Chapter 34: Nightmare World

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof - Human Cleric

Pulling her holy symbol of Tritherion out so it hangs visibly before heading inside to seek out the ranking priest. When she finds him or her, she will explain her reason for being there.

"My name is Ingrid Esthof, priestess of Tritherion. I seek atonement for actions I have taken while fighting vile darkness and servants of unspeakable evil."

She will explain how she used a scroll to collapse the earth, burying forever not only evil agents, but also a few of her boon companions. She will talk about becoming a lycanthrope and although she has no knowledge of what she did in wolf form, she is certain she committed murder of innocent souls, almost assuredly consuming human flesh in the process.

Finally, she confesses to her most damning sin. "And finally, I cast Animate Dead on several corpses as a means to delay the werewolves chasing us, trying to buy time so I could perform an exorcism to rid a young girl of the demon who had possessed her. I did it to try to save the girl, Amity, and perhaps keep my companions from falling while trying to defend us. I know that though my intentions were good, I still committed what may be an unpardonable sin, and Tritherion has not always seen fit to bless me with his divine favor since.

This is the first opportunity I have had to seek penance and atonement. But there is more than just that. Evil forces seek world domination. All reality as we know it may cease to exist in just a few days. If I am going to be able to help, I need to know that Tritherion is no longer displeased with me."

If there are other transgressions that I cannot remember, Ingrid will detail those as well. She lays her soul bare, hiding nothing.

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis cleans up as well, then is unsure what to do with himself, being a quotidian, non-spell-casting schlub. Finally, hearing that Bo plans to chat up the wildlife of the area, he tags along, invisibly, in the hopes they might find a mouse to converse with. His is disappointed but not surprised when they encounter instead the inevitable rat swarm. He doubts any wholesome mice survive in this cruel place. He misses Jenkins.

As the plan is Bo’s, he will await the Druid’s lead before assisting in the interrogation.

Rats. Always rats.

[OGRE MAGE]

In his invisible state, Bo tries sifting through the wreckage of the burned down mansion, being cautious to remain unseen.

Scouring for anything they might not have found in the house when they searched it initially, also looking for anything obvious about the house that has changed within the ruins.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser tries to slowly win over the populace. Patiently working in small groups to offer up a story that leads the people down a path to seeing that the ripper is not a normal person but a manifestation of evil festering on the souls and silence of the voices of the good people of this community.

He plies them with drink to start and then uses friends when needed to soften the groups willingness to be open to listening. When things turn awry and those that won’t see the truth get belligerent - he resets thier attitude with a well placed forget.

Perhaps, with effort, they could be used to lend aide in a battle of wills against the unseen and unrelenting force that haunts them.

[Inferno]

Blackchapel, Hookhill, Gran March, Greyhawk
The Days Leading Up to New Year's Eve, 576 CY







Passing unnoticed through the smog-choked city that hunts them, the doomed heroes make their final preparations before the ending of the Oerth.

Mouser is at home amongst the destitute and the criminal of the city's teeming slums.



Moving easily among his kind, the urban thief deftly sows rumors in the hopes their crop will benefit himself and his companions; weaving fearful whispers of the truth about the Hookhill Ripper, and a horrific manifestation that imminently awaits them all.

Faron follows the young prostitute's direction and locates the looming, oppressive presence of Hawksmoor Church.




Between services a few forlorn parishioners huddle within, praying to St. Cuthbert for forgiveness and redemption.




There is lantern oil, and holy water in fonts, that the thief can easily steal if he holds no fear for the damnation of his soul for robbing a church.

Long Bo and Telkis leave the hungry, swarming alley rats to their heinous feasting.



Telkis hears one of the vermin chuckle blackly, "Something's there, innit? Join us for a morsel, love!"

The grey druid and the dwarfish gnome walk invisible amongst the fire-blackened wreck of Lord Blackchapel's abandoned manse that strides dimensions. They discover nothing of note in the smoldering ruins but Bo realizes something has changed. The birds that wheeled over the mansion, alarmed by its unnatural properties, are gone. Is it possible that once the binding object (the house itself) was destroyed, the sorcerous gate to 'the Dreamlands' was shut forever?!




Ingrid stands inside a temple of Trithereon whose wealth and opulence could feed the city of Hookhill.





To confess her many sins, she enters an anonymous confessional.




Within, a hidden priest attends as she lays bare her damned soul and speaks of the end of the world. The unseen vicar is silent, as if stunned in disbelief. Then, from behind the dark curtain, his grave voice intones: "My child, committing evil acts in the service of good... is evil. In these struggles you describe, you must always confront evil with good. It is the only way, else you shall become the very thing you oppose!"

Ingrid remembers the enchanted mirror in the Dreamlands that seemingly foretold this!



She beheld her self, succumbed to the seduction of evil; perhaps through familiarity with its occult ways.

"Only if you forsake the methods of evil will Trithereon absolve you of your crimes against Him. Let that be your penance. Now go forth, my child and sin no more."

