The room beyond the portal appears hazy from your vantage point.  It is like looking at a reflection on water.  The image seems to ripple gently, but it isn't the chamber beyond that is rippling.  Stan, followed by the others, bravely steps through, not knowing for sure exactly to where the portal leads.
The path by which the party now travels feels more than a little different than the teleportations granted by Shirok's magic map—a feeling that has been growing more and more familiar to them.  Presently, the party members do not feel like they have been electrified, nor do they seem to suffer nausea or other "summoning sicknesses."  This magical and instantaneous travel is more gentle and painless, as if they had simply passed through a curtain of warm water.
One-by-one, they step into the cold and dark hall beyond.  But they are all not entirely unaffected.  Later, some have mentioned that they heard strange sounds and voices just after passing through that portal from Criss' secret realm.  Most of them agree on an otherworldly noise they heard: a slow and rhythmic beeping, unlike anything any of them have ever heard before.  Stan and Shirok claim to also have heard a man quietly praying, while Roth and Ilsa clearly heard a woman crying softly.  The brief experience seemed strangely peaceful, and wholly final.
Hyglak reaches the top platform just in time to offer Garret a curt nod as the cleric passes through.  He retrieves the key and holds it in his hand for a long while, considering the strangers that had only just left.

* * *
It takes you only a moment to gather your bearings, perhaps only a breath or two.  The room is a good size, about 20-feet-squared, and contains only one visible exit.  The portal you've passed through is no longer behind you, leaving only a bare stone wall in its place.  The other three walls bear worn and tattered curtains of what might have once been a rich blue.  A layer of dust covers nearly everything in the room.  Taking a quick stock of the things, they might have been furniture at one point in the past, but are now nothing more than heaps of splintered wood.
Upon the northern wall hangs a portrait with a broken frame.  The painting is ruined, but appears to have once been a family portrait.  The faces of those in the painting are so ruined, they are unrecognizable.

Map Update Pending
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:10, Thu 04 Nov 2010.

Porto looks around the room and behind the curtains. Among the wreckage and anywhere else he can think to look. He's looking for a clue as to what this place may be, or for something valuable...

18:59, Today: Porto 'Chubbs' Brandybuck rolled 20 using 1d20+2. search.

Ilsa snorted her disapproval of this place that offered nothing of interest. "When we get back to the city, that craftsman better have my bow," she said, refocusing on the task. She stomped across the room and out the exit.

Shirok and Neya were silent as they followed Ilsa out through the exit. He had no desire to remain in this dead place any longer, and the only way to find out what this place held was to go look for it.

Stan waited around to see if Porto found anything. If nothing of note came up, he followed the half-orcs to the next room.

On second thought, developing the perfect map for this next part will only take more time than it will be worth.  I will not be drawing a map—this section is too short.  If it is absolutely necessary, I'll bring out the battle map grid-thingy.

Porto wastes no time in searching the chamber you all have come into.  The piles of refuse that litter the room allows very little in the way of clues as to where (or even when) you are.  He finds a few good pieces of wood, probably legs of an old dinner table, which might serve as a fair club.  He does notice a few pieces of wood bearing the carved Sun insignia of Tharür.
"We are either in the fabled Castle Tharür," the portly halfling says aloud, "or some swanky antiquarian found himself in a fit of rage.  A dismissed cleaning-lady perhaps?"  He tosses a length of wood to the floor as he looks up to the others.

Ilsa leads the others from the chamber after regaining her bears after passing through the portal.  Once out of the hall, a rotten odor assails your nostrils.  The corridors of this ancient keep are long and twisted; many rooms branch off from the main hallway, but none of them seem to lead anywhere.  On and on the barbarian continues, determined to find a way out of the ruined castle as quickly as possible.
Neya seems to be on edge.  She is on high-alert, as if expecting some kind of encounter.  As you continue through the tight corridors, the stench grows more pungent.
"Be on your guard!" Garret declares stridently.  "There are undead about."

The party turns a sharp corner and encounters a body.  Neya quickly investigates its scent and, deeming the creature dead, leaves it be.  The body appears to be dwarven and in a terrible state of decay.  Strangely, Shirok is able to locate several "fresh" cuts on its torso and arms; probably what killed it.  The decay looks older.
Gingerly, you continue down the corridor, stopping only when Neya halts, baying threateningly.
Farther down the hall stands a figure.  There is a good deal of distance between the figure and the party, but they can see it is standing over a pile of bodies.  More bodies—all in various stages of decay—and bones yellowed with age litter the passage, but amass closer to the figure.
"Stay back!" the figure yells, the voice belong to a man.  "I'll suffer no more of you!  Olidammara herself will guide my blow, creature!  Roll the Die of Fate—I dare you!!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:05, Fri 05 Nov 2010.

Ilsa snarled, readied her sword, and stepped forward. "Ilsa Redeye of the Snake Tongue Tribe accepts your challenge. Yield or die. I care not which."

Moving forward, close enough to start a charge next round, if the man doesn't realize he's not dealing with undead.

Porto waits to see what the mans reaction is to Ilsa. Hoping that no fight will break out.

"We are not undead," Shirok called out, Neya's barking becoming a low, sustained growl as she stepped up next to Ilsa. "Now lower your blade."

"Finally!"  Roth exclaims as he arrives with the others in the dark, old, dusty, stone room, "Back in my natural habitat!"  He stomps a bit to feel the stone beneath his feet and leaves the digging to the halfling.  As they pass the apparently re-killed dwarf, the elf gives a quick pat for anything of worth it might have carried.  When threats come from ahead, Roth is both surprised and worried as he feels apt to step back and let Ilsa handle the diplomacy.

The stranger doesn't seem to recognize the party, although he does give pause.  He isn't threatening them directly, only calling for them to keep distance from him.  He appears haggard and probably delusional.  His cloak is torn and spattered with blood and bits of gore.  Those closest to him notice four bodies appearing different from those littering the hall.  They look as if they died relatively recently, compared to the other bodies in various stages of decay.  They also wear newer-looking adventuring gear; some of it had may have never been used before.  They appear to have suffered from the clawed hands and teeth of zombies.
"Hold!" Garret commands Ilsa before she does something she might regret.  He then regards the man and waits for him to respond.

No, not again. haahah not this time. The batterd man says delusionaly. Come to take thier bodies for your sick little games again have you? Well I wont allow that to happen again! It's clear to all that this man seems on the verge of being driven madness. I'll lower nothing.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:37, Sat 06 Nov 2010.

Ilsa was just beginning to charge when the man spoke. She stopped and tilted her head to one side. "Not another one," she said with a sigh. She turned her back and addressed the group. "Why is everyone insane?"

When the large, and menacing half-orc stopped instead of charging, Hennesy was indeed taken back by it. Every other attempt by this castles undead to steal the bodies played out much differently then this. Perhaps these people were indeed real? Could they be there to search for the missing adventurers he had lead to Castle Tharűr? Could this finally be his way out and a chance to give these poor young men a proper funeral, instead of them being turned into such foul and wretched undead creatures like the ones he couldn't protect?

"You probably scare them all senseless." Roth answers Ilsa as he steps around her towards the man.  "You are ... protecting your friends from the walking dead?"  Roth analyzes the situation as he approaches him, "Maybe we can work together and all get out of here--with your friends."

Stan stands next to Roth and nods his agreement, trying to convey a calm and non-confrontational attitude.

May I ask you a question good sir? Says the enthusiastic halfling. Would you happen to know where we are?

The man seems to want to listen to Roth, but is visibly put-off when the elf mentions his "friends."  He clutches his axe tighter and locks his eyes onto Roth and the approaching Stan.  "Stay back!" he shouts again, on the verge of losing control.  "If you are in league with the creatures and this is a trick, I swear to all that is holy I will cut you down.  I will cut you all down!"  As he speaks, he indicates the dozens of bodies littering the hallway.  You do not doubt the man's skill, or the state of his mind.
He doesn't respond to Chubbs' questions either, but gives pause at the off-setting, tiny halfling.  "I have not heard of Snake Tongue," he finally responds.  "But I recognize the insignia on that one," he says indicating Garret.  He must mean the etchings of a rose on the cleric's armor.  "Are you truly of The Order?"
"I am," Garret replies.
"Can this be a trick?  Would the devils of Tharür impersonate a Rose?" he wonders aloud.
"I do not know, but you must allow us to speak.  You are injured and no doubt tired.  Allow me to inspect your wounds, friend?"

The stand-off continues for some time, but Garret is able to finally calm the man.  The cleric closes many of his wounds, an act of good-faith, and hopes to open meaningful conversation between him and the others.  No doubt this man can help them.

---

In their initial meeting, Hennesey allows the strange group to help him, but is strictly protective of his fallen comrades, the boys in his charge.  He explains that the many of the undead that haunt these halls are capable of raising the recently slain as walking dead.  He also tells the party that he as been lost in the halls for a long time, possibly weeks, searching for the band of adventurers he led here.  He found their bodies, luckily all, before they were turned.  He has been looking for a way out ever since.
When asked where they are, where Tharür Castle is exactly, he reveals a map from his pack of the world (image pending).  According to the map—hand-drawn by Hennesey himself—the ancient kingdom of Tharür is located in the southern lands of the western continent, Tænia, and several hundreds of miles south of the Sässeriné Provence and Skyway City.
Also on the man's map, Porto notices a point labeled "Redmoor," but it is on the other (eastern) continent, duely labeled Andun.  A curious look adorns his face.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:13, Tue 09 Nov 2010.

"We seem to keep finding places that should be destroyed," Shirok muttered to himself as the man related his story. "My own map may aid us in getting out, but it requires more time to redraw itself. In the meantime, we should either find a way out, or a place to secure ourselves."

Ilsa came up beside Shirok and Neya. "I fear if we camp here, we'll never leave." She wasn't going to rest until they were outside and back under familiar stars.

And you are right to think that. We must leave this evil place immediatly. Lest you all be driven nearly mad as I've been driven. It was good to finaly talk to people who were not undead noir raising them. Now to find a way out with his new "allies".

So you didn't leave a trail of breadcrumbs did ya? Porto asks thinking back to some old tails his mama used to tell him.

