Dark Ages RP- Chapter One- Galuterra

[Zerlina]

The feast continued long into the night and many hours later, even the fortuitous Newt had had his fill and rolled on to bed.

When the last of the warriors was fast asleep, a vacuous silence fell over the castle. For a moment, even the stars in the sky went dark; the world was as vibrant to the living as it was to the dead.

Llithe en duram eis duran a voice in many voices slithered through the halls Llithe en duram eis duran. One by one, the adventurers awoke. Though each in their own chamber, they all saw the same-

a woman pale as starlight stood at the foot of the bed. Her hair was shimmering, colourless, falling in misty tendrils upon the floor.

“Llithe en duram eis duran” she whispered, her mouth as intangible as the chill at dusk “They know who you are. They know your secrets. Run and keep running. Trust no one.”

Her wandering eyes drifted sadly and aimlessly before rolling back into her head. Her whole body seemed to dissolve and twist into nothingness, contorting and finally dissipating.

Suddenly, there was a scream, and the stars lit up (if they had ever really gone out at all).

Newt was the first one at the scene of the scream, his room having been situated the lowest in the keep.

What he saw made his heart skip a beat- Dougal lay lifeless on the ground, twisted and contorted in the same way The Dream Woman had been. His bones were broken and cracked, his back snapped, and his neck backward.

“Help! Someone help!” Newt yelled “Someone’s been ki-” a hand was clasped over the boy’s mouth, and when he looked up, he saw Lady Agrigola’s splendid but somehow unnerving face.

“Go on to bed, young man,” she said “Your eyes are not yet ready for these sights.”

“But-”

“Go to bed. And speak of this to no one. I will fetch appropriate help without causing a stir. Llithe en duram eis duran”

“What does that mean?”

“It’s the old language. It means- keep my secrets and I will keep yours.” She stared at the young boy, her gaze burrowing where it was not wanted.

“Alright, my lady.” he said, reluctantly “I will do as you wish.”

He turned slowly and went back to his room, glancing back only to briefly see Lady Agrigola heading toward the west staircase. He opened his door again, slipping into the next room.

----

“Thornside.” Lady Agrigola said, opening the door to Franklin’s chamber “I apologize for waking you. You are used to death, are you not? Come, I need your help downstairs.”

Lady Agrigola visited the Northmen as well, stating her belief that perhaps there was Northern Sorcery at work. When at last she had made her rounds, she gave instructions to the guards not to travel to the guest apartments. With that done, she returned to Dougal’s vacant body, saying a short prayer that echoed through the halls.

----

“Calanthe,” Newt shook the boy, whispering “Calanthe, wake up. Dougal’s gone and kicked the bucket, and his dead body’s downstairs.”

Calanthe opened his eyes, blinking for a few moments. He pulled the sheets up to his chin.

“It’s spooky; he’s bent all funny,” said Newt “Like he fell off and got stuck in a wagon wheel or something. I think something killed him and twisted him up!”

[Prpl_Mage]

Franklin kneed before the body of the dead man. The urgency of the call had forced him to leave bed without his armour. Well he did wear the boots since the stones were so cold.
From all his experience of death he had never been force to see something so inhumanly broken. In his past there had been gut wounds, there had been missing limbs. But those damages were the result of a man's hand.

This didn't seem like something that a man could have done with sheer force or will. This had to be the work of sorcery, wicked magicians with terrible powers granted to them by the darkness. One sorcerer alone could host the power to wipe out an entire army. From where he came from, everyone who showed signs of magic affinity were... taken care off before they could even become a threat.

He wanted to know things at the moment but realized that it was not the time for such, what magicians were present? Had something like this happened in the past? And would the others simply pretend like that dream never happened as he was ready to? After all, ghosts appearing in the night rambling of nonsense wasn't something he would've expected of this quest.
Something had to be done and taking the lead now would surely make his lacking knowledge of the land and its' rituals apparent to the others.
He joined in the prayers and stayed at the lady's side to make sure that he was there if anything was needed.

[NotSoSavvy]

"How unfortunate." James said, emerging from the shadows as the guards left. He was passing familiar with magic, or at least its' afteraffects. Witches were a constant problem he had to deal with as Earl. But on the other hand, ser Dougal also looked like someone who took a tumble down a cliff face. Or off a tall tower. James was no magic user, thank god, but to his eyes the only thing that seemed truly magical was the fact that Dougal's corpse had found its way here without causing too much fuss.

"Earl Kinnoull. What brings you here." Lady Agrigola asked, looking at him with her trademark pentrating stare. James delt with it like he did with so many other things in the court, and simply let it slide off.

"Well, as someone has decided that it was time to wake up half the castle with his death rattle, I decided that further sleep was futile. So I came here to add my own ignorance to the mix. After all, as far as I'm aware, no one here is witch."  James spoke to the the noblewoman as he walked over to the shattered corpse. For the most part his attention was focused on the body that had so rudely interrupted their evening. Perhaps there was something on the body that might shed some light on what had occured. Knealing down next to the body, across from young Franklin, he couldn't resist adding a parting barb before he began to search the body. "Unless have something you wise to share, m'lady."

[Dragonium]

Stahn came downstairs in a considerably less jovial mood than he had been in at the feast. It was not the dreams that had made him restless, nor the sudden events that had woken him; it was more the vague accusations by Lady Agrigola of Northern involvement.

The Lady was looking over at him expectantly. He frowned.

"I don't know what you're expecting, m'lady", Stahn began, "But I'm not familiar with sorcery. Despite what you may think, we Northmen are more fond of steel". He paused. "I once knew a man who could mix a powder from bits of rock and animal bone, and make fire by throwing it in the air. To my knowledge, that may well be the closest thing that exists to 'Northern Sorcery'". Stahn hoped he had not been too scathing, but his point was made nonetheless.

"Then I apologise", said Lady Agrigola quietly.

Stahn nodded. He could not deny that the state of the body was terrible - he certainly doubted that there was any man in a wide area with the brute strength and the disregard for life to have done this. Still, there was little he could contribute here, especially with the Earl, the fellow he hadn't spoken to, still searching the body.

"M'lady", Stahn said after a moment, as politely as he could, "Might I have permission to wander the ground floor? I'd expect whoever or whatever did this is long gone, but they may have lingered a moment, or left clues behind. I'll see what I can find".

"You have permission", Lady Agrigola replied, "But I should not like you to wander the castle unarmed".

Stahn gestured to the handaxe on his belt, thrown on in a hurry at being woken up.

"Very well", added the Lady.

Stahn gave a brief bow of courtesy - what he assumed passed for a bow, anyway - and a nod to Kinnoull, and set off down the nearest corridor.

[Prpl_Mage]

Franklin watched Stahn walk away from the scene, he set out to find something but as far as Franklin knew - magic left no clues to people who did not know magic themselves. People like Franklin who knew as much about magic as a child knows of wolves - they are best to be avoided and not mentioned.

"My Earl." Franklin began as he approached James at the corpse.

"Would it perhaps be wise to move our departed Dougal from this place? I don't see any reason to keep him laying here when sorcery is what struck him down." He said and looked around. There had to be some good place to put him 'till whatever expected ceremonies would be held.

"And besides, what if one of our youngsters see this? They might think of it as an omen and reason to abandon the quest..." He continued and received a sharp glare from the Lady. Abandoning was out of the question after all.

[NotSoSavvy]

"Hrump. If they are scared away by a single corpse, it's best they be scared away now. I should hardly think that this quest will be as simple as killing one person." James said impassively. A search of the body hadn't turned up anything but a preponderance of sticky fluids. Wiping his hands on Dougal's tunic he stood up and began to pace. "And I am not convinced that this is an act of witchcraft. Yet."

An interesting situation this. Either someone quietly threw Dougal off the top of a tower before bringing his body in here and screaming, or they used some unfathomable power to do this right here and slipped out unnoticed. Neither was a particularly appetizing scenario. James turned to the woman. "Mi'lady Agrigola, you were the first one here? What did you see?"

((Okay Zerlina, I know we're supposed to be able to do whatever we want with the NPCs, but it sounds like there's a lot more to the situation then is readily apparent. I'll leave it up to you to have her respond.))

[Zerlina]

“I saw as much as you did, Sir James. One of the boys was here. I sent him back to his room.”

----

With some effort, Newt pulled Calanthe out of bed.

“Oh it’s pitch black here, I can’t see a thing!” Newt grumbled as he walked to the window “What if it’s a witch? What if she comes back for us one by one? We ducked a witch last year but she promised not to do it again...what if she’s back at it and out for revenge?”

He looked out the window. In the distance he could vaguely make out the road to Abindale. It looked so close from high up. He sighed as he watched a crow fly in the sky, dipping this way and that. And then it struck him.

