Chapter 21: Pact With The Devil

[rredmond]

Bolstered by the find, and not wanting to risk a light source, Rudolph nods at Hothil and drops to all fours to search the ground closely. Trying to avoid turning into an animal, and here I am on all fours. Ah if my poor old mother could see me know, he whispers jovially.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser will quietly get back to his feet and recover what he can and return to the group.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo leans on his magic once again, though his ideas are often foiled.

He intones a prayer that should help him find his own gear, and hopefully the others as well. Once the Shalm bestows upon him the power to find his prescious stock of traveling mistletoe again, he follows the scouts, using only his magical vision and what little light there is to navigate through the trees. He avoids the area nearest the nasty voices as best he can.

Casts Locate Plants

Let me guess, this spell only works on living plants or something?

[wolfpack]

Brevos will go as well his infravision should be enough to let him navigate and follow along with Bo.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur waits for the scouts to return. He considers casting a Dancing Lights spell to help the group see, but he refrains from doing so for fear of being seen by something particularly nasty.

The duration is probably too short to be useful anyways.

[Inferno]

The Haunted Wood of the Dark Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Five. Night. Wednesday, November 16th, 576 CY
Cold, foggy, cloudy






The distant stars turn in their cold heavens, oblivious to the meaningless plights of Men.

Beneath those timeless stars, from the unholy altar in the wood, unnatural voices utter a language that predates the dawn of Elves. The spine-tingling vocalizations slither through the air with a tangible menace. The eerie, blasphemous sound, and the black altar's frightfully close proximity, casts danger and uncertainty over every action the heroes take.

As Rudolf breathlessly probes the shadows, the grey druid risks raising his voice to summon aid from the Shalm that he may locate his own possessions in the darkness.

By the druid's mystic vision, the light of Brood, and the fog-choked radiance of the white moon, the heroes soon recover all their lost possessions.

Ingrid and Urdur dare not touch their packs that still hold the infernal necklace and dagger taken from the Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother.


Actions?





PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 15/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 13/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
  Hothhil Thornbush, Elven Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 9, HP: 20/20
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 18/22, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 12", AC: 9, HP: 20/30, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 1/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 4: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 11/16
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 17/32
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 5/9, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl and 1/1 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

• None currently.

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)

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo is glad to have found the one and only magical item that he owns, his prized wooden shield. But more importantly, he is glad to have his own spell components on him again.

The druid hustles those around him back to where the group is waiting, and ushers them further still away from the snarling voices where a plan of attack can be figured out.

"I am spent after a full day of travel. Do we bother taking that vermin at the altar out tonight? Or do we find another place to camp instead? Perhaps some of our sneakier members would like to see what we might be up against first?"

[rredmond]

Rudolph happily, and allowing but a quiet sigh escape, will re-equip all his possessions. He notices Urdur and Igrid and whispers to them, "Is it safe enough for someone else to bury the items?"

[Rusty Tincanne]

Hothhil quietly drags his pack, armor, and other belongings farther from the altar. In the cold, night air, he finds he has never been so pleased to don his extra clothes and armor, despite being cold and stiff. He is agreeable to Rudolph and others sneaking forward to spy on whatever fell ceremony is taking place. If needed, he will pick up Ingrid's and Mouser's packs and carry it for them.

[wolfpack]

Brevos dawns his armor and rubbs the reassuring feeling of Broods leather wrapped handle.

[Scott308]

Ingrid

The cleric gathers up her belongings- except for the foul necklace. That she leaves on the forest floor. I think it best if nobody actually touches the cursed items. Perhaps, after digging a hole, one could use the tip of a blade or a staff to push them into the hole?

Ingrid was wearing the necklace, so it would have fallen to the ground where her clothes would have been, not in her pack.

[ChubbyPixie]

Unseen in the dark, Telkis nearly weeps with joy to be reunited with Cranach, but remains silent as he dons the rest of his gear. “Perhaps a fight right now, in this state, would not be in our best interest,” he says finally, remembering all too well the sickening feeling of having his life energy drained from him in the hell-mouth. The altar, the evil chanting - all seems painfully familiar.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser dons his gear and buckles on his Scalpel and Cat's Claw with relief. His boots will be of use in scouting in this dangerous forest with evil so close at hand. He lingers over his pack with a dark and distant look, while his eyes seem to dart side to side defensively. He cinches tight the straps, pats it almost reflexively, and a few more moments of that distant look pass before he settles it on his back...

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur happily dons his gear, grateful to be reunited with his spellbook, but saddened to be reunited with the cursed dagger. He doesn't touch it.

"I agree with Ingrid. We should bury the items now, and bless them if we can."

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The darkness is parted by the cold blue light of Brevos' enchanted sword and then Ingrid sees it. Glimmering from the shadows, her beautiful terrible necklace lies on the floor of the haunted forest, beckoning to Ingrid.

Seeing the evil necklace again, the cleric hesitates...then smiles. It doesn't seem to have the same hold on me that it did before. I was afraid just seeing it might have been enough to make me fall under its spell, but I'm actually ok. Now, I'm not going to tempt fate by touching it, and I still think we should bury it, but I'm not drawn to put it on.

[Inferno]

Near the Strange Black Altar of the Haunted Wood, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Five. Midnight. Wednesday, November 16th, 576 CY
Cold, foggy, cloudy






Near the strange black altar of the ancient primeval forest, the wounded, weary heroes, hungry from a day of walking on what little sustenance the chill woods could provide, hide in the darkness of the mountainside.

There, they reequip themselves by as much light as they will brave. The heroes allow themselves a brief respite, enjoying the small familiar pleasures of reacquainting themselves with their long lost possessions, silently reaffirming who they were before this dreadful nightmare began.

Valorous Ingrid resists the allure of the beautiful alien necklace that she took from the Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother. A few suggest burying it, but none dare to.

Painfully close by, unholy rites are performed. Reflected firelight writhes among the cloud cover above. Blasphemous pacts with unspeakable entities are made by flame and by darkness.

After all they've been through, few wish to raise a sword against it tonight.


Actions?





PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 15/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 13/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
  Hothhil Thornbush, Elven Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 20/20
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 18/22, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 4(3), HP: 20/30, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 1/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 11/16
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 17/32
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 5/9, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl and 1/1 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

• None currently.

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

Since nobody else does it, the cleric gets down on the ground, digging a hole with her hands deep enough to bury the necklace and the dagger. Does anyone else have anything they want to bury? I can make the hole larger if I need to.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser stands away from the hole digging and eyes the altar in the darkness. He whispers "perhaps we rest as best we can and approach at the dawn.."

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo helps Ingrid by using his spear as a shovel if he can, taking advantage of the long shaft to flick the items into the dirt without touching them. The druid looks around carefully as they dig and bury, making sure they aren't attacked for their efforts. Once that task is complete, he questions the others.

"I would rest better if we knew that threat over yonder was eliminated, but I understand if the group decides to move away to camp elsewhere instead. We need to make up our minds soon......since time seems to be of the essence to us now."

The lanky human looks up to the sky and moon, wondering just how long they have until the words of the alpha wolf come to fruition.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Hothhil reminds the group that every clue is needed to info the evil and save themselves from their curse. He offers to move forward and scout, or to offer cover for anyone stealthier.