Ghosts of Gauntcliff Chapter Four

[steveflam]

Juergin returns to the lock he originally was working on, cursing himself inwardly.

"Jonas, I am coming, I am going to try to leave my cage, ok little one? Just listen to my voice. I am glad to hear your voice, Jonas. Your Poppa and Momma will be so happy to see you."

He begins trying to unlock the lock, yet at the same time he is now singing lightly, for the benefit of Jonas'

"The Farmer in the Dell, the Framer in the Dell, Hi Hi the derry-o, the farmer in the dell............. The Farmer in the Dell, the Framer in the Dell, Hi Hi the derry-o, the farmer in the dell ....... The farmer takes a wife, the farmer takes a wife.... hi ho the derry o the farmer takes a wife..........

The wife takes the child......., the wife takes the child.......... hi ho the derry o the farmer in the dell...



The child takes the nurse,,,,,,,,,,,, the child takes the nurse..... hi ho the derry o the child takes the nurse............."

[ewancummins]

A nasty, high pitched voice interrupts Jeurgin's song. ""Boy sing nice. Heheheeeee..."

He hears metal clank against metal, and a hinge creaking.

Jonas cries out ''No! No!"

[steveflam]

Juergin whispers so only the Dark One would hear him "My friend I really need you now. If you are here, please help me."

"Hey! Leave him alone! Pick on me, not him!" Juergin hopes he can get out now and at least distract the crazy man.

[ewancummins]

Juergin tries to pick the lock, but it won't come open for him.

He hears Jonas squealing, and then footsteps moving away in the darkness.

''Help! Help! Mama! Papa!"

[RocEter]

Benn-

Benn feels rough cloth being pulled over his head; not a bandage for his bloody ear, but some sort of hood or blindfold. Something bumps his back, but not hard enough to hurt much. The ropes at his ankles and wrists tighten and his body lifts from the floor. He feels himself moving through the air. He hears feet slapping against the floor, and wheezy little grunts all about him.

“Fat human is heavy.”

The comment is followed by a few chuckles and more grunting. Bells tinkle.

Benn experiences a sudden burst of vertigo, and a sinking feeling much like the one he had when the shadow portal sucked him into this lightless dungeon. After a moment, the feeling is gone, replaced by a deep chill. Something cold and wet brushes against Benn’s exposed skin. Wind howls in his ears; the left ear burns with pain where the knife sliced away half the cartilage.

“Bad weather. We go fast. Drag the fat one.”

Benn drops to the earth, and then he feels pebbles and dirt clods rolling under his body as he’s pulled across the ice cold ground.

“You be there soon, human. The sleepless ones pay good for you. “

Jeurgin-
Jeurgin repeats nursery rhymes, trying to calm Jonas. The little boy stops whimpering.

He attempts to open the cage using his locksmith's tools, working by feel alone.

The Others-

Everline eventually finds partial maps of the caverns, but she sees nothing that connects to the chateau cellars, much less to the ruins of the Old Abbey. Rollo tells her it’s time to go. He makes certain the door is locked behind them both, after they leave the office.

Despite hours spent searching the chateau, the grounds, and even the bath caverns, none of the guests or servants find any sign of the three missing persons.

(The servants think only one person is missing--Jonas--unless told otherwise.)

As the sun sets, Petrie and Thom return to the chateau.

Denys invites the whole (remaining) party to meet him in the side parlor for a light meal and a conference. He sends servants to make sure everyone in the party is informed of this.

Thom allows Petrie to hold on the coffer for the time being, he seems trust worthy enough at the moment, and returns to his room to for a change of fresh clothing and chance to clean the mud off his face and head. He decides to forgo the pain staking measure of the cover up and wig to hide the scars. Using a high collar shirt and his hat instead. He arrives at the side parlor promptly, removing his hat and finds himself a seat.

"Good evening, Denys." He says. "I couldn't help but notice a certain amount of tension when Petrie and myself came back from exploration of island. Did anything happen while we were gone?" He says resting his bald head against the high back of the chair.

[steveflam]

Juergin grows frantic in his efforts and unsure if he can open the lock, tries again once more. "Jonas, I am coming! Don't give up!"

Here are 5 rolls in exact order for Open Locks

20, 24, 15, 13, 11

[ewancummins]

The side parlor-


Denys looks grave as he answers Thom's question.
"'Yes, indeed. Benn's young son has gone missing. It gets worse, I'm afraid. The others found some kind of black stain on the floor in his closet. They thought it might have had to do with Jonas' disappearing. It swallowed Juergin and Benn, Thom. They're gone. Charlotte, poor woman, is cracked under the strain. The servants know the little boy is missing--I've had them busy with searches, but all in vain. They don't know, except for my major domo and my physick, about Benn and Juergin. The stain is gone, now, as if it had never been there. Eustace thinks it was a magic portal. To where, no one knows."

He lets that sink in for a moment, and then adds, ''The others visited the abbey ruins and found some papers, but those were with Benn, it seems. They can tell you more about what they learned when they get here. I think this is the best place for our evening meal. It's less public than the dining hall, but not so private that it will alert anyone else to the full gravity of the situation."

[ewancummins]

JUERGIN

Juergin grows frantic in his efforts and unsure if he can open the lock, tries again once more. "Jonas, I am coming! Don't give up!"

Here are 5 rolls in exact order for Open Locks

20, 24, 15, 13, 11

Juergin pops the lock and pushes the cover out of his way. Getting out of the cage is easy, he can simply clamber over the side.

A squeaky voice shouts, "Bad boy! Back in cage!"