Considering Hennesy's fracturing state of mind at his recent experiences, Garret decides not to offer the man the possibility of resurrecting his fallen companions, and prudently so.  In fact, the whole idea of resurrecting a living thing after it had died, whether naturally so or not, never sat well with the cleric.  Certainly he could do it, as an instrument of his faith; but he remained a firm believer in its unnaturalness.  The few times he had been asked to perform such a feat, he had tried to council the afflicted parties against it.  He found it rarely remedied any grief associated with death, and only prolonged it at best.
In any case, the cleric tends to the broken man's wounds and does what he can to get the party moving once more.
□     □     □     □
Once they are all ready, the newly formed party begins their search for a way out of the dungeons below Castle Tharür.  Hennesy carries a body, as does Shirok, and Ilsa carries two.  Together, they move through the twisting corridors and ask Hennesy if he remembers the way.
He doesn't.
Given the situation (and no point of reference), the party is forced to wander the dank halls.  Hennesy does recall, although having suffered a bout of madness, that they are on a sub-level of the dungeon, perhaps the second or third level below the surface.

---

THE HALLS OF THARÜR CASTLE (possible EL 5)
You all must select a PC to "follow" as you all attempt to find your way out of this dungeon.  The "leader" will roll one skill check (search, knowledge (dungeoneering), or survival) to find a quick and safe way out.  Success advances the story, whereas failure results in an additional encounter before the story can be advanced.  Other PCs may aid the "leader" (DC 10)
**Hint: A PC with the Track feat would be a good choice to designate as your "leader" for this encounter.  Please feel free to RP the decision making process. =)
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:17, Thu 11 Nov 2010.

Ilsa carried the bodies and resisted the urge to use them as puppets. She followed Shirok and Neya. "Can you smell fresh air, Neya?"

"Have you considered burning your friends' bodies? It will prevent the undead from reaching their flesh. There is no dishonor in a cremation properly done."

As they moved through the catacombs, Stan whispered to Garrett. He also took time to quietly share his suspicions with Roth and with Shirok. The wizard had an uneasy feeling, as though something were watching him. It could just be the mood of the castle, but Stan had been in scary places before and this felt like something more actively malevolent.

"In any case," he said to everyone, "I think Neya's nose can lead us out of this place."

He ran his hand along the wolf's fur, petting her for the first time. "Isn't that right, girl?"

The massive wolf calmly accepted Stan's pat, her tail wagging slightly at the mention of her name. She reached out and began sniffing the new human, the bodies that were being carried by Shirok and Ilsa. Lots of things in this place stunk of death, but the new human still left a trail of life, and his dead pack was fresh enough for her to learn their scents underneath the rot. Sadly they were a bit too deep to smell fresh air, but the human and his pack had still left a trail; blood from being wounded, sweat tinged with fear, movement through air that still remembered their passage.

Neya wuffed slightly, and Shirok nodded. "She has a scent."

I have thought of that, but these are just boys.  Wealthy boys with wealthy, and powerful parents. I'm just.... I'm... I just think that they would want the bodies of thier children. He said after serveral pauses to find the right words. I think if I were to've cremated them, then showed up in my current state of mind, then I would be labeled a madman and locked away for thier murders. If it comes to that, then we shall do it outside of this vile place. I fear that thier souls would somehow become trapped in here and tormented for an eternity....

Thats a very fine and beutiful wolf companion. He says to Shirok. No doubt a master of scents. If she can lead us out of here, then I will follow her and lend what knowledge I have to her.

With a body over each shoulder, Ilsa was anxious to be rid of her load. A corpse made a lousy weapon, but it's what she'd have to use should they get ambushed. "Then go!" she grunted as she followed Neya.

"I undestand, er, not sure I caught your name, actually. Mine's Stan."

He offered the man a hand, hoping that he wouldn't bite it off.

Hennesy extends his hand and shakes it.The names Hennesy, Hennesy Rydell.  Pleasure to meet you all, and I want to thank you all for your help. I wasn't sure how much longer I was going to be able to keep my sanity back there.

Neya wuffed again, sniffing the air a few more times before advancing down one of the corridors, followed closely by Shirok.


01:29, Today: Shirok Rezkala rolled 15 using 1d20+11. Survival.
I guess anyone that can make an aid another check, go ahead.

Hennesey does his best to remember both his way though these halls, and recall all his times underground to aid Neya's keen nose.

02:05, Today: Hennesey Rydell rolled 12 using 1d20+3. Knowledge[dungeoneering]
Survival check = 16
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:05, Sat 13 Nov 2010.

While the others deliberated over Neya's nose, Roth quietly made use of his sciences.  He scooped up and handful dust and splinters from the floor and dropped it--watching the patterns and direction of its fall.  He analyzed the origin directions and death patterns of the re-slain, and even licked his finger and held it up in the air to analyze humidity--and grimaced when he tasted where his hand had been.  Roth concluded his analysis with a shrug, "Lead on, pup."

17:07, Today: Roth Daos rolled 3 using 1d20-2. Survival.

"She's not a pup. She's a warrior," Ilsa said, somewhat defensively, but mostly proudly.

20:47, Today: Ilsa Redeye rolled 23 using 1d20+4. Survival.

Without much debate, if any at all, Neya catches a scent and begins to follow it.  Shirok leads the party as they make their way through the twisted corridors of the ancient dungeon.  The druid and the wolf have grown together over the years and nearly share the same mind.  Shirok does his best to interpret the signals his oldest companion gives him.
At one point, they find themselves at something of a fork in their path.  Neya turns one corner; however Hennesy remains adamant that she has gone the wrong way.  A few moments later, the wolf pops out down a side tunnel connecting with the passage Hennesy indicated.  It is obvious that Neya is following a path something took earlier, whereas Hennesy is trying to backtrack to the upper levels.  Strengthened by the sign, the party trudges on.
The party finds the passage to the upper levels after avoiding more than a few bands of shambling undead.  So far, so good.  Once on the upper level, Roth attempts to determine how close they are to the surface.  He appears to know what it is he is doing, and he might actually know; however, in the end, he is unable to assist in the party's progress.
Further on, Ilsa works to clam Neya as she seems a bit overwhelmed.  Apparently she has happened upon the site of previous combat.  The barbarian offers their lupine tracker a playful nudge.  However, Shirok is there to reel her back into her task at hand.  She rediscovers the scent, and is able to follow it out of the chamber.  The party continues on.
As they make their way out, Ilsa corrects Roth in her assertion that Neya isn't a "pup" and nearly trips over a body as she does.  Random bodies are something of a common occurrence within these horrid halls; however this one doesn't squish like one can imagine it ought to.  Instead, it rebounds oddly and lets out a frightening gasp!  It reaches up to make a grab at Ilsa's leg, all the while more screams echo down the halls...

Initiative + 1 Rounds' Action(s)
**Note: Undead have Surprise Round

Still burdened by the load she was carrying, Ilsa kicked at the undead.

14:19, Today: Ilsa Redeye rolled 11 using 1d20+2. Initiative.
14:20, Today: Ilsa Redeye rolled 25 using 1d20+9. Boot to the head.
14:22, Today: Ilsa Redeye rolled 8 using 1d3+5. Boot damage.

Not again, Hennesey mutters to himself. He drops the body from over his shoulder and perpares for whatever they will encounter next. Standing ready with his great axe.

18:46, Today: Hennesey Rydell rolled 8 using 1d20+7. Init

Stan was almost getting too good at reacting to sudden ambushes. With a flick of his wirst, he shot a magical blast at the undead thing. Magical guidance would ensure the missile found its mark, even with the creature grabbing at Ilsa.

19:05, Today: Stan Fetchin rolled 21 using 1d20+5. Init.
Standard: magic missile
Edit: 19:09, Today: Stan Fetchin rolled 6 using 2d4+2. Damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:10, Tue 16 Nov 2010.

Porto lets the others pick the obvious choice of candidates to lead the way. He finds the scenery a bit dreary but even more so when they get some unfortunate visitors. Porto begins to sing a melody to lift your spirits.

Inspire Confidence

23:17, Today: Porto 'Chubbs' Brandybuck rolled 20 using 1d20+3. init.

Roth hardly bats an eye at the attacking corpse after the sickening scrap in the zombie pit in Redding and calmly prepares for fight--lowering his goggles over his eyes and drawing both the Crystal Knight's sword and a spare dagger.

00:49, Today: Roth Daos rolled 13 using 1d20+4. Init.

Neya whirled at the sound of the dead thing gasping, quickly dashing back towards the party to attack the thing at Ilsa's feet, her jaws lashing out to rip the thing apart. Quickly Shirok let the body he carried fall and readied his spear, lashing out at whatever abomination dared to show itself.


Shirok acts on Init 4, Neya acts on Init 21

Neya attacks the undead going for Ilsa, moving to hopefully get a flank. Without bard song or flank, Atk 21, Dmg 17, Trip 25

Shirok attacks nearest undead. Atk 12, Dmg 5

12:01, Today: Shirok Rezkala rolled 4,21 using 1d20,1d20+2. Shirok/Neya Init.
12:03, Today: Neya rolled 21,17,25 using 1d20+9,1d8+9,1d20+10. Atk/Dmg/Trip.
12:05, Today: Shirok Rezkala rolled 12,5 using 1d20+5,1d8+1. Atk/Dmg.

Sorry for the delay!  You would not believe how many times I had sat down to finish hammering this update out just to be called away for something else.  Here it is.

---

::Surprise!::
With amazing speed the undead creature on the floor slams its fist hard on Ilsa, her tough armor absorbing much of the blow.  It snarls in protest, revealing to the party a higher intelligence than that of the expected zombie.
Added to their surprise, three more creatures crawl down the walls of the corridor, taking places around the party!  They appear more bestial than the clothed corpse posed on the flagstone, beneath Ilsa.  They are smaller and appear more putrefied than their compatriot.  Still, they lash out against the party members!  Stan suffers a bite; however Henessey and Chubbs evade the ghoul's hunger—for now.

::Round One::
The ghoulish creature engaged with Henessey presses its animalistic attack!  It bites him for minor damage, and he begins to feel the familiar death-magic that goes along with their bites, like poison to a spider but at the same time, not.

Stan shifts backward and out of the creature's reach.  He quickly casts an easy yet effective arcane spell, blasting forth two shimmery orbs of arcane energy, which each slam into the monster before him!  The wounds are grievous, but the creature remains standing.

Neya snaps at the creature engaged with Ilsa, and sinks her teeth into the beast's foul-tasting flesh!  Her bite is felt by the creature, yet it remains with hate burning in its eyes.

Chubbs begins another one of his many inspirational songs, urging his companions to fight on.

With impossibly speed and dexterity, the creature (flanked by Ilsa & Neya) tumbles through Ilsa's legs and comes up behind her!  It slams its fists into her back powerfully, causing an explosion of pain to erupt from the barbarian's back.  She also feels a chill-touch of necrotic power tugging on her inner consciousness.  She takes a moment herself, steeling herself and pushing the feeling away.

The ghoul pressing Chubbs doesn't relent!  It lunges as if to bite the halfling; but the nimble little bard dances himself out of danger.

