That night, after all of you return to Kenrda's to rest:
Evangeline
Gkirkhan
Kurik
Que
Vertielle
Wood
Eva and Vertielle sleep like babies. The rest of you, however...
Something awakens you. You sit up in bed and look towards the light streaming in through the barred windows. That weren't barred when you went to bed. You get up and walk over to the window to see what's causitn the effect. You can see the lights of a town in the distance...as if you were viewing it from atop a hill a few miles away.
You turn and realise that your bed has been replaced by a pallet and the door is barred as well. You rush over to the door and start banging on it. It's hot. The room starts to get hot as well. It seems to be filling with smoke. You realize you are screaming for help but no one answers. You fall, coughing and choking...
Kurik, Que: You awake in the rooms you've chosen, your throats raw from screaming.
Gkirkhan, Wood: You also awaken with those same sensations...and burns on your hands from beating on the red hot barred door.
Wow, max: the dice hate you guys...
"Noooooooo, Nooooooooo! " Que hammer against the barred door in panic, just to realize that she is kneeling in her bed, hammering against the wand on one end of her bed.
Que is still shivering as she gets up and washes. After she dresses in her other, more tight fitting garb she gets into the backyard, where she performs some Katas and acrobatic maneuvers.
Onlookers will soon realize that her movements are like a cat on the hunt, restrained and deadly even though she is barely able to conceal her anger and there is also some fear in her face which slowly fades away over the course of her practicing.
"RAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!"
Gkirkhan sits bolt upright as he awakens from the dream. Breathing comes in heavy pants while his heart races. His hands hurt as he feels his dry throat. The burns glow in the sight of his darkvision.
"Dem," he croaks, his breath still coming in fast and heavy, "Götterdämmerung, dot hurts."
Vot iz dis? Fear? Iz dis fear I feel?
Gkirkhan's steps are slow and steady as he makes his way to the basin in the room. His hands burn as he cups them to bring the cool water to his lips.
Vait, deed Hy not hear Que's voice?
Gkirkhan leaves his room and heads to Que's room and knocks .
"Que, are hyu hokay en dere?"
Kurik & Que, only the subdual, Gkirkhan & Wood only the lethal.
Wood looks at his hands in wonder and surprise. Concerns of fear and danger set in only later.
How did this happen? The powerful memories of the fire in the prison must be projecting here. Tangible affects, my hands are indeed burned. Amazing.
Wood rushes outside to consult the others--but mainly concerned for Kendra.
"Kendra, Kendra are you ok" Wood shouts.
[OOC]int
Que opens the door, all sweaty wearing a long nightgown. You can see that she is still shaking from fear, but she quickly hides it.
"It's nothing, just a bad dream"
"Bad Dreams usually do not leave peeple vit burnt hands und sore throats."
Gkirkhan holds one of his hands with the palm facing Que to show the injury.
"Dere iz sumting -unnatural- goink on." Gkirkhan starts to shake, his voice gets coarser as he continues, "Dere iz sumting out dere, sumting big und evil, und Hy do not know how to fight et."
I'm fine. What's. wrong?
"I had a delightful sleep only interrupted by the horrible feeling I was in Harrowstone prison being burned alive, rushing to hammer at the door, and awaking to found my hands burned and standing by the door in a cold sweat."
"I am glad you did not have the nightmare Kendra. I am afraid my studies into dark things may have made me more susceptible to evil influences."
@Vertielle: You hear some commotion in the hall.
Vertielle emerges from her bed, still clothed in her sleeping robe and the crust of sleep evident on her face- it is obvious she has slept soundly, and deep. Her face flushes as she sees Gkirkhan in the hall, neither of them dressed proprietorially.
Evangline, one more time.
Your name on the trophy starts dripping blood.
in her dream she responds
"What the heck?
That isn't normal?"
she realises she's dreaming,
and entering lucid dream mode.
she speaks out in her dream
"Who that heck is messing with my Dream, show yourself?"
"Do not interfere again! She will die a second time and we will be free. Fire take that accursed town!
she thinks
She'll die a second time?
Freedom because of her death?
Fire?
Wait didn't Wood mention the Harrowstone fire.
He's a prisoner who died in that fire.
she speaks in her dreams
"I said, Who are you?"
Gkirkhan smiles as he spots Vertielle.
"Vell, et looks like vun ov us had a goot night ov sleep."
He sweeps his hand out to show the burn marks and to indicate Que .
"Hy am afraid dot ve vere not so lucky. Hy tink de three ov us need to find out vot iz goink on."
"Who am I? hahahahahaha! More power than you could ever face...Evangline Valeria Aurora...Evangline Valeria Aurora...Evangline Valeria Aurora..." The voice (which somehow sounds like your own voice) keeps repeating your name.
Will save, please.
@Evangline: You make the save. You can wake up due to the ruckus in the hall or continue to get a good night's sleep.
Que gasps as she sees the burn marks on Gkirkhan's hands.
"By the gods, you should show this to a healer. How can a mere dream have caused this."
