"We didn't take you, and we are trying to leave ourselves. We did not kidnap you." Illufaus realized that the man can probably not see. "Ah, dammit!" He clicks his fingers, and his shadow drops to the ground and reconnects with him. He takes out a torch, and lights it, glaring at the man in annoyance. "That better?" Then he thinks for a second. "Actually, do you mind carrying this? I need my hands to fight." He tosses the torch to him.
Jiang snatches the torch from the air deftly and uses the new light to consider the strangers before him. They all appeared well worn and bloodied and this place did not strike him as habitable, even for ne'er do wells like bandits or kidnappers.
Narrowing his eyes the monk nods slowly, I will follow you if you are also hoping to leave this place...
"Perfect! Let us continue." Illufaus turns and walks off.
Perdita Imogen, upon hearing the conversation ahead of her, steps forward to see who it was that arrived here to speak in such a manner to the Dying-Star.
"Illufaus, he has been kidnapped just as he said -- as have we been, by the Mists and the Dark Lords within them.
"We were on the road to Waterdeep in Faerun, Sir. From where do you hail?
"I am called Perdita Imogen, daughter of a wicked dryad in the Moonwood and one of her human slaves. You are well met by Illufaus. And the one behind me is Hack.
"We are trying to learn the mystery of this fog-enshrouded realm, and of this House as well."
Act 1: Death House
Scene 5: The Basement
Active Maps: Death House Floor 1 / Death House Floor 2 / Death House Floor 3 / Death House Attic / Death House Basement
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
As the party introduced themselves in the small room, Illufaus slipped south into the darkness to investigate the next chamber...
A 4-foot-diameter well shaft with a 3-foot-high stone lip descends 30 feet to a water-filled cistern. A wooden bucket hangs from a rope-and-pulley mechanism bolted to the crossbeams above the well. Five side rooms can be seen around the main area. Each contains a wood-framed bed with a moldy straw mattress and a wooden chest that rest at the foot of each bed. Each chest is secured with a rusty iron padlock.
In Game Time: 5:28pm
Jiang has a torch lit. (1 hour remaining.)
Illufaus has Mage Armor (AC 16)
Jiang absorbs the words of Perdita and frowns, I have lived in Waterdeep for some time...it was from there I was taken.
Moving after the warlock the monk looks about intently, What is the nature of this place? A barracks of some sort? Are we underground?
"Yes, we are underground. It appears to be a haunted house of some sort, and we can't get out." Illufuas says, growing his magic cloak absentmindedly, and renewing his magic armor. He then goes around trying to open the chests.
"Let's continue our search, but,....
Perhaps we should announce ourselves out loud to see if any walking dead or other poltergeists are hiding nearby."
"We should stay quiet. Those other zombies killed us all, what if they come, along with others? We would be destroyed."
Jiang stops suddenly.
What do you mean they killed you all?
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We have already been exploring throughout this house, and we died here in the basement. When we awoke, we found you.
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"I died twice!" Illufaus says cheerfully. "I got disintegrated by a ghost, and also eaten by zombies. That's why we are going this way instead of the other way. We don't want to run into them again." He seems to find nothing odd about dying two times.
Jiang hesitates. His masters had talked of those who attained the power of life and death and those who could pierce the veil and reach through it with words, and if they were strong enough, with material effect...but still to so cavalierly return...
Interesting. His tone makes it clear he finds it less "interesting" and more a "problem".
You will forgive me if I remain on guard around you but if, as you say, there are such perils I would rather work with the dead that are reasonable than the undead that are not...
"Do what you like." Illufaus smiles at Jiang. "I never caught your name." He looks back at the monk. "You know ours, so we appear to be at somewhat of a disadvantage."
Perdita Imogen stays quiet as the others discuss small conversation; she does not admit to having been killed, being still raw with emotion and denial.
The Fog came in and took us as before; the Lords of the Mists are tricking us. I did not die. I am not dead.
Once again she looks at the arcane sigillary on her flesh, momentarily not paying attention to the search of the first 'bedroom.'
Act 1: Death House
Scene 5: The Basement
Active Maps: Death House Floor 1 / Death House Floor 2 / Death House Floor 3 / Death House Attic / Death House Basement
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
As the group conversed Perdita moved into the first chamber to search it, the bed straw was moldy and old and the wooden chest had a rusty padlock on it. If she was going to find out what was inside she would need someone with proficiency in such tools as to bypass the lock or she would have to risk the contents by smashing it open. Maybe one of the others had a better idea.
