(036) The Remains of the Day

[waysoftheearth]

eris wrote:

"Vampyres can be detected by their sparkling skin and antiquated mannerisms," shares Highbough, "and their greatest weakness is their lust for human women."

"Huh!" Olaf snorts and says with a grin, "That sounds like Gustave!"

"I'll take a bulb of garlic, I guess, but I think I put more trust in my sword than in a smelly vegetable." Olaf says then adds thoughtfully, "I have a scepter that gives off bright white light...as bright as sunlight. Under its light it is like being outside on a sunny day even though you be in the darkest dungeon. Do you think it might affect this vampire creature like sunlight?"

[waysoftheearth]

ehiker133 wrote:
Desmond moves to make sure he is standing fairly close to Olaf when they are below ground.

( [img]images/smiley/grin.png[/img] Just in case it does... )

[waysoftheearth]

doctorx wrote:
"In truth, I know not," says Josiane in reply to Olaf; "The creature screamed and blistered in sunlight. I saw that."

She shifts uncomfortably under Highbough's gaze, wondering what dark thoughts are causing the ancient Elvish Warlock to stare at her so intently. She passes Olaf a bud of garlic, draws her sword and sets her white shield upon her arm.

"Shall we begin?"

[waysoftheearth]

eris wrote:

"In truth, I know not," says Josiane in reply to Olaf; "The creature screamed and blistered in sunlight. I saw that."

"If we have a chance to find out, I hope it does." Olaf says with a nod and a grin.

She shifts uncomfortably under Highbough's gaze, wondering what dark thoughts are causing the ancient Elvish Warlock to stare at her so intently. She passes Olaf a bud of garlic, draws her sword and sets her white shield upon her arm.

"Shall we begin?"

"We shall!" Olaf again nods and turns toward the crypt and speaks to the burly man beside him, "Dieter you're the strongest, you pull the door open and I'll cover the entrance, then we'll enter together with someone holding a lantern up in the second rank to give us light as we descend. Sounds good to you?"

[waysoftheearth]

tonneau wrote:
Gustave scratches at his ear while his comrades describe a litany of coming horrors and doom.

"Right then" is all he can manage in reply.

He eyes the failing orb of the sun as it approaches the horizon.

"Blisters in sunlight you say?"

He seems to have an itch in his adams apple.

[waysoftheearth]

coffee wrote:

"We shall!" Olaf again nods and turns toward the crypt and speaks to the burly man beside him, "Dieter you're the strongest, you pull the door open and I'll cover the entrance, then we'll enter together with someone holding a lantern up in the second rank to give us light as we descend. Sounds good to you?"

Dieter's response is to pull the door open while Olaf covers him, then to draw his sword and proceed therein. (Assuming nothing comes boiling out to deal with first...)

[waysoftheearth]

eris wrote:

"We shall!" Olaf again nods and turns toward the crypt and speaks to the burly man beside him, "Dieter you're the strongest, you pull the door open and I'll cover the entrance, then we'll enter together with someone holding a lantern up in the second rank to give us light as we descend. Sounds good to you?"

Dieter's response is to pull the door open while Olaf covers him, then to draw his sword and proceed therein. (Assuming nothing comes boiling out to deal with first...)

Olaf is ready to hack and slash if something does come boiling out! [img]images/smiley/smiley.png[/img] If nothing does, though, he'll move inside right behind Dieter. Olaf will move up to Dieter's side once there is room.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Very good.

All this chatter transpires as the company marches through the bone yard up to the lee of the Gottfried crypt. A score of jet crows scatter from several of the forlorn, leafless trees leaning over the tomb as the company approach, cawing raucously as the make good their escape...

And then the cemetery is all quiet.

The tomb itself is a broad, low stone edifice scarcely reaching Dorgan's head-height, but it is 20ft wide and 30ft deep, decorated with ugly stone gargoyles at each corner. Each are in fact a pair of aged, stone terrors with claws, horns, and bat's wings the size of a Man's thigh. Countless season have seen the stone potted with holes and scored by marks and chips.

At the front of the crypt, an additional pair of weather-beaten gargoyles overlook a short run of half a dozen steps that descend some 4 or 5ft to a landing where a heavy stone doorway prevents access to the burial chamber itself.

There are some unregonisable glyphs graven onto the door at about Man-eye height. The door is otherwise a completely flat stone surface, with no handle or other means of pulling it outward. Its only other feature is a small edging around the perimeter of the door which is about 2 inches wide, and half an inch shallower than the main face of it.

Despite his considerable strength, Dieter cannot budge the door.

[waysoftheearth]

mushgnome wrote:

There are some unregonisable glyphs graven onto the door at about Man-eye height.

Highbough studies the glyphs for any similarity to his known languages (Elfish, Infernal, etc). If he cannot immediately identify them, he will copy them into his notebook for future study.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Highbough pushes the fighting Men aside to make room for himself upon the landing. These runes are some early form of the Merovingian script which (1d6=2) Highbough never gave more than a cursory glance.

The Merovingian Kingdoms were but a fleeting chapter in the history of Men; hardly worthy of an Elf's attention.