An Invitation to Dance

Erevel was already heading up the remaining hallway to the closed northern door.  She listened and heard no noises from the far side, so she tried pushing the door open but it appeared locked.

Gavril tried the keys and none of them worked to open this lock, so he attempted to pick the lock but alas it was beyond his abilities.

"Let me have a crack at this," Ciprian stated proudly as he walked forward taking his thief's tools out of his pack.  As he approached the door his shaking hands dropped the tools on the floor.

"Sorry, I'm not really used to using these," Ciprian said, his voice shaking.  He then failed to open the lock also.

Have you Found the Yellow Sign?

"Here we go, I'm headed down," Erevel proclaimed.

"Do we want to search the rest of the complex first?" asked Armania.

"Let's stay in the Manor for now," Ciprian suggested.

"OK, were going," Erevel said as she stepped down the stairs.

Mommy Dearest

"Let's go up and clean up the upper level before going back to the first floor," Gavril interjected.  "Then we can go and clean up the outer buildings."

"What if there is a lower level in the manor here?" Ciprian queried.

"We haven't seen any stairs down, have we?" Gavril asked.

"Well we haven't been in at least one room yet, so it is still possible," Ciprian stated.

Kuru Wave

"Whew that was another blood sucker.  What is really going on here?" pondered Erevel, wiping the blood ooze off of her armor.

"Is everyone fine?  Does anyone need healing?" Ursina asked.

As no one spoke up the party continued searching the room.  Armania found the L-shaped armoire to contain a rather disorganized and grimy eclectic collection of expensive clothing—an ample cloak, a fur coat, a frock, a couple of silk turbans, a wide-brimmed hat, and a half-dozen shirts with lace-trimmed collars and sleeves.

Blood Suckers

Both Paullus and Armania were grappled by the creatures tentacles and were bleeding profusely.  The horrid monster was turning more red by the second.

Armania started to break the grapple as several tiny tendrils slithered out from the creatures body to leech away the dripping blood with efficiency.  The creature seemed to gain strength as it consumed the blood.  In reaction the party became slightly spooked at the sight, except for Paullus who tried desperately to close his eyes to the horror.

With a satisfying wrench, Armania was able to break free of the grappling tentacles while sliding backward, hopefully out of reach.  Multiple attacks flew about from Erevel, Gavril and Ursina.  The bloodsucking creature fell on top of the table.

Tik Tok, Tik Tok

The party began to move around the room examining various items.  Erevel went to look at the shimmering amber coated human.  It appeared to be a real person and Ciprian indicated that it radiate magic.

Gavril looked down the north hallway which led to another door.  Ursina headed for the magic radiating from the ceramic vial.  

A creature appeared near the ceiling in the southwest corner of the room and all the characters looked in that direction and saw a gaunt, long-limbed quadruped with a toothy maw and huge, soulless eyes, that looked in their direction.

Brambly Limbs and Tusks

"We are under attack!" cried Gavil to warn the party members who were not at the gates.  He then downed his potion of vanish and hid at the corner of the gatehouse.

Paullus, who was just north of the gateway headed to the area and prepared to his bow.

Out of the squat gatehouse a humanoid with red tattoos on his face, red eyes and jagged filed teeth, ran south to attack Ursina.  A man with a red cape on moved out to attack Paullus with his rapier.

Thorny Reception

"Can we push the wall in?" queried Erevel, "That should be easy with no mortar."

"It doesn't seem to move," answered Ciprian, "Can we use some of these barrels to try and bash the wall?"

Gavril and Erevel grabbed a barrel and ran at the wall breaking in down to reveal an area filled with bales of hay.  Beyond the hay there appeared to be a door.

Clearing the bales out of the way revealed what appeared to be another cell door, with a lock and a grate that could be opened from this side.  Ursina stated that there was a faint aura of magic shining through the door.

Ciprian moved up and slid the grate revealing a cell with cot and a desiccated corpse lying on the floor.

Ghost in the Machine

"I don't see any magic in this place, I guess all that we found was on that exploding mirror creature," said Ciprian.  "I'll go make sure it can't regenerate by destroying or picking up some of the shards that remain."

Armania identified the amulet of Natural Armor +1.  When Ciprian returned he identified the two short swords as +1 each.

"Seems like we have pretty much cleared out this floor," Erevel interjected, "Of course some creatures could have gone upstairs."

"There are some areas we haven't investigated here yet," Ciprian stated.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Immediately the two Zombie bowmen shot arrows at Erevel.  The other started saying "Intruders, Intruders," while looking toward the stairs.

Armania cast haste and moved down the stairs next to a pile of gear.  Ciprian, hearing Erevel's description, started his Bardic Performance against the Zombies.  Then he moved past the Zombies to the eastern most door.  Erevel, raging moved forward to the southern Zombie and slashed with her greatsword.

Zombies on the Heights

"I need to rest.  I have used all of my offensive spells," Armania implored.

Ursina agreed while Ciprian indicated he was still willing to move on.

Erevel and Paullus began discussing where the best defensive position was here in Fort Hailcourse.  They were assuming there was no reason to leave and come back later.

"They will certainly find the bodies and be more prepared if we try to return," Erevel exclaimed.

Gavril's Doppelganger

 Gavril and Ursina drug the undead guard into the small room which was now crowded.  The group searched all the bodies and the rest of the room finding nothing else.

"Should we go down to the lower level here?" asked Gavril.

"If something was down there they would have already come up to find out what the noise was we were making," declared Erevel.

"Maybe we should check out the towers before we head down to the lower level," suggested Armania.

Skum of the Earth

"I don't see any activity, on the parapets or from the front doors," said Paullus.

"Should we continue looking in the loops?" queried Ursina while moving further eastward around the fort.

"How many of these arrow loops are there? Erevel asked.  "Maybe I could just climb up to the parapets instead."

The stormy skies and rain made it rather dark outside even in the early morning as the group continued peering at the Fort really hoping that their intrusion would be accepted as locals wandering close to the fort.

Kidnappers?

 "We need to find out what those Merrow were eating.  Let's head to the street to see if they have cleaned up yet," Armania suggested.

"Surely they were feasting on the humans in town," answered Gavril with a smirk on his face.

"Now, now, let's not assume anything," Ciprian answered.  "We just need to go check it out."

Stranger and Stranger

 The creature was huge, twenty feet tall, no telling how much it weighed.  Gavril fired his bow at the creature and then readied to flank the monster as it moved up toward the party.

Paullus moved forward and fired his crossbow, hitting the creature.  The attack actually seemed to do damage, which the party appreciated given their last fight against the incorporeal spirit.

Armania was ready as she moved into view and webbed the huge creature.

Night(mare) on the streets of Thrushmoor

Erevel again felt the pain of a claw rake her skin.  She breathed a sigh of relief as the second claw missed her as she was not sure she could survive another.

Armania, not wishing to lose a spell, cast an acid dart which found its mark on the Revenant.  Ursina followed quickly with another disrupt undead.

Erevel again swung her mighty sword hitting squarely home, but not inflicting the damage she wished.  After she took a five foot step away to hopefully avoid another claw attack.

Briarstone Witch Part 2

 Gavril sneaked back to the barricade aware that the canines had probably notice him.

"We should wait here and make them come to us one at a time," he declared.

"You mean we aren't going to go in a fight whatever is in there?" queried Erevel completely confused.

"If we make them fight us one at a time it will be easier," answered Gavril.

Briarstone Witch Part 1

"I can get rid of this 'doomsayer'," injected Gavril.  "That's my specialty!"

"Maybe he'll go with us on the boat to the cave," added Erevel, "He doesn't have to make it there.  It's a large lake."

"Now we really only have to get him to stop spouting this nonsense," Ciprian said in despair.  "No one said we had to kill him."

The party was in 'deep' discussion after their meeting with Cesadia.  They were heading toward The Stain to get a bite to eat and a drink.

Gibbering Mouther

"Dreaming of?  Like in nightmares?" asked Gavril.

"No, No I have seen you in my dreams that last few nights," answered Lelwyn.  "I was immediately inspired to put brush to canvas.  I couldn't quite get the details right for your faces."

"Have we met you before?" queried Ciprian.

Refused Service

 The whole group except Ciprian set off up a main street through Thrushmoor.  They were looking for clothing shops in which Ursina wanted to purchase a new explorer's outfit and vestments.  The rest were on the look for magic shops, smithys, and food.  A few bakeries caught Armania's eye and she purchased some bread.  All were hoping to find food and a bed to sleep in.  

As the group approached the inn they were directed to they began hearing a voice, "Doom is coming!  The second vanishing is upon us!"

The Return of the Tatterman

 Standing before their worst nightmare, the party tried to stop the involuntary twitches that were occurring in their feet and hands.  Feet wanting to run away, hands almost dropping the weapons they held.

Ursina, hurting badly from the battle with Zandalus, downed a potion and retreated to the hallway.  Armani, out of spells, fired magic missiles from her wand and then watched as the wounds healed themselves.  Erevel moved up to attack but missed.  She took a serious wound from the War Razor that the Tatterman swung.

Ulver Zandalus

 Ursina noticed some magic on the body of the Bag Lady.  The Bracers on her arms were the indicated item.  Ursina took them and immediately put them on her own arms.  Paullus was searching through the pallets and found some coins and jewels, along with a pearl tooth.  Erevel found twelve bite-sized pieces of jerky stored under another pallet.  Ciprian noted a harrow deck on the table.  He was leafing through it noting that the Foreign Trader card was unusual.  It depicted a veiled figure in yellow bearing an armful of misshapen rubies. 

Suddenly two arrows came flying out of the stairwell at Paullus and Armania's eagle.  A quick look by Paullus saw four Apostles standing on the stairwell, two having fired their short-bows.

Bag Lady Loomis

A stout canine torso topping a slimy mass resembling an earthworm appeared near the crate.  Disgusting veins dangled from its face.  Worse there were six creatures all together tightly packed in the space before the crate.  Ursina, Ciprian and Erevel felt the gaze of the creature and quickly averted their eyes narrowly avoiding whatever evil was thrown toward them.

