Realms of Dread Chapter Two

[ewancummins]

in the alleyway, near the Marsh Gate-

''Just take that crate inside the building and put it with the others. Right through there-''


OOC: Ewan, with the cross-scarred man gone, how many people does Blaise now see, including the two guards at the entrance? Darkvision and see invisible are still in effect.

Including the two gaurds at the door and all the workers, Blaise sees ten men. Half of these are inside the darkened house.

It's quite dark inside the old house, with only a single dim candle on a wooden table to provide light, but Blaise's supernatural vision slices through the gloom and allows him to see all as if it were daylight. The interior is just a dusty old storeroom, it would seem. There is a slowly expanding stack of crates in one corner of the room.
The five men working inside the house are silent, slow, and uncommunicative. Hats, scarves, and long coats conceal their looks pretty thoroughly.

Sureptiously reading the leadger, Blaise can see that it includes entries for all of the following:

nails

salt pork

hardtack

ink

hemp rope

chalk

slate tiles

dry plaster

lamp oil

lye

cotton cloth

[ewancummins]

in the street, near the Marsh Gate


From his hiding spot near the mouth of the alley, Threan observes Cross-Face leave the alley and enter the cobbled street. Cross-face then turns toward the city's edge and walks towards the Marsh Gate. He passes out of Threan's view and hearing- and walks right past Alain's newer hiding spot. He doesn't give any indication of having spotted either the gnome or Alain.

The man [now in sight and hearing of Alain] stops a little short of the gate and calls out softly to the two gaurds stationed there:



''Evenin' lads. Can you tell me what time the gate opens?''


The guardsmen look at him, then to one another, then back at Cross-face. One of them replies,

''It opens at the appointed hour.''

Crossface responds in a rather poetic way-

''Aye, the hour of sunrise, when the golden king climbs over the rim of the world.''


''Glad are we when the sun rises.''

''Aye, that's well. ''

After this almost courtly exchange, Crossface draws near to the gate and enters a muttered conversation with the watchmen.

[BigBadQDaddy]

Alain perks up at the obviously suspicious line of conversation taking place between the cross faced man and the guards.
Straining to catch wind of what they are whispering amongst themselves, Alain attempts to block out the surrounding noise of the harbor and focus on what is transpiring between the two guards and the cross faced man.

Rolls to be posted on the OOC thread

[Lord Skybolt]

Threan also is interested in what they are whispering among them selves he moves closer while remaining neither seen or heard (1) .







1.See OOC for rolls .

[ewancummins]

Fishgut Rock

Ino's second incantation opens the doorway in the cliff-face-


creeeeaaaakkk

The door swings out slowly, groaning on its unseen hinges, to reveal a dark and narrow hallway that extends out of sight into the stony mass of the Rock.

[ewancummins]

in the storeroom of the darkened house, not far from the Marsh-Gate

Blaise has just finished reading the ledger when one of the workers jostles him from behind. The clumsy workman nearly knocks Blaise to the floor.

[ewancummins]

by the Marsh Gate

Cross-face looks back [in the direction of Alain's hiding spot] and scans the street. He then shrugs and turns back towards the gate and the two watchmen.
Cross-face explains-

''Thought I heard something, but I guess I didn't...''

''It may have been a cat, I suppose.''

-offers one of the two watchmen, not sounding overly confident in his suggestion.


Cross-face shrugs again and adds-
''Well, then, I must get back to my work for the night. Good to know that we've got such loyal men watching the gate and walls at night.''

[VAN]

Ino smiles at herself when sees the door open.

"Has anyone a torch or you want me to cast light on something? We need some light to see but not very much because we will be seen as well. Also Rardi, do you have any spell to detect undead? The one I have seen in here may be around."

As waiting their answers she casts a spell on herself.


OOC> Mage armour

[steveflam]

"I sure do, Inovidil." Rardi calls upon her faith in the Morninglord and begins concetrating on undead.

[Archedius]

Archedius fumbles with flint and steel while holding a torch between his thighs.

[Ken of Ghastria]

in the storeroom of the darkened house, not far from the Marsh-Gate

Blaise has just finished reading the ledger when one of the workers jostles him from behind. The clumsy workman nearly knocks Blaise to the floor.

"Hey now, lad!" says Blaise, stumbling forward. "I know it's dark in here but be careful now. Let's keep on working, shall we?" He tries to put some warmth in his tone, not wanting to start a fight. He looks at the man for a few speaks as he speaks, then he steps toward the entrance to collect another crate.

OOC: Blaise's detect magic is an at-will ability, and he uses it now. Also. are the other workers talking to each other, or are they being quiet, almost eerily quiet?

[ewancummins]

in the storeroom of the darkened house, not far from the Marsh-Gate

Blaise has just finished reading the ledger when one of the workers jostles him from behind. The clumsy workman nearly knocks Blaise to the floor.

"Hey now, lad!" says Blaise, stumbling forward. "I know it's dark in here but be careful now. Let's keep on working, shall we?" He tries to put some warmth in his tone, not wanting to start a fight. He looks at the man for a few speaks as he speaks, then he steps toward the entrance to collect another crate.

OOC: Blaise's detect magic is an at-will ability, and he uses it now. Also. are the other workers talking to each other, or are they being quiet, almost eerily quiet?

Only the man's eyes and just a little of his face is visible, the rest being hidden by his scarf and hat. The eyes stare at Blaise, unblinking in the soft glow of the candlelight. Blaise, standing so close to the man, can smell a mothball sort of stink coming from him.

The clumsy worker says nothing at all in response to Blaise's words, but continues working as if Blaise weren't even in the room.

[Blaise detects no magic]

[Ken of Ghastria]

Blaise gulps and he takes another look around the room at the other workers. "All right now, back to work we go," he says almost to himself. "We'll all shamble -- er, walk over to the inn for some well-earned pints when we're done."

He slowly walks back outside and grabs another crate, but he feels his spine tingle with anxiety as his fellow workers walk behind him. He looks around more carefully at the ten workers, hoping to determine which of them are truly living and which ones are ... like the man who just bumped into him.

[VAN]

As Rardi casts her spell and Archedius lights the torch Inovidil says:

"Lets go inside, Rardi, as a dwarf you can see in dark so better if you first, I'll go second and then Archedius to cover our back."

Saying that Inovidil casts another spell.


OOC> Ino casts mirror image, Ewan let me know the number of images

[steveflam]

Once Rardi casts her spell she concentrates and frowns, acknowledging what she sees but unsure as to what it exactly means. She nods to Inovidil, passing forward through the door and advancing slowly being careful and paying attention to what she sees.