer to git in this town. Ain't much 'round 'ere to do. We'ze farmers, see? Most folk grow they own food, tend to they own business. The only other job that might be open is Maid in the Inn, yonder.

Now look. I'll be pay'n ye for the work ye do daily seeing as how yer sorta just pass'n through. Ye've said the price of a meal? Suits me fine. Yer start'n tonight then. Gotta place to sleep? I can git ye a decent room at the Inn for half-price. The owner's me brother. And just so ye know...the town's guard capt'n is me nephew's brother-in-law's sister's kid."

[ 01-03-2006, 11:15 AM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Larry_OHF]

For all players

Sounds of commotion were all about the town, and gaining in volume. Something was going on. Then you could smell it. There was smoke in the air.

"The warehouse! Its burning! Its burning!"

The people were shouting all kinds of stuff outside and no matter where you were in town, you could see the smoke billowing into the air.

[Sever]

"I'm sorry, i didn't catch your name, good bartender. But if i were you, i'd be rounding up all your brothers, sisters, in-law's and out-laws rather sharpish and pointing them in the direction of the warehouse, yonder."

The Barkeep needed no comment. His head was already pointed towards the kitchen and orders were being given to his staff. Sever caught his attention briefly as he turned again.

"If you'll excuse me, there may be a call for heroism after all. It seems i have a warehouse to loot... Save!. Uh! You know what i mean."

Sever darted out of the door half wondering if this whole 'honesty' thing was responsible for his weirdish behavior lately. Then he stopped suddenly and poked his head back in the doorway.

"I'll take the job, by the way!"

His last comment came out so clumsily that he now wondered if it was the town that was making him crazy. He didn't wonder for long though. As he dashed across the small town garden towards the steadily blazing warehouse, his thoughts soon turned to how in the Hells he could even slow the fire. Let alone stop it.

There was still very few people close to the scene and nobody yet looked to be doing anything spectacularly helpful. Taking off his cloak as he neared the pond in the garden, Sever dived neatly into the water - drenching himself from head to toe. As he exited the pond, he pulled the saturated cloak back over his shoulders and flipped the hood over his head.

Nearing the scene he shouted randomly at the slowly massing group of people.

"Does anybody work there? IS THERE ANYONE STILL INSIDE!"

[Larry_OHF]

Simon Locke

He had heard the commotion in the morning and came rushing out to see what was going on. The warehouse was burning to the ground right in front of him! Then he heard somebody yelling if anyone was inside. He did not know who had called out, but shouted over the noise, "Nobody works in there! It just contains a stockade of foods, cloths, and other goods!"

Now the town depended on its water from wells that were dug here and there, but there were not too many of them and they ran shallow quickly. The farmers outside the town walls depended mostly on rainfall which came in abundance in this land. When it came to fighting fires within the town however, there was only one real solution. Simon trusted that this plan was already being carried out. The town guards had a large wagon that could hold barrels of water which was ran by thier best horses down to the ocean-side a couple miles away. There, they'd fill the barrels and haul it back up to the town in time to help with keeping the fire from spreading to other buildings and maybe in time to save something of the burned building.

This fire was burning hot and fast and Simon did not feel that there would be a chance at saving anything of it.

Just then, a scream from within the building stopped everybody in their tracks. It was the scream of a child.

[ 01-04-2006, 09:49 AM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Ivelliis]

Vallo

Vallo had just woken up when the screaming started. He rushed downstairs, out of the inn, to see a burning inferno that was once a warehouse.
Simon Locke was trying to get attention over everyone, but was failing. The screams of a young child could be heard. Vallo froze in his steps, memories of his own childhood flocking back to him.


(( If you are wondering if I am going to explain these memories...not yet *grin* ))

[Sever]

Sever was feeling a little silly for having drenched himself needlessly when he heard the scream. Instantly, he sprang into action. Grabbing the nearest person to him by the shirt front he intoned, "Find the person who has the key and bring it to me. I'll be at that door." He pointed to the only visible door on the south face of the warehouse.

Sever then retrieved his lockpicks from his utility belt and, as calmly and methodically as he could, began mapping the tumblers of the heavy iron lock. All the time hoping that the key would arrive sooner...

[Morgeruat]

Oley, Archmage of legend

Oley heard the screaming from his small dwelling, and after sniffing his robe a few times pulled it on, and wandered towards town, after coming through the main gate and following the smoke he nodded solemnly, reached for a small metal container inside a hidden pocket of his robe, quickly unscrewed the cap, and took a long pull from it. He welcomed the burning as the substance flowed, waking him fully, and then pulled up one sleeve as if to prepare for an incantation, looked at the flask again and took another pull, emptying it. He then held it upside down sadly, as nothing dripped from the now dry container, and walked towards to tavern for a refill, the fire at the warehouse and the screams inside forgotten.

[ 01-05-2006, 12:57 AM: Message edited by: Morgeruat ]

[Kazilan]

Pandaros

Pandaros heard the shouts before he saw the smoke, his steps having taken him a few blocks beyond the warehouse. He hurried his pace towards the source of the fire and drew up short as the blaze came into view. He picked a spot to watch from the side of a building, unseen by the gawkers already gathered to the scene.

[Larry_OHF]

For Sever and everybody else

The man you assigned ran off to try to fulfill your wish, not really knowing which way to start looking. However, Simon ran up to you, grabbing at a large set of keys that he held in his hands.

"I have keys right here...just a minute..."

However, the keys were no longer needed. Your initial tests at the lock tell you that the door is already unlocked, and had been from the start.
----------------------------------------


Some shouts sounded down the street and upon looking that way, one could see the guards driving the horse-drawn wagon full of water barrels to the site of the fire. They began throwing buckets to the crowd gathered that they might start loading up with the water and do what they know to do.

Simon began barking orders, having some people go to the left, some to the right, and others to stand there and fill buckets and hand them down from the wagon. Finally, some order had been established, but everybody was frantic since they knew that there was a child's life involved.

Suddenly, a woman's screams could be heard down the street and turning to look, saw the probable mother of the lost child coming that way.

"NOOO! My baby's in there! NOOO!"

Somebody grabbed her and stopped her from running right into the burning building, which is exactly what she had intended to do.

A man shouted to the side, "Hey! There's Oley! He's leaving! Where's he going?"

All the while, men circled the building with their team effort and began a chain gang of fire-fighters, throwing water to the fire from all sides of the doomed building. They'd not save it, but they could stop it from spreading.

Simon stood by, trying to find the right key to use on the door, not yet knowing there was no need. He had men standing by with water buckets especially for when the door was opened.

[ 01-05-2006, 01:10 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Sever]

As the latch turned freely in his hands, Sever cursed silently at the few precious seconds he'd just lost. He turned to the newcomer with the keys who'd appeared at his side and said above the comotion:

"There's no need, it's been open all along. There's no prize for guessing what happens next. When the door opens, it's going to fuel the fire. Keep it closed unless absolutely necessary. If you want those guys with the buckets to follow me in, then fine. But make sure there's enough water left to keep this exit safe."

With that, Sever turned towards the building, paused briefly as he clutched the amulet around his neck, and opened the door. There was a slight rush as the flames sucked air through the gap but no flames roared out to scorch him. Insane as it was, he judged it safe enough to enter the burning building. Quickly, he ducked through the doorway and disappeared into the smoke, not waiting to see if any dared follow.