Chapter 33: Nightmare House

[Inferno]

Second Story, The Accursed Mansion, The Dreamlands
Day Three. Morning? Monday, December 26th, 576 CY







In the surreal otherworldly realm, the dreamers silently approach the wall of dusty tomes. Behind them, Jerome stands vigil against the darkness that holds the chained coffin.

Urdur's enchanted ring senses that none of the volumes are ensorcelled. But the conjurer knows that spell books would escape detection by this method.

He, Faron and Mouser dare not touch the books... yet. Reading their spines, they discover that the vast majority appear to be dream journals. Dozens and dozens of them. Others bear languages unknown.

Faron's expert examination of the shelving itself reveals to the cunning thief that the bookcase can move. He believes it might be a door. But he knows not how it opens.

Ingrid and Telkis see no hinges on the northwest door; it opens away from them. The grey druid places an ear against its wood and can barely hear a man moaning within.


Actions?


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.





PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 18/22, Glowing Sword
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 4/5: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/21, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 15/25, Spells: 0/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Jerome, Human Paladin 4: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 19/23, Laying Hands: 0/1
Long Bo, Human Druid 6: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 31/41, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, 1/1 4th lvl, Light stone
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 28/37
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 14/15, Spells: 4/4 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl, 1/1 3rd lvl, Torch

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)

Player Resources:

Tale of Terror (the story so far)
A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
Blasphemous Iconography (the story so far in images)
Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[ravenn4544]

Mouser is intrigued the book case is likely a door. He carefully examines it throughly for any nefarious traps and then locks.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

I am intrigued by the hidden door. Perhaps we check there, first? We have found at least one hidden room that has been very important in the past.

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis puts a finger to his lips and points to the western door from where the moaning is coming. He then nods towards the secret door just discovered and looks at the others questioningly.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo whispers. "Sounds like we may get some answers inside."

He shrugs at Telkis as he tries the door handle to see if it will open, taking a peek inside the room if it does.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur looks for any spellbooks on the bookshelf. If he finds any that look promising, he pulls them for later perusal. He also pulls any books that he thinks might be valuable, if he can find any. If he has time, he pulls a dream journal and a book in an unknown language.

Then he follows the others into the secret room, assuming they can open the door.

Urdur won't stay behind if this takes too long. As soon as the others go inside, he follows.

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome holds his position. He keeps an ear on what the group is doing.

[jemmus]

Faron continues to try to solve the puzzle of how to reveal the door behind the bookcase. He jokes, There might be something really good behind this! Yeah, right.

Open Locks 52% [1d100]=98
Just in case double-dipping might work.
Intelligence 14 [1d20]=12

[Inferno]

Second Story, The Accursed Mansion, The Dreamlands
Day Three. Morning? Monday, December 26th, 576 CY







In the unearthly dream state, Urdur scans the antique tomes for anything of value or of a sorcerous nature.

Deep in the delicious scent of old pages, the dark gnome's eye falls upon a handwritten passage:

“I have often wondered if the majority of mankind ever pause to reflect upon the occasionally titanic significance of dreams, and of the obscure world to which they belong. Their exciting and disquieting effect suggests minute glimpses into a sphere of mental existence no less important than physical life, yet separated from that life by an all but impassable barrier.

"From my experience I cannot doubt that man, when lost to terrestrial consciousness, is indeed sojourning in another and noncorporeal life of far different nature from the life we know, and of which only the slightest and most indistinct memories linger after waking. From those blurred and fragmentary memories we may infer that time, space and matter do not exist as our waking selves comprehend them.

"Sometimes I believe that this less material life is our true life, and that our vain presence on Oerth is itself the secondary phenomenon.”

Urdur stumbles upon a genealogy of the royal house of Blackchapel, a name he vaguely remembers from some dream. It is Hookhill's largest slum. But he's found no spellbooks yet.

