Ghosts of Gauntcliff: Chapter Six

[steveflam]

Juergin smiles but says nothing. Turning his back on them, he tells Dark One in a low voice "Find out anything you can, we need these answers."

[ewancummins]

Jürgen’s Room-


''I understand, boy."

Dark One flits across the open floor to stand before the two cowering sub-humans. The pair of one-eyed cretins gibber in terror as the shadowy monster questions them in a voice too low to be heard clearly by Jürgen or Dorgio.
Smezel (the robed one) cries out-
"We did it, we stole the Fat Man’s little boy! Other ones of us ties him up. Dodds made us do bad things. He is bad!”

Dark One moves back towards its ‘master.’ As it passes Dorgio, the dwarf-shade speaks in a hollow imitation of Norzak’s voice—‘’Just like we used ta run the good watchman-bad watchman back in Pont-a-Museau, eh Dorgio?”

The living shadow oozes from the floorboards onto Jürgen’s back in a fluid motion, looking like ink flowing upside down.
The Dark One looks over the lad's shoulder, watching Dorgio. The priest sees its murky face contort in a leering smile, very like the grin that Norzak used to wear when bullying captives.

[ewancummins]

All Guest Rooms

All of the guests hear commotion in the hallways, raised voices and hurried footfalls…

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Everline exits her room; morningstar in one hand, wand in the other.

"Evacuating already?" she asks of the first servant she sees. "Or did someone set the place aflame?"

[ewancummins]

THE HALLWAY

Everline exits her room; morningstar in one hand, wand in the other.

"Evacuating already?" she asks of the first servant she sees. "Or did someone set the place aflame?"

The man turns to her, pale and shaking

''Drowned! The children...The Lady save their souls..."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

There are times when people feel as if a large hole has opened up in their stomachs, and all happiness and light are draining down the hole.

Everline closes her eyes for a moment and breathes out slowly. She stows her wand, then puts the empty hand on the servant's shoulder. She opens her eyes again and says: "Calm yourself as much as you can. Then tell me what happened."

[ewancummins]

There are times when people feel as if a large hole has opened up in their stomachs, and all happiness and light are draining down the hole.

Everline closes her eyes for a moment and breathes out slowly. She stows her wand, then puts the empty hand on the servant's shoulder. She opens her eyes again and says: "Calm yourself as much as you can. Then tell me what happened."

The man leans against the wall, sucking in air.

''The ship--it ran aground in the fog. Hit rocks, just battered apart 'gainst the cliffs. Merciful Ezra-- I heard them cry out for help, the passengers. I..."

He looks about the hall.

''Got to go. There are some alive yet. We're pulling them out of the sea. Got to find Melmoth.''

The servant dashes off down the hall.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Everline breathes in deeply, then lets out as loud a shout as she can: "Germahn detective agency associates! Front and center! We have a ship on the rocks! I repeat, a ship on the rocks! Get out here, all of you!" So shouting, Everline sets off after the people already running to the rescue.

(OOC: I thought Benn's last name was 'Germahn'. If I got it wrong, please adjust your hearing to hear the right name? ^^; Thank you.)

[ewancummins]

Everline breathes in deeply, then lets out as loud a shout as she can: "Germahn detective agency associates! Front and center! We have a ship on the rocks! I repeat, a ship on the rocks! Get out here, all of you!" So shouting, Everline sets off after the people already running to the rescue.

(OOC: I thought Benn's last name was 'Germahn'. If I got it wrong, please adjust your hearing to hear the right name? ^^; Thank you.)

On her way out the front door, Everline almost trips over a child who is running into the house.

[Ken of Ghastria]

Primeiro hears the commotion from where he's standing in Eustace's room. "Ezra's bones...," he whispers as he realizes what's happened. He's about to run to join the would-be rescuers, but he halts after one step and says to Eustace, "I'm going to check on Elliana's whereabouts. She was the only one outside when Melmoth was attacked last night. I'll join you shortly." He then heads toward Elliana's room.*

Once there, he listens for several seconds before knocking out the door.

_______________________________________________
*This does not preclude the possibility that Eustace accompanies him.

[Adam]

Hearing the noise, Benn steps out of the hallway. Presuming that he hears the explanation from a servant, he turns back to Charlotte. "It seems that we are not departing yet."

He pushes the crossbow into her hands and looks her square into the eyes. "I will be safe. I will return, but there are children in danger. Keep Jonas safe, I'll return as soon as I can."

He hustles out of the manor house towards the crash site as quickly as he can.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Though frustrated, Dorgio nods in understanding here and there as the two creatures explain their story. This thing, the Dodds, is that what they'd been fighting in the chapel, or just one of its servants? And what of the pretty man?

When the Dark One concludes his interrogation, Dorgio shudders unconsciously. Perhaps it's the memory of Norzak's brutal interrogation tactics, or perhaps it's the thought that the creature had absorbed some aspect of his old friend's personality, like wet ink smeared from paper to one's own hand.

"The Dodds is bad..." he says at last. "But tell me," he says to the creatures, "Why should we be thinking you won't hurt the child again?"

But the sounds from the hallway distract him from even this strange event. And then he hears the word "drowned". He gives a quick, unsure glance to the two creatures, not wanting to leave without an answer, but by the gods, what if there were survivors?

Still conflicted, Dorgio leaves the room to find the others and aid in the rescue.

[steveflam]

Juergin orders the two little oens to stay in the room and brings Dark One with him as he too goes to help.

[ewancummins]

Along the northern shore, early afternoon
The sun hides.
Sea-fog as thick as the breath of the Musarde on a winter morning hangs all about; the eerie mist distorts sounds, making it more difficult still to locate the injured. Here and there, lanterns gleam in the swirling vapors; Sancerre’s men searching the beach. Rain hammers down in great gray sheets. The rescuers slip on the wet sand and rock, laboring to pull the living and the dead from the heaving green waters.


Somewhere past the waterline, timbers groan and crack.

Sancerre's voice booms out over the noise-

"Light, fire, damnation! We need more light! Bring the leech! Bring bandages and blankets. There are injured folk here."

[ewancummins]

Elliana’s room-

Primeiro heard nothing. He waited; he knocked, and got no answer from Elliana’s chamber. Looking about, the young man sees that the hallway and adjacent gardens are quite empty. Perhaps everyone has gone to help with the rescue efforts on the seashore...