Iron Ranger wrote:

fireinthedust wrote:

Eirvit wrote:

Gundrabu nods to the shaman. “I thank you, Tetranna, but I believe you are mistaken in devaluing my purpose. You shall soon see the benefit that comes from the Dark Depths of Kraken’s Super-dimensional Sea.”

Then, if Igrest and Kondor are agreeable to the task, we three make our way out of doors, north through the gates of the graveyard, east to the northeast corner of the sanctuary, then south along the wall to gain the entryway in the south face.

It should be a quick errand with no hitches! 😁

Kondor frowns at Tetranna.  "Come with us. We should stay together. All of us, and the dogs. Alone we are vulnerable. If the Esquimaux can do something to strangthen himself or weaken our foes, it is a worthy delay. Come with us."

ooc: Unless the GM wants to stop bothering with the NPC, just saying.

The Ixian woman smiles broadly, and whispers, "We'll just keep this momentary bout of ... trepidation ... betwixt us, eh, Barbarian? The leaves are in your favor."

Kondor nods, and then leads the group (all who are coming) around the ruin, the entire time on high alert with his sword drawn and ready for danger.

Holy_Rage wrote:

Igrest follows Kondor and Gundrabu, clearly all too happy to leave the Ixian behind. He speaks softly, once out of hearing range from Tetranna: "To leave corpses with an Ixian necromancer be similar to leaving a yellow lotus blossom addict inhaling fumes in some decadent parlour of ill repute and hoping he will nay indulge himself. So goes for the hounds; I hope there will be a sliver of decorum left in her."

"Gundrabu of Khalk-Xu, are you certain your ritual will not induce further mishap on our predicament? Your patron is a fickle one.", the sorcerer adds, clearly suspicious.

“Khalk-xu is the only real God. It resides at the center of the multiverse. All its tentacles reach into the lesser dimensions, including our own, seeking in its loving grasp to reintegrate us into its beginning. The Cosmos is Chaos, and so I believe, even if this sanctuary is desecrated, my errand will be successful. Chaos is misunderstood, though. It only appears to be without Reason. At the higher dimensions, all folds within Kraken’s Constricting Coils.”

Gundrabu pauses, deep in thought. His sealskin boots scritch in the snow on the frozen sod.

“My main fear is Law, because that is artificial, constructed, in adversity with Khalk-xu. If whatever has assailed this place is Evil of a particularly Orderly kind, I might be in for a bit of a surprise.” He smirks a yellow snaggle-tooth from beneath his mustaches. “In such an eventuality, I really don’t know what might happen.”

He squares his fur-draped shoulders. “Still, I believe it’s worth the risk. When it’s the Undead one faces, it helps to have some Blessed Water in your belt, eh?”

Iron Ranger wrote:

As the group steps out into the courtyard, strong winds begin anew, racing the low snow laden clouds away westward toward Shankshill. Gundrabu's last words are stolen on these winds, unheard...
The dogs whining with worry, the men look at each other and grasp their winter furs at the necks and turn west toward the cemetery, where the far gate rocks on its rusty hinge, a squeal that pierces even this dense howling din.

Gundrabu takes the lead. The barbarian falls in behind, with the sorcerer at far follow.  But once inside the cemetery proper each wishes he had brought a light source as Nightfall's darkness overwhelms.

[Gundrabu will step back into the shelter to light a torch at the fire. And for the record, he is carrying everything listed in his pack, as well as his pack, which has him encumbered as noted on my character sheet.]

Iron Ranger wrote:

Gundrabu heads back against the wind toward the courtyard. Suddenly the tent flap whips open and Tetranna holds out Kondor's lighted lantern. "Forget something?" she asks.

“Thank you, Tetranna. In this wind, I prefer this to a guttering torch.”

Gundrabu takes the lantern and hands it to Kondor. Feeling secure, knowing he has two torches in his pack [the smudgy, previously-lit one, I suppose, is stowed in his sleigh], Gundrabu again takes his place at the lead, moving towards and out the cemetery gate, taking great care not to misstep near the disturbed graves.

[All roll a d12.]

[d12 - 1]

The once soft blanket underfoot hardens to ice in the flash freeze, the ruts from the sled making for unsteady footing. The neglected chest high grasses in the cemetery whip across their faces as the men trudge forward once agin through the cemetery.  Far off at the treelike sharp cracks of breaking branches ricochet to their ears. Gundrabu follows the multiple footprints to the left.
  The barbarian makes out a faint set of prints to the right in the flickering lantern glow.
  Igrest notices a multicolored nebula formed  against the dark heavens beyond the peak of distant Shankshill when suddenly the screaming gate slams shut at the sorcerer’s heels!

Eirvit wrote:

[Just to be clear, since Igrest was in the rear, this means we all have exited the cemetery, right?]

Group just outside the cemetery gate.
Cleric stepped to follow many footprints on ground to left/south.
Barbarian spied  an older path on ground to right/north.
Sorcerer sees a mesmerizing lightshow above.

Holy_Rage wrote:

[Igrest can determine/knows what is the nature and what can be expected of such a phenomenon?]

Certainly Igrest knows that these phenomena bode ill from the legends of his forebears, but sadly, his master never made it to the teachings of the cosmic forces before his untimely death in the Great Flame of Nathacus...

Holy_Rage wrote:

"We nay wish to be caught in the open in the midst of an ensorcelled storm, Clerist of the Tentacle Ineffable! Whatever it is you must do, this is an  ill-fated glow that does nay bode well for our bodies and spirits! Cover must be thought of and be made available. Be it magick wild and unharnessed, or beasts unnatural and bloothirsty, all must be taken unto account!", the sorcerer calls back at Gundrabu against the howling wind.

“Cover we soon shall have, sorcerer, as soon as we reach the sanctuary. Lead us, swordsman. With your light and knowledge of this place, our steps shall be made more sure!”

Gundrabu ignores the tracks that attracted him, ready to follow where Kondor leads.