Chapter One(ish) - Lost in the darkness

[cmrsalmon]

As the three of you step through onto the third of the five tiles, Marsha freezes.

The worn-smooth carvings on the walls leap into sharp relief, Marsha, to reveal hideous, tormented scenes. A crowd of eyeless faces open their mouths in unison, screaming silently.

Can you roll a d6 to determine the effects of Marsha's terror?

Result - Outcome
1 - The overwhelming scale of the visions clouds your own sight, inducing temporary blindness (1d3 mins).
2 - Drained by the horror, you collapse to the floor (CON check required to move yourself, for 1d3 mins).
3 - You body begins to shake uncontrollably (1d3 mins).
4 - The source of the visions, the carvings, must be destroyed!
5 - You need to flee from the nightmarish faces, as far and fast as possible...
6 - No effect. For now.

Atticus and Fletch, as you react to Marsha's sudden behaviour, a now-familiar chorus echoes in your minds.

...and yet, the two voices seem less attuned somehow.

IS YOUR BODY READY?
IS YOUR BODY-dy READY-dy?

The male voice remains sonorous and certain, but the female much less so, with her strange accent now easier to pick out.

The female voice continues, alone.

Greylanders? Here? How..?

A third pair of doors begin to close between this tile and the fourth, closing at a faster rate than the previous set.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Fletch continues to race across the tiles, dragging or carrying Sister Marsha if he has to. Who are you? and Where are we? he asks of the voices.

I'd have waited for Lab Mix to post first, but I don't know if I'll have a chance o do so later today. Let me know if I need to roll any dice for dragging Marsha along with us.

[lab mix]

Sorry for the delay!

Terror! [1d6] = 1
How long? [1d3] = 3

"By Yiol's scythe!!" Marsha exclaims as the horrific visions wash over her. She rubs at her eyes, trying to wipe away what she's seen.

She feels her arm being pulled. Unable to see anything around her, she allows herself to be guided.

[Tamerlaine]

Atticus pushes her along, giving her a rare word of encouragement as they hurtle toward the closing door. Greylanders? He racks his mind, trying to remember anything about these 'Greylanders.'

[Rusty Tincanne]

Named so due to the grey-tinged complexion of its people, the continent of Ashenland consists of rich farmlands to the West and East, with a thickly-forested, mountainous interior. Marsh and wetlands lie to the warmer South, with sparse, rocky moors to the North.

The bulk of Ashenland’s population is human, from the darker-skinned people of the South to the white-pale Northerners. The Ashenlanders’ shared heritage is evident in the hints of grey below the eye, flecks of grey in the iris. Enclaves of other races can be found in the less-travelled parts of the continent, although their isolated populations are in decline.

Likely as not, we are the greylanders - we have gray eyes. If so, the question becomes, who are these voices? What people? Perhaps a force to push out the Empire?

crsalmon: is that right?

[cmrsalmon]

Likely as not, we are the greylanders - we have gray eyes. If so, the question becomes, who are these voices? What people? Perhaps a force to push out the Empire?

Could be. The vast majority of people from these lands have a greyish tint to their skin and eyes.

As you mull over the words of the female voice, Atticus, you realise her accent sounds very similar to those belonging to the mages in service to the Empire, who destroyed your mentor's academy.

Marsha, you feel friendly hands grabbing your arms, urgently guiding you forward.

As the three of you step though onto the fourth tile, you feel a sudden change in air pressure, as though the breath is being crushed out of your lungs. Another set of doors, between the fourth and fifth tile, begins to close at an even faster rate.

Could I get a STR check for everyone?

The voices ring out again in your minds. Dissonant now, it is harder to understand what either of the pair are saying.

"ARE YO- sten, we must- SENSE- nemy -DY -them"

Dragging Marsha through the rapidly closing doors, you struggle for breath. A final set of doors appears between the final tile of the passage, on which you stand, and the darkness of the large room beyond. The doors will close in a matter of seconds.

Could I get a DEX check? Assuming you are leaping through?

As you prepare to move, a sound skin to a deep and impossibly loud bell tolling rings in your ears.

And finally, a CON check?

[lab mix]

Still blinded, Marsha is utterly confused by her surroundings.

vs. STR 7 [1d20] = 18

vs. DEX 12 [1d20] = 13

vs. CON 13 [1d20] = 15

"Yiol protect us!"

[cmrsalmon]

...oh dear.

The sudden change in air pressure is crushing your lungs, Marsha. Feeling faint, you struggle to catch your breath as Fletch and Atticus jostle you forward.

Physical stat checks will be disadvantaged until you can get a few moments' rest to breathe.

Blind, and deafened by the tolling of a violently load bell, your world spins out of control. The stangely-accented female voice rings out clearly through the nightmarish cacophony.

"Whoever you are, I control this place now. Your souls will serve the Empire better in death than your bodies ever could alive."

Despite the efforts of your companions, you stumble forward, tripping into the abyss.

Helpless, you hit a cold stone floor.

That'll be 1d3 damage.

[lab mix]

Damage [1d3] = 3

Feeling the cold stonework against her face, Marsha curses her luck. Or her poor decisions. She can't think clearly enough to know which.