Urdur meanwhile stares unflinching into the abyss, drinking deep of horror and madness, preparing his tormented mind for the final confrontation.



Studying the blasphemous tomes of Lord Blackchapel, brought back from "the Dreamlands," his sanity grapples with hideous occult truths about Man's very existence.

The doomed heroes finish their preparations and reunite in their shelter of the burned out workhouse. Watched over by a murder of crows, they share their findings and lay plans to prevent the final human sacrifice of "the Hookhill Ripper" which will usher in the end of the world.


Plans?!





PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 22/22
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 4/5: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 21/21, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 16/25, Spells: 4/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Jerome, Human Paladin 4: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 23/23, Laying Hands: 1/1, Invisible
Long Bo, Human Druid 6: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 41/41, Spells: 5/6 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, 1/1 4th lvl, Invisible
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 37/37, Invisible
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 15/15, Spells: 4/4 1st lvl, 0/2 2nd lvl, 1/1 3rd lvl, Invisible

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)
Invisibility (Urdur): Targets: Jerome, Long Bo, Telkis, Urdur

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)

[jemmus]

Faron loads his shoulder back with equal amounts of holy water and oil, as much as he can carry. Although he's by profession a thief, he doesn't feel that this is thievery. It's this church's contribution to trying to save the minds of humans, and he feels that its god would approve. He makes his way back to the house of the wretches.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo points out the missing birds anomaly to Telkis as they search the ashen ruins.

"What do you make of such a thing, friend? Could the destruction of this home have actually closed the forsaken Dreamlands portal for good?"

"If that is truly the case, this might be the easiest solution we ever find to an issue of this magnitude."

The lanky druid continues searching for clues, watching the skies carefully in case there are any more oddities to discover.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof - Human Cleric

"Thank you, Father. When faced with... unceasing evil, it is easy to lose one's way. Now I know that, though it may seem like the only option, I must not stray from the path of righteousness and goodness, for Tritherion will be there to guide my steps."

As she is getting ready to leave the confessional, she remembers something else. "I'm a little embarrassed to ask, Father, but could you please spare some coin? My purse was stolen shortly after entering town. I have had too many instances where I was without my holy symbol of Tritherion and came face to face with the walking dead and was powerless against them. I was hoping that I could get the triskelion tattooed on the palms of my hands so that I would never be without it again, and if you could bless the ink, I believe that it would function as a holy symbol. Also, if it wouldn't be too much to ask, we could really use some holy water as well."

[ChubbyPixie]

Bo points out the missing birds anomaly to Telkis as they search the ashen ruins.

"What do you make of such a thing, friend? Could the destruction of this home have actually closed the forsaken Dreamlands portal for good?"

"If that is truly the case, this might be the easiest solution we ever find to an issue of this magnitude."

Telkis blinks and regards Bo blankly for a moment before replying.

"I thought you would know... you're the magic guy with all the spells and whatnot. All I have is this." He holds up Cranach.

"I hope it is easy, though. I personally liked the time we buried the monster under a thousand tons of rock. That had a certain appeal. ..Except the companions we buried, of course."

[ravenn4544]

Mouser lets the group know that there is some support from the populace should it come to that - unless the wind blows differently and their allegiances change, of course.

"We could destroy the house as you say, which would make us all feel better, but if this evil resides in-between does it matter as it exists everywhere? Perhaps it's a bad thing as our doorway in to this world would be cut off?"

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur waits unseen, trying to grapple with the untruths and paradoxes within his own mind.

As if waking from a nightmare, he responds to Mouser. It seems to me, the gate can never be closed.
The horrors that we face exist within all of us, hiding in the spaces between our thoughts.

But even if the gate closes completely, and we find ourselves stuck in that realm of nightmare, we must attempt this task nonetheless. The risk to the waking world is too great.

If any of his companions return with either flasks of oil or holy water, Urdur gladly adds some to his pack.

We do get one more rest before facing our doom, right? Urdur would have wanted to preserve his 2nd level spell slots....

[jemmus]

Faron contemplates what his friends have said. It seems to me that the "portal" is both a specific location and a specific time. The location is the mansion. I'm guessing that no matter what condition it's in now--or if it's even completely gone--the "dream" mansion will reappear.

The specific time, of course, is during the... what are they called? You know, the witching holidays.

[Inferno]

Blackchapel, Hookhill, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Eight. Dawn. Saturday, December 31st, 576 CY







Three days and nights pass as the doomed heroes hide from the law, sheltering in the burned out warehouse. '

Every night, Faron, Mouser and Telkis are haunted by horrific, reoccurring nightmares where they are lost, trapped and alone in a maze-like city of depravity and suffering.




Every night, they are hunted by something they dare not look upon but somehow intimately know.





Despite their panicked flight through streets without ending, it looms ever closer, ominous and inescapable...





...slithering through the labyrinth towards a frightful becoming of full and dreadful manifestation!




Over three days and nights...

Jerome stands guard over Urdur, who continues his arcane explorations into forbidden lore. The dark gnome's sorcery has rendered more than half their number unseen to Men's eyes, allowing them to move undetected through the city that hunts them.

