evil underfoot
We surveyed the carnage. The jackel-wares had been killed and the coachman had finally be given the justice of Ezra. The guards arrived, too late to help in anything but the clean up. As the vines from Peotr's spell disappeared we noticed that Kelios had gone missing. Two of the guards started tracking a trail of blood as we tried to catch our breath and sort out what had happened. We had barely time to calm down when we heard cries for help coming from the alley where the guards were investigating. We rushed into the night and almost over ran a pair of jackel-wares and the bodies of the two loyal guards. The fight was short and we emerged almost without a scratch. During the fight I was able to hear a metallic scraping and as the last jackel-ware fell, we discovered a sewer grate hidden in the fog.
With barely a second thought I was able to lift the lid from it's place and leap into the sewers below. Although the light was dim, I was able to find Kelios's silver dagger, dropped in the muck. I retrieved it and set off following an obvious trail through the filth. The trail twisted through the sewers and eventually arrived at a door. Hope surged! Perhaps we had found the den of the ripper and we could end this once and for all. I burst through the door and ran into inspector Logan...or rather, the body of inspector Logan. I had but a moment to see his lifeless, ashen eyes as he moved towards me. I batted him aside and turned my attention to the room before me.
Kelios lay upon a table, with a well dressed man leaning over her. He held a strange vial in one hand and was moving towards her. Alive or not, I could not let this person touch my cousin. I rushed at him although he avoided my blows. He hissed at us to stop, to allow him to help Kelios. I stayed my blows and listened to him since even a quick glance was all that was needed to tell me that Kelios was no longer amoung the living. The well dressed man leaned over her and then rippled and changed form. As he worked his strange ways upon her his formed changed many times. A well dressed man, a woman, a beggar, and so on. Finally the colour started to return to Kelios, her eyes opened and she started to breath. As she regained her strength the creature started to tell his tale. His name was Sojah and he was responsible for the current rash of killings. He had come into possession of a magic knife that he called 'Bloody Jack'. It seems that the knife gave the possessor great powers and a great curse. It had curses him with the continual shape shifting and gifted him with a healing touch. But the knife demanded blood, every 13 years, it must take 13 lives. He claimed that they normally fed the blade the blood of criminals and those who would not be missed, but that was not the case this time. He had given the knife to Rojah, and asked him to feed it. But his mind had snapped and he had started killing in the streets. And tonight was a critical night. For with the 6th killing the knife granted it's blessing and curse upon the wielder. And the knife would apparently enjoy brutality, the greater the pain and the more blood, the better the reward. When pressed more, he revealed that if the knife was not fed then the 'creature of the knife' would escape. I tended to believe that he was justifying his killings, but now was not the time to press such an issue. He informed us that he had his 2 assistants watching us and when he saw Kelios fall he knew that this would be his best chance to gather our help. He demonstrated his healing touch upon us, and even offered us a boon if we would help retrieve the knife. I was the only one to decline such a boon, as the touch of evil was not something I would suffer willingly. The creature was able to impart a small portion of his shape changing ability to my companions, although I wonder how much their souls have shifted as well. We agreed to stop the killings and return the knife to him. And then he laid his trick upon us. He had hidden a device inside Kelios that would end her life in 24 hours. He could remove the device, but would only do so if we returned the knife before then. I should have followed my heart and slew the beast when I had a chance. For now we work for the evil, although once Kelios is out of danger there will be a reckoning. We left the filthy place and started to piece together what we knew. Although the creature was not able to tell us where the ripper would strike next, we found a fragment of a letter on the latest victim that seemed to point the way towards a costume party that would be held that night at the bloodhaven estate. We would get some rest and make our plans in the morning.
We gathered for breakfast in the inn and discussed our plans. Bernard had a meeting with a lord Zurchis and assured us that he would be given access to the man's armoury. Peotr had some leads to track on his own and Kelios seemed content to recover her goods from the guard house. As we ate I looked around at the other patrons. They all had a strange sleepy look, and their actions were of people who had been drugged. They all ate the same thin gruel that the sons had served before. However, we had been given a full meal; bread, meats, cheese. The two sons seemed to pay particular attention to our needs. Could these be the two assistants that the sewer beast had mentioned? I could trust no one now. Even my companions could be tainted by the touch of the evil one.
The meeting with lord Zurchis could be classified as entertaining, had we not had a more urgent matter. The man could power a windmill with his incessant talking. He finally directed us to the armoury and then lost interest and wandered away. We searched for 2 hours and found more rotted and rusted weapons than I ever imagined existed. We were able to find a mail shirt and a buckler for Bernard however, so the trip was not a complete loss.
We returned to the guard house to collect our reward and were surprised to find that the coachman had been added to the tally. Even split between us it was a tidy sum. Having remembered the trouble that I had with the townsfolk on previous occasions, I had everyone deputized and issued with badges to prove it. And once again we discovered that evil does not sleep. The shape changer, doctor Arturus, whom we had captured earlier, had somehow escaped. Still we could not dwell on his departure now, the ripper was our main concern. We scouted the bloodhaven estate to get the lay of the land and try to figure out a plan for getting inside.
It was Kelios who finally opened our eyes. She suggested that doctor arcturus would have been invited to such a party and that perhaps we could find and use his invitations. We returned to the doctors home and quickly found the invitation. Although it only permitted two of us inside, Kelios was able to create another copy. Now we all had access. We had our way in, now we just needed the proper attire. Since it was a costume party the answer was quick in coming. Peotr would go as himself and Kelios would play the part of the warrior woman. I would dress as lord Dorvin, the 7th paladin and Bernard would disguise himself as a woman. It was hoped that his disguise would attract the ripper and keep the innocent out of harms way.