I have Marsha down to 3hp now (having taken a total of 4)...does that seem correct with what we've faced? EDIT: Forgot about Marsha's gambeson. At 5hp.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Fletch
With Sister Marsha under his guidance, Fletch rushes through the remaining doors. He curses the voice in his head while urging Atticus along.

STR 10 vs [1d20] = 9, DEX 14 vs [1d20] = 3, CON 10 vs [1d20] = 10

[Tamerlaine]

Atticus

STR 11 vs [1d20] = 1, DEX 11 vs [1d20] = 13, CON 12 vs [1d20] = 7

[cmrsalmon]

Your sharp mind dismisses the illusions, Atticus, but you find your body less able. As you manhandle the near-senseless body of your companion through the narrowing doorway, you both trip into the darkness of the room beyond.

1d3 "landing awkwardly on a stone floor" damage.

Despite the crushing pressure on your lungs and the ringing in your ears, Fletch, you keep your feet as you step through, keeping the torch aloft.

As with Marsha, Fletch, physical stat checks will be disadvantaged until you can get a few moments' rest to breathe. Fletch, you are also temporarily deafened by the noise.

You have entered a very large, long room. Two rows of stone benches disappear into the gloom ahead of you, with a wide aisle between them. On the edge of the circle of torchlight, the floor of the central aisle reflects the light and glistens as though wet.

At the far end of the room, you can see another torch, and several figures moving in the glow.

A skeletal figure, wreathed in thick, grey smoke, steps out of the gloom towards Marsha's prone form.

Marsha, you feel thin, ice-cold fingers grasp your ankles.

The skeleton pulls on the cleric's legs, dragging her down the aisle.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Back in action! Woohoo!

Fletch
Terrified for his companion, Fletch charges the ghost, swinging his torch at it. With his head ringing, he does not even realize he is shouting curses and profanities at the ghost.

[Tamerlaine]

"landing awkwardly on a stone floor" damage [1d3] = 3

It is painful getting up after his fall, but the...the thing ahold of the cleric stirs Atticus to boldly act. He retrieves his spell book and finds the proper page, his lips moving, the fingers of one hand making those arcane gestures as he taps into the Great Weave and attempts to cast...Magic Missile!

Magic Missile Damage [1d4] = 3

[lab mix]

hitting the floor [1d3] = 2
(down to 3 hp)

"What sort of fiend has me, my friends?"

Marsha ponders her options if these villains are undead...

[cmrsalmon]

No need for initiative. The skeleton does not react.

Your missile, Atticus, strikes the skeletal figure in the rib cage. The arcane force staggers the creature, seeming to burn away some of the robe-like smoke wreathed about it.

The figure does not loose its grab on Marsha's ankles, and continues to drag her into the darkness.

With no time to catch your breath, Fletch, you stagger towards the skeleton, swinging the torch wildly.

Could I get a disadvantaged STR roll to hit?

Through the haze, Marsha, something scrapes up your back, as though you are being dragged over a shallow step. With a small splash, you realise you've been dragged into a puddle or shallow pool, perhaps an inch deep. As the water soaks into your garment, you feel a distinct warmth course through your body.

The violent forces in your head subside, Marsha, as you feel your body healing.

Your senses return and your eyes flicker open, only to see a flaming torch arcing back and forth feet above your head as a cursing, incoherent Fletch attacks the grim skeleton towering above you. The skeleton unceremoniously drops your legs into the pool, to use its arms to shield itself from the flaming assault.

Recover 1 HP for every few seconds (i.e. a round) you spend immersed in the pool.

[lab mix]

Seeing the skeleton, Marsha attempts to banish it...
Banish (vs. WIS 10, add skeleton HD) [1d20] = 11

Noting no effect, Marsha wonders if she has lost the favor of Yiol. She maintains hope thanks to the renewed vigor she feels while lying in the strange puddle. (gains 1 hp)

[Rusty Tincanne]

STR (10) [1d20] = 12 [1d20] = 11

I didn't look up the rules for that again, but IIRC, that just means rolling two dice and taking the higher of the two rolls. Which doesn't really matter anyhow.

In all, it is difficult to tell if Marsha is in a bad place at all. But maybe when she is totally healed she becomes possessed. Hmmm. Anyhow, my IC knowledge tells me to have Fletch attack.

[cmrsalmon]

Marsha, you feel Yiol's warmth in answer to your prayers, but the god of the harvest can be fickle. The power of your holy words has little effect on the dark magic animating the creature.

Flame may have more of an effect. The skeleton successfully wards off your blows, however, Fletch, as you jab at the figure stood over Marsha's prone body.

The skeleton steps away from Marsha and away from burning flame, and beckons, hurriedly. The figure raises an arm to point into the darkness.

At the far side of the long chamber, Fletch, you can make out several figures moving in torchlight. They appear to be human, at least...

Shall we join them? - viewtopic.php?f=411&t=5790&start=140

[Rusty Tincanne]

Fletch swings his sword wildly at the skeleton, keeping it away from the cleric on the floor, but fatigue makes his arm too slow to be effective.
STR 10 vs [1d20] = 13 [1d20] = 11