“Calanthe...is it normal for crows to be up and about at night?”

He squinted. The thing swept this way and that on a night thermal, coming closer

and closer

and closer.

At first the boy thought nothing of it, but as the bird came into clear view, it seemed to become much larger than it should have been.

Newt backed up.

“It’s not a c-crow.” he stuttered “It’s a witch!”

He grabbed Calanthe and dove to the back of the room, just as the witch came to the wall of the keep. There was a loud shriek as the thing dissolved into black mist, seeping into the tiny window and re-emerging whole on the other side.

It seemed more monstrous than human. Far from flying on a broomstick, it floated in the air, its very body seeming to disappear into misty rags. Its face was half decayed, sunken on one side; its eyes were black; its pupils red and vacant. Dark hair coated its shriveled arms. Its nails were curled and thick, and small barbs lined its knuckles.

“Sweet Estella!” cried Newt before turning to Calanthe in disbelief “How you can stay so quiet at a time like this I’ll never know.”

The witch clenched her stiff fingers; they made a cracking sound as if they hadn’t been moved in years.

“Fie fie aeria fuerges.” she whispered with the chill of a million dead voices.

The dirt on the floor jumped and rustled as if the castle were shaking. In an instant, a torch flew off the wall barely missing the two boys but not failing to ignite an ancient tapestry.

Newt grabbed Calanthe and ran out the door into the staircase; the witch pursuing them at a pace that seemed hauntingly relaxed.

“Help! Help us!” cried Newt “It’s a witch!”

----

Lady Agrigola turned to the men as she heard the cries coming from up the hall. She raised her hand over her eyes for a moment before letting it fall hopelessly to her side.

“Call the guards.” said one of the men; she wasn’t sure who.

“Whatever it is, hold it off.” The lady ordered before running down the stairs to fetch the soldiers.

----

“Back!” yelled Newt, his voice shaking. He had taken one of the torches off the wall, and now held it feebly out; the witch kept advancing “In the name of all that is holy, I demand you leave us alone...no? Alright...well...what about in the name of my mum? She’s fierce with a rake!”

The witch moved along, paying no attention to Newt’s ramblings. The two boys backed up together, unsure of what to do.

“Look I’m sorry we ducked one of your friends, it’s just- she made our crops die. And Mrs. Lindsay’s baby throw up...”  

The boys continued to back up, hoping they could get away; that is until they hit an oaken door. Newt fiddled with the handle.

“Oh God...it’s stuck” he muttered “Why is it stuck!?”

The witch came closer

closer

closer.

Its bony hand reached out, ready to take Calanthe by the neck. Newt could hear the sound of bones beginning to twist and crunch, though the witch had not even touched the other boy. Calanthe brought his hands up, holding them around his neck as if the action would save him. Newt, panicking, heart racing, was frozen for a moment- and then he realized he was holding a torch.

There was a shriek and the creature backed up, its whole body on fire.

“Well,” grinned Newt “That wasn’t so hard.” he laughed nervously, dusting some dirt off of his sleeve.

The door behind them opened and the two boys fell down backward.

“Careful.” said James, sarcastically “Don’t lean on the door.”

“Where’s the witch?” Franklin asked, his eyes scanning the staircase.

“Nothing we can’t handle.” said Newt, helping Calanthe up and making sure he was sound “There was a witch, but we took care of her.”

“I can see that.” said Stahn, pointing behind the boy.

Newt turned and his eyes grew large. The witch rose up back into the air and began advancing again; only this time she was on fire.

“Oh...” muttered Newt, getting up “By the way did I mention that Calanthe was the one that torched her?”

The witch sped past the men, faster than any of them could react. She crouched over Dougal's body like a vulture, opening her mouth and drawing in what looked like dark mist. The corpse convulsed, its flesh rotting as if a hundred years were passing all in a moment. When she was done, all that remained was a withered skeleton in large clothes.

"Give me it." the creature said, in Dougal's voice "Give me what is rightfully ours."

She hissed and the bones beneath her flaming body shook, rising up and re-assembling themselves. The skeleton was walking; it picked up Dougal's sword.

((I leave it up to you guys if your characters went to get their weapons first and now have them, or if they went to help at the staircase immediately and now have to get their equipment, or if they brought them with them in the first place))

[Prpl_Mage]

It was not a thing of the living nor of death. Reincarnated, the very foundation of Dougal was now facing them.
But it was Dougal no more. At this very moment he wished that he had acted and moved the body into something such as a prison, this entire situation would have been avoided then.

