All around is a wall of sickly yellow fog, tumbling through the alley's canyon of crumbling, gray brick walls like some jaundiced flash flood. You find yourself running, but can't remember why. Nor do you recognize the four others running alongside you. Ahead, the alley splits, curving to the left and right. You feel as if you've been here before, but can't quite place it. Are you having déjà vu?
Behind, from the silent swell of yellow mist, emanates the sound of footsteps - slow, but somehow keeping pace with you. You glance back, but can only see the vague shape of a tall humanoid with tendrils billowing out behind it, completely obscured by the unnatural fog. As you look on, the figure slowly and methodically takes steps toward you.
Thump... Thump... Thump...
Tarnorius almost stumbles as he finds himself running, seeing four others -- that he doesn't recognize -- running beside him.
Where am I? he asks himself. What's going on?
Hearing footsteps behind himself, he turns momentarily, and nearly stumbles again. "What the... What is that thing?" he shouts.
"I don't think we want to find out!" Cyndance shouted back, having not the courage to look behind herself to see whatever was chasing her. She noticed the others running beside her, wondering who they were...
To be honest, where am I? Where is my master? Was I sold to one of these people? Where is Eti? she thought to herself
"Left or right?" Talennia pointed to the forking ally up ahead.
No, this isn't right, she thought but shook her head, assess the tripwire later, survive now.
"Meow isn't the time to ask questions! Meow is the time to run! Safe place first, ponder later!" Mau shouted, taking the others in curiously for a moment before glancing just a moment. Her ears go flat against her skull for moment before she looked up. "Right! No no! Left go left!!
Where's a high place when you need one!
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Coming back to himself, Nik slowed for a moment, trying to get his bearings. A particularly loud thump from the....THING following behind jostled him back into action.
"They're all going left," he thought, "should I follow?"
Reaching behind, almost on reflex, he was relieved to find his hammer secure on his back. Gripping the handle, his footsteps turned left. "Some of them look squishy. Devils take me, better go along."
The group of strangers all hurry down the leftward path, quickly emerging into a broad street. The sickly, yellow fog continues to press in behind them, and now from their left as well, leaving the only clear path to the right up the street. Tzarnik is the last to turn up the alley and out into the main thoroughare, glancing behind him to see that the creature is no longer in sight.
It isn't long before he realizes that he isn't actually in the clear. As he turns to rejoin the others running up the street, he is stopped in his tracks by the tall form of the humanoid creature directly in front of him. Yellow mist presses around as Tzarnik reaches for his hammer that he knows is there, only to find nothing. The tall man in front of him reaches out with long arms and grabbs Tzarnik with his clawlike fingers. His mouth opens wide, showing long sharp teeth, and he lowers his head to Tzarnik's neck.
An agonizing moment of intense pain and Tzarnik finds himself on the ground, watching the man walk away in the direction of the group. The man's tattered rags billow out behind the creature and then yellow mist settles over Tzarnik leaving him feeling completely alone. Tzarnik sees his blood running between the cobblestones of the street and the last thought that crosses his mind is, "Does that spell 'ME?'" before everything goes black
--
The rest of the group continue up the street, stopping only briefly when one of their numbers is lost. The keen-eyed among them spot the same letters forming in the blood in the streets before the yellow fog obscures it from sight. On either side of the street are shops, each with wooden doors and signs above them, swinging and creaking. Further up, alleys open to the left and to the right, the latter already seemingly overtaken by the strange mist. Even further than that is a small courtyard leading up to a large ominous-looking building with double doors.
Behind them, the creature once again makes his way methodically toward the group.
"I sure hope one of you can Turn Undead" Talennia says as she continues to run.
hm which side of those big creepy doors would it be better to trap, I wonder. With the right arrow trap I could probably kill everyone in that courtyard. On the other hand a shock trap set into the door frame is always a classic. Talennia spied more of the yellow fog, oh right creepy fog and scary undead
"Don't look at me! I can channel spirits, not turn undead! Well... I could channel a spirit but I have no time for a seance, and I'm only an apprentice... which, by the way, do one of you know if you bought me recently?" Cyndance asked while making her way to the left, there was no way she was stopping long enough for that thing to get her.
Wait... what if it was that guy who bought me? Does that mean I'm free? She shook her head, No time to think on that, keep moving... you'll figure it out later... and hopefully find Eti too...
"We have more important concerns at the moment than who owns you," Tarn said, as they neared the double doors. "In here! We have no where else to go!" he calls out, pulling open the door.
