The Tegel Village Visitor's Bureau has provided all guests with a map of the village. The bureau itself does not appear on the map. It recommends that all communications for the village be left here.


This message was last edited by the GM at 23:16, Sun 03 Apr 2022.

"My sojourn in the city of Tegel occurred during a period of my life no less dim and dubious than that the city itself and the misty regions lying there about. I have no precise recollection of its locality, nor can I remember exactly when and how I came to visit it. But I had heard vaguely that such a place was situated along my route; and when I came to the fog-enfolded river that flows beside it, and heard beyond the river the mortuary tolling of many bells, I surmised that I was approaching Tegel."

--From a Diary of an Unknown Penitent

If Ereth were to have believed himself to have been in a hypnogogic state, he would have been forgiven for having believed that the state yet persisted. Upon advancing down the Night Road to Tegel Village, he and his fellow travelers discover that the limits of Tegel far outstretch those of any village and surely, given that, more than a few lights should greet them? A lamppost with its glass-enclosed hissing, crackling gas-fed luminescence is the first of these. There is another not terribly far down the cobblestone road.

Again there seems little choice of what to do, the logic of the dream compelling the dreamers forward.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:30, Sun 08 May 2022.

As a group, you trod down one dubious cobblestone road to another with the light from a succession of lampposts first waxing and then waning with first your approach and then departure. The streets were narrow, the houses high, with overhanging balconies and heavily curtained or shuttered windows -- just as the unknown penitent had found them to be. You do not, though, hear the tolling of funereal bells -- only the clomp, clomp of your boots upon the stone streets. You do not see any fellow travelers -- or perhaps they were obscured by the swirling, grey mists.

At the last lit light, you find yourselves under the awning of what must be Tegel's finest public house. Through the smoky glass, you can see the silhouettes of patrons inside, playing cards, eating from platters, drinking from tankards, talking it out, or sleeping it off.  You want some of that.  You tumble inside.

Into loneliness.

No patrons.

No cards.

No platters.

No drinks.

No slumber.

Worst of all, no talkin' it out.

Just a spare lobby with a few sickly palms and dusty couches.  A reception area, unmanned, is off to the side, with a counter between guest and concierge (but no concierge at the moment).  On the counter sits a single bell, tapped to be rung.  Beyond the counter and the space behind the encounter is a wall lined with cubbies.  Depended from chains, a sign proclaims this establishment to be The Emperor of Curd.

The lobby has two exits in addition to the front entrance.

Once she has stepped inside, Lotti ducks outside again to double check on the window scene.  Does she see the others inside, or is the original scene still present?

Cassandra does just the opposite.  She looks outside, through the window of the tavern, to see if she can see Lotti (or a different outdoor scene from what we just left).

While Cassandra and the half elf do their thing, Ereth whispers to the rest of the group, "Something's clearly wrong here, and we've had a long day. I could use some rest and a chance to study my spell book. Maybe it would be safer to head back up the road a hundred paces and find a good spot to camp for the night? I don't know about all of you, but I'd rather explore this place in the light of day."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:13, Tue 10 May 2022.

Getting no immediate response from anyone, Ereth added, "Or if you prefer a roof and four walls to the outdoors, maybe we could just crash on these couches? Naturally we'd need to set a night watch either way..."

Ornwin commented "If there were rain or snow or the like, I'd stay at the inn, no matter how haunted it might be. But if we have no weather of that sort, I agree that it would be best to camp outside -- outside this weird village altogether -- and only explore by day when the powers of light grow stronger against those of darkness."

As Lotti goes about her inspection, she can't help but smile as the dwarf and human speak their minds.  She shares her own thoughts as the conversation continues.

"We've just witnessed our driver get eaten alive out on the Derfingel, and all we've seen here so far is an illusion to fool weary travellers into thinking the place is more comfy and inviting than it really is.  Why would you want to go running off outside again?  Don't get me wrong, I'm usually the first to want to sleep naked out under the stars, but not in the Derfingel.  Not the Derfingel.

