9. Five Months Later

[Zhym]

I also remembered that Phantasmal Force illusions take concentration to maintain, so it's only useful as long as Castran stays awake and concentrating on the spell.

[Storm11]

Yes. He would use it on his watch

[Stirling]

Scarlett tells the party that the front door is warded by powerful divine blessings and that to exit through the portal without being ingloriously raptured into paradise one should approach the door singing a rendition of 'knock, knock, knocking on heavens' door' and leave a worthy 10 gp token offering in the Samaric goblet left on the floor.

Scarlett holds back a smile, thinking surely no one in this group can be that dumb.

[Dram]

Bragar- Lets everyone know that the password is "Heala Brightaxe" to get by the glyphs.

[GreyWolfVT]

Gragog chuckles "Yeah that won't happen Scarlett. But good try."

[Zhym]

Date: Trieluna 12, 1222
Time: 8:00 PM
Weather: Fog
Location: The Old Svalich Road, East of Town
**************************************

You make your preparations for the night. Scarlett traces an outline on the front door and warns the others that it will explode if the door is used without first saying the passphrase "Knock, knock, knocking on heaven's door."

Bragar inscribes a similar glyph on the back door. His god's name, "Haela Brightaxe," is a simple and memorable pass phrase. He then calls upon that same god's grace to heal Lar's wounds and most of his own.

Castran sets the warding stones by each entrance. The townhome's entrances are now thoroughly protected.

Most of you settle into one of the two bedchambers. Shinyah curls up in the main hall with his two bears. Hihu perches over the fireplace and keeps watch through the night, joined by whoever of the intrepid adventurers is on his or her shift.

For a while, time passes quietly. Occasional howls break the silence of the night, but they sound distant.

Sometime in the wee hours of the night, Lar is on watch. He keeps himself awake by reciting prayers to Ohama. He is into the seventeenth variation on one prayer when Honeynose and Treescratcher lift their heads from slumber and growl towards the front door. A moment later he hears a slow, rhythmic, and loud knocking at the front door.

*KNOCK*
*KNOCK*
*KNOCK*
*KNOCK*

Whoever is at the door, he, she, or it does not seem inclined to stop knocking.

*KNOCK*
*KNOCK*
*KNOCK*
. . .

Actions?

-----
Status: Bragar: 41/42 (C7), Castran: 23/23 (F5/I6); Gragog (F7): 47/49; Lar (P6): 40/40; Scarlett (C7/T5): 34/34; Agax (MU7): 45/45; Petyr (F4): 26/30; Bogdana (C3): 23/23; Shinyah (D7): 38/38, Honeynose: 26/28, Treescratcher: 29/29, Hihu: 4/4
Effects: None

[Stirling]

Scarlett. "Zzzzzzzz" asleep in eastern bedroom in front of fireplace.

[GreyWolfVT]

Gragog talking in his sleep "Do stop that knocking will you! Come back in the morning."

[Inferno]

Agax Gryyg, game mage:

The wizard slept and dreamt that he was refined monster on the trail of unrefined ones. He dreamt he was a secret cultist who invaded a ziggurat of ancient Urth. He dreamt he was a visionquesting lizardman shaman. He dreamt he was a boy abducted by fairies for 500 years. He dreamt he was a pious bat winged monster of the Urth of the far future.

He dreamt that he was all these men, and more, and that they somehow all shared the same life.

And, as always, he dreamt he was a mysterious Gamer of Urth, the all powerful, pandimensional beings who controlled our every action as an entertaining diversion... an amusing game!

[Storm11]

Castran, continues to sleep if he is asleep unless wakened.

If awake he will get to his feet and draw his weapons, moving to try and get a view out of a window at what's making the noise, using his infravision if he can and whispering the pass codes to any glyphs warding the area.

[Dram]

Bragar- The dwarf awakens taps Castran on the shoulder. We have company. He slowly moves to a window to get a view of the knocker.