Mau slowed as Tzarnik went down, instinct to run warring with the instinct to go and help the fallen man. After a moment of indecision she turned back to the rest of the group and ran for the door, mentally apologizing the one the being had caught. I may can go back once the creature has passed us...maybe...hopefully...
Tarn flings the door open and starts to step inside, before he realizes that the creature in his tattered rags is standing in the doorway. At the same moment the door slams into the side of the building with a large WHACK!, two thin blades slam into Tarn's belly. The force of the attack pushes Tarn out of the building and down onto the ground in front of his companions. As the creature pulls the blades free, blood spurts out and onto the open door making a pattern that looks suspiciously like the word "UP".
Tarn's eyes close and blackness falls in around him. The humanoid thing grins with sharp, yellow teeth as the rest of the group turn and run further up the street. The strange yellow mist continues to press toward them.
Talennia jumps back from Tarn's falling body. "I want to be killed by a very nice trap not by some creepy undead!" She turned and ran up the street cursing softly under her breath.
Cyndance winced hearing a commotion over at the door where the others had headed. She stopped and stared at the scene just barely catching the word "UP".
NOPE! I don't want to die! she thought before blitzing down the left alley she'd turned into earlier.
Mau smiled widely and shot the creature a rude gesture before tearing off after the other two "Who ever convinced me to come on this adventure I want you to know this is not fun!! Not fun at all!!" This was the exact opposite of fun...this was scary...and she was pretty sure, to a decent degree, that she didn't do scary!
No sooner had Mau turned to run than she felt something grab her and throw her against a wall. Clawed hands tear at her and she falls, her blood spilling onto the floor beside her. As she too fades into blackness, she notices her blood forming the word "SAVE".
Somehow, despite splitting up, Talennia and Cyndance find themselves rounding a corner and coming face to face with the man in the tattered robes. Yellow mist pours in around them as a serrated blade cuts them down. Their blood mingles into one final word... "WAKE!"
--
"Wake up! Save me! Please..." the man on the table pleads, his panic cutting through the claustrophobic near dark. A struggling human with splits lips and skin covered in a mapwork of fresh red lines struggles against heavy ropes lashing him to a splintery worktable.
Another figure, unsettlingly thin and wearing a blood-smeared doctor's coat circles the table casually, scrutinizing one of the man's wounds. She smiles and turns to a small table holding an array of sharp instruments: a gardening trowel, forks, several long pieces of broken glass, and more. She grabs a broken pair of pruning shears and snaps off one of the blades. She raises it up to inspect it closely, her smile growing wider as the apparently sharpened blade glints in the dull light of the lamp suspended overhead.
With careless cruelty, the "doctor" draws the blade across the bound man's bare thigh. He screams out in agony as fresh blood drips from the new wound.
Five men and women are locked behind bars, separated from the torturer and tortured. None of them recognize each other, nor the "doctor" or "patient." The bars appear to be very sturdy and the doors are each shut tight and locked with a well-made padlock.
No one has any tools or weapons on them and the rooms are empty.
Talennia rubs her head with one hand, That was the worst dream ever, stupid creepy undead. At the screams from the tortured man she jumps and looks around
Talennia turns to see her cellmate, "You're that Ifrit lady from my dream!" she pauses a second, "Ok not like that, we were running from some yellow fog and a creepy undead."
Blinking, Cyndance comes to with no time to really ask herself questions. The voice in her head stirs her to anger, though she tries to push it down but her cellmate's comment just makes it bubble back up.
"I have a NAME you know, why don't you try to ask for it NEXT time!" she growls out before she can think of what she's said. she quickly turns away, whimpering, "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to come off like that... I'm a good slave... I do honest work and listen to what I'm told to do..." She tried to clear up.
Why'd I snap so suddenly... I must have dreamt that voice... right?
Tarnorius startles awake, his head pounding. "Just a dream," he muttered to himself, as he takes in his surroundings.
If we could get a hold of those keys, we could get out of here...and if it's not too late, save that man.
"Where are we? How'd we end up in a cell?" he mused, growing angrier by the moment. Instinctively, he raises an arm toward the cell door. A red-hot ball of fire shoots out, striking the gate.
Tarn jumps back, startled. "Did I...was that me? How.." he trailed off.
Mau gasped awake, trembling and patting herself down. What in all the gods' name was that!? She wondered before looking up at the man scene outside her cage. Rage gripped her insides at the sight. "I wish I had those answers."
She flinched back at the fire...what ever....before looking back at her cage mate with wide eyes. "Remind me not to make you mad..."
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The doctor, who up until now hadn't noticed the group waking up, turns toward Tarn following his fiery demonstration. "Pipe down, will you? You'll have your turn soon enough!" She turns back to her sharp instruments, seemingly agonizing over which one to use next on her bound victim.
