Ghosts of Gauntcliff: Chapter Five

[Adam]

"I hope I don't end up regretting this," Benn mutters, following behind.

[ewancummins]

BENN-

"I hope I don't end up regretting this," Benn mutters, following behind.

Benn passes through the hollow...

After a momentary sensation of falling, Benn finds himself standing in darkness.

Something scratches in the dark, sparks fly--and then a small light appears at about the level of Benn's waist. One of the monocular cretins looks up at him, holding a candle.
Small man-like shapes stir in the gloom about Benn.

The creature holding the candle (Jürgen called it Smezel) says,

''We here. Dungeon."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Everline flops free of the men's hands, approaches Petrie, and starts sawing at Jonas' bonds with a knife. She is careful not to nick his skin, but her assault on the ropes is... intense.

"Don't worry, sweetie," she says while she works. "We're here now. We're here now."

(OOC: I am not making the classic mistake of promising we'll have him back with mum and dad soon. No knowing what'll happen next!)

[ewancummins]

IN THE WORKSHOP AREA, NEAR THE BOLT-HOLE

Everline flops free of the men's hands, approaches Petrie, and starts sawing at Jonas' bonds with a knife. She is careful not to nick his skin, but her assault on the ropes is... intense.

"Don't worry, sweetie," she says while she works. "We're here now. We're here now."

(OOC: I am not making the classic mistake of promising we'll have him back with mum and dad soon. No knowing what'll happen next!)

Once Jonas' gag is undone and his arms and legs are free, he begins to kick and scream.

''Mama! Papa!"

The shadows continue to grow, creeping along the walls.

Petrie asks the others,

''Do we pull out the chest? Burn it? Flee?"

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Give him to me, quick!" Everline says, grabbing Jonas as soon as she can. "I'm not going to try and hook that box, I'm all for getting Jonas out of this filthy hole in the ground! Jonas, do you understand? We are leaving here. We're going back to the big house. Yeah?"

[ewancummins]

Jonas continues to scream-
'' Papa! Mama!"

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Look at me, boy!" Everline orders, in a brook-no-objection kind of tone she remembers from her own mother. As soon as she has Jonas' full and undivided attention, she continues: "We've met. I'm daddy's friend. I am going to do my best to bring you back to your parents. Understand? Now: NO more wriggling, NO more screaming. We are leaving here, fast as we can. Right, gents?"

(OOC: No guarantees, no guarantees at all... *sigh Cruel old world.)

[ewancummins]

Petrie doesn't respond to Everline's question. He clutches his dying torch and watches the shadows moving along the walls.

[Ail]

While Everline cries to be pulled from the hole and Primeiro cries for lights, Eustace lights his lantern and moves to a spot where it can illuminate most of the room. He tries to dissipate the shadows most often where the group stands.

After that Jonas is brought out, he casts Remove Fear on the boy and Everline.

Edit: removed a minor break of the 4th wall.

[Adam]

BENN-

"I hope I don't end up regretting this," Benn mutters, following behind.

Benn passes through the hollow...

After a momentary sensation of falling, Benn finds himself standing in darkness.

Something scratches in the dark, sparks fly--and then a small light appears at about the level of Benn's waist. One of the monocular cretins looks up at him, holding a candle.
Small man-like shapes stir in the gloom about Benn.

The creature holding the candle (Jürgen called it Smezel) says,

''We here. Dungeon."

"Where's the cell?" Benn says, looking around for his own candle or torch he could pick up and light. "And where are the others?"

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

"Let's get Jonas out of the pit first," Dorgio agrees. "But once he's safe, I want to be looking at that chest. We're still nearly as ignorant of what's going on here as we were before."

Seeing the shadows grow, he mutters a prayer of light centered on his spear, and waits for Everline and Jonas to reach safety.

[Ken of Ghastria]

"We are leaving here, fast as we can. Right, gents?"

"You are damn well correct, mademoiselle," says Primeiro, warily eying the growing shadows.

Seeing Petrie's possible fear or paralysis, he slaps the man roughly on the shoulder. "Snap out of it, big fellow! We're leaving!"

After collecting and sheathing his rapier, he holds Everline's morningstar in a defensive position as he guards Everline's and Jonas' retreat from the room.

________________________________________________
If we're attacked before we get out, Primeiro will be attacking defensively (-4 to hit, +2 dodge bonus to AC).

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Everline does not spend anymore time trying to settle Jonas down. Instead, she uncinches her belt, hitches it up and straps Jonas to her chest, to make sure he can't wriggle free as she moves to the exit.

[steveflam]

BENN-

"I hope I don't end up regretting this," Benn mutters, following behind.

Benn passes through the hollow...

After a momentary sensation of falling, Benn finds himself standing in darkness.

Something scratches in the dark, sparks fly--and then a small light appears at about the level of Benn's waist. One of the monocular cretins looks up at him, holding a candle.
Small man-like shapes stir in the gloom about Benn.

The creature holding the candle (Jürgen called it Smezel) says,

''We here. Dungeon."

"Where's the cell?" Benn says, looking around for his own candle or torch he could pick up and light. "And where are the others?"

"Dark One. Go find the cells or Jonas please."

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

As Everline climbs up the pit with Jonas, Dorgio carefully ties a length of rope to one of his crossbow bolts, fixing the rope just beneath the bolt's tip, both to help it fly better and to help keep the bolt from penetrating too far into the wood. Once Everline is clear of the pit, he takes aim at the chest with his crossbow. In this way, he hopes to create a way they can pull the chest out using the anchored bolt instead of having to climb into the chamber.