10. Return to Castle Ravenloft

[GreyWolfVT]

Gragog checks to see what all the fuss is in Cyrus's room. "What kind of a hornets nest did we stir up?"

[Dram]

Bragar- Follows Scarllets lead. Shall we head to the stairwell up?

[Scott308]

Shinyah, Druid

At the mention of vampires, Shinyah will follow Scarlett and flee.

[Zhym]

Date: Trieluna 13, 1222
Time: 7:36 PM
Weather: Fog
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Hallway
**************************************

Lar calls out to the others. "I saw a fog shaped humanoid," he says, "but it just sank to the floor and disappeared. It might take shape anywhere in the fog that covers the floor. Be careful. We should gather for protection."

Bells ring in Scarlett's mind. "This Melampus, your dwarven friend. He has taken vampiric form. Flee this hallway now!" He heads south, further down the hall he's already in, finding a spiral staircase leading down. Bragar and Shinyah follow.

Gragog, however, wants to see what the fuss is about. He enters Cyrus's room just in time to see Lar charge, sword in hand, toward a patch of mist near the ground. The mist flows through the space where the door is hinged to the wall and blends into the mists of the hallway.

Meanwhile, Agax pauses to investigate the object that came out of Cyrus's room. He uses his staff to swirl the mists around so he can get a look below. He spots a smashed bronze helmet with burnt fibers where a plume must once have been.

----
Status: Gragog (F6): 36/42; Lar (P6): 35/40; Bragar: 33/42 (C7); Castran: 23/23 (F5/I6); Scarlett (C7/T5): 34/34; Agax (MU7/C4): 45/45; Petyr (F3): 23/23; Bogdana (C3): 23/23; Shinyah (D7): 37/38, Honeynose: 24/24, Treescratcher: 29/29, Hihu: 4/4
Effects: Phantom Armor (Castran): 6 pts; Invisibility (Castran); Hold Person (Scarlett, on Cyrus): 5 rounds; Barkskin (Shinyah, AC 3): 5 rounds; Protection from Evil (Scarlett, on herself): 16 rounds; Protection from Evil (Bragar, on himself): 19 rounds
Light sources: Lantern (30', Lar): 15.2 turns; CL coin (on the ground, south corridor); CL gem (Agax's staff)

[Stirling]

Scarlett

Pausing for a moment to light her lantern, she will assess the situation."we should not become detached from the others. There are those gruesome wights somewhere ahead. Let me check ahead, we should move slow so others may catch up."

Very warily, Scarlett will proceed further down, checking unusual noise and movements.

[Inferno]

Agax Gryyg, game mage:

The wizard stops stirring the cauldron, allowing the mists to slowly consume the helmet. "Let your vampire friend come!" he bluffs cheerfully. "We'll put all that holy water to good use!"

He joins Scarlett, Bragar and Shinyah, glowing gem still in the lantern box atop his staff, as he urges Gragog, Lar, Castran and the others, "Keep up!"

[GreyWolfVT]

Gragog goes off to follow the others that apparently wish to leave him and Lar behind. "Right away sir." the half-orc says mockingly as if he were a servant.

[Storm11]

The gnome will follow the others to the stairway leading down. "Let us descend and end this hunt."

[Cwreando]

Lar will move to join the others but watches his back as he does so. He says, "We need to get down into the catacombs."

[Stirling]

Scarlett will wait in the hallway until we are all present, bears too. (Is Hihu the owl still with us?). Then she will descend the staircase quickly, figuring the potential vampire and any allies of Cyrus will aim to follow us. She carries a bright lantern and a holy symbol of Samar aloft ready to confront any undead creatures.

[Zhym]

Date: Trieluna 13, 1222
Time: 7:37 PM
Weather: Fog
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Hallway
**************************************

You gather in the south hallway as Scarlett lights her lantern (please deduct one flask of oil). Once assembled, Scarlett leads the way carefully and methodically down the spiral staircase into the very bedrock of Ravenloft.

After about ten minutes of meticulous process, you reach a point where the stairs descend into black, still water that fills an arched hallway before you. The water's surface is like dark mirrored glass, disturbed only occasionally by the "thwick" of a drop falling from the ceiling. Twenty feet down the hallway, arched doorways lead downward two feet from each side of the hallway. In each arched doorway, an iron door stands closed and partially submerged. All is still except for a weak cry for help coming through the south door.

Because you stand on a spiral staircase, only Scarlett (who took the lead) and Gragog can take any immediate action unless the two of them make way for others. The rest of you are up the stairs from them (including bears who, for convenience, we will assume have no problems descending a spiral staircase).

----
Status: Gragog (F6): 36/42; Lar (P6): 35/40; Bragar: 33/42 (C7); Castran: 23/23 (F5/I6); Scarlett (C7/T5): 34/34; Agax (MU7/C4): 45/45; Petyr (F3): 23/23; Bogdana (C3): 23/23; Shinyah (D7): 37/38, Honeynose: 24/24, Treescratcher: 29/29, Hihu: 4/4
Effects: Phantom Armor (Castran): 6 pts; Invisibility (Castran); Barkskin (Shinyah, AC 3): expired; Protection from Evil (Scarlett, on herself): 6 rounds; Protection from Evil (Bragar, on himself): 9 rounds
Light sources: Lantern (30', Lar): 14.2 turns; CL coin (60', left on the ground, south corridor, up the stairs); CL gem (60' Agax's staff); Lantern (30', Scarlett): 23 turns

[Storm11]

The gnome will watch the back of the party invisibly

[Cwreando]

Lar will work his way to be behind Scarlett and Gragog if the others allow so he can share the gifts of Ohama to those in front and directly behind him saying softly, "Excuse me friends, allow me to move up behind Scarlett and Gragog please." Once there and hearing the cry for help he whispers, "I suspect a trap and who knows what's in this water or underneath it. Be vary careful."

[Stirling]

Scarlett

At the foot of the stairs she finds the hallway flooded. Does it overlap any steps on the staircase so she can estimate the depth, if the side exits are down they will be even more underwater. Anything more than knee deep and she will have to take precautions with her books and scrolls.

With no 10" ft pole to prod ahead with, Scarlett will move to the south door.

[Inferno]

Agax Gryyg, game mage:

The wizard holds his staff lantern aloft and patiently awaits the front ranks to decide how best to proceed.

When the procession advances and he reaches the last dry step, Agax lowers his staff and dips the lantern box beneath the water, to see what its mystical illumination can reveal.

If he discovers nothing dangerous, he'll continue to advance with the others, his gem glowing beneath the surface of the eerie subterranean lake.

[GreyWolfVT]

Gragog stands aside for Lar to Pass.

[Scott308]

Shinyah, Druid

By all means, good sir knight, replies the druid to the paladin's request to get to the front of the line as he tries to let him pass as gracefully as possible on a staircase. Your talents are needed at the fore far more than mine.

[Inferno]

Agax Gryyg, game mage:

Before he descended down the spiral staircase, Agax would collect Castran's glowing coin if the gnome did not.
Agax tried to pick it up earlier.

[Dram]

Bragar- Lets Lar move ahead. Be careful friend. Remember to watch the ceiling. They can from any direction.

[Cwreando]

Lar whispers, "Thank you friends. Good advice Bragar. I will try and be alert to all directions." Lar stays alert and passes on the advice to the the others too. He gauges the depth of the water/liquid as they move toward the sounds.