Topic: Shadows over Bogenhafen: game thread [players only please!]

[Mogsam]

"You fellows do not look to be in fantastic shape to hunt down anything currently." Ulrun says looking at the wounded adventurers. "With some time and your protection I can regain some of my focus and heal the direst of wounds. The gentleman archer specifically looks as though he could use some attention. It would certainly make the future safer. (he can regain MP for 1 MP per every 1D6 minutes and has 7 MP left.)"

"It seems wiser that the young gentleman and I accompany you. With a short space of time to recooperate I may yet surprise you with some magic in a fight."

[rufus sparkfire]

[Heinrich, Klaus, Admund, Ulrun, and Max]

"I also think Mr Ulrun and I should stay with you," Max says, grateful that Ulrun thinks the same as him.

[Karl Voss of Averland]

Admund's eyes widen as his wounds are healed by Ulrun. His leg has stopped stinging at the bruise,  and he jerks back his right sleeve and pulls back away the bandage to see the wounds he took at Windhund Haulage close up. He runs a finger over the skins surprised. "Sweet Shallya, so you aren't some street bum. Thanks mate. Here, have a swig of this ale. Take the edge off that branding." He offers the bottle of ale that he has been sharing with Heinrich.

As conversation turns to what to do next, Admund drums his fingers on the hilt of his sword. "No, splitting up isn't wise, especially down here. Ulrun, 'fraid you're going to have to tag along as we hunt this elf down. Might want to take that short sword there after all. Once we complete our task, we'll get you where you need to go from here. Alright? Here take this pouch of coin, it was on the guards here. Probably yours anyway. Use it to get a room and bath once we get back up to the city."

[Gives looted 35 crowns, 8 shillings and 9 pence to Ulrun]

"Klaus, Heinrich, Max, you all ready to press on?"

[Mogsam]

"You're welcome." he replies politely and almost amused by the expression on Admund, clearly the whole expereince hasn't left him jovial though. He gently shakes his head at the booze. "You really, really don't want to see an intoxicated illusionist..." he says in a way that suggests that he knows too well. "It's a combination of fun and terrifying."

Ulrun takes the sword and money offered. "Many thanks, though short swords are not a weapon that is commonly used by one such as I, perhaps you will see soon enough anyway."

[Cannonofdoom]

Heinrich will lead the way, bow at the ready.

[Fandir Nightshade]

"I think we should stick together no matter what...I guess there is no turning back now, even though we might all need a rest we still should foil Cassildas plans, and Brunhildes. Ulrun...should we be able to capture Brunhilde, would you be able to hypnotize her to get all her secrets out of her, who employed her and who her contacts are? I think you are right that she is but a mere pawn in the game of greater men."

[Mogsam]

"She doesn't know who she works for, she instead contacts them by notes. If we can catch her i can do so, and we may well be able to pretend to be her or some such plan through her notes."

[rufus sparkfire]

[Heinrich, Klaus, Admund, Ulrun, and Max]

Max takes one of the cultists' swords, since his dagger isn't much use in a fight and he left his axe at the inn.

The group return to the cavern, and are faced with crossing the narrow bridge again. They use the same method as before, with the rope to act as insurance if they fall.

[Heinrich I test (+20): 40, pass]
[Klaus I test (+20): 55, pass]
[Admund I test (+20): 63, pass]
[Ulrun I test (+20): 64, pass]
[Max I test (+20): 35, pass]

All of them cross safely. They leave the cavern and return to the junction in the tunnel. This time, they take the other fork.

[continues]

[rufus sparkfire]

The tunnel slopes gently downward. After a while, it joins a wider, better-maintained passage. The group now have the choice of going left or right along this new passageway.

To the right, the passage continues for about thirty yards before being blocked by rubble. It looks as though the ceiling has fallen in very recently. It may be possible to get through the rubble, or even to climb up into the space above the fallen ceiling.

To the left, the passage continues for about forty yards before ending at a door.

