Lavorra walks through town

To say that Lorkan’s village has seen better days is a tremendous understatement. It is desolate, filled only with gutted buildings and rubble, and the aftermath of many fires.

As she walks past a row of ruined houses, towards what must be the centre, she searches for any signs of life. She can almost see the scenes of Lorkan’s story coming to life before her eyes, but it doesn’t ring true.

She thinks back to her tears at the tale, and curses her naivety - there’s no way the man she met would have risked his life here, surely? She supposes only he can answer that, and she has no desire to ever see him again.

Reaching the centre of the village, her eyes pick up movement ahead. A pair of human women walk quickly from out of another row of houses, headed towards a semi-intact structure with a somewhat functional roof. Lavorra jogs, waving an arm as she heads towards them. But seeing her, the women quicken their pace, clearly trying to avoid her.

“Hey, I’m here to help! Hold up!” She calls, dropping into a brisk walk, then faltering. “I’ve come to help…”

“Get gone!” The taller of the two snaps, shooing at her, “You’ll bring naught but trouble, on us and yourself. Leave! You won’t be able to soon!”

She puts her arm around the other woman, and hurries her into the structure ahead.

Lavorra blinks in surprise, watching them go. She stands mutely on the packed earth of the village square, and watches as three more women flit between houses and ruined market stalls, all seeming to head for shelter as the evening draws in.

Do any of the women answer her calls?

Yes/No (Unlikely)

[1.5] No

She tries a few more times to gain their attention, but is shunned by every women she tries to approach. She hasn’t seen a single male villager since arriving.

What she has seen is that each of the women wears tattered clothing, some barely held together, and barely concealing their skin. And worse than that: every one of the women is pregnant.

She didn’t get an exact timeline from Lorkan, but she got the impression that the attack happened only a few weeks ago - perhaps no more than two or three. And there’s no way that the women she’s seen would be so visibly pregnant in that time.

But, she reminds herself, the fathers are Daemons.

Lavorra stalls, pondering what to do next as darkness closes in. She doesn’t want to **** the issue with these women - they have clearly been through hell already, and she feels guilty pressuring them for information. She can understand their **** to speak to her. What’s more, she finds herself unnerved by the first women’s proclamation: Leave! You won’t be able to soon!

The Daemons may be returning soon - is that what she means? Lavorra steels her nerves for a fight. Then promptly jumps out of her skin at a call from behind her.

“Hey! Cute elf girl! Over here!”

She whirls around, to see a red-skinned face framed by rich black curls and upright horns, a slender arm beckoning her from around a charred doorway.