In Game Time: 5:38pm
Jiang has a torch lit. (50 minutes remaining.)
Illufaus has Mage Armor (AC 16)
Illufaus has False Life (8 Temporary Hitpoints)
Illufaus goes and begins blasting off the chests locks with his magic.
Perdita continues to the other chambers in this room while Illufaus opens the chest.
B4
Jiang
Sensing there was little else to do Jiang will approach the well and hold the torch over it and look down...
Act 1: Death House
Scene 5: The Basement
Active Maps: Death House Floor 1 / Death House Floor 2 / Death House Floor 3 / Death House Attic / Death House Basement
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Illufaus used his force magic to try and blast the old rusty locks open but he found that the old wood just caved in under the blast way before the lock would give so he began blasting the tops off the chest as best he could hoping not to break anything of value. As he went Perdita followed go through each one.
Sifting through the destroyed chest they found...
- 11 gp and 60 sp in a pouch made of human skin.
- Three moss agates gems in a folded piece of black cloth.
- Black leather eyepatch with a carnelian sewn into it.
- Ivory hairbrush with silver bristles
- Silvered shortsword
As the duo searched the room, Jiang went over to the well and looked down. It descended 30 feet to a water-filled cistern below.
In Game Time: 5:48pm
Please let me know who is taking what items.
Jiang has a torch lit. (40 minutes remaining.)
Illufaus has Mage Armor (AC 16)
Illufaus has False Life (8 Temporary Hitpoints)
"I'll take the shortsword, unless anyone else wants it."
Jiang looks over at Illufaus, I have one of my own
Pulling back from the well the monk shrugs, Nothing in the well.
"Can anyone determine whether any of these are cursed?...."
.
"Well, let's not tarry."
Perdita Imogen moves to G9
Jiang follows behind Perdita, torch in hand.
Hack works his way along with the others...
Act 1: Death House
Scene 5: The Basement
Active Maps: Death House Floor 1 / Death House Floor 2 / Death House Floor 3 / Death House Attic / Death House Basement
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Perdita picked up a few of the items and left the others for anyone else who wanted anything, she then moved to the southeast and looking down that corridor she sees steps that lead up then a corridor that turns south and then more steps up and a corridor that turns south.
In Game Time: 5:52pm
Please let me know who is taking what items.
Jiang has a torch lit. (36 minutes remaining.)
Illufaus has Mage Armor (AC 16)
Illufaus has False Life (8 Temporary Hitpoints)
Illufaus grabs everything left, assuming nobody else wants it.
"There appears to be another passage. We should follow it."
I will put these items in a special spoiler, and if you want some, pick through it and ask me.
Illufaus will be taking the silver shortsword, and the eyepatch for himself. The rest is open for the taking!
Jiang nods at Illufaus and gestures with the torch for the elf to lead on...
Act 1: Death House
Scene 5: The Basement
Active Maps: Death House Floor 1 / Death House Floor 2 / Death House Floor 3 / Death House Attic / Death House Basement
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Illufaus gathers up the other items and proceeds forward, he stops at the intersection and looks around, trying to piece everything together in his mind, he knew they had to be close to the ghouls that had killed them earlier, he didn't wish to repeat that step again. He knew if they got too close that the light from the torch would attract them.
In Game Time: 5:56pm
Jiang has a torch lit. (32 minutes remaining.)
Illufaus has Mage Armor (AC 16)
Illufaus has False Life (8 Temporary Hitpoints)
"Extinguish the torch." Illufaus whispers, scanning the area. "Proceed quietly."
"and how will I see?"
-Posted with Wayfinder
"I'll lead you." Illufaus says. "Unless you would rather fight ghouls."
Act 1: Death House
Scene 5: The Basement
Active Maps: Death House Floor 1 / Death House Floor 2 / Death House Floor 3 / Death House Attic / Death House Basement
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
As Perdita moved past illufaus and into the corridor to the south, several rotted wooden planks, all hidden under a thin layer of dirt suddenly give way at Perdita's feet causing her to fall into a five foot wide, ten foot deep pit with sharpened spikes at the bottom. The loud crash combined with the yelp of pain as Perdita landed and impaled herself on the spikes would certainly draw anything close by that could have heard.
In Game Time: 6:00pm
Perdita takes 2 hitpoints of bludgeoning damage from the fall.
Perdita takes 9 hitpoints of piercing damage from the spikes.