I prayed for our safety as we headed off to the bloodhaven estate.
With barely a second thought I was able to lift the lid from it's place and leap into the sewers below. Although the light was dim, I was able to find Kelios's silver dagger, dropped in the muck. I retrieved it and set off following an obvious trail through the filth. The trail twisted through the sewers and eventually arrived at a door. Hope surged! Perhaps we had found the den of the ripper and we could end this once and for all. I burst through the door and ran into inspector Logan...or rather, the body of inspector Logan. I had but a moment to see his lifeless, ashen eyes as he moved towards me. I batted him aside and turned my attention to the room before me.
Kelios lay upon a table, with a well dressed man leaning over her. He held a strange vial in one hand and was moving towards her. Alive or not, I could not let this person touch my cousin. I rushed at him although he avoided my blows. He hissed at us to stop, to allow him to help Kelios. I stayed my blows and listened to him since even a quick glance was all that was needed to tell me that Kelios was no longer amoung the living. The well dressed man leaned over her and then rippled and changed form. As he worked his strange ways upon her his formed changed many times. A well dressed man, a woman, a beggar, and so on. Finally the colour started to return to Kelios, her eyes opened and she started to breath. As she regained her strength the creature started to tell his tale. His name was Sojah and he was responsible for the current rash of killings. He had come into possession of a magic knife that he called 'Bloody Jack'. It seems that the knife gave the possessor great powers and a great curse. It had curses him with the continual shape shifting and gifted him with a healing touch. But the knife demanded blood, every 13 years, it must take 13 lives. He claimed that they normally fed the blade the blood of criminals and those who would not be missed, but that was not the case this time. He had given the knife to Rojah, and asked him to feed it. But his mind had snapped and he had started killing in the streets. And tonight was a critical night. For with the 6th killing the knife granted it's blessing and curse upon the wielder. And the knife would apparently enjoy brutality, the greater the pain and the more blood, the better the reward. When pressed more, he revealed that if the knife was not fed then the 'creature of the knife' would escape. I tended to believe that he was justifying his killings, but now was not the time to press such an issue. He informed us that he had his 2 assistants watching us and when he saw Kelios fall he knew that this would be his best chance to gather our help. He demonstrated his healing touch upon us, and even offered us a boon if we would help retrieve the knife. I was the only one to decline such a boon, as the touch of evil was not something I would suffer willingly. The creature was able to impart a small portion of his shape changing ability to my companions, although I wonder how much their souls have shifted as well. We agreed to stop the killings and return the knife to him. And then he laid his trick upon us. He had hidden a device inside Kelios that would end her life in 24 hours. He could remove the device, but would only do so if we returned the knife before then. I should have followed my heart and slew the beast when I had a chance. For now we work for the evil, although once Kelios is out of danger there will be a reckoning. We left the filthy place and started to piece together what we knew. Although the creature was not able to tell us where the ripper would strike next, we found a fragment of a letter on the latest victim that seemed to point the way towards a costume party that would be held that night at the bloodhaven estate. We would get some rest and make our plans in the morning.
We gathered for breakfast in the inn and discussed our plans. Bernard had a meeting with a lord Zurchis and assured us that he would be given access to the man's armoury. Peotr had some leads to track on his own and Kelios seemed content to recover her goods from the guard house. As we ate I looked around at the other patrons. They all had a strange sleepy look, and their actions were of people who had been drugged. They all ate the same thin gruel that the sons had served before. However, we had been given a full meal; bread, meats, cheese. The two sons seemed to pay particular attention to our needs. Could these be the two assistants that the sewer beast had mentioned? I could trust no one now. Even my companions could be tainted by the touch of the evil one.
The meeting with lord Zurchis could be classified as entertaining, had we not had a more urgent matter. The man could power a windmill with his incessant talking. He finally directed us to the armoury and then lost interest and wandered away. We searched for 2 hours and found more rotted and rusted weapons than I ever imagined existed. We were able to find a mail shirt and a buckler for Bernard however, so the trip was not a complete loss.
We returned to the guard house to collect our reward and were surprised to find that the coachman had been added to the tally. Even split between us it was a tidy sum. Having remembered the trouble that I had with the townsfolk on previous occasions, I had everyone deputized and issued with badges to prove it. And once again we discovered that evil does not sleep. The shape changer, doctor Arturus, whom we had captured earlier, had somehow escaped. Still we could not dwell on his departure now, the ripper was our main concern. We scouted the bloodhaven estate to get the lay of the land and try to figure out a plan for getting inside.
It was Kelios who finally opened our eyes. She suggested that doctor arcturus would have been invited to such a party and that perhaps we could find and use his invitations. We returned to the doctors home and quickly found the invitation. Although it only permitted two of us inside, Kelios was able to create another copy. Now we all had access. We had our way in, now we just needed the proper attire. Since it was a costume party the answer was quick in coming. Peotr would go as himself and Kelios would play the part of the warrior woman. I would dress as lord Dorvin, the 7th paladin and Bernard would disguise himself as a woman. It was hoped that his disguise would attract the ripper and keep the innocent out of harms way.
I prayed for our safety as we headed off to the bloodhaven estate.
posted by groodude at 10:07 a.m.
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