stonegod's Expedition to Castle Ravenloft: Ch. I [IC]

DEFCON 1 · Jun 11, 2007

Jarrith nods in sympathy and puts his hand on Marot's shoulder. "You have not failed us, my friend... for one fell action cannot undo the goodness you have brought all of us and this town up to this point."

He moves behind the warlock and begins untying the binds that hold him to the chair. If the archivist begins to object, Jarrith reminds him that as a member of The Twelve, Ochem knows more than anyone what arcane and spiritual magic can do to overtake a man's heart and defenses.

After he unties Marot, Jarrith stands up and begins winding the rope around his fist and forearm.

"We now seem to be on a race against time. Through my own unfortunate actions, I have revealed to whomever it was that controlled Marot the approximate location of the sunblade, the raven's symbol, and the Tome of Strahd itself. And unfortunately, I now believe we cannot spend the time to find the blade or symbol first, because most assuredly the Emerald Claw cares more about the Tome than either of those two relics. We have to reach the library before they do. So getting the relics to lessen the taint inside the castle does us no good if the item we are going there for is already gone."

Jarrith hands the rope off to whomever it was that gave it to him, then heaves a heavy sigh before staring off out of the window of the inn.

"On the one hand, my instincts tell me we should go to the castle right now before the Claw can organize to make a move." He then turns his gaze to first Janis, then to Marot. "But on the other hand, we all have things we need to do and rest to take before rushing off into the mountains. True?"

Jarrith shrugs. "Maybe some of us should go up the mountain road right now and guard it for the night it against a Claw assault while the others prepare for the excursion down here? We could then meet on the road tomorrow before entering the castle. I do not know. If only we had a way of knowing where the Claw agents were and what their plans were going to be."

stonegod · Jun 11, 2007

Marot shakes his head, then stands. "I feel it is my duty to watch the Castle tonight, if preparations here must still be made. It is my failure." Sir Khensu pats the warlock on the shoulder and nods. "The original plan stands, but now we are forewarned. The Claw has shown their hand as much as we have shown ours. We are forewarned. We shall keep watch as best we can."

James Heard · Jun 11, 2007

Janis stares at the ceiling thin-lipped and fists clenched.

"I can follow them," she says, the words rushing out of her mouth like an accusation.

"We shouldn't strike at them for we are ill-prepared for one more fight this day, but I think I can follow them tonight and if someone follows me then we can put eyes upon them to strike at them at will. If these people think to spy upon us then we shall turn their own knives upon them."

Janis frowns savagely, then suddenly grins in a most uncharacteristically un-Janislike fashion.

"Perhaps they'll see me though, and the night will be stained with blood regardless!" Janis looks at the rest of her companions cheerfully...almost eagerly.

Stormwind · Jun 12, 2007

Ashlyn looks consideringly at Janis a long moment before turning to the others, "Haste in this is folly. It is senseless to rush into a situation of which we know very little or nothing whilst unprepared."

She looks towards Janis as she ticks things off on her fingers, "We can track them down. The castle is an unknown at this stage. Their target however is known as are they. The exact location of their target and yours, being this tome, is assumed to be in the castle. Thus I see two options before us: we head for the castle and ask permission from its lord to peruse the library, or we track down these undead thieves and their master and release them from their undeath."
As Ashlyn speaks it is obvious to those who know her which option she prefers as her voice becomes cold whilst she speaks of the undead.

She then turns to Perriwimple, "Perriwimple, Do you know aught of the castle? Fact, not rumor."

She then waits patiently for his reply.

James Heard · Jun 12, 2007

Janis snorts derisively.

" Please. I'm talking about finding out where they've made their camp, or if they're lurking about somewhere in town. If we know where they've been hiding and where we think they're going...But right now all we "know" is supposition and guesswork."

" I'm not fond of the idea of risking contact right now either, but this presents a unique opportunity before I must take a day to....attend to certain inadequacies revealed by the loss of my companion Orwell. Will someone attempt to follow me or not? I'm not asking permission. If need be I'll attend to the course of action I believe is correct and report back to the rest of you when I'm through, but time is pressing in the magics I have undertaken," Janis says impatiently.

Janis shakes her head.

" One of you watch at least, because this isn't something I do lightly and not the least of which is to keep frightened watchmen from throwing arrows at me."

