Ghosts of Gauntcliff, Chapter 3

[ewancummins]

Benn delicately lays the book down on the top of the altar, holding the pages lightly between forefinger and thumb as he delicately turns them.

The pages are spotted with mold and water damage; some pages appear to be missing entirely. The writing is old-fashioned, but easier to read than the runes on the stone table.

Benn finds something else--a flat, slim pewter case about the length of his hand, tucked inside the front cover of the loosely bound book. The case is closed with a simple brass hook-and-eye latch.

[Ail]

Eustace notes with interest the treasure Juergin has found. Being away from them, he is piqued with curiosity to learn what it is. From what he glances from afar, he thinks the gold platter has everything to do with the poem inscribed on the door, and maybe the tale of Belenus, Charioteer of Heaven. But for now, he concentrates and prays to his god to attune him to the presence of unliving things.


"Benn, please, if it happens to be safe to read aloud, please do. Since Mlle Everline has declared the book to be free of magic, I'm waging there's no latent curse waiting to be freed by your reading it."


OOC: Eustace is casting Detect Undead mostly on the pit, but as I said in the OOC thread, he will spin around to cover the whole area.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"I'd still be careful," Everline says. "An' wear gloves an' maybe a scarf when 'andlin' that book. I'm sure none'a us 'ave forgotten the dangers of mold an' fungus, 'ave we now?"

[Ail]

(OOC: after I read the results in the OOC thread)

After some moments of concentration, Eustace says:


"It is as I feared... there is nothing here already. No undead thing in the pit or in the ruins around us. Either that shade we saw was something else, or it has fled this place by now... or it is able to move freely through that door down there. I couldn't reach to its other side, nor do I think we want to.


After a pause,

"What is funnier, though... there really is no undead thing here. Including that companion of yours, Juergin."


He darts an accusatory glance at the boy and his shadow. There is something here he certainly does not understand, too many possibilities float through his mind, going back to the Tepestani legends he knows. But for now, they're only possibilities.


"Is it possible, Benn, that we may have confused Norzak's shadow yesterday? It is similar to the one thing I saw here. What attacked you... did it feel unnatural at all, or could it have been just a bat?"

[steveflam]

Juergin looks at Eustace. "Nein. Dark One haff told me something was down there."

[Ken of Ghastria]

Primeiro had ventured closer to Benn out of curiosity about the book's contents, and he sees the flask tucked in the cover. "The flask... any monogram or other identifying mark on it?" he says.

"It is as I feared... there is nothing here already. No undead thing in the pit or in the ruins around us. Either that shade we saw was something else, or it has fled this place by now... or it is able to move freely through that door down there. I couldn't reach to its other side, nor do I think we want to.

"Eustace, excuse my lack of knowledge of matters arcane," Primeiro says, "but is it possible that whatever has been -- or was -- keeping that creature behind the door is also interfering with whatever you just did to try to sense its presence?"

[Adam]

Benn's eyes scan the page over, but then he leans back, pupils unfocused with thought as he drops into an uncomfortable silence.

"We may be in a bit more trouble than we initially thought..."

He will then read what he can of the book, which comes to effectively this:



--complained of a terrible dream, last night. He looks weak ---

December 1st
The abbot’s scepter restored Jameson to his old self----its powers are not unlimit----
-------- happening? No one knows. The abbot urges us to remain calm, but I fear the worst is yet to come. —

--burnt it.— stained---
---------------------------rats in the pantry---------------------------------------------------------ink---
---------------------------- true?
--- could do nothing for Luke----- died.--

December 10th
---sleep by day and try to remain awake and active through the night. Our supply of candles is ------------ ---------------reduced to using grass torches. I dread the night when we must wait in darkness.
---shadows watch us—
---------12th
-------- last night. All ------------- survivors, fell asleep despite a full day’s rest. --------------- power has grown, or else we have weakened too much to resist it. --- dull and heavy—no dreams. Cadmus wore a horrid expression on his dead face, and I am sure that the creature was with him in his nightmares.
---the sea--- ---------------------------------ned today----------------------------plea--------------------------------------not.
---busied myself in the library. I found some scrolls that may be of use, after I finish transla-----------The--- ----------acles proved useful----------
---one for each--- prayed----------all of us---------------------------------heavy snow------cold-----one cord.---------
--no answers--- I hope.------------ ----------other lost.