"Wight!" Garret cries as he draws his beautiful sword.  For the first time in the time you have spent with the clam cleric, he seems cold yet intently focused only on the wight behind Ilsa.  He gives another shout and charges the undead monstrosity—or tries to, given the rough terrain of the hallway.  The closed quarters and refuse that litters the floor aids in the creature's defense more than its toughened skin and tattered rags ever could.  Garret misses his attack, gouging a deep line in the mortared wall beside him.

Roth retrieves his magical blade and dagger.  As he does, he wades over to assist Chubbs, positioning himself directly behind the ghoul pestering the bard.  Once in position, he thrusts his magical longsword at the ghoul, but misses his attack.

Ilsa spins around and kicks at the wight, striking the monster squarely in the abdomen!  The force of her blow buckles the monster's knees and causes it to fall over her extended leg.  Ilsa isn't as skilled in unarmed combat as one might expect, and the folly of her attack isn't realized until she sees that the wight may have over-exaggerated the impact a bit to better position itself for an opportunity to counter-attack the thrashing half-orc.  It slams it's fists onto her mithral greaves, finding her too well protected for such an underhanded attack.

Hennesey holds his great axe out before him, threatening to hack the ghouls to pieces if they continue to assail him and the others, or if they try to take his slain friends.  Following his brief warning, he swings his two-handed axe with great force; but unfortunately misses his mark.

Shirok, seeing Neya reinforcing Ilsa, spins to lend his assistance to Stan.  With a practiced movement, the druid finds himself flanking the ghoul.  Taking the combat advantage, he skewers the undead creature!  The blow would have without doubt killed a living combatant; but fails to drop the fiend.

The ghoul grunts absently at Shirok's attack and continues to focus on the wizard.  It defeats Stan's meager physical defenses and delivers to him another bite!  Beyond the initial pain of being bitten by the ghoul, he too can feel the ongoing necrotic energies battling with his internal self.  Beads of sweat immediately form upon his brow as he feels the attack subside.

Ilsa dropped the two bodies she carried. The landed unceremoniously on the floor. She didn't care about their fate and wasn't about to die for them. She drew her greatsword and let out a high-pitched howl as she brought it down on the undead in one mighty hack.

12:57, Today: Ilsa Redeye rolled 14 using 1d20+6. Power Attack, -4/+4.
12:57, Today: Ilsa Redeye rolled 22 using 2d6+15. Damage, Power Attack.

after a fair warning, granted they needed noir deserved one, Hennesey descides to end this as quickly as possible. He swing his axe with all his might at the ghoul before him.

Attack Action: Power Attack vs Ghoul
15:36, Today: Hennesey Rydell rolled 11 using 1d12+8. Damage vs Ghoul.
15:34, Today: Hennesey Rydell rolled 12 using 1d20+8. Attack vs Ghoul[PA -2].
 

Porto continues his song as he takes a step back and pulls out his rope. He lets his rope coil around the undead creature hoping that Roth may cut off it's head soon so that he can tie up the other undead.

5-foot step back
Ranged Touch Attack
18:14, Today: Porto 'Chubbs' Brandybuck rolled 22 using 1d20+3. touch attack.

Stan recoiled at the two bites.

"Ouch, that really hurt you know."

He again searched his mind for the arcane patterns writhing there, selecting one to set free upon the material world.

Another pair of blasts struck the ghoul, like blows from some invisible boxer.

18:19, Today: Stan Fetchin rolled 9 using 2d4+2. Magic Missile.

"The rope again?"  Roth asks in amazement at the halfling's preferred tactic as he hacks again at the ghoul.

17:29, Today: Roth Daos rolled 10 using 1d8+2. Damage?.
17:29, Today: Roth Daos rolled 11 using 1d20+8. Attack w/ Flanking.

"It's the only way he can get ghouls to come home with him."

::Round Two::
The ghoul bites again at Hennesey, but this time the man deftly evades the bite and is poised to counter.

Stan shifts backward a bit further, giving ground to the monster in order to afford enough room to cast his spell.  The blasts batter the undead creature, a one-two combination that leaves the vile menace in a heap on the floor with arcane energies crackling about it.

Neya snaps at the wight, but narrowly misses the nimble undead.

Chubbs shifts backward a fair distance, given his smaller size, and tosses his length of rope at the advancing ghoul's feet.  As it lands in a heap he shouts, "Tie and knot!" causing it to constrict about the monster's lower limbs.  The ghoul struggles against the magical rope to find its struggle futile.  It slumps to the flagstone, thrashing and growling, but unable to break the rope's hold.

The wight slams into Ilsa once more, but her armor protects her against the primitive attack.

The tied-up ghoul continues thrashing about, trying in vain to escape the rope's hold.

Garret impales the wight through its back with his bastard sword.  With the abomination momentarily distracted, the cleric executes a fluid maneuver that leaves the monster decapitated on the floor.

Roth falls over the held ghoul, intent on returning it to death's embrace.  He administers a well-placed and powerful blow upon the monster, and the blade cuts deep.  The elf feels the magic in Chubbs' song, forcing the blade deeper, effectively killing it.

With the wight dealt with, Ilsa turns her attention to the last remaining ghoul engaged with Hennesey.  She closes the distance between them with only two of her long strides, her sword raised high over her head.  She brings it down with a blood-roar that reverberates off the walls of the dungeons.  Her sword tears through the monster, cutting cleanly from neck to waist.  It falls to the floor with a sickly groan.

XP awarded

---

A few moments after the last ghoul is destroyed, the party takes a moment to catch their breath and number their sores.  Garret wastes no time in tending to the bites and bruises many have received, fearing that, in a hellish dungeon such as this, another attack could be just around the corner.
As he is tending Hennesey's wounds, he also notes the man mounting sweat and shortness of breath.  Having anticipated such things to be found here after speaking with the man upon their meeting yesterday, the cleric had prepared just the right prayer to aid their newest companion.  He prays over Hennesey for a short while, and the man can honestly feel the lingering pain from the ghoul's bite leave his tired body.  For the first time in over a week, Hennesey is without physical pain.
"Thank you," he says after offering the cleric with a curt nod.
While Garret is purging Hennessy of the ghoul's fever, Roth takes note of the grand double doors at the end of the corridor.
"Those doors," Hennessy proclaims after the elf has pointed them out to the party.  As he speaks, Hennessy moves closer to the doors with grace and ease, something he had taken for granted before entering the ruins of Tharür.  "I remember passing through them on my way down here, after Ansel and the others.  That's the way out!"
Those looking to Neya for confirmation notice the wolf moving toward the door.  It appears she agrees.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:42, Mon 29 Nov 2010.

"I believe you that it's the only way in or out. That's why Roth's going to check the doors for traps - twice."

As he suggests the search, Stan activates his own sixth sense, the magic wand that allows him to see dweomers.

detect magic

Ilsa gave a disgusted snort and then wiped off her blade. She began to sheath it but stopped. "Not until we see daylight," she said. While she waited for Stan and Roth to do their thing, she moved the bodies she had been carrying away from the other corpses. She then amused herself by stomping on the skulls of the undead. She smiled each time they cracked under the heel of her boot.

Now that the way out had been found, Neya turned away from the massive doors and sat upon the floor, carefully watching the other corridors. The air was fresher behind the door, but most things still stunk of death. If the smell got any stronger, then more of the dead things might be coming; she hated fighting those things. They tasted incredibly bad.

Shirok nodded his agreement with Ilsa and Stan's words, standing by Neya to watch the other corridors carefully.

Porto collects his rope and gives the new guy a little pat and smile. I'm kind of the hard ass in this group. Porto. Porto says trying to lighten the mood with his cocky jest as he extends his hand.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:52, Thu 02 Dec 2010.

Hennesey again thanks Garret for drawing the foul evil from his soul that the ghoul had so viciously placed there. He stands back and let's Roth and the others do what they do best before continuing on. For once Hennesey feels relieved and optimistic that perhaps he will see the sun once again.

Stan touches his trusty wand to his eyelids once more, imparting on himself the ability to see magical auras.  He moves closer to the double doors as he scans the area, but soon stops cold in his tracks.  After a few moments his vision is assailed by many magical auras bleeding through the thick wood of the double doors.  He knew from his time at the Academy that his spell would be able to penetrate the wooden doors, so long as they were less than three-feet thick—which he felt the odds were pretty good that they were.  But he hadn't expected to really see much of anything, and was silently hoping that the room beyond would be empty.
And in all honesty, it could very well still be empty; however as the practical wizard gazed into the inky darkness of the strong necromantic aura that seemed to overwhelm the others in the room beyond, he began to think otherwise.
His suspicious are confirmed a moment later when Roth, moving closer to the double doors to begin his search for traps and whatnot, also stops before setting to work.  He raises his index finger to his lips, demanding silence from party members.
Closer and closer he moves towards the door; but even this roguish elf has his limits.  He stops a few feet from the door and stands there, listening to something inaudible to the others.  After a moment, he slinks back to the group, his face appearing a bit pale.
"Someone—or something—is in the middle of something important," he says looking to the smashed skulls Ilsa has left scattered on the floor, conceding that whomever is behind the door might no longer be a "someone."
"Sounds like a ritual of some sort," he finishes with a shrug.

Ilsa stopped her skull crushing. "So can we leave or not? Who do I have to kill?" She really didn't care who.

Porto readies his rope and prepares himself to stop whatever the man was doing. But if they did happen to leave, then he wouldn't really mind that either.

Stan pulled the others into a huddle. As he spoke, he kept his voice as low as he could.

"I have a spell ready that could stupefy him - but his mind is likely strong against such things. You must be ready to stop him the old fashioned way.

"Ilsa, Shirok, you two kick down the door and try to clear a path. I have to touch him for the magic to work. Roth, Porto, keep my flanks clear. Oh, and try not to get killed."

"Who is him? The elf never explained what it was." Normally, Ilsa wouldn't care, but since they were taking the time to formulate a plan, she might as well know what she was going up against.

Whoever he is is not as important as what he is doing and how long do we have until he is done. who or whatever it is must know we are here and could very well be preparing for us as we speak. if we attack now we might yet hold the advantage of surprise.

"Garret, if you have any powers to increase my speed or strength, now would be a good time to invoke them. Hennesey, I don't know you very well but I trust you have more at stake in this fight than anyone."

"We don't know who it is or what they're doing, but interrupting them would be our best option."  The elf considered Stan's plan for a moment before shrugging and removing the cap from one of the cases wrapping his belt.  From the scroll case he removed a few scrolls and after shuffling through them handed one to Stan and replaced the other.  "Strike True, if you really want to dumb them, but don't use it until we know they're enemies."  And feeling in a giving mood, Roth pulls out Rabbit's small-sized dagger--the one recovered from Eor's ribcage--and hands it to Porto.

