10. Return to Castle Ravenloft

[Cwreando]

Lar says, "We will not kill indiscriminately. Perhaps the fool is charmed in some way. We should try to break any hold over Cyrus there might be. If he becomes a danger to us we must make Strahd our priority. We cannot delay or we will face more minions of Strahd. Move with purpose folks."

This is a tough one. If we leave him behind or take him with us he is a liability and could be turned into a wraith or zombie or such. Lar is caught in a predicament of sorts here. HE must error on the side of life. But leaving him tied up in a closet would seem to be just as bad as killing him outright and either way could become an undead. I'd prefer skeleton/zombie to wraith though but a wraith could find him and do the same whether he is with us or tied in a closet. ARGHHHHHH.

Lar ask Ohama for guidance, "Send me a sign Ohama. Guide my sword and prayers."

[Stirling]

"whack him on the head with a table leg and dump him in here. He'll recover soon enough and the zombies seem to differentiate between castle staff and us anyways."Scarlett says whilst still searching the storeroom.

Does she find any usefull oil, etc?

[GreyWolfVT]

Gragog "Yes just knock him out and leave him tied up here somewhere."

[Stirling]

Scarlett tosses Gragog a broken table leg or lump of wood from the storeroom....

[Dram]

Bragar- If you knock him out gag him also so that he may call for help. He looks for a cloth or something to gag him.

[Stirling]

Scarlett tosses out a length of scarf go Bragar.

[Zhym]

Date: Trieluna 13, 1222
Time: 7:27 PM
Weather: Fog
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Butler's Quarters
**************************************

Shinya holds up his hand and reassures Cyrus that the adventurers will leave the room alone. "No offense meant," he tells the old man. "We did not realize this room was where you kept your valuables, and we shall leave it alone. You have our apologies."

Lar also apologizes. "Forgive us. We were asked to join Strahd and so we are looking for the stairs down to the Catacombs to meet up with him. Perhaps you know the way?"

But it quickly becomes clear that Shinyah and Lar do not speak for the group. Before Cyrus has a chance to answer, Scarlett bursts forward and begins rummaging through the servant's quarters. "A few extra oils and lanterns may serve us well," he says. "His treasures? More like the belongings of heroes trying to bring this Strahd to judgement! Gragog, shift through that corner pile with me. We might liberate some hidden blessing."

"You're kidding, right?" answers Gragog.

"No," answers Scarlett. "We can either beat him senseless or feed him go the zombies, though he don't look fresh and smells as bad as his cooking. A few flasks of oil is the least he should donate. My lady charms didn't get him to help us earlier so let's see if Lars can sway him. Search under his bed too, never know what secrets he might be hiding."

Scarlett finds no spare oil flasks—or anything else other than junk.

Agax exhorts the healers to heal themselves. Bragar answers. "No, we must save our healings for dire emergencies. Let us be moving up. I believe there is nothing of value down here." Gragog states his agreement.

The mercurial mage is not satisfied. "Bragar. Castran. Refresh my memory, won't you? Did you not once regale us with a tale about another humble, welcoming servant of Castle Ravenloft? Helga was her name, wasn't it? And how she fooled our poor predecessors with her sweet harmlessness, right up until the moment she revealed herself to be a vampire, and slayed them."

"Yes indeed she did," replies Bragar. "She was very sweet and kind right to point where she lured our friends into the carriage house then her and the rats feasted on them. We must leave no servant of Strahd's at our backs. It may prove to be the death of us."

Lar, holy paladin of Ohama, man of virtue, seems to forget what he told Cyrus just a moment ago. "Now that I think about it," he says, "evil must work for evil, but if they can lead us to their master I think we should let them. Be ready to take care of business should it be necessary though."

Shinyah isn't sure he believes what he's hearing. "So...are we going to slaughter everyone here? Do we know Cyrus is evil? I do not wish to leave a threat at our back, but I am not interested in a wholesale massacre just for the sake of killing."

