Trevor binds Ebin’s wrist and ankles, though it is a messy affair. The pool of blood that he lays in causes his wrist to be slick.
Sveth pushes himself up to his feet; “I might be a little slow but I’m not dead.” pointing to his cane; “Any chance I could get that or my dagger back? Wouldn’t want to be useless when things come to try and kill us.”
Listening to the door, Rekkart hears wind and crashing waves in the distance.
This open-air chamber resembles a large cage. On the other side of the bars lies a dug-up potter’s field where the bodies of criminals rest in unmarked graves. Beyond, the wind-blasted desolation of Beldrin’s Bluff beckons. Cracked buildings slump against each other in the distance, many already collapsed into piles of rubble. Shadows move between the old tones and dance in the boken maws of their cracked front windows. For a second, a few pairs of red eyes peek out from the inky black, only to be swallowed up again.
The cage here is empty save a stocks, where painfully hobbled criminals wallowed to the joy of onlookers, who spent their own frustrations by hurling rotting fruit at the accused. Suddenly, a moaning issues forth from the dug-up graves and bloated rotting fingers reach up and claw towards freedom. Six corpses, nooses draped about their necks, push to their feet and lumber toward the bars, picking up stones as they come.
Trevor uses the manacles.
If they are behind the bars, they can't attack us. Just close the door.
Zinli tosses the cane back to Sveth. "I think it's safer if someone else keeps the dagger." She doesn't even try to hide that she still distrusts him.
Rekkart opens the door, takes a moment to survey the contents of the room, then closes the door again when it becomes apparent the living dead behind the bars can't break through.
"The wall has collapsed on the far side of the room, but there are still iron bars preventing us from leaving that way," he relays to the group, "There's also several corpses that just rose from their shallow graves, but I don't believe they are capable of tearing down the bars at the moment. Let us investigate the rest of the jail first before we deal with them."
After closing the door, Rekkart cautiously makes his way to the next door, slowly opening it to peer inside.
Trevor keeps an eye on Sveth.
Twirling the cane in his hands as if he has not a care in the world, or new enemies in the room, Sveth smiles; “This will do…” gesturing with the cane; “lead on.”
The undead you discover appear to be regular zombies, if such an unnatural thing could be called regular. There is no way they are getting in through those bars. Closing the door, Rekkart moves onto the next door.
The door isn’t locked and opens with ease. Even though he is opening it cautiously, there is a gust of ice cold wind that cuts through every layer of fabric you are all wearing.
Gloom reigns here, and the room scorns light . An unnatural cold pervades this place, cutting right through cloth and flesh. Raised gallows with a noose hanging from its crossbeam stands sentinel in this room where hundreds of souls died either with a quick snap of the neck or jerking freakishly.
The air in this dark chamber is absolutely still and unusually cold.
You black out, but awaken to find yourself swinging on the end of a rope as a crowd of onlookers cheers and jeers. Their heartless laughter washes over you and leaves you drowning in a sea of hate, as you desperately try to draw breath with lungs that no longer work.
As darkness washes over you, you notice one man in particular smiling at you with a satisfied expression. He is a handsome young man with blond locks and piercing blue eyes, he fingers a long thin scar, freshly healed, on his lower left cheek.
Darkness… silence… sadness…
Your eyes snap back open seeing the scene before you unfold.
The silence suddenly breaks when a single creak echoes from the rickety stairs of the gallows. Another follows, and dust shakes from the steps as a figure comes into view. His hands are bound before him and he lurches with a palsied gait as he comes. His head is shrouded in a black bag, hanging impossibly at a right angle off his mangled neck. A sound like ana old door hinge or leather dragged over wood curdles from his shredded throat and he reaching for you with arched fingers curled into white claws.
Following closely behind Rekkart, Patrissa also lays eyes on this sight and begins to scream in terror and she runs off into the grand hall before.
Intitiative: Round 1
Rekkart
Creature
Neronius
Trevor
Tolbold
Zinli
Initiative
.
