Mists of Winter, Chapter Two

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

"So the game begins. Pity the hag's pawns." His next words are a string of Luktar, as he prays to the Morninglord to reveal the location of any undead in the area.

[ewancummins]

SMUGGLER'S BIG STOREROOM


Dorgio prays the words that reveal ghosts and ghoulies.
He sees....

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nothing unusual. Stone walls, the wooden double doors hanging ajar, his companions, some crates, the covering over the ramp hatch-- but no sign of spectral eyes and no necromantic emanations.

Vlad searches the main storeroom, avoiding the Chamber of the Eyes beyond those double doors that stand partway open.
"I see no tracks.”

The Barovian huntsman casts a nervous glance at the doors that Benn had been about to push wide open.
And then he steps forward and shoves hard on the double doors.


IN THE CHAMBER OF THE EYES
The panels swing open to reveal the corridor and the small room beyond it.
Franz's swords lie on the floor where Vlad dropped them when the eyes attacked him during the rescue of Benn.

The dirty, gray canvas drape lies where Benn dropped it after tearing it.
Glass and splinters of wood litter the floor where Benn smashed shelves and bottles.
The wooden door set in the back wall of the eye-room hangs open a few inches.

Besides the seeming absence of the floating eyes, only one thing in the room looks different than the way the party last saw the room; a forearm and left hand sticks out from the darkened space on the other side of the door in the back wall, the hand positioned palm down and fingers dug into a crack in the floor. The hand does not move.

[ewancummins]

THE ELVEN REFUGE/THE OLD BARN

Galandel nods to the Kennel Master, "Help will be nice. I will keep him calm, he isn't too trusting of others right now." He says.

He works with the Kennel Master to clean and bandage the wound all the while keeping Lykaios calm.

With the Kennel Master's help, Galandel tends to his wolf's injuries.

When they are finished, the Kennel Master turns to Galandel and says,
"If he were one of my beasts, I'd let him rest several days. Safer. Oh, and I'd feed him some raw meat. Blood out needs blood in."

[VAN]

Sara hides behind a crate near Dorgio hoping his protection spell can get her as well. With her gun ready to shoot to whatever attacks them notices the forearm.

"I think our enemy has just revealed herself."

Sara is ready to shoot but the unmoving hand makes her decide against it.

"Or it's just a mind game as well..."

[RocEter]

THE ELVEN REFUGE/THE OLD BARN

Galandel nods to the Kennel Master, "Help will be nice. I will keep him calm, he isn't too trusting of others right now." He says.

He works with the Kennel Master to clean and bandage the wound all the while keeping Lykaios calm.

With the Kennel Master's help, Galandel tends to his wolf's injuries.

When they are finished, the Kennel Master turns to Galandel and says,
"If he were one of my beasts, I'd let him rest several days. Safer. Oh, and I'd feed him some raw meat. Blood out needs blood in."

Galandel nods to the Kennel Master, "I agree, thank you for your assistance." He says, respectfully to him. He will take Lykaios back to where he and his wife sleep and have Lykiaos stay there and rest.

Once his wolf is rested he returns to the others a prepares to leave.

[ewancummins]

THE ELVEN REFUGE/THE OLD BARN

Galandel nods to the Kennel Master, "Help will be nice. I will keep him calm, he isn't too trusting of others right now." He says.

He works with the Kennel Master to clean and bandage the wound all the while keeping Lykaios calm.

With the Kennel Master's help, Galandel tends to his wolf's injuries.

When they are finished, the Kennel Master turns to Galandel and says,
"If he were one of my beasts, I'd let him rest several days. Safer. Oh, and I'd feed him some raw meat. Blood out needs blood in."

Galandel nods to the Kennel Master, "I agree, thank you for your assistance." He says, respectfully to him. He will take Lykaios back to where he and his wife sleep and have Lykiaos stay there and rest.

Once his wolf is rested he returns to the others a prepares to leave.

Galandel heads out with Baronet and his two men (one is the Kennel Master), two hounds the humans have brought along, Lothas and two other elves. Everyone carries weapons; teeth for the dogs, knives, swords, spears for the two-leg folk.

The fine drizzle becomes a heavy, clinging mist as the party nears the northern border of the Baronet's estate.
At first Galandel sees without trouble, his eyes adjusting in an instant, drinking in weak daylight.
But as the vapors thicken, he finds himself unable to make out objects more than a sword's reach distant.
One of the Baronet's men strikes a spark in the damp gloom. Again, again, again, light flashing in the early gloaming created by the fog bank. Warm light spills from a man's hand; a gleaming lantern lifts, the light floating in the mist like a will o' wisp.

...

After walking on for a long while, mud sucking at his boots, Gal hears something clattering above him and on his left.

Whatever it is, it does not sound like the river--he hears the high water rolling further off on the left.

[alhoon]

Raen sees the hand and tries to consider what it could be.
He also says the following: "The cat is probably a familiar. A ... creature that is bound to a spellcaster, sharing part of his or her soul. Familiars can do a lot of bad things. KILL the cat. The shock would startle Jenny buying us time."

[steveflam]

Franz removes a sunrod from his pack and after breaking it, moves forward and tosses it near the forearm and left hand.

[ewancummins]

Franz removes a sunrod from his pack and after breaking it, moves forward and tosses it near the forearm and left hand.

Light kindles in the cracked sun rod, growing and driving back the gloom.

With brighter light, the party sees that the hand and forearm belong to a man sprawled face down on the other side of the door in the back wall, half hidden by the door panel and the jamb. What can be seen: hand, arm, shoulder, torn jacket, dark hair: all looks damp and muddy.
No movement...

And then two small yellow eyes appear in shadows behind the crack of the door, just over the man's back.




HISS
The kitten leaps up, screeching, and darts out of sight, moving behind the outward-angled panel of the door.


Munchen barks, chasing after the feline, shoving his jowly head into the opening of the door that hangs halfway open...

[alhoon]

Raen seems about to act, but holds. He holds a bit of Mica in his hand and keeps looking around behind his cover.
"Keep in mind the familiar could probably report to his master what he senses!"

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

"If it's a familiar, we'll know soon enough," Dorgio chants in Luktar, praying that the Morninglord will reveal the presence of any magical objects or creatures nearby.

[Adam]

Bennedict walks cautiously into the room, keeping an eye on the dead man and scanning for his walking stick.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

"The dead man," Dorgio says to Benn. "What of his eyes?"

[steveflam]

Franz sheathes his Two Handed blade and enters the room, moving to his two blades to retrieve them.

[Adam]

After Dorgio's question, Benn tries to spot the man's eyes, ready to look away if they should start...moving on their own.