"We will not kill indiscriminately," answers Lars. "Perhaps the fool is charmed in some way. We should try to break any hold over Cyrus there might be. If he becomes a danger to us we must make Strahd our priority. We cannot delay or we will face more minions of Strahd. Move with purpose folks." He prays to Ohama for guidance.

"Whack him on the head with a table leg and dump him in here," says Scarlett. "He'll recover soon enough and the zombies seem to differentiate between castle staff and us anyways."

Gragog agrees with the plan of violence. "Yes—just knock him out and leave him tied up here somewhere."

Bragar joins in on the plan. "If you knock him out, gag him also so that he may call for help." Scarlett tosses him a length of cloth.

Cyrus finally speaks up. "Oy!" he cries. "I'm right here, ya gits! I speak Common too, y'know! And I'll be having nobody knocking me out or gagging me!" He backs away from the group and scowls. "Fine! Ye want my treasures, go ahead and take 'em. They'll come back around." His scowl fades into a grin and he chuckles to himself as he continues to back away.

-----
Status: Gragog (F7): 40/49; Lar (P6): 27/40; Bragar: 33/42 (C7); Castran: 23/23 (F5/I6); Scarlett (C7/T5): 34/34; Agax (MU7/C4): 45/45; Petyr (F4): 29/30; Bogdana (C3): 23/23; Shinyah (D7): 37/38, Honeynose: 26/28, Treescratcher: 29/29, Hihu: 4/4
Effects: Phantom Armor (Castran): 6 pts; Invisibility (Castran); Detect Evil (Scarlett): expired
Light sources: Lantern (30', Lar): 16.2 turns

[Stirling]

Scarlett, finding nothing in the storeroom of either value or use will return to the hallway scowling."someone just smack him one and be done with it. You can leave him in the store room until he recovers."

There is only one more door we haven't opened, south one. Let us hope it leads us downwards.

[Storm11]

Castrans ethereal voice echoes from the corridor.

"You people seem as evil as the vampyr himself. We would sure already know if this man meant us harm. He seems human. Charm him if you must but he seems incapable of causing us any physical harm, and the vampire's spies will have already noted us. Seal him in his rooms if you must but hurt him not. What are we the new villains of the realm?" the gnome shakes his head and walks away unseen, to further explore the areas here abouts, through the archways and halls checking for secret doorways.

[Dram]

Bragar- Cyrus will you let tie you and gag you without doing any harm to you? If not the big guy here will be more than happy to club ya. He looks at Cyrus with a hard scowl.

[Cwreando]

Lar states, "Tie and gag him by force if necessary. Club him as a last resort but we need to be moving."

[Cwreando]

Lar takes a knee. You can hear him conversing with him self spiritually. He stands and states, "I have reflected upon our action and I have come to a decision. By law Cyrus has done nothing wrong. HE has not harmed us in any way. Leave him be and let us proceed and finish searching this place. Lar moves to protect Cyrus. I'll ask you one more time. Will you show us to the catacombs and more specifically to Strahds resting place? I will guarantee your safety as best we can."

Regardless of his answer either with him or without, "Let's be moving".

This seemed more appropriate for Lar under the circumstances and on reconsidering his internal struggle to accomplish his mission from Ohama and his worldly views.

[Stirling]

Scarlett casts 'Hold Person' upon Cyrus."fxxx txxs,"unlady like rogueish language comes from Scarlett. If he fails his save she will proceed to bind him and then put him in the store room, locking it or spiking it shut.

[GreyWolfVT]

Gragog just goes out into a hallway and waits for the party to move on tossing the table or chair leg Scarlet tossed him earlier over his shoulder as he walks out of the room with the potentially future gagged and clubbed servant of Strahd.

[Cwreando]

Late says trying to stop Scarlett's spell, "Do not cast Lady Scarlett. You spell may be more useful later on. Everyone move on and leave this soul be. I will protect him with my life if need be."