.
"Hmph..." Rekkart grunts as the sudden burst of cold chills his body, "I do believe we've found what was keeping the door frozen."
to see what type of undead our hanged man is.
Rekkart steps into the darkened room with blade ready and standing firm at the foot of the stairs leading onto the gallows.
GET BACK HERE! Travor chases after Patrissa.
Rekkart knows nothing about this creature that is slowly walking towards him. Stepping into the room, he readies his blade.
Continuing its slow heavy steps down the stairs, the wood groans under the weight of the creature. Reaching out, the creature touches Rekkart. Hand going through clothing and armor, a chill grips him to his core. It feels as if his heart and blood are freezing.
A Daze feels as if it about to take over, but Rekkart fends it off and attacks out with his blade, but his attack misses.
Madge sees the creature slowly coming towards the door and she begins to back away from the opening. Fear paralyzing her face, she backs away until her back clinks against the bars behind her.
Trevor takes off after Patrissa, catching up he sees that she has a panicked look on her face as she manically looks around this great chamber. It doesn’t appear as if she sees or knows he is there.
Intitiative: Round 1
Rekkart
Creature
Neronius
Trevor
Tolbold
Zinli
Neronius gasps audibly and looks shaken and confused as he instinctively backs up behind the iron door and swings it shut!
Hearing the iron door shut Tobold looks back and see what Neronius has done. His only reply is "That man dies." He steps into the door and fires a ray of positive energy at the undead creature.
"Gods f$%!ing damn it," Zinli swears. Since she cannot do anything at such a distance, she tumbles into the room, hoping to stay as far from the creature as possible.
Even with her ruined arms, she's still very quick on her feet.
Gritting his teeth, Rekkart takes another swing at the creature with his sword.
Patrissa! Don't run off! Remember what happened to the others when they left the group. We need to go back to them.
Neronius shuts the door and hunkers down behind it. Trevor and Patrissa see this action not knowing what is going on within.
Tolbold uses his newly learned magic as the ray of positive energy looks effective, but not critically.
Zinli moves to get into a better position on the creature
Rekkart moves and swings his blade. The magical blade slices through the creature, but it doesn’t look fully effective.
I apologize I didn’t give you this info, but Rekkart would recognize this creature as Mord.
The creature no longer lumbers down the stairs, instead it passes through the railing up to the gallows and lands in front of Tolbold. Tolbold feels the chilling touch of the creature approaching but is able to nimbly move out of its way.
Trevor shouts at Patrissa, but she continues to run in her panic and heads for the stairs.
Whispering to herself; “It can’t be… it can’t be…” as she continues to slowly back up into the darkness.
Intitiative: Round 2
Rekkart
Creature
Neronius
Trevor
Tolbold
Zinli
Trevor tries to grapple Patrica
Trevor does....poorly
"S#%%. S+@@, s$$%, s$&&," Zinli mumbles to herself, as she repositions behind Rekkart.
She grabs his elbow, and even through the armor, Rekkart's skin reddens from the heat that seeps from her skin. "You gotta down her next time!" she shouts.
Tolbold exclaims "OH crap!" He then takes a step back and fires another bolt of positive energy at the creature.
While he could not determine what the man has become in death, between the rotten flesh and the obscuring hood, Rekkart's eyes widen as he only now recognizes who chilling specter before him once was.
"By Iomedae's light..." he utters in horrified comprehension, "Jarbin Mord."
Neronius takes a deep breath and tries to collect his wits. The only way out is through, he reminds himself silently before throwing open the door and charging through with a bellow!
Trevor reacts to Patrissa’s fleeing
Rekkart announces that this creature is the haunted remanent of Jarbin Mord. Zinli moves up and cast Guidance on Rekkart.
Tolbold let’s off another ray of positive energy, it appears to go wide and is not effective.
Neronius opens the door and run back into the chamber where everyone is. Revealing Mord is close to the door.
