Staunton Bluffs V: The Final Choice

[Le Noir Faineant]

Last Chapter of the Staunton Bluffs series


Opening February 15th

[Le Noir Faineant]

You come to your senses, as you lie down on the stone-paved ground of the inner yard of Castle Stonecrest.

All the many nightmarish pictures are gone.

No ghosts, no giant salamanders that are made of molten lava.

Tiny and wonderful flowers bloom all around you from the stone, and from around the corner of the small tunnel behind the closed wooden gate,
you can hear the laughter of children playing...




Then, the scene vanishes, and out of the blackness, you feel your foots back on the ground, and hear the whining of the thousands of broken souls, and the roaring of the fire dragons, and Torrence Bleysmith's crazed maughter, as he floats up there in the sky, and look into Lodissio's burning eyes...

You step forward into a bleak castle yard, that seems to have been deserted long ago.

Your boots leave marks in the dust that seems to cover every inch of the castle.

Before you, the yard extends into a rectangular place that is covered in shining blue - an ironic contrast to the blood red that comes from the scarlet sky.



Around a rift in the matter that makes your reality, a group of people stands, waving their arms and - not praying, casting a spell.

Among them, you can see Lodissio, and others you have first met at the cursed inn in Valachan...

They seem busy, preparing something. Some of them have bags, other have small pushcarts full of stuff with them.

A huge man, dressed all black, with a bow in his hand, steps forward and through the blue light...

And vanishes...

[BigBadQDaddy]

Alain stands stunned with the scene before him, caught between lashing out at Lodissio for abandoning them, and everything else going on within the castle.
He gives little notice to the rest of the party, almost completley oblivious to them, as his anger rises, and his fear keeps him restrained.

[Don Fernando]

This is indeed a living nightmare, Jarryd thinks as he studies the castle and the scene in front of him.

Still, much have we seen in this mad journey, and much have my mind and body suffered. But ther has been always hope. Osiris has shown me that there is still hope for my people ..and for my quest.

For a moment, Jarryd stands there without movement, remebering his home land. And then he recognizes Lodissio between the people around the shining light.

Wasn't that...creature ....dead?

[steveflam]

Both Brethana and Jarg stand warily not knowing what to do. GO through the blue portal or wait to see what the others do? They both wait patiently...

[ewancummins]

To George:
"What are they doing?"

[LouisVendredi]

George responds to Jamethon: "I have no idea what they're doing or where that portal (if it is one) leads. Maybe we could ask them?"

[VAN]

Inovidil looks all these strange creatures, the situation in thsi castle seems to change from second to second. The wizard doesn't like that.

"I have no idea where this portal might lead but maybe we should wait a bit and see if the man who has entered returns. In any case we should try to not be seen from the gathered group. They seem pretty evil to me and in our condition I doubt we can do something to them. Besides, from their concentration on what they are doing, I guess they are casting a ritual, a giant spell."

[Ken of Ghastria]

Blaise looks upon the bizarre scene with a stunned expression. "What is going on here? And what is...?" He stops, amazed to see a satyr among the other people.

Confidently, he takes a few steps forward, bows slightly, and speaks in an unintelligible language, saying something that -- based on the harshness of his inflection and the smile on his lips -- strangely seems to be both nasty and polite. [See PM]

Straightening up, he says, "My name is Blaise Redman, honored and viciously insulted protege of the masterful acid-spitting pranksters Bonescrape and Redscab. And you are...?"

[Nathan of the FoS]

Master Fallenleaf examines the scene with curiousity but no obvious surprise. He searches the sky for any sign of Bleysmith, then turns his attention back to the group performing the ritual, looking for anyone who appears to be observing; if he can find someone who's not actively participating in the ritual, perhaps he can ask what's going on here...

[ewancummins]

[BigBadQDaddy]

Blaise looks upon the bizarre scene with a stunned expression. "What is going on here? And what is...?" He stops, amazed to see a satyr among the other people.

Confidently, he takes a few steps forward, bows slightly, and speaks in an unintelligible language, saying something that -- based on the harshness of his inflection and the smile on his lips -- strangely seems to be both nasty and polite. [See PM]

Straightening up, he says, "My name is Blaise Redman, honored and viciously insulted protege of the masterful acid-spitting pranksters Bonescrape and Redscab. And you are...?"

Alain approaches a few steps towards Blaise as he bows to the Satyr.
"Monsiuer...Do not leave such an opening to a traitor such as our Dear Old Friend Lodissio." He says these last few words with seething contempt.
"You see, Monsieur Lodissio was to be our guide. And when we needed him the most, he left us. Abandoned. Alone to guide ourselves through this nightmare landscape. The only guiding Monsieur Lodissio can promise now, is to lead the path to hell!"
Alain raises his trusty shovel to an attack position, waiting for a reason to strike the satyr down.

[ewancummins]

[steveflam]

Master Fallenleaf examines the scene with curiousity but no obvious surprise. He searches the sky for any sign of Bleysmith, then turns his attention back to the group performing the ritual, looking for anyone who appears to be observing; if he can find someone who's not actively participating in the ritual, perhaps he can ask what's going on here...

Good point!

Jarg looks around taking it all in...... especially wary of the people casting, hand hovering over his dagger and ready, handcrossbow in his other hand hidden under his cloak.


Brethana's hands clench and unclench as she sees the people casting, feet moving , she fidgets wanting to just gp up and slay the casters all but keeping calm and waiting to see what Fallenleaf does as he seems more experienced than they are.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Straightening up, he says, "My name is Blaise Redman, honored and viciously insulted protege of the masterful acid-spitting pranksters Bonescrape and Redscab. And you are...?"

Lodissio, the satyr, quietly turns around and draws an axe from the pack on his back.

"What are you doing here?" - He completely ignores Blaise, and focuses on Alain, who is threatening him with the showel...

Why are you calling me a traitor, lad? - I saved your butt more than one time, and you left me alone against Torrence Bleysmith's vampric servants!
- Now, I repeat, what are you doing here? - Your mission has failed, and we have found the grave already on our own. You can have a place among those who are saved, though, if you lay down your weapons."

Jamethon looks about the room. Is there any sign of Armitage or his sister? Any symbols or elements of the ritual that he understands or recognizes?

[A-R-L-I-N-G-T-O-N. The name was A-R-L-I-N-G-T-O-N! Besides, the boy never told his name...]

From your current position, you can only see the glowing portal, a few people with bags, and about ten wizards standing around it, holding a spell ...

You cannot see what lies behind, though...

Lodissio will block the way for anyone who wants to come closer at the moment. Behind him, you can see more than one armed man... There is indeed a high number of guards behind the satyr, protecting the ceremony from all sides... As you draw your weapons, you see some of them exchange a look...

...invokes Ezra's might in loud prayer...

Suddenly, a sound of heart-breaking mourning can behind from behind your point of sight, around the corner of the yard...

While you feel shaken within the very depths of your soul, Lodissio and his men just raise their weapons, and seem to wait for your reaction...