Ghosts of Gauntcliff: Chapter Five

[ewancummins]

BENN AND JUERGIN, IN THE NIGHTMARE TOWN

Jeurgin opens his eyes and finds that the scene has shifted subtly. Everything in the gray, rain-washed courtyard where he stands looks exactly the same as it did a moment ago , but the further streets and buildings have all changed shape or position.

Benn doesn't notice any difference.

The clouds break to reveal two moons in the night sky. The greater moon appears twice as large as the waking world's moon, fat and orange as a pumpkin at harvest time. The lesser moon hangs below its greater brother, green-faced and wobbling like a drunkard trying to stand up straight.

The drizzling rain ceases; a hot summer wind blows across the wet streets and damp buildings, carrying the scent of wood smoke and charred meat.

[steveflam]

Juergin observes what he sees has changed and tells Benn. "See, this place is bizarre. I know you want to get Jonas and believe me so do I. I am thinking we'll have to move around a bit to find Gruz and Smezel. Should we follow the smell of wood smoke and charred meat?"

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

The Dungeon

Dorgio grits his teeth, but he unconsciously takes a step backwards as the shadows crowd around him. There were more than just ghosts in that gloom. The taunts of every full-blooded Gundarakite boy who'd taunted him for his parentage, all he times he'd swung between bullied and bully, the very black, very tightly shut coffin that had held his father's remains. Dorgio retreated from all these images, again stepping backward with his spear held in front of him, as if expecting one of the creatures to leap out at any moment.

"Get a hold of yourself!" He shouts mid-step. And then he starts laughing. "Miklos was right!" He points with his spear at one of the shadow-soldiers, "The Barovians are coming!"

Despite his fears, he stops, and begins searching the shadows for the true foe, his spear leveled once more.

((OOC: Went for another spot check, but failed with a 10))

[ewancummins]

THE DUNGEON

Petrie drops his torch to the floor.
Eyes wide with terror, he flails at the empty air with both hands.
''Gah, let me go, filthy beasties!"

Dorgio looks about, but he can't find his foe. The monster could be anywhere outside the circle of blessed light.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Here, give me that," Everline says to Eustace, and she snatches the rope before he can go down the pit. With quick, measured motions, the young woman ties the rope on a likely lump of masonry.

"Torches!" Everline says, pushing at least one into the hands of everyone who's going, and then rappels down the pit, morningstar swinging at her belt with each short leap.

[Ail]

While Everline goes down, Eustace takes a tiny flask from his bag and applies the drops of some liquid in his eyes. After that, he follows Everline, rappelling down as she did.

OOC: applied Night Drops. Gives him low-light vision for 1h, I think. I'd have to check Van Richten's Arsenal, which I don't have here right now.

[Adam]

Juergin observes what he sees has changed and tells Benn. "See, this place is bizarre. I know you want to get Jonas and believe me so do I. I am thinking we'll have to move around a bit to find Gruz and Smezel. Should we follow the smell of wood smoke and charred meat?"

"Lead on," Benn says, following the young man with no comment as to his odd reference.

[Ken of Ghastria]

The Dungeon

Primeiro blinks his eyes and then shakes his head as he comes to his senses. He angrily wipes the tears from his face and gets back to his feet, grabbing his rapier and the sunrod off the floor.

"Damn you!" he yells. "You'll burn for eternity!!"

He sees Dorgio, now with a brilliant whiite light around his hand ... but the man seems to fighting imaginary creatures. "Dorgio! There is but one foe! It fears your light!!"

_____________________________________
Primeiro retrieves his rapier (unless Dorgio kicked it out of sight) and the sunrod. If he can somehow do an Aid Another check to help Dorgio find or attack the creature, he'll do so.

[steveflam]

Juergin observes what he sees has changed and tells Benn. "See, this place is bizarre. I know you want to get Jonas and believe me so do I. I am thinking we'll have to move around a bit to find Gruz and Smezel. Should we follow the smell of wood smoke and charred meat?"

"Lead on," Benn says, following the young man with no comment as to his odd reference.

Juergin walks towards the smell of wood smoke and charred meat. He sends Dark One to scout ahead.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

He sees Dorgio, now with a brilliant whiite light around his hand ... but the man seems to fighting imaginary creatures. "Dorgio! There is but one foe! It fears your light!!"

Dorgio seems to have recovered his senses now. Though he still casts nervous glances at the shadows, it's unclear whether he's searching for the Shadow or for the imagined foes.

"It fears the light, yes," he says, "but we cannot kill it with light alone. We must strike! But where is it's hiding place...?"

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Everline's heels thump against the pit floor, and she makes way for the others. "Let's light these suckers up," she says as soon as everyone has arrived, and applied flint and steel to her torch and any others offered to her.

"I'm going to need both hands," she says, taking her morningstar in one, and a wand in the other. "Oh... Wait."

Everline switches the wand out for another, and taps herself with it. "Speak up if you need healing," she says, "'cause we probably won't have time for it once we're in the thick of battle."

(OOC: Everline applies charges from the wand of Cure Light Wounds to those who ask for it, and gives herself a little touch-up of healing power. [dice]0[/dice])

[ewancummins]

THE DUNGEON-


Everline, Thom, and Eustace pass through the open door. They find Primeiro, Petrie, and Dorgio in a dark room further in the shadowy dungeon.

All around the party, twisted shadows crawl along the walls and whispering voices fill the stagnant air.

The voices tell of your worst childhood fears;

Barovians have come to the house while Father is away in the fields, and Mother is alone in the kitchen. The soldiers want to 'dance' with her....

Wicked fay want to carry you away to an icy cavern in the mountains , as they do to naughty little boys who borrow valuable books without permission.

Your 'Uncle' has returned to finish what he started.

Father doesn't love you anymore, you have to go away forever this time.

[RocEter]

Thom whirls about facing Eustace, "Eustace behind you!" He shouts pointing at the monster with his silver dagger. Flipping the dagger around in his hand he throws it at the thing.

[ewancummins]

THE DUNGEON

Thom whirls about facing Eustace, "Eustace behind you!" He shouts pointing at the monster with his silver dagger. Flipping the dagger around in his hand he throws it at the thing.

Eustace spins round in time to see the ogre's shadow on the wall reach out and grab at his face with its huge black right hand...

[ewancummins]

THE NIGHTMARE TOWN

Juergin observes what he sees has changed and tells Benn. "See, this place is bizarre. I know you want to get Jonas and believe me so do I. I am thinking we'll have to move around a bit to find Gruz and Smezel. Should we follow the smell of wood smoke and charred meat?"

"Lead on," Benn says, following the young man with no comment as to his odd reference.

Juergin walks towards the smell of wood smoke and charred meat. He sends Dark One to scout ahead.

Jürgen and Benn make their way through the abandoned streets of the crooked, ruined city. Things move just out of the corners of their eyes; but they never actually see anyone else out of doors. Sometimes they hear mad gibbering and ghastly moans coming from behind the boarded windows of the high, mold-encrusted houses.

After some time spent walking (precisely how long is hard to tell in a place where there is no sun and where the night sky follows no discernible rules of celestial motion) the two Lamordians notice that the buildings are fewer and further apart in this neighborhood, and tall patches of ivory grass grow in all the vacant lots. Further ahead, they see a broad meadow that stretches out in the soft moonlight, grassland where no buildings stand. The smell of cooking meat wafts to them from someplace out in the fields or beyond.