December 21st
---------attempts to escape the island have failed. Brothers Jameson and Walther drowned last night when -----------capsized.-------------------------------------------------------
----------- no way of contacting the mainland. Our only hope is that a ship will visit the island, or at least pass near enough that we can hail it. A horrible thought comes to me- what if a ship has already passed us, during the day when we sleep?

----------- protect------------ing is not alone. Brother Samuel reports that he saw at least five of the shadow-ghosts--------------------the scriptorium last night. ----------- very tired. -------------watch the sunrise. Few candles left. -------------must sleep. The night returns too soon.
----ht light repels—

--might help. The Abbot called the scrolls heretical---------- forbade me to study them further. -------gone now, and the others defer to me. ----------------Whatever the peril to my soul---
-----a-------------th--------------------------dim-------------k--------------
--plenty of wine, but I dare not drink much, lest I grow drowsy.—
--------------- ---------faded-------------- bookworms, mice, my ten-thousand crawling foes!-------------
-------pit------or---------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ost.----------
---days since I have slept, eaten a full meal, or heard a human voice------------ --- -----------their bodies to the sea. No time for a proper burial—----------forgive me—
-- cannot keep awake much longer---
-----my brothers!----- -------in order to destroy it. I lack only the------- ed.---
---finished. I have trapped ----------------s within, using the incantations from the forbidden scrolls. I pray that the things will starve without our fear ---------------------------------------- not hold forever. --- -----
---neath the stone altar-table with the forbidden scrolls and my enchanted spec------
--------------------scepter is missing. I dropped it in my battle with the Shadow. --- dare not open the door, not now--
---strange to think I once wished that my own death would come in bed, as I slept. I do not wish that now! --------------the sea should take me.
---------------reading these words, you have ignored the warnings I-----------------
----------------- this advice: whatever happens, do not go to sleep.

[Adam]

As he is reading, he picks up the case and hands it to Primeiro to investigate, his interest currently fixated on the text.

[ewancummins]

Primeiro sees that he was mistaken. The object is not a flask. It is a flat, slim case. It looks like a jewelry box, although rather plainly made; gray pewter with only simple decorative engravings. He sees no writing of any kind on the exterior. The small case looks easy to open--just flip the latch and lift the lid.

[steveflam]

THrough pm's with ewan, Juergin has climbed down halfway but needs help from a rope to make it to the bottom.

As the party is discussing together, Juergin has taken the initiative to climb down already. Soon, you will hear from below. "Primeiro, help me with a rope to get to the bottom, please!"

[Ken of Ghastria]

Primeiro feels a chill as Benn reads the fragments of the journal. He glances around at the others, sharing their troubled looks. Suddenly, every shadow around him seems alive and malign. No, it's just his imagination... or so he consoles himself.

"By Ezra's blood," he mutters after Benn finishes. "And another boat is on the way here..."

Hearing Juergin's voice, he hands his length of rope to Dorgio and Eustace, while he examines the case.

It looks like a jewelry box, although rather plainly made; gray pewter with only simple decorative engravings. He sees no writing of any kind on the exterior. The small case looks easy to open--just flip the latch and lift the lid.

Primeiro gently takes the case and, kneeling, lays it on a flat piece of stone. "You said that there was no magic on the book, mademoiselle," he says, addressing Everline, "and I trust your skill. However, in the wake of what Benn has read, it seems that caution and I must become reluctant friends." He flips the latch -- but he does not open it.

He stands, readies his rapier, and deftly attempts to flip open the case with the point of the blade.

[ewancummins]

The lid flips open to reveal a set of gold-rimmed eye glasses, folded within the velvet lined interior of the pewter case.

[Ken of Ghastria]

"In such instances, I do not mind looking the fool," says Primeiro with a self-deprecating smile as he sheathes his rapier. He then picks up the now-open case and hands it -- and its contents -- back to Bennedict.

He calls down to Juergin. "Are you sure you want to do this, lad? Benn has just read a portion of the book you spotted. This may be much more dangerous than we realized."

[steveflam]

"CAn't hurt to look. DArk One comwe with me, please."

[ewancummins]

Unheard by the others, Dark One whispers-- "Right behind you, Juergin."