He never made it up here did he!? Perhaps he followed the staircase downwards. I'm sure if we leave here now and go down we can meet up with him! Quickly grab your things we mustn't stay too long in false comforts.
Rattus heads to the doorway pauses and looks back before heading down the stairs slowly.
Itll do us no good to fracture the group more, we must be cautious going forward! Already we've lost the one Goblin chief, probably frozen in a snow drift outside the castle and now the bear seems to be missing or hopefully just below us. Quickly now let's make haste!
*172*
You push open the door and come upon a scene of domestic homeliness - a cook and two servants at worktables preparing food. However, there is an
unpleasant smell mixed in with that of the food: a vile, rotting smell which catches at the back of your throat. The workers look up at you with mindless eyes - and you see at once that they are Zombies!
You are outnumbered and must fight them one at a time:
ZOMBIE 1 SKILL 6 STAMINA 7
ZOMBIE 2 SKILL 5 STAMINA 6
ZOMBIE 3 SKILL 7 STAMINA 5
After the bear's first combat post everyone else can hear the commotion and make it to the zombie room. If they want too.
Grim is going to take the time to look for the sword that the Ghost spoke of. He is obsessed with revenge now.
The bear and the Oaken Spirit commune in a deep level in which no words are needed. The Oaken Spirit knows that its time as a spirit of woods has passed, and that it is free as the wind, to seek the touch of its former kin, or to dwell in the company of the bear.
Listen, ye, undead, primate, cursed ratfolk, the loft is where the Count keeps trapped the spirit of his brother, Siegfried. We will say no more, echoes the black bear's voice up the tower, then no more sound is heard of the bear.
** spoiler omitted **
Through the brass door to the left or right?
The animal then charges across the courtyard, through the brass doors and into the room whence the growling came before, trampling over the closed door.
So It would be through the brass doors then through the North door. Then where?
[dice=Zombie 2 "Geoffrey"]2d6+5[/dice] The black bear does not wait for the zombies to reposition themselves, and invests against the most vulnerable one, hitting it with its paw on the run.
[dice=Zombie 2 "Geoffrey"]2d6+5[/dice] the bear does not stop, and tramples over poor Geoffrey.
[dice=Zombie 2 "Geoffrey"]2d6+5[/dice] The tormented existence of the zombie comes to an end as the black bear bites its head off...
[dice=Zombie 1 "Ludovico"]2d6+6[/dice]...and tosses it on the fat zombie, which dodges the flung head...
[dice=Zombie 1 "Ludovico"]2d6+6[/dice]...but it would seem that very head was an artifact of distraction, as the bear quickly lunges against the fat zombie, biting a chunk of its breast off, but for a zombie this is of no matter, and the fight carries on!
[dice=Zombie 1 "Ludovico"]2d6+6[/dice] The bear carries on attacking and heaves against his enemy, pushing him against the ground...
[dice=Zombie 1 "Ludovico"]2d6+6[/dice]...and the zombie tries to escape, but again the bear pulls it with its strong paws and does not cease to assail the desperate undead, completely at the mercy of the unstoppable beast!
[dice=Zombie 1 "Ludovico"]2d6+6[/dice] So the second zombie is also put to destruction, and the bear turns to the last remaining cook, skilled in handling its knife, but it does not stop!
[dice=Zombie 3 "Manfred, the Butcher"]2d6+7[/dice] The Butcher's knife cuts through some of the twigs, but it does not hurt the bear, which raises on its rear legs and comes down to its paws over the zombie!
[dice=Zombie 3 "Manfred, the Butcher"]2d6+7[/dice] The helpless zombie butcher tries to cut its way out of the bear's grip, but it is useless: the bear bites its knife-holding arm off and tosses it away!
[dice=Zombie 3 "Manfred, the Butcher"]2d6+7[/dice] The beast from the forest prevails against the undead minions of the count.
The bear comes to four paws again and leaves the rotten meat be, for it is of no use, and moves out of the room. Alas!, the bear is at a dead end, for the room at the end of the small hallway is locked (and the bear thinks of the locked door as a wall) and it does not have the means to fight the evil shadow, guardian of the crypt...
The black bear moves through the east corridor, at its natural, carrying pace.
Just as grim steps down the first step he notices what looks like a large throw-switch on the platform behind one of the chests in the dusty corner. Ropes and pulleys are attached to it.
The bear begins to smell smoke.
The bear starts to smell the smoke, and decides to head back into the kitchen, where it had seen a room it would have ignored if not for the potential threat of the fire.
The kitchen contains some good food - bread, biscuits, cheese, sweetened ftuits and so on. You can gather plentiful supplies here. Now, are you searching for herbs for an Alchemist? If you are, turn to the paragraph with the same number as the jar he asked you to bring him. If not, you leave here and return to the main corridor,
a door on the north side of the passage, and then the dimly lit, tiled corridor continues to a door at the end. Will you open the north door (turn to 307) or the door further along (turn to 258)?
So, Grim is in the loft, just noticing a lever in the shadows, Rattus is headed down the stairs, Bear is in the East Corridor 2, and Gruk Gruk is frozen in the snow just outside the castle portcullis.
As Rattus reaches the bottom of the steps at the Oaken formerly talking door something shiney catches his eye on the ground...
