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

[Stormwind]

Satisfied that nothing lies in wait in the immediate vicinity, Ashlyn returns to the bodies in the room and kneels briefly next to each undead as she mutters a few short words of prayer and then ritually stabs a small dagger like object into the chest of each Deathlock corpse, consuming each undead form in flames as each body is utterly destroyed.

Ashlyn then walks over to the corpse of the madman and kneeling down beside it she speaks a few words over it before carefully closing its eyes. Once Marot indicates the magical nature of any of the madman's equipment, Ashlyn carefully and respectfully removes the items from the body and stores them within the haversack that she carries. Finally, with respect for the dead, Ashlyn lays out the body on the floor and then stands up.

Ashlyn then turns to look at the others whilst indicating the body of the madman, "I am unsure of this place, but given the dark nature that weighs upon us, I am not sure whether it is a good idea to leave the body here where it may be further corrupted. We should either commit the body to flame in an impromptu funeral pyre, or commit it to the earth in a more sanctified place than this."

[Ashlyn uses 3x Alchemical flare stakes to destroy the undead bodies (the three deathlocks)]

 

[DEFCON 1]

As the wounds of his body close up... another gutteral growl eminates from Sir Khensu's gut. He stands slowly up, a look of anger upon his face. "I let down my guard offering mercy... and this is how I was repaid!" He spits upon the body of the dead man, the fires burning still within his eyes. "Weak I have been. So very weak..." The shifter begins pacing about the room, muttering to himself, as the others continue their work in the room. "I lose control of myself... lose the Light... lose my guard... lose my commitment..."

His pacing brings him back around the room until he stands directly above the dead man again... having been stripped of all his useful equipment. The fire in his eyes flares even deeper, and his kneels down to the body and pulls it up by the front of its shirt... until he can stare directly into the lifeless eyes. "No more. I am the Bane of the Shadow! I am an Inquistor! I Judge! I Judge all Shadow against the Light! I have been far too lenient. Lady Ashlyn is right! I see it now. I am a Bringer of Light and a Bane of Shadow... and all who reside in the darkness shall feel my wrath!"

Sir Khensu then throws the body to the ground roughly, stands up, and pulls forth a flask of oil. He pulls the stopper on it and douses the body... before reaching for a flame and setting the body alight. Khensu makes the decision for Lady Ashlyn about what to do with the body before anyone else can make a choice...and the immolation is fast and cleansing.

 

[DEFCON 1]

After the flames begin to die down on the body of the corpse... Sir Khensu turns and moves over to Lady Ashlyn... then takes a bended knee to her... his head bowed in shame. "My apologies, M'Lady. You were absolutely correct. Suffer no false life. I did not heed the sign, and I paid the price for my mercy. I will not make the same mistake again. I am your servant in the Lightbringers, and I follow your example to bring Light back to those want it, and send others into the simmering pit of darkness from whence they came."

 

[s@squ@tch]

Marot the Cough-wracked

As he finishes scanning the room with his unnatural sight, he makes note of those items that give off the familiar magical auras.

"Well, I think it goes without saying that Lord Sergei is not all that he seems." Marot says while looking in the direction of the door they came in, which is where Ireena is standing.

"How does one explain a bookkeeper with undead cohorts? Certainly, that is not a holy relationship to have -- for who exactly freely consorts with the undead?" He says, speaking to no one person in particular.

"This castle is cursed -- I would say that it is the source of the affliction that taints this land -- for the ruler and sovereign of Barovia is in league with the undead, so it goes without saying that all of our work in this land so far has been at odds with Lord Sergei's aims, and now we should consider him a foe."

"I think it is all too convenient that we are 'warned' of the dangers of the castle, then one of Sergei's 'friends' pays us a visit last night in the chapel."

"I say we head to the very top of the castle and then work our way down."

As he finishes this last word, Khensu begins the immolation of the corpse, filling the room with a foul black smoke. The warlock stands still for a moment then disappears, his voice coming from the throne room.

"When you all are ready to head up stairs, let me know," He says while coughing madly in the other room,"That smoke is wreaking havoc on my lungs."

 

[stonegod]

Ireena looks on the scene with distaste, obviously struggling with something in her mind. "That man is a stranger... I do not believe he hails from these lands. What he is doing here... and how he knows..." She does not finish, lost in her own thoughts.

Janis snorts lowly at the warlocks words. "I think you forget the land by which we are surrounded. The Karrns are well at ease with the undead, whether you find them distasteful or no. Are we to condemn them all to the pyre?" She dusts off the soot from her robes as the smoke clears, the blackness smearing to grey.

 

[s@squ@tch]

While waiting in the throne room, he looks over the scroll that was on the desk. He first looks over the writings on the scroll much like a wizard would -- doing his best to absorb the meanings of the sigils and glyphs, then realizes that it might need to be done his way.

He closes his eyes for a moment, then attempts to impose his will upon the magical text, hoping to force its true meaning from it through sheer mental force.


OOC: Spellcraft check (+8) on scroll to decipher, if that fails, which it should, try UMD (+15) to decipher. Once both fail, he will give to Tessa or Janis for a read magic

 

[Stormwind]

Ashlyn turns to Khensu and gently bends down to lift the shifter paladin to his feet, paying no attention to the dark smoke that billows up from the burning corpses, "Rise my friend. Mercy and compassion are two things that separate us from those of entirely evil natures. It is good that we should show mercy and compassion as and when we can, and under any normal circumstance it is right that we do so. Against undead however, compassion is a weakness and mercy is something that will be exploited. Against undead, no quarter can be given and none can be expected."

"But do not belittle yourself. You survived. And you destroyed your foe. It is enough."

Then as Marot speaks, Ashlyn listens, but her intent gaze does not leave Khensu, until Janis mentions the Karrn's, at which point Ashlyn mutters, just loud enough for the others to hear, "I would condemn the undead of Karrn to the pyre too, if only I could"

 

[pathfinderq1]

Tessa did not speak as the Khensu and the others had their conversation- her eyes kept being drawn to the momentary pyres of the undead, and the uglier flames of the dead madman. Whenever she gathered her wits to speak, a lick of flame drew her attention, and her thoughts were scattered in the pleasing dance of heat and light. Finally she could stand it no longer. Without a word, she withdrew, joining Marot in the larger throne room- here, at least, the only flame was the safe light of her Everbright lantern. While the others debated which course to take, she stood sentry, watching the door in case something else might come out of the dark and disturbing corridors...

 

[stonegod]

Try as he might, Marot cannot decipher what is on the scroll. It was not meant to be. [Roled a Nat 2 and 3]

As the smoke clears, the group is left with several options: Search the records, up the spiral stairs at the end of the hall past the room, down from there, or try their luck with the stair from the Chapel.

 

[DEFCON 1]

The shifter rises, and weakly smiles at the Lightbringer. "Aye. A lesson we all must learn." He then moves to join the others in the throne room. "It matters not to me which stairs we take. Although the main stairs by the chapel will probably lead to more prominent features of the castle... of which I expect the library to be one. As opposed to the stairs off that interior room, which strikes me more of servant access than anything."

Jarrith meanwhile has been scanning the documents on the table as quickly and efficiently as he can... seeing if there's anything of interest to be found, or if it's all nothing more than accounting figures or the ramblings of a madman. Until the others make a decision on where they are going, he remains transfixed on the paperwork and books in the room. (Search check Take 20)