OOC:  Besides that, to quote this games boss.


Lotti is interested in hearing from Cassandra what she sees when she looks out from the inside.  "Could you see me waving and blowing raspberries at you?"

If after Cassandra reports her view it all appears kosher she suggests, "Why don't we just ring the bell and see what happens from there?"

OOC: I waited until Lotti was outside before putting my question to the party. And I assume she couldn't have heard Ornwin's response either. For the record, I wasn't proposing that we hike a mile into the swamp. That's why I said 100 paces, still within the town limits. And also why I offered up the alternative of sleeping in the room we're in, if folks prefer the indoors to the outdoors. Ornwin has expressed his opinion. I'm interested to hear from Otis and Trevion, and perhaps Cassandra.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:21, Tue 10 May 2022.

Noting the silence of the town during thir approach, Otis is deeply suspicious of the noise and merriment coming from the inn as they approach. Too obvious! Like a mouse spotting a piece of cheese (that's actually in a trap).

Now that folks are inside Otis looks around and see some new and some not quite so new faces. He introduces himself with a formulaic, "I'm Otis, martial defender of the woods and devout follower of Mielikki." and bows, transcribing a small arc as he does so.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:12, Tue 10 May 2022.

Trevion walked a slow circle around the vacant lobby, taking in the couches and neglected plants before approaching the counter. A studious frown on his face, he searched for any signs of recent movement or occupation, any hint that someone besides the travelers had recently been present here.

Trevion nodded slowly in response to Ereth’s observations. ”There is something strange at work here, though I cannot guess at what it is. Perhaps it would be wiser to make camp at the edge of the village.”
This message was last edited by the player at 13:36, Tue 10 May 2022.

In reply to Trevion (msg # 12):

“Do you sense anything evil, in here, Trevion?  I haven’t.  So far....”  Cassandra’s voice trails off as she continues to look for Lotti through the tavern window.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 16:18, Tue 10 May 2022.

Ereth responds to Cassandra's question, "I confess, I do not sense anything particularly 'evil' about this place, but then again, I don't possess any special power to detect such things. It's just creepy, for obvious reasons."

He then put his own question to her. "There are three votes for exiting the premises, camping at the edge of town, and returning here in the light of day. You are a woman of wisdom. What do you think is best at this point?"

In reply to Ereth (msg # 14):

“I would not mind an actual room and bed, if anyone was alive and awake here to offer a few to us.  But I am definitely not comfortable camping out in THIS empty tavern room - despite the availability of couches and chairs.  I could use some sleep too.”

Cassandra pauses to consider any other options, but no good ones come to mind under the current circumstances.

“I’m not sure how many paces it is, but I guess I generally agree with Trevion. Let’s head to the edge of town, near the road, and find the best spot we can for the night.  Dry and defensible would be ideal since we need to heal, sleep and recover spells.  I just hope the sun actually rises, come morning.”

Let me see what can be revealed to me…” The soldier’s voice trailed off as he began to concentrate, seeking to sense anything of ill intent within the vicinity.

OOC: Utilize Trevion’s Detect Evil ability (60’ radius).

With something near telepathy, Lotti and Cassandra wordlessly conduct their experiment. Lotti darts back outside and then pivots back to look through the smoky glass and sees her partner looking right back at her. On the other side of the glass, Cass beholds the half-elf with her face pressed against the window with the ever thickening grey mists swirling about her.

As if in response to Orwin's speculation, Ereth's first whispered words boom through out the desolate lobby:

"Something's clearly wrong here!"
     "Something's clearly wrong here!"
          "Something's clearly wrong here!"

Surveying the lobby and then the counter, Trevion studies the copious coating of dust upon every surface his eyes linger on, including the bell atop the counter.

In reply to Otis (msg # 11):

Ornwin bows deeply to Otis, and says, "I am honored to have your company, and your courage in our defense."