3. Castle Ravenloft

[GreyWolfVT]

Robert is also out with Tibbius in the passageway (hallway).

[MonkeyWrench]

Iluq will head out into the hallway and tell everyone the direction that his spell is having him take before cautiously heading in that direction.

If the spell is not giving him any information then he will say to Vorkath, "It seems my spell is clouded in this den of evil, the darkness seems to swallowing up my vision and will not allow the items location to be known so easily..."

[Grognardsw]

Vorkath, paladin

Vorkath hears how long Iluq's locate object divination may last - "hmm, quite short" - and if it's not too late suggests it be cast later in a new area of the castle, given the current location is unlikely to reveal anything in so short a time. "Perhaps in another level where we are free to move quickly with light?"

The paladin ponders what it would be like to live with flocks of bats in one's abode, then asks Robert: "Do your druidic skills enable you to create animal friendship or speak with animals? Perhaps the bats could tell us where Strahd resides, or the location of the library, general castle lay-out, or other helpful information?"

[GreyWolfVT]

"My dear Vorkath, Yes I can speak with animals and or charm or befriend them. I can do so if you wish." Robert states with a cool collected resolve. "Though I must inform you that I have never attempted so upon a creature such as these bats, so I cannot tell you how useful it will be."

[Zhym]

Date: Nouluna 4, 1221
Time: 5:32 PM
Weather: Thunderstorm
Moon: Full
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Dining Hall and Guest Hall
**************************************

It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.

If you could see, you would see smoke billowing out from the dining hall. The stinging smoke gets into your eyes and makes you cough.

Vorkath, not wanting to fight in the dark, asks for a magical light but gets no answer. He moves to the alcove with the suit of armor. Showing yet again that the barbarian is not far beneath the surface of the knight, he kicks the armor down and apart. The clang and clatter of metal on stone rings through the halls. "I will ruin his castle before staking his heart," he utters.

“WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?” scolds Ireena as she fumbles her way in the dark toward the paladin. “Remember me? The ‘damsel in distress?’ How does violently redecorating the castle help me? It doesn’t hurt Strahd and it attracts attention from GOD KNOWS WHAT in this creepy place. You think Strahd is the only danger in here? The gods of Chaos could hope for no better champion!”

Vorkath calms down and suggests that Iluq use his divine powers to try to detect Ireena’s family holy symbol. By the time he thinks to suggest casting it from a more central location in the castle, the casting has already begun.

Iluq barely manages to complete the spell without interference from the bats.* He slowly turns around, trying to sense the presence of the sun-shaped medallion Ireena described. He discerns no trace of the object anywhere within the spell range.

Agrippo looks for windows to bash open. He moves through the darkness to the south wall, where he finds only stone and tapestries. If there are windows in this room, they are set high up in this vaulted hall. He starts fumbling through the smoke and mists back to where he remembers the mirrors were.

Tibbius flies into the corridor. Robert also proceeds in that general direction.

Vorkath and Robert discuss options for charming, befriending, or speaking with bats.

*Casting within the swarm of bats requires a d20 dexterity check. Sorry I forgot to remind the new folks who weren’t around when that rule was announced in the first combat with bats. I rolled for Iluq this time. Iluq’s dexterity is 10:
Iluq: Dex check to cast w/ bats: [1d20] = 10

If this were a pen and paper game, you'd be hearing dice hit the table behind the DM's screen right about now.

Status: Agrippo: 46/52, Vokath: 40/40, Ireena: ??/??, Tibbius: 22/22, Randolph: 4/4, Iluq: 39/39, Tumbler: 24/39, Robert: 37/37
Spells: Polymorph Self (Tibbius): 6.8 turns; Log of Everburning (Robert): 34.8 turns (extinguished again); Protection from Evil (Ireena): 12 rounds; Obscurement: 27 rounds; Locate Object: 7 rounds

[Eulalios]

Tibbius continues flying blindly down the corridor, near floor level, in a straight line away from the cloud of smoke, at a speed that is reasonable given he can't see where he's going. So a bit slower than a walk, more than a crawl.

