...producing a monster's corpse may help assure the villagers that we're not to blame...
Teldon moves to block the open window. Putting his knowledge of arcane theory into practice, he summons a shred of eldritch energy into his longspear and readies it to strike whatever threat emerges from the darkness.
"Zee, if you could, some dancing lights would be helpful..."
Looking at Joanna with a smile that's only slightly forced, Zee squeezes her friend's shoulder. "Come on, Joanna! Think of the Eleven Acts of Iomedae and draw your courage from those!"
With a reassuring nod, Zee walks toward Teldon's position while casting a spell.
From her fanned Harrow deck float four ghostly cards, each shining brightly with a greenish glow. Now standing by the window opposite to Teldon, she gestures and one of the floating cards floats through the open window.
As the card floats noislessly into the room, a sickly green light picks out those features of the room which where shrouded in darkness before...
...a door leading into a hallway and a set of stairs leading upwards...
...a single rickety looking rocking chair next to a hearth...
...a large hessian sack lying open just within the window...
...and, dripping from the ceiling, dark viscous liquid - spattering in a growing puddle on the floor...
Joanna can't answer her friends, the words keep catching in her throat whenever she tries, it's only when Zee mentions the Acts of Iomedae, that Joanna finds her voice.
"I am not Iomedae, Zee. I am not that great," she whispers, almost as if speaking too loudly will bring the ire of her goddess on her head.
Joanna carefully makes her way to the stairs, her hands white-knuckled on her sword. She remembered the squeal had seemed to come from above them. Then there was the liquid dripping down to the floor. Fear made her hesitate, but duty pushed her forward.
Maybe... Maybe Mother-Dearest was right. Maybe I am hopeless without anyone to help, and asking the others to bear that...
The floorboards in the farmhouse creak beneath Joanna's feet... And, as she moves across the sticky floor, the iron smell of blood fills her nostrils... The walls, dark and caked in mildew, seem to close in even as the light of Ziomarra's cards struggle against the darkness... illuminating the the stairs, just beyond the room, that curve around and upwards - an ornate banister and a long ruined carpet tell of better times...
...and there, at the foot of the stairs, movement... a rolling and writhing mass of tendrils sliding up the stairs... coiling around the banisters and slipping up each step - for a moment, it seems like the foot of the stairs has come alive...
Joanna scrambles back, stumbling to the ground. Her breathing come fast and shallow as she scuffles along the floor. She felt like her heart was about to burst. It was too much, far too much.
A high, shrill scream escapes from Joanna's mouth.
After Joanna's reply, Zee smiles and replies, "None of us are. The gods inspire us to strive for greatness. It's the best any of us can do." With a reassuring squeeze of her friend's shoulder, she lets the paladin lead the way into the farmhouse.
Zee's smile drops at Joanna's scream.
Zee hold up a Harrow card as if ready to throw it, and rushes into the room behind Brianna.
With the smell of fresh blood in the air, Zee first makes sure Joanna is all right, then turns her attenton to the mass of writing tendrils on the stairs. She motions for one of her glowing cards to float closer so that she can get a better look-- but she does not draw nearer.
Zee also glances up to the ceiling to make sure nothing dangerous is about to drop on their heads.
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Teldon watches with great interest as Joanna enters the room and moves toward the stairs. As she moves past him he follows her deeper in. When she screams and flings herself backwards he quickly steps past her, shielding her from the threat...
As soon as he spots the creature he assesses it ( ). He raises his spear to stab it then pauses... with his longspear still poised to strike he quietly asks, "there's no chance of this being someone's pet, right?" as much to himself as to anyone else. "I don't want to kill it and then discover the dripping blood is a pig's and we've trespassed here and murdered their beloved pet..."
As eyes adjust to the dim light within the farmhouse, two things become apparent:
Firstly, the liquid seeping through the ceiling is indeed blood, dark and viscous… whilst with more light, the tendrils that appeared to be climbing the stairs are in fact, a mass of snakes. Agitated by Joanna’s scream, by the strange moving light of the harrow cards and by Teldon’s spear, the mass separates into separate creatures. There are many snakes of different sizes and colours however it is immediately apparent that the danger is posed by the three black and green striped serpents that, with fangs bared, start to slide their way towards Teldon…
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The white haired woman puts what she hopes to be a reassuring hand on Joanna's shoulder.Then she takes her in her arm, talking into her ear
Joanna, you're not alone. We're all in this. Stand by me, my friend. Don't be ashamed of your fear. You're human. We all can feel fear, we all can succumb to it, because unlike the animals, we know we can die. I'm here, with you, my dear. Feel my love, my gratitude, for each kind word you said to me, for your support and help in my times of doubt and fear. I've shut myself from life, I turned to the worship of the deceased, my world was dark and gloomy. Then I meet you, and you brightened my world again, like a little spark of hope and kindness. You thrusted your hand to me, spiritually speaking, and pulled me up when I was down, in a tomb of my own making. I know that love, courage and compassion are still there, deep in your heart and soul, just shadowed by a strong, but temporary, negative emotion.
