Ghosts of Gauntcliff: Chapter Two

[Ail]

Eustace is hurting, but apparently he can move everything. He looks into Juergin's eyes and says

"Please, lad, speak a bit softer. My head hurts, but I think I'm ok."

He tries to move his legs and arms. Seem to be fine, given the circumstances. He's not pinned, nothing was broken and there is still some room to wiggle. He looks at Juergin again and says:

"Be careful, and tell the others to be careful. There's a door here we may have to inspect later. Barred from our side, and with writings I haven't deciphered yet. But there was also a shade, probably some undead I couldn't turn. Be careful."

[ewancummins]

Juergin goes up, but Thom and Benn come down. The pit is narrow enough that a grown man can stand in the middle of the floor with his arms raised and span the diameter of the shaft.
Now the three men are packed in rather closely.

All three men in the pit hear a small noise, which soon grows louder-

THUMP

THUMP

THUMP

The noise seems to come through the door, as if something were knocking against it on the far side...

[Adam]

Benn claps Juergin on the shoulder as he gets down to the bottom. "Stand aside a moment." Concentrating inward, he releases healing energy into Eustace, trying to repair some of the damage done by the falling masonry.

"There's no need to be so touchy," Benn idly mutters, "If Brother Eustace's neck had been broken, moving him as you did could have made his injuries worse. If there is a next time, you will remember." Benn idly wonders how such a thin skinned young man could have survived being raised in the grim and often strict schools of Lamordia, but stops as the banging sound begins and quickly escalates. He looks up, acutely aware of the narrow space in which he has confined himself. "Er, maybe you lads had best see what is making all of that noise. Eustace seems stable enough for now."

[Ken of Ghastria]

Primeiro curses loudly as the rope breaks. What idiot made a rope that can't even support a man's weight? he thinks angrily. Seeing Benn and Thom descend, he then quickly begins to scrounge through the rubble for lengths of wood that could be tied together and made into a litter to carry Dorgio or, if necessary, a splint for any broken limbs.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio, not wanting to overcrowd an already tense situation, stays crouched over the lip of the pit, shining light into the depths below. "Is he well?" he calls down, "Benn, can you be healing him from there?"

[Ail]

Eustace tries to stand after Benn tends to him.
"It seems I have to ackowledge that you have real healing power", he ventures a smile.

Then, as the banging begins, he says.
"We need caution here. I think we will not like what is beyond that door. Perhaps those writings can tell us something about that. Also... I'm sure I saw some kind of undead here. Strong for me. This is not a safe place to be."

[steveflam]

Eustace is hurting, but apparently he can move everything. He looks into Juergin's eyes and says

"Please, lad, speak a bit softer. My head hurts, but I think I'm ok."

He tries to move his legs and arms. Seem to be fine, given the circumstances. He's not pinned, nothing was broken and there is still some room to wiggle. He looks at Juergin again and says:

"Be careful, and tell the others to be careful. There's a door here we may have to inspect later. Barred from our side, and with writings I haven't deciphered yet. But there was also a shade, probably some undead I couldn't turn. Be careful."

"I will." Juergin bites his lip as Eustace is speaking, turning away from the man.

Then Benn arrives and speaks to Juergin. The lad just bobs his head at the man, not even looking at him. He climbs out and stands at the top, looking down now having a better view with the sunrod having been used. "Does someone haff paper unt a chalk? I could trace the odd writing on the table and keepink it for a later date."

[ewancummins]

Thump


Thump


Thump

[RocEter]

"No!" Thom shouts up to Juergin from the bottom of the pit. "Leave the damned door alone, those runes could be a trap for all you know boy! You want to be of assistance, help with getting Eustace out of this pit." He says loudly enough to be heard from the bottom of the pit.

"Glad to see you aren't too banged up Eustace. I will check the door for traps, if it is safe I will let you know." Thom says to Eustace and Benn.

Thump


Thump


Thump

"Time to get you out here now Eustace, hopefully the door will hold long enough for all of us to escape." Thom says as a dagger appears in his hand from his sleeve. He moves around Benn and Eustace and stands in front of the door as if to protect the two.

[Ail]

Eustace gets up, nothing is broken, he seems to move alright. He thanks Juergin, Benn and Thom, and makes his best effort to dispel their worries.

He looks over Thom's shoulder and stands carefully. He's done enough irreflected actions for one day.

At the same time, he shouts above

"I am well, but we may be in need or urgent retreat. Lower a stout rope, will ya please?"

[Ken of Ghastria]

"Sink me, did we not just use all our rope?" says Primeiro, feeling frustrated for the first time in a while. "See if you can throw any of the rope that was attached to the rock -- or, Juergin, you're a nimble lad, climb down and grab the portion of rope that fell. We can deal with symbols once everyone is safe up here. I'll tie the pieces of rope together."

______________________________________________
I'm assuming that no one up here has any more rope than what was used in the attempt to secure the rock. If that's case, Primeiro will tie together what he can. There's still a good length of rope attached to his anchor in the wall. If that's enough to reach the bottom of the pit, we're good. Just let me know, Rock, thanks.

[Adam]

"I was lowered down by one," Benn says, giving the rope still affixed to his waist a tug. His voice seems distant, and his concentration is clearly focused on the door and the writings around it.

[RocEter]

"Benn could you fasten the rope around Eustace and Eustace if you could tell the others to settle down and shut up, we might be able to trick whatever is on the other side of that door to go away. Then I can inspect the area in detail.." Thom says to Benn and Eustace in a hushed voice.

Thom turns his attention back towards the doors, his eyes glancing at the runes every now and then.

[ewancummins]

GOING TO TAKE THE WATERS

Everline accompanies Sancerre. As they walk, she casually tugs on her sleeves - the better to loosen the daggers she keeps hidden in there. She brushes her skirts - checking to see her wands are still safely hidden in their folds.

'Caves... I'd best be cautious.'

The baths are only a short walk from the chateau. The weather is fine and sunny, with a cool breeze blowing. The path is well-marked and paved with crushed seashells.

The bathhouse is built of timber and fiedstone, set into the side of a low hill.

Denys says- ''The baths are based around warm spings in caverns. I built that structure over the cave entrance. Inside, we have everything you need."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"How nice," Everline replies. "Are there separated baths, or is it, ah... co-ed?" Everline giggles a little at the suggestion, but her eyes keep zipping left and right as she scans the area for magical auras. "Do you have rules regarding the use of herbal soaps and foam-inducing agents?"