Chapter 37: Castle of the Living Dead

[Inferno]

Beneath Castle Ravenloft, Greyhawk
Day Two. Late Afternoon? Sunday, January 15th, 577 CY







In the flooded dungeons beneath Castle Ravenloft, an anguished voice cries out from the darkness.

"I am Dragoslav, the shepherd. I am prisoner of Nosferatu! Who are you? Please to help me?"

They say, it takes a thief to catch a thief. Ever-suspicious of others, Mouser the rogue continues his interrogation. “We’ll get you out of there. What else can you tell us about where we are? Who is this ‘Nos-four-atoo’ you mention?”

"The living dead! He will murder us all! We are his livestock! Help me! Before it's too late!" the Flannish voice begs with mounting desperation. "I... I know all about this place. Let me out and I can be guide for you! Show you the way out! Please!"

Faron, the other thief, calls: "Dragoslav the Shepherd, what village are you from? The one where the kind old crone wears a black head scarf, or the one where she wears a dark blue one?"

"I am from village at bottom of mountain! Old crone?... Do you mean Jenica? ...or Maleva? I... I do not know head scarf color! Please, Pelor, please help poor Dragoslav! Please! Let me out of here!" the harrowing voice pleads, rising to a crescendo of terror.


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. Arrows on stairs point upward.





PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 6: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 16/27
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 4/5: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 12/21, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 0/2 2nd lvl
Jaelen Mwyr: Human Cleric 5: Move: 9", AC: 4(2), HP: 17/34, Spells: 2/5 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl
N'Rogara: Human Ranger 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 49/53
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 16/37
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 12/15, Spells: 3/4 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl, 1/1 3rd lvl, Torch

PC Magic:

Continual Light (Jaelen) Target: human tooth, kept in backpack.

Player Resources:

Tale of Terror (the story so far)
A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[rredmond]

Goodness, says N'Rogara, we are going to have to release him and deal with the consequences. Then whispering to Jaelen, can you do try the turn back undead thing with a cell door between you and Dragoslav before we open the cell? That may help us shed some light on what he is, or isn't? Then again louder to the others, lock picks or should I try the kick again? I think my foot isn't so sore anymore, as he heads further into the flooded hall, two-handed held high, ranger senses on full alert.

[ChubbyPixie]

“Trap or no, we have no choice but to free him now, if you ask me,” says Telkis quietly. “Do what tests you feel necessary, but I’d rather die here than know I left an innocent to suffer and die… or worse.”

[ravenn4544]

Mouser stands ready and vigilant and suspicious. "I'm ready when you guys are to let this guy out - I'm worried there is something else nasty yet waiting in the darkness and have a feeling we should get moving"

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur nods in agreement. Let us free this poor soul, as swiftly and cautiously as we can.

Urdur keeps his torch aloft, and does not descend any further into the dark water.

[jemmus]

Faron
It's decided then. He again takes out the L-shaped pick and feels around inside the keyhole. He stops and gives the rod a twist. It slips off of the part that needs to rotate. He tries again. It slips. Again. Slips. It's no use. Looks like we might need your boot, N'Rogara, unless Mouser can pop it.

Open locks 62%[1d100]=67

[Inferno]

Beneath Castle Ravenloft, Greyhawk
Day Two. Sundown? Sunday, January 15th, 577 CY







"Please! Let me out of here!" the harrowing Flannish voice pleads.

Faron and N'Rogara descend into the flooded dungeon. The cold light of their enchanted blades reveal empty cell after empty cell until they reach the final one.



"Thank you," says Dragoslav in exhaustion and relief.

Hands still trembling from standing in three feet of icy water, Faron cannot spring the lock. N'Rogara readies to kick the cell door down when Mouser wades in. The urban thief picks the lock and the door swings open.

"Thank you," says the shepherd as he escapes his cell.

"Dragoslav has always been good actor," he says as, before their disbelieving eyes, he begins to undergo a violent and frightening transformation.




"Now I must kill all of you..."




"...to earn back my Master's faith in me, so I return to his good graces."

An immense lupine horror now stands where Dragoslav once did, and lets out a bloodcurdling howl!





Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. Arrows on stairs point upward.

Behind the DM Screen:

Open locks (52) [1d100]=14 Success.

PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 6: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 16/27
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 4/5: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 12/21, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 0/2 2nd lvl
Jaelen Mwyr: Human Cleric 5: Move: 9", AC: 4(2), HP: 17/34, Spells: 2/5 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl
N'Rogara: Human Ranger 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 49/53
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 16/37
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 12/15, Spells: 3/4 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl, 1/1 3rd lvl, Torch

PC Magic:

Continual Light (Jaelen) Target: human tooth, kept in backpack.

Player Resources:

Tale of Terror (the story so far)
A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[ChubbyPixie]

“I can’t fight in the water — too deep! Fall back to the high ground here!” shouts Telkis, mortified at the part his foolishness has played in bringing them to this end.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser screams in frustration, “of course it’s a trap!!!” and stabs away with little affect.

Scalpel (THACO 19) To Hit [1d20]=6, S/M/L Dam. [1d8]=6

[rredmond]

N'Rogara joins in the fighting retreat!

Mmmm, maybe not so much!

[jemmus]

Oh crap, Faron says. He joins the ranger in the fighting retreat, lunging with his rapier.

THAC0 19 +1 Longsword [1d20+1]=14+1=15 S/M [1d8+1]=7+1=8 L [1d12+1]=6+1=7

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur is somehow not surprised that yet another fiendish denizen is about to destroy them all, as they attempt to escape the dungeon of the fiendish denizen who will surely destroy them all.

Urdur attempts to encorcel this foe. Hold! We are your friends! Together we must defeat the fiend who has imprisoned us!

Casts Hypnotism.