Hallway Scene, Entering the Room, Garyth and Cadfael Flee, Meet Anileth
Subject: Re: an update from karl
I can't believe it.
Jack Chick must somehow be manipulating the rules of the universe to stop our game. But why THIS game? What does he have to fear from our little group of gamers-on-remote?
Hold, on someone's at the door. . .
From: Raja
Subject: Farron's Turn
Upon hearing Cadfael's shriek, Farron nearly falls out of his chair and takes off running down the hall with Garyth and Rennik. When the party has converged on Cadfael, Farron will cast Haste to give us a much-needed boost.
Sorry to keep everyone waiting :(
From: Ty
Subject: Something wicked....
OOC: Sa'id and Farron were in the public room when this happened, not in their room.
The keening whine of someone in pain causes the party to leap to its feet. Rennik is the first down the hallway, followed closely by Sa'id, Garyth and Farron. In the hallway, Cadfael is on his knees, facing the door behind which the mysterious 'other guest' is staying. His face is pale, and twisted into a grimace of pain. Rennik puts one hand on Cadfael's shoulder, and the priest looks up at him, clearly recovering, but still with a look of horror in his eyes...
(We need Cadfael's response, and the party's next actions)
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Something wicked....
Addendum:
Sa'id may go ahead and cast dispel magic if he wishes, and Farron may cast haste if he wishes, immediately on entering the hallway. However, I wanted to set the scene so that you can make that decision after having seen what happened.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: Something wicked....
. . . and Mission is still outside playing fetch with the Kujo.
:)
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Something wicked....
To be a sport, the DM gives Mission a Listen check to see if he can hear any of the goings on in the lodge. Mission rolls 4 + level 6 listen skill versus a DC of 15, and fails to hear anything of note.
Kujo continues to monopolize his attention.
From: Dan
Subject: Re: Something wicked....
Cadfael puts his hand on Rennik's and takes a deep breath, steadying himself.
"There is something beyond that door brother, something so vile I cannot bear to think on it. It's evil is suffocating and for a moment I thought I would pass out from the pain."
"I cannot tell you what is beyond that door, save that it is strong. It may be a beast so malicious the light cannot touch it or a woman who prays to a God of darkness. Their connection would have to be strong though, for the presence of her God to overwhelm me so."
"I do not know what to do next, brothers. But we must make haste! She must have heard my cry as you did, we have already wasted to much time."
He then struggles to his feat and makes his way to the door.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Something wicked....
Cadfael is moving to open the door.
I really need everyone to check in (except Mission and Cujo).
From: Mike
Subject: Re: Something wicked....
At Cadfael's words a shock of fear strikes Garyth's heart. But before he even really knows what he's doing, his dagger is in his hand and he is kicking down the door to the woman's room.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: Something wicked....
Sa'id and Farron both back away from the door even as Cadfael and Garyth move toward it. "Don't!" shouts Sa'id, but it is evidently much too late for that, as both Garyth and Cadfael seem intent on getting everyone killed. Farron sighs, and begins his Haste incantation. Sa'id starts on Mirror Image.
(OOC: If Mike and I have both misread Dan's message and he is NOT planning to bust down that door, then Sa'id won't cast Mirror Image and Farron will wait to cast Haste until it's certain that we're going to fight.)
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Something wicked....
Garyth is in fact kicking down the door.
We just need Rennik now, and I can write up the next turn: "Life in the bowels of Hell"
From: Mike
Subject: Re: Something wicked....
(OOC: I have a feeling I will live to regret Garyth's last move [as will Garyth, if he lives] but I just couldn't convince myself that he could stop to think it through and still be in character.)
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Something wicked....
(OOC: Unfortunately, Rennik's in the same boat as Garyth, acting on instinct here. This ain't the woods anymore, and he's already a bit edgy in this place)
Rennik follows quickly on Garyth's heels, ready to hack to pieces anything that may be on the other side of the door.
(OOC: Yep. We're all gonna die.)
From: Ty
Subject: Something wicked: fear and loathing
In spite of, or perhaps because of, Cadfael's dire warning, Garyth rears back and kicks the lodge door with all his might. The thin plank door is no match for him, and goes flying off its hinges into the room beyond. Wielding his dagger, Garyth charges into the room.
Right behind him is Rennik, gripping his axe in both hands and yelling his distinctive tribal war cry. Out in the hall, Sa'id and Farron begin casting spells, while Cadfael peeps fearfully into the now open doorway, trying to get a glance around Garyth at whatever might be in the room.
The room itself is very dark. The fireplace is cold, there are no candles or lamps lit, and the curtains are drawn on the window. A bit of faint light shines in through the doorway, dimly illuminating the single bed, a small table, and a chair. As Garyth and Rennik crowd through the doorway into the room, the figure stands up. In the dim light, it appears to be a young woman dressed in black robes, and enormously pregnant. The only thing that belies her harmless and normal appearance is the incredible sense of dread that falls over all that view her. Her presence seems to suck the warmth and light out of the air, and even breathing becomes painful.
Garyth takes one look at her, and turns around with a shriek [Will save 8 vs DC 20]. Before anyone else can even react, Garyth pushes past Rennik and shoves past Cadfael hard enough to knock him over, then runs down the hallway screaming. He runs out the door of the lodge and flees as fast as he can into the woods.
When Garyth pushes past Rennik, Rennik gets his first good look at the woman. He too feels the deep dread of her fall on him, but his Halfling resistance to panic is strong [Will save 22 vs DC 20], and he does not flee, though the fear leaves him shaken and trembling. He stands his ground gripping his axe, and tries to decide what to do.
Cadfael begins standing up, but when he sees the woman in the room, his mind empties in panic [Will save 15 vs DC 20]. He turns away and begins crawling past Farron and Sa'id down the hallway, whimpering as he goes. When he gets past them, he gets to his feet and runs out the door that Garyth had left standing open and into the woods.
Farron and Sa'id feel the dread fall across them, but their focused minds and powerful mental resistance block most of the affects of the fear [Will saves 25 & 28 respectively]. However, the need to resist this assault on their minds robs them of the concentration needed to continue casting their spells [Concentration checks 12 & 5 respectively] and both spells are lost. They do not, however, feel the overwhelming need to run away.
Mission is standing outside petting the wolf, and just thinking about coming back inside, when a screaming Garyth runs out of the lodge and hurtles off into the woods. A second later, Cadfael chases after him, leaving only a trail of sobs behind him.
Gully, who was standing open mouthed in his great room, feels the dread fall upon him. He turns with a whimper and runs into the kitchen closely followed by a pack of growling wolves.
(next round: Rennik is shaken (-2 to actions), but can act next round if he wishes. Farron and Sa'id are NOT shaken, and may also act next round if they wish. Cadfael and Garyth will continue running into the woods until they can no longer see the cabin, at which time they will cower and hide. Their path into the woods will be random, and they will not wind up together. Mission may act on what he has seen.)
From: Dan
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing
I tells ya. A +10 Will save just doesn't get you what it used to, y'know?
:p
Although. At least I'm ALIVE :)
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing
Cadfael actually has the best Will save in the party. Even with his halfling bonus against fear, Rennik's save is still 6 points lower. Sadly, the random factor looked with favor on the little guy, and stamped its foot in disapproval at the cleric. Damn those rules that include dice rolls! Damn them!!!
:)
From: Scott
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing
Mission stares after the fighter and the cleric.
"Gully must tell some truly terrifying ghost stories, eh, wolf?" he says amicably.
Mission will run inside to check on the party.
If it looks like the hallway and door are too crowded with panicked folks to squeeze through, he will run back outside, smash the window to the Pregnant Evil Woman's (hormones will getcha every time) room, and enter that way.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing
That is, he will use his staff to smash through the window. . . no sense cutting up his hands just yet.
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing
Rennik's eyes narrow and a low growl erupts from the back of his throat. He feels naked before the woman, standing alone in the room with no armor, with only his axe in his hands. He does not take his eyes off the woman, but backs slowly toward the door, much like a wild animal.
His mind is not functioning rationally, and higher thougth has mostly left him. The wolf has stumbled upon the pregnant mother bear in her den and knows it is a fight he cannot win alone.
(OOC: Rennik will take this action to guardedly back up toward the door, hoping to get into a position where he can duck behind the wall should something happen.)
(Also OOC: Suuuuure. Leave me with the siamese mage. Just lovely, guys. Fantastic. :p )
From: Raja
Subject: Re: Something wicked: fear and loathing
Farron's eyes widen as half the party takes off into the woods, but neither he nor Sa'id is overcome by fear. As he stumbles over his incantation and the spell's energy dissipates, Sa'id curses.
There is a pause, then, as the woman stands up. Farron moves closer to the doorframe, but stays outside the door to cover Rennik's retreat if need be. (OOC: If Farron has a ranged weapon, he will get it ready.) Sa'id, murmuring softly, casts a quick Detect Undead spell before stepping confidently -- or at least trying to convey the illusion of confidence -- into the woman's field of view. His eyes move conspicuously from Rennik to the woman's belly... then, swallowing his fear and hoping it doesn't show, Sa'id's gaze flicks up to meet hers as evenly as he can manage.
"Is what you bear a great honour or a great burden for you?"
From: Ty
Subject: Something wicked: fear and loathing 2
Rennik moves back slowly toward the door, making sure never to take his eyes off the woman in black. She makes no sudden move toward him, and he breaths a sigh of relief when he can feel the door jamb at his back. He knows cover is but a single step away, should he need it.
Farron bolts up the hall to his room to collect his crossbow and load it.
Sa'id steps lightly up behind Rennik, placing one hand on the halfling's back to let him know he's there. While he stepped up, he quickly uttered a charm of detect undead, but as the last syllable leaves his lips, he smoothly switches to his normal mellow speaking voice. "Is what you bear a great honour or a great burden for you?" The last word comes out as a bit of a squeak, as his newly augmented vision shows an undead being of overwhelming power.
The woman moves gently towards the door, passing out of shadow and into the rectangle of light the doorway casts into the room. She is of average height, and slender of build. Her features are comely at first glance, though closer inspection turns them monstrous. Her skin is alabaster white, and covered in fine lines, like the effect of mummification. Her eyes are a milky white, as though blinded by cataracts, and her hair is colorless and limp.
When Sa'id speaks to her, she turns her dead eyes toward him and says, "No. I am not looking for you." She then speaks in a low tone, caressing her belly in a gesture that is turned obscene by the horror she provokes as she says, "Where is he? Tell me where he is." She nods her head as if listening, then says, "Ah, outside, but coming in."
She turns away from you to face the window, and for one brief second Rennik considers taking this moment to strike her in the back with his axe. But Rennik is not a fool, and he holds his blow until he better understands what is happening here. Shortly after she turns away, the glass window in her room shatters, and the curtains are thrust aside. Mission leaps lightly into the room, his hands held at the ready, his tattoos glowing with power.
"There he is. There's daddy," the woman says, rubbing her belly and speaking to Mission.
(I need Mission's reaction to this. Rennik can act next round if he wishes, though he is still shaken. Sa'id may act next round as well. Farron will take a round to locate and load his crossbow. Cadfael and Garyth are still running like the hounds of hell dog their heels)