Pizazz's Ravenloft and Beyond

"That's ... a strange notion. He already promised us death or something worse. We and him are enemies to the last, he knows it and we know it. Neither expect any mercy - and would not accept either, at least I would not. What else can he do? There is a law of ... ruling if you will: do not push your subjects to the line when they have nothing to loose anymore. Or anyone - friend or enemy, for that matter. One who has nothing to loose is uncontrollable. He took everything from me and I know my fate: either I will kill him, or he will kill me. There is no room for fear anymore."

"Meepo go." Meepo agrees, ready to move out.

Ismark gives Lionel an embrace, still filled with joy, "Do not mind the gloomy elf my friends. We have had a great victory. I can feel success within our grasps!"  

Kasimir shakes his head, his face full of defeat, "Let us move, or this mountain will do Strahd's job for him."

With the icy wind and blowing snow, and the darkness falling across the land, Kasimir's words about the weather do indeed feel true. You gone from cold autumn weather to frigid arctic in just a few hours of hiking, and there is now blowing snow against the cliff face, ice chunks hanging from the cliffs beside you, and little shelter from the piercing cold. Kasimir does not seem bothered in the least by the weather, but Ismark pulls out an extra cloak and wraps it around himself, and the rest of are starting to feel frigid.  Hands and feet are numb, