Ghosts of Gauntcliff, Chapter Seven

[Ail]

Eustace shakes his head at Primeiro's question

"It's not a matter of compassion. I do not wish Dodds to go unpunished. I just recognize we are powerless to do it in the present location. As Benn says, we have to do it in the Abbey, that is the crux of his power. And perhaps... perhaps that's where he was sentenced. Perhaps he suffered a trial there and the box was in that room because that's precisely where they put it. The ones that punished Dodds were the ones that put the runes on that door for us not to open it."

Then Dorgio brings the corpse forward, and Eustace watches eagerly as the shape floats towards its direction. He nods in approval to Benn's words.

"It's settled, let's see if Melmoth can still gives us a hand."

Then he turns to Denys

"Ms. Sancerre, I understand hasty and angry words have been spoken tonight, but they must be read under the extreme duress we are all in. We think we found a way to destroy this Dodds for good. At least, we have him subdued for now, but we need to return to the Abbey. I'm asking for your help once more, but if for some reason we are not worthy of it anymore, then please let us at least return here after the deed is done."

[ewancummins]

Denys turns round.
For a moment, he remains silent with a somber expression on his broad face.

''You want me and Memloth to carry that accursed load, towing a ghost that may awaken at any moment and attack us, across the island at night- marching straight into the shadow-haunted Old Abbey, is that the gist of it?"

The big, russet-haired man laughs bitterly.

''Why the hell not? I'm ruined anyway. After this debacle, my business on Gauntcliff will never recover, even if the haunting ends tonight. The creditors will circle in on me, buzzards after dead meat. What's the worst that can happen to me at the Old Abbey -death? Bah. I'll whistle for Melmoth."

[Adam]

Bennedict sighs and turns towards Charlotte. "As Van Richten puts it in his guides, the first mistake people who battle the creatures of the night make is to assume that any universal rules apply from one to the next. Every creature is different, and Dodds is no different. That said, there are often commonalities," he gestures towards the floating man. "Dodds is obviously not destroyed, since his spirit is still here. He is defeated, but not destroyed. When will he recover? Perhaps an hour from now, perhaps a day, perhaps a month. I can't say with certainty, but I don't intend to stand around and find out. The sooner we get him back, the sooner we can find a way to be rid of him."

He drums his fingers against the coffin. "And, much as I hate to say it, we may need Jonas to end this once and for all. He is an innocent. He is a child. Whatever must be done to destory him, I feel he may be a vital piece of it. He is my son, and I know he will be brave. With the two of us there to protect him, I am sure he will be fine."

[ewancummins]

Bennedict sighs and turns towards Charlotte. "As Van Richten puts it in his guides, the first mistake people who battle the creatures of the night make is to assume that any universal rules apply from one to the next. Every creature is different, and Dodds is no different. That said, there are often commonalities," he gestures towards the floating man. "Dodds is obviously not destroyed, since his spirit is still here. He is defeated, but not destroyed. When will he recover? Perhaps an hour from now, perhaps a day, perhaps a month. I can't say with certainty, but I don't intend to stand around and find out. The sooner we get him back, the sooner we can find a way to be rid of him."

He drums his fingers against the coffin. "And, much as I hate to say it, we may need Jonas to end this once and for all. He is an innocent. He is a child. Whatever must be done to destory him, I feel he may be a vital piece of it. He is my son, and I know he will be brave. With the two of us there to protect him, I am sure he will be fine."

Charlotte just stares at Benn for a long moment, a hard look in her eyes. Then, by degrees the look softens.
Very softly-
''Damn it."

She hoists Jonas up higher on her body and reaches out with her right hand to clasp Benn's left hand.

''The two of us, right."

[Ail]

"I would assume one's life would be the one's most precious possession, ubt after what I've seen tonight, sanity may come first." Eustace says to Sancerre.
"I don't know if I can offer you a word of hope. I was not asking for you to come with us, but surely you will not be denied if you do come.

And as for the future..." his voice trails off.
"Sometimes Belenus provides... Let's just keep hope. This is no one's fault, the island was haunted and we have a chance to end that now. Perhaps you can reconvert your enterprise, and publicize an ex-haunted mansion... for the frills. I'm sure there will be people willing to seek them, as long as there are no real ghosts. "

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

"Recover? By all holy, I hadn't thought of that...then yes, let us be going to the abbey with all haste. I say we cremate the body, give it proper rights, and inter the ashes there. What say the rest of you?"

[Ail]

"I say we go there. Once there, I don't know what to do. Dodds may actually recover some of his strength there, but maybe if he is defeated there he is defeated definitively. Perhaps if we search the ruins we can find something."

[Adam]

He takes her hand firmly in his.

"The two of us. Absolutely."

[ewancummins]

He takes her hand firmly in his.

"The two of us. Absolutely."

Charlotte squeezes Benn’s hand, and then she lets go of it.
‘’Okay, do your, euh, scholar stuff now. Think about what we do when we get there--I can't help with that. I’m going to make myself useful.”

Denys tries the door to the dining hall.
''Stuck! No, barred-- damn that devil-child, he's barred it!"

The big man then turns about, stamps down the floor, and walks out through the hall door.


Charlotte dresses Jonas in a little coat. She goes over to the pile of her family's belongs and quietly begins gathering some things for the hike; a flask of wine, a spare cloak, a packet of tinderwtigs, etc.


Your party has a little lull in which to discuss the expedition. Who will go and who (if anyone) will stay?

Presently, Denys returns with Melmoth.

Both men approach the grisly crate one step at a time.
Melmoth shudders at the sight of the hovering ghost, but he sucks in a deep breath and holds it till the shaking stops. He coughs explosively.
''Don't like this cargo."
Denys says nothing, only whistling soft and low as he stares out the broken window. His big hands twitch. He retrieves a flask from his jacket and takes a long pull of whatever it contains.