It's a phenomena that merits research, at the least. Perhaps one should question mister gibs about his dreams? I intended to do research today, I suppose this dream manifestation is a worthy subject.
"Evangline, we need some healing from evil forces of the dreamlands."
Wood seeks the beautiful cleric for help with his hands.
Que gasps as she sees the burn marks on Gkirkhan's hands.
"By the gods, you should show this to a healer. How can a mere dream have caused this."
"Like Hy said, dreams do not hurt like dis."
Gkirkhan smiles and seems to be himself.
"Hy vould not vorry about me. Hy have had vorse. Hy tink dot gettink to bottom ov dis is a goot idea, und hy vouldn't mind et if hyu vore dot, bot by de looks ov hyur face Hy tink et vould be better if ve got some clothes on first. Hy vouldn't vant mein devilishly goot charms to distract hyu from hyur vork."
Great, mehbe Hy vent overboard vit dot idiot yesterday.
Que nods, realizong that she os still wearing her night gown and Gkirkhan is only wearing his pants and she vanishes quickly into the room, blushing slightly.
"oh...yes.. i think you are right... See you later."
Also, the group who went to the tavern last night picked up a few roumors.
Vertielle was assured/warned that the food at the Laughing Demon isn't all fun and games. (The food has names like: vampire steaks, wolf balls, corpse chowder, and liquid ghosts) It's no coincidence that old Zokar serves more corpse chowder after umpopular merchants 'leave town' forever. If he ever invites you into his back room, don't go!
Gkirkhan, Riff told you that some people say that the Harrowstone executioner still guards the western balcony of the prison where he used to perform his task. Harrowstone used a scythe, and some folks say they've seen the scythe patrolling the balcony on it's own.
still in lucid dream mode
having her thoughts now more focused on the Harrowstone fire, than a Martial arts tournament.
she feels as if she's looking into the past at the Harrowstone fire from outside Harrowstone and about 500ft into the air.
After finishing her training, Que changes anf washes again and comes to the living room where she intends to have a rich breakfast. When the other come too, she greets them friendly.
"I think we should either pay the prison a visit or perhaps gather more information about that Whispering Way. i don't think that I am the right one to search through books, but I can assist one of you."
"Que Xang, would you accompany me to the Unfurling Scroll? I may run into problems with my intimidating manner."
"Evangeline, can you see if the local temple can give us some information or other assistance for Harrowstone? I think I can spend about two more days of research at the Unfurling Scroll and then we plan on exploring that prison. I don't want to wait for the nightmares to come to us--obviously they can hurt."
@Evangline: Give me another will save. Since you're also trying to access a past memory, give me a Kn: history as well.
if I mess up declaring on pass/fail or hit/miss,
I just go with it and not ask for a re-roll.
And what did you think of my idea?
@Evangeline
On the History roll: You see the panicked guards throwing torches down a shaft, which explodes in fire. They flee into the night, rather than fight it.
@Wood: roll a d5. You got three 25s, I'll let one of them be a prisoner you have heard legends of.
@Evangline: My idea then is that on the first roll, you were not possessed, but the spirit got your name.
I'll accompany you, Wood, I intend to research the dream phenomena.
Vertielle rejoins the group now fully clothed in the professor's gift, an exquisitely wrought corset. Those schooled in religion recognize several symbols subtly embroidered in the patterns, and those not notice the sensuality of the cut.
Que finishes her breakfast and nods.
" it would be a pleasure to accompany you Wood.
When she wakes up in the morning near dawn.
"What the heck was that dream?"
she does her calisthenic exercises, gets dressed and eats breakfast.
at the tables she asks
"Did anyone have weird dreams last night?"
"Sure, Gkirkhan even brought some souvenirs with him. You too?"
she says with a puzzled look
"what the heck, he brought souvenirs from his dream."
putting on her normal face she adds
"For my dream, I saw my name in blood on a trophy, and a voice telling me not to interfere.
Judging by a few clues from what he said, he is a prisoner who died in the Harrowstone fire, and wants to kill someone who has already died before.
Then it was like I witnessed the Harrowstone fire from the past,
I saw some guards throw torches down a shaft and it caused the fire."
"I dreamed about being on of the prisoners, caught in my cell while the fire consumed the prison." She shivers as the memory consumes her and her eyes stare through you shortly "There was fire everywhere, it was hot and the door closed...barred... I hammered against the door, but nobody came to free me... Gods it was terrible."
Que is now visibly pale and still shaking a bit.
Gkirkhan pputs on some clean clothes, and his hat, after scrubbing his face, careful of the still raw burns. He joins the others for breakfast downstairs and eats quietly while the others talk.
When Evangline asks about the "souvenirs," Gkirkhan holds up a burned hand.
"She iz talkink about dese."
He listens as her and Que recount their dreams, his eyebrows come dangerously close to his hairline when Que talks about her dream.
"Hyu too, jah? Dis iz not goot. Not goot at all."
She looks at Gkirkhan surprised.
"You had the same dream? That is really not good. Someone or something tries to frighten us. or perhaps even to kill us through our dreams... "