[Fandir Nightshade]

Crawling around in these Dungeons Klaus has lost all his sense of time and orientation and it starts to get on his nerve also the tension that at every turn and every second an enemy could jump them is making the hair on his neck stand up and the grip on his weapon a bit slippery. He knows that he is the only one in the group that isn´t wounded so maybe the others would like him to be the vanguard....take the first hit for the team....but that wouldn´t be him, Heinrich and Admund certainly make more sense as the vanguard as their martial senses would protect them from even being hit...or at least the coward him continue to tells him that. As the group approaches the T section he will speak up in a hushed voice "I think we should check the door...maybe first listen at it and then try to open and enter it...checking out what is behind."
 

[rufus sparkfire]

[Heinrich, Klaus, Admund, Ulrun, and Max]

The door looks relatively new. It's made of thick, sturdy wood, and is securely locked. Nothing can be heard by listening at it.

[Karl Voss of Averland]

Admund will take off his helmet and try to listen through the key hole [Acute Hearing] to see if he hears anything. Finding the door locked, he'll run a hand along the hinges and judge whether the door could be forced open. [Intelligence Test? Roll: 32]

Admund will go around the bend with his lantern and inspect the rubble from the collapse. He won't touch any rocks but he'll look through the debris and look up at the ceiling.

[Mogsam]

"I can open this magically but it may leave me with little in reserve without a pause to recover."

[rufus sparkfire]

Admund can't hear anything on the other side of the door either. He can see that it has been very strongly built, and would take considerable effort to break down.

"Mr Julian could open this," Max says. "Um...the door looks like it was installed fairly recently. Presumably it's here to keep the normal cultists out, since there's no one else down here. It could be dangerous. Still, if Mr Ulrun can open it, we could have a look?"


Max goes with Admund to examine the rubble on the other end of the passageway. The passage is blocked almost completely, and the amount of rubble means that it would take hours to clear even a small path through it. By peering through tiny gaps, it's possible to see that the passage branches off beyond the collapse, with one way heading down and one continuing along at the same level. Nothing else can be seen.

"I wonder what caused this," Max says, "maybe an explosion?"

Looking up though the large hole in the roof, they can see another passage running parallel to the one they are in. "Um, it looks a bit like a sewer," Max says, "a dry section, fortunately! This tunnel must have been too close to a part of the sewers, and something made it collapse. Shall I try to climb up and have a look? I'm the lightest, so I'm less likely to cause it to collapse any more."

[Fandir Nightshade]

"Ulrun if you could open the door it would be a great help....I guess we might even be lucky that the corridor collapsed as we don´t have to fear that any cultists or something else will come from there now."

[Karl Voss of Averland]

Admund hands Max his lantern, "Alright, poke your head up there and tell me what you see, and lets go back to the door with the others. Don't move any the rocks if you can help it."

Admund will help Max climb up the rubble.

[Mogsam]

"Very well. I will open the lock. But you must be ready to fight and protect me, I will only have a little portion of magical ability left." Ulrun casts [Open Lock]

[rufus sparkfire]

Max scampers up the rubble, glad to be doing something useful.

[Climb test: 12, pass]

He makes it safely to the top... then pulls himself up into the tunnel above (going beyond what Admund told him to do). He stays up there for a few minutes, then sticks his head back through the hole and says, "It is the sewers, Admund, like I thought. It's a service tunnel, adjoining one of the main streams. I think - judging by how far we've traveled, and how many turns we've made - that we're under the Newmarkt District. [east of the Great Park]

[Max uses his cartography skill to estimate the group's location based on their starting point at the Mages' Guild]

"There's bound to be an access hatch somewhere nearby. We can get back to the surface without having to pass the ghost! That's good news, don't you think? Um. I'll come back down now. It's not as easy as climbing up!"

Max climbs back down...

[Max climb test: 88, fail]

...he puts his foot on a loose bit of rubble, tumbles down the pile and ends up sprawling on the floor.

[Max loses 2 wounds]

He struggles back to his feet, red-faced with embarrassment. "Oh dear - that was careless! I bashed my leg a bit, but I'm all right. Sorry about that! Let's tell the others about the sewer."

Max and Admund rejoin Heinrich, Klaus and Ulrun at the door, just as Ulrun is casting his spell.

