Rufus slashes again at the terrifying creature, nearly out of desperation as he sees Vrilli getting pulled into its clutches. His massive blade sinks into the quivering mass, and cleaves directly through! The icky bits fall to the side, their slimy exteriors drying up almost instantly, then flaking as they turn to ash.
Rufus leans against the wall, panting, as the others tend to Vrilli. "I don't know how much more of this we can endure. I hope, for all our sakes, that we are close to unraveling the mysteries of Harrowstone." After a while he wipes his brow with the back of his gauntlet, smears of ooze-ashe staining his moist flesh. "Are we ready to move further down the corridor?"
Leeoli raises his hand to his temple, a headache aching behind his eyes. His face, red from acid, looks haggardly at Rufus. I rather have a mug of beer, than go further down this passage. I fear that our greatest threat lies beyond that way. But time is quickening, and delay can be Ravengro's undoing.
Leeoli reaches down and finds his extract pouch empty I've spent all my extracts, but I wonder..I feel a new strength in my bones...as though my constitution can bear the ingestion of more extracts than I was able previously. I will need them if we go on.
Over the several next minutes, Leeoli prepares two more extracts, one of shielding, and one a new and untested formula of alchemical spittle. You know Rufus, I think I've figured out the trick of making white essence...I'm quite eager to try, but as you know its preparation takes at least an hour.
"Hmm yes, perhaps we should return to the manor and rest before we venture further? Zazaria, what say you? Have you prayers enough to face more spirits?"
You know Rufus, I think I've figured out the trick of making white essence...I'm quite eager to try, but as you know its preparation takes at least an hour.
Rufus's head snaps around. "What? What do you mean? You wish to rectify your spirit?" Rufus's eyes dart back and forth in confusion as he tries to remember. Had he left his journal lying out in the open? Had he been too forthcoming in the secrets from it? Or had he truly underestimated Leeoli's genius, and the man had devised his own method from the scattered details that Rufus had prepared. Independently proposed, perhaps?
"Leeoli, you mustn't! The, the side effects!" He shuts his mouth. Then opens it again. "You don't know what it can do to you...!"
Come now, I suspect mine will have a slight purple tinge to it. Leeoli smiles as Rufus seems to go through a series of emotions only to realize at the end what Leeoli had accomplished.
Its a modification of the procedure I inferred from your equipment and ingredient manifests. My apologies, I could not help but notice. And the effects will be a bit different...and as for the side effects...Well, I'm not a pretty man anyway.
I call it the Midnight Essence
"Of course they'll be different. They're different for everyone! But..."
They had certainly been different for father. And for Edgar, too? He couldn't be sure, for he'd been unable to determine if his brother had also used the essence. But if so, that was two suicides. He'd begun to wonder these past two days if he might make three. And if the essence was to blame, what of Leeoli? Could he let his friend drive himself to an early grave?
Of course, Rufus had also had the cursed axe to contend with, and its interaction with the chemicals is completely uncertain...
"Yes, midnight. Dark and inscrutable. And dangerous. You proceed at your peril, my friend."
Yes friend. Let us help the other, in all things.
Leeoli looks down the hall. Shall we face this tomorrow, or go on?
"I think that depends on Zaz. Are you up to continuing?"
Vrilli would you kindly use our wand of light wound curing, and patch me up?
Zazaria seems to fidget a bit as she considers, her hands wringing the folds of her robes, then releasing them. I'm not at full strength, that's for certain. I can call upon my goddess to send the undead back to their rest, but she'll only heed my call for three more times today. It may be enough.
Seeming to come to a conclusion from within, she nods. Yes, I will continue if you are able to, as well. I'd see this through to completion, so that we can release this town from the hold of this vile place.
After a pause, Zazaria smiles quietly. Perhaps the more extreme among my co-religionists are right about the value of suffering. I find that our trials here have strengthened me in some ways...as if I have grown closer to the Lady of Graves, and am granted more knowledge.
"Very well." Rufus clutches his ooze-coated sword, still shining from Dura's magic, and advances further down the tunnel, listening.
You proceed past the sticky gelatinous remains of the dark ooze as it continues to "melt" away into the surrounding floor as a less substantial liquid. Vile smelling steam floats up from it as it sizzles away.
The narrow corridor continues to another faux wall, this one having crumbled mostly away already, though not enough for the ooze to have escaped its prison. You enter a large, dark cell, and shine Rufus's light into the distance.
Several iron doors line the walls of this partially ruined cellblock - the doors themselves hang askew on their hinges, revealing empty cells beyond. Partially burnt wooden support timbers still function to the north, while to the south they've collapsed and caused cell walls to crumble as well. Rivulets of water drip down the southwestern wall to create a shallow pool in this ruined portion of the room, with overflow filling an oubliette hole in the middle of the room nearly to the rim.
There's another portcullis to the north, that matches the one through which you'd previously passed. This one is down, and set firmly in place. Inside the cell in which you've entered the cellblock, rusty manacles hang from pegs on the wall.
"And of course, there's another pit. Who the hell designed this place?"
Rufus wasn't sure what to expect, really. That they'd be met by the last ghosts remaining in the prison? Directly challenged? Served tea? The specifics continue to elude him as they enter another mysterious chamber, where unimaginable suffering no doubt occurred.
"But we have seen enough to know the generalities," he continues his train of thought out loud. "There is yet an evil presence in this place, and we are the key to unlocking it from the prison. If we are brave enough. I think we are."
