"That's an angry spirit! You need positive energy to stop it!"
"Spirit? Positive energy? Come on Drahlneep. We can't fight this thing. We must go!"
Cursing loudly, Drahlneep withdraws.
Ok, so much for exploring more before resting up. Lets hole up in the guard tower and get my and Perrik's spells back and then we should be able to deal with the Haunt tomorrow.
Perrik nods. "We'll keep the gate closed. Can one of you set up something where we climbed over the wall that will make a noise if someone else tries that?"
Finding their own mundane weapons utterly ineffective against the vengeful ghost blade, the kobolds retreat. They set a few simple traps along the crumbling wall and seem fated to hole up in the bloody watch tower as the gate house is still barred from inside.
Kricker heals himself and then volunteers for first watch.
"I will take the third watch."
The kobolds set guards through the day while they rest. First, Kricker, then Drahlneep, followed by Perik and Jeji. Winds grow through the day and by evening a rumble of lightning is heard through the tower's thick walls. Above, rain whispers on the parapets and Jeji thinks that she hears something scratching at the trapdoor to the tower's roof.
At hearing what she thought was a noise, Jeji quietly moved over to rouse Kricker. "I think I heard something above us. I will take a look, but cover me with your boom stick. Don't wake the others just yet. It may be nothing."
With that she set about trying to investigate the trapdoor to the roof.
Kricker readies his musket.
Kricker: ;
A dark and stormy night
Kricker stands at the bottom of the stairs with his musket ready while Jeji creeps up to the trapdoor. Slowly, Jeji opens it to the howling wind and beating rain. The sheets of rain obscure her view and she peers around craning her neck while the door is nearly wrenched out her grasp. Suddenly, a dark mass hurls itself at her!
Does Kricker need to make one as well? If so:
I ain't afraid of no ghost!
Kricker fires!
And then he reloads with a paper cartridge.
"By the scales, what is..." Jeji tries to finish her sentence but her body seizes up and she is unable to move.
The trap door is thrown wide as Jeji suddenly freezes before being blown off the stairs to the floor below. The rain pours in as Kricker's musket fires at the small shape in the storm. He hits and a moment later the shpe is gone. The other kobolds awaken to the sound of gunfire and the slamming trap door!
Something out there just attacked Jeji. Drahlneep get that door closed while I cover you!
Drahlneep manages to reach the top of the stairs and with some effort pulls the trap door closed. Jeji remains rigid and unmoving upon the floor. With the furious noise of the storm shut out once again, a scratching noise can be heard below from the bloody ground floor of the watch tower...
No need to go looking for trouble before Jeji is back up. Perrik, is there anything you can do for her?
The oracle examines Jeji quickly to see if mundane healing will help.
Perrik inspects his companion and finds her rigid and unmoving besides her eyes which dart wildly and shallow, shaky breaths hiss through clenched jaws. He does not think she can be helped without a prayer that could calm her emotions or inure her to fear, but fortunately, in about a dozen of his own measured heartbeats which it takes to inspect her, she seems to calm down and her muscles loosen until she regains control of herself.
"This place is cursed. We need to move on as soon as we can."
"What was it, Jeji?"
"Huauauaauauaua" Jeji gasped for air as the paralysis wore off. She could still breath, but not being able to move caused her to panic a bit. It was another moment before she climbed to her feet and her hands quickly skimmed her body to make sure everything was still where it was supposed to be.
"I...I don't know. I didn't really see anything. Just darkness really. Like a dark cloud or something, I don't know. It's...strong though, almost ripped the door right out of my hand. Did anyone see where it went?"
I think I heard it scratching around downstairs just now. Not sure how it got there, may be another thing. Lets keep our eyes peeled.
"Can you send some light down there? If we can't find it, we should leave. It should be dark soon...if not already." She scratched her head trying to remember if the darkness she saw was only the creature that attacked, or the night sky as well.
If the ugly sun had not already set, any light was choked off anyway by the thick storm clouds from the brief glimpse of darkness Jeji caught through the trapdoor. She requests a spell to explore the noises from the ground floor before remembering that Kricker and Perrik haven't had a chance to pray yet.
If people can be on the look out, I will commune with Gorum to receive his daily blessings.
"I also need some time to get my magic back."
"I will stand watch. Do what you have to." Jeji slipped a bomb out of her bandolier and held it tightly in hand. She wanted to be ready in case the creature or something else came back, and it was a little reassuring.
Jeji takes up a position at the top of the stairs to guard while her companions prepare. The scratching sounds stop, but all Jeji can see with her darkvision is the scattered bloody pieces of corpses. Jeji feels the eerie sensation that she is being watched as she waits until finally the other kobolds are ready.
We all ready?
Kricker readies his musket again and then casts light on a random piece of scrap and tosses it downstairs.
The dim light does not bother the kobolds, but casts creepy shadows over the dismembered bodies and dried blood of the cannibal abattoir.
Kricker can't quite make out any thing out of the ordinary down below.
"I bet it's still down there some where. Hiding where we can't see it. We should leave, continue on to this Scrapwall. The weather will hide us from the light and we'll have the cover of darkness soon. Hopefully whatever that is won't pursue us away from this place."
Whatever was making the noises down here appears to have left. Or has it? Certainly, the kobolds continue to feel uneasy as if whatever haunts the ruined fortress keeps them under its eerie gaze.
The only question is whether we want to check out the Chapel now that Perrik and I have our spells back. If the Humans couldn't get in there, there may be some pretty good loot to be had.
"Alright. You two go first. Drahlneep and I will guard your backs. Make sure that...whatever it was doesn't surround you."
Jeji's natural koboldish caution is waved aside by Kricker and she finally goes along. After a quick consultation, it is decided that the warriors will lead while Jeji and Perrik watch.
Perrik:
Kricker: ;
Drahlneep:
foe:
Combined with already feeling convinced that this place is cursed, the sight and sounds of the bodies paralyzes the normally fearless barbarian.
Kricker shrugs off the touch of the Gremlin or whatever.
Jeji snarled and drew out her shortsword as she moved closer to engage the creature.
Drahlneep falls onto the bloody floor rigid and unable to do anything but tremble with fear. Jeji draws a sword and moves to defend her fallen companion. The pair of strange creatures chitter excitedly and mob her. One tweaks her with a tiny pincer.
"Meenlocks! They can turn you into one of them if they catch you!" The oracle stabs at one of them from a distance, but can't hit the tiny target.