Alan's on holiday this week so Charity is in NPC mode - I had some instructions on what Charity would do if they followed the plans they talked about last week but they binned all those and developed a new one, one much more to Charity's liking - it involved sneaking in.
Things sort of developed from there and I now have the party well split up again - Charity and Alfred are hiding in a wine cellar, Sorcha is healing her wounds back on the bluff, and Allagahn is residing in the castle dungeon at their "Enemy's" pleasure.
After catching up briefly on events the foursome discuss plans for gaining entry to Amber. Charity dislikes the 13H plan as does Sorcha as it splits them all up. It also means that Charity, who is the only one who knows the layout of the castle won't be able to guide them.
With no really thought out formulated plan they ride for Amber, intent on gaining the bluff where Charity observed the city and the East stair before nightfall.
As they arrive at the vantage point Charity used previously, Alfred notices that the site appears to have been used more recently that Charity's last visit. Searching carefully he finds a Hershey bar wrapper and a stain on the rock with a slight puddle remaining; it smells of dog urine.
Checking their packs they find that the Hershey wrapper is identical to the ones they have, which they acquired from Cordelia's. Alfred then remembers that Cordellia also has a dog - the question is has she been here? They settle in to watch and wait for the 13H.
The 13H does indeed happen here and the world freezes. What's interesting is that a blue wall cuts through the East stair about halfway to the Castle preventing access. They wait for the 13H to end and then decide on a stealthy approach to the castle, re-enacting Charity's approach of a few nights before. Charity has to carry Allagahn across the rock face since he's not very good at climbing, especially in the dark.
They gain entry to the castle at about 2:30 climbing in through what turns out to be the wrecked window of a smallish dining room. There is evidence of a fight here. Charity and Sorcha assume the forms of the demon guards they have seen and Charity leads the way towards the library on the third floor.
Unfortunately the guards on the third floor are not of the same form and want to know what they are doing there. Unable to produce a set of orders that would allow them entry the guards become suspecious, draw swords and advance, catching sight of Alfred and Allagahn as they descend. Raising the alarm they retreat up the stairs pursued by Sorcha and Allagahn. Charity turns and heads down staris as rapidly as possible, followed by Alfred.
Sorcha dispatches one of the guards before the arrival of reinforcements evens the odds and she's forced to retreat towards the stairs. Allagahn's arrival turns the tables and she kills two in quick succession, Allaganh dispatching the third. It's obvious she's much better with a sword that Allagahn is. They kill the remaining two guards on the floor and head for the libray.
Meanwhile Charity, followed by Alfred, heads for the pattern room pursued by a posse of guards. As they enter the "sink hole rim" and are forced to slow because of the lack of light, the guards appear to give up the chase. Charity stops running and starts a more cautious descent, suspecting that they've run into some form of trap.
Reaching the bottom she starts to cross towards the tunnel that leads to the pattern room. As she does so six guards exit from the first tunnel to their right. Chartity dives into the first tunnel on her left followed by Alfred. With no light and the use of any giving their position away they run into the tunnel wall as the turns sharpley to the right. Recovering from the blow Charity makes her way along the tunnel by touch, Alfred hanging onto her so they don't get seperated. A brightening in the tunnel behind them shows they're being pursued again. Charity takes the first tunnel she comes to and then the same again. They disappear from view just as the pursuing guards cross the first passage they took, passing by and dissapearing from sight. Charity moves a little further down the tunnel and then sits down to wait for things to quieten down.
Back on the third floor Allagahn enters the first suite he comes to, chucks a chair out the window and then runs past a stunned Sorcha towards the library. Reaching the library Allagahn looks for a place to hide, identifying the fireplace chimney as the most likely candidate. Sorcha decides to hide behind one of the sofa's.
With no immediate enemy visible the guards instigate a room by room search slowly closing in on the library. Sorcha has meanwhile retreated into one of the side rooms.
When the guards reach the library, Sorcha bides her time. As two of the guards enter simultaneously via each doorway, Sorcha kills the guard immediately on her left, and then spins killing the other guard whose closed her down. As the remaining guards call for reinforcements she exits back into the main room. The two guards there wait for reinforcements before attempting to close her down. She kills the single guard circling to her right behind the sofa and is then forced to vault over it, taking a wound to her leg, to avoid being surrounded. She retreats across the main room towards the side room on the other side. Allagahn remains hidden in the chimney.
With the guards backing her up and more arriving she takes a major risk, kills one of the pursuing guards, but takes a light wound to her sword arm, and another to her side. Realising she's going to be cornered, she kills the closest guard, taking another light wound, and turns to sprint through the side room.
As she exits the side room via the other doorway she catches the two guards that were trying to encircle her slightly unprepared, and skewers one, taking wound to her sword arm but managing to kill the second guard on the back stroke. She now makes a break for the corridor, and almost runs headlong in to a guard captain. He is bigger and more heavily armoured and uses his own talons rather than a weapon. With pain shooting through her right arm and blood running into her hand from the wound she recieved moments earlier, she is forced to switch the blade to her left hand.
The guard captain is also a match for her skill and she is forced to retreat down the corridor. She does inflict a light wound as he diverts his attention momentarily to send two of the guards the long way round to come in behind her and get the other three to fan out behind him.
As they reach the corner he cicles wide to avoid running into a sword. Realsing she's about to be cut off again, Sorcha sprints for the room diagonally to her left. She gets half way there before being raked by the captains talons, but does manage to inflict a heavy wound on his left arm in return. He orders the other three forward, dropping back himself, and giving Sorcha enough time to reach the door way. Rapidly tiring she looks for a way out, tips a chair into the path of the following guards, and dives through the window. As she falls she grows a pair of wings and glides down to the place on the bluff where she started from 4 hours previously. Secreting herself into the hollow she begins to heal her wounds.
With no further sounds of pursuit Charity and Alfred leave their hiding place and make their way back towards the main cavern.Unfortunately the number of guards has doubled and they've lit more lanterns increasing the light level considerable. With no viable means of sneaking across the cavern, Charity and Alfred are forced to retreat the way they've come. Not wishing to go too far as Charity has no idea where this tunnel leads, she takes the first tunnel on the right and then the same again, stopping first to light the lantern they find. As they descend and follow the passage they find themselves in a wine cellar. Charity decides it's time for a drink and long nap. They need to wait for the guards to cool off before trying the main cavern again.
Allagahn has meanwhile got tired of his cramped and uncomfortable hiding place and decides to see where the chimney leads. unfortunately the chimneys that join higher up are smaller, meaning the only way out would be the roof. He decides to go back down and explore the library.
He notices the number of bodies littered about but is intent on looking for the Book of Selheim.
Taking the lantern off the table, where it was placed earlier by one of the guards, he enters the side room to his left. Slumped in one of the reading chairs is the body of a female, who when alive would have been very attractive. Her clothes are torn, dishevelled, and blood stained, and her head lolls at a strange angle.
Searching the shelves it appears there's no real order to the books in here, as if people have just put them on any available shelf as they acquired them. After a fruitless hour Allagahn decides the pattern may be able to help and attempts to seek an old leather bound collection of parchments in this room, assuming that this is what the Book of Selheim resembles. After 40 minutes of concentration, he finds such a book but it's some ancient religious text in heiroglyphics. Drained by his exertions he decides to take a short nap.
He's awakened by a feeling of impending danger and tries to get back to his hiding place. Unfortunately he doesn't quite make it and his feet are seen retreating up the chimney. He's ordered to come out. He does so. There are six of the grunt guards and one guard sergeant waiting for him. He decides to fight.
It's not a quick fight, his two handed sword not really suitable for use against guards the broard swords and shields, but he does managed to wound each of the grunts who retire from the fight. he wittles them down until he's faced with just the two guard sergeants. They are more than a match for him and he's forced to surrender. They decide to beat him,more than a little, rendering him unconscous in the process. They then take him down stairs and toss him in a cell.
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