May the gods help us in this. He wants to say it aloud. But no, better to leave the prayers to the priests.
He takes a step inside.
"Hello Professor."
I'll just go ahead and take my shielding extract now. Leeoli follows Rufus.
Zazaria looks askance at Rufus, then at Leeoli as they step forward. I want this over. Pharasma, guide me, aid me, do not let us fail! Her eyes flick towards Vrili, then Dura, almost beseechingly...and then she follows Leeoli, staff held before her.
Rufus steps into the open cellblock, the others following closely behind. His silently uttered words echo oddly within the chamber, perhaps due to the small body of water in one corner. Only the incessant trickling of water replies to Rufus at first, though there is a frightening sense to the place - the touch of utter madness or uncontrolled rage.
The walls weep blood
Rufus gasps. "Sh-show yourself, coward!"
A strange pall comes over the room, and the light from Rufus's blade is just enough to see the evidence of Leeoli's claim.
Rufus's breath catches in his throat.
Dura's face pales visibly.
I don't know what to do. Leeoli could tell something was about to happen, but how to act? A run tactic? Pull a holy water? Negotiate a peace accord? I'm not really trained to deal with these incorporeal evils In the end, Leeoli runs to the center of the room while drawing a holy water.
As the blood weeps down the walls, it begins to form into symbols, then becomes clearly defined in the form of letters. Next to Rufus, an "R"; on the ground at Leeoli's feet an "L", forming on part of the rusted bars next to Zazaria a "Z"; and on the floor at Vrilli's feet a "V."
Those whose first letters have been revealed begin to feel as if they're losing control, as if some part of their sanity is being ripped away!
Dura! Henrik! This look familiar to you?
Rufus feels...something within the oubliette calling to him. The space before him seems to stretch out while, paradoxically, the dark opening draws nearer...
"Wh-what's down there?"
Dura is barely keeping it together. "They look like the letters from the statue in town!" She waves her hands through the air, inscribing a mystical symbol of protection.
Rrr...run!!!
Zazaria grimaces at Dura, then purses her lips. Remind me again how you dealt with it? She raises her hands and Pharasma's bright energy flares out, smiting the letters on the wall. Is this some sort of haunt? have we a siphon left?
Dura shakes her head at Zaz. "This is different, I fear. That seemed to be more of a case of possession."
None left. The used ones are in my pack.
Leeoli still was unsure what he could do. The safest course was to run, to re-equip, and come back fresh. But it may be too late for that. I must do something! Panic rises, and he swallows hard. Leeoli runs.
He runs and throws his vial of holy water at the bloody letters, hoping that it might do something, anything.
Leeoli's hurled missle hits the first letter of his name. The water smudges the letter only barely, but soon after, the power Pharasma imbued the water with begins to work, and the letter "L" dissolves away completely.
The power of Pharasma fills the chamber, called forth by one of her loyal priests. Immediately, the letters are wiped clean, as if someone used a dry rag and swiped it across. The blood instantly begins to bead up on the walls once again.
Henrik snarls at disappearing letters, but looks ready to do something if he can. At the moment though, that doesn't seem to be the case.
Rufus can only see pitch black water in the oubliette, now tinged faintly with blood red.
Clearly, they are not prepared.
"In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion."
Rufus turns back toward the tunnel entrance. "Run! Run back the way we've come, up into the daylight. This needs must wait until the morrow."
Rufus backs away, covering the others' retreat, then escapes into the passageway, the light from Dura's spell still casting them all in pallid relief.
Leeoli follows behind, eyes wide with whites. Flee!
The walls weep, and the darkness soon swallows the trickling blood, as if hungry to eat away and any life left within the chamber. Rufus's light leaves it, but he can't help but continually look back, expecting some new horror to crawl out and follow them.
The flight through the prison is pretty much as expected, seeing as how the group had gone through and vanquished any threats within it. Soon enough, the group was topside, out under the pale light of a hazy sun. The prison grounds are quiet, though what looks like hundreds of various carrion birds can be seen perching along the surrounding walls, their beady eyes watching. Small, scurrying things force the dry weeds to wave here and there along the ground.
Hey want to check out those rats?
Daniel's ears perk up at Leeoli's words. "Easy boy. If we find rats, you can have your fill," Dura says, patting his flank.
"Have you fellas pretty much investigated the rest of the prison grounds?"
Well there is a den of rats over there in that crumbling stone tower Leeoli points vaguely. Maybe we could find something of use there. Maybe just filth fever.
Or it'll collapse on us, you dolt! Zazaria grumbles at Leeoli with mingled affection and exasperation. I need a bath to scourge the stench of Harrowstone from my soul. And a sleep. And a beer. Not necessarily in that order. None of which I will enjoy if my bones are being picked over by hungry rats in a pile of rubble.
Fine fine. But let's not just go back to the house. Lets go to the pub. We're no longer wise enough to just go home and sleep.
"I've never been so glad to see rats," Rufus says, squinting in the harsh sunlight. "Why don't we try the Outward Inn? I'm not really moved to discuss these matters with the curious townsfolk, however well-meaning their inquiries may be. And, after we've eaten, we need to check on Kendra as soon as possible, to make sure that glamour of her was only a terrible illusion."
Why don't we stop in and ask her to join us, Rufus? Leeoli says with a hint of a wink.