[Zhym]

Date: Trieluna 13, 1222
Time: 2:00 AM
Weather: Fog
Location: Bragar and Castran's Hideout, Barovia
**************************************

*KNOCK*
*KNOCK*
*KNOCK*

The slow, steady, loud knocking continues. Shinyah's bears stare intently toward the sound of the knocking. Shinyah looks toward Lar for a signal, but the paladin stands frozen, unsure what to do. Upstairs, Bragar awakens Castran. They both move toward a window, then realize that of course the windows are all boarded shut. Petyr and Bogdana stir. "Whazzat?" asks Petyr in a half-awake voice.

The knocking continues.

*KNOCK*
*KNOCK*
*KNOCK*
...

-----
Status: Bragar: 41/42 (C7), Castran: 23/23 (F5/I6); Gragog (F7): 47/49; Lar (P6): 40/40; Scarlett (C7/T5): 34/34; Agax (MU7): 45/45; Petyr (F4): 26/30; Bogdana (C3): 23/23; Shinyah (D7): 38/38, Honeynose: 26/28, Treescratcher: 29/29, Hihu: 4/4
Effects: None

[GreyWolfVT]

Gragog wakes up quite irritated all the knocking. "What? what?! What!" the still half-asleep half-orc stammers as he tries to wake up more grabbing for his spear.

much like this actually https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGYXYyfaygE

[Cwreando]

Lar comes to from a trance he was in and begins alerting the others as quietly as he can and starts putting his armor back on if not already on saying real softly, "Something is knocking on the door. Should we answer it or ignore it?"

[Storm11]

The gnome moves down to the ground floor and over to the front door after gathering his weapons together.

He will knock back

[Cwreando]

OOC - If there is a significant evil presence at the door and Lar does a detect evil from the direction of the door would he receive an indication that it was more than just background evil?

Assuming it will indicate whether a significant evil is present or not.

Lar detects evil in the direction of the door. He calls on Ohama and concentrates and says softly, "Ohama show me if evil is nearby." Lar scans toward the door and a little to each side.

Lar will immediately inform the others if he detects anything from the door.

[Zhym]

Date: Trieluna 13, 1222
Time: 2:10 AM
Weather: Fog
Location: Bragar and Castran's Hideout, Barovia
**************************************

Lar detects no aura of strong evil from the other side of the door.

Castran walks up and knocks right back on the door, crossing two mystic glyphs in the process. He says "Knock, knock, knocking on heaven's door" and his own pass phrase to avoid the effects of the glyphs.* The knocking from the other side stops...then starts back up again after a short (and possibly puzzled) pause.

*KNOCK*
*KNOCK*
*KNOCK*

* This time. After this reminder, if you don't remember to keep the glyphs from going off, your character doesn't either. Also, please give me the password or phrase for Castran's warding stones.

-----
Status: Bragar: 41/42 (C7), Castran: 23/23 (F5/I6); Gragog (F7): 49/49; Lar (P6): 40/40; Scarlett (C7/T5): 34/34; Agax (MU7): 45/45; Petyr (F4): 30/30; Bogdana (C3): 23/23; Shinyah (D7): 38/38, Honeynose: 26/28, Treescratcher: 29/29, Hihu: 4/4
Effects: None

Edit: Corrected HP totals w/ Agax's healing.

[Storm11]

The stones don't work that way. When he enchanted the stones it was set into the command that none of his companions approaching within ten feet would activate them. That was his old companions however so the new ones would set them off. He did mention he was whispering the pass phrases up above."

If there is any way the gnome can see through the doorway he will look. If there isn't he will open the front door a crack.

[Dram]

Bragar readies his mace. He quietly whispers to the rest of the group.Castran before I will open the door you make the illusion to hide our new friends. Do not move. The rest of you be ready to protect yourselves.

[GreyWolfVT]

Gragog covers his crotch with one hand and holds his spear with the other hand "Yup I'm protected."