Long Bo and Telkis Brassfang discover nothing further at the blackened wreck of Lord Blackchapel's mansion.

Faron brings back four flasks of holy water and four flasks of oil stolen from Hawksmoor Church. But the thief's conscience is clear.

The Grey Mouser comes back from planting seeds of rumor and fear in the fertile imaginations of the slum dwellers of Hookhill.

Ingrid Esthof returns with two flasks of holy water and 30 pieces of silver given her by her confessor.

The third dawn comes as a pale grey smear across the smog-choked sky.



It is the morning of New Year's Eve... perhaps the last morning ever.

According to Lord Blackchapel's dark design, in 18 hours, after midnight tonight, the final human sacrifice of "the Hookhill Ripper" will usher in the ending of the world for all mankind.


Actions?! (Plans for the day, please!)





PC Status:

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

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)
Invisibility (Urdur): Targets: Jerome, Long Bo, Telkis, Urdur

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)

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof - Human Cleric

Ingrid will go find a tattoo artist near the church (she wanted to do this right after speaking to the priest) and ask about getting the triskelion tattooed on one hand (or both if she can afford it) and having the priest bless the ink before she is tattooed.

[jemmus]

Faron
I've a flask of holy water and three more to share. And four flasks of oil to share. I carry my long sword for illumination and no torch, perhaps any torch bearers should take them.

He ponders at what can or should be done to prepare during the next 18 hours. He can think of nothing more that, a simple cutpurse, can do to prepare against the unholy supernatural. They must prevent the last murder. Which would mean finding, identifying stopping and defeating "The Ripper." Or successfully defending the intended victim. What did they know of the victims? All women, and all prostitutes? He asks the group. The Ripper's victims. Have they all been women, and prostitutes? And of what age? Because he knows of one young woman prostitute, who is right nearby and he has somewhat befriended.

Faron will decide on his plans for the next 18 hours after he distributes holy water and oil and gets answers to his questions.

[ChubbyPixie]

Faron
I've a flask of holy water and three more to share. And four flasks of oil to share. I carry my long sword for illumination and no torch, perhaps any torch bearers should take them.

"Contrary to what you've seen from me so far, I'm actually better at ranged fighting than hand-to-hand, if you can believe it," says Telkis. "I love a good smack-down, don't get me wrong, but the only reason I took up that roll in this group is because Grothnak would never let me get a shot off before he charged in, even when I specifically asked." He pauses to ponder obstinate Grothnak now buried under tons of mud in a hole back in Hookhill. He shakes his head.

"Anyway," he continues, "my point is, we might do well to give a few of them throwable items to me for a volley before I get into the up-close action, as I'm certain I will."

"As far as a plan, it seems to me we must closely guard the most likely candidate for the next sacrifice, but also be near the house site in case who we think it is isn't who it is, if you follow, so we can change focus if we need to. That means taking the victim to the site. Kind of ironic. But we'll only get one shot, I expect..."

[ravenn4544]

Mouser makes sure to save time to rest and study his spells before setting off.

“Keeping a close eye on that girl nearby makes sense - but there are a lot of them in the area. How do we know it’s that one? I definitely don’t think we should split up in case that house opens up again. That one is as good as any I suppose”

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur accepts one flask each of holy water and oil. Like his fellow gnome, Urdur is better at throwing things than swinging his little daggers.

Urdur agrees with Mouser about finding/helping the likely sacrificial victim, as well as keeping the group together. Urdur also volunteers to hold a torch when the group heads out.

[jemmus]

Faron softly approaches the destitute young woman again. Hello again. Friend, you gave me true information about the church, and for that I'm grateful. He gives an earnest and respectful nod of the hood of his cloak. He hesitates a moment. Then says, Miss. You and me know that there's a fiend killing ladies. "The Ripper." He waits for the expression on her face to return to normal at the mention of the name. While hiding his own dread at the very mention of it. Not fear, but revulsion. The thing of dreams, the thing in dreams of what as abandoned and helpless as a babe, everything might become....

He says, Miss, the Ripper is coming this night after this morning. And coming for a lady, working all alone on her lonesome. I'm telling you true madam, The Ripper is not a madman. It's demon. A forerunner of legions of demons. We've been fighting them, right over there. He points to the smoking ruins of the mansion. But on the dreams side and demonic side, do you see? If you can, please join us.
It would be terrible peril. And to say true, I'd offer you as quick bait for the demons. But we'll be brave, quick and fearless.

He hands her a flask of holy water, for her protection. But instead hands two flasks of holy water and four oil flasks to Urdur Shimmerstone. Short of stature, but most sure of hand.

Edited: Faron keeps one holy water flask and gives all four oil flasks he has to Urdur.

[Inferno]

Ingrid will go find a tattoo artist near the church (she wanted to do this right after speaking to the priest) and ask about getting the triskelion tattooed on one hand (or both if she can afford it) and having the priest bless the ink before she is tattooed.

Ingrid could only afford one.