Filinia has been working again, building cages that will attach to the walls and surround the windows on the inside. She now sits on the front step staring in, watching the slowly-moving beam. She eats bread and cheese and watches the gream arm going up and down.

*great arm

Gavin had been out doing Gavin things. So when he stopped by the pump house it was by chance. He looks around at all the caged and then to Filinia on the beam rising and falling as she eats. "Uhm what are we planning on trapping?"

Danielle walking by the pumphouse looking somewhat refreshed from the last time, she was here, but its is clar from the way she first takes a couple of wary glances about the area before giving Filinia a smile and hello that she has far from forgotten recent events "Something to do with recent intrusion perhaps"

Danielle walking by the pumphouse looking somewhat refreshed from the last time, she was here, but its is clar from the way she first takes a couple of wary glances about the area before giving Filinia a smile and hello that she has far from forgotten recent events "Something to do with recent intrusion perhaps" she offers to gavins query

Filinia looks at the cages. "Apparently things were coming in through the windows," she says, "And it's nice to be able to not die. Weird people, the Ker'nul said."

"Strange. Are they locals or is this somehow tied to the portal in the fountain? The one that allows people to go to different shadows?" He looks to Danielle. " Seems I've missed a lot."

Filinia shrugs, and gets on with her food. She is still too thin, with the look of someone who is used to missing meals.

Danielle nods "Actually, quite disturbingly our best guess is the fog is to blame, they were approximation of human in their shape and manerism yet clearly not, made of fog and shadow. quite upset at us being in the pumphouse. at the time, survival was the only concern but in the time after i've been pondering why

Filinia looks up at Danielle as she fits the last of her bread into her mouth and starts chewing, like a very nervous hamster that is covered in soot.

\

"Survival can be a pretty strong driver and can lead to all types of violence. Maybe even more so than political reasons at times." Gavin says with a nod. "The Fog must not like what we're doing at all. I have wondered if the Fog is somehow tied to the road?"

Filinia says, "mhppm-mmms-unrgh?"

Light rain begins to drift down. Ladies and gentlemen in the street hurry a little, although the drops are small enough it is hardly more than a mist.

Gavin rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 20, using notice.
The result is a success.

Danielle rolls with advantage -1 at difficulty 20, using no talents or gifts.
The result is a success.

Those whose habits pick up such things note that one of the well dressed gentlemen in the street is angling towards the pump house door, at just the sort of speed as if he wants to get out of the rain.

Danielle nods "How many forcers we're dealing with here has always been a question. We previously sensed a force in this area that keeps things in order is it in oposition to the fog. I don't... "she trails off as she watches the man approach with a wary eye and hesitant wave

Filinia flips a coin. The result is: Heads

Gavin frowns, "There's always more at work it seems." He turns to look up to see the man heading there way. He frowns and his hand drops to his sword. "Can we help you, milord?"

Now that he can be seen clearly, this man looks eerily like a human, but some details are wrong. His eyes are too widely spaced, his skin a little too grey. His expensive-looking clothing folds a little bit strangely around his body, like he is not flexing right, or like it only appears to be cloth.

The man's walk lurches a little as he takes in the wave, and then he breaks into a run as he gets to the bottom of the steps. He is aiming for the door, and coming in fast.

Filinia squeaks in panic and dive-rolls off the steps, hanging on by a hand. She still has an apple in the other.

Danielle abrubtly straightens from where she is standing to the side of the steps "Unicorn's blood. Here we go again. She sticks out a foot in the creatures path while calling out ""Gavin..."

Gavin rolls with advantage 1 at difficulty 20, using combat, combat trained.
The result is a failure.

Danielle rolls with advantage -1 at difficulty 20, using no talents or gifts.
The result is a failure.

The thing accelerates faster, leg hitting Danielle's. It does not trip - just takes a long step while it flicks a foot back to clear her. Its hand hits the floor, pushes it back up.

\

Gavin was unsheathing his sword when the creature accelerates into him. This keeps Gavin from unsheathing his sword and pressing him back against a wall. "Damn it's strong."

The creature - thing - non-human - is already through the door, and heading for the water pools of the pump end, slowing as it does. The huge arm keeps moving.

Filinia rolls with advantage 1 at difficulty 20, using survival, manufacturing.
The result is a success.

Gavin rolls with advantage 1 at difficulty 20, using combat, combat trained and spending will.
The result is a success.

Danielle stumbles s as the thing pushes past, righting herself in time to see it run to the pump "Damn"

Most of the street has not noticed the sudden movement. It's just the one thing that ran in. Only the one foe. The one thing that is slowing, looking at the pump arm and the water.

\

With the creature moved past him and into the pump house, Gavin is able to move. Drawing his blade the knight is hot on the creatures heels. Showing no remores, or honor, he goes to cut the beast down from behind. "Die."

The beast, whatever it is, is cut, and turns to look at Gavin. It felt like slicing something that resisted, yet it bleeds nothing but black fog. And, even in dying, it lifts up a hand to swipe at him, a vicious bruising backhanded blow.

\

With the Strike, Gavin goes tumbling ass over tea kettle to end up against a sturdy post and lets out a gasp winded.

Still, the blow that he struck was mortal. The creature begins to fold in on itself and dissolve, all at once, even as it turns back to what it was doing. Apparently, it is just studying the water.

Filinia swears from where she is, but pulls out a small crowbar from her pocket and uses it to pull herself to where her foot can get a purchase. She is only eight or ten feet over the lower ground here, but she does not want to fall, it seems. She starts to haul herself up, putting her levering tool in her mouth, the exact opposite of a pirate in all but looks.

Danielle hms "I didn't intend for it to demonstrate on my behalf" she scans the area for more foes

Nothing more from outside, and inside the monster just vanishes, leaving a dark smudge of smoke and then nothing.

\

Gavin laid against the beam looking a bit dazed. "It's down." He looks at Filinia, "Are you alright? Danielle, are you still fine." He looks at the creature, "It was trying to watch the water."

Filinia is lying half in the doorway, panting. She does not look athletic enough to be pulling her own weight up, yet there she is. "Wha? That's so weird!"

Danielle blinks "watch it? And yeah I'm fine. What do you mean, watch it?

\

"It was just standing there watching." Gavin struggles to his feet and there's a grimace. He moves to stand under Filinia and looks up to put his hands under feet to give her some leverage. "There." He grimaces again. "I will have to find Amethyst after this."

Filinia probably appreciates the assist, although it's hard to say, because she is too busy just staring, although shaking like a leaf is also on the agenda.

There is no sign now of the attacker, save for injuries and memories.

Danielle hms "It tried to kill you so it could stare at water, so it's attracted to it?" She shakes her head "more and more bizarre. it might help if i'd inherited more of grandfather's insanity

Gavin holds his side after helping Filinia up and turns to look in the direction that Filinia was looking. He frowns, "Maybe the water and the fog are try to assess each other?"

Filinia says, "When I looked at it, I was trying to work out what the hell was going on."

Danielle laughs "That's how I approach everything here to be honest

Gavin shakes his head, "I'll be honest. That's me too. Though I have a simpler world view than either of you."

Filinia says, "Yeah, I understand machines. Just not the rest of anything."

Danielle hms "Complexity of thought or impression from extra senses does not help much. impressions are muddled and contradictory , perhaps because it's broken or corrupted, it makes it hard to piece a puzzle when you don't know what it looked like whole or how many pieces might be missing outright