Janis hurries out the door of the inn and out into the street without waiting for more commentary where she waves her arms around as if creating room for herself. She begins to focus her Will to melting flesh and molding her form. As always her eyes change first, then she grimaces in discomfort as bones crack and muscles slide toward their intended form.

drothgery · Jun 12, 2007

Daellin thanks Tessa for healing him before the shouting match starts...

James Heard said:
" One of you watch at least, because this isn't something I do lightly and not the least of which is to keep frightened watchmen from throwing arrows at me."

Janis hurries out the door of the inn and out into the street without waiting for more commentary where she waves her arms around as if creating room for herself. She begins to focus her Will to melting flesh and molding her form. As always her eyes change first, then she grimaces in discomfort as bones crack and muscles slide toward their intended form.

"And by 'one of you' you of course, mean me. You never make things easy, do you." Daellin says, casting Hawkeye (+5 to Spot, +50% range for 30min) before following the shapeshifted Janis.

DEFCON 1 · Jun 12, 2007

As Janis walks out, followed quickly by Daellin... Jarrith looks over at Lady Ashlyn. Before she can raise an objection to this course of action Janis has decided for herself, Jarrith raises a hand to her.

"There is no action any better or worse than another at this point I'm afraid. And I daresay that if Janis and Daellin are successful in this endeavor, then so much the better. I'm actually quite relieved... I expected someone to argue about Sir Khensu and Marot going up and guarding the road tonight."

He turns to Sir Khensu and Marot and looks questioningly. "You two all right tonight? I could come along if need be, although I have other matters I'd like to attend to today. I really need to find out if anyone knows the woods enough to locate where the fey creatures might be, and thus where we can find the sunblade." He looks out the window and sees the progressing sun. "With our backs now against the wall, we do not have the time to go randomly traipsing all around the forests. We need to know pretty much where we have to go. Someone in town or outside of it must know or have heard about this area."

He looks down at his masterwork silver rapier, and smiles. "My weapon also has a date with the master craftsman from the caravan. And I expect that to take at least a day as well."

Jarrith nods to Master Ochem and Lady Ashlyn, then smiles at Tessa as he leaves the inn, going off to find the caravan's artificer.

**********

OOC: As I'm exchanging my metamagic rod for a +1 silver rapier and a wand of Shield of Faith... this "master craftsman" / "caravan artificer" business is just me explaining away in-game why my masterwork silver rapier will suddenly become a +1 silver rapier. I'll probably use this guy as the quick explanation why I receive the wand as well. Nothing else past that.

Kafkonia · Jun 12, 2007

Stormwind said:
She then turns to Perriwimple, "Perriwimple, Do you know aught of the castle? Fact, not rumor."

She then waits patiently for his reply.

"It's big," he says. "Most people don't go there. It's kind of scary."

James Heard · Jun 12, 2007

The enormous, man-sized hawk was ugly, REALLY ugly. Janis stretched out a wing experimentally and looked at it. Inwardly, she sighed.

Ah well, at least it's nicer than following that following the rat-man into the tunnels this time, she thought looking around the streets with her new eyes.

Janis nods at Daellin as he exits, squawks out a horrible hawk-sound, and then takes to the air while her magic is still in effect, hoping to catch the Scent of her prey before it fades.

stonegod · Jun 12, 2007

The Chase

As Janis shifts into what can only be described as a mammoth hawk with an appearance problem, the remains of the crowd in the square gasp and shrink back at the display. Catching the sulfurous scent, Hawk-Janis cries out once---a raspy, dangerous sound---and takes to the air.

The scent is unique, if a bit thready, and Hawk-Janis has little difficulty following it. The trail keeps low to the rooftops, and the shapechanged Cyran must take care due to the still present mist, and thus cannot take full advantage of her new form's speed. In addition, she makes sure the hustling ranger can spot her, dipping down an waiting occasionally while the land-bound elf catches up to her.

This cycle repeats steadily for the next few minutes, with one irregularity---the trail dips a moment and lingers near a street corner. There are a group of other smells below, none of which she recognizes, which cross and disperse in different directions. It is impossible to say when and how many people crossed this intersection, though a few trails are stronger and thus mostly likely more recent. As Hawk-Janis perches once again to wait for Daellin, she must decide---follow the retreating scent of the sulphur or one of the newer trails in case it relates to their quarry?