Perdita has 5 of 16 hitpoints remaining.
Perdita is prone.
Jiang has a torch lit. (28 minutes remaining.)
Illufaus has Mage Armor (AC 16)
Illufaus has False Life (8 Temporary Hitpoints)
Perdita has 5 of 16 hitpoints remaining.
Illufaus freezes, torror in his eyes, and takes out his shortsword, readying himself to fight. He casts a small spell, and moves back. He grabs the torch out of Jiang's hand, and chucks it away. "Stay quiet!" He hisses. Then, he listens for any sound of the ghouls.
Moving back to G-9.
Taking the torch, and throwing it to B-9.
(adding dex).
Hack takes out his Hempen rope and dangles an end into the pit.
Il, you know I can't see. Give me some light.Jiang, do you wanna climb down or hold the rope because one of us is going to get her.
whispering:
"Keep your eyes open for any fiends who heard me cry out and are coming this way."
Perdita Imogen slowly gets up off the jagged and broken spikes, Well, at least the spikes broke my fall, and looks around the floor of this hole in the ground before getting help out.
"I could use some salve and bandages for these scrapes; and I think I may be concussed."
Act 1: Death House
Scene 5: The Basement
Active Maps: Death House Floor 1 / Death House Floor 2 / Death House Floor 3 / Death House Attic / Death House Basement
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Illufaus moved back away from the corner as he cast an illusion over the pit and took the torch from Jiang's hand and tossed it back as far as he could in the room, the light pulled away from the hall with the pit that Perdita had fell into.
Hack tried moving into the darkness toward the pit and almost fell in himself as he uncoiled the rope from his pack, feeling for the edge of the opening he dropped the rope down as he heard Perdita wince time and time again as she pulled herself free from the spikes. Her half-elven eyes letting her see the rope dangled before her.
Before she had time to pull herself up the sounds of shuffling toward the south could be heard, something had heard them and it was coming this way. Hack could only imagine as he could not see and Perdita had yet to get out of the pit.
What would they do.....
In Game Time: 6:03pm
Jiang has a torch lit. (25 minutes remaining.)
Illufaus has Mage Armor (AC 16)
Illufaus has False Life (8 Temporary Hitpoints)
Perdita has 5 of 16 hitpoints remaining.
Illufaus crooks his hand, and fog begins to form around his fingers, ready to launch.
Give me some damn light, or I am useless to you all!
"I guess we're fighting then." Illufaus sighs.
Jiang frezes in place at the sudden flurry of activity around the torch and the pit and then the sudden issue of a threat. Not really seeing what Illufaus has done the monk moves to pick up the torch and hisses a reponse in a low voice,
Hack should return to us. Perdita Imogen should hide in her hole. Illufaus means to run but perhaps if we must engage, we harry them as the wasp or the falcon does...
"Do you know how fast these things are? Because I don't. But even if we run, we have nowhere to go."
So, if we had a way to dash on each of our turns, I could see this working. As it is? It will only let us run away for a little while.
Hack draws his axe, sets his feet, and prepares to fight.
Light, now! We fight!
Perdita Imogen climbs out of the hole, nodding to her benefactor, and moves quickly back in the hope of at least creating a bottleneck.
Act 1: Death House
Scene 5: The Basement
Active Maps: Death House Floor 1 / Death House Floor 2 / Death House Floor 3 / Death House Attic / Death House Basement
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Illufaus moved back into the room to where he had thrown the torch, picked it up and then readied his spell if it was needed.
Jiang moved and took the torch back from Illufaus and then moved back to his position to give Hack some much needed light to work with.
With Hack's rope Perdita climbed out of the hole and moved back next to Jiang and used her own curative magic to heal herself.
The group readied and waited but the sounds of movement quieted down for the moment and the silence returned.
In Game Time: 6:11pm
Perdita used 10 points of Lay on Hands (0 of 10 remaining.)
Perdita gains 10 hitpoints from Lay On Hands.
Perdita has 15 of 16 hitpoints remaining.
Jiang has a torch lit. (17 minutes remaining.)
Illufaus has Mage Armor (AC 16)
Illufaus has False Life (8 Temporary Hitpoints)
Perdita Lay on Hands (0 of 10 remaining.)
Perdita has 15 of 16 hitpoints remaining.
Illufaus takes some rope, and lowers himself carefully into the pit, attaching more rope on the other side. He climbs up again, casts a spell, and then creeps past.