The Guard Captain slams the wooden frame shut around Timothy’s neck and wrists. The rough grain bites into the youth's skin as the heavy bolt clicks into place with finality.
Guard Captain
Timothy:0
is finally exactly where he belongs. No more games, no more escapes. This wood will hold him until the magistrate decides if he is worth a trial or merely a rope.
Merchant
Thieves! A coin purse! Stop that knave, he went toward the fountain!
The square erupts. Pedestrians scramble and collide as the merchant points wildly, shattering the Guard Captain's concentration. The guards nearby pivot, breaking their formation to chase the supposed thief, leaving Timothy momentarily unobserved against the splintered pillory.
Timothy
The wood is old and warped. If I can just shift my weight and apply pressure to the right corner, the rot might give way before the Captain turns back around.
“I try to use my strength to free myself from the wooden pillory.”
PARTIAL (Terrible Strength, rolled +1)
Timothy heaves his body weight against the grain. A sickening snap echoes through the square, but it is not the wood that gives way. Instead, the aged iron hinge at the base of the pillory shears off, sending the entire heavy wooden structure toppling forward.
Timothy
The wood is too heavy, and the momentum is carrying me straight into the mud. If I don't catch my balance, I’ll be face-down in the muck with my neck still locked in this timber.
Guard Captain
What in the hells? Stop that boy! He’s trying to bolt!
The Guard Captain spins around, hand flying to the pommel of his sword. He lunges, fingers outstretched to snatch at the back of Timothy’s tunic just as the youth stumbles, the heavy pillory frame dragging him toward the filth.
+ Scene Quest Added
Break through the encirclement and flee the square
“I try to use my strength to run despite the great weight of the pillory frame still attached to me.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Agility, rolled +0)
Timothy’s feet find purchase on the slick cobbles. With a desperate burst of agility, he twists his body, using the heavy wooden frame as a lever rather than a shackle. He vaults forward, his slender frame clearing the muddy patch with uncanny grace. The momentum of the toppling pillory acts as a counterweight, vaulting him clear of the Guard Captain’s reaching fingers.
Timothy
The wood hit the stone a second too late. If I can maintain this pace, the weight of the frame might actually help me clear the square before he recovers his footing.
Guard Captain
Blast it all! You insufferable rat!
The Captain’s fingers close on nothing but thin air and dust. He stumbles forward, his momentum carrying him into the splintered wreckage of the pillory. Timothy finds himself ten paces ahead, the heavy timber rattling against his back like a stubborn shell, but his path to the alleyway is open.
Quest Complete
Escape the pillory
Attribute Upgrade: Strength Terrible→Poor