RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away, Chapter 3

[ewancummins]

LATER...


ALAIN SMYTHE



ALAIN stops by an alchemist's shop in the eastern River Quarter. He picks up a poison mixture that he hopes will kill or at least slow the hell-roaches.
The alchemist asks him if he knows anything about ''that mysterious ash-cloud befouling the Ghost Streets". The man himself seems to know little more than that--some kind of strange weather in a derelict section of the city, the home of squatters, feral dogs, rats, and -if legends are true-- house-ghosts.

Next, Alain pauses in a market to obtain a little milk and meat for his new pets.

BENN'S HOUSE


Burdened slightly by the box of felines and going a bit slower than his usual swift stride, he arrives at Benn's two-story brownstone in the afternoon to find that he's missed his old companion by about fifteen minutes.
Charlotte greets him and invites him within. She seems surprised to see him again after several years' time, but not unfriendly. Just distracted and worried.
Obvious preparations for travel show in the disordered household: luggage stacked in the front hall, drawers hanging upon, white cloths draped haphazardly over furniture.

''Please forgive the mess, Alain. Things have been crazy since last night. Something terrible has happened. A murder. I...I think you'd better speak with my husband about it as soon as you can. "

"It must be something important and dangerous if he thinks you should not be in Pont while he investigates it I assume . Well don't let me keep you . I will look for him after I drop off my new pets off at my house . They are to be my sentries against rondents and such ."Alain shows Charlotte what is in the box .

Charlotte oohs and awws a bit over the kittens, and even shows them off to her young son, Jonas.

Jonas seems curious about Alain. ''You are papa's friend?"

After the social call, Alain drops his new pets off at his residence and goes looking for Benn and Dorgio

He...

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Tracks them down in the Ghost Streets, by heading for the apparent center of the ash clouded area.
As he draws near, he finds Benn, Dorgio, and some others he doesn't know, investigating a ruined wall with strange , crude graffiti on it.



OOC--See post above. Same scene.

[ewancummins]

THOM THE PRINTER

"No, I am not bad." Thom says. "A friend of Juergin, after last night I thought I would come by see how he was doing."

''You stop. Me gets the Boss."


Rustling sounds in the back of the room.

Then, slowly, Juergin emerges into the dim edge of the lit floor.
Shadowy, small shapes move in the gloom behind him.

The youth does not wear his bandanna now. Tendrils extend from his lips and chin, writhing like worms in the cool, musty air.
He grimaces, revealing glinting rows of yellow, sharp teeth like some predatory fish.
A sword hilt sticks out of his coat as he shifts a bit closer to the light.

He coughs, then asks, "You want something?"

[Lord Skybolt]

EXPLORING THE GHOST STREETS


No one answers the door for Dorgio.

He, Benn, and the others explore the area, poking into derelict houses if they dare, scouting along the silent alleys and shadowed lanes...

After close to an hour of searching, they have discovered signs of recent occupation in several houses, and along the streets and muddy canals: traces of small fires, the gnawed bones of rats and dogs, ashy footprints.

The ash fall thickens as they seek out the area under the center of the cloud, and the wind blows the stuff through the streets in shifting, swirling clouds. Not enough to obscure sight much, but just enough to hide and blur out distant details.

Now and again the explorers hear whispering voices in the distance, or catch glimpses of gray-robed, faceless figures hurrying between buildings and covered areas, but the inhabitants--if anyone does live here-- do not come out to greet Benn and his friends.
The ash-fall and the breeze blowing it about sweeps across trails in the open streets, making tracking more difficult.


As the search winds on into the afternoon, Benn and his party discover a section of freestanding limestone wall shaded by a dilapidated wooden awning, the remnant of a fallen structure at the edge of a small, overgrown vacant lot. Dozens of little stick figures drawn in charcoal adorn the wall at about the height of a dwarf or a child, in three uneven rows. The crude drawings depict people being impaled, hanged, cut apart, and in one image-dragged by horses. The little cartoons holding what seem to be spears or polearms do the torture and execution, and the others suffer.


Footsteps sound behind Benn and those near him.

A form emerges from a nearby alley and strides across the open street.
The stranger casts back his hood...

Benn and Dorgio

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recognize Alain Smythe, their old companion from those early days when Jonathon Matyr was part of their group, who adventured with them for a brief time after Jon's true nature was revealed by his murder of Evangeline Sancerre. Alain went mad under the Delapore Estate, after the group had been exposed to the mind-bending toxin of the Devil's Horn fungus, and had to be locked in a closet. He escaped. This is the first time they have seen him since.

"So Benn is all the gang here ? So what so dangerous that your sending your wife and kid out of Pont for there safety ?" Alain says as he comes nearer looking around as he does, looking as sane and analytic investigator that you have seen in the past . He looks little older and mainly little paler as if he has not been getting as much sun in the last couple years . In a holster on his right hip what looks to be rather large pistol of an unknown design almost of a pepperbox design . Sheathed on his left hip is what looks to be a rapier. His cloak is a black one with some eyes as designs on the collar of it . He is wearing soft leather gloves over his hands . As he moves toward Benn and company anyone looking will see several pouches that may have spell components hanging from his belt at least to those that have seen him cast spells in the past .

