Staunton Bluffs Episode III: Unexpected Meetings

[Lord Cyclohexane]

Crashing from the woods between the party and the woodsmen, a dark being erupts, covered in twigs and leaves. It first looks at the downed woodsmen as a familiar voice says, "Thought I lost you guys for a moment." He brushes the twigs from his travelling cloak, turns to the party, and inquires, "So, what did I... miss..."

Adrian's voice trails off as he sees the army of spirits behind the party. As the first party member bolts past him, Adrian turns and runs to the woodsmen, trying to pull them to their feet. "C'mon, c'mon, I'll go to prison willingly, just get us to town!"


[Sorry for disappearing so long... Got wrapped up in writing my Gaz submission...]

[ewancummins]

Unable to get a clear target, Moorkroft holds his fire. He shouts to Shana, '' Best we go now!'' . He will then join the others in flight, but only if Shana is keeping up with him.

[Le Noir Faineant]

[I assume everyone follows.]

The ghastly laughter of the mad ghost in your ears, you hurry up behind the woodsman Biggs...

Wedge, like drunken from his fear, staggers behind you...

In the middle of a beautiful autumn twilight, you leave the small wood and run across a paved road on the open field, the ghosts always close enough to touch your necks.

As you run down a hillside, you first perceive the smoke of chimneys so near you can really smell it...

Crossing yet another bluff, you suddenly find yourselves in a green valley, where a pleasant river runs through gentle fields...

And there, about a kilometer before you, high walls of a fortified town!

Hearing the screams of the ghosts behind you, you arrive at a gate of black iron, only to see Wedge and Biggs push it open, enter and close it...

You hear the sound of a heavy lock...

You have absolutely no time check the environs, but see magic symbols flacker on the city walls... Could it be that you'd really be safe from the undead herein...

Before you can think, a window opens, and you can see Wedge again, not at all miserable and horrified any more - he has a new bow and points to your faces, especially at Tavian's.

"Throw away all your belongings or we'll leave you out there!"



You can see the gloomy figures come down the hills and know there's not much time to negociate...

What to do?

Attack Wedge? - Fight the ghosts? - Or hide, maybe in the stinking moat?

[Lord Cyclohexane]

"What?!? You'll leave us to die if we don't leave ourselves at your mercy? What the hell, man..." Adrian drops his backpack, the only thing he's carrying as he has no weapons on him.

Adrian closely watches Wedge, though, waiting for him to make a mistake.

[Hold action; if Wedge looses his arrow, even as a warning shot at someone, Adrian will use his flurry of blows, both as disarm attacks, to take the bow from Wedge's hands. If the rest of the party agrees to Wedge's demands, though, Adrian has no need to take the bow]

[LouisVendredi]

George wiats upon the decisions of the rest of the group. He is almost as willing to die at the hands of the ghostly creatures than to surrenders himself, weaponless, to a man who suggested we be taken to jail.

Even if the rest comply with the mad ranger, George might fight the ghostly things in the off chance they're more frightening than dangerous.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Wedge nods as Adrian throws his backpack away.

"And now your clothes. Everyone."

You can hear the ghosts howling from behind...

[kintire]

Shana glares up at Wedge, and drops her sling bag, glancing anxiously back at the onrushing ghosts. She gasps with outrage at his second demand and glances back at the ghosts. If they seem to be rushing the gate, and if no one comes up with a better plan, she will reluctantly comply... with a look in her eyes that suggests that Wedge's problems are only just beginning.

[Tavian]

Tavian, smiling from ear to ear, drops his bag and whips off his robes. He stands with his hands on his hips, jutting his package out for all to see.

While he doesn't look nervous at all, his body gives him away and a gasseous stench emits loudly from his rear end.

[BigBadQDaddy]

Alain, while never taking his eyes off his target, ie: the woodsman behind the gate, sets down his pack.
"I will leave behind my belongings but I will not be humiliated by the likes of a rogue such as you. I would take my chances with the spirts rather than suffer the humility of your child like pranks."
If the woodsman chooses to attack Alain, or anyone else in the party for that matter, Alain will recite a poem and cast Daze on him.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Wedge just stands at the opened window - about 3 meters above you - with a grim expression in his eyes and points his arrow at Tavian.

[This is the only open window near - there are small arrow slits in your range as well, but if it comes to the worst, you cannot seriously consider that you can get through them... There's always the moat...]

"It's your choice. If you let the ghosts drive you insane, I'll shoot you anyway."

The spectres have already crossed the last hillside, and, howling, approach the city gate...

The arcane symbols on the city walls begin to glow in the twilight of the evening...

[The ghastly army will choke with you in two turns. Do something or be caught flat-footed...]

[Tavian]

"We've consented to your demands," Tavian says, "But I promise you, Wedge, if you don't give us solace from these ghosts I'm going to turn you into one."

With that, Tavian turns towards the ghosts.

(If any get in range, Tavian will begin to fire eldritch blasts at the ghosts)

[BigBadQDaddy]

"If You do not let us in right now, our deaths will mark your soul forever. Mark my words, Every good deed yoy have ever done to the deeds you have not yet done, will be proven null againts the weight of the trechorous deed you perform on this day!" Alain shouts at the gate keeper.
"Do you wish for that burden woodsman? Do you want to be cursed by your own lack of compassion?" His face red with anger, his body shaking in fear, Alain stares down the woodsman, silently preying to anyone who will listen, that the woodsman let them in.

[LouisVendredi]

Silently, George removes his backpack and weapon belt as well as all his other equipment (but not the dagger stashed in his boot). He does not strip. He shouts to Wedge, "There! I have abandoned my equipment. Let us in!"

[DamienJ]

Erdwin stares up angrily at the young woodsman. "Young," though not by much younger than Erdwin himself.

"Woodsman," he calls up to the window, "let us enter amicably, and we shall do no harm to you. We will even," and here Erdwin nearly sighs, "submit to the laws of your hamlet."

Then the paladin takes a step towards the wall. "Yet, if you fail, I shall die with your curse upon my lips. No magic will avail to preserve you from our restless spirits. All those of your village, starting with the ones you love most, will die, and they will know it is our vengeance upon you that caused their death. You yourself will not die, but will be driven mad by our constant visitation. Know that you risk this if you do not let us enter now!"

[kintire]

Shana glance in panic from the ghosts to the woodsman, fear overriding her embarrassment

"let us IN damn you! You can't just leave us to the ghosts. What kind of animal ARE you?"