You are a beautiful, kind and courageous woman, Joanna. You will always be. Now I want you to take my hand, I want you to let me pulling you up. It is my time. Let love and compassion strenghten our hearts.
Arsith kisses Joanna's forehead, then takes a scroll out of her backpack and reads it
,
,
Teldon stabs two of the snakes as they advance on him, the third, however, sinks its fangs deep into his shin. As a burning sensation spreads through his blood he announces, "be careful, these are venomous snakes!" With a wince he steps backward and attempts to finish off the most injured conscious snake...
,
Joanna scrambles to her feet and draws her sword before hacking at the writhing snakes, each two-handed blow accompanied by a whimper.
Zee touches the Harrow card she'd been holding to her forehead, which causes it to glow. She then flings it at the nearest venomous snake. The card trais bluish sparks as it spins through the air.
The card continues spinning as it reverses direction and flies back toward Zee. She catches the card effortlessly, shuffles it into her spell deck, and draws another.
Teldon stabs at the snakes as they move in, their lithe bodies swaying hypnotically – twice, he manages to spear them… and then, the one he misses, rears up and bites his thigh. The initial pain of the puncture wound is sharp but the feeling that follows, as the poison takes hold, is much worse…
Encouraged by Arsith’s words, Joanna steps forwards and slices at the most wounded of the snakes – her blade, arcing in a perfect curve, clean takes the serpents’ head off…
Neither Briana nor Ziomarra manage to connect with their attacks - Nalathi runs forwards and tries to spear one of the snakes yet, in the poor light, she mistakenly catches a coil of rope that was carelessly left near the foot of the stairs…
The two remaining snakes, slithering and coiling, strike at Joanna and at Briana...
Joanna rips the snake off in near blind panic before taking her sword in both hands and bringing it down.
Teldon blinks and sways for a moment as the burning sensation of the venom spreads farther up his leg. Taking a deep breath and focusing, he stabs again at the wounded snake...
,
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"Șerpi. De ce a trebuie să existe șerpi?"
Zee casts a spell, fans her Harrow deck, then throws the fanned deck at the snakes. The cards immolate themselves and a cone of flame envelops the snakes.
Her cards then magically appear in her hand, apparently none the worse for wear.
Arsith takes her weapon and strikes another snake, if they aren't already roasted by Zee's magic tricks
Joanna and Arsith both miss with their attacks, the snakes proving to be an elusive target within the mess of the ruined hallway... And then, stepping forwards, Ziomarra creates a column of flame... The stench of scorched reptile is appalling and, for one terrible moment, it seems that the staircase may catch fire - but it proves to be too damp...
Teldon's spear catches one of the snakes and, scurrying around, Nalathi pins it to the floor with her trident... It struggles briefly before becoming permanently still...
The final snake, it's only injury the burn delivered by Ziomarra, bites once more at Joanna... And, once more misses...
Zee draws another card and flings it at the remaining snake.
The card then arcs through the air to Zee's outstretched hand.
Teldon frowns at the sight of Briana wincing in pain. Quickly deciding that the threat must be eliminated before he can earnestly check on her, he moves to flank the serpent with Joanna and attempts to stab it again...
,
Joanna keeps trying to hack the snakes to pieces, and misses.
A clumsy, but powerful attacks smashes the last step of the stairs.
If snakes could laugh, this one would roll on the floor...
Despite the poison coursing through their veins - or maybe because of it, Teldon and Briana find the strength to stop the final snake... There are other snakes within the mass of 'tendrils' writhing at the foot of the stairs but they are small, inconsequential things...
...and then there is another squeal from upstairs - a high pitched shriek that stops abruptly...
Before the last poisonous snake's corpse has even stopped writhing, Teldon rushes over to Briana. At the squeal his gaze turns momentarily upwards but it doesn't deter him from wrapping one arm around her and softly brushing the hair back out of her face with the other. "Are you alright" he asks looking deeply into her eyes, "the pain will subside in a moment, though we will likely feel the effects of the poison for several days..."
