Ghosts of Gauntcliff, Chapter Seven

[ewancummins]

" Come on, lads, time to shove off. I got a plan.Don't worry about that stupid slut. Followin' her advice-- just look where that's gotten these poor folks."

The sailors grab their kit and make for the exits...

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Who are you calling a slut, man-whore?" Everline calls out. "Death awaits you out there. If you abandon these people to the shadow and its master, you deserve that death. Are you men, willing to defend those who need you, or craven rats, fleeing after your head male's cowardly tail?"

[ewancummins]

The sailors climb through the broken window carrying their gear.


Griffith laughs at Everline and turns away, vanishing in the gloom.


The last of the seamen to leave is the bald man. He stands outside the house, looking in through a window. The lantern light gleams on the gold ring in his ear.
He looks straight at Everline and moves his mouth as if speaking-- and then turns away to follow the others.

[ewancummins]

A short while later, the ballroom-


Benn limps into the room carrying his boy. Jonas appears to be unhurt.




At the same time, in the back of the house

Eustace and his party arrive in the rear of the house to find the back gate unattended. The windows here are all dark.

Melmoth unlatches the gate and leads the pack mules to the stables.

''I'll need some help unloading."

[ewancummins]

Jürgen

You steer your tiny fleet (three boats, but it’s a start) away from Gauntcliff.

The breeze blows your boats out to sea, deeper into the fog. The one-eyed goblins row when the wind fails. You move further and further away from the accursed island. Soon you have lost all sight of land.

After a long time on the water, in mists so thick that the moon and stars cannot be seen at all, the keel of the boat in which you ride slides onto pebbles and sand.
When the mist clears a bit, you see a long beach stretching out before you under the pale light of the moon and stars, with hills further inland.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Back of the House

Dorgio nods and begins to help unload.

"I'm not sure what we should be doing with this overnight," he confesses to Eustace. "If this is what remains of Dodds, we did the right thing by taking it back, but we may want to be sealing the box back up for now, just in case."

As he unloads, he turns to regard the darkened windows. "If something did happen, we'll be knowing soon enough."

[steveflam]

Jürgen

VIEW CONTENT:

You steer your tiny fleet (three boats, but it’s a start) away from Gauntcliff.

The breeze blows your boats out to sea, deeper into the fog. The one-eyed goblins row when the wind fails. You move further and further away from the accursed island. Soon you have lost all sight of land.

After a long time on the water, in mists so thick that the moon and stars cannot be seen at all, the keel of the boat in which you ride slides onto pebbles and sand.
When the mist clears a bit, you see a long beach stretching out before you under the pale light of the moon and stars, with hills further inland.

VIEW CONTENT:

Jürgen tries to remember if this Gauntcliff or not. Failing that, he will send Dark One ahead to scout. "Go scout ahead, Dark One. We will wait here for you. Chief, Smezel, Gruz,,,,, let us pull our boats up on to the beach and wait for Dark One to return. Let us find a place to put the boats or just wait for him to return. Let us keep an ear and eye open. By that I mean keep your eyes open for any sign of danger or trouble. Listen as well for the same thing."

[ewancummins]

Back of the House

Dorgio nods and begins to help unload.

"I'm not sure what we should be doing with this overnight," he confesses to Eustace. "If this is what remains of Dodds, we did the right thing by taking it back, but we may want to be sealing the box back up for now, just in case."

As he unloads, he turns to regard the darkened windows. "If something did happen, we'll be knowing soon enough."

Without any warning, Primeiro screams and runs away from the house! He trips, gets up, and keeps running.

The mule that Melmoth is trying to unload with Dorgio's help bucks and snorts. The heavy chest mounted on the pack saddle almost falls to the ground.

Melmoth seizes the saddle horn. He whispers to the animal.

''Hush, hush."

Penda casts about.

''What is is it? Is something here? Why did he run?"

[ewancummins]

THE BOY AND HIS CREW


The boy and his followers wait on the beach.

After half an hour or so, Dark One returns.

''Bad news, we are on Gauntcliff. I saw the big house."

[steveflam]

Jürgen swears. "Damnit! So, what if that fog is a trick? Maybe we need to travel during the day? Damn! It felt like hours too. How is that possible? Dark One, this is bizarre. Should we try again?"

[ewancummins]

Jürgen swears. "Damnit! So, what if that fog is a trick? Maybe we need to travel during the day? Damn! It felt like hours too. How is that possible? Dark One, this is bizarre. Should we try again?"

''Didn't Dodds say that he controlled the mists? I don't think he was bluffing. I think he has trapped up here somehow."

[steveflam]

Jürgen sighs. "Well, I think it is safer during the day, in all honesty. I was supposed to help him and tried to escape. Being only twelve years old, I have little experience dealing with someone like Dodds, Dark One. I mean he can easily kill me, but didn't. He likes children, but why? I mean, should we go and rest and hide? Is it safe to sleep now? I don't know what to do. Maybe we should just find a place to rest and hide for now until the sun rises."

The boy turns to the Chief "Do you know a hiding place? One where we will not be found by fat ones at least?"

[ewancummins]

Jürgen sighs. "Well, I think it is safer during the day, in all honesty. I was supposed to help him and tried to escape. Being only twelve years old, I have little experience dealing with someone like Dodds, Dark One. I mean he can easily kill me, but didn't. He likes children, but why? I mean, should we go and rest and hide? Is it safe to sleep now? I don't know what to do. Maybe we should just find a place to rest and hide for now until the sun rises."

The boy turns to the Chief "Do you know a hiding place? One where we will not be found by fat ones at least?"

''Uhmmm...cave?"

[steveflam]

"I guess that is the best bet. Let's go there. I can't really hide the boats, so let us just leave them there."

[ewancummins]

"I guess that is the best bet. Let's go there. I can't really hide the boats, so let us just leave them there."

The boy and his gang of monsters leave the boats on the beach and head inland in search of a nice, dark cave.