The bear stays at the supply room and, for the time being, while the smoke is mild, devours the fresh supplies, making a mess of the place, eating cheese, eggs, meat; it goes on oblivious to all except the signs of fire, and potential intruders that might attempt to steal its food.
He sniffs around for food, eating all that is edible, tearing through packages, breaking crates and dropping jars.
What could it be? That thing I spy that's so shiny!?
Rattus crouches down a little to get closer to the object.
Antoni descends the stairs, surprised by the quickness of his companions. "Yes, we should search for that sword first before going after the bear."
That's a great idea, I'll accompany you!
Rattus sees that the shiney thing is a medium sized gold coin. Looks like it might have an inscription.
Antoni ends up on the landing with Rattus.
Grim, still staring at the lever and pulleys.
Bear...eats. Fire smolders but nothing too dramatic yet.
Ohhh, a coin!? Shhh, it's allll mine!
Rattus attempts to covertly grab the coin.
coin side A says:
Destiny Debloon and has a picture of a skull.
coin side B says:
roll a dice
once, twice, thrice
forget the result,
make it nice!
Grim is going to pull the lever.
Grim pulls the lever with no other investigation. The platform upon which he stands lurches...then slowly begins to descend down the shaft. Creeking and moaning, the platform arrives at the landing where Rattus and Antoni are standing, and slowly continues it's descent down the shaft of the tower into the darkness.
See ya Guys! I'll be right back....I hope!
Antoni takes a small, careful leap onto the platform and accompanies Grim on the way down. "Figured you might need an extra sword, just in case."
Always open to another hand.
Rattus jumps along also barely making it, he's panting because of the close call!
The platform descends into darkness. After about 30 seconds you notice a dark shape looming up at you from below...you are about to get concerned when the flame-light from Grim's head finally illuminates it: a massive block, the counterweight for the platform, traveling up in the opposite direction. It passes you silently.
Finally after about 2 minutes the platform comes to rest on the bottom of the shaft. Large pawls click in to place holding the platform down and a lever here at the bottom shifts into the 'locked' position. This is the lever to release the platform to go back up.
In the dim light of Grim's head you see that there is a tunnel leading off to the south-west. The stone down here is not the sharp hewn rocks of the castle, but the crumbled catacomb rock of whatever was here in the ages before the count.
About 100 yards down the tunnel is a light.
Antoni draws his sword and proceeds cautiously toward the light.
Up ahead Antoni can hear the laughter of women. One of them has a strange voice: a melodious voice, like two or three women speaking at the same time.
It may be best to go get our bear. There is more here then I expected.
"Perhaps you are right. The laughter may belong to a succubus or some other creature of temptation. I may become weak-kneed in such a circumstance," Antoni admits. "Ah, Rattus, what I meant to ask was: have you been to this castle before?"
Sensing that the fire and the smoke will not take much longer to become intense, the partially-fed black bear abandons the food, though carrying a large piece jamón -- the dry-cured leg of a large boar -- in its mouth, and heads back to the hallway, following eastern corridor in an attempt to find a fire-safe area that does not force it to confront the shadow roaming the environs of the crypt.
Not I, however I can't speak for my creator at this moment. I have had a sense of memory... Something similar to... Perhaps like I have but in truth I know that I have not... It's a peculiar sensation, I dislike it very much...
"Then we may be facing what we fear the most," Antoni deduces. "Your 'brother', the specter's words which shook Grim, these things are meant to drive fear into your hearts. Perhaps, with good fortune, the bear has encountered and overcome his. I know I have yet to have mine."
The bear does find himself in a safe room. The stone walls here will not burn. But after being here for a while he sees the flames in the hallway outside. There is a book in here, and a peek hole in the wall. Other than that he's appears trapped.
As you emerge from the tower out the south door into the courtyard you find that a large portion of the castle, starting around the bronze door, is on fire. While it appears the main structure itself will survive, being made of stone, all the combustibles are burning.
It is a clear night, no rain in sight;) Looks like this fire will burn for quite a while longer. You will not be able to go that way unless you can figure out how to deal with or circumvent the flames.
A few hours go by and the fire finally burns down to a smolder. Some timbers are still bright with embers but for the most part the coast is now clear.
It amazes you that the count and his denizens haven't come out to find out what's going on.
What's happened here!?
Rattys looks about his eyes red from the smoke lingering in the poorly ventilated castle.
He sneezes ad coughs and then covers his nose with his arm.
I suppose we should walk through if we want to find the bear again... If the ground be too hot, may I ask one of you for assistance until we reach a place not affected or cooled?
Rattus looks up to both his group mates, and then resting his eyes on a smoldering beam overhead.
You find your way through the charred corridors to the room where the bear is. Smoke has filled his lungs and he was mildly burned, but he is okay . The fire is over now and he appears to be recovering. Poor bear.
This room is a shrine of some kind. There are writing tables and vestments. Magical and Unholy symbols adorn the walls. There is a large book on a pedestal. And their is a spyhole in the east wall from which flickering light shines through.
Look there! A twinkle of light through that hole! Something may be on the other side!!
Says Rattus in a squeaky whisper pointing to the small hole in the wall.
Perhaps we should peer through? If someone gives me a boost I'll look to the other side
Rattus eyes the room looking for a step stool of any kind. His eyes land on the vestments and chokes a little, he whimpers and then composes himself continuing to search the room for something to stand on to peer through the hole.