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Hearing Rekkart's shouting, Neronius can't help but thinking the situation must be quite dire up there. Perhaps . . . well, maybe . . . there's something he could do to help. Facing a daunting climb up the stairs, the portly occultist gathers his courage and begins to ascend!
No worries from this end! Hope the work goes well for you.
From the ground hear, Neronius hears the sound of combat from above, and continues humming softly under his breath as he assembles the courthouse's valuables in one place.
"Carry on, carry on. I'll continue my investigations down here and . . ." he adds with a slight grin, "see if any valuables remain undiscovered."
"I surmise that enchanted blades would be useful, along with the usual suspects: holy water and the like."
Neronius presses his fingers together into a steeple. "Ahem. I do believe it was established that the malevolent spiritual energy manifesting in this courtroom will be assuaged--or at least become incarnate--only when the full scope of its originating cause is revealed? Each clue has been found in the presence of a hazard conjured by the poltergeist. Thus, I believe you brave heroes must again do battle with the so-called 'dancing ghost' upstairs."
Neronius hums softly to himself as he sorts the curios and antiques the group has discovered into small piles. He finally looks up and, with a small shrug, says "To my ears it sounds as if Sveth has received just what he deserved for his role in causing this unfortunate business. Fitting, that cosmic justice should be served in a mundane courtroom." He chuckles softly to himself.
I'm off this morning--back on the 25th. GM, you've done a great job with the horror atmosphere of the adventure! I'll level up once I get back--though you guys may have finished by then :)
"If you have nothing else, try to set it ablaze--with a torch!" shouts Neronius, safely some distance away.
Seeing the battle unfold, Neronius calls out some advice: "Yes, blades! They seem most effective against zombies!" Meanwhile, he strokes his chin, trying to think if any keys have been discovered during the group's exploration of the courthouse.
Neronius backs away several more feet just in case his allies lose containment on the zombie. He finds himself standing next to a door that the group hasn't yet opened, and decides he may as well examine it.
"Ah yes, a zombie! Maintain consistent application of physical force."
Stout in name and body, but not in heart, Neronius decides discretion is the better part of valor. He moves (surprisingly swiftly given his bulk) towards shelter.
As the others chatter, Neronius rubs his chin and ponders what he knows about destroying spectral creatures like the ghostly, dancing woman his companions have described.
I won't have access to a computer, unfortunately, and sometimes the big meanies even lock up our phones :)
Neronius nods at the discovery of the carving, and shakes his head slowly at Ebin. "Alas, the past does not always stay buried, does it? We'll see about your hand when more pressing matters are addressed." He turns to Zinli. "To answer your query, a reasonable inference is this: after the poltergeist has shown us everything it wishes us to see, it will either manifest in a . . . more or less . . . corporeal manner and confront us, or its spirit will depart for whatever lies beyond this mortal realm. Thus, I'm afraid we need to finish a thorough exploration of this courthouse, including another foray against the ghostly scarf-twirling Varisian figure. Naturally, I will direct matters from the rear."
Just an early FYI that I'm going to be away from 9-25 May.
"Ladies and gentlemen," says Neronius, pacing with his hands clasped behind his back and his chest puffed out, "I surmise what we are dealing with is . . . a poltergeist!" He waits a moment for his dramatic revelation to land before continuing. "Cast your minds back to every dangerous or violent incident that has occurred during our explorations of the courthouse. Each has led to the discovery of a vital clue as to what happened during the criminal trial the jurors participated in almost a decade ago. For example, where we found the moneylender's journal was where we fought the fearsome, enormous, leech-like creature. The note from the judge was discovered after an encounter with the terrifying hound. The trauma and rage of Jarbin Mord, I suggest to you, has manifested in a lethal--though perhaps successful--attempt to have his conviction re-examined."
Neronius sighs and reaches into a pocket inside his vest to produce a small vial. "A healing draught," he says, handing it to Zinli. "Rekkart was following my invitation to climb down the rope, after all. Though I hope recompense is forthcoming." He begins pacing, with a distant, thoughtful look. At last, he nods to himself and mumbles: "Yes, yes--elementary, from a certain point of view."
As he's working to light a torch with flint and steel, Neronius winces to see Zinli try to pull the side of the man's face away from the frozen door.
"Stop moving, you fool!" shouts Neronius. With a heavy sigh, the portly man moves closer to Ebin and examines the door without touching it.
"Yes, yes, by all means head into a torture chamber. Meanwhile, I'll keep thinking."
Neronius steeples his fingers as he thinks, and finally says: "Well, we have attempted a variety of physical ways to make our escape, and have so far been unsuccessful. The malevolent spirit is in full control of our surroundings, and is, apparently, not willing to let us leave. Perhaps there is a way we could conjure the spirit, and converse with it?"
Neronius' eyes widen as he enters and sees Halgrak in bloody pieces. "Ah . . . Hm . . ." He looks at Zinli. "Rekkart? He volunteered to go for help. Alas, the fog . . . ate . . . him."
Neronius stays for a moment in the bell tower, looking out at the rising tide of fog, and then follows Patrissa down the stairs.
"Oh my!" exclaims the usually placid Neronius as he realizes the uncanny fog may have actually . . . consumed . . . Rekkart. He turns to Patrissa: "Perhaps we should join the others. I have a gathering suspicion the only way out of this dilemma is to confront it head-on."