He hugs her tightly, but briefly, then continues, "I may be able to synthesize an anti-venom to help us recover but I think, perhaps, we'd better hurry upstairs to investigate that shriek now."
"N-n-no, b-but t-that scream," Joanna stammers out as she looks to the stairs and shakily makes her way up the stairs.
Teldon reluctantly lets go of Briana. His eyes linger on her for a moment and then he turns and races up the stairs.
As his feet move quickly his mind moves with even greater speed. Passing Jo on the way, he quietly exhorts her, "You are strong enough to conquer this fear; come quickly, an innocent life may hang in the balance."
I haven't been bitten by the snakes, and I don't suffer from poison. Let me go first, Joanna.Please. I'd be happy to have you right behind me, to watch my back. I can defend myself... Teldon, Briana, I have an healing kit, maybe I can find some counter-poison in it, if you're not into a hurry to throw yourself into more danger. Let me take care of your wounds first.
"And I have some healing magic, if you need it now."
With a Harrow card at the ready, Zee climbs the stairs behind her friends.
Immediately following the shriek, the dripping of blood through the ruined ceiling behind you becomes quicker once more – the dark puddle growing ever larger even as it starts to run into cracks in the floor boards… The noise and the second gush of blood is cue enough for Teldon and his compatriots to quickly move up the stairs – the steps of the old staircase creak and groan under the heavy footsteps.
The farmhouse is not a tall structure and the stairs lead into the eaves of the building – the roof is intact here although the plaster of the ceiling is cracked and, in places, mouldy… A single window on the staircase provides limited light illuminating the single door at the top of the stairs. A shabby wooden affair with a bolt, currently unlocked, on the stairs side of the door. And, to the left of the door, a coathook has been hammered into the wall – a dark brown stain is smeared on the wall around and beneath the hook….
The smell of death hangs heavy in the air and, beyond the door, the sound of someone… or something… moving around. Step… drag… Step… drag…
That doesn't sound good.
Aristh tries to pass Joanna on the stairs, so the holy warrior won't be in first line this time.
Of course, she readies herself for battle
Teldon flings open the door and takes in the scene beyond it...
Wasting little time, Teldon flings open the door into the attic space – the room beyond is cramped by the eaves of the roof, dark and buzzing with flies… To one end of the attic, a moderately sized hole in the roof provides some illumination. Beneath the hole, several cages – some of which appear to be occupied – stand stacked in a row whilst, closer to you, several bloodied animal corpses hang on hooks… buckets beneath the bodies catch draining blood…
There is only a moment to take in the grizzly scene before a man, wearing a filthy leather apron and wielding a club hammer, runs at you with a hobbled gait – one leg dragging uselessly behind the other…
”Darn it… Ya’ll better git from ma property”
this is exactly what I was afraid of...
"Jimmy, wait!" Teldon calls out, "we heard the shriek and just wanted to make sure you were alright." As he speaks he lowers his spear tip toward the floor but remains at the ready...
The man, hearing Teldon and Briana, stops his shambling charge yet keeps his hammer in his hands... Panting with the exertion of running, he gasps, "Say, do I know y'all? How come's you know mah name? Anyone who knows me, well, they'd know what ah do on mah own farm... Yah'll weren't thinking that was a human cry now was yah?"
"We-we-we did. We were told that you might know something about a Mister Kyle by the townsfolk in Ravenmoor," Joanna says as she lowers her sword.
he's going to be angry when he finds out we killed his snakes... any information we hope to get we better get quickly, up here, before he discovers it...
"Indeed we did fear, when we heard the noise, that something had happened to you. We're sorry to intrude, and don't want to waste your time while you're in the middle of working, but if you could quickly tell us all you know about Mr Kyle's return to Ravenmoor we'd be glad to pay a few gold for your troubles and get out of your hair."
Is he serious? We haven't said anything about a human cry, why does he talks about it?
– Nothing seems particularly ‘off’ about the man who is presumably ‘Lame Jimmy’….
”Kyle yah say? Gold yah say? Yeah, I reckin I kin tell yah about the feller…. Here, give me a moment – Ah cud do with some air”, putting his gore-soaked hammer to one side, he asks, ”Say, cud one of yee give me a hand stringin’ this last one up? Damned heavy buggers this time o’ year – they bin feedin’ real good”. He takes one end of the mass that was lying on the floor towards the rear of the attic… a mass that reveals itself to be a dead stirge - its skull half smashed in.
Smiling a near toothless smile at whoever helps, ”Let’s git him hung up and then we can talk aht in the yard”.