Chapter 12: Shadows in the Dark

[Jeff]

Looming on both sides of him, their hideous weapons hefted and ready, the skeletons pause a long while after Kal comes between them. Tangat inches alongside him, taking his place near his master.

"Living man," one of them says through its hood. "Explain how you came to this plane."

"And where you are going," the other finishes.

Histra stares intently at the exchange. To Belarin it looks like she's trying to recall something.

[Darren]

Kal rubs his chin. "Like many who come here, we were looking for answers. Unfortunately, we are leaving with more questions." He looks over his shoulder at his friends, though those who know him may see this as a calculated gesture. "So where we are going is home. Back to Stormreach." Kal smiles up at the skeletons. "That is, of course, if there are no objections from you?"

[Jeff]

"Speak your names," one of the skeletons says. "It is likely we have no quarrel with you."

The other asks, in the same voice, "By what method do you seek to return to Stormreach?"

[Dave W.]

just to be clear...


Adamant follows Kal up to the huge skeletons, but stays just behind and to Kal's right. He stands still and lets Kal negotiate

---

You might say that Adamant is within 5' of Kal if you grok my meaning...

[Darren]

Kal smiles at Adamant as the warforged walks up. "My clanking friend here is Adamant." He points as he names each person in turn. "That is shorak, Streko, the one with the horns is Condign. This is Tangat," he says, reaching down to bury a hand in the dog's fur. "That is Nerrin and next to him is Lady Astrid." Kal looks intently at Belarin and Histra for a moment, a very slight shake of his head as his lips compress into a tight line. Turning back to smile up at the skeletons, he says, "And I already told you my name. Now," Kal folds his hands in front of him, "I think courtesy dictates that you give us your name, in return?"

[Ken]

Belarin whispers to Histra, "Could this be the nycaloth's doing? Doesn't seem like it. Subtlety isn't exactly his way...."

[Dave B.]

Shorak cocks his head questioningly. "Method?" He whispers to Belarin and Histra. "What do they mean by method?"

[Jeff]

Once Adamant comes near Kal, one of the skeletons turns its head to watch the warforged. Eye holes in the black hood open into the dark pits of its eyes, making its face as inscrutable as any construct's.

"No, not the nycaloth," Histra agrees with Belarin. To Shorak's question, she answers, "Method: Spell, or portal, or some other means."

"Answer the other question," the skeletons say to Kal. "By what method do you seek to return to Stormreach?"

[Darren]

Mar 17, 2016 6:13:36 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Once Adamant comes near Kal, one of the skeletons turns its head to watch the warforged. Eye holes in the black hood open into the dark pits of its eyes, making its face as inscrutable as any construct's.

"No, not the nycaloth," Histra agrees with Belarin. To Shorak's question, she answers, "Method: Spell, or portal, or some other means."

"Answer the other question," the skeletons say to Kal. "By what method do you seek to return to Stormreach?"

"Well, I had been hoping for a flight of pegasus....pegasuses? pegasi?." Kal laughs at his little joke, then clears his throat. "Since we couldn't find any of those, we thought we would head towards that swirling light we saw yonder," he gestures vaguely past the skeletons. "Streko there is a cleric and reckoned that it might hold a way home." Kal peers up at the skeletons. "Do you know another way?"

[Jeff]

"A cleric," the skeleton that Kal is facing repeats, and this time there is some interest in the word. Both executioner's hoods turn to face Streko.

Then both skeletons step back a single step until both are as far apart as they can be in this ten-foot passage. Both say, "You are entering the domain of Rashade. If you would do so peaceable, you will cast no spells and keep your weapons sheathed. If he deigns to speak with you, Rashade will abide no falsehoods. You have been warned."

It is clear to Kal from the skeleton's repositioning, that they have been given leave to pass.

"Rashade..." Histra echoes quietly. She looks to Shorak. "I have heard that name..." She shakes her head with frustration, as though battling memory itself.

---

Note: Kal can't see the swirling lights. Only Shorak can—the sphinx bestowed that sight on him alone.

