"Well, this is meant to be a test. No doubt the pillows are there to make sure nobody gets really hurt."
"Though if that's the case, I wonder why there were skeletons in the front hall? They certainly tried to kill us."
The first shove against the door opens it just a crack. Sir Bleeparolo gets a glance on the other side of barrels and boxes, some of which have been put just behind the door as a barricade. As you peer through the space, the wailing stops.
The arrow flies wild, but it's quickly followed by a cry. "The angry bones are here again, here again, here again, the angry bones are here again, from the dead who speak!"
"We are not bones, by The Master's Big Toe! We are flesh and blood!"
Did you come here with Gerol and Vark? if you come out we can escort you to the entrance, none of you should even be here it's far to dangerous. Ash speak calm as she questions and scolds, It is impossible for us to be undead, we possess intelligence and the capacity to speak.
Bela gives Fonzy a look that conveys her thoughts about him entering the room alone, namely that she doesn't think it's a good idea. "It sounds like he might be a little touched in the head," she whispers to the others. Although she has compassion for the plight of the afflicted, she also recognizes the dangers involved in trying to calm them. Nevertheless, she does as Fonzy bids, stepping away from the door and allowing him to defuse the situation.
"Gerol and Vark? You wish to talk? But what about the bones that walk? And the dead that talk? The dead are all that dwell in this tomb, and I'll not let the likes of them in my room!" With a desperate laugh, the man shoves something into the crack between the door and the wall. Fonzy notices the head of a crossbow bolt sticking out, but before he can react, the bolt is lodged in the young man's leg.
I am beginning to grow irritated with this stupidity, the undead in the immediate area have been laid to rest...I do not fear bones, death, walking corpses, or spirits, as i am not a coward. Open the door, we are obviously not undead and have offered to take you out of this place do not be stupid Ash closes her eyes her normally cold voice turning to one similar to a mother scolding a child, her brow twitching, she turns to the others I am no good at this...
Bela hisses in sympathetic pain as the crossbow bolt embeds itself into Fonzy's leg. As painful as it looks, Bela feels no satisfaction in being proven right about the danger the crazed man posed, only gratefulness that Fonzy's injuries aren't far worse. If anything, she also feels a bit guilty that it was by her suggestion that they came across the man at all. Calling on the gift bestowed upon her by the Gods, Bela sends out a wave of gentle, soothing light to mend her and her companions' wounds and ease their pain.
"I'm sad to say that I think he's too far gone to reason with. At the same time, I worry what leaving him on his own would mean, not only for him but for us. I think enough dangers lurk in this crypt without having a madman loose. Any ideas?"
|
Fonzy screams as the bolt enters his thigh (Think like Ace Ventura when the spear gets thrown into his leg.) Instantly regretting taking the lead on calming the man down.
Reeling in pain, Fonzy can barely speak, "We can try knocking him out, but first we gotta get the door open. What are yall thinkin?"
Fonzy manages to safely remove the bolt from his leg.
"Maybe we should leave him in there for now. He seems determined to keep others out, so he is probably safe."
break the door down, after that we disarm him,.Should be an easy task, or if you can open it with less destructive means go ahead. After that we can make camp.
|
|
"That's it! We are busting in whether you like it or not! And if you so much as point that crossbow at me again you'll be pulling it out of your arse! Im bleeding you daft fool! A ghost nor an undead would do so." Fonzy yells, fed up with the crazed man, as he leans against the door for support. Unable to ram it himself with his injury.
I am not adept at brute force...
"Fine, if you lot insist..."
"Blast! I can't seem to get any leverage! Anyone have a prybar?"
Varkha sees the others trying to force the door open, and leans against the door.
The cranking ceases, and once again a bolt peers out the crack of the door. The trigger is pulled and a bolt flies into Sir Bleeparolo's shoulder . "You'll not take me to your dead master, walking these halls in mail and chain. The voice of death shall not be heard by the ears of Roldare."
"Blast!" Sir Bleeparolo shouts as he is struck. He rocks backwards in the saddle.
"Dammit man! We don't want to hurt you!"
Ashling keeps trying to break the door down, throwing all her weight at it.
The door bursts open. Inside the small room, you see stacks of barrels and boxes - most of which look to be young compared to the crypt -. Behind a stack of boxes you see a man crouched with a crossbow.
Sir Bleeparolo looks at the man through the doorway.
"Hey, Roldare! It's me! Don't you recognize me?"
Sir Bleeparolo concentrates for a moment, staring at the man.
Bela clutches at her now freely bleeding shoulder with a hiss of pain. Through clenched teeth, she replies to Fonzy's suggestion of disarming the crazed man. "Yes. Please do." Pressing a hand to her wound, she waits outside the small room for the group to take down Roldare.
At Sir Bleeparolo's words, Roldare stops raising the crossbow. He shakes his head as though clearing it from the magic in Sir Bleeparolo's words. This distraction is just enough for Fonzy to dive in and hit the crossbow out of the man's arms.
Suddenly, the frantic shooter is cowering on the ground. "Y..y...you're not bones! You walk and breathe!" Looking around at the injuries he's caused, Roldare starts quivering as shock begins to set in. "Oh no, oh no..." he begins muttering.
