The blue ward snaps shut with a thunderclap. At that instant, the cellar door bursts inward, scattering planks as the mob leader and several villagers stumble through.
Ragnar remains braced at the threshold, weapon in hand, while frightened villagers recoil from his size. Behind the ale racks, the priest tears away a hanging mat.
the roadside priest
There. An old road tunnel. It leads beyond the village palisade. Move now, before they find their courage.
A narrow stair descends behind the racks, its stones slick with age. Faint blue light crawls along the walls, pointing toward the buried passage.
the mob leader
Do not let that brute reach the stairs! The priest is hiding the truth below us!
the roadside priest
I stay here and hold the ward. No one accompanies you, Ragnar. Take the warning to Bellwether, or all this defiance means nothing.
The priest plants both hands over the completed circle as the villagers surge around the shattered door. The old tunnel waits open behind Ragnar, while the cellar closes around him.
✓ Quest Accepted
Escape the village through the old road tunnel
✓ Quest Accepted
Deliver the wrapped warning to Bellwether
“Can the tunnel carry me beyond the village palisade?”
YES (VeryLikely, rolled 57)
Ragnar descends into the buried passage as the villagers spill into the cellar behind him. The old stones swallow the uproar, leaving only muffled shouting above.
the roadside priest
The tunnel runs beneath the palisade and opens onto the north road. Follow the blue marks, and do not lose the wrapped warning.
Behind Ragnar, the priest's ward flares once. A heavy impact shakes the stairhead, but the blue light along the walls remains steady, guiding him onward.
the mob leader
Seal that passage! He cannot carry lies beyond the walls!
The tunnel bends beneath roots and ancient foundations. Cold air flows from ahead, carrying the scent of wet grass and distant morning, while the village noise fades.
the roadside priest
He has a clear road now. May Bellwether hear him before the danger arrives.
Far ahead, gray daylight gathers beneath a broken stone arch. Beyond it lies open ground outside the palisade, and the road to Bellwether waits.
“Is the north road clear beyond the broken stone arch?”
YES (Even, rolled 31)
Ragnar reaches the broken stone arch. Beyond it, the north road lies clear beneath a paling sky, its damp ruts undisturbed and its verges empty.
Ragnar Stormclaw
No tracks block the road.
The blue marks fade at the threshold, their work complete. Wet grass bends in the morning breeze, and the open road runs north toward distant Bellwether.
the roadside priest
The way is clear. Carry the warning swiftly, Ragnar. The village has only the time you can win for it.
Behind him, another muffled blow rolls through the buried passage, followed by a splintering crash. The tunnel remains hidden, but the villagers are still searching.
Ragnar steps beneath the arch and onto the north road. Gray dawn opens around him, while Bellwether waits beyond the low hills with no obstacle yet between them.
“I hurry north toward Bellwether”
SUCCESS (Fair Agility, rolled +0)