Having just begun his search, the great shelf suddenly looms toward Urdur, threatening to topple and crush him! But it doesn't. It glides forward, like a door. Faron and Mouser, having uncovered no deathtraps lurking in wait, have expertly discovered a hidden catch release.

At that moment, Long Bo quietly turns the doorknob of the northwestern door, but finds it locked.

Behind Urdur's bookcase is a priesthole with a wooden ladder reaching up into the darkness.




Actions?


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.





PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 18/22, Glowing Sword
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 4/5: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/21, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 15/25, Spells: 0/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Jerome, Human Paladin 4: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 19/23, Laying Hands: 0/1
Long Bo, Human Druid 6: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 31/41, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, 1/1 4th lvl, Light stone
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 28/37
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 14/15, Spells: 4/4 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl, 1/1 3rd lvl, Torch

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)

Player Resources:

Tale of Terror (the story so far)
A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
Blasphemous Iconography (the story so far in images)
Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur ponders, briefly, the passage he just read. If this Dreamworld is the true life, what might that mean about his various sorceries? Could he tap into this dreamplane whilst walking the waking world? Or has he been doing so for years?

Urdur packs the Blackchapel genealogy book in his pack. He continues searching for spellbooks or other valuable tomes. When the others take the ladder up, Urdur follows.

As he does, he contemplates the ladder. Perhaps this dreamscape is getting to him, but he remembers a passage he read as an apprentice: "The way Up and the way Down are One and The Same." It makes sense now in a way he cannot articulate.

[ChubbyPixie]

If no one else insists on going first, Telkis with shimmy up the ladder to see what can be found at the top, feeling this secret way may offer them some advantage, perhaps the element of surprise against whatever force manipulates this dream space.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser waits at the bottom if his deft skills are needed.

[jemmus]

Faron follows Telkis up the ladder, for in case the light of his longsword is needed.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The young cleric quickly accompanies Telkis and Faron up the ladder in case there are any undead lurking above that need turning.

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome stands at the bottom of the ladder, waiting. He'll be the last one up.

[OGRE MAGE]

Seeing the bookshelf suddenly open, Bo is glad to find the moaning door to be locked.

"This is all just a dream, isn't it? Where are we really then, I wonder?" He says to nobody in particular.

With his light stone clenched in between his teeth, he will follow the others up, awaiting his turn on the ladder in case trouble is discovered above.

Once the all clear is made, he climbs upwards.

[Urson]

Jerome
If this is only a dream, it has sharp edges.
Best to assume it's real, and can really kill you.
When the others have cleared the ladder, Jerome will follow.

[Inferno]

Second Story, The Accursed Mansion, The Dreamlands
Day Three. Morning? Monday, December 26th, 576 CY







Telkis ascends the ladder into darkness.

Faron climbs awkwardly behind him with a longsword in one hand, followed by Ingrid.

"This is all just a dream, isn't it? Where are we really then, I wonder?" ponders Long Bo aloud. Jerome warns that this dream can kill.

Urdur continues his search of the bookcase and finds a handbound volume in an arcane language he cannot read, hoping it to be a tome of sorcerous spells.



At the top of the ladder, by the light of Faron's sword, Telkis finds a wooden trapdoor set into the ceiling without hinge, lock, handle or keyhole.


Actions?


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.





PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 18/22, Glowing Sword
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 4/5: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/21, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 15/25, Spells: 0/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Jerome, Human Paladin 4: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 19/23, Laying Hands: 0/1
Long Bo, Human Druid 6: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 31/41, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, 1/1 4th lvl, Light stone
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 28/37
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 14/15, Spells: 4/4 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl, 1/1 3rd lvl, Torch

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)

Player Resources:

Tale of Terror (the story so far)
A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
Blasphemous Iconography (the story so far in images)
Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur adds the mysterious volume to his pack. He hopes to decipher it later.

He waits for the others on the ladder. If they can open the trapdoor, he follows them up.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo waits, peeking down at the base of the ladder.

I'm assuming the ladder only leads in an upwards direction?