Dave B.: Check your private thread soon.

[Ken]

Belarin thinks about the name “Rashade” as well. He cautiously moves forward, keeping his vision focused on arcane emanations as much as possible.

He offers an appreciative nod at Kalarian as he gets closer to the skeletons.

____________________

Belarin is making an Intelligence (Arcana) check on the name Rashade:
Belarin:1D20+5 → 22(17 + 5)#Arcana check for knowledge. 22, not bad!
If it’s possible to keep Eldritch Sight going while he ponders this, he’ll do so. If not, he’ll resume Eldritch Sight as soon as he’s done.

[Darren]

Kal nods at the skeletons. "You have our thanks," he says. "Come along, Nerrin," Kal says with a pointed look at Belarin. "You too, Lady Astrid." To the skeletons, "We appreciate your hospitality, gents. We promise to pass through without incident."

When the others join him, Kal resumes following Shorak towards the distant light.

_________________
Oops! Forgot about that. Sorry!

[Brian]

Condign hears the name, Rashade, wonders if he has heard it before, but try as he might, he cannot recall encountering it.

He somehow manages to jam the handle of his mace into his belt, effectively "sheathing" it, and follows the others, making sure to stay next to Belarin.

___________________________________________

Condign will also make an Intelligence (Arcana) check on the name.

Condign:1D20+5 → 11(6 + 5)#Arcana check

Nope, he knows nothing.

[Jeff]

None but Shorak, and apparently Histra, have heard the name before.

[Ken]

"Yes, indeed," says Belarin amiably. "We will respect Rashade's edicts." He looks up at the skeletons as the group passes. "Does this apply to everyone here? What would happen to anyone rude enough to disobey this rule?"

DM Edit: Corrected spelling of Rashade. Trying to nip this in the bud.

[Jeff]

The metal spikes in the skeletons' clubs possess a weak aura, and the hoods a somewhat stronger transmutation aurua, in Belarin's view.

The skeletons do not answer Belarin's questions.

[Dave W.]

Adamant nods at the rules presented and tucks his hammer back in his belt. He keeps his shield on his left arm though... it's not a weapon per se.

He follows Shorak into Rashade's Realm.

DM Edit: Corrected spelling of Rashade. Trying to nip this in the bud.

[Dave B.]

Shorak puts away his boomerang, keeping his empty hands clearly visible as he passes the skeletons.

Speaking just loud enough to be heard by the group, as he slowly makes his way towards the vortex, he relays what he knows. "Rashade. A name I have heard before. He is known to be a member of the Shrouds in Stormreach and presumed dead. His sister is understood to be their leader. She goes by the name of Whisper and is reputed to be a dangerous assassin. From what I understand, the organization deals in deceit, blackmail, extortion and other such subtle ploys as well as assassination. Their ranks are reportedly unaffiliated elves dressed in funeral shrouds, giving the appearance of the undead. Although rumor has it that they count incorporeal undead amongst their number. If this is that Rashade, we need to obey the rules and tread quite carefully." He continues to move forward, being even more wary and alert for danger.

[Joe]

Streko, feeling quite uncomfortable being glared at, ensures his sickle is placed back into the haversack and slides his holy symbol beneath his habit, out of sight. He quickly follows his friends between the skeletons, gazing up at them with a worried frown, before continuing on.

[Ken]

Belarin raises an eyebrow at Shorak's information. "Interesting," he whispers. "Very interesting."

[Jeff]

As the group walks on, leaving the giant skeleton sentries behind, Histra nods at Shorak's words. "I do not know very much about the Shrouds, save that they are spiritually-aligned. Servants of the Keeper." She looks to Belarin. "Necromancers. Think of what you know of my family, and strip away the arcane, the academia. Replace it with devotion to one of the Dark Six."

And then you finish rounding the corner, and the last obstacle to seeing the vortex of colored lights in Shorak's vision is gone. Meanwhile, the ground continues has sunk down ever so slightly. You step into a wide junction that is steeped in a vast, pond-sized puddle of standing water. The area is gloomy but not impenetrably dark. Adamant's light, at the moment, shines no brighter than the ambient light here.