[Adam]

Cormac's fingers tighten around the trigger guard on the crossbow, but he resists the urge to raise it and point towards Alain. "This is a surprise," he says, guardedly, "We haven't seen you in a while. Even more surprising that we would meet under these strange circumstances."

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio leans forward, using his spear like a walking staff, peering at Alain. "Mr. Smythe, it has been sometime." His eyes go to the pistol, but also the gloves that the gunslinger wears. "You've traveled far I see--where is that contraption from? Lamordia? Paradon? And how did you come to escape? Last I saw of you, you were less than a free man."

[alhoon]

GHOST STREETS:

Raen, breaks away from examining the stick figures and turns to the newcomer as the others show signs of recognition.

"Good afternoon mr Smith. I'm Raen, an acquaintance of mr Bennedict. I am closer to Mrs Sara and Mrs Katherine. "

[Lord Skybolt]

GHOST STREETS:

Raen, breaks away from examining the stick figures and turns to the newcomer as the others show signs of recognition.

"Good afternoon mr Smith. I'm Raen, an acquaintance of mr Bennedict. I am closer to Mrs Sara and Mrs Katherine. "

Alain steps forward and shakes hands with Raen as he says "This "Pointing at the weapon on his hip ."It is firearm of my own design . I wanted something I would not have to reload after every shot . I call it a Revolver since the chamber revolves after you shoot . Bringing another loaded chamber ready to fire another shot . And as to me getting away, well when my supposed allies for years are taking the word of someone they just met and are listening to him speaking of killing me out of hand with no cuase, gave the extra effort to reclaim my freedom and part company with the group . I have traveled to several countries of this world of ours . With most of them having very unusual properties to them . The one I came from most recently with a very annoying property of all to me at least"

After Raen talks of Sara and Katherine looks at the group with more scrutiny while speaking .

[ewancummins]

BENN-

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No mycotoxin-induced madness blazes in Alain's eyes now. No obvious sign of ill-health, unless his pallor indicates something other than being out of the sun for too long.
At least, not that can be seen.
How was he behaving back then, under the Delapore house? It's hazy; Benn's own mind was affected to some extent by the Devil's Horn fungus.

[kintire]

Kat listens politely, but offers the newcomer no greeting beyond a slight nod. She seems less shocked by the surroundings than the others, and the very perceptive may suspect she has been here before, though perhaps not often. She helps with searching the area to a degree but mostly seems to be focussed on keeping an eye out for trouble... and does not yet seem convinced that the newcomer does not meet that description

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio shakes his head looking at the weapon. "There will come a time when even the common man will wield powers as destructive as any wizard. Whether that is for good or ill remains to be seen."

"As for our last circumstances, we didn't have to take anybody's word for it. We saw you attack Thom, he likely still bears the scars from where you burned him. But perhaps we were hasty in judging you, perhaps you were not in control of your actions. The Light knows that even the best of us have given into madness at times."

"But if we are to dwell on the past, there is an even more pressing matter from our time together. You are remembering Jonathan Maytr, yes? He is back in the city, and he is killing again."

[Lord Skybolt]

"Then lets be about catching him this time ." As Alain says this he takes closer look at the what the group was looking at . As he is looking at the wall he moved to within a central spot about 20 feet from what they are looking at . Looking at the group he says"Please don't interupt me as I cast a spell to speed up search of this area for clues ." With that he begins casting a spell(pulling out a silk glove as he does so) . Bringing his hand to his chest as if touching himself at the end of it .

[alhoon]

Raen looks over the other spellcaster. He seems impressed by what he sees, but doesn't interrupt.

[Adam]

Bennedict drops the point of his crossbow and looks to observe the results of the spellcasting.

[ewancummins]

Alain notices the faint traces of footprints in the ash and mud near the wall, criss-crossing into the adjacent vacant lot. Not the obvious tracks left by the party, but smaller impressions, some barefoot. Children, most likely, or maybe small demihumans of some sort.
He sees that some of the crude, violent cartoons sketched on the ruined wall were made recently; the thick charcoal lines don't seem weathered.
Searching further out, he finds a burrow in the nearby part of the overgrown lot. Weeds shroud the hole's opening, which spans wide enough for a person to crawl inside. It'd be a tight fit for anyone in the group wearing armor, except maybe one of the women.
Peering into the gap in the earth and rubble, Alain notices scrapings in the dirt. Someone or something has been in and out, and not long ago.




Shortly after Alain relays this information to the others, the wind picks up, blowing ash around the group and the wall section in a shifting gray spiral.

[Adam]

Bennedict creeps up to the edge of the burrow, pointing his crossbow down the entrance. He mutters a quick incantation of illumination, causing light to glow from the beam of the cocked and ready crossbow bolt.