Franklin pulled out the shortsword he had brought with him and advanced in front of the others to await the monstrous animated death.
"Now where are those guards at?" He rhetorically asked and remembered the order to hold 'it' off.

He knew not how anything could hold of one that has no life - but he had to try, with a black sword or a naked fist - he'd go with the sword first.
A sword he sure was happy that he took the time to grab from his room before setting out, not only was he prepared now - he was also able to find the northman on his way.

"Stay back you foul beast of decay!" Franklin exclaimed as his eyes went between the bones and the burning witch. Two foul things he hadn't seen nor faced in combat before.

[Dragonium]

Stahn was ready, an axe in either hand. He had half expected to find the castle deserted, and when he heard the noise and commotion he had hurried back, to find the others face-to-face with the smouldering abomination and what remained of Dougal. He felt adrenaline surge, all fear and apprehension fell away, and for a moment the thrill of battle came back to him. He smiled.

He looked over at Thornside, brandishing his sword and calling threats to both foes. It occurred to him that the two of them had not properly spoken, but he was sure that now was as good a time as any to have one another's support. "Any ideas?", Stahn asked quietly.

"It may be wise to hold here until assistance arrives, if it is to arrive", replied Thornside quickly. He seemed to know what he was doing.

Stahn was doubtful. From what he had seen of the castle's guards, they were dutiful enough, but they would most likely not be in any hurry to do battle with so strange an opponent. He felt another rush of adrenaline, and strode forward, weapons raised. He couldn't be sure of the creature behind, but what remained of Dougal was bone, and steel had never let him down on that front before.

Dougal raised his sword, but Stahn was faster, launching a swing from the opposite side to the blade. He expected the crack of bone, but instead the creature - the witch - lunged forward, covering ten feet of ground in a blink. Stahn felt blunt force on his chest and staggered back, resuming his position beside Thornside somewhat more shaken.

"A valiant effort", said Thornside quietly, as the witch and Dougal slowly began to advance.

[Zerlina]

Newt swallowed hard as he saw the two men draw their swords. Well this was it- when it stopped being a game. He of course knew there would be danger on the quest- he’d just somehow hoped they’d avoid.

“I’ll be back,” he said to the others, running up the stairs to fetch his sword.

Smoke filled the floor and he could barely see. Pulling the top of his shirt over his mouth, he entered his room, rummaging in the dark to find his weapon.

----

Franklin turned slightly, hearing rustling at the door where Lady Agrigola had gone to fetch the guards.

“Looks like we might not be so alone.” he said.

The loud bang of a door being barred shut echoed through the hall.

“Never mind. Looks like we’re alone. Very, very alone.” said Franklin.

Newt returned to the first floor, sword in hand.

He watched as Stahn attempted to attack the witch, and how easily he was blown back.

“She’s stronger than us.” Newt said “And on fire. Did anyone notice she’s on fire?”

The witch let go a deafening shriek that tore at the adventurers’ eardrums. At once, their knees buckled.

“Take care of them.” she said to her skeleton warrior.

Dougal’s corpse moved forward slowly, one leg at a time. He swung at Franklin, putting too much force into the attack. He missed, his blade connecting harmlessly with the knight’s boot. One would have had to blind to miss such a shot.

The witch meanwhile moved to the torches at the far wall of the floor. As she touched each one, it went out, but she grew larger as if absorbing the flames into herself. In mere moments the room was pitch black- all except for the witch herself.

"Anyone know how to kill a witch?" Newt stuttered, looking hopefully at where he was sure the two Northmen were standing.

[Prpl_Mage]

His first fight against something that was not a man and Franklin wasn't wearing his armour. The good thing about that hefty full-body armour of his was that it nullified the need of shields. Right now he stood a hallway clad in linen with only armoured boots.

The skeleton continued it's advance and even though Franklin blocked the sword with his - there seemed to be no stopping it.

"I suggest us finding higher grounds" Franklin exclaimed as he used his full strength to push the skeleton away with his sword. What-once-were Dougal staggered for a moment but then kept on walking.

"Everyone up!" He yelled and kept his back to the others until he knew that it was safe to run himself.
As he ran, he could swear that he heard someone say something such as "Running from rattling bones".

                                                          --- ---  ---
As he remembered - the second floor reminded him much of the first, but the thing that immediately crossed his mind were the torches.

