Slowly, the vision fades away as you return to consciousness, but the sight that greets you is almost as disturbing. The dying gray light of sunset peeks through slits in the boarded windows, barely illuminating a yawning courtroom replete with pews and a towering bench covered in cobwebs. A shadowed mural on the domed ceiling above depicts Iomedae in her shining plate mail of gilded sunlight, locked in mortal combat with Norgorber, Calistria, and Asmodeus, holding the trifecta of evil at bay with her shining sword. You find yourself in a jurors' box, and you are not alone. In the other chairs, figures stir in the darkness, each emerging from troubling dreams into a new nightmare.
"Where the f&#@ am I? How the f#*# did I get here? And who are you m+*+&@$*&#*&s?"
Mikau jerked from the vision to hear random screaming and yelling. After noticing that it was just a half-orc, obviously from what he could make out between curses,as confused as he, he proceeds to look left and right to determine who else is with him.
Sazerok leans back and screams, patting at his tattooed chest and arms to see if he's awake. He looks around him and sees that he isn't alone. He scrutinizes the faces of those closes to him for a moment and then watches the half-orc shout. He starts to smile. Then, looking around the room and at the mural, he begins to laugh.
"Oh this is great, this is grand. I'm finally dead, then, eh? That's so rich. This is bloody rich. Ha! About time. F*** it. Hey! Hey! What took so long, eh?"
Tinder blinks awake. Hmmmm this was new! How odd, how exciting! This will certainly be a grand puzzle to run and explore, I bet Rothgar has never seen anything like this pompous old twit that he is. And to think he imagines he know more about the mating rituals of the common frost worm than I, PHAW the boundless idiocy of that gnome. OH! I bet I’ll get to light something on fire too! Or maybe even someONE!
Looking around Tinder catches sight of a rather excitable orc. Now theres a guy who needs a little lightness in his life, I know just the thing! This will be hilarious!
Tinder uses prestidigitation, awakens a small pile of sticks, makes the crude shape of a man and sends it to go run up the orcs back.
gleefully snickering quietly
Tinder attempts to jump to his feet and look around, to get closer to the mural on the ceiling and examine it. Still snickering. I wonder if i can test some of that paint, see what its made of
"It seems that I'm trapped with a bunch of lunatics" he mutters... noting the human's mad laughter and the gnomes rabid enthusiasm. Realizing that he still has the prized ocarina clutched in his hands, he absently brings it to his lips and randomly begins to play the Dirge of Daze, while watching the half-orc. As soon as Mikau plays the first note, he realizes that something is different about this ocarina.
What's the difference between a nightmare and a nightmarish reality? Can't be much, right? Only benefit of a nightmare is you might be able to wake up.
"Ahhhh."
And I'm...still here. F***. Looks like this is real. And what in h*** is that little freak trying to do? Should I be running away from something? And where is that sound coming from?
He looks over and sees the human playing the ocarina.
For real though, f*** this guy.
G~! d%!n fantastic, I don't know what the hell is going on and now I can't move to smack this dumb stick person off my back. It's definitely time to start hurting people.
A few of the others begin to wake. An intimidating hobgoblin with glowing red eyes stirs first. His ears are full of earrings except for the places the earrings have been pulled from their place, tearing into the cartilage.
Another man—tall, sturdy, and in his fifties with the snow of age gracing his hair—regains consciousness as well. His face is chiseled as if out of marble, and his narrowed eyes stare down an impressive nose with a superior air.
The both look around hesitantly until they make eye contact. Clearly recognizing each other, the hobgoblin speaks first.
"Why in the nine hells are we back here, Cole? Is this your doing? You always were a worthless piece of s@%!."
"You aren't exactly the person I want to be waking up next to either, Malgrim," the man says drolly, but calmly. "And certainly not here."
"Asmodeus' balls, he stopped. I saved the day, I'm a hero!" Mikau holds up the ocarina in triumph, then realizes what he is doing and quickly shrinks back into his chair. Mikau wonders if all the songs he learned on his grandfather's beat up ocarina will have effects. It would explain their odd naming conventions.