The fire blast appears to have merely scorched the wrought iron cell door.
As Nik's eyes fly open, he instinctively grabs for his hammer but his hand merely brushes his back. Heart still pounding from the memory of dying, he can feel his blood begin to rush; his vision start to narrow as the rage seeks to protect him.
No!
He gasps several deep breaths, wrestling the rage back. It retreats, but simmers, just barely in control. Waiting.
He tests the bars, but they appear well made. Perhaps he could break them, or the lock....but there might be an easier way.
"Hey Ugly! What kind of piss-poor torture is that? What, failed out of medical training, did you? Had to resort to butchering instead?"
Nik bangs on the bars as he taunts, hoping to lure her closer....
The "doctor" spins toward Nik, a furious expression on her face. "I said quiet!" Her face starts to shift and bubble, transforming into an exact copy of Nik's face, right before his eyes. She turns back to her work, giving the rest of the group a view of her face. She seems to be deciding between a large fork and particularly sharp piece of glass.
Abadar's elbow, what was that!?
However unsettling, Nik's taunts and banging did seem to get a reaction out of the creature. He decided to double down, hurling insults left and right while making as much noise as possible.
"Peace", Talennia told her cell mate while holding up her hands, "I fear in depth introductions will have to wait but I am Talennia." She searches her clothing for her toolkit to no avail and begins to panic slightly. "My tools! Ok, ok, tell my your name and can you help me find something I can use against this lock." She starts searching the cell in a mild panic muttering under her breath about the table being a bad place.
Talennia searches the cell and finds nothing thin enough to be used on the lock. On a whim, however, she thinks to check her hair and finds a carefully concealed lockpick interwoven behind her ear. Apparently whoever locked her in here didn't think to check her that closely.
Meanwhile, the "doctor" once again turns toward Nik, her face still a mirror of his own and yells at him once more. "Fine, you want to be fir- OOF!"
The torture victim kicks out at the doctor with as much force as he can muster in his sorry state. The doctor loses her balance and stumbles directly toward Nik's cell, remaining upright but pressed against the bars. She starts to turn back to the victim, growling and muttering foul oaths. Her keys are within reach.
Cyndance exhaled a bit shakily before responding, "My name is Cyndance..." she trailed off when she heard all the ruckus going on. Still she was asked to help look but before Cyndance could start, she heard the yelling of the strange doctor.
Then, there was that voice again...
That can't be a... but I know I haven't done a seance recently... I'm losing my mind in this place fast... that has to be it! she thought, trying to once again push down her temper that rose up hearing the voice.
Tarnorius blinks at Mau. "I think you'll be fine if you don't lock me in a cell. I'm Tarnorius," he says. Can I help that man across the way?
Tarn pauses a moment, then summons a flare of light in front of the "doctor". Maybe this will help.
Nik's smile is part glee, part adrenaline as he watches the prisoner kick the doctor toward his cage.
If I get out of here I'm buying that guy the biggest damn ale in Avistan!
No sooner has the doctor turned her face from Nik than he shoots out his arms to surround her, attempting to grab the creature around the neck...
The bright flash of light produced by Tarn's flare causes the "doctor" to start blinking furiously. It distracts her long enough for Nik to grab a hold of her through the bars of his cells.
The "doctor" attempts to gain some leverage over Nik, grabbing at his arms in order to pull them off of her. However, she is unsuccessful in getting a good grip and Nik remains firmly in control.
"Okay time to leave" Talennia goes to unlock the door.
"This never happens before, I swear!"
Tarnorius takes a moment to gather power. Energy, appearing mostly as fire, swirls around him. He reaches his arm through the bars, palm facing the doctor; a blue fireball flies from his palm. Blue flames attempt to engulf the doctor in flames.
Cyndance shook her head at Talennia before sighing in frustration.
Stupid, stupid! Why didn't I do a seance?! Now what am I supposed to do? Stand around and look pretty?
Mau flinched back from Tarnorius even her hair seeming to move. Wait...even her hair?
She glanced at her long white blond strands before looking at the door. "Watch out...I want to try something." Her hair was already moving,strands wrapping around a number of the bars.
Nik tightens his hold on the doctor with one arm and grabs at the keys with his free hand. Rearing back his head, he slams it forward into the narrow opening of the bars where the doctor's skull is tightly pressed.
"Ow! Abadar's armpit, that hurt!" Well, Ma never accused me of being her smartest kid.
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Nik's headbutt lands with a fairly loud thud! Then the doctor is engulfed in blue flame, leaving her with severe burns and with clothing set on fire.