"Brothers, retrieve those torches! We can't let this dark create gain any more charcoal for its' unholy flames." Franklin told the others as he backed away from the staircase, prepared to keep up this protective game of sorts.

[Dragonium]

Stahn could only agree with Franklin. He had no doubt that he could defeat a heap of bones in a fair fight, but with the witch present there would be little chance of that. Dougal lurched forward, swinging his blade wildly and missing Stahn by a couple of feet. Seeing an opportunity, Stahn took a step forward and kicked the skeleton squarely in the chest, sending it careening backwards. With a smile, Stahn turned and ran up the stairs with the others.

Immediately Stahn could see smoke pouring from under the door of Newt's room. The boy had entered of his own volition, and there was no time to check on him. Beside it was his own room, and he stepped inside, hopeful that an idea would present itself. He took stock of the room's contents: a large tapestry, depicting a battle, useless as it was; his trusty two-handed axe beside the bed, probably not appropriate in this situation; the flask of Dougal's mead, which he was saving for later; and the washbasin, still full of water. He cursed his luck at finding nothing of import.

As he turned to leave, it occurred to him that the witch seemed to draw strength and protection from the torch-flames. He picked up the washbasin and returned to Franklin outside.

[NotSoSavvy]

James took up a position at the stairwell as Dougal began to climb the stairs after their merry company. The last time he had seen a creature like this, all that had been left when he saw it was a mangled pile of bones. It had seemed that it had stood up to an entire hamlet of villagers hitting it with farming implements until it finally just collapsed after they had hit enough vital spots. Hopefully with four men actually trained for combat it would take less time.

"Boy, go up to the chapel and fetch some holy water. And while you're at it, get me my crossbow." James said, taking a swing at Dougal as it climbed up the stairs. As he recalled holy water was the best weapon against a witch, especially if it was the witch that everyone seemed to think it was.

"Go!" He barked at Newt, his sword clattering against Dougal's. The boy squeaked and dashed off up the tower once more, hopefully to find the chapel without issue.

"The rest of you, we need to find some way to restrain the witch so we can get close enough to use the damned holy water." He said as Stahn ran off to do... something with a water basin. Perhaps something to do with Franklin's shouting about charcoal and fuel for the witch. Personally, James would have appreciated some help with Dougal. The creature was ungodly strong for a walking skeleton, and it didn't seem phased the few times James' blade had glanced against the bone.

[Zerlina]

((Two floors in NSS's post + Two floors in my post = I can go to the 6th floor))

Newt ran into what he guessed was James' room, picking up the crossbow and bolts before heading up the stairs to the chapel. He sniffed, smelling something funny- incense. Eyes darting this way and that, he took whatever else he could find- a small star (the symbol of Estella), and an incense ball. These he places into the bowl of Holy water. Carefully, he made his way back to the staircase, wishing now that he had three hands.

----

Dougal swiped at Stahn as the witch made her way up the stairs. She headed toward the two closest torches, ready to devour them.

"If you give me what you want," she said "I will let you go. There's no need for you to die. Trust me, I will be kind to you."

Dougal's movements were clumsy and his aim was off. With each swipe his torso fell forward as if the weight of his head were too much. His bony hand braced his fall, cracking where it connected hard with the ground. His pinky broke off. With a crackling sound, he brought himself upright, hardly noticing his lost appendage.

[Dragonium]

As another swipe from Dougal missed, Stahn upended the washbasin, dousing the torches. The witch turned, its face a portrait of indignation, and for a moment Dougal seemed driven by that same rage, lurching forward with blade raised. For a moment, he seemed fixated on locking swords with James, which gave Stahn an opportunity to throw his shoulder into the creature and force it against the wall.

There was the crunching of bone, and Dougal appeared to look down at his crushed ribcage, whatever humanity remained in the bones seemingly wondering why it had not been destroyed by such a blow. Then he was pushing forward again, forcing Stahn back against the opposite wall. Dougal now seemed more sluggish, struggling to keep his head from swaying from side to side, and gripped by the thrill of battle Stahn took another axe swing, catching the skeleton squarely in the side of the skull.

There was another crunch, and Dougal fell to the ground. The witch hissed, and the skeleton hauled itself back to its feet, its jaw now entirely unhinged on one side. Stahn backed away as the witch approached. "I can deal with him", he said finally, "But you're right, we need to deal with her".