Mikau is broken out of his musing, by the talk of an older human and hobgoblin who seemed to know each other.
To Mikau: "Hey fancyboy, what the f*** are you doing? This isn't A Grand Day Out At The Show over here, okay? You're acting like a fancylad about town but this ain't town and we clearly ain't fancy. We're sinners, plain as day. Bunch of no good f**ks who messed up their lives and are gonna pay for it now. It's just like the tales always warned us about. Any moment now, we're gonna receive our eternal judgement."
He sneers and chuckles a moment before continuing.
"I hope it was worth it, whatever brought you here. Hope it brought you a lot of fun, mate. Whatever sick fun you had, looks like there ain't gonna be much more."
He takes out a pack of playing cards and starts shuffling them, chuckling even harder.
"You know what, f*** what I just said. F*** me, right? Why shouldn't we have some fun while we can, eh? Play your fancyboy music, go ahead."
He looks over at the older man and the hobgoblin.
"You sinners like cards?"
He cackles and stops shuffling a moment, doubled over.
"I've been partial to solitaire lately, myself!"
So wrapped up in his quest to see the mural up close and doubled over with good natured laughter at the Orc's trouble with the stick man, Tinder barely even registers the two new members, however, on the floor near both his face as he bends laughing and the leg of a half banister there appears to be a small spider web.
Muttering to himself "look at that web, well crafted Mr. Spider, fancy that so close to the ground, i bet you catch your fair share of ants down there you crafty little arachnid"
Then catching the end of the conversation between the newcomers, turns around saying,
"Hear? Hear what?, oh here, as in the present location or space! YES, Excuse me sirs, what sort of place is this? It appears to be a courtroom of some sort, but I must say, getting in was different than any courtroom I've ever been in. And it's safe to say I've spent my time in the box."
Sins? Hmm, at times when I stole an apple or two when I knew grandpa wasn't looking, but I don't believe this place is a fitting punishment for such. I wonder if this man's 'sins' have to do with the vision I saw...Thinking he'd ask when the man seemed a touch less... mad, Mikau leaned over to look at the statuesk man and hobgoblin
"I believe what our...ah.... friends are trying to ask is do either of you have any idea what in the name of Lomedae' holy sword is going on here?"
Finally feeling control over his actions again, Trico shakes the stick man from his back. He eyes the hobgoblin cautiously.
Apparently I'm not the toughest son of a b%%~& in this crowd. Better slow down on trying to throw my weight around. But I guess this could be a job opportunity too.
"What do the Grindle Street Shades have to do with this courthouse? I'm Trico. I don't know who these other fools are but if you need a steady, and heavy, hand, I'd be willing to offer my services to you Malgrim."
Why shouldn't we have some fun while we can, eh? . . . You sinners like cards?
The older man looks at Sazerok . . confused, disappointed.
"I assure you, lad, this is no place for fun. This is a vile place."
YES, Excuse me sirs, what sort of place is this?
"I believe what our...ah.... friends are trying to ask is do either of you have any idea what in the name of Lomedae' holy sword is going on here?"
He then turns his attention to Tinder and Mikau.
"Right you are, we're in a courtroom. Something terrible—though just, I'm sure of it—happened here 10 years ago. Malgrim here was involved, as was I. A few of the others here were involved as well. Not sure why you're here though . . ."
What do the Grindle Street Shades have to do with this courthouse? I'm Trico. I don't know who these other fools are but if you need a steady, and heavy, hand, I'd be willing to offer my services to you Malgrim.
Slightly surprised, the hobgoblin pauses when he hears Trico, and then chuckles.
"You think you have anything to offer me? Ha. You keep your help, and keep my boys out of your dirty half-breed mouth."
Turning to Sir Rekkart, the hobgoblin becomes more serious.
"No one needs to know anything bout that, Cole. Certainly not this hapless lot."
"I assure you, lad, this is no place for fun. This is a vile place."
