Balir wastes no time.  He pridefully announces "We're in my terrain now", and then marches into the cellar with minimal regard for safety.  He does have his axe ready and his shield armed, but he isn't afraid of whatever he might find in there.

In reply to Balir Ironhide (msg # 862):

A woman shrieks as Balur enters the root cellar. And throws her arms out to defend her small children.

In reply to Kirpich Rockson (msg # 861):

I have no clue as to what tempts it, nor did I see signs of it having eaten. The lamb is in need of care to survive. I doubt such a small critter will attract the lizard or whatever it is.

He moves to the cellar when he hears the scream.

In reply to Aethul (msg # 864):

So who has gone to the creature in the hopes of finding something to attract it to the stronghold then? Where was the creature last seen?

Kirpich will enter the cellar behind Balar and try to comfort the woman.

"We are neither from the fort nor is the creature here. We did not know this place was inhabited. How many of you are here? Are you safe for now?"

In reply to Kirpich Rockson (msg # 865):

Just reading back through the text, Aethul went to catch the lamb in order to use it to draw the beast to the stronghold. Somehow, he seems to have forgotten that when he met the sheep...so is the beast now being drawn to us by his absent-mindedness? if so, Kirpich would be very quick to remind him of the original plan, pointing out that he is now drawing the beast to kill innocent villages instead of vampires...and suggesting in no uncertain terms that he really should be heading back to the vampires castle.

To assist him, he casts resist fire on him. [Private to GM: Rolled 6, skill 20, Resist Fire. Will be maintained indefinitely...so -1 to all other spells until he stops maintaining this one.]

Balir's eyes go wide, and he steps back half a step in reaction.  He hems and haws a minute, not expecting townsfolk at all...  "Ummm...uh...uhm...  I'm...  I'm sorry.  Ma'am.  Umm.  Yes, sorry to frighten you.  We, uh, thought this would be uninhabited.  There are many...uhm...bad things about.  We didn't expect anyone to still be alive.  I'm...  I'm sorry to startle you.  And your kids.  Sorry, kids..."

In reply to Kirpich Rockson (msg # 866):

Actually He did go looking for sheep, but only found a lamb. It's a baby if the term is unfamiliar, and likely weighs less than 20 pounds. It is too small to be useful as bait, so he brought it back to the group. Also baby animals have very little scent as a means of protection. This woman may be glad to get it as a future source of milk, or perhaps meat if it is a male.

As bait, it is pretty useless.

In reply to Aethul (msg # 868):

Lol, grew up on a (hobby) sheep farm, with only 200 sheep, but enough to be familiar with them. 'Lamb' covers anything up to a yearling, and if this one has legged it from this giant lizard, it is no 20 lb baby (Lambs that size are not usually weaned and bleat incessantly for their mothers, and it would have been tracked and eaten pretty quickly as a result! Again, from experience, that bleating can be heard at least a mile away, especially if you are trying to sleep...) Lambs can be pretty much fully grown and still called lambs...was the Narrator specific about the size? Lamb chops come from such yearlings, by the way, they are great to eat...from plenty of personal experience!

Of course, if it is a female, it may be better to give to the farmer. Did you check?

That is the US definition of Lamb as well, but Lamb, as I learned in the Mid-east and Mediterranean is milk fed, once it stops nursing it is a yearling.  That is the interpretation I have used.  Domestic sheep are dumb as rocks, generally.  Those lambs that are a bit less domesticated are much less likely to bleat mindlessly for just the reason you state.  Assuming this is a 16-20 foot long lizard/Slorn/Salamander, It isn't going to spend a lot of time tracking a snack if better pickings are around ...  The Narrator may correct as he sees fit. I did an even/odd roll on my desk and it came up male ...

In reply to Aethul (msg # 870):
 The sheep is a yearling, and weighs a bit more than 20lbs. The beast, if your appreciation for distance serves you well was larger than your estimate, but at that distance, you are uncertain.

In reply to Balir Ironhide (msg # 867):

"Have you seen Jean? He went out last night to see if the beast was gone and never returned! Is it still about?"

We have seen no one, Jean is your spouse? Perhaps I can track him ...

In reply to Aethul (msg # 873):

"Unfortunately it is, though it is not the only threat, particularly at night. Vampyre also roam in these parts based in the fort."

How far away was the beast when we last saw it, and was it coming in our direction?

Balir shakes his head.  These fools weren't thinking about the important details.  It was left for him to correct their thinking a bit.  "How was he armed?  Did he have the proper gear to defend himself?  Or, was he dressed to be stealthy, and try to avoid the dangers?

I expect you had to leave the burned out farm houses to take shelter here.  Did he go back to recover some of your personal belongings?  Or was he foraging for food?

We will find him.  Don't worry.  And we can keep you safe from the dangers outside.  We are here to face them, and defeat them."

With a bit of a flourish, Balir carefully lifts his Axe, Earthwarden, so that it gleams in the light.

In reply to Kirpich Rockson (msg # 874):

"Wait... the Vampyres are about? How did they escape the tower where they have been imprisoned?"
This message was last edited by the player at 15:44, Mon 25 May 2020.

In reply to Farm worker (msg # 876):

"How were they imprisoned there? They seemed free to travel when we arrived there."

In reply to Kirpich Rockson (msg # 877):

"The gate and walls were warded against their departure. They have not been about since my mothr was a child!"

Balir, who knows nothing about these things, asks "Could we have somehow damaged that ward by entering the tower?"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:40, Mon 25 May 2020.

Likely so...

In reply to Aethul (msg # 880):

"The tunnel will need to be resealed then...perhaps after we put the beast in though."

Perhaps better we dispatch the beast lest it become like them...

In reply to Aethul (msg # 882):

"You may be right. I had in mind to follow it in, and then after they were weakened fighting each other, to make sure all died..."

"I don't think it would be any problem to take the salamander or the vampyre."

Or both at once I presume? But I am thinking it might be tougher than you think, Balir   he smiles at Balir. You are too courageous for your own good I fear.

In reply to Aethul (msg # 885):

"Yes, indeed. Taking them both on at once I do not fancy, but setting them onto each other and then dealing with the left-overs, I am in favour of.

Ma,am, may we leave our beast of burden with you while we go and try to find your husband, and try to deal with the beast?"