The cold pierces their furs and the return to the sanctuary proves difficult. The sorcerer lags behind, seemingly unaffected by the frozen air, but oddly silent.

Kondor is correct, Nightfall is come and without supplies and dog sled, they will never make to Shankshill, Khromarium, or Dunwich. Aye, for now they are doomed to this sanctuary and whatever evils lie below those stairwells hidden within its walls...

They trudge on deep in thought.

Kondor +200XP
Gundrabu +200XP

Lo, the cemetery gate takes shape in the distance.

 

Last edited by Iron Ranger (2/28/2020 10:10 am)

A deafening silence blankets the courtyard, the only sound the gentle sway of the tarp covering the burned out doorway. No movement is detected on the roofline or in the belfry.

Gundrabu follows. He inspects the room carefully for signs of change and occupancy. He particularly looks for clues that would inform a narrative explaining why his dogs and sleigh were in the Night. His thesis so far is that Tetranna fled with the dogs from attack.

[I’m not sure, at this point, how much “day” has passed, but Gundrabu intends to get some rest and memorize some Spells first thing.]

What does the crackle around the door look like?

Kondor wants to rest, not because of being tired but because of the emotional roller coaster of today. He is sad from Sol vanishing, and from Tetrana apparently fallen down the well. Now surrounded by sorcerers(!!!) and still trapped in this accursed ruin.
But he is too much roused by the danger, the threat of the beast men and the battle adrenaline from the still recent fight.

Kondor inspects the door, then settles back next to Emrals corpse, holding the jackalopes paw and standing watch.

Iron Ranger wrote:

fireinthedust wrote:

What does the crackle around the door look like?

Kondor wants to rest, not because of being tired but because of the emotional roller coaster of today. He is sad from Sol vanishing, and from Tetrana apparently fallen down the well. Now surrounded by sorcerers(!!!) and still trapped in this accursed ruin.
But he is too much roused by the danger, the threat of the beast men and the battle adrenaline from the still recent fight.

Kondor inspects the door, then settles back next to Emrals corpse, holding the jackalopes paw and standing watch.

With gundrabu fast asleep, heavy steady snore pursing his lips, Kondor inspects the door. A thin thread of crackling blue lightning fills the crack along all sides of the door.

"Hoary Nodens' frozen beard, just what we need: more sorcery!" Kondor mutters, before putting himself safely in the corner to keep watch over the others and, now, the crackling doorway. He keeps the fire lit, and holds the jackalope paw in his hand to feel the fur with his thumb while he waits to wake the next ones for their watch.

Iron Ranger wrote:

Kondor suddenly jerks awake with a jolt. Were his eyes closed for only a mere moment or for hours?
The chill has returned and the fire is embers. He curses himself and spies the paw on the floor at his feet.
The esquimeaux snores.

It seems the sorcerer has wandered away, hopefully he will return soon, invigorated.

😁

“Looks like it’s just you and me now, Kondor,” Gundrabu mumbles when wakened so that Kondor can get a few winks.

Kondor looks for clues to where the pyromancer went. If there are no tracks, he points out the door that had the magical crackle on it to the cleric.

Iron Ranger wrote:

There are several torn out scraps of paper from the burned books arranged on the floor near the doorway.
Scratched in ash from a charred twig from the fire are the words:

Fellows, I have gone back to the sanctuary to retrieve my  pack. I assume when you slayed the beast men you overlooked it. Without its precious contents there is little reason for me to live, its loss is too great.  If you are reading this note, then I expect perhaps you did not slay the beast men and they have the pack and I will track them across the Boreas into the Black Gulf if I must to reclaim it. 
Worry not, as my Ring of Warmness will protect me, and fear not for your own weapons, as I have left them with you and taken only this rusted sword which must have belonged to this hanging Pict.
Igrest

Ooc: yes!  Wait, can barbarians read?  Lol. I’m going to assume Emral taught him so he can go to the civilized world for heroics.

“Good grief! Well, if he’s slain then we can go get the ritual done. In the sanctuary, before any more beast men arrive. Or maybe we can see if they left coins behind when we slew them earlier?  What should we do about the sorcery upon the doorway? Can you remove it?”

Eirvit wrote:

“Nay, I cannot. And now, Kondor, I seek your counsel. You have expressed a desire to return to the sanctuary in a second attempt to Bless Water. We might forgo it, though, for a spell of Omen, that I shall cast for you. The other shall be Cure Light Wounds, for myself, to regain the strain I suffered yesterday. Please choose what we shall do. Should I cast Omen on you, or shall we try again to Bless Water?”

Ooc: I can do either. I’m kind of curious to see if the pyromancer made it to his backpack, but if we deal with the threat below it might stop the frost; then we can rest before we check on the backpack, in case the beast men are still around.
What does Omen do?

And is Kondor at full health now? I need to take some time and check the thread properly, and count my xp, too.
And maybe do something about the map! I’m thinking about using an XY coordinate instead of letters for rows and numbers for columns. I don’t know where the original is after I moved out due to a divorce, so I’m going to need to redo it anyway.

Iron Ranger wrote:

Kondor and Gundrabu can roll a HD(+CON bonus) of hp recovery from the long sleep.

I show:
Kondor currently 11/23 HP,  8124 XP
Gundrabu currently 4/8 HP, 924 XP
Igrest currently 1/10 HP, 5932 XP  

My own records show 1,523.5 xp (but I’m certainly not going to argue it!). This is how I kept track on my sheet: XP 50 + 750 + 80 + 105 + 200 + 200. I don’t care to scour the forum, so I’ll use 924, if you want, Ref. Just let me know.

While we’re taking stock, what has become of what was in the sled? This is what I had:

Sled and dogs (x3, Amarok “Wolf”, Karpok “Hunger”, Wayok “Active” (carry enc 50), MV 30 mi/day
Lantern (mounted)
Satchels (feed, lamp oil, gospel literature The Grasp of Kraken: None May Escape His Loving Reach)
Caribou and wild berries (x3 weeks)
Firewood (3 bundles)

I’m also probably out of Torches. At most, I might have one that is mostly consumed.

HD d8- 3. My HP now is 7/8.

fireinthedust, here’s the Spell Omen:

Omen
Level: clr 1; Range: touch; Duration: 1 turn
The sorcerer reveals to himself or another recipient an omen regarding the near future. The next time the recipient makes an attack roll or a saving throw, three rolls are made and the best result selected. This can be done but once, and if the omen is not utilized before the spell’s duration has passed, the dweomer is lost.

Since Gundrabu is almost full of hp now, he suggests that he prepares Omen and Bless Water, giving the sanctuary another try. If he can get some Holy Water, he will have a single flask of it for the month (the Spell can be used only 1/month 😁).

Bless Oil or Water
Level: clr 1; Range: touch; Duration: permanent
This 6-turn (1-hour) ritual is performed exclusively by clerics or priests of Good alignment. A holy blessing is placed on an eight-ounce vessel of vegetable oil or fresh water, thus creating a dose of holy oil / water. Sorcerers of CA 1–4 can cast this spell but once per month; those of CA 5–8 can cast this spell twice per month; and those of CA 9–12 can cast this spell thrice per month. Bless oil or water must be cast on hallowed ground, or that which has been sanctified by a ceremony of consecration spell (q.v.). A glass vessel of holy oil / water thrown as a missile at an undead target delivers 1d8 hp damage for 2 rounds if a hit is scored (see VOL� III, COMBAT ACTIONS, holy oil / water).