Juergin hears feet slapping against the floor as something runs towards him in the dark. He hears Jonas's muffled cries from someplace further from his current position.

"Back in cage! The Dodds be mad if you get out!"

[RocEter]

The side parlor-


Denys looks grave as he answers Thom's question.
"'Yes, indeed. Benn's young son has gone missing. It gets worse, I'm afraid. The others found some kind of black stain on the floor in his closet. They thought it might have had to do with Jonas' disappearing. It swallowed Juergin and Benn, Thom. They're gone. Charlotte, poor woman, is cracked under the strain. The servants know the little boy is missing--I've had them busy with searches, but all in vain. They don't know, except for my major domo and my physick, about Benn and Juergin. The stain is gone, now, as if it had never been there. Eustace thinks it was a magic portal. To where, no one knows."

He lets that sink in for a moment, and then adds, ''The others visited the abbey ruins and found some papers, but those were with Benn, it seems. They can tell you more about what they learned when they get here. I think this is the best place for our evening meal. It's less public than the dining hall, but not so private that it will alert anyone else to the full gravity of the situation."

Thom listens and than nods. "Yes, I suppose I will have to wait. I was hoping they would have learned more about the creature and the attacks. I have come up with my own ideas and it seems, given what you just said, that I may be on to something. Though before I go spouting anything out, I think I will wait until I can learn more." He says.

He doesn't say anything on the topic of Charlotte, he knows that both he and Denys have suffered similar fates. The circumstances different for the each of them but the end results the same.

"While we wait, I am going to shift our focus of conversation. To something more of a mundane matter." He says. "It seems you may have issue with smugglers, perhaps pirates even, using the island as place to stow loot. Petrie and I came across two seedy looking fellows. We had no choice but to confront the men, Petrie ruffed them up some. They managed to escape, to where I don't know." He says.

Thom lets that sink in for moment, watch Denys for any kind of response. "I don't mean to add more bad news to your day but I figure if you are made aware of this now, you can more vigilant and spare yourself the hassle of angry clients." He says.

[ewancummins]

THE SIDE PARLOR

''Smugglers, pirates, you say? Wonderful. Where is Captain Griffith when I need him? "
He grumbles a bit, and then says, “I have a store of arms. If there's any trouble, my men won't be empty handed. Perhaps, after the meeting, you and Petrie can go with Melmoth to patrol the grounds and check the pier? "

[steveflam]

JUERGIN

Juergin grows frantic in his efforts and unsure if he can open the lock, tries again once more. "Jonas, I am coming! Don't give up!"

Here are 5 rolls in exact order for Open Locks

20, 24, 15, 13, 11

Juergin pops the lock and pushes the cover out of his way. Getting out of the cage is easy, he can simply clamber over the side.

A squeaky voice shouts, "Bad boy! Back in cage!"

Juergin hears feet slapping against the floor as something runs towards him in the dark. He hears Jonas's muffled cries from someplace further from his current position.

"Back in cage! The Dodds be mad if you get out!"

Juergin lithely jumps out, tool in his hand. He faces the voice, upset at how these people treat them. It reminds him of pirates, even worst. He is on the other side of the door.

He yells at the voice "WHO ARE YOU! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS TREATMENT. HOW CAN YOU TREAT CHILDREN LIKE THIS? ESPECIALLY A LITTLE YOUNG BOY LIKE JONAS. SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME, YOU BASTARD. STOP! STOP RIGHT THERE! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS TREATMENT. THESE DODDS WILL BE MAD IF WE ESCAPE? WHAT IF WE ARE DEAD AND IT YOUR FAULT. AT LEAST GIVE US SOME LIGHT AND BETTER TREATMENT. LITTLE JONAS WILL BE WITH ME!"


Juergin closes his eyes and appears to be concentrating to the creature who speaks and approaches "Dark One, we are here. I pray you do not arriuve too late, yet if you do, take vengeance on these imbecils."

[ewancummins]

The unseen creature gasps in surprise, but then it snarls- "'Shut up , boy! The Dodds gonna hear you. Foolish man-child!"

Juergin hears rapid footfalls in the dark; the creature is rushing towards him!

[Ken of Ghastria]

THE SIDE PARLOR

''Smugglers, pirates, you say? Wonderful. Where is Captain Griffith when I need him? "
He grumbles a bit, and then says, “I have a store of arms. If there's any trouble, my men won't be empty handed. Perhaps, after the meeting, you and Petrie can go with Melmoth to patrol the grounds and check the pier? "

"I volunteer my service as well, if needed," says Primeiro. "I regret to say that my knowledge of arcane matters is negligible. I may be of better use in giving these pirates a thrashing than in finding a way to rescue the others from... well, wherever they are." Anyone sitting next to Primeiro can see that he's gripping the stem of his wine glass so tightly that it seems as though the glass might shatter at any moment.

[steveflam]

"No, you shut up, bastard."

Juergin waits until the last possible moment before faking a dive one way, then tumbling right where he would think the speakers feet are.

25 Tumble roll

[Ail]

Eustace sits somberly at the table. He nods in confirmation of Denys' words, but his eyes show clear signs of the tension of the last hours. He doesn't seem to have a good plan yet.

"We don't even know exactly what those shadows are. Nor where they are. Nor what is inside that cage in the abbey. Perhaps if we compare notes about the inscription on the door... Benn had it translated, and I think I can recall some of it. But somehow we have to find a way to that plane."

Then he turns to Dorgio,

"Ah, Dorgio, good friend, I never asked you how was your sleep. Was it safe? Did you dream?"