02:19, Today: Roth Daos rolled 16 using 1d20+10. Spellcraft.
To see if Roth can deduce anything from what he heard.

Anything Roth can do, I can do better.
13:39, Today: Stan Fetchin rolled 31 using 1d20+13. Spellcraft.

Shirok nodded in response to the plan, he and Neya moving up to stand near the door. "I have a spell that can increase one's strength; I can also create flame from a distance. Should the caster be using a spellbook or scrolls, than the flame may destroy them with any luck."

OOC: Sorry for not posting, crazy week. Still here!

Right before we go through the door, Shirok will cast Magic Fang on Neya and Bull's Strength on Stan if he's the one going for the enemy caster.

Ilsa looked at Shirok. "Killing counts as interrupting, right?" There was entirely too much discussion and not enough actual interruption. Or killing.

OOC: Anything else you all want to do before we move forward?

Roth pulls out the knight's sword and another scroll from his belt  before nodding to Ilsa, "Just ... give them a chance to not fight and die?  They could be friendly."

"Fine," Ilsa lied. She resented that he wouldn't tell her who they were, exactly, or what they were doing that needed interrupting.

Stan gathers the others around him while he details a loose plan before the party moves through the doors.  It seems that, given their current situation, they cannot take anything for granted and are ready to defend themselves as they make their way to the surface.
Their preparations complete, and with everyone understanding what will be expected of them, they are ready to push forward.  Shirok and Garret begin chanting the beginnings of different spells, each playing their part in their initial plan.  Shirok's first spell causes a blue light to appear on Neya, slightly augmenting the wolf's jaws.  Garret's spell hits Stan in the chest, and flashes a violet image of a small feline.
Shirok casts another spell, also aimed at Stan, which leaves a brief contoured image of a bull's head imprinted in the air above the wizard.  Roth retrieves two scrolls and hands one to Stan.  The elf nods to the others, signaling the call for them to open the doors; but not before issuing one last piece of advice, on the chance whatever is on the other side be friendly.
"Nothing that hails below Tharür is friendly," Hennessy remarks as he readies his weapons, not even looking up.

Ilsa and Shirok slam the large double-doors hard, bursting them wide open and nearly flying off their ancient hinges.  If it were not for the unparalleled quality, they surly would have!  In a flash, the adventurers flood into the darkened chamber beyond and the sounds of the ritual presently taking place assails them.
To their credit, none of them broke their pace or stride; but the horrific rite they interrupted was not lost to them.  The chamber is roughly circular in shape; the center of the room is raised 15-feet above the floor.  A wide, staircase wrought of stone rise along the western edge of the room, no doubt leading to the raised center piece.  Although the layout of the room was undoubtedly unexpected, Ilsa and Neya lead the charge to the top of the stairs!
As they sprint, no one can avoid the oppressive gaze of the massive stained-glass window that dominates the western wall, just above the staircase.  The most notable feature from the window is the image of a great tree.
Once atop the stairs, the grizzly scene of the ritual comes within full view.  A marble altar is situated on the raised dais, upon a humanoid body lies in a horrifying stage of evisceration.  Two more bodies litter the floor around the altar.  Just to the side of the altar is a large statue of a man.  Flanking the statues are two make-shift torture implements, one of which is still occupied by a slain dwarf.  Behind the altar stands two iron chairs, and behind them sits a single, large chest.  Another double-door adorns the northern wall.
In front of the altar stands a figure dressed in tattered leather armor.  It must have once been a elf; however its skin is deathly pale and pulled tight over its bone structure.  It holds a dagger and a strange-looking rod in its clawed hands.
But the most unnerving thing about the room, presently, is the figure hovering above the altar.   It is cloaked in darkness, wearing it like a long robe.  Its face lies behind a cowl of shadow, but it is definitely humanoid in shape.  As Ilsa and Neya crest the top of the stairs, it howls a chilly screech that freezes the blood in your veins.

Please roll Initiative + First Round action(s)
Active Spells:
Stan – cat's grace (10-mins), bull's strength (4-mins),
Neya – magic fang (4-mins)

Map Update Pending

14:06, Today: Ilsa Redeye rolled 17 using 1d20+2. Initiative.

Ilsa matches the howl with one of her own, using her voice to deafen her ears and steel her nerves against the horror before her. Her bloody eye begins to tear and a line of crimson is down down her cheek. Her bloody, enraged scream continues as she charges the altar and swings her greatsword at the elven target before her.

Rage (+4 STR, +4 CON, +2 Will, -2 AC)
Charge Altar
14:12, Today: Ilsa Redeye rolled 20 using 1d20+8. Power Attack, -4/+4. (Possibly another +2 from Charge).
14:13, Today: Ilsa Redeye rolled 18 using 2d6+13. Damage, Power Attack.

Stan felt the various spells coursing through his being, and for a moment the animal instincts tore at his own personality. Bull wrestled with Tiger in an inner fight for dominance, but eventually the Human spirit suborned both.

Then the doors were being kicked open and the novice wizard had no time to think, only to follow the fighters up the stairs and try to ignore the grisly scene.

For a moment he was distracted by the wanton violence of his situation. Quickly he realized this was life-or-death and he began to do his arcane work.

In an effort to win his allies time, he called on one of his most powerful spells. Bits of dark material, like ink, floated from the wizard's hands and leeched onto the elf-thing's face, straining to rob the creature of vision. The other caster would probably shrug off the attempt, but it was worth a shot.

18:10, Today: Stan Fetchin rolled 8 using 1d20+5. Init.
Move: Behind the fighters
Standard: blindness

Druid and wolf alike added their own howls to the din, a cry of rage at the abominations before them. Neya charged forward at Ilsa's heels, the pair of them coming from opposite sides to surround the foul thing that might once have been an elf. Shirok hung back, flinging his arm out at the darkness above the altar. A massive sphere of flame burst into existence in front of the darkness, light and flame searing all they touched.

Shirok acts on Init 5, Neya on Init 17

Neya attacks the elf, moving to flank with Ilsa. W/out flank, Atk 18, Dmg 15, Trip 26. (Forgot Magic Fang in roll)

Shirok will cast Flaming Sphere upon the floating figure. Ref DC 16, or 6 fire dmg to anyone/thing in its space.

20:12, Today: Shirok Rezkala rolled 5,17 using 1d20,1d20+2. Shirok/Neya Init.
20:14, Today: Shirok Rezkala rolled 6 using 2d6. Flaming Sphere.
20:16, Today: Neya rolled 17,14,26 using 1d20+9,1d8+9,1d20+10. Atk/Dmg/Trip.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:21, Wed 08 Dec 2010.

Porto allows all those who wish to rush up ahead of him to do so. He begins to sing a magical rhyme to keep their courage up and thoughts focused on the task at hand and not the horrors around them all.

Move Action: Move up stairs
Standard Action: Inspire Confidence+1

21:35, Today: Porto 'Chubbs' Brandybuck rolled 13 using 1d20+4. init.

Roth hesitated, slightly unnerved by the gruesome sight, but soon followed the others in charging up the stairway once he had regained his senses.

20:48, Today: Roth Daos rolled 7 using 1d20+4. Init.
Double Move action.

Hennesy joins the large and brutish half-orc in letting out a type of war cry to break up the demonic ritual.  He tightens his grip on his great axe and charges after Ilsa and Neya towards the former elf. As Ilsa and Neya take up flanking positions around it, Hennesey charges the dark creature straight up the middle and trys to cleave it in two with a little inspiration from Chubbs.

09:59, Today: Hennesey Rydell rolled 12 using 1d20+7 with rolls of 5. Init

Full Round Action: Charge elf
10:08, Today: Hennesey Rydell rolled 27 using 1d20+9 with rolls of 18.  Charge Elf[charge+2,Chubbs+1,pa-4].
10:11, Today: Hennesey Rydell rolled 22 using 1d12+14 with rolls of 8.  Damage

hp 36/36  |  AC  17(13); t 14(10), ff 14(10) | Special Inspired+1^Attack, Charging +2^Attack/-4AC
This message was last edited by the player at 18:16, Fri 10 Dec 2010.

The two bodies lying on the floor beside the altar slowly raise to their feet, ready to defend their master though undeath.  As they rise, the body of the dwarf shambles forth, leaving a large chunk of torn tissue hanging on the torture rack.  It strides upto Neya and snarls, intent on biting the large wolf.
Ilsa issues a roar of her own to meet that of the floating apparition and charges headlong to the elven wight.  Her reckless maneuver is unstoppable, and she nearly runs the creature through!  Although the barbarian does bury her blade deep into the monster's flesh, it returns her a growl of its own.
Neya clamors along, only a half-second behind Ilsa.  As she rushes around the wight, the dwarf reaches out for her, slamming her with its withered, boney claw-like fingers.  On the large wolf sprints, ignoring the attack and sweeping around the impaled wight.  She skirts around it, flanking the creature with Ilsa, all the while nearly accepting another strike from the wight!  Once in position, she delivers a massive bite which seizes the wretched creature!  It stiffens as if in pain, and Neya begins to jerk back-and-forth, as if to trip it.  Instead, Ilsa's blade continues to slice the creature as Neya shakes it like a ragdoll, effectively cutting the wight into several pieces.  It drops the dagger and rod to the floor.
The specter above the altar turns its attention to Garret, whom also seems to have taken particular interest in the wraith.
"Burzgûl," the cleric mutters, speaking an old and nearly forgotten dialect of Elvish.  His face pales slightly.  The large spirit glides toward the stairs and over the party.  It reaches down as of to touch Garret, and does so with ease!  Garret groans and becomes a little paler.
By this time, the body on the altar slides off and is also standing on two feet.  Its abdomen has been cut open and disemboweled, but the undead abomination appears ready to feed on the party members.
Chubbs continues the song he begun on their flight up the stairs, all the while silently praying that they all would turn around and retreat back into the depths of Tharür Castle's dungeons.  He waves that notion away presently, knowing that their only chance for escape lay beyond the northern doors.  On and on he sings, calling upon the magics of music he was trained to invoke.
Hennessey was about to follow along with Ilsa's charge with a charge of his own, but seeing her and Neya kill it too quickly, he turns his attention to the nearest zombie—the dwarf.  He wades closer to it and administers a high-chop to its upper torso, cleaving the monster in two.
Stan quickly switches tactics once he sees the wight dealt with.  He meant to blind it, but now that he was sure it's eyes were no longer working anyway, he focused on the mass of evil hovering over them!  He blurted a string of arcane sylabols and pointed at the evil entity above, launching two balls of force-energy at it.  They slam into it, but it doesn't seem to notice.  The young wizard is sure his spell was effective, only it seemed to be too focused on Garret to show any discomfort his attack no doubt caused.
Roth sprints up the stairs, preparing his weapons as he moves.
Shirok remains near the back of the pack, and shifts back further once the wraith moves over them.  He casts a spell that calls forth a ball of fire.  The ball begins in the air at the phantom's back, but quickly falls away and lands beside the altar, near one of the zombies.  The wraith and zombie both feel the magical flame's bite; but both remain standing.
"Back to the Hells with you!" Garret says as he extends his hand to expose his open palm.  Seeing this, the wraith reacts, striking out again to touch the cleric.  This time, Garret dodges the counter-attack and issues forth a ray of bright sunlight!  It seems to pierce the creature and causing it to momentarily fade away until the light subsides.  The creature erupts in a terrible scream, a violent and shrill cry that won't likely be forgotten.
Battle Map

     A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J
   +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 1 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
   +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 2 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
   +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 3 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
   +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 4 |   |HEN|   |ILS|   |NEY|   |   |   |   |
   +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 5 |GAR|   |   |Z 2|Z 1|   |   |   |   |   |
   +---+Wraith-+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 6 |RTH|   | x |   |   |Z 3|   |   |   |   |
   +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 7 |STN|CHU|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
   +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 8 |SHR|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
   +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
 9 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
   +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
10 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
   +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

This message was last edited by the GM at 20:37, Tue 14 Dec 2010.