He sits there rocking on his heels for a moment as some tears roll down his face. Looking up at all of you, he swallows and stands up. "I think that I have been...a little panicky lately. I truly am sorry for the harm I have caused, and will do whatever I can to make up for it."
"We fought and destroyed some skeletons before reaching this chamber."
"But we assumed that was a part of the test. We are here to retrieve the Everflame with this lantern, and return it to Kassen. We only arrived perhaps an hour or so ago."
"Why are you here? And were the skeletons not supposed to be here?"
Roldare's brow furrows as his mind replays unpleasant memories. "No, no skeletons were part of the test. I mean, this is a tomb, so there are skeletons, but they stay in their coffins. After all, dead people should be dead." Sensing you want more of an explanation, he perks up and continues.
"There were six of us coming here, to get the tomb ready for you. Set up the tests, and the like. We had these great plans for some pits that you'd drop into...perfectly safe, pillows at the bottom and all...and that was 3 days ago. Dimira had made some great scones for breakfast. Anyways, we spent the day setting traps and such like, but that night we were attacked. Skeletons coming out of the walls and such. Dunno where they come from, just that they're led by one with the voice of death, who stalks these halls in ancient mail."
Roldare's eye twitches for a moment as he struggles with reliving the past few days. "I ran and hid in here. The supplies we'd brought let me barricade the door, and for the most part I was quiet enough to be ignored."
Ashling sighs moving into the room, Clear signs of necromancy, what a bother. Sheathing her blade she sits leaning against a wall, We'll rest here for now and escort you out in the morning, do you think you can get back to the village? The four of us in the meantime will see what we can do about this undead issue, you did well to survive... Ashling closes her eyes, not sleeping but clearly in thought .
|
|
"Looks like we got 4 bedrolls, two bullseye lanterns with 4 flasks of oil, 5 days of food, and two healing potions. Ash I'm assuming you want one of the potions, Bleepy and Bela you two can heal yourselves right? So either of you can take it for emergencies. I don't plan on being close enough to get hit, but I would like a lantern and a couple flasks here."
Yes, just in case She responds accepting the potion, further responding in a serious tone. He was desperate and afraid, such things will drive anyone to insanity...Sometimes i forget that. She takes a deep breathe, letting things grow silent for a moment, We can give him some food for the road, and we can give him his weapon back in the morning. We'll need to trust him, the situation is complicated and unexpected.
After listening to the discussion, Roldare speaks up. "I'm not leaving...at least, not yet. My sister, Dimira, was dragged away by the skeletons during the fighting. Everyone else, the bones slaughtered like pigs! She's got to be alive, she's got to be, and I won't go anywhere without her."
While the others speak, Sir Bleeparolo murmurs to himself and puts his hand on his wound.
"With the door barricaded, this room should be pretty secure, as long as whoever is here is being quiet. If he survived in here this long he can probably manage a little longer."
"It is strange that you say the skeletons came from the walls. I have never heard of them doing that before. Maybe it has something to do with their leader. You told us it wears mail, and has the 'voice of death.' Can you tell us anything else about it?"
Roldare takes a deep breath and thinks hard before answering. "No, I'm afraid I don't know anything else," he says.
You can't do anything waiting here, if somehow she's alive we will bring her back. Though that does bring up something, why would she be dragged away and not just killed? It is an inconsistency.
"Let's all get some rest, then, and tomorrow the four of us will set out in search of your sister," Bela suggests. Even if Roldare wanted to join them in looking for Dimara, Bela feels his fragile mental state might prove too much of a liability. "But these traps you mentioned... If we knew what to look out for, the search for Dimara might go a lot quicker."
"I don't know why they'd keep her alive, but while they were slaughtering everyone else, Dimara was being taken away. Just the way it was." Roldare says.
To Belasara, he adds "I don't really know too much about the other traps. I was in charge of some pits and keys, and only heard about the other challenges in passing. I do know there's something about 'the shields and the keys,' and you'll need to go for a swim, but that's all I can remember."
He picks up his crossbow and hems and haws for a moment. "This crossbow won't be much use with me, but one of you might be able to use it to get some of those bones. Would any of you want to take it?" Posing this question, he holds forth his crossbow.
|
|
"You sure? You were a pretty good shot with it before." Fonzy says pointing toward his thigh. Afterward he sets up the extra bedrolls for him and his team and prepares for their rest. After getting settled he asks Roldare, "Do you have a map of the crypt or could you describe what areas you're familiar with so we can get a general idea of the other rooms?"
After asking about the crypt Fonzy gets ready to sleep. Offering to take the middle watch and instructing someone to wake him.
"I just...I don't want to lose my mind again," Roldare says apologetically. "I really am sorry about the damage I've done, and I'm sorry I don't know more about the rest of the tomb. None of us knew much about what the other traps were, just in case someone got word out to you."
With that, Roldare falls silent. He watches you discuss your plans before he himself falls into a fitful sleep. He mutters his sister's name occasionally, but is never overly disruptive.
***
As each of you sleep in turn, your dreams are also restless. You see images of warriors running corridors of stone. Fire and smoke fill the air, and you hear the shout "For Kassen!" ring through the air, accompanied by steel on steel. It feels as though the chaos will drag you down, when suddenly, you awaken feeling fully rested.