Intitiative: Round 2
Rekkart
Creature
Neronius
Trevor
Tolbold
Zinli
Trevor tries to grab Patrissa again.
Rekkart takes another swing at the undead Mord.
Rekkart takes a swing at Mord but it doesn’t appear to hit Mord. Mord’s head unnaturally snaps to look to the second floor and quickly moves east and disappears through the wall that leads to the outdoors that is barred off.
Word is going after Patrissa!
From down the dark hall you hear faint crying. You see the figure of Madge slumped sitting on her heels crying into the folded arms resting on her knees. Creaking iron echoes from the dark. Not far from the group, you see a set of stairs that leads downward, darkness blocks your vision.
A clicking of the cane echos off the stone floors in this section; “Let’s hope that Patrissa can find a hiding place. Hate to see something happen to such a pretty face.” Sveth says casually strolling to look in the gallows room.
Zinli glares at Sveth. "Well, instead of waiting, how 'bout we find that out ourselves? Where'd she go?" she asks Trevor urgently.
Trevor leads the way to where he saw Patrissa went.
Tobold follows along. He snorts "Nice of you to join us." as he passes Neronius.
"Damn it all," Rekkart curses under his breath as Mord's ghost ignores the party and phases through the wall. Sheathing his blade for the moment, he begins to follow Trevor, "Everyone stick together!"
He stops at the sobbing wreck that is Madge, extending a gloved hand to help her to her feet, "Come," Rekkart orders in the most gentle voice he can manage, "I know this situation is frightening, but this is no time to succumb to fear. Stay here alone and you'll be a sitting duck for the horrors haunting this place."
Madge looks up at Rekkart with tear filled red eyes. She shakes her head, “it’s not that I’m afraid…” peering around the paladin looking at the door to the gallows; “That is the last time I saw my father.” the halfling takes his hand and stands. They quickly join the rest of the group.
Neronius shrugs an innocent what in response to Tolbold’s comment.
Trevor leads everyone upstairs. The first thing that catches your eyes is Carrie’s fallen body still laying on the couch. Might catch you off guard as you quickly remember how she was killed, the creature zapping away all her strength. She is just skin and bones.
Looking deeper into the room you see two pieces of rope laying on the floor where Ebin’s body once was. From here there are no signs to where Ebin went. You also don’t know where Patrissa went from here.
Tolbold sighs "Oh great. Another zombie. Let's stick together and look for Patrissa and maybe we can keep her alive." He then heads to the door on the left to check the clerks room first.
Trevor follows Tobold
Before she follows the party, Zinli picks up the pieces of rope to figure out how Ebin broke through.
XP: 1700/3300
Looking over the ropes, Zinli sees that the knots are still as tight as they should have. It appears as if Ebin either slipped through them somehow, or he vanished…
Trevor heads into the first room where the giant leech, red scarves, and moneylender’s journal were found. It is empty. No Patrissa to be found. Checking the other room on this floor, you also find that it is empty.
- 2 Heavy Crossbows with 2 quivers of 25 bolts
- 4 Longswords with belt sheaths
- 4 daggers with belt sheaths
- 4 sets of Chainmail
- 4 Light Steel Shields
- 8 Potions of Cure Light Wounds
- 5 sets of manacles
- 2 Tanglefoot bags
- 2 Smokesticks
- Masterworked Throwing Axe
She is nowhere to be found on this level.
"I'm beginning to find this situation very vexing indeed!" grumbles Neronius. "Oh, how I long for my orchids, my armchair, and my wine. Indeed, even ale would do!"
The portly man walks to the nearest door and tries to swing it open, increasingly desperate to escape.
The bell tower. Let us check there.
"Very well. Allow me to head up first."
Taking Trevor's suggestion, Rekkart draws his blade once more and ascends the staircase to the bell tower.
The rest of the party chase after Patrissa to make sure she is well, but this door is calling your name. It isn’t locked, opening with a slight groan of the hinge.