Emboldened by her success, Ilsa raised her sword high to hack at the zombies before her and Neya (Z1). She squealed in delight at the carnage, tempered only by the fact that these things were already dead and didn't bleed and cry out in pain. She snatched her teeth and wagged her tongue at her opponents, matching their grotesque visage with her own.


21:08, Today: Ilsa Redeye rolled 16 using 1d20+9. Power Attack, -4/+4 Z1, +InspCourage.
21:10, Today: Ilsa Redeye rolled 20 using 2d6+17. Damage, PA, +Rage, +InspCourage.
Ugh, I really need my Raging combat stats worked out on my character sheet.

21:12, Today: Ilsa Redeye rolled 15 using 1d20+9. Cleave Z2?.
21:12, Today: Ilsa Redeye rolled 25 using 2d6+17. Damage Z2.

Seeing the wrath downed and Ilsa dealing with two of the other zombies, Porto pulls out his handy rope and calls upon it's abilities once more to tie up the third and separated zombie(Z3).

Standard Action: Use rope to tie up zombie

00:17, Today: Porto 'Chubbs' Brandybuck rolled 14 using 1d20+3. touch attack.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:18, Tue 14 Dec 2010.

Hennesey wasn't exactly an undead expert by anymeans, even given what he learned from his brother. But he did know, however, that he wanted to out some distance between himself and the wraith. He drops his axe into the fallen zombie and takes one step away from both the wraith and Ilsa. He also was able to hanger weapons to his  Darkwood composite longbow and fire.orrow.two shots at the zombie currently accounted for by Ilsa or Neya(Z1).

Free Action: Drop Axe in dwarf corpse
Move Action: 5ft Step to A3
  -Free Action Draw Bow
Full Round Action: Rapid Shot vs Z2
08:15, Today: Hennesey Rydell rolled 10 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 4.  Rapid Shot 1 .
08:15, Today: Hennesey Rydell rolled 23 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 17.  Rapid Shot2.

08:24, Today: Hennesey Rydell rolled 7 using 1d8+5 with rolls of 2.  Damage 1.
08:24, Today: Hennesey Rydell rolled 13 using 1d8+5 with rolls of 8.  Damage 2.

This message was last edited by the player at 21:05, Thu 16 Dec 2010.

Stan unleashed another blast of magical force. As he did so, he spoke, though the words seemed distant and alien.

"Zurück zu Ashema-Daeva, unruhig sein. Zurück zu Ihrer Domäne und die Lebenden stören nicht mehr. Der Prinz von Krähen fleht dich. Zurück!"

Standard: magic missile (8 damage)

Roth didn't like the dead ... they never fell from a stab to the heart or kidney, and he wasn't sure he could damage the wraith at all.  But for the hell of it, the elf thrust his blade up at the ghost before ducking low and weaving deeper into the fray, hoping to lend support and make room for others to join.

Standard:  Attack Wraith
Move: Tumble 15ft to D6 (flanking for Ilsa, Neya, and maybe Garret ... next round)
      ...if Roth can get around the Flaming Sphere.

09:17, Today: Roth Daos rolled 60 using 1d100. Under 50 for hit.
09:16, Today: Roth Daos rolled 23 using 1d20+6. Attack.

08:50, Today: Roth Daos rolled 18 using 1d20+11. Tumble vs Z2.
08:50, Today: Roth Daos rolled 19 using 1d20+11. Tumble vs Wraith.

Shirok snarled at the floating wraith, but forced himself to focus upon the zombies. Cut down the weak, then the wraith would stand no chance against all of them. The ball of flame roared as it streaked towards the nearest zombie and engulfed the foul creature, Neya growling loudly as she lashed out at the putrid things.

Shirok will use a move to put the flame sphere in the square with the nearest active zombie. Does 8 fire damage. Second move to go to D8.

Neya will attack the nearest zombie. Atk 30, Dmg 13, Trip 11.

15:57, Today: Neya rolled 30,13,11 using 1d20+11,1d8+11,1d20+10. Atk/Dmg/Trip.
15:55, Today: Shirok Rezkala rolled 8 using 2d6. Flame.

Zombie 2 lunges at Ilsa, but misses.  Zombie 3 shambles toward Neya; but is too slow to also attack.
Ilsa delivers a mighty blow to the first zombie!  Her attack is so devastating and powerful, it cleaves cleanly through the creature's body as it crumbles to the floor.  Her arch also slices through the second zombie nearest it, as if it were made of soft butter.  Both monsters fall to the flagstone in a heap.
There was something about the spirit that Neya didn't like and found it overwhelmingly repulsive.  The wolf wasn't cowardly, but she knew there was little she could do to such an unnatural foe, if anything at all.  Instead, she targeted the final zombie, thinking to free up her allies so they could focus on the wraith.  She lashed out violently at the zombie, tearing deep gashes into it and even knocking it to the floor; but it remained.
Wraith wails frantically as the fiery-red orbs under its hood lock onto Garret.  It points at him and utters something unintelligible.  The cleric is hoisted into the air by unseen hands.  His face is pale, but he remains as calm as one can in his situation.  He doesn't resist or attempt to break free from the monster's pull.  His features contain a level of tranquility the likes many of you have not seen in a long time.  He reaches into his pack as he hovers there for a moment and retrieves a thickly bound book.  As he opens it, however, a black spear explodes from his chest!
 He lets out a deep groan before he is pulled across the room by the spear, dropping the tome on the stone stairs.  In a flash of negative energies, Garret Nachtbrise is torn from the material plane.
Chubbs, more focused on his rope tricks, tosses his enchanted rope over the lip of the raised section, hoping to land it on top of the felled zombie.  Luck is with the quirky little fellow and his aim is true.  The rope wastes no time in wrapping itself around the undead creature and constricting it.
With the zombies either dead or dealt with, Hennessey knows its time to focus on the wraith.  He switches to his bow and looses two arrows in short order.  Although the display is impressive, speaking volumes for the ranger's expertise with the bow, his arrows soar directly through his target and break against the wall on the other side of the chamber.
Stan shouts a challenge of his own at the specter as he launches two more force orbs at it.  They hit unerringly, drawing another shriek from the ghastly being as it abruptly fades away, defeated.

XP awarded
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:42, Thu 16 Dec 2010.

Stan stops fighting and begins to pant a little. He had not exerted himself that hard physically. Is it possible that whatever magic was working in him could bring him physical fatigue? He hoped not.

Momentarily, he straightened up and put on a smile that he didn't really feel.

"Well, this place is in a bit of a right state."

He began to examine the apparatuses, although he already knew their purpose.

Ilsa raised her sword, ready to charge the next thing, then stopped herself. She looked around as she caught her breath. "Where's the priest?"

"He's ... just gone?"  Roth answers in astonishment at the loss of Garret.  "Did the wraith do that?"  The elf puts away the knight's sword and returns his readied scroll to its case on his belt before stepping over to pick Garret's book up from the floor and check it out.  "We needed him, didn't we?"

"We did to get paid," Ilsa grunted. She looked at her sword, sighed, and the starting wiping off the undead goo.

Ilsa if that undead thing wrapped in my rope is still alive, do you want to chop of its head? If she does Porto lets her and then removes his rope, if not he does it himself and retrieves it. He hoped that Garret is all right but losing his awesome rope wouldn't solve that.

Shirok shut his eyes for a few moments once the mockeries of life had fallen, calming himself down before opening them again. "Do you know what might have happened to him?" he asked Stan, moving to recover the rod and dagger dropped by the elven wight.

"I just cleaned off my sword. You do it," Ilsa said to the halfling. She was still winded from the too-short fight and just didn't want to bother. "It will be fun to watch."

"The priest? You mean Garrett, he's right over..."

Stan looked around and noticed that Garrett was nowhere to be seen.

"What on earth?"

Stan looked under all the furniture frantically. In his concentration on his magic, he hadn't noticed the exact fate of Garrett.

"Okay, who saw what happened?"

Some type of black orb came out of him and sucked him into it. Without.him here, I fear for our survival. Hennesey says somberly. He knew that having a member of the Rose help them was no doubt and irreplaceable and inexpendable asset. But perhaps his book could offer then some help? He dropped his tome over here he says, moving over to examins it.

"A temporary spell, I'm sure. Maybe even just an illusion. He'll be back."

The wizard followed Hennesey to the book. If it was all that was left of Garret, then it was a precious treasure.

Having defeated the strange undead elf-thing and the spectral horror Garret referred to as "Burzgûl," the party takes a moment to catch their breath and take stock of their current situation.  Their charge into the room and up the twisty staircase was intense, and a few of them are having difficulty taking it all in.  With the wight and wraith and zombies slain, the room falls into an eerie silence, its unnatural appearance heightened by the strange crystals casting soft light in its corners.  Although you can't be sure, many of you feel the room has become a little more lit with the undead monsters dealt with.
Shirok gathers up the rod and knife dropped by the wight, while Roth and Chubbs move to investigate the chest at the northern section.  Verily, Ilsa and Hennessey take a greater interest in the large double door, Hennessey making another claim that it leads to the Castle courtyard.  Truly, it does!  The two drag open the door, filling the unholy chapel with the warmth of the sun's rays.
However, their celebratory spirits are squashed as Ilsa turns and is the first to notice Garret is no longer around.  Stan appears to be in shock, not fully comprehending this fact.  His feelings quickly give way to denial as he looks around the room and doesn’t find his friend.  The scene somber, the others stand by idly and watch their Wizard friend a spell, and then another, over the spot Garret disappeared.
"There aren't any active magics," he says to Roth and Shirok, his tone tittering on mania.  "Where... where did he go?"
A noise breaks the moment, shattering it with the grimness of something awakened deeper in the halls.  It is made obvious that they cannot dwell here much longer.

