Café de Nuit

ewancummins wrote:The warlock, on the other hand, does talk.
A lot.
Babbling at first, and then what sounds more like useful information...

The party learns:

• the location of the small secret library (moved to another part of the dungeon since Alain's expedition here a few days ago--the shelf in that secret room he found stands empty)
  
  the name of the incantation and in which book to find it
  
  where ritual supplies are stored

When the gaunt man finishes describing all that, he hastens to add-
''You still need me. This portal was inactive when we found it. The Black Dog wanted to obtain a key artifact it was convinced one of you had locked away is his house, but both it and our agents failed in that task. Activating the portal so that we could even attempt this incantation required a more creative approach. I used my magic to poke a hole in it, essentially. Just a pinhole, really, but it was enough. I don't know that using the silver key could actually close it now that it's been ripped open by your interference in the ritual and pierced by my spells. No, I think only my magic in conjunction with the successful casting of the incantation of the Dark Road can repair the damage."

Bennedict's eyes narrow, suspiciously. "Go and find the book," he tells some of the others. "Let's see if he's telling the truth."

He turns towards the armored figure, examining him closely. "Many thanks for your assistance, mein Herr. May I ask what brought you here?"

Raen doesn't seem convinced that the warlock says the truth. "How... fortunate of you warlock that you're supposedly the only one that can close the portal."
When Benn suggests getting the books he asks "Any other enemies we should know about?"

"I daresay it would take no small degree of cunning and gall to keep lying after being made to soil oneself," Klokulf interjects, "but the risks of putting this arcanist in a position of power as we attempt to seal the breach may be too great, regardless of his honesty."

Looking at the captured caster, Klokulf asks, "Do you mean to say that you must assist in the incantation, or is your repair work something that can be done separately?"

Adam wrote:Bennedict's eyes narrow, suspiciously. "Go and find the book," he tells some of the others. "Let's see if he's telling the truth."

He turns towards the armored figure, examining him closely. "Many thanks for your assistance, mein Herr. May I ask what brought you here?"

The armored swordsman continues to watch the exchange between the wizard and the others, though his attention is mostly on the captive wizard.

"I am bound by duty to slay any fiend, or beast, that I happen upon." The armored swordsman says.

He looks at the portal and points, "That, I assume, is what brought me here. Where ever here is." He says.

After the tome has been brought to Benn...


The Lamordian reads the ritual of the Dark Road.

Dorgio leans over Benn's shoulder (magical light surrounds the cleric, so he makes a good lamp), mumbling as he reads what Benn's reading.

When Benn finishes, Dorgio says,

''Perilous! --If we attempt this ritual, I'll be much more help after sunrise prayers . "
He glances toward the misty black pit of the gateway.
''But things may be coming through sooner than that. I can try to hold them back using a magic circle, but it might not be for long enough. We'd need other ways to watch and guard. ''

Wolfglide wrote:"I daresay it would take no small degree of cunning and gall to keep lying after being made to soil oneself," Klokulf interjects, "but the risks of putting this arcanist in a position of power as we attempt to seal the breach may be too great, regardless of his honesty."

Looking at the captured caster, Klokulf asks, "Do you mean to say that you must assist in the incantation, or is your repair work something that can be done separately?"

The magician replies,
''I mean that you need my magic to seal the portal after the incantation is completed. Can you succeed in casting the incantation of the Dark Road without my active aid? Possibly. But are you scholars or cutthroats? Only those learned in dark lore should dare even to think of carrying out the instructions in that book."

ewancummins wrote:After the tome has been brought to Benn...


The Lamordian reads the ritual of the Dark Road.

Dorgio leans over Benn's shoulder (magical light surrounds the cleric, so he makes a good lamp), mumbling as he reads what Benn's reading.

When Benn finishes, Dorgio says,

''Perilous! --If we attempt this ritual, I'll be much more help after sunrise prayers . "
He glances toward the misty black pit of the gateway.
''But things may be coming through sooner than that. I can try to hold them back using a magic circle, but it might not be for long enough. We'd need other ways to watch and guard. ''

"If rest is something you and other require, I only need two hours of rest day." The armored swordsman says. "If this is something that must be done, then I offer you my services to stand guard. In return, I would require healing magicks of some sort."

Raen finally addresses the armored man.
"Who are you, friend? I am Raen, wizard. I have overheard that your mission is to stop such things from happening and that you don't know where you are. Well, you're in a place called Richemulot, near a city called Pont-a-Museau in the bowels of an abandoned castle that has recently been used for nefarious purposes. Where are you from?"

spot dc 5

"If you are inquiring as to what world you are in," says Klokulf, "as I suspect you may not be from this one, those of my faith call it the Falskverden, or the False World. According to our mythology, the Lawgiver cast the entire nation of Nova Vaasa to this world, where we wait for his Third Judgement and then his Final Judgement. Of course, not everyone agrees with our position on the issue."

His eyes catch the notes of vapor arising from the gate, and he points toward it, saying, "We may have more immediate concerns than philosophical disputes, however."

alhoon wrote:Raen finally addresses the armored man.
"Who are you, friend? I am Raen, wizard. I have overheard that your mission is to stop such things from happening and that you don't know where you are. Well, you're in a place called Richemulot, near a city called Pont-a-Museau in the bowels of an abandoned castle that has recently been used for nefarious purposes. Where are you from?"

The armored swordsman shakes his head. "No, not a mission. I am merely bound by duty to slay such creatures or beasts. I did not set out, nor was I told to or employed to, hunt down such beasts. Tasks such as those burden my missions, however if I come across such things I am to dispatch them immediately." He says.

He doesn't answer Raen's last question immediately, he looks at the captured wizard for a moment before looking back at the rest of the group. "I am not from here."

Wolfglide wrote:"If you are inquiring as to what world you are in," says Klokulf, "as I suspect you may not be from this one, those of my faith call it the Falskverden, or the False World. According to our mythology, the Lawgiver cast the entire nation of Nova Vaasa to this world, where we wait for his Third Judgement and then his Final Judgement. Of course, not everyone agrees with our position on the issue."

His eyes catch the notes of vapor arising from the gate, and he points toward it, saying, "We may have more immediate concerns than philosophical disputes, however."

He turns his attention to the creeping vapor, raising his sword to attack what ever may come.

The vapor tendrils races across the floor, moving through and past the party members and seeping into the mounds of battered, burned, frosted dead men.

All around the room, groans rise--
and then the dead men stagger upright.


All of them.

The party is outnumbered nearly three to one and surrounded.

Jerkily, the corpse-things close in, naked swords and bloody hands lifted.

Alain moves away from the group, drawing a number of the beings after him.
The things speed up as they surround him, running now and with none of the awkwardness of their first steps!


''Manflesshhhhhh!", they hiss, as the surround the lone spell-slinger, yellow eyes blazing and teeth chattering as black drool falls from their open mouths...


WHOOOOSHHHH! Alain vanishes in a great gout of flame.

When the smoke clears, carbonized corpses surround Alain--all fallen and none rising.

But the others have little time to observe what Alain does next, for other monsters are closing in, each step becoming less awkward, more sure, as if something evil is quickly getting used to these shells.

I certainly hope this works.

Klokulf raises his left hand above his head, and painful violet radiance pulses about his holy symbol. "Blasphemous wretches! Kneel before the might of the Lawgiver!"