5. A Surprise Party?

[GreyWolfVT]

Fendt having completed his shift finds a spot and passes out.

[Zhym]

Date: Nouluna 5, 1221
Time: 5:40 AM
Weather: Rain
Moon: Full
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Study
**************************************

Tibbius suggests resting in Gertruda's room. He asks the villagers if they would keep watch while the party sleeps. "Do you brave men think you could resist the fear of this place for a little while in order to help us out?" he asks them.

Barnabus looks around with doubt in his eyes. He miraculously survived the banshee's wail; he doesn't want to encounter anything like that again. "We'll stay until a little after dawn," he replies, "but after that, we have to leave to take Gertruda back to her ma. Are you sure you won't come back with us? Even in daytime, it's not a safe trip."

Robert once again tries to secure the study. Maybe the barricades will actually keep things out this time, who knows? He suggests to the charmed Gertruda that she should get some rest. She curls up on a couch and tries to sleep.

Tumbler stares at the fireplace, thinking about what to do with his friend Vorkath's body.

The rest of you settle in for what you hope will finally be an uninterrupted rest.

Status: Agrippo: 33/52, Tibbius: 2/10, Iluq: 15/34, Tumbler: 24/39, Robert: 16/27; Fendt: 15/15
Effects: None

[GreyWolfVT]

The rest of you settle in for what you hope will finally be an uninterrupted rest.

cliffhanger much or what?

Fendt begins to snore a bit out of exhaustion.

[Zhym]

You hear the clatter of dice hitting the table...

[GreyWolfVT]

You hear the clatter of dice hitting the table...

Now that is more like it.

[Zhym]

Date: Nouluna 5, 1221
Time: 5:50 AM
Weather: Rain
Moon: Full
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Study
**************************************
Tumbler and the villagers keep watch while the rest of the party sleeps. The room has grown cold, the chill only partly due to the fire having died down.

Tumbler takes some wood from the pile next to the giant hearth and adds it to the fireplace. He removes the poker from its stand—

—and a section of the back wall of the fireplace swings open into a secret room!

Map 5f.png (162.77 KiB) Viewed 725 times

Status: Agrippo: 33/52, Tibbius: 2/10, Iluq: 15/34, Tumbler: 24/39, Robert: 16/27; Fendt: 15/15
Effects: None

[GreyWolfVT]

Fendt


"No no no! Please anything but rats. No I don't want to eat more rats. Please just kill me Strahd." one might suspect nightmares of recent memories during his capture.

[Stirling]

"zzz...the legion, onwards onwards into the breach once more...zzzz....ooh madam eva your eyes are soooo blue....hmmm dirty Gerty could be number thirty....zzzz" Agrippo tosses and turns in disturbed sleep, waving one arm in front of him to ward of visions of the night and cuddling the Sunsword with the other like his first teddy bear.

[Cwreando]

Robert continues to sleep until awaken to begin studying his spells.

[MonkeyWrench]

We waiting for Tumbler to see if he wants to wake us up?

Iluq, still upset and angry does not sleep soundly. Possibly even waking at the sound of the wall moving?

[Zhym]

Yes—just waiting to see if Tumbler wants to do anything about the secret room or if he'll continue trying to immolate Vokrath's body while the party sleeps. I'll post another update when I hear back (or if I don't hear anything by, say, this evening).

[Computer +1]

Tumbler jumps back when the door opens. He curses himself for not looking for the secret door to begin with. He has been way off his game not to have noticed the trigger or the door.

He takes a good look at the sleeping party to make sure none have woken up. Then with a loud cry he shouts Ahhhh Haaaaaa! Wake up you lugs, I found something!

If anyone wakes up he makes a big show about how he discovered the trigger and the door based on his years of experience. With all the craziness I only now noticed the secret door. Had the banshee not appeared I would have had it open earlier. Once I saw the door I deduced the trigger and there you have it. He puffs out his chest, full of hot air.

[MonkeyWrench]

Iluq jumps up, bringing his hammers out at the scream from Tumbler. He looks around frantically but calms down once he realizes there is no danger. He then walks over to the hidden door, "Have you checked for traps yet? Great job my friend, your talents get better every day!" He will look inside the room without going into it just yet.

[GreyWolfVT]

Fendt wakes and cracks open a spell book looks over at Tumbler and Iluq like beacons of shouting to draw in the enemies. Rolls his eyes and goes back to studying his spells.

[Zhym]

Fendt won't be able to study his spells yet; he's only had 10 minutes uninterrupted rest so far.

[GreyWolfVT]

fine.... retracting last statement/action.....

Fendt opens one eye looks perturbed at all the noise. Then closes his eye again and will plan to congratulate Tumbler later. He tries to return to resting.

[Computer +1]

Tumbler blushes a bit when Iluq mentions traps... Umm I was going to check now actually.

Tumbler draws his dagger and leaves the mace behind. He approaches the fireplace and begins to look for traps before entering the secret room.

[Cwreando]

Robert says, "Fine job Tumbler, don't wake me unless we're being attacked or it's time for me to get my spells ready. If you find anything interesting pile it up for inspection later ok?"

Robert is not real sure anything will be found and anything that is found he's pretty sure they probably won't see all of it thinks Robert as he dozes off again.

[Zhym]

Date: Nouluna 5, 1221
Time: 6:00 AM
Weather: Rain
Moon: Full
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Study
**************************************

Tumbler jumps back and curses himself when the secret door opens. Noticing that no one was awake to see what actually happened, he loudly announces that his experience and skill led him to this discovery.

Iluq awakens and asks if Tumbler had checked for traps. Sheepishly, Tumbler says he was just about to do that. Robert, Tibbius, and Fendt awaken just long enough to decide that whatever the locksmith is going on about can wait until morning. Agrippo dozes right through Tumbler's outburst.

Tumbler draws his dagger and leaves his mace behind. He approaches the fireplace. The few hot embers that still remain have not set the freshly placed firewood alight. After looking for traps and finding none, Tumbler walks through the fireplace and into the secret room.

Gold, silver, and copper coins lie scattered around a closed chest. The fittings on the chest tell of great workmanship. Attached to the east wall are two torch sconces. The southernmost sconce holds a torch with an intricate metal base. The other is empty. A human skeleton in broken plate armor lies against the wall. Its right hand is on its throat; its left hand holds the matching torch from the empty sconce.

Status: Agrippo: 33/52, Tibbius: 2/10, Iluq: 15/34, Tumbler: 24/39, Robert: 23/34; Fendt: 19/19
Effects: None

[Stirling]

Hearing the commotion Agrippo will awake sword in hand. He will congratulatory back-slap Tumbler for finding the secret room, hopefully avoiding pushing him into the embers. "Seems the scene is of the unfortunate locking himself in and being asphyxiated by the smoke for the fire...surely this was no simpleton hero (looks at the villagers), watch out for gas traps and ghosties Tumbler". Agrippo will rouse himself take guard.