Ghosts of Gauntcliff: Chapter Five

[ewancummins]

Passing through the dark doorway with his smoldering splinter of wood held up, the boy enters a long hall. He cannot see the end, if there is an end; the feeble light of his makeshift torch doesn't extend far.

This hall shouldn't be here. There isn't enough room in the dimensions of the tower, as observed from the street, for any such area. Yet, there it is...

[steveflam]

Juergin forges on, not caring about the how or the what of if the space doesn't exist. He really wants to find Benn or some answers.

[ewancummins]

Juergin forges on, not caring about the how or the what of if the space doesn't exist. He really wants to find Benn or some answers.

Walking down the shadowy hallway, Juergin comes to a closed wooden door. He sees no knob, knock, pull ring or anything of the sort.

[steveflam]

Juergin inspects it closer, taking his time. He wants to see how he can get the door open. "Dark One, go through the door and inspect the other side, please."

[ewancummins]

Juergin inspects it closer, taking his time. He wants to see how he can get the door open. "Dark One, go through the door and inspect the other side, please."

Dark One slips under the bottom edge of the door.

A moment later he returns.

"The other side is barred. Three figures in cloaks sit in the room beyond the door, watching a crytsal ball. I saw Benn in the ball!"

[steveflam]

"You saw Benn? That is great! Can I open the door and kill those cloaked figures, you think? Can you see if I could find a weapon in there? Oh this is great, you saw Benn!"

[ewancummins]

"You saw Benn? That is great! Can I open the door and kill those cloaked figures, you think? Can you see if I could find a weapon in there? Oh this is great, you saw Benn!"

''I didn't see any weapons. I don't know if you can kill those things. I'm not sure how you can open the door. It's barred on the inside. I cannot lift that bar, of course."

[steveflam]

Juergin thinks about his predicament and finding a flat metal rod, he smiles.

"Dark One. This will make noise when the bar from the other side falls on the floor. You need to distract the three men inside while I open the door. Can you do that? Distract them while I open the door?"

[ewancummins]

Juergin thinks about his predicament and finding a flat metal rod, he smiles.

"Dark One. This will make noise when the bar from the other side falls on the floor. You need to distract the three men inside while I open the door. Can you do that? Distract them while I open the door?"

''Yes, I can try that."

[steveflam]

"Okay, then do it. I will use this bar as a weapon. Ready? Okay on five. Five... Four... Three... Two,,,, One!"

Juergin disables the door and rushes in.

[ewancummins]

"Okay, then do it. I will use this bar as a weapon. Ready? Okay on five. Five... Four... Three... Two,,,, One!"

Juergin disables the door and rushes in.

Juergin runs into the room, which is lit by torches along the stone walls, and moves to attack the nearest of the robed figures with his short iron bar.


Dark One rushes ahead of the boy, streaking along the top of the wooden table at which the three robed forms are seated.

Juergin strikes on of the robed creatures. It jerks back from the iron's touch with a loud hiss.

"DIE!"
It lashes out and strikes Juergin's face. He feels a wave of deathly cold run through his body from head to toe...

[ewancummins]

LATER THAT NIGHT
THE MAIN PARTY, OUTSIDE THE OLD ABBEY


Thom , Everline, Eustace, Primeiro, Dorgio, and Petrie have journeyed to the ruins with Melmoth as their guide.

The broken walls of the Old Abbey rise before your party. Under the pale light of the gibbous moon the limestone ruin, picturesque in the warm daylight, seems changed to an altogether less charming locale. The walls appear higher. Purple, fluid moon-shadows creep and swim in every alcove, beneath every broken archway and fallen plinth.

Making their way inside the ruin, the party finds the stone table and the open pit much as they had left those things—only the opening on the top of the table has been closed.

[steveflam]

Juergin grunts from the harm the robed figure did to him. He is now yelling at the top of his lungs "DIE YOU BASTARDS, DIE! I AM TIRED OF BEING HERE BECAUSE OF YOU! I'LL SMASH ALL YOUR HEADS IN AND KILL YOU DEAD, YOU MONSTERS!" The lad swings the metal bar over and over again in frustration.

[ewancummins]

Juergin grunts from the harm the robed figure did to him. He is now yelling at the top of his lungs "DIE YOU BASTARDS, DIE! I AM TIRED OF BEING HERE BECAUSE OF YOU! I'LL SMASH ALL YOUR HEADS IN AND KILL YOU DEAD, YOU MONSTERS!" The lad swings the metal bar over and over again in frustration.

He hits at least once.

The three creatures fall upon Juergin and strike him repeatedly, despite Dark One's efforts to help him.
With each icy blow the boy feels some of his vigor slip away...

[Ken of Ghastria]

OUTSIDE THE OLD ABBEY

Making their way inside the ruin, the party finds the stone table and the open pit much as they had left those things—only the opening on the top of the table has been closed.

Primeiro looks around suspiciously. "Did we close that?" he asks. "I don't recall, although the horde of insects may played havoc with my memory."