He is both annoyed with Vorkath, and curious about his present form and environs. As he flies, he experiments with appendages, trying to hold one out in front of whatever is most like his head. With increasing distance from the smoke cloud, curiosity subsumes annoyance.

[Zhym]

The dining room, the south hallway, and the great entry hall are all in the obscurement cloud. If you want to leave it, you'll need to open a door or head up the stairs at the north end of the great entry hall. There's also the "dark and forbidding hallway" next to the alcove the suit of armor was in.

[GreyWolfVT]

Robert fishes around for his flint & steel to attempt the relighting of his log of everburning (torch) for the third time. As he goes about his work he begins to sing a song....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WskRAEggqkQ

[Eulalios]

Tibby tries the dark hallway.

[Zhym]

An updated map:

Screen Shot 2014-01-30 at 9.36.43 PM.png (793.66 KiB) Viewed 378 times

[GreyWolfVT]

"Well once I get this thing relit yet again, I'll venture forth. Unless someone still wants me to have a chat with these bats."

[Grognardsw]

Vorkath / paladin

"Iluq, I recall you have two coins with magical light," says Vorkath in the dark. "Can you illuminate please? Agrippo, bring spear to bear in our front line! Let the flames eat the organ, we'll hear no more its groans."

"Robert I defer to your wisdom on strategy with bat communication. But I do feel we should stay in tight formation and proceed north up the stair, quickly, while Iluq's locate dweomer is in effect."

[Stirling]

Agrippo will give up on searching in the smoke, retrieving his spear he will take point on the staircase, taking a couple of steps in his long stride. he will stop at the first landing to look around.

[GreyWolfVT]

If his torch is relit Robert too will walk over to the stairwell with Agrippo. "Personally I don't think the bats will have anything useful to say. I'll refrain from wasting another spell for now."

[Eulalios]

Tibbius lands and shifts to a slightly larger, pale lavender version of his natural form and opens a pouch of ever-glowing ash, which he tosses in pinches onto the ground as he moves to rejoin his comrades on the stairs.

[MonkeyWrench]

Iluq retrieves one of the stones from his pack, Ah yes, thank you for reminding me Vorkath." He then activates it to allow the continual light to fill the area, "I am not sensing the object here, we must hurry onwards before the spell fades."

As I just now look at this guys inventory I find out he has a lot of stuff

[Zhym]

Date: Nouluna 4, 1221
Time: 5:33 PM
Weather: Thunderstorm
Moon: Full
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Entry Hall
**************************************

Robert relights his torch and, surprisingly, begins to sing. It is not a happy song, but a song of sorrow and dread.

Iluq pulls a light stone from his pocket, and Tibbius scatters some light dust. Now the only thing blocking your vision is the obscurement cloud and the smoke from the organ fire.

Vorkath suggests that the party band together and quickly head for the north staircase. Agrippo gives up his search in the smoke, retrieves his spear, and quickly rejoins the rest of the party.

You all head through the great entry hall toward the stairs. As you do, you hear other wings join the flutter of bat wings from above. These new wings sound larger, heavier . . . stonier.

Screen Shot 2014-01-31 at 4.50.14 PM.png (314.98 KiB) Viewed 353 times

Status: Agrippo: 46/52, Vokath: 40/40, Ireena: ??/??, Tibbius: 22/22, Randolph: 4/4, Iluq: 39/39, Tumbler: 24/39, Robert: 37/37
Spells: Polymorph Self (Tibbius): 6.7 turns; Log of Everburning (Robert): 34.7 turns; Protection from Evil (Ireena): 11 rounds; Obscurement: 26 rounds; Locate Object: 6 rounds

[MonkeyWrench]

Iluq tightens his grip on his hammer, "It seems we have larger company..." He keeps his eyes and ears alert for anything that may attack.

[GreyWolfVT]

Robert - Druid
"Well guess our gargoyles decided to attack after all, you were right earlier too bad my sling didn't do any real harm to them." having said that and relit his torch and of course completed his dreary song. Robert turns towards the sound and readies his scimitar, and looks for something to set his torch in a "sconce" mayhaps?

[Zhym]

The bad news: the Obscurement fog keeps you from seeing where the gargoyles are until they're on top of you. The good news: they don't have any special way of finding you, either.