[Inferno]

Agax Gryyg, game mage:

Castran
"We would sure already know if this man meant us harm...

"As you did with Helga, no doubt?" the mercurial mage said without humour.
"Nothing lives for long in this castle without Strahd's blessing. That includes Cyrus and Helga."

Shinyah, Druid
So...are we going to slaughter everyone here? Do we know Cyrus is evil? I do not wish to leave a threat at our back, but I am not interested in a wholesale massacre just for the sake of killing.

"He is dead already, in every sense of the word. Enslaved, body and mind. A mockery of life."
Agax addressed Lar as well: "Should I become a creature of Strahd, please, I implore you, put me out of my misery rather than 'humanely' allow me to continue onward, serving a vampire lord in a grotesque form of living death without end, a victim of his evil and your naive, sanctimonious 'mercy'."

The dreaming wizard is content for Cyrus to be restrained. He waits, curious to see if Scarlett's spell will work. The game mage of Urth knows such spells are useless against the undead.

[Storm11]

"As a matter of fact I did repeatedly
Point out she was evil but no one listened to me then either. A lesson for smug mages the world
Over it seems. If Cyrus has been dominated by the vampires will merely bringing him within the holy aura of our paladin should temporarily free him
From the domination effect at least." the gnomes disembodied voice says to no
One listening

[Inferno]

Agax Gryyg, game mage:

"Let us try it then," Agax says, looking at Lar.

[Cwreando]

Lar approaches Cyrus to protect him but listening to the others stay vigilant in case things are not what they appear to be. He watches Cyrus' expressions when he is close enough to share Ohama's gifts with Cyrus.

[Zhym]

Date: Trieluna 13, 1222
Time: 7:28 PM
Weather: Fog
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Butler's Quarters
**************************************

Our heroes continue to debate Cyrus's fate.

Scarlett returns to the hallway, scowling. "Someone just smack him one and be done with it," she says. "You can leave him in the store room until he recovers."

Bragar asks Cyrus if he would allow the adventurers to tie him up and gag him. The old man, still backing away toward his kitchen, laughs at the idea. "Ain't you just the kinky ones?" he says with a feeble and uncertain little laugh.

Castran's disembodied voice echoes from a gap in the corridor mists. "You people seem as evil as the vampyr himself. We would sure already know if this man meant us harm. He seems human. Charm him if you must but he seems incapable of causing us any physical harm, and the vampire's spies will have already noted us. Seal him in his rooms if you must but hurt him not. What are we, the new villains of the realm?"

"As you did with Helga, no doubt?" says the mercurial mage without humor. "Nothing lives for long in this castle without Strahd's blessing. That includes Cyrus and Helga."

"As a matter of fact I did repeatedly point out she was evil but no one listened to me then either," answers the disembodied voice. "A lesson for smug mages the world over it seems. If Cyrus has been dominated by the vampire's will, merely bringing him within the holy aura of our paladin should temporarily free him from the domination effect at least."

"Let us try, then," Agax says.

Lar approaches Cyrus as Scarlett finishes her spell. Cyrus is almost to the kitchen door when he stops cold. A look of fear comes over his face and he cries out, "HELP! HELP ME! I BEEN ATTACKED! SOMEONE SAVE ME!"

Actions?
-----
Status: Gragog (F7): 40/49; Lar (P6): 27/40; Bragar: 33/42 (C7); Castran: 23/23 (F5/I6); Scarlett (C7/T5): 34/34; Agax (MU7/C4): 45/45; Petyr (F4): 29/30; Bogdana (C3): 23/23; Shinyah (D7): 37/38, Honeynose: 26/28, Treescratcher: 29/29, Hihu: 4/4
Effects: Phantom Armor (Castran): 6 pts; Invisibility (Castran)
Light sources: Lantern (30', Lar): 16.1 turns