Ghosts of Gauntcliff Chapter Four

[PathOfDreams]

After plucking himself from the mud around the blowhole in the earth, Petrie senses an oddity to his companion. When Thom repositions his cap, he realizes that Thom had been wearing a wig of sorts. Furthermore, he bears scars down the back of his neck. Those weren't there before, were they? He ponders to himself. No matter for now anyway. Like Thom, he too was dreaming of a large flagon of spirits.

Following shortly behind Thom, Petrie sees his silent signals and halts. Petrie gathers the dog close to him and holds it around the girth of its chest while settling to a knee. He holds as still and as quiet as possible when he hears the voices beyond the brush in front of them.

[Ail]

Eustace arrives to the room running, slightly behind the more athletic Everline and Primeiro. But he still sees the strange shadow enveloping Benn and Juergin, and sucking them into the closet.


"Wow! What in Belenus's name was that?! I never saw such a devilry magic!"


He runs to the closet and touches the boards just to see if they are solid as they should. He then helps Everline soothe Charlotte.

If, and when, she calms down, he turns to the rest of the group, shaking his head.


"We have to find a way to follow them. I'm fearing they won't come after you tonight, Everline, for I believe these events are connected. But they choose the way to get to us, not the other way around it seems. What are we to do now?"

He hides his head in his hands (hah!) trying to recover control. He walks away briskly for a while as if wanting to shake some thoughts from his mind, and focus on something useful.

[ewancummins]

BENN'S ROOM

Charlotte ceases her struggles. She repeats "no, no, no" in a child's small voice. Her eyes are fixed on the closet floor; she doesn't pay any attention to Everline , even though the young lady holds her by the wrists. If she is even aware of the others in the room, she gives no sign of it.

[RocEter]

Somewhere on the island

Thom leaps from the bushes, much like a tiger on the hunt leaping at its prey! Quickly swinging one closed fist and than another at the man with the sword.

[ewancummins]

Somewhere on the island

Thom leaps from the bushes, much like a tiger on the hunt leaping at its prey! Quickly swinging one closed fist and than another at the man with the sword.

The short man reels backward under Thom's hammering fists, and falls to the ground knocked out cold.


The big man with the spade is caught by surprise, and just stares at Thom for a second...

[RocEter]

Thom fists and arms are still raised into the poised to attack or defend which ever the case may be. He looks at the bigger man with the shovel. "Given what you just saw Bruno, don't you think it best to surrender now while you still can?"

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

BENN'S ROOM
"Charlotte," he begins, in a voice that sounds calming enough, though the priest's pallor and the wild look in his eyes may betray his true fear. "Charlotte, we will be finding them. Benn's been through stranger situations, he'll keep him safe. Jonas to. You'll be seeing." He nods reassuringly.

Then turning to Primeiro & Eustace, and looking over Charlotte's shoulder at Everline, "For all we know, they could still be here. Maybe the portal was just through the floor. We should be searching the cellar!"

[Ken of Ghastria]

Primeiro still seems stunned by what he just witnessed, but he regains his focus at this new suggestion. "Indeed," he says. "To the cellars. I'm doubtful, but there is little sense in searching here." The young man draws his rapier and heads for the stairs leading below.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Damn and blast it, we cannot leave Charlotte alone like this!" Everline explodes. "Look at her, she's teetering on the edge of the abyss internal! Someone has to stay with her and keep her talking!"

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio furrows his brow, obviously anxious to set after his friend. And yet he sees the sense in Everline's words.

"You're right," he tells her. "Maybe I have something in my kit for calming her down. "Please, Everline, help the others search the cellar, I'll stay with Charlotte."

He opens his kid and pulls out a small vial of something that looks like wine. He unwraps a small bundle of wax paper and pinches off a small fragment of poppy sap. Carefully, he mixes it with the wine and let it dissolve--not too much sap, he doesn't want her stupefied, just calmed.

"Here," he says, handing the vial to her. "Drink this. It will be helping, trust me."

[PathOfDreams]

Upon seeing Thom take a flying leap over the shrubs, Petrie raises from his knee and looses the hound. He follows Thom over with a giant leap, ahead of the dog. 1

Petrie glances at the downed man and sees that he is out cold. Casually and looming, he approaches the man in the hole with his spear leveled toward him, his voice low and gruff. "I'd listen to me pal there laddy... I once seen 'im tear the eyes from the sockets of a man that defied 'im... made sure 'e still lived too." Petrie takes a few steps around behind the man so he cannot track both he and Thom. "I think my mutt 'ere might enjoy your rather large eyeballs, ha ha". 2

[Ail]

Eustace shakes his head, clearly unconvinced. He talks very softly to the others, in a way that Charlotte won't hear.


"No, I don't believe it. This was shadow magic, of that I'm certain. It was a portal, yes, to some place, far, far away. They must have gone to some other realm. This is magic that leads with shadows, the gaps between realities, even dreams. And they may just have entered someone's dream, if that is possible. They're not here anymore, I think, and we just have to find a way to follow after them. I wonder if we would be able to enter someone else's dream too and if that could connect to the same alternate reality."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"I'm afraid I'm all out of ancient Abber heirlooms," Everline says. "So how would we punch us a way into the Dreamlands?"

(OOC: Well, Everline did spend time at the University of Dementlieu. ^^; I'm playing it as if someone told her about the Abber artefacts in the Museum.)

[ewancummins]

The chateau-

Primeiro's search of the cellars reveals no rooms or passages under Benn's quarters, and no sign of Benn or Juergin.

Charlotte remains in a fugue, unheeding of Everline's attempts to help her.

[ewancummins]

In the hills

The big blond man hurls a shovelful of sand in Petrie's face before swinging his spade at the Forfarian's head. The hound rushes in and bites the digger in the ham of his hip.
''Yeoow!"His blow goes wild, slapping the sandy ground instead of smashing Petrie's skull.