Is there anything else any of you wish to do in Tharür Castle?

"We can't leave without him!"

"Looks like he left already," Ilsa snorted. She turned to Shirok, "If we're not getting paid, maybe we should loot more of this place before we leave." She then asked the halfling, "You see anything valuable?"

I'm sorry Stan, but we must leave. There's nothing we can do for him now. Hennesey said anxiously. He knew thier visit to the castle must soon end or it may be become permanent.  If anyone could survive longer then I have here, it would be him. But we must leave Now he said more insistent then ever before.

Stan nodded. These were his friends; he should trust their judgement.

Before they left he tried the lid of the chest. If it was locked he would ask Roth or Ilsa to break in - each had their own methods, he was sure.

After opening the chest Porto uses his rope to try to collect a crystal or two, figuring they could be useful or valuable.

Hennesey was at first taken back by how the others insisted on sticking around any longer then needed,but quickly realized that the reason they were sticking around was indeed worth it. Gold is always worth it. It was the reason he was even here in the first place afterall. And gold begets gold he always said. In fact the custom made mirthil breastplate he wore was attained from he dead mens gold thy paid him to take them here. Quite a hefty price they ended up paying in the end. But as hes always said. Gold is always worth it! Perhaps thy could stick around this place a moment longer....... Let's get that chest emptied and get out of here and fast!
This message was last edited by the player at 18:36, Thu 23 Dec 2010.

"Just take the whole chest if you can, don't risk a cursed or trapped lock." Roth advises as he abandons examining Garreth's tome and stuffs it into his backpack.  Seeing Shirok grab the wight's weapons and Porto working on the crystals, the elf moves to the northern door to quickly inspect it before they try to pass through.

13:27, Today: Roth Daos rolled 23 using 1d20+12. Search.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:27, Fri 24 Dec 2010.

"The longer we stay here to loot," Shirok replied to Ilsa's request, "the greater the chance of us falling as well to this place's corruption. I would rather burn this place to the ground," he said with a tightly controlled calm. One had already fallen. The way out was before them. It was time to leave, time to let the foulness of this place consume itself for lack of living prey.

"Too much stone," Ilsa said, saddened that they couldn't actually burn the place down. "But chest is good," she added. "I agree with the elf. Take it now, open it later." She grabbed it and tried to lift it. If it needed two, she was sure Roth would help. She didn't bother grabbing the bodies she had been carrying.

Hennesey offers his strength inifting the chest if need be.

19:12, Today: Hennesey Rydell rolled 8 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 4.  Str
This message was last edited by the player at 01:14, Tue 28 Dec 2010.

Finding it locked, Roth motions to the others to simply carry the chest away.  Together Hennessey and Ilsa remove the heavy chest from the room and carry it out into the night.  Chubbs quickly follows them, but Stan hesitates for a moment.  Shirok also remains, intent on speaking sense to the confused wizard; but another deep noise from the deep does more to that regard than anything the druid could have said presently.
"Quickly," Hennessey cries once the entire party is outside and moving through the trembling ruins of Castle Tharür's courtyard.  "Orford isn't more than half a day's journey from here!  The monks will take us in."

You travel through the night, stopping only to rest quickly—and allow Roth enough time to defeat the lock on the chest.  You are all surprised to find it full of silver coins, all bearing the sun insignia of Tharür.  Although the ancient symbol isn't the source of your surprise, the fact that all the coins are silver is.  Why would the undead within those dank halls be keeping so much silver; and what about the other metals used in minting coins?
In-between the watch, Stan helps Roth count and catalog the coins, something to keep his mind off of the loss of Garret.  In the end they count exactly thirty-thousand silver coins, and find two potions and one gnarled length of wood intermixed within.  His interest piqued, Stan is able to identify the potions by the runes etched into their stoppers as an elemental resistance potion—although he isn't sure which element—and a potion that grants its drinker the ability to move about without leaving discernable tracks.
Together, the elf and wizard combo agree that the wooden switch is in fact an enchanted wand of the Evocation school.

::Orford Abbey::
Unerringly, Hennessey leads the party to Orford Abbey, a large, walled stone structure in which a handful of monks dwell—most of which are human.  The monks have operated in this area for nearly 80-years, and they appear pleasant enough.  They are gracious hosts.  Their Abbot, a man called Benton, is a good man and shows your party kindness.  He is very interested in your adventure stories—should you share them—especially ones involving Criss and the enchanted forest.  He has never before heard of the Wizardress Kaele, Garret Nichtbrize, or his now extinct Order.
However, after a couple of nights, he agrees to help you contact Kaele and arrange for your journey North.

Is there anything any of you would like to do during the stay at Orford Abbey?

After a good night's sleep in a place that was neither a cursed woods or a cursed castle, Ilsa cornered Shirok in a private cell. After spending a few moments roughly scratching Neya, she stared the druid straight in the eye "How much longer are we going to suffer these p'tah?" she asked, using an orcish slur for beings not of orcish blood. "Their business is not ours. The priest is gone. We do not need them." Her tone was aggressive and challenging, but that was simply her nature. She was open to be convinced by Shirok, but it would take some work to do so.

Once the group had spent twenty-four hours outside the castle, Shirok pulled out the Wayfarer's map to briefly experiment with it. The teleportation might have just been a side effect of the strange 100 Aker wood, but it might also be an undiscovered property. He simply needed to test it to find out.


When Ilsa arrived later that night, he considered his answer for a time before speaking. "We were sent to find the priest so that we might stop the revival of an old terror. Yet the things we have seen seem to have no connection to this threat, nor does there seem to have been any other signs that such a threat is real beyond the words of Kaele.

If this threat is real and credible, if such a group exists that seeks to revive such a force of destruction, then these p'tah need us. If it is not," he shrugged slightly, "then there is no longer a reason for us to travel with them."

Ecstatic to find some semblance of civilization, Roth is soon celebrating by studying.  He leaves the swapping of tales to the halfling and identifying the recovered weapons and wand to the mage and soon has his nose buried in Garret's tome.  The cleric either wanted them to have the book ... or thought it would save him.  There must be something within it regarding Azazel, or at least the Dark Lord Torus.  While he studies, he turns the pieces of the puzzle in his head--but finds only more questions.

Porto looks over the potions and wand. He feels that he isn't in the fray enough to justify taking the resistance potion. And he feels that if he were on the run by himself his tracks would be the least of his worries. The wand intrigues him but if another wanted it he would not object. Though he did want it...

Stan found the monks' copying room and immediately felt at home. He had spent many hours at a desk as an apprentice scribe. Now, he would do his own work.

He was glad to exchange a thousand of the silver coins for some quality ink and a metal pen. The bursar and quartermaster seemed intrigued by the ancient symbol on the money, but it was good silver and ancient metal weighed just as much as newly-minted.

After a simple cantrip to light his work, the wizard began the slow task of copying.

The calligraphy was time-consuming, for he used nothing but blackletter in his spellbook. Nothing else matched the arcane look of the thick, ornate constructions on the vellum.

Finally he added a diagram and the page was complete. The process had taken a whole working day of his time, but Stan did not care - he had gained his first real spell outside of school. At last he was again making progress as a wizard.

He flipped through the other pages of the book, noting the small doodles in its margins, artistic but far from scholarly. He had not drawn them. Abruptly he shut the book.

He reflected on his small theft of the scroll from Roth. No doubt the elf knew but did not care what Stan had done. He smiled as he noticed the other two boys doing the same thing with the book and the wand. Everyone was getting a share.


At nightfall he approached Roth. "Anything good to drink around here?"

Ilsa shook her head. "When will we know? And when that time comes, can I kill the little one?" Before he had a chance to answer, she pushed him back into the wall. She then pressed close and softly growled into his ear. "We should return to Snake Tongue territory. Reclaim what is ours." She then grabbed him in a place that left no doubt as to what she was claiming as hers.

Porto pops out a flask he's been carrying. Drink at your own risk. I've had that thing since I fell from the portal where you first met me. I think it's wine. But who knows what two dimensional travels and a long time un-preserved will do to it. With that Porto whips out his lute and begins his lament for Garret.

Oh yeah life goes o-o-o-on! Long after the thrill of living is gone...

"Not unless you intend to kill them all," Shirok started to say, up until Ilsa was upon him. He couldn't help but smile at her directness, his own arms rising to take hold of her. "And one day we will," he responded. "We will return with the others, speak with Kaele once more. If she can convince us that there is need, we will stay. Otherwise..." He left the rest unsaid.

Stan returned the flask to the halfling without so much as sniffing it.

"Thanks, but no thanks."

You play very well, master halfling. No doubt he would be pleased.

"I haven't looked yet--I'm trying to find some answers in here."  Roth replies to Stan as he thumbs through the book Garret left.  He pauses for a moment and puts the book down to turn his full attention to Stan and ask, "What do you think of all this?  The Statue of Azazel, this 'Dark Lord' Torus, and us missing, what, eighty years?"  He thinks for a moment and adds, "Didn't Kaele say the statue of Azazel was discovered eighty years ago? ...what did we stumble into?"

Ilsa's eyes lit up and she bared her teeth in excitement upon hearing Shirok's first words. After he finished, she planted her lips on his with such forcefulness that she drew blood. She then took him with a wild abandon that could be heard several cells away, through the stone walls of the monastery.

Afterward, as they rested naked and glistening in sweat, each possessing a few new bruises, scratches, and bite marks, Ilsa called over Neya (who knew enough to stay out of the way) and gave the she-wolf a playfully rough scratch on both sides of the neck. Ilsa was the most relaxed she had been in many days and she had a glow of contentment that almost seemed unnatural on the untamed barbarian.

The party spends two-weeks in Orford resting and recuperating, while Benton sends a massager into the North destined for Skyway.  Although the monks have existed in the area for a considerable amount of time, they admit that they have not ever ventured into the ruins of Tharür, so the sight of the strange coinage is quite novel to them.  They do accept some of the silver Stan offers them in return for scribing supplies, and possibly room and board—about twenty pieces in total—but they refuse its actual worth.  They insist that they have no need for the money and survive by their own means.  Occationally they do trade with merchants, but that is whenever a brave entrepreneur dares to travel in their direction.  The shadow of Tharür taints this entire area.

