Curious about the stable door being open, Tristan pokes his head inside and calls his sister’s name.  He forgets to check the ground for potential tracks leading inside…

In reply to Tristan (msg # 18):

The stables are empty.  You don't even see the cat that lays around in here during the afternoon.

That's when you hear two small voices.  They aren't familiar voices.  Not quite whispers, but more like people talking far away.  It sounds like someone is behind the hay bale near the back of the stables.

"Is he gone?"

"Oh my oh my yes I hope so.  Who would think he'd come around these days?"

"Well the children have been naughty."

"Naughty naughty"

"I blame the parents for not offering proper guidance."

"Oh yes oh yes."

"Children these days need a firm hand to guide them."

"Otherwise they'll all go wrong."

"Like a cart where the driver just lets the horse go where it wants."

"Indeed indeed."

"Do you think he'll be back?"

"Oh yes indeed!  As you said...the children are..."

"Naughty naughty."

"Naughty naughty indeed."

Tristan gets a pugnacious look on his face.  He enters the stable and closes the door behind him.  Forming fists, he shouts, "Who you callin' naughty?  Say it to my face!"

In reply to Tristan (msg # 20):

There's a silence after you shout.

Then, from behind the hay bale...

"Oh my."

"That is just the kind of behavior we were talking about."

"You can just feeeeeeel the naughtiness oozing from him, can't you?"

"Same way snot runs out of his nose."

"Well, naughty children are usually snotty, aren't they?"

"Oh most assuredly.  Most assuredly."

There is a brief moment, and then both voices call out:

"SNOTTY NAUGHTY! SNOTTY NAUGHTY! SNOTTY NAUGHTY!"

"SNOTTYNAUGHTYSNOTTYNAUGHTYSNOTTYNAUGHTY!"

"SNOTTYNAUGHTYSNOTTYNAUGHTYSNOTTYNAUGHTY!!!"

“Am not!” He screams, then runs out of the barn.  He already has a family… he does NOT need this!

In reply to Tristan (msg # 22):

You can hear the voices laughing as you burst out of the stables.

"Child...you're being quite loud.  What's wrong?"

The voice isn't familiar.  It's a man's voice, deep and baritone, but it sounds tired.  Like Father does when he wakes up from his nap unexpectedly.

Sitting on the lip of the well is a large white owl.  The owl cocks it's head to one side.

"Well? Cat got your tongue?  If so, you should make him give it back."

“There are these weird people in the barn,” He replies, deciding to trust this talking owl for some reason.  It simply doesn’t occur to him not to trust it.  “They keep saying means things to me.  And if my mother finds out about ‘em, she’ll think it’s my fault they’re there.  And I have to find my sister or I’ll get whupped, but when I find her, she’ll kick me again.  And there’s this other weird guy I met at the well, but the only one who saw him is me.”

In reply to Tristan (msg # 24):

"Voices saying mean things?  That's probably the mice.  Mice are wicked creatures.  Their only redemption is that they taste delicious.

"If you find your sister, you get a kick.  If you don't find her, you will get whupped.  That is the indeed being damned if you do, or damned if you don't.

"So which is worse?  The kick or the whup?  Because I can tell you where your sister is.  So once I tell you, you'll know.

"It will then be a question of...will you do anything about it?"

Tristan is confused.  “What can I do about it?  She’s bigger’un me.  But I have to find her ‘cause the whoopin’s always worse.”

In reply to Tristan (msg # 26):

The owl chuckles.

"There's no point in wondering what you can do when you've tried to do nothing.  Stop wondering and get to work.

"Go into your garden.  Go to the fourth turnip plant and pull it up.  You'll find a large turnip at the end of the stalk.

"Go in and listen to the song your Grandmother is singing.  Sneak in if you don't want your Mother to know you're inside.  Make sure you learn the tune.

"Next, go to the field your brother's are shearing in.  Walk widdershins around it and look for the first black lamb you see.  When your brothers shear it, take a big handful of the wool.

"Then go to the road and turn left.  Take each left you come across.  You'll meet the man you saw before with his sack.  Find some way to put him to sleep and then crawl inside his sack.  You'll find your sister there."

The owl seems to shrug.  "Or don't do any of that.  Take your whooping and live a terrible life.  It's your choice."

And with that, the owl flies away.

For a moment, Tristan just stands there, stunned, his mouth a big O.  He hasn’t lived long, but he has existed long enough to know that this sort of thing wasn’t supposed to happen.  Talking owls, mice, etc.

But he frantically repeats the owl’s instructions to himself, over and over again.  They seem terribly important, and he is fascinated.  Could there be another life at the end of this?  A more dangerous life, perhaps… but one that promises more than a meager life of farm drudgery?

As soon as he’s confident he’ll remember the owl’s advice, he returns to the garden and hunts for the storied fourth turnip.  He’ll try to dig it up when he finds it, but first he’ll check to make sure he isn’t being watched.

Then crawl inside his sack… you’ll find your sister there. He wonders what that means…
This message was last edited by the player at 22:55, Mon 20 June 2022.

In reply to Tristan (msg # 28):

Alright.  Let's start doing some rolls.