Ciprian yelled out a distress call which Gavril responded to by entering the room and becoming shaken.  He still moved up toward the creature and threw a flask of Alchemist's Fire toward it which missed but splashed the outsider from behind.

Rarified Air

 Ciprian pushed his line of crates into the fog where they hit something solid and slid sideways in the grease.  Clearly somebody or something was in the middle of the saffron fog.  Armania moved around for a closer look while Ursina was opening crates looking for rope or maybe something to throw.  Suddenly Gavril rushed into the mist wrapped his arms around the thing in the middle and pulled it backwards.  The fog moved with Gavril and the entity.  Gavril felt slightly sleepy as he stood in the fog but managed to shake it off.  Everyone noticed that the mist around the creature slowed their movement slightly and became slightly less obscuring.

Ghoul Fever

 Hearing nothing beyond the door Erevel opened it revealing a small office setting.  A desk was smashed under rubble as the entire west wall had collapsed.  A door in the north wall was open to the outside and the room was filled with a sickly yellow mist.  In the room was a brightly colored, long-necked amphibian with six legs, a fanged snout, and numerous finlets running down its spine.

Doctor Elbourne or Mr. Hyde

While in the Chapel for a rest interval the group took time to identify some of the items they had acquired over the last day or two.  Gavril's short sword was found to be a +2 item.  The Amulets of Gavril and Armania were of Natural Armor +1 and Ciprian had a Cloak of Resistance +1 and a Brooch of Shielding.  The candle from Losandro's office was a Candle of Spirit Protection.  Ciprian thought that it might be used against a haunt as the group still hadn't found a way to disrupt the blood flow and wall. Gavril thought otherwise and wanted to save it for a higher level use.  The tin of Incense was still unidentified.

Devil in the Dark

 Despite the screaming coming from beyond the door to the west, Erevel moved further into the large room with the blood stream crossing the floor.  Worn old chairs and small tables set with the scattered pieces of simple games lay scattered throughout this room. A serving hatch in the north wall opened into a darkened space beyond. Vast glass windows dominated the eastern walls, beyond which a jaundiced kaleidoscope swirls hypnotically.  A coppery smell permeated the room.  At the termination of the stream of blood stood a wheel chair which faced the wall of windows.  A body with its head lowered sat in the chair.

In a Pickle

 Erevel was covered in liquid and started to scratch at a rash that appeared on her face.  Then the deformed humanoid fetus jumped down from the shelf and attached itself to Erevel's face with a bite.  From the closet a second fetus moved out and attached itself to Ursina's leg.

Ursina belted the creature with her book, but this did little damage as the creature was more squishy.

Birds of a Feather

 "Now what?" queried Ursina as she watched Gavril and Ciprian clean themselves off.  "I guess we should go see if the other two members of this small group are OK," Ursina continued.

"They were fine when I left them," said Ciprian.

"What did you find out there?" asked Erevel, "I am ready to attack whatever it is!"

Who Are You?

 Blondie moved to the final door leading from the administrators office and listened, hearing nothing she opened the door.  A east-west hall way presented itself.  There were several smashed lanterns lying on the floor.  No creatures moved around and there were five other doors apparent, two each on the north and south walls and one at the end of the hall going east.

Blood of the Administrator

 As the rat swarm surrounded Newt, the other group members were attacked with books from the top of the bookshelves.  Wanda used her staff to swipe the top of a bookshelf knocking books and a strange looking rat down.  This rat had tiny human hands instead of front paws with a face reminiscent of the face of a leering old man.  Within the mouth were long, yellow incisors akin to that of a rat.

Eye on the Wall

 Orator recalled that the Briarstone Asylum was located in Versex County in Ustalav.  Where exactly those were was fuzzy.  He believed that Ustalav was part of Golarian, but he was not absolutely sure.  As for the Ustalav's Royal Accusers, the fringes of his mind said that they are secretive agents of the Ustalavic Crown warranted to enforce laws and extract justice without regard for the nation's baroque hierarchy of titles and rank.

Doppelganger Magic?

 Blondie opened the door the the west and saw a room filled with iron boilers, pipes piercing the walls and ceiling.  Shadows and rust filled the narrow gaps between the tanks.  The room did not feel hot or steamy.  Blondie notices a faint glow from under the far boiler and moved into the room, laying down to peer under the tank.  She was met by a glimpse of glowing eyes and writhing face tendrils as the creature and its compatriots move to attack.

Shapeshifter Search

A set of characters who do not know each other and in fact do not even know their own names or background are standing in a small room.  They escaped from some cells, killed a doppelganger and climbed a chute out of the depths.

Preyed Upon in Dreams

 Six strangers find themselves in an alien city landscape.  All around is a wall of sickly yellow fog, tumbling through the alley's canyon of crumbling, gray brick walls like some jaundiced flash flood.  Ahead, the unfamiliar alley splits, curving to the left and right.  Behind, from the silent swell of mist, emanates the sound of footsteps - slow, but somehow keeping pace with the careening hungry wave.  The characters do not even know their own names, or their past, only that they have some skills.  None of them recognize any of the other five characters.