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The Castle Kilgrave is a strange keep; Freshly dressed stones of an alien black, veined with red crystal; 4 windowless towers raising to the sky; no windows, one gate, one central court yard ;
Within the gate a fetid cloud of mist, smelling strongly of blood.
The first to enter; Tao, vanished in silence...
The second - tethered to a rope was Aswansea; the rope fell limp and she was no longer at it's end...
One by one, or as a group, the party ventured in to the court yard, smelled the blood, and fell under the castle's spell...
Until all are at rest, the end of these challenges shall not be revealed...
your tales are not yet complete, so submit them if you choose,
but you may not want to read the challenges or fates
of the other party members who are done.
If this page has tipped your hand with the dreamlike quality of your challenge; know this fact - the damage and peril are REAL...
If you do read on; this is of course player info that should not
influence your character's choices...
helm. i was rather confused to see one of them hurt
badly and the other one magically holding a small boy.
when asked if he would like some healing the injured
one would only say to kill the boy as he was a demon,
i tried to heal him anyway but it had no effect, not
knowing what kind of demon i was to face if it could
turn in to a helpless child, i attempted to cast
healing on it to see if it might hurt it, when that
didn't work i simply attacked it. to my horror and
dismay the child turned out to be just that; a child
and my fellow "priests" promptly turned into demons
them selves,
with all the rage of a priest of helm i
defended my self against their vile attack...
Tao had stepped in and disappeared; "Typical of the Barbarian I" thought..."Rush in and get dropped by some monster or poison in the mist. Well If I'm leading I better check this shit out..." I had the party tie me with a rope; "Pull me back if I drop" I ordered and stepped into the mist; the fools panicked & pulled me back early... but I went in again.
The mist had the smell of blood - a lot of it; and then suddenly a golden eyed snake/worm like monster, floating above the floor, seemed to strike at me; my legs went out and I was unconscious before I hit the floor...
When the blackness cleared I got up and looked around; the rope was gone? I got my bearings and I was still in the courtyard, I could now see a building and a single archway. The others were nowhere to be seen. I could see a faint shadowy light coming from than opening in the building beyond courtyard. I have no idea how long I have been out. I walked back out the archway and saw the horses were still tied up, but the party was gone.
I surveyed the castle and it looked the same; I was in the middle of the courtyard when I came to... I checked my gear and found everything at hand; I drew my blade and moved back into the mist, following the inside of the courtyard wall toward the building within. I found no vents, windows or doors. The air still smelled of blood. Across the courtyard at the building I could still see the opening with the faint shadowy light, it was an open wall and I went in - sword drawn -
Inside I found a high cleric of Lathander in meditation with an attending acolyte. The acolyte drew his mace and stepped in front of the cleric and told me "Hold your ground".
I complied, sheathed my sword and tried to check the priest's alignment. I tried to cast the spell but nothing happened. I quietly ask what is going on - and checked the genders of these 2... in case one might be the "Mistress". Both are men, but before I can ask the acolyte asks me what I am doing here. I honestly replied that I am seeking a weakened 'mistress' on behalf of her dying servant. The acolyte responds by stating that he has seen nothing like that here. Just afterward the Cleric of Lathander awoke with a smile and said "Now all is clear"
I tried to explain everything I know & exchange information with him; trade knowledge with knowledge; What is clear? Where are my party who were waiting at the gate? Where is Tao? Fog & the strange snake monster vision? What is going on? What killed the troop of clerics? Is there access to the towers? Who might the 'Mistress' be? Before I can ask my questions or share my knowledge he said "Now I know the source of the chaos and the reason the gods have not answered". He tells his acolyte to bring the chalice. From the clerics backpack he takes out an ornate cup and gave it to the cleric. The cleric took a wineskin that he had across his back and filled the cup. He said that if I drink from this chalice of seeing, the truth would be known to me. The liquid is a dark reddish color. It looked thinner than blood, but it smelled like blood. I ask what it is...I ask "Before I drink please tell me more: Where are my party who were waiting at the gate? Where is Tao? What was the snake vision? What is fog & smell of blood? What is going on? What killed the troop of clerics? Is there access to the towers? Who might the 'Mistress' be?"
He said all of my questions would be answered when I drink from the Chalice of Seeing. "Trust me" he says with a gentle smile. I had no reason to trust this stranger serving blood punch ... pretty damn Chaotic of me, but I drank ...
The taste of blood filled the senses of my mouth. The Priest spoke..."The outer planes have taken a new form and the deities no longer rule. Now the one an only true god has risen and walks among us...." as he said this both clerics faces withered and their eyes glowed yellow; and the High Cleric raised his blacken demon hand, "...He is The Black Lord". and they both attacked me.
I spit the blood in the High Cleric / Demons face as I swing my mace into his head twice. I did him damage and he howled foul obscenities in pain. He attacked me but missed with both clawed hands. He missed me 4 times before I smacked him four more times with the mace. He missed me twice, and then the second demon attacked - missing, then connecting with me but harmlessly thwarted by the Belt of Dragon Kind. I hit the demon again, then was hit by both demons with both hands - 4 injuries including a crit; piercing my flesh... I swung and fumbled my mace; loosing my strike... bleeding, I could sense that in one segment these two foul demons had drained half of my life away...
Marisa found herself at the edge of a courtyard with a platform in the middle. On the platform was a woman with a strange necklace around her neck and an unusual ring on each hand. Marisa looked over the woman carefully, and lifted the necklace with an arrow-tip... But when the necklace was being lifted over the woman's head, she opened her eyes.
They had a green glow and her hand grabbed the necklace back
as she morphed into a large demon.
It said "Feel the wrath of Bane". Marisa quickly took out the cloak of Bane she'd been saving and put it on. It seemed to have no effect. The Demon attacked. Marisa stabbed the demon with her socketed dagger but it didn't seem to slow it down.
Marisa took a potion of invisibility and with her powerful long sword, attempted a sneak attack against the demon...
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