In all of the commotion, Nik is able to successfully grab the keys. Meanwhile, Talennia unsuccessfully attempts to pick the lock to her cell door and finds it just too difficult with what she's been given. Mau pulls on the bars to her cell with all the strength her unnatural hair can muster, but is unable to so much as budge the sturdy construction.
The torture victim pulls and twists his body in an effort to escape from his bonds, but is unable to break free.
The doctor tries once again to break free of Nik's grasp, digging her hand into his wrist and yanking it just enough to pull away. Stumbling, she moves toward the door her clothes still burning and leaving a trail of smoke behind her.
She's getting away!" Tarn shouts. He throws another fire blast at the doctor as she slips around the corner.
Tarn rushes his shot, the blue flames hitting the wall seconds after the doctor rounds the corner. The doctor disappears out the door, smoke trailing behind her burning clothes. It takes a few tries, but Tzarnik eventually figures out which key pertain to his cell door and is able to free himself.
"Oh, thank the gods you woke up. I think she was going to kill me."
Nik tosses the keys to the elf then hesitates for just a moment, looking through the doorway the doctor escaped through. His rage boils just beneath the surface, urging him to follow. Gritting his teeth, Nik manages to shove the fury down again, then rushes over to free the bound man.
"Let me get you out of here. You saved my sorry ass, it's the least I can do."
Then I'll get back my hammer and find that miserable demon. And next time...I won't hold it back.
As he is freed, the injured man immediately starts to hold pressure to one of his deeper wounds, in order to stop the bleeding. "Thanks. I thought for sure Doctor Scaen would cut me to ribbons." He pauses for a minute. " My name is Campre. I'm an orderly here. Or at least, I was..."
Though the door the doctor escaped through is open, smoke from her burning clothes has obscured the room from your view.
Talennia grumbles while using the keys to unlock the cell, I could have done this I don't need to use the keys. After unlocking her cell she moves over to the remaining cell and opens the door.
"I don't suppose you know where my equipment is?"
Mau stepped out, her hair neatly piling itself on top of her head as an ear twitched to Talennia. She looked back at Tarnorius. "Nice hit there." She offered him before looking at the elf and shaking her head. "No clue." She approached Campre, bowing some at first. "I am Mau. Do you know if there's any first aid kits around so we can patch you up a little?"
Tarn quickly vacates the cell, and peers intently at the smoky door.
"An orderly? And she was a doctor?" Tarn asked Campre. "So this is a hospital? What kind of hospital has prison cells? Or is there a darker nature to this place?"
"You're at Briarstone..." Seeing the still confused looks on your face, he clarifies. "You know... The asylum? Briarstone Asylum. Oh, that's right! You were the group of patients they brought in about 10 days ago. You were all catatonic, or something."
Suddenly remembering there were more questions directed to him, he turns to Mau and Cyndance. "I haven't seen any of your stuff, sorry. And there should be some medical equipment somewhere upstairs, but... Well, I'm not so sure I want to leave here until its safe. Everyone's gone mad."
"I mean...if this is an asylum isn't that to be assumed?" She asked, tilting head as she cocked an ear to listen for a moment. "How violent a madness are you talking? Are they all as bad as the...'doctor', that was here?"
Nik glanced over the table of torture weapons, but they were all too pointy. He listened with half an ear as he wandered around the room looking for his hammer.
"Mad creatures, strange dreams with horrible deaths, torture....what fresh hell have I been dragged into?" he mumbled as he searched. "There's gotta be something more useful back here. A rock, a stick....a chamber pot for all I care."
Talennia noticed Tzarnik look at the table with the torture implements, "Something sharp might come in handy" and begins searching thought the table to find a decent weapon.
"Not everyone. But a number of doctors and patients have started killing each other. I was hiding down here for a while, until I was found by Doctor Scaen. She's kept me locked up, until today. I'm... not the first person she tortured. She kept muttering something about the 'frailty of human flesh.'"
The northwestern end of the room contains nothing but an alcove with a table and a second alcove where the roof and walls appear to have collapsed. Behind the pile of rubble is nothing but dirt, indicating you are in a basement. To the south, there is another room adjoining the first. An iron furnace hunkers in corner of this room, its four-foot square door half open, but no fire burns within. Nearby sprawls a heap of gory clothes and other dubiously flammable trash.
Of more interest to Nik is a cage with a black cat inside and, nearby, five separate sacks containing weapons and armor. While searching the room, Nik also finds a rather impressive looking viol among the soiled pile of clothing. The instrument appears to be extremely well-made and intact, except that it is missing a bow.