Brutal machines to coax confessions from the accused fill this mournful room of cold stone, pain, and dark stains. A flaying rack rest in one corner, with an iron maiden against one wall; a restraining chair adorned with all manner of crushing vices and punishing screws sits like a throne at the chamber’s center. A rack on the wall bears rusted implements of persuasion: pulling tongs, pliers, eight-inch spikes, and an array of rusty needles, syringes, and scalpels.
While in the Baliff’s Lodging you realize that Neronius has not been with you in the quick look of the two rooms of this level. Looking down the hall, he is not walking this way.
As you make your way towards the main room of the second floor you pass by the stairs to the tower. The salty breeze of the sea blows from above. Rekkart takes the lead upstairs revealing the same scene as you left it. Dead creature still in the corner opening where the wall had been busted.
"S*~$," Zinli curses. Still no sign of Patrissa - and now Neronius had also disappeared? "We must have headed the wrong way! And where'd that pompous bastard go?!"
Tolbold snorts "Don't worry about that bastard. We aren't that lucky! We need to find Patrissa. Where haven't we checked on this level? The cabinet in the bailiff's room? Mord's room?"
"Well, if I were a ghost haunting my workplace after getting wrongfully killed for doing my job... I'd probably stay near my living quarters."
Seeing the room of torture implements and knowing the propensity for the malevolent spirit in the courtroom to to take out its anger through manipulating physical objects, Neronius quietly closes the door. He wipes his brow with sweat and then turns to realise he's all alone. "Well! More valuables for me then!" he blusters unconvincingly.
Seeing another closed door, he heads towards it, desperately hoping it might just contain a way out.
We are getting picked off and there is a severe lack of interest in sticking together. I have lost all hope at finding her alive after all our attempts have been thwarted with ease.
Marching toward the staircase leading to Mord's room, Rekkart narrows his eyes at Trevor's comment, "Hope lost or not, we must still try."
Opening this door, Neronius reveals a windowless chamber that contains a stool and a small table. A black hood hangs from a hook on the far wall, with a long length of rope coiled on the floor beneath. A wooden cask also rests in the corner of this room.
Rekkart goes up the stairs into Mord’s room and there is no Patrissa. Trevor saw her run upstairs, but it appears as if she has vanished…
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Neronius chuckles to himself. I'm going to regret this. He enters the windowless chamber and pokes around, opening the wooden cask.
Whatever rooms are we missing? Perhaps the one that had the zombies and bars?
"Honestly, guys, if we have not found Patrissa alive by now, then it doesn't look good. But sure, let's check the other room if you want. But if we can't find her there, maybe we should pick up Neronius where we left him."
Neronius walks up to the cask in the corner and you see no markings or writings on the outside. Opening the cask is easy, the lid is placed just on. No nails. The lid falls with a thump and tumble and there is a rattle of glass from within.
Dust flies up and rest on your clothing, but within reveals 6 quart bottles of liquid. Picking one up reveals a Chelaxian label and script. Daemon-Spirit is what it spells out. This is a powerfully strong whisky and from the label it is 15 year old batch.
But as you are looking over this cask you feel something strike out at your leg. Looking down you see the rope that once laid coiled on the floor is now coiling around your leg working itself up to your torso.
The rooms on the upper levels have all been checked and no Patrissa. Making your way from Mord’s room to the main room on the second level your lights, torches or spells, begin to flicker. The shadows cast in this room dance as an unfelt wind fight against your light sources. The chairs case long shadows the begin to dance on the floor and walls.
Flicker you see Ebin standing on the carpet across the room. Flicker the shadows swallow him up. Flicker Ebin appears next to the far chair, blook soaked clothing continues to grow dark as the blood from his mouth begins to turn to a black ichor. He is holding something. Flicker gone. The lights continue to flash and fight for survival almost going out. Flicker Ebin is standing in front of Rekkart and Zinli, milky dead eyes stair as he is trying to babble. He waves his tongue in one hand as he strike out at Rekkart with the other. His attack hits the paladin.
Initiative: Round 1
All of you
Ebin & Rope
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