Rising out of the center of the water, which looks to go no deeper than four feet at its deepest, is a uneven crenelation of rock that rises up thirty feet to form a great pedestal: atop this foundation is a two-story mansion! Unlike the landscape around you, this is no approximation of rock shapes like a house—it's an actual house as though it were constructed here in Dolurrh itself. The only way to access the front doors of the mansion are by a series of smaller rocky pillars that rise up in higher succession, each one linked by a wooden ladder-like construct of thick wood. The closest one is linked to the ground as the ladder dips into the standing water.

Around all this are a scattering of trees. Some of them are smaller and withered, but a couple of them immediately make some stomachs clench...as they look a lot like the death's head tree you battled in the labyrinth! You even spy some dark fruit hanging from its green-gray boughs. But there is no movement among the branches and you can't make out any actual faces.

Floating in the air around the mansion are the black ephemeral forms of wraiths. You can see three of four of them simply hanging in the sky like aerial sentries. Their wispy forms stir only slightly in a breeze you can't feel.

The colored vortex in Shorak's sight swirls out the roof of the manor, seeming to originate somewhere in an upper chamber of the second story. Some of the windows around the house have soft lights within them.

Histra gazes in wonder at the manor. She looks impressed—not a common expression. As she scans the water and foundation of the manor, she asks Shorak, "Where exactly is the portal? If we can get closer, I can discover how to open it. It's inside, isn't it?" To Belarin, she says, "There need be no conflict here, if we do not inspire it."

[Ken]

"Absolutely," Belarin says. "If we need to barter for passage back home, so be it."

[Brian]

Condign eyes the wraiths. "Let us proceed," he says. "I am loath to stay here any longer."

[Dave W.]

"Well, I'm all for being polite. So far Master Rashade's rules are not odious."

"I would suggest Kal, Histra, or Belarin take the lead to negotiate our passage. I would like to follow closely just in case things are not as polite as they currently seem."

---

Sorry for the misspelling but you do understand that Adamant speaks with an accent...

[Darren]

Kal looks grim as he studies the mansion. "We certainly can't fight our way inside, even if we wanted to. It's too well fortified. Negotiation is our only option. Hopefully the price will not be too steep." He nods at Adamant. "I would like to have the council of Nerrin and Lady Astrid at my side," he says with a look at the two of them. "The rest of you stay close, as well. I don't want anyone getting separated." He smiles at his friends. Home is so close. But even then, rest is far away. There is so much still to do....

"Is everyone ready?" Seeing agreement, Kal starts forward towards the steps. "Hello?" he calls out towards the house. "Is anyone here?"

[Jeff]

Kal's voice seems to get swallowed up by the still air. It echoes just a bit across the rocks, but it gets weaker, thinner. One of the wraiths drifts closer to the large set of double doors at the front of the house, some thirty or forty feet up. It makes a gesture toward the ladder-like walkways that ascend up to the door.

[Darren]

Mar 18, 2016 15:19:29 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Kal's voice seems to get swallowed up by the still air. It echoes just a bit across the rocks, but it gets weaker, thinner. One of the wraiths drifts closer to the large set of double doors at the front of the house, some thirty or forty feet up. It makes a gesture toward the ladder-like walkways that ascend up to the door.

Kal shrugs. "I guess that's what passes for an invitation around here?" With a quick glance at the others, he begins to move up the walkway.

[Dave B.]

Turning to Histra, Shorak says, "The vortex seems to be emanating from inside the building. I can see it coming out of the roof of the building."

He takes a place behind Adamant, following along the walkway.

[Joe]

Streko keeps himself to Tangat's side (probably just behind Kal). He places his hand on the hound's back. Who is comforting whom, he wonders, feeling more determined than just a few moments earlier.

[Brian]

Mindful of Belarin's request, Condign stays close to the warlock as they begin to cross the bridge.