Ghosts of Gauntcliff Chapter Four

[ewancummins]

THE BEACH

The scruffy hound follows Petrie into the water.




THE SIDE PARLOR

Denys has left Everline and Primeiro in the parlor. They are not unattended for long; a stooped old serving man appears from a side door.
"The Master has instructed me to provide for your needs, honored guests."

BENN'S ROOM

The black spot has contracted to about the circumfrence of a man's leg.
Benn's cane seems to have become stuck in the 'portal', or whatever it is.

[steveflam]

Juergin has sent Dark One through the portal. When he sees the portal shrink, he gets nervous. "Sheisse! Dark One better come back quickly. Damn. Dis ist bad." He attempts to help Benn remove his cane. Dark One, come back now. The portal is closing. Hurry!

[ewancummins]

Juergin has sent Dark One through the portal. When he sees the portal shrink, he gets nervous. "Sheisse! Dark One better come back quickly. Damn. Dis ist bad." He attempts to help Benn remove his cane. Dark One, come back now. The portal is closing. Hurry!

Juergin manages to pull the cane free, but his feet are now stuck to the floor. The black stain widens beneath his feet, and begins to creep up his legs even as his feet sink beneath the level of the floor.

[steveflam]

"Herr Benn! Herr Dorgio! Dis ist not good! Help me!" Juergin touches where the stain touches him a few times. "Dark One, come back, come back now!"

[ewancummins]

"Herr Benn! Herr Dorgio! Dis ist not good! Help me!" Juergin touches where the stain touches him a few times. "Dark One, come back, come back now!"

Now Juergin's fingers are stuck to the stained parts of his legs. The stain doesn't feel wet, oddly enough, just dry and cool. He continues to sink.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

"Kurva!" Dorgio can't hide a look of fear as Juergin's fingers cling to the stain. The priest tries in vain to silence the growing sound of his own pulse in his ears as he tries to take hold of an un-stained part of Juergin in an attempt to wrench the boy free of the rapidly closing portal.

[steveflam]

Juergin begins to panic. "Dark One is not answering me! Vwat ist dis black stuff. It feels bizarre, like sinking earth!"

[ewancummins]

Juergin's frightened cries for help rouse Charlotte from her daze. Benn's wife sits bolt upright in the bed, facing the open closet. She wails like a madwoman at the sight of the black circle swallowing the boy.

[RocEter]

Petrie and his companions seem to have been wandering aimlessly through much of the northern dunes passing midday. He did not expect the ratty looking hound to follow them as long as it has. When they stumble upon the cove hidden out of view from the rocky environs, Petrie ambles down to the coastline; nose in the air taking in all the salty allure.

He drops his pack and strips from his armor, clothing and weapons. Lastly, his boots come off; he sets them neatly next to his gear but a few strides from where the sea meets the land. "Thom, feel like takin' a wee swim then lad?" He speaks without taking his eyes from the surf. Without waiting for a reply he knives a chunk of soap from his large bar and wades in bare as the day he was born. "Come on boy, come you mangy mutt... let's get you washed up." He hollars at the hound, holding the piece of soap aloft as if it were a treat for the mutt.

The pale form of the Forfarian dips under the waves a few times while waiting for the dog. Although he appears to be right at home among the watery setting, he nevertheless remains vigilant to his surroundings; never stepping out further then he can reach to keep his head above water.

Thom smiles at Petrie. "I was just about to ask you the same thing, young man." He says as he follows Petrie down to the coast line. "Maybe we even go have a look in that cove there, might lead into under ground cave network filled the with Gods know what."

[PathOfDreams]

Petrie slaps his giant paw on the surface of the sea with a raucous as he returns toward the rocky shore, "That's the right attitude laddy! Maybe we wull find somethin' right shiny in there. I 'ope the others are finding their time spent as leisurely as we. Dis wee vacation is turnin' fer the better, wouldn't ya say my friend."

Once he reaches the shore, he begins donning his clothing and studded leathers overtop. With his gear and weapons slung, he straps his long boots to one another and slips them astride his left shoulder. Barefoot and eager, he follows his companion across the stretch of surf toward the cove. "Tsk, tsk... come on mutt."

[RocEter]

Thom shakes his head and motions for Petrie to follow. "Well then come on young man." He says pulling a sunrod from his satchel, in one hand he holds the satchel high above the water so it doesn't get wet and the other the sun rod ready to be used once inside the cave.

"You know they are hunting a some shadowy spirit thing, while it is interesting to see Dorgio and Benn at work I must admit I have my own motivations for this exploration." He says. "Although if we do find some hidden treasure out here, I'd say this would have to be the best vacation ever. After all we would have the things that make a great story, excitement, treasure.. all we would need is the beautiful woman." He says with a small laugh.

[ewancummins]

THE SEA CAVE


At the inmost point of the isolated, rocky cove, a cave-mouth opens towards the sea. Thom and Petrie wade towards the dark, low hollow, with the wet hound splashing along behind them.
Thom’s glowing sun rod illuminated the interior of the cavern; a long gallery that twists left and out of sight perhaps twenty paces beyond the entrance…

....Both men, with the dog still trailing them, have explored the caves for at least ten or fifteen minutes. They have found no hidden treasure; only twisting, damp tunnels and smooth-walled, empty chambers of living stone. Ahead, at the verge of the light cast by the sun rod, the two explorers spot a natural stairway leading up a sinkhole or chute.

The dog suddenly jumps about madly, barking at the apparently empty tunnel down which the party has just come.
Then, both Thom and Petrie hear it- a rushing sound, the muffled roar of water in motion, getting closer by the second!

[PathOfDreams]

Petrie freezes for a moment, standing in the salt water. "Move!" he shouts. "Up there... GO!"

He snatches the dog by its scruff and cradles it, beginning to trudge for the chute leading upward and hopefully to safety. He waits for Thom to overtake him and reluctantly turns his back to the fast coming deluge of the sea and ascends behind his companion.

[RocEter]

"So much for a leisurely swim!" Thom says and moves up the natural stairway as fast as he can.

[ewancummins]

Thom and Petrie race up the curving stairway as the sea blasts into the caves with a deafening roar. They spot a circle of light over their heads-- and then the water rushes up the chute with tremendous force and they are engulfed! Blackness and thunder...

THUMP!

Sputtering, soaked to the skin, both men land hard in a shower of spray. For a moment, all they can manage is to gasp for air. The bedraggled hound whines, licking Petrie's face.

When they have recovered, Petrie and Thom look about to find themselves a few feet from the sinhkole, lying on muddy ground. They are well above the high tide mark, and maybe sixty yards from the rocky beach. The high tide is just now receding. Inland, they see a wilderness of sandy hills and tall grass.