[Ulrun casts Open. -5MP. Open test = passed]

He touches the lock and whispers a brief incantation. There is no visible effect... and then the lock clicks.

The door now opens easily. On the other side is a small room, with an archway on the far side. A tunnel leads steeply down beyond the archway. In the room is a table with a box of candles and a tinderbox on it.

[commandant]

"I'm not sure what is best to do," Mortus says.   "I need more information.   I think I should call such resources as I have in search of that.   If you would stay just a little longer you might be able to help me in the casting.   I have everything I need in my room in the inn.   If not I completely understand."

If the Doktor goes with her Mortus will pay the bill and go back to her own inn.   She will lock herself in her room and summon the air spirit.   She will ask it to find out about the criminal gangs of Middenhiem and which ones might be more than just criminal gangs and also what it can about Hess.   

If the doktor doesn't go with her she will do the above but before she parts with the doktor she will say,

"I pray that we can meet again soon and in better times, doktor.   Take my thanks and blessings for your safety with you as you go.   You helped me and should you ever find yourself in need and I can help you I will come with all possible speed."

[Fandir Nightshade]

"Let me and Heinrich check up ahead if we stir up too much trouble than we can chew through we escape through the tunnels." Klaus will nod towards Heinrich and then sneak towards the archway. Inwardly he is cursing himself that he didnt have the idea to disguise himself and the others with the robes of the dead cultists also leaving the passed out one behind ...he might as well shown him the mercy of his knife before they left.

[rufus sparkfire]

[Mortus]

"I must leave now, Miss Mortus," Doktor Glarean says, "I fear that I will be pursued, and my presence will only endanger you. As for the summoning: you require no help from me. Remember that the spirit is a simple creature, and cannot answer complex questions. Do not expect too much of it. Think of it as-" he furrows his brow "-an intelligent and loyal dog. Yes, that would be the best analogy.

"I very much hope that I will see you again, Miss Mortus. Take the greatest care in your task, and do not be ashamed to flee the city if it proves too much for you. If I learn anything that may be of help to you, I will contact you by means of an elemental spirit. You may contact me in the same manner. Until then, I take my leave." He kisses her hand, and then leaves the tavern.


The meal costs Mortus 1 crown and 10 shillings.

Mortus returns to the Scholar's Inn. Once in her room, she prepares the summoning circle with its candles and the sacrificial herbs at the center. She lights the candles and the herbs, then speaks the invocation.

[-10MP]

Smoke pours from the herbs, mingling with that from the candles. It begins to spin, forming itself into a miniature tornado which hovers in the air at eye-level. Blue and yellow lights flicker around its edges.

"Called again," it says, "glad. How may serve?"

[rufus sparkfire]

[Heinrich, Klaus, Admund, Ulrun, and Max]

The air coming from beyond the archway is much colder than it should be. The tunnel slopes steeply downward, then turns sharply left. From then on, steps are cut into the rock. The steps continue down for quite some time, before finally reaching another archway. Judging by the neat piles of stones stacked to either side, the archway had been sealed up at some point and has since been reopened.

Beyond is a vaulted chamber. A set of double doors (closed) are on the opposite wall, flanked by a pair of humanoid statues. There is a single door on the wall to the left, and another on the wall to the right (also both closed). There is an inscription on the stonework above each door, but it will be necessary to get closer in order to read them.

The room is otherwise empty. The air is stale and cold.

[Just Heinrich and Klaus are down here?]

[commandant]

"I have two tasks for you," Mortus says.   "I want you to find out the whereabouts and anything else you can about Miss Hess [description provided] and the headquarters of the criminal elements of Middenhiem [location in the city of criminal elements if known to Mortus given]."

[Mogsam]

When he hears of the description of the statues Ulrun becomes a tad paranoid and moves slightly down the stairs before attempting to detect magic.

[rufus sparkfire]

[Mortus]

Colours play across the spirit's surface. Its smokey body becomes darker, like a thundercloud.

"Will try. Time. Dismiss? "

Mortus knows that the spirit must be dismissed before it can begin its work. She recalls that it took a full night to obtain information on the previous occasions she called it. She doesn't expect to hear anything until dawn.