You sneak out into the garden and look around for this fourth turnip bush...

Let's start with a simple test.  Awareness/Perc test please.

It's a simple die, so you can't botch here.  A 0 will count as a 10.

Let me know if there are questions.  Thanks

OOC: Here goes nothing.

08:11, Today: Tristan rolled 9 using 1d10.  perc/awareness.

My Perception is -4, so my result is 5, I take it?
This message was last edited by the player at 12:12, Fri 24 June 2022.

In reply to Tristan (msg # 30):

Yep.

Obviously one of the disadvantages in playing as a child are those characteristic penalties.

But this story is scaled.  Just getting you used to the types of rolls is all.

And so...

You dig through the ground for what feels like forever, sweating beading on your forehead and dripping off your chin like rain water coming down a spout.

But you manage to finally get your hands on what feels like a turnip.

It's a big one, and it's colored all purple instead of just a little on the top.  But it look plump and juicy, as big as your fists bunched together.

This surely must be the one the owl was talking about.

Now then...getting inside...

You glance towards the cottage door.  From the sounds inside, it seems Mother may be in your parernt's room, trying to rock the baby to sleep.  You can faintly hear Nan singing, but can't make out the tune or words.  It's all sort of a steady drone from where you're standing.

Now we'll deal with stress die.

You can try to sneak into the house.  Stealth/Quickness please.  This is a stress die, so remember the rules around those.

If you don't want to sneak in and want to try something else, go ahead and do that.

Your call.

Thanks

Repeating the owl’s instructions, Tristan hides the strange turnip and then tries to sneak inside the house, knowing the next thing he needs to do is learn his grandmother’s song.

17:40, Today: Tristan rolled 9 using 1d10.  My first stress roll. (Modified by dex?)

OOC: As I recall, I don’t need to worry about rolling again unless I get either a 1 or 0.  Is this correct?
This message was last edited by the player at 21:42, Sun 26 June 2022.

In reply to Tristan (msg # 32):

It would be Dex in this case, yes.

Correct.  On a stress, you would only reroll on a 1 or 0.

As your halfway across the floor, Mama stops talking in the other room.  Perhaps you freeze for a moment.  But soon she's grumbling again.  Apparently the baby bit her while it was feeding.

Nan is humming something.  You hear her mumbling the following words

...round an' round...
My love's fair... Something.  You can't make out this bit.

Like the finest robe
Oh like the finest of fine robes
I ever did wear

Mama is still grumbling in the other room.  You missed part of what Nan sang.  Maybe you could ask her to sing it again?

You can try to talk her into repeating the song again.  I'll need to see what you tell her.  Then you'll make another stress test.  Either Charm, Folk Ken, or Leadership/Comm or Pres.  Depends on what you do.

I'll let you decide the ability/characteristic combo you want to use if you go that route.

Thanks

Has Nan stopped singing?  If not, Tristan simply waits and listens for her to repeat it.  Otherwise, he’ll walk up to her and attempt to charm her into repeating herself, although that obviously isn’t his speciality.  Either way, he’ll do his best to avoid running into mother.

OOC: Could Sharp Ears help him succeed here?
This message was last edited by the player at 19:16, Wed 29 June 2022.

In reply to Tristan (msg # 34):

Nan takes a deep breath and starts her mumble-singing again...

See my post in the other thread.  Yes, it would apply.

Thanks

09:21, Today: Tristan rolled 4 using 1d10.  per + aware.

In reply to Tristan (msg # 36):

She's definitely repeating the same song.

...round 'n round
she spins around
My love's fair hair
All flying 'round

So soft
Like the finest robe
Oh like the finest robes
I ever did wear

She repeats the line again.

From the other room, you can hear Mother starting to soothe the baby back to sleep.

Silently repeating the ditty to himself, Tristan attempts to sneak out of the house, and then stealthily approach the field his brothers are shearing in.  He is determined to follow the owl's instructions to the letter, although he has no idea where this path will take him.

Surely some place better... could there possibly be anything worse than 'living' here?

In reply to Tristan (msg # 38):

You know the field.  It isn't too far away.  Your brothers are shirtless, covered in bits of wool.  The sheep have been put into a large pen, and the family dogs are lazily keeping watch over them.

You start to walk the widdershins.  The sun is dipping down past the noon now.  You figure Mother will come yelling for you and Mallory to get ready for dinner soon.

You spot the black lamb.  It's the only one left not yet shorn.  Randall wipes sweat from hsi forehead with one forearm and walks over towards it, apparently about to bring it forward for the shearing.

Make me a Stealth/Qik check please.  This would be a stress test.

13:43, Today: Tristan rolled -1 using 1d10-3.  Stealth/quic.

In reply to Tristan (msg # 40):

"Tristan?  What are you doing?"

Randall stops in his tracks and looks over at where you are, one hand on his hips and an eyebrow raised.

Randall is...tolerable.  He doesn't yell at you like the others.  And he doesn't hit you.  Or at least he hasn't yet.  Then again, he doesn't really say much to anybody.

“Can you show me how to shear?  Dad says I have to learn how to do it.”