Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="sheelba" data-source="post: 421515" data-attributes="member: 7794">Session Two Part TwoAching from their wounds the PCs settle into their respective beds. Falling asleep they dream:[Strange spheres drift randomly around the dreamer, pulsing with violet and green lights. Whispered words breathe meaninglessly through the air. Horror freezes the minds of each dreamer as they realise that they are no more than drifting orbs of light themselves.]Waking late the next morning, drenched in sweat, the PC’s remember little of their dream. Shivering, Elahnor stands and the room slowly spins around her. She steadies herself and soon starts to perform her morning rituals. With effort she staggers into Marius’ room. Marius also appears pale and clammy and Elahnor has soon diagnosed the illness, which they must have picked up from the rat-monster.  After the ingredients, which Elahnor sent out for, arrive, the cook is shown how to prepare them and the PCs retire. They each take a portion of the strange document along with their foul smelling brews. Marius is the better equipped for the task of making sense of the curious writings the parchments hold. Tiny letters cover each side and it would be difficult to read under any circumstances. The language turns out to be an archaic form of Heliocrean, which Marius translated relatively easily. The writer was evidently the rat thing. The notes are a sort of diary, which outline the rat thing’s attempts to reproduce its master’s powers. Both Elahnor and Marius are disturbed by hints and suggestions about “those beyond”. In particular, it seems that the magic being studied by the rat thing and its master draw power “from beyond”. It is unlike any magic the PC’s have ever come across. The rat thing claims two successes. One: a spell called shrivelling; the other, a type of summoning named contact deep one (whatever a deep one is). Towards the end of this disturbing text, the rat thing starts complaining how its master has mistreated it and has kicked it out. Due to its eating habits! It is apparent that the “master” is alive and well and living in Handross. It takes the best part of a week to translate this unpleasant read. During that week, Elahnor’s herbal drink takes effect and the PC’s fever lifts. The dreams they have both been having – but have not mentioned to each other – seem to fade, although they wake each morning drenched in sweat and glad they cannot remember the sights around them in the dreamlands. At the end of the week, Lucius comes up to see the PCs. Lucius had been trying to find a house to rent for Marius, who had asked him to do so before they became ill. Cotta had been calling the last few days, and Lucius had come up to see if they were well enough to see him this morning. Elahnor and Marius agreed that they were much improved and that they would join Cotta shortly. Cotta greeted them warmly, asked about their recent health and then got to the point. His lord, Cassiodurus, owned several properties in the city. But, he had trouble getting reliable caretakers, never mind appropriate tenants. If Marius and Elahnor would agree to occupy one of the properties in the city and keep it secure, then Cassiodurus was willing to offer an excellent rate. The state of the PCs’ finances immediately attracted them to this offer. Marius’ unspecified suspicions regarding Cotta and Cassiodurus were swept to one side; he had been getting concerned that his Equestrian status was in jeopardy due to his poverty. Marius’ eyes widened slightly at the sight of the large town house, which Cotta led them to. In the middle of the Via Larvatus, which ran parallel to the docks the house stood three elegant stories. While not a traditional, villa design, it was closer in grandness to Marius’ lord’s town house in Listeumea than anything he had ever had for his own use. Inside, everything was covered in dustsheets. Most of the furniture was stored on the second floor, Cotta explained, as they looked at the sparse furnishings. They were welcome to explore at leisure and use what they wanted. Cotta then showed the PC’s round the ground and first floors. Marius ignored his usual impulse towards security, enamoured by the finery. Upstairs, looking out over the Via Larvatus, Marius fell in to haggling with Cotta. Having beaten Cotta down from ten to five solidii per month, all of Marius’ suspicions returned. Who was Cotta and why was his master letting them have this house for a fifth of its value? Cotta and Elahnor were looking out of the window when an idea suddenly struck Marius. Several years ago Marius had memorised a spell a wizard had taught him. But he had never got it to work. Marius decided to try it again and began to quietly chant. Cotta quickly spun round with a look of alarm. Marius felt the power of the charm person spell dissipate as he abruptly stopped his casting. As Cotta turned back to the window, Marius thought he saw a knowing smile play across his face. After Cotta left, the PCs spent the rest of the day arguing about the bedrooms and exploring. They retire to their beds early and the night passes uneventfully. Apart from one curious incident. Elahnor wakes to find it still dark and Snowy nuzzling her awake. The loyal wolf leads Elahnor down stairs and to the front door. Opening it, Elahnor cannot see anything in the narrow street. A faint smell of fish hangs in the air – which is common enough, this close to the docks. As Elahnor closes the door, she hears another door slam shut across the street. The following morning shows that one of the rat things’ diary pages have gone missing from Marius’ locked box in his locked chest in his locked bedroom. No evidence of tampering is found and all the locks are still locked.</blockquote>

Verification