Sazerok puts a pinky in his mouth thoughtfully and then points it toward the sky.
"Those aren't mutually exclusive, my man. Take a closer look at the world and you'll find that vile places are usually where most fun takes place. But I see you're not in a playful mood."
He puts his cards away and considers the hobgoblin.
"No one needs to know anything bout that, Cole. Certainly not this hapless lot."
"I'm a lot of things, hobgoblin, but I ain't hapless. Even trash can be burned for warmth, right?"
He rolls back his left shirt sleeve and brushes his fingers along a tattoo of a bright red-and-orange fireball.
"If you two know what's going on, I'd love to hear it. If I'm gonna play a game, I like to know the rules."
Adopting his 'best mollify an unruly crowed' attitude Mikau states:
"Malgrim is it, you may be right, we may be hapless, but we have been brought here for some purpose, nefarious no doubt, same as you. You and your 'friend' seem to have us at a disadvantage of a mutual experience. And it appears Mikau nods toward the half-orc and card-cutting human that at least some of us have some experience in 'tough' situations. Why not see if we can be of use to you."
"Now there, no reason to hold back information my hob-nob-goblin friend! The more one knows the more one grows, and you never know what knowledge you can gain by sharing a little of your own! For example, did you know if you make a face for a long time it will stick like that? I imagine that is why our stone faced friend over there has forgotten how to smile."
Tinder pulls a mock serious face staring over at Sir Cole.
"Tell us the tale good sir, only by learning the history of a thing, can we truly say we know it, and only by knowing a thing can we attempt to understand it. If we are in as much danger as you say, we must understand that danger as best we can!"
"and I do love a good story"
Tinder pulls out a tar bomb and sits on it, leaning forward eagerly in anticipation.
"Whatever I'm over this. I don't care what's going on. This was an awful way to wake up and you all have fun with your purpose and stories without me."
Trico gets up and heads to the exit.
Screw this, I'm getting food.
"No need to get angry or hide anything, Malgrim." Turning toward Sazerok, Mikau, and Tinder, the man continues. "Ten years ago, we all sat on a jury in this very courtroom that condemned a man named Jarbin Mord to . . ."
"Shut your g+###@n mouth, Cole, if you know what's good for you. I'm not going to say it again."
Trico gets up and heads to the exit.
Eight enormous marble pillars fill this great hall, holding aloft grand balconies. Years of dust cover the floor, and muslin coverings are draped over the railings of baroque staircases curing like lazy serpents up to the raised landings above. A rusted chandelier above sheds the dim light of a few guttering candles. An impressive grandfather clock more than ten feet tall rests against the center of the western wall, its face decorated with guilty souls suffering Asmodeus' torments: evisceration, force-feasting of coals, scalding blades tearing them apart, and other less savory punishments. The clock stands between a set of impressive oak doors and a lone oak door of equitable splendor, identical to the one you just walked through. The largest set of doors is at the south end of this long hall. They are barred against the night.
As you enter the room, the grandfather clock goes berserk, tolling and clanging dissonantly. Suddenly, your mind is filled with flashes of murderous scenes—people you love are victims of strangulation, death, and murder by axe, all at the hand of some unseen evil.
Another begins to awake—a large half-orc with a broad, strong face and tousled mass of wiry dark hair. His eyes open and he looks around, realizing where he is.
"Nnnno, no, no. Not here again. No."
- After a terrible nightmare, you've woken up in what seems to be a courthouse—in fact, you're actually in the jurors box surrounded by 11 other people who you don't know (12 people total; you don't know each other)
- Seven people are currently awake: Mikau, Tinder, Sazerok, Trico, a hobgoblin named Malgrim Hurkes, an older man named Sir Rekkart Cole, and a half-orc named Halgrak Five-Toes
- Trico has gotten up out of the jurors box and walked out of the room to the west
- None of you have done much searching of the room you're in
[ooc]Also, one piece of advice—this is not an adventure to let things happen to you. What would you do if you found yourself in this situation?
