Ghosts of Gauntcliff: Chapter Five

[Ail]

Eustace dodges the ogre shadow and Thom's dagger, and retreats hoping that his companions can keep the shadow creature away from him... just for long enough for him to finish a prayer to Belenus.

When he finishes, he rummages into his pack and takes a stoppered flask from there.

OOC: Eustace casts Prayer. With his move action, he takes a flask of holy water from his pack. Those are the only flasks he has, so he doesn't lose time trying to identify the right thing.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

<i>It's not real</i>, he tells himself. <i>The Barovians are in Barovia. Your mother died a long, long time ago.</i> Hardly comforting thoughts, but they keep Dorgio anchored in the present.

He turns to see the Shadow leap out at Eustace, and Dorgio levels a hand at the beast. The light around him falls a little dimmer as he sends a bolt of light flying at the creature.


((OOC: Using first Light of Mercuria attack))

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

It's not real he tells himself. The Barovians are in Barovia. Your mother died a long, long time ago. Hardly comforting thoughts, but they keep Dorgio anchored in the present.

He turns to see the Shadow leap out at Eustace, and Dorgio levels a hand at the beast. The light around him falls a little dimmer as he sends a bolt of light flying at the creature.


((OOC: Using first Light of Mercuria attack))

[Ken of Ghastria]

Hearing Thom's warning to Eustace, Primeiro also turns toward the creature. He realizes that his rapier, bereft of magical enhancement, is essentially useless against the foe -- yet the radiant light around Dorgio's hands certainly seems capable of injuring it! He thrusts the sunrod toward the creature's face, hopefully to better illuminate the shadowy monster for those who can strike it.

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Primeiro is using an Aid Another action (straight melee attack vs. AC 10) to give a +2 bonus to Dorgio's attack roll: Success(1d20+6=22). If Primeiro goes after Dorgio in Initiative, then please give the +2 bonus to someone later in the round who can make use of it.

[Adam]

"I thought you said they were in the city?" Benn says, looking back the way they came. "Where is it exactly that you are leading us?"

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Primeiro!" Everline shouts. "Catch!" If the Borcan pays attention, she tosses him her morningstar.

The weapon feels almost alive in your hand. It has a pulse, your pulse, and becomes an extension of your need... to kill.

If she has time left, Everline blasts the shadows with a dart of fey energy from her wand just as soon as the various lights outline it. "Die, you festering streak of pus!" the young woman shouts, her eyes and voice filled with fury.

(OOC: 'Move' action: throw Primeiro a +1 morningstar. Standard action: Fire one Magic Missile at the shadow ogre. 3 damage!)

[ewancummins]

The shadow-ogre hisses when Everline's conjured arrow and Thom's knife strike it. It jerks away from Primeiro's sunrod, and dodges Dorgio's blast of light.

It lunges past Everline, shrieking-

''Another night!"

Dorgio has one chance to fire a second bolt before the creature disappears into the deep darkness...

[steveflam]

"I thought you said they were in the city?" Benn says, looking back the way they came. "Where is it exactly that you are leading us?"

"Yes, but the scenery seems to change quite a bit. I thought they were in the alley, but it was not the alley as there were not any cloths on the ground. They were supposed to come back and wait for me. I am really sorry. I really want to get Jonas too. I am really happy to see you but am really fed up of having been beat, knocked out and put in a cell. Then Jonas was in a cell next to me but was taken away. I almost killed one of those one eyed goblin things. They love gold. All we need to do is find them. I am so sorry, but I .... I ..... want to help you. If you say we should go back and look, we will."

Juergin wrings his hands and looks at the ground, clearly tired and near the end of his rope with this ordeal. "Dark One. Come. Try to find Gruz and Smezel." The youth has stopped and turns back, looking at the city. HE thinks about GRuz and Smezel and where they could be or more precisely where they came out from the cells and the place with the paintings and where Dark One was in a bottle.

[Adam]

Benn sighs and pats the young man on the shoulder. "It isn't your fault. We're both out of our element here."

He looks back and forth but ultimately turns towards the meat. "If I've discovered anything about this place, it seems to be driven by kismet more than any rules of logic or sense. If we're here, it's possibly because we're supposed to be here. Let's go see what we can see."

He heads towards the fire.

[steveflam]

Juergin turns and follows Benn. He says to Dark One. "Okay, let us stick together Dark One. There will be time enough to find Jonas later."

[ewancummins]

BENN & JUERGIN




Benn and Jürgen walk back towards the open fields, only to find a forest of tall, leafless trees standing where the grassy meadows had been a short time ago. The warm breeze still carries the scent of roasting meat, though, and by following their noses, the two Lamordians find their way to a small campfire. The fire burns in a rock-lined pit dug in the middle of a barren clearing. A bent, gray haired man with bronze skin folded and creased like old leather sits beside the fire, turning a hunk of meat on a spit. The old man wears a doeskin blanket on his back, and little else besides a loin clout. As they draw near, Benn and Jürgen notice a hunting knife sticking out of the bundle behind the cook, hilt-first.
The stranger looks up and smiles through his wispy beard.

‘’Odddaaaggarrooyyhum.’’

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio curses as his bolt misses its mark, but undaunted, he holds his hand forth steady to release his last bolt of light. The aura surrounding him dims as he channels the power from himself and at the Shadow.


((Ranged touch attack: 19 http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3489125/))

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Coward! Vermin!" Everline shouts as she flicks her wand after the fleeing shadow. "Your tomorrows have run out! You are going to die!"

Again, a dart of force flies from the tip of her wand, unerringly puncturing its black substance.

(OOC: Magic Missile-damage: 3.)

[ewancummins]

THE DUNGEON-


Dorgio hurls the last luminous bolt, striking the monster as it flees down the darkened hall.

Tendrils of inky darkness peels off the walls to envelop the priest as his shining aura dies. The black ropes smother Dorgio's face, blinding him.

All the party's lights are dimmed.

"Coward! Vermin!" Everline shouts as she flicks her wand after the fleeing shadow. "Your tomorrows have run out! You are going to die!"
Again, a dart of force flies from the tip of her wand, unerringly puncturing its black substance.

The ogre's silhouette breaks up into many small, serpentine streams of black smoke, which seep into a spot along the right wall.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Dorgio!" Everline shouts. "Someone get some light to him, quick!"