During this time, Roth spends much time researching Garret's book.  After reading a significant portion of it, he feels that the cleric must have known what the Wraith was doing to him, and dropped the book intentionally.  Instead of finding a collection of prayers inside, the elf finds Garret's personal accounts of the War of Tears, and more specifically, combating agents of the Crimson Brotherhood.
According to the tome, the Brotherhood is made up of four distinct factions and each faction is led by a powerful individual, most of which tend to be accomplished wizards.  The faction Garret's company seemed to have regular run-ins with was led by an entity known as Tórus, a Dark Lord of the Brotherhood and powerful necromancer.  The tome is too thick and thoroughly detailed for Roth to digest even given two weeks at Orford; but he does seem to gain a better understanding of the Crimson Brotherhood and its agents.  This is something that needs to be delivered to Kaele as soon as possible.

Stan spends most of his time penning spells from his spellbook into scrolls when he is not speaking with the monks and Roth, or listening to Chubbs play his lute.  He almost finds the say at Orford relaxing, but after the first few nights, the nightmares return.
Although they are all slightly different, many of the images that play in his mind while he sleeps revolve around one central scene: Clementine shackled to a burning tree in a strange courtyard.  Her soft, leathery wings have been severed and filed down to bloody stumps and she appears to have suffered greatly.
One night, however, the final night he receives any nightmares, is much different.  He dreams that he is in the courtyard in Orford at night, speaking quietly with Benton.  A monk calls to them that a party has arrived outside the abbey, and Benton bids the doors be opened.  Stan feels that this is odd, given the lateness in hour and monsters that roam the hills from Tharür.  He nearly jumps from his skin when he sees what comes through.
It is a procession of sorts, being heralded by two daemonic creatures, Dretches.  Stan recognizes these two, and is again surprised as Benton appears stoic as they enter his abbey.  Followed by them are twelve figures cloaked in black, all bearing with them an empty gestatorial chair (portable throne).  They move into the courtyard and stand silent.  A larger demon riding a creature too alien for Stan to describe follows them in and dismounts.
The demon appears to be a giant man; many of its features are disproportionate to its body size.  It wears only a dirty loin cloth, and its skin bears patches of smeared blood.  A large collar encompasses its neck, from which a long chain dangles.
"My Lord," it booms as it crawls like a great ape directly up to the startled wizard.  "The Hordes lament for you as the Blood War rages!  Do you not hear the call?  He will find you."  Upon hearing that last statement, Stan woke up.

Studying the magical map Kaele gave him, Shirok finds that the magical teleportation must have been a side-effect of the magical wood.  The map does update itself, but does not move him or the party by touch.  He thinks about this for a long time, and finally comes to realize that this must have occurred due to the forests' ability to trap individuals inside.  The map's enchantment had allowed them to move relatively freely though whatever magic was designed to restrict movement throughout.  Now that they were back on the Material Plane, it should now function properly; although he would miss its added utility.

Chubbs spends his time entertaining the monks, eating, sleeping, and generally doing nothing of import.  As any good Brandybuck should, he tells himself.

---

In the morning of the fifteenth day at Orford, Kaele appears as if out of nowhere.  She briefly explains that once the messenger arrived at her home, she opened the necessary doorways to make the journey through the Æther to collect the party members, making the trip in a matter of minutes, as opposed to the impressive efforts of the monk who had ran to Skyway in a fortnight.
Without much ceremony, the party members are gathered up and, when ready, escorted back through a plane of shadow, to House Silvervine in Skyway City.  In the comforts of her own home, she grieves for the loss of Garret Nichtbrise.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:20, Fri 07 Jan 2011.

"I don't know what to call it, other than an adventure. Or a mess."

Stan lets Roth hold onto the tome, but frequently pesters the librarian with questions about its contents, sometimes borrowing it for short periods to read the really interesting bits.

The nightmares torment Stan, but he is loathe to share them with anyone. For one thing, they are quite personal. For another, he really prefers not to think about them if he can help it. He sometimes looks quite tired during the day, especially for someone with nothing to do but lay about and maybe write a bit.

When Kaele shows up he is overjoyed. At last, another wizard! "How have you been? What news about our quest? Any word from the other wizards?" He bombards he with vague questions to the point of annoyance.

"I need to get my bow," Ilsa said gruffly. Except when he was studying the map and she and Neya amused themselves, she had been inseparable from Shirok. She now suffered through this meeting because it would hold the key of whether or not they would be free to part ways with the others. The comment about the bow was in part a reminder and in part a mental distraction while the wizard asked his questions.

Porto upon seeing Kaele he begins his song of thankfulness but with a bit of sarcasm. It includes how thankful he is for the rope which has helped him an numerous amount of times but also how he would not be in need if it weren't for her quest. But the overall theme is good.

Hennesey's first item on his agenda when they reached Orford was to give the bodies they were carrying, a proper burrial. If thier parents wish to have thier bodies burried else where then they can so themselves...or pay for it to be done by Hennesey. After the burial is preformed by the monks, Hennesey takes time to listen to his new friends and how I was they were able to fins themselves in the bowels of Tharür. And interesting tale none-the-less. But he doesnt make nice will all the members. From what he had seen and heard of the half-orcs, trying to start a friendly conversation would more then likey futile. With the female he has heard to be Ilsa at least. After a few days he couldnt ressit and did eventualy properly introduce himself to the male he knew as Shirok. Hopefully his words were accepted, but theres no way of knowing how they were accepted. At least not yet.  When not talking to Roth and Stan to find out more about what happened to Garret and what thier mission was, he spent a majority of his time further exploring the local woods. Details he could potentially find lucretive by expanding his maps. He knew the more a map had on it, the more deatail, then the more they would be worth. Escpecially in the areas in the shadow of Tharür. So when Kaele came to retrive the others, Hennesey who is quite interested in thier mission, offers his service to her. Having heard of her and how deep her elven pockets were, the desicion was a no brainer.

"Tell me, again, why we couldn't do this to Redding?" Roth asks as he follows Kaele back through the portal.

"And by the way," Roth notes to Stan with a grin during their jaunt through the shadow realm, "I'll be needing that scroll back."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:24, Mon 10 Jan 2011.

"How about a better copy? You see, the old one had some clerical errors, and I wouldn't want your entire system getting thrown, so, I made a new one."

It was true that Stan had made more copies of the same spell scroll. Roth was welcome to take one, if he could stomach the humility of the act.

"We'll have to see if I can read your writing!"  Roth jokes before adding, "I have a few more scrolls you can ... borrow, if you'd like."

That would be great. Do I have to apply for a library card first?"

Once back within the safety of Silvervine, Ilsa finds that her bow has been delivered by the bowyer about a week ago.  According to Kaele, and your own personal accounts, you were traveling on schedule until you crossed into Criss' "hundred acre wood."  Apparently, your time it the enchanted sub-dimension lasted only a few hours at most, in the material plane.  Your hostess vows to investigate the happening further at a later time.  For now, more pressing matters...

Although Garret was taken away in the fight with the wraith, Kaele honors her agreement, accepting the tome as a substitute.  However, she informs you that this will require her more time to read through it to find a suitable solution to the Azazel problem.  In the meantime, however, something has come up while you were out, that is, if you are interested.
"Emissaries, for lack of a better term," she explains, "claiming to be from Blackstone Keep, speaking for some 'Lord' going by the name Brannigan have contacted me, about five days ago.  They claim that Lord Brannigan holds some information regarding the incident in the Tower.  He claims to know where we might be able to find Junus.
"I will go and meet with him," she says, although you can tell she does not like the idea.  It's probably something about a lady like her spending any amount of time in an area like the under-city.  "But I will also require an escort.  If you are not interested, I understand.  If you are, we leave tomorrow morning."

---

Sometime during the night, Stan wakes suddenly from another nightmare.  Recalling that elves require less sleep than humans, he seeks out Roth.  On his way to Roth's room, he witnesses the automaton, Ishmael, entering Kaele's private chamber.  He slips up to the door in time to see it waking her from her mediation.
"Yes, Ishmael?"
"My Lady," he responds in his cold, monotone voice, "something is out of place.  I feel—"
"I feel it to," she responds abruptly.  She quickly stands and moves to pass the machine; but stops as she notices Stan in the doorway.  She stares at him for a long while, being taken from her thoughts by the sound of breaking glass up above, followed by the sound of something heavy falling to the floor.

Listen check (DC 5) to wake up

Ilsa snored heavily in her sleep, face down on the bed, her muscular arm draped across Shirok's chest.

19:27, Today: Ilsa Redeye rolled 2 using 1d20+1. Listen.

Porto is awoken startled, he's a heavy sleeper but even this noise couldn't keep him asleep.



22:11, Today: Porto 'Chubbs' Brandybuck rolled 6 using 1d20+3. listen (anything but a 1).

Shirok and Neya's eyes opened at the same instant, a heavy thud coming from the floor above. Neya whined slightly from out in the hall; something stunk. Quickly he moved Ilsa's arm, shaking her slightly by the shoulder. "Ilsa, wake," he said quickly as he out of bed, seizing the spear left leaning against the wall.

OOC: 01:20, Today: Shirok Rezkala rolled 11,9 using 1d20+7,1d20+5. Shirok/Neya Listen.

Roth, who has already finished his meditation and is deciphering Stan's chicken scratches, looks up from his work at the sound from elsewhere in the tower.  He stands and retrieves the crystal knight's sword and a dagger from his pile of belongings heaped on the floor before heading out to investigate.

09:18, Today: Roth Daos rolled 23 using 1d20+5. Listen.

Stan shook his head. The nightmares were becoming more and more of a weight on his soul.

Seeing Kaele was an embarrassment to the young groom. He was acutely aware of several facts: It was night, he was alone, he had not been invited, and Kaele was more than attractive.

He was about to run to Roth's room when Stan overheard Ishmael's suspicions. Then, before he could flee, Kaele had spotted him.

He moved his mouth, trying to form some kind of explanation. No words came out. He told himself that he wished Kaele were less beautiful. But he knew in his heart that he liked her current appearance just fine.

He was saved by the sounds of something breaking in. His brief acquaintance with violence had taught him to act calmly in times of danger.

"Are your spells readied?" He asked Kaele. He tapped the side of his head for emphasis.

Had he needed to prepare his own spells tonight, he would have been sorely unable. Thankfully, he had memorized some spells days ago and still had them all ready.