Sancerre turns round.


''No, wait…Melmoth. You don't need to come with us. You've been a good servant. I changed my mind; let the monk carry half the weight. He seems to think he's a goddamned expert on sin. Maybe he should feel how heavy it can be. I'll go because my invitation brought the guests all to this place; my business brought you and the other servants. I’m part of this. You, you just took the wrong job. Go look after your mules, look after the others. Go, man! “

Melmoth steps away from the chest.
‘’Uh, thank you, Master!”
The mule-driver skedaddles.

Denys sneers at Eustace.
‘’I hope your spine is up to the task, shave pate.”

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Too easy to fall, Sancerre," Everline rasps at the island's legal owner. "The evil. Would have killed us all. In the end."

Turning to the others, she says: "We go. But. Dawn not... better? Weaken powers of. Shadow. Darkness. Strengthen your. Sun-gods."

[Ail]

Eustace watches Sancerre carefully, and somewhat suspiciously.
"I will do what I must, Sancerre. If I have to carry a load, I will. "

He keeps further thoughts to himself, but the way Sancerre nearly spat his words at him brought a new doubt to his mind. Could the ghost be implying that Sancerre was his master? Could there be some mischief in owner's solicitude thus far?

OOC:
Sense Motive check.

1d20+7 = 23
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3566097/

[ewancummins]

Eustace watches Sancerre carefully, and somewhat suspiciously.
"I will do what I must, Sancerre. If I have to carry a load, I will. "

He keeps further thoughts to himself, but the way Sancerre nearly spat his words at him brought a new doubt to his mind. Could the ghost be implying that Sancerre was his master? Could there be some mischief in owner's solicitude thus far?

OOC:
Sense Motive check.

1d20+7 = 23
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3566097/

Sancerre's hostility towards you began just a short time ago-- right after you lectured him in regards to Juergin. He didn't seem to take well to your hopes for the boy's redemption.

[ewancummins]

RETURN TO THE OLD ABBEY

Moving the box with the corpse also moves Dodds’ ghostly form, as if an invisible rope tugged at him.

Hiking back to the Old Abbey on foot (the ghost’s presence terrifies the mules) your party cuts through the central hills, headed for the coast road. The night-winds howl across Gauntcliff, shaking leaves from the dwarf trees and whistling through the jumbled rocks.

You reach the Old Abbey as a heavy rain begins to fall. Moving through the ruins with lanterns held aloft, you find that another section of the floor has caved in, exposing part of the shadow-dungeon beneath.

Descending a short flight of stairs, you come to a dead end, where the rubble blocks further progress into the dungeon. Denys lets down his end of the box.

Charlotte clutches Jonas to her breast.
‘’I’m terrified! What is Jonas supposed to do? What if something goes wrong?”

Dodds jerks awake. He uncurls and hovers upright just inches above the black stair.
‘’No!”

Other hazy, insubstantial forms appear out of the darkness; more than twenty men who completely surround your party. The ghostly lynch mob presses in on all sides; hot irons, knives, and fists ready to torture Dodds—and maybe to torture you!
The wind picks up, tearing through the ruined abbey and down into the dungeon stairway.
Out of the mumbling, shifting voices of the phantom colonists, over the noise of the wind cry rises-
‘’Caught you, painter-man! Your friends can’t save you now. We’re going to kill you slow, pervert. Bury you in this cursed place. Die thinking about what you did to Annabelle!”

Dodds groans in despair. He looks about as if searching for an escape route, curses, and shakes a fist at the mob-
‘’No, damn you all, I’ll die dreaming of my revenge on you-- and on your children! “A faint, thin shadow seeps through the dungeon floor and coils around his feet, moving in a slow spiral.

Jonas begins to cry.
Every apparition flickers, fading, and then comes back into focus. Dodds casts about as if in confusion. The mob hangs back for a moment.

Now the painter’s ghost turns to look directly at Jonas, who rests in his mother’s arms. The child stares back at Dodds.

The ghost pleads-
‘’I have sinned greatly. Forgive me. Please let me go. ”He reaches towards Jonas with his right hand, long fingers extended.

Charlotte steps back, wrapping her arms tighter still around her son.

Jonas looks first at Dodds and then up at his father, eyes wide.
‘’Papa?”

The ring of angry colonist ghosts draws tighter—they may fall upon Dodds and your party at any moment!

[Ken of Ghastria]

BEFORE LEAVING THE CHATEAU...

''Why the hell not? I'm ruined anyway. After this debacle, my business on Gauntcliff will never recover, even if the haunting ends tonight. The creditors will circle in on me, buzzards after dead meat. What's the worst that can happen to me at the Old Abbey -death?"

Primeiro looks over to Sancerre. "It may not be so bleak, monsieur," he says. "If we are successful in ridding this island of its evil, then the wonders of Gauntcliff that you promoted will finally have their chance to shine. And the horrendous tale of the now-banished 'Ghosts of Gauntcliff' could possibly attract an additional type of tourist -- eccentrics and antiquarians interested in legends and history. I am not without influence in certain circles... as you know. You have been kind to me, even when I have given you no reason to do so. If we survive this day, I shall do what I can to repay that kindness. And now, let me give you and Eustace a hand with that...."

NOW, AT THE ABBEY RUINS

Primeiro calls out to the ghosts authoritatively. "Who is the leader here? Name yourself!"

[ewancummins]

THE RUINS

The growling, angry mob of ghosts ignores Primerio's imperious words, and continues the close in from all sides.
Your party may have mere seconds in which to make a decision...