The other people in the juror's box begin to rise: a jaundiced-face gnome, his face covered in white makeup; a beautiful woman wearing bright red lipstick and an abundance of rouge; and a rosy-cheeked older man dressed in threadbare finery with a broad handlebar mustache and frayed top hat.
The beautiful woman, looking around her, breaks down in tears as she discovers the situation she finds herself in.
"Oh gods, oh goooddddsss why are we back here?"
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As the nightmare fades, Gerken jerks awake to the echoing sounds of conversation around him. Eyelids springing open, he jumps to his feet.
What trouble did I land myself in? What scumbag did I piss off this time? No time to waste - I need to get out of here.
Gerken turns to the group around him. He growls,
I don't know who any of you are, and I assure you I don't care. I need to get out of here. I've got time-sensitive business to attend to. Can someone point me in the direction of the exit?
He begins looking around the room, hoping to spot an obvious way out.
I need to get out of here. I've got time-sensitive business to attend to. Can someone point me in the direction of the exit?
Ignoring Gerken's question, the half-orc speaks dejectedly.
"Oh, you can go, but you'll never be free. You're part of this now, whoever you are, and once you're tangled up in this mess, there's no way out."
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Well, I thought I was done waking up in gutters and their equivalents, but I may be of some help and if not help, at least some comfort.
Yuri approaches Patrissa and kneels beside her, offering a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Now, child, there's nothing we cannot journey through with some faith and fortitude. We can all walk this path together. Perhaps, though, you could provide some illumination. What do you mean back here?"
As Yuri asks his question, his eyes scan the disheveled group, inviting anyone among them to share their insights.
Now, child, there's nothing we cannot journey through with some faith and fortitude. We can all walk this path together. Perhaps, though, you could provide some illumination. What do you mean back here?
The woman looks up toward you, clearly touched by your kindness. She continues to weep, saying little.
Responding on behalf of Patrissa, the older man who spoke before continues.
"As I was saying," he starts, glaring at the hobgoblin, "ten years ago, a few of us—Malgrim, Halgrak, Patrissa, Ebin, Killian, and myself—sat on a jury here and condemned to death a man named Jarbin Mord for slaying his wife and young child. I myself have chilling memories of that time, but am glad we did it—a crime that heinous needed to be punished."
The hobgoblin stares at Cole, looking murderous, but keeps quiet.
|
Now, child, there's nothing we cannot journey through with some faith and fortitude.
"Faith and fortitude, eh? Well I have . . . faith . . . that you won't make it out of here alive." He laughs quietly at what he must consider a joke.
ten years ago, a few of us—Malgrim, Halgrak, Patrissa, Ebin, Killian, and myself—sat on a jury here
"Yes, a few of us, that's true. But then, who are you?" He laughs again, clearly pleased with the rhyme.
At the mention of the name Jarbin Mord, Mikau's act disintegrates and his blood freezes in his veins. When he opens his mouth his voice shakes, but as continues the words begin to tumble out more quickly and wildly..
"I don't know why some of you have been here before and some of us haven't, and I don't currently care. The Dwarf is right, I'm getting out of here. If you lot want to sit and wait to have your brains addled beyond recognition like old Two-Axe, Lomedae save you. I've heard the tales.
As Mikau gets to his feet to run off, a bit of sense creeps into his fear laden brain. "I'm about as good in a fight as a 3 fingered man is at playing a 12 string lute" Mikau thinks. Regaining some bravado he turns to the dwarf and says managing to keep most of the shake out of his voice. "One of our more rash, companions already left, we can try and find what way he went.
to Yuri and Cole
"Man of faith, Cole, you don't seem resigned to sit and wait while fate tears you apart."
Mikau then turns to regard the gnome and card cutter. Deciding it better to die a horrible maddening death with entertaining companions, rather than without, he says
To Sazerok:
"And madman you spoke of games, let's make the first move."
To Tinder
"Gnome I'm sure there will be more intrigues this way."