[IC1] Pool of Radiance

[Thanee]

Pushing one side of the gate open with some force, the group heads into the courtyard of Sokol Keep, where the undead guards have patrolled only moments before.

The courtyard is about a hundred feet across and about as wide. The center is dominated by one building with multiple entrances, it's former purpose is hard to discern from the outside, while along both sides and along the back wall a total of eight more buildings can be seen, covering pretty much the whole area of the wall on the three sides.

Across the yard in the north-west corner, the main building and the biggest one by far must once have had a second story, but it now lies in ruin. The ground level is still intact, however, and this is where Elmus (Oog) has seen the undead vanish. Next to it, along the northern and western wall, are large barracks and next to them some smaller buildings, maybe storages once. Against the eastern wall there is a stable, a granary, and a smithy.

Except for the occasional gust of wind, and the low rattling of the adventurer's equipment, no sound can be heard.

 

[Mista Collins]

"We gonna pick a door or just wait for them to come out again?" Selvaggio says as he examines the ground with Intrepido by his side, trying to gauge how often these guards might come out.

 

[Scotley]

Eldwyn

"Let's just take the first door we come to in the interests of haste." He works his short legs hard to keep pace with the others.

 

[Thanee]

Selvaggio:
[SBLOCK]You estimate, that these patrols happen every couple hours; maybe four, maybe six, maybe even eight. It's a bit hard to tell on the stone ground, but they definitely happen multiple times a day, at least for the recent time.[/SBLOCK]

 

[Bloodweaver1]

Aylor

Aylor stands in the court yard with her hands up and her feet shoulder width apart. She settles into a comfortable defense stance and waits for someone to make a decision. "Where too?"

 

[hafrogman]

Kylest gazes around the ruined keep.

"Shall we look around the smaller buildings before we try and get into the keep proper? Perhaps there."

He finishes his words with a gesture towards the barracks, the largest building not currently known to be housing the undead.

 

[Voadam]

Kylest gazes around the ruined keep.

"Shall we look around the smaller buildings before we try and get into the keep proper? Perhaps there."

He finishes his words with a gesture towards the barracks, the largest building not currently known to be housing the undead.

"sounds good." Kordunn proceeds in that direction without further delay, his senses primed for the presence of more undead on the other side of the door.

 

[Thanee]

The group quickly decides to check out the larger one of the barracks on the left side first, which has two entrances, one of them being conveniently close to the gate. The wooden door is rotten and warped, and easily opened. Inside the traces of a huge battle are still visible even after centuries of decay. Splintered wood and broken furniture, the remains of the bunks and chests of the original defenders, an occasional weapon, rusted and broken. Ancient blood stains are still visible here and there, but there are no corpses, or their remains.

As the adventurers move through the old building, something strange happens. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, a number of creatures surrounds them, barely visible at first, their immaterial shapes manifest in translucent bodies around the group. Some of them wear armor, some just have blood-stained shirts on, but all of them bear gruesome wounds, which certainly must have been the cause for their death.

One or two of the adventureres swing their weapons against the apparitions, but they just pass through them harmlessly. The ghost soldiers moan and gesture, it almost appears like they are mentally fighting against something intangible, they look at the beings gathered in their former home, a glimpse of hope in their eyes, as if they were waiting for something to happen...

 

[hafrogman]

Kylest blanches a little at the sudden appearance of the ghostly apparitions. But they don't seem very threatening in the end. And a few uncomfortable moments show that they don't seem to be attacking either. . .

"Er, Hello?"

 

[Mista Collins]

At the appearance of the creatures, Selvaggio draws his sickle and his club. After a few swings and realizing that they are inefficient, he looks to his companions, and is a little short of breath. "Anyone know what is going on? This is not my specialty."