"Ha . . . ha ha ha," chuckles Neronius with genuine mirth at the suggestion that he himself climb down the rope. "Your confidence in my athletic prowess, however much appreciated, is misplaced. Nor would I risk the strain on the rope. No, no, it shall have to be one of the two of you who go for help," he says to Rekkart and Patrissa.
Neronius ties off the rope and tosses the other end over. It still dangles a good 10' above a safe surface--a painful, but probably not lethal, fall. Rubbing his hands with glee, he turns to see most of the others have already raced down the stairs. "Some people have no sense of priorities . . ." he says quietly.
Neronius puts the ring--now quite warm to the touch--carefully back in a vest pocket. Disregarding the bell, he chuckles and says, "Well, that was certainly an unpleasant diversion. Now, which one of you more . . . adventurous sorts has a rope? Someone need only shimmy down and summon aid, and this entire ordeal will be over."
Sighing heavily, Neronius again holds up the partially-melted ring to send a lance of acid toward the creature.
Off on a trip, back in 48 hours.
Chucking to himself at having finally found an escape route, Neronius is vexed to see his companions have still not dealt with the infernal creature distracting them. "Stand aside, please," he says to Carrie, as he draws forth the partially-melted ring from his vest pocket and uses it to send a lance of pure fire at the mosquito-like monster. When the beam merely scorches the roof of the bell tower, Neronius purses his lips in annoyance at the artifact.
Confident the six people surrounding the creature will be able to take it down, Neronius turns his attention to the opening in the wall.
Hearing no response to his query about escape except the sounds of continued combat, Neronius sighs heavily. With one ponderous foot after another, he trudges up the steps and into the bell tower. Ignoring the melee in one corner, he wheezes his way over to the nearest window and looks down.
Neronius calls up from below. "Is that a bell tower? They must be open air! Defeat whatever noxious threat is there and then we can fashion a long rope for rescue!"
Ok, I'm off--back Thursday. Please bot as needed. (offensively, I've got the crossbow and can cast energy ray for the next 10 minutes)
Neronius sees Tolbold come back down the stairs just seconds after going up. "Ah, my diminutive friend. Judging by the gunshot and your rapid return, am I take to take it that no escape from above is available?"
I try to do very minimalist camping, sleeping under a hoochie (basically, a tarp to keep the rain off) and relying on just a (big) backpack for my supplies. I did a wilderness camp a few years back and it was really fun, so now I like to practice starting fires with just a knife and a ferro rod, boiling water from a stream, etc. (alas, I haven't learned yet how to forage for food safely, so I have to bring that with me)
Just flagging early that next week I'll be away on a camping trip.
Neronius starts for a second, hearing the ungodly loud noise of Zinli's firearm going off upstairs. He shakes his head at the folly of youth and continues whistling as he piles paintings and curios on his floating disk. Nonetheless . . . bravery has value in the right circumstances, and a business such as mine does include certain risks, as poor Goodwyn discovered . . . Perhaps I could hire them as bodyguards?
Neronius walks to the base of the stairs and looks up. The steep climb only cements his belief that, barring a dire emergency, some ascents are best left to those with strong legs but weak minds. He turns away and decides to make the best of a bad situation. Carefully removing a partially-melted platinum ring from his pocket, he looks at it intently. It still bears a barely visible inscription written in an ancient tongue: in arcanum omnium, potentia illimata. Said to have been worn by the famous wizard Nex on the day he created the legendary Crux of Nex (and cast aside after having been burnt out), some flickers of arcane power remain . . . A satisfied smile creases Neronius' face as he uses the ring to create a thin flat disk of pure, glowing energy hovering in the air! "Now to find profit where others meet only peril," he says to himself, as he starts to stack paintings, rare books, and other collectors' items on the disk.
@Everyone: Just a reminder that although Neronius is a bit of a pompous jerk, *I* like all of you and am having a good time with the game! ;)
Neronius nods at Zinli and speaks to the gathered group. "My new gnomish associate has mastered understatement. Indeed, as with a week-old trout left under the pillow, something smells fishy about this case. I confess to knowing little about matters . . . ahem, spiritual . . . but having learned a little of the esoteric and occult, I speculate that a full verbal confession would ease a restless soul's preoccupation with vengeance."
My posting is going to be spotty over the next few days--we have an inbound cyclone and I'm a member of the State Emergency Service. Please bot as needed.
Neronius chuckles to himself. "This is all very interesting, but I am missing a meal, even if I'm not sure which one. Now, wasn't one of you brave fellows going to see about access to the roof and our rescue?"
"And did the debt influence your verdict?"
"Ahem, I see. Thank you. Now then Halgrak," Neronius calls out to the figure, raising his voice to get everyone's attention before he leaves the room, "perhaps you would be so kind to confess that the forgiveness of loans extended to you by Barrister Wade was, as the Thassilonians from ten millennia past would have put it, a quid pro quo for your vote in the jury box?"
Neronius ignores Tolbold and Trevor and continues speaking to the jury members. "And was there a barrister named Alastir Wade present in the courtroom?"
With the battle complete, Neronius enters the room fully. Scrutinising the surviving members of the jury carefully, he asks a seemingly innocent question: "Do you recall the names of those courtroom staff present during the trial: the barristers, judge, bailiff, and so forth?"
"Ah, a coffer corpse! One doesn't see those everyday. And, unless I miss my guess, which I never do, I surmise that must be the bailiff--murdered by an axe!" Neronius waves his hands dismissively at it and speaks to the combatants surrounding it. "Continue the fisticuffs--you have it outnumbered and it will surely fall soon."
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