"What?" Ilsa asked, clearly irritated at having been woken. Had it been anyone else, they might have had their wrist broken. She glared at him and saw that he had spear in hand. A toothy grin came upon her face. "Is it time?" She then got out of bed and quickly threw on her undergarments. Not realizing the urgency of the situation, she began the long process of getting into her armor.

"Leave the armor; something's upstairs," Shirok quickly explained as quickly pulled on a shirt. "I'd rather not leave its elimination to chance."

Ilsa dropped the armor and grabbed her sword. Her disappointment was quickly supplanted by excitement over something new. "Eliminate what?" Still in her bare feet, she opened the door, stepped out, made sure it was clear and then ushered for Shirok and Neya to follow.

The party gathers in the main hall with Kaele and Ishmael.  The wizard doesn't have any answers as to what might be inside, and she doesn't appear too keen on leaving whatever it is to the various traps in her home.  Ishmael tries to keep those of you calm and even instructs you to go back to your rooms; however with many of you responding with your arms, he decides not to turn away those willing and able.
"Follow me," he says before disappearing into the darkness of the level above.  The group splits up and searches rooms, looking for the source of the disturbance.  Roth and Ishmael find it first.
In a small study on the fourth (top floor), they happen upon a cloaked figure.  Ishmael speaks a command word which causes many of the crystals situated around the room to light.  The light does little to dispel the mystery as to who this individual is.  As he appears, he is a man shrouded in a black cloak.  The cowl is pulled over his face, but there is something off about his presence; something otherworldly—and yet he also appears familiar somehow.
"You are intruding in this private residence," Ishmael booms, "if you are armed I shall allow you to drop your weapons now and leave, or else I am prepared to respond with lethal force."  But the man doesn’t respond.  Instead, he shifts his weight and faces Roth squarely.
"Stan Fletchin," he man says in Common.

You all may assume you heard the exchange between Ishmael and the intruder.  You all may post as if you had entered just after he spoke.

"Stan ... died in Redding."  Roth tells the intruder.  It maybe wasn't the best lie the librarian has ever told, but he deliberately spoke it loudly enough for those outside the room to hear.  "He got sick, and died before we could destroy the source."

16:13, Today: Roth Daos rolled 12 using 1d20+7. Bluff.

Porto enters the room hearing the man looking for Stan. I got a Stan right here bitch! Porto says with his ever growing courage as he hurls his trusty rope at the unsuspecting man. Hoping that it would leave him bound so that they could be the ones asking the questions.

Stan was about to enter the room when he heard his name. He waited outside, pressed against the hallway wall.

When he heard Roth's lie, he hesitated.

Ilsa arrived just ahead of Shirok and Neya. Upon hearing the halfling's outburst, she stopped next to Stan. "I was woken for this? Who is it and why don't we kill him?"

Stan's reply was a wordless shrug. Apparently he has no idea who this might be.

When Hennesey was awoke up by the sounds from above, he immediately begins doning his armor. He always said a good ranger never leaves anything to chance.. It was proven during his time spent in Tharur. When he did joined the others, he stood outside with Stan until he was ready to enter.

"Is that so," the man replies, the corner of his mouth curling into a grin.  "Then you travel with a ghost.  Roth?  I believe that is what they call you—" he manages to get out before Chubbs rushes into the room and tosses his enchanted rope at the intruder.

In the hallway, Stan and Kaele exchange a series of gestures before she finally shakes her head at the younger wizard.  She follows up by touching her index and middle fingers to her lips and bringing them sharply down to the open palm of her other hand.  Stan recognizes the gesture, and quickly remembers the spell for invisibility calls for a verbal component—which would undoubtedly tip-off the intruder if he was a spell-caster of any skill.

The rope hits the man solidly and immediately begins to coil around him.  The man exhales deeply, expressing something of a disappointed frustration.  Almost as quickly as the rope attempts to bind him, he shifts and contorts his body to defeat it—ultimately tossing the rope back to Chubbs' feet.
"Save your parlor tricks, kid.  I bring news from the Abyss.  His wife is in terrible danger."

Stan nodded at Kaele. Of course, she was right.

At the word "wife" he rushes into the room, practically running into the newcomer. He stops himself just short of an accident. If the man means to strike, Stan is certainly close enough.

He gestures to the others to wait a moment, and picks up the loose end halfling's rope just to make sure.

He does not threaten the man or try to use any magic. After a tense moment, if he is still unharmed, he asks:

"Who are you?"

"My name is Demios," he answers, still refusing to pull back his cowl.  "And I have been searching for you for some time.  You seem to hold a kind of... aversion to this plane—although I can see now why you do.  The Material Plane is a strange one indeed."  As he speaks, he also looks around to the others gathered in the room; the others in the hall have followed Stan to meet the intruder.
"Frastøtende," He says with a shudder, using a language known only to Stan.  You do not know for certain, but you are sure it was some kind of insult.  "I tried to get your attention while you were with the monks, and would have contacted you directly; but they are not as open-minded as Lady Kaele here."
"Do you know me?" she responds a bit frazzled.
"Guess not," he says with a shrug, "but we've wasted enough time here as it is.  Stan, I've come to collect you and any warriors, or..." he says as he looks over the group, unimpressed, "slaves, you command.  We are ready to assault Môrotha's outpost."
"What about Blackstone?" Kaele says as she steps forward and grabs Stan's hand.  Even he wasn't sure what that was about, maybe a ploy to gain his full attention?  "You want to get back to your proper time, right?  I believe Junus brought that tower down, and I think I can put you back—if we can find Junus."
"Well, the Abyss and the Material Plane aren't exactly held to the same time cycles; and we don't have all night.  Looks like you have a decision to make, Stan."

You all have a decision to make: go with Stan to the Abyss, stay with Kaele and meet with Lord Brannigan at Blackstone tomorrow, or walk away from it all and start a new life in the future.  I will allow the party to split now.  Roleplay this out. =)
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:32, Thu 13 Jan 2011.

Can you really trust this guy Stan? Porto says walking up next to him. All his kind knows is lies and trickery. If your wife is in danger I'll help you out but I doubt this ass is telling you the truth. Besides I didn't even know you were married, thought I was your friend... Porto ends playfully trying to keep Stan's mood light and not too overwhelmed.

This is all a lot to take in.

Stan looks at Demios. "Have you any token or assurance to support your words?"

Demios appeared more put out by Stan's request than anything else.  He shifts his weight in a vaguely familiar fashion and retrieves a pendant from the breast of his cloak.  Raising it up plainly for all to see, Stan is taken aback.  The simple onyx pendant bears a familiar, arcane symbol: the same symbol Stan and Clementine chose as their own on the day they wed; the symbol that would be used to represent Stan's House, once he was accomplished enough to found one.  Seeing this, Stan had no doubt this creature was an ally to his wife and the daemon forces she commanded.

Well he knew that the forces of evil could be treacherous, he very much believed this pendant was the real thing. He had seen it closely before, knew its every scratch and pore.

"Look like I have to go. I won't blame any of you if you want to stay behind. It's not your fight. Besides, there are important matters to take care of on this plane."

Shirok entered the room behind the others, remaining silent as events unfolded before them. He himself gave virtually no reaction to what was being said, yet Neya beside him seemed to grow more and more agitated; the shewolf seemed ready to leap upon Demios at a moment's notice. The two of them suddenly turned upon Stan, Shirok's gaze carefully controlled while Neya's were ablaze with confusion and anger. "You are married," he finally said in a calm voice, "to a creature of the Abyss."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:06, Thu 13 Jan 2011.

"I am married," he said cooly, "to a creature of virtue and beauty.

"She was a guest in this house, awhile back. As you can see its none the worse. I trust you not to judge hastily, Shirok."

"I think it's sweet," Ilsa said with a tone that was equal mix derision, sarcasm, and sincerity. "You must fight for your love," she said with firm hand on Stan's shoulder. She then turned away and left.

"The only judgement that matters," Shirok sad quietly, "is whether assisting you would assist them." He gave Stan no more than a few moments to answer before turning away as well, he and Neya following after Ilsa.

"I can't answer that. Good luck with Blackstone."

When faced with a decision to make. Either investigate what the others had been looming into. Dealing with the tower collapse that happened before Hennesey was born. Or helping a new friend by going into the abysal plane.  Well it didn't take long for a decision to be made. A well detailed map of the abysal plane would go for an astronomical amount of money to the right person. Hennesey knew he couldn't pass up a chance like that. He took a step towards Stan and , presumably, the fiend named Demios to show he would help them in thier mission. Hopefully the half-orcs will join us too. he thought as he waited for the others to decide. There couldn't be a better place to do it then he abyss.

Roth stands dumbfounded for the longest time, could he have heard him right?  The thought of it is outrageous, but after recovering a small bit of his wits, Roth manages to speak quite simply, "You're married?"  It takes a few more moments before he can add, "The ABYSS?"

Stan kicks his feet and smiles at Roth. "Heh."

"You'd have to be insane to go."  Roth tells Stans and the others looking to join him.  "For starters, it's the Abyss.  Demons will eat you.  You're at this ... man's mercy to ever get back.  And what good could you really do?  Maybe, if we can get back to our time, you can warn her of whatever has happened."

That is a valid point... Porto ponders for a little. But I'll help you Stan whichever way you go.

Ilsa paused in the hallway and waited for Shirok and Neya to catch up with her. She didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything. She scratched Neya behind the ears.

"We won't get back to our time, not for awhile. And I'm already suffering at the hands of demons and their nightmares. Going to the Abyss is a risk, but it's what I want to do."

"If it were anything short of suicide, I'd help you."  Roth tells the mage, "But I think I'll stay here, where only Ilsa wants to have me for dinner."  He pauses before adding, with all sincerity, "I hope you make it back."

Neya wagged her tail slightly as Ilsa scratched her, looking up at Shirok. He was silent for a few moments as he rejoined them, before he finally spoke. "If we remain here, we will likely go to Blackstone to see if Kaele is correct, and whether or not it is possible for us to return back through time." He looked at Ilsa. "Is that something you think is worth doing?" he asked her, the question plainly having several meanings.

Ilsa looked at Shirok with slight consternation on her face. "The past is done. Why go back? What matters is here, now." She thought for a moment more, "And how that shapes the future." She casually spun her sword in her grip. "I don't care about Blackstone, but if you do, then we go. But right now, I'm hungry."

To Porto: "So, guess you're my plucky halfling sidekick."

OOC: Don't forget Hennessy!

With those of you who have volunteered to venture with Stan, and the fiend known only as Demios, into the Abyss now ready, having chosen your path to take, Demios informs you that it is now time to leave.  Stan, Chubbs, and Hennessy quickly gather their things and say their good-byes.