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Lazybones's Keep on the Shadowfell/Thunderspire Labyrinth
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4847184" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 54</p><p></p><p></p><p>Carzen smelled blood. </p><p></p><p>This was nothing new, in this place. Carzen remembered stinking of it, his clothes covered in the foulness of the demon’s vile fluids. He’d had to toss all of it, his cloak, tunic, leggings, and even after he’d scraped his armor clean and put on his last set of clean clothes, he’d still reeked of it. That hadn’t been enough to keep him from collapsing into a deep, dreamless sleep the moment that his watch had been finished, but it had been the first thing to fill his nostrils when Gral had finally shaken him awake. </p><p></p><p>They’d fortified in a small room used by the gnolls as a barracks, not far from the entry chamber. The place had been adjacent to a room that had been used by the gnolls as a kennel for their hyenas, and it offered a stink to rival the reek of battle’s aftermath. It held only four crude, filthy cots, so rank that even the exhausted adventurers preferred to spread their blankets out on the floor to sleeping there. More importantly, however, the room had been equipped with a pair of thick iron-banded doors that they could rig with a bar from within. There had been no further parties of gnolls to disturb their rest. That wasn’t to say that they had slumbered peacefully; there had been noises, faint sounds that filtered even through the heavy doors. During his watch, Carzen thought he heard an odd, haunting wail that sent chills down his spine during his watch, and one time he thought he saw a pale, ghostly form out of the corner of his vision. When he turned his head toward it, however, it was gone. </p><p></p><p>Even with those uneasy encounters, once his watch was over he had slept soundly and dreamlessly. </p><p></p><p>He had no idea how long they had rested. Once they had slept and eaten, with Gral treating their diverse injuries with needle, thread, and fresh linen bandages, they had set out again into the complex. A quick search of the surrounding chambers had turned up more abandoned quarters, and a large room dominated by the largest boar that Carzen had ever seen. The boar had snorted and stomped angrily at their arrival, but it had been chained to the floor, so Vhael had decided to leave it be for now. Carzen had thought it might have been put to better use over a crackling fire, but he didn’t challenge the warlord’s decision. Getting out of this place as quickly as possible had developed a strong appeal in the fighter’s mind. </p><p></p><p>So now they were leaving the gnoll quarters behind, and moving deeper into the complex. And were greeted by the stink of blood. </p><p></p><p>They saw the source of the odor as soon as they entered the hall. It formed a trail upon the floor, glistening wetly in the light of their lamps. It emerged from under a set of double doors to their left, and wound away down the length of the hall to their right. Gral knelt beside the crimson course to examine it more closely. </p><p></p><p>“Fresh?” Vhael asked. </p><p></p><p>“I would say no, except that its still wet,” Gral reported. “Most unusual.”</p><p></p><p>A sudden chill filled the room, and Carzen felt a cold shudder pass down his spine. </p><p></p><p>“<em>Hissa!</em> Surina exclaimed, a bright orb of flame appearing in her hand as she swiveled toward the far end of the hall. Carzen turned and saw three figures rising up out of the stream of blood. They were insubstantial, the outlines of the hall behind them just visible through their ghostly forms. The three ghosts hovered just above the floor, the lower parts of their bodies fading into nothingness. </p><p></p><p>“Hold your attacks,” Vhael said, watching the trio as they drifted closer. “Surina,” he repeated, and the warlock finally released her power, the room darkening again as the bright glow of her flames faded. </p><p></p><p>The three were a diverse lot, and there were hints at what had killed them visible on the outlines of their bodies. The one on the left was a bearded human clad in a chainmail hauberk that covered most of his body, at least down to his waist, where it was ripped in a neat line all the way across his torso. As he drew closer Carzen could see that the tear went through the ghost’s body as well, the lower half trailing just a bit behind the upper. He wore an icon on a chain upon his chest, but Carzen couldn’t quite make out the design stamped onto the disk. </p><p></p><p>The second ghost was clad head to toe in heavy plate armor, including a full helm with a closed visor. This one wore the familiar symbol of the sun god, Pelor, etched in bold relief upon his breastplate. As the ghost shifted, however, Carzen could see that his helm had been staved in from one side, a blow that must have been almost instantly lethal. </p><p></p><p>The last ghost was an elven woman, her lean body draped in green robes. She carried a staff raised in one hand, as if in salute. One side of her face was marked terribly, the flesh eaten away enough in several places to show the bone beneath. She regarded them with cold eyes.</p><p></p><p>Vhael stepped forward to confront the three ghosts, and Carzen was all too happy to let him be their representative in this instance. Beside him, Gez was shivering. The ghost of the elven woman drifted forward to meet the warlord, flanked by the two fallen warriors. </p><p></p><p>The dragonborn opened his mouth to speak, but the woman interrupted him, her voice clear but hollow, as if it came from a deep hole in the ground. </p><p></p><p>“Why do you intrude upon this place?”</p><p> </p><p>“We seek no conflict with you, spirits,” Vhael said. “We come to recover prisoners held by the evil masters of this place.”</p><p></p><p>“What you have found,” the ghostly woman droned, “Is only your deaths.” Power seemed to gather around her as she spoke, and she raised her staff high, as if she were a magistrate pronouncing judgement.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 4847184, member: 143"] Chapter 54 Carzen smelled blood. This was nothing new, in this place. Carzen remembered stinking of it, his clothes covered in the foulness of the demon’s vile fluids. He’d had to toss all of it, his cloak, tunic, leggings, and even after he’d scraped his armor clean and put on his last set of clean clothes, he’d still reeked of it. That hadn’t been enough to keep him from collapsing into a deep, dreamless sleep the moment that his watch had been finished, but it had been the first thing to fill his nostrils when Gral had finally shaken him awake. They’d fortified in a small room used by the gnolls as a barracks, not far from the entry chamber. The place had been adjacent to a room that had been used by the gnolls as a kennel for their hyenas, and it offered a stink to rival the reek of battle’s aftermath. It held only four crude, filthy cots, so rank that even the exhausted adventurers preferred to spread their blankets out on the floor to sleeping there. More importantly, however, the room had been equipped with a pair of thick iron-banded doors that they could rig with a bar from within. There had been no further parties of gnolls to disturb their rest. That wasn’t to say that they had slumbered peacefully; there had been noises, faint sounds that filtered even through the heavy doors. During his watch, Carzen thought he heard an odd, haunting wail that sent chills down his spine during his watch, and one time he thought he saw a pale, ghostly form out of the corner of his vision. When he turned his head toward it, however, it was gone. Even with those uneasy encounters, once his watch was over he had slept soundly and dreamlessly. He had no idea how long they had rested. Once they had slept and eaten, with Gral treating their diverse injuries with needle, thread, and fresh linen bandages, they had set out again into the complex. A quick search of the surrounding chambers had turned up more abandoned quarters, and a large room dominated by the largest boar that Carzen had ever seen. The boar had snorted and stomped angrily at their arrival, but it had been chained to the floor, so Vhael had decided to leave it be for now. Carzen had thought it might have been put to better use over a crackling fire, but he didn’t challenge the warlord’s decision. Getting out of this place as quickly as possible had developed a strong appeal in the fighter’s mind. So now they were leaving the gnoll quarters behind, and moving deeper into the complex. And were greeted by the stink of blood. They saw the source of the odor as soon as they entered the hall. It formed a trail upon the floor, glistening wetly in the light of their lamps. It emerged from under a set of double doors to their left, and wound away down the length of the hall to their right. Gral knelt beside the crimson course to examine it more closely. “Fresh?” Vhael asked. “I would say no, except that its still wet,” Gral reported. “Most unusual.” A sudden chill filled the room, and Carzen felt a cold shudder pass down his spine. “[i]Hissa![/i] Surina exclaimed, a bright orb of flame appearing in her hand as she swiveled toward the far end of the hall. Carzen turned and saw three figures rising up out of the stream of blood. They were insubstantial, the outlines of the hall behind them just visible through their ghostly forms. The three ghosts hovered just above the floor, the lower parts of their bodies fading into nothingness. “Hold your attacks,” Vhael said, watching the trio as they drifted closer. “Surina,” he repeated, and the warlock finally released her power, the room darkening again as the bright glow of her flames faded. The three were a diverse lot, and there were hints at what had killed them visible on the outlines of their bodies. The one on the left was a bearded human clad in a chainmail hauberk that covered most of his body, at least down to his waist, where it was ripped in a neat line all the way across his torso. As he drew closer Carzen could see that the tear went through the ghost’s body as well, the lower half trailing just a bit behind the upper. He wore an icon on a chain upon his chest, but Carzen couldn’t quite make out the design stamped onto the disk. The second ghost was clad head to toe in heavy plate armor, including a full helm with a closed visor. This one wore the familiar symbol of the sun god, Pelor, etched in bold relief upon his breastplate. As the ghost shifted, however, Carzen could see that his helm had been staved in from one side, a blow that must have been almost instantly lethal. The last ghost was an elven woman, her lean body draped in green robes. She carried a staff raised in one hand, as if in salute. One side of her face was marked terribly, the flesh eaten away enough in several places to show the bone beneath. She regarded them with cold eyes. Vhael stepped forward to confront the three ghosts, and Carzen was all too happy to let him be their representative in this instance. Beside him, Gez was shivering. The ghost of the elven woman drifted forward to meet the warlord, flanked by the two fallen warriors. The dragonborn opened his mouth to speak, but the woman interrupted him, her voice clear but hollow, as if it came from a deep hole in the ground. “Why do you intrude upon this place?” “We seek no conflict with you, spirits,” Vhael said. “We come to recover prisoners held by the evil masters of this place.” “What you have found,” the ghostly woman droned, “Is only your deaths.” Power seemed to gather around her as she spoke, and she raised her staff high, as if she were a magistrate pronouncing judgement. [/QUOTE]
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