The Devil's Dreams, Chapter Five

[ewancummins]

Dorgio, in full kit, lurches unsteadily into view. He looks like death warmed over.
The priest coughs to clear his throat. He smiles, and says-

''I could not lie in bed and be dying without one last good fight. I would be for snatching Ferenc- but not by such evil means, and not with so little time left to us. Alain is right- we must act now. "

[RocEter]

Thom enters the room just in time to hear Alain's shout at the rest of party. "Evil actions and Morons?" Thom says from behind. " Clearly not a student a history are you young man? You should know that sometimes, most of the time, in order for the greater good to prevail smaller evil acts of necessity must happen first. However Alain is correct in one thing, the caverns below are our only option left. I have been informed that certain measures which had been put into play have failed thus far." He says.

"Now if we are to be about this I suggest we leave with haste. Oh and I accept your apology." He says with a smirk on his face.

[ewancummins]

in the rear of the house, where the party is meeting

A nearby door swings and Zandor steps through it. The minstrel wears his rapier at his hip, and a long green cloak wrapped around his body.

The handsome troubadour frowns darkly at Eustace.

''Minstrels are hired to listen as well as to sing, monk. "

He turns to face Alain.

''The sheriff has spoken with my young master's father. I know what I've missed. Laurie has been foully murdered, Karim has given his life, and Gauderic is now a prisoner of the evil power that haunts the caverns below us- the same evil power that holds the lady Gennifer. "

He draws his rapier and renders a fencer's salute to Alain.

''For Dofur and Karim, for Laurie and Gennifer, for Gauderic, for justice- I will follow you!"

[Adam]

Benn rolls his eyes. "Well, now our safety is assured."

"Let me get this straight," he coughs, "Your suggestion is that we walk back down into the caves empty handed? If you weren't going to try and take Ferenc back, why have you waited until now to raise a protest?"

He shakes his head, "I'm sorry, Alain, but I think you're raving. And as for my evil methods, I'm curious how you suggest to take Ferenc honorably and without breaking the law."

He shakes his head in frustration. "I don't want to break in there and capture the man either, with his guilt unproven. But I have my doubts whether we will be able to do anything besides die futilely if we walk back into the caves without him."

He sighs. "But I can't do it alone. If we go to the caves to fight. So be it."

[Lord Skybolt]

"I never thought that idea of taking Ferenc was a good idea and said as much before, but I guess some people just don't listen to what I say . Also I think we have Zandor dress up as Ferenc to "exchange" for the young scions . As we do this we spring are attack on the villains . I said the idea of infecting innocents was evil and kidnapping a law abiding citizen as wrong . Our chances are not great but they are better than just standing around just dieing here ." Alain explains .

[Adam]

"Fair enough. I would not have given this fungus to anyone else either."

He turns to Zandor. "My opinions aside, the air down there is rife with the poison currently killing us. Going with us is in all likelihood a death sentence for you. And, while I'm thinking about it, where the hell were you, and what package did Ferenc task you to deliver?"

[ewancummins]

Zandor replies to Benn-

''I went down into the caverns before, and I'm just fine. Don't you recall? We didn't see any of the horned fungus growing in the caves near the cellars. That area may be safe, aside from the rats and whatever those humanoid things were. I see that Everline-'

He gestures towards the girl,
''-wears a cloth mask. I can wear a cloth over my mouth and nose, perhaps as part of the disguise suggested by Alain. "

Zandor heads for the cellar entrance, humming a tune as he strides across the stone floor...

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"If you plan to disguise yerself as ole Ferenc, you'll have to make yerself look like yer infected wit' somethin' horrible," Everline says. "The ole boy's lookin' pretty hideous. It sounds like it could work, an' we've no better plans - so let's just go and do it."

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio gives a rasping chuckle at Everline's suggestion. "Zandor, if you are needing an example of looking hideous, I'd make a fair model right now."

He smiles weakly and reaches for a cigarillo, but at the last minute decides against it, a sure sign of the extent of his illness. "You are right, it is a long shot, disguising Zandor, but perhaps it is the only shot we are having..."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"I mean he's got some kinda skin condition," Everline says with hard-won patience. "Growths all o'er 'is skull."

[Ail]

"I recognize my suggestion was evil, I know. I'm not happy about it either, but I'm not as optimistic as you are. Alain. I will go with you, however. Arguing for an evil act is morally feeble anyway. But sometimes, there are no good ways out of a situation and evil ones must be considered. They might be better than inaction.

Anyhow, I'm glad we don't have to do it, I'm not that glad that we might not live through it, but let's go anyway. The sooner the better, and I will give what help I can. Though I have my doubts we'll be able to fool that monster or even get to him, one way or another."

[ewancummins]

The party is able to quickly rig a disguise for Zandor, using some of Ferenc's old clothes and some flour and lard from the pantry. Once the bard's lower face is wrapped in one of Rotwang's masks, he is able to give a fair impression of Ferenc. Of course, it wouldn't fool anyone for very long in good lighting or up close, but in the gloom of the caves, for a crucial moment....who knows?

Rotwang , Toddlestone, and the waddling fungoid follow the heroes.

The hasty disguise finished, the party moves into the cellar. Working with feverish haste, the heroes forcefully remove the iron spikes. The wood and metal is quite cold to the touch, and the other side of the door is partly covered in brown, moldy growth that sparkles with frost. The air of the spring house is cold and clammy.

The spring-house is a rough rectangular space hewn from living stone, with an uneven ceiling high enough that everyone may stand comfortably. The white limestone ceiling and walls glitter with frost. The room is bisected by a stream that flows left to right (North to South) across the limestone floor. The distance is seven paces to the back wall, and eight or nine paces from the point where the stream enters through a man-height natural arch to the point where it leaves the chamber through a somewhat lower egress.

Not far from the door, Dofur stands on a mound of dead humanoid creatures, perhaps a dozen of the things. The dwarf's hammer is upraised in a stiff pose- he does not stir. His back is turned to the doorway. The creatures beneath and before him are all smashed and broken, their hideous gray-furred forms mashed and shattered. The dwarf's armor is rent and dented in a dozen places, and his body bears grievous wounds- yet he stands like a statue. Frost and patches of umber mildew cover Dofur and the heap of his slain enemies. If anyone moves round to look at the dwarf's face, he will see that Dofur is grinning. The dwarf's beard is stiff with tiny icecicles.

Anyone looking upstream notices shadows moving in the north archway. You all hear something splashing there, a receding sound, as if someone is wading quickly away from the party.

[Adam]

Benn manages a feeble smile to see that Dofur died as he would have wanted, fighting and not being butchered for rat food.

"Which way?" he rasps, "I'm useless at finding directions underground. And mind your torches. The heat feeds that brown filth."

[ewancummins]

Zandor whispers-
''I saw something move upstream. We've been that way before, you recall. Do you think the villain could be hiding there? We fled from the rats and those man-things before we finished exploring that region."

[RocEter]

"Best be using sun rods then." Thom says in a hushed voice. "No heat, only light. I've few more if we need them." Thom will continue follow the party, he also comments on Zandor's disguise. "Try to avoid getting wet Zandor, it will ruin the disguise. I once did a stint in acting troop, had we more time I could have made it more passable."