RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road
- ewancummins
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RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road
Raen leaps just as the floor gives way—he catches the jutting stone ledge that forms the base of the doorway to the stairwell.
His feet hang in the lambent fog.
The wizard fumbles in his robes with his off-hand, feeling for some of the chalk he used in the ritual as he clings tightly to the door ledge with his stronger hand.
The green light begins to dim.
Raen uses his left hand to hastily scrawl three crooked Xs on the stone wall.
Willing his right hand to relax its tight grip on the stone ledge, he lets go, plunging down into the dimming well of Mists while yet he can hear the others’ echoing cries...
His feet hang in the lambent fog.
The wizard fumbles in his robes with his off-hand, feeling for some of the chalk he used in the ritual as he clings tightly to the door ledge with his stronger hand.
The green light begins to dim.
Raen uses his left hand to hastily scrawl three crooked Xs on the stone wall.
Willing his right hand to relax its tight grip on the stone ledge, he lets go, plunging down into the dimming well of Mists while yet he can hear the others’ echoing cries...
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
- ewancummins
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road
THE ROAD IN THE FOG
RAEN
Disoriented, you stumble wearily through the heavy fog, shoes scraping against the stones underfoot—once or twice you take a blind step onto soft ground before some half-forgotten fear flares you and sends you jerking back onto the unseen pavement.
A blurry figure looms up before you…
…LATER...
THE PARTY
After what feels like a quarter of an hour of pacing, searching, calling put, and waving lights (the dense mists choke torches and lanterns down to the equivalent of small candles) your party has partly regrouped.
Present: Benn, Alain, Kat, Raen, Klokulf, Alwina, and the reticent armored swordsman.
Still missing: Dorgio and the Gaunt Man.
Benn, Raen, and Klokulf still feel drained from the backlash of the incantation.
Though you have seen no signs of Dorgio or the warlock, you at least have determined that the hard surface underfoot is a road of close-set stonework. Off the sides of the paved road, the ground feels spongy and damp. If anything grows there, you cannot see it. No sun, moon, or stars, either. And no landmarks besides the road beneath you, which runs on into total darkness in either direction.
RAEN
Disoriented, you stumble wearily through the heavy fog, shoes scraping against the stones underfoot—once or twice you take a blind step onto soft ground before some half-forgotten fear flares you and sends you jerking back onto the unseen pavement.
A blurry figure looms up before you…
VIEW CONTENT:
…LATER...
THE PARTY
After what feels like a quarter of an hour of pacing, searching, calling put, and waving lights (the dense mists choke torches and lanterns down to the equivalent of small candles) your party has partly regrouped.
Present: Benn, Alain, Kat, Raen, Klokulf, Alwina, and the reticent armored swordsman.
Still missing: Dorgio and the Gaunt Man.
Benn, Raen, and Klokulf still feel drained from the backlash of the incantation.
Though you have seen no signs of Dorgio or the warlock, you at least have determined that the hard surface underfoot is a road of close-set stonework. Off the sides of the paved road, the ground feels spongy and damp. If anything grows there, you cannot see it. No sun, moon, or stars, either. And no landmarks besides the road beneath you, which runs on into total darkness in either direction.
Last edited by ewancummins on Tue Jan 23, 2018 7:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
- Wolfglide of the Fraternity
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road
Klokulf rubs one of his eyes and yawns, "I can perhaps think of a spell to find Dorgio or the wizard, but I can't be sure it would work in this . . . locale. Besides, I can't hope to have my prayers answered in a godforsaken place without noon." His head sags, and he continues, "And I am far too tired to invoke magic that involves dancing."
- ewancummins
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road
Wolfglide wrote:Klokulf rubs one of his eyes and yawns, "I can perhaps think of a spell to find Dorgio or the wizard, but I can't be sure it would work in this . . . locale. Besides, I can't hope to have my prayers answered in a godforsaken place without noon." His head sags, and he continues, "And I am far too tired to invoke magic that involves dancing."
The girl, Alwina, takes hold of Klokulf's left arm and snuggles close to him.
''It's chilly'', she mutters.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road
Bennedict sighs, throwing a stick disgustedly into the mists. "It's all gone wrong..." he mutters, "all been for nothing. He wasn't there. He never was. And now...now we're god knows where. And Jonathon Maytr is still free."
His expression is very evidently glum. He hardly even acknowledges the others' presence.
His expression is very evidently glum. He hardly even acknowledges the others' presence.
"Of course," Benn mutters, "It would be a damned shame if we ever knew what the hell was actually going on."
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road
Kat slips off her outer tunic and passes it to Alwina.
"Take this. You need the warmth, and I think my need of subtlety may be behind me."
It is obvious what she is talking about: under the tunic she is wearing a short sleeved shirt of glittering steel links that shimmers slightly as she moves, over a padded cotton shirt.
She smiles sympathetically at Benn.
"I know how you feel. But you're wrong you know. Those girls that were murdered did not suffer any less because it was a copycat killer rather than this Matyr, and we have stopped the serial killings, as well as ended the beast that was corrupting the town. that's not nothing!"
"Take this. You need the warmth, and I think my need of subtlety may be behind me."
It is obvious what she is talking about: under the tunic she is wearing a short sleeved shirt of glittering steel links that shimmers slightly as she moves, over a padded cotton shirt.
She smiles sympathetically at Benn.
"I know how you feel. But you're wrong you know. Those girls that were murdered did not suffer any less because it was a copycat killer rather than this Matyr, and we have stopped the serial killings, as well as ended the beast that was corrupting the town. that's not nothing!"
- ewancummins
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road
Alwina lets go of Klokulf and begins fumbling with her borrowed clothes. She manages to wriggle Kat's tunic on under Klokulf's spare vestments and a cloak the Outlander warrior let her use, and without fully exposing herself to the chill fog or lecherous glances from the men (not that she shows any signs of embarassment).
She thanks Kat and then takes hold of Klokulf again.
She thanks Kat and then takes hold of Klokulf again.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road
Bennedict seemed like he wanted to argue with Kat, but he sighs and gives her a wan smile. "You're right, of course," he says, "It wasn't until I thought he was back that I had realized how much I've spent the last several years looking over my shoulder, waiting for that bastard to come springing out of the darkness to kill me or my family. The thought of being freed from that fear..." He shakes his head. "I suppose it was too much to ask. Some blots on a soul never fade."
He stands, wiping off his pants. "I suppose the first order of business will be finding out where we are." He looks to the newcomer girl, giving her a calculating view for apparently the first time. "Is this your world? Does it look familiar?"
He stands, wiping off his pants. "I suppose the first order of business will be finding out where we are." He looks to the newcomer girl, giving her a calculating view for apparently the first time. "Is this your world? Does it look familiar?"
"Of course," Benn mutters, "It would be a damned shame if we ever knew what the hell was actually going on."
- ewancummins
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road
''It could be...but I can't see much of anything in this thick fog.''Adam wrote:Bennedict seemed like he wanted to argue with Kat, but he sighs and gives her a wan smile. "You're right, of course," he says, "It wasn't until I thought he was back that I had realized how much I've spent the last several years looking over my shoulder, waiting for that bastard to come springing out of the darkness to kill me or my family. The thought of being freed from that fear..." He shakes his head. "I suppose it was too much to ask. Some blots on a soul never fade."
He stands, wiping off his pants. "I suppose the first order of business will be finding out where we are." He looks to the newcomer girl, giving her a calculating view for apparently the first time. "Is this your world? Does it look familiar?"
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road
"I suppose not," he allows. He steps off of the path, wandering a short distance to take a look at the local fauna.
"Of course," Benn mutters, "It would be a damned shame if we ever knew what the hell was actually going on."
- ewancummins
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road
Adam wrote:"I suppose not," he allows. He steps off of the path, wandering a short distance to take a look at the local fauna.
Benn sees no beasts in the thick fog, unless those vague shapes...
But, no, whatever appears to be a moving form dissolves into vapor when he approaches it.
There seems only to be the fog all around and above him, and ground underfoot.
Not that he can actually see the ground. He can't even see his own feet.
Benn's been in conditions like this before--when he ventured into the Border Mists to escape the Wood that Waits, after the party's victory over the ghostly Witch-Queen Wolutha and her Black Knight.
He made it back to the civilized lands and eventually to his future wife.
But he lost a year in that misty journey!
Continuing his cautious explorations a bit longer, Benn discovers a black stone sticking up from the mistbound ground. Picking it up, he sees the rock, about as big as his hand, looks somewhat like a seashell, though with a three-lobed structure unlike any shellfish he's ever seen.
Looking back, he sees that his companions appear very far away, just blurry ghosts in the mists...
He hadn't walked so far, had he?
Their voices sound like noises coming up from men working down a sewer.
The stone crumbles in his grip. When he looks, he sees it melt away into vapour, joining the mists. In a moment, the solid rock has vanished utterly.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road
With new concerns to worry about, he returns towards his friends. "We appear to be lost in the mists," he says. "I've been in a place like this, before. This...isn't good."
"Of course," Benn mutters, "It would be a damned shame if we ever knew what the hell was actually going on."
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road
In his weary state, Klokulf has unconsciously begun to use Alwina for support.
"If we are lost," he replies to Bennedict, "might we stay stationary for a while? I see little benefit to exertion for the time being."
"If we are lost," he replies to Bennedict, "might we stay stationary for a while? I see little benefit to exertion for the time being."
- Lord Skybolt
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road
After Alain looks around and sees that most of the party is here, he looks to see if there is any direction that is most feasible to take to get off this road of mists that they are on .
"Evil only endures when good people remain silent ."
Tony inspired by Thomas Jefferson .
Tony inspired by Thomas Jefferson .
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Re: RAVENLOFT: Down the Dark Road
Kat frowns
"Best we stay together. This mist has to clear soon, and there's not much point in moving on till it does. We'd only be wandering in circles."
"Best we stay together. This mist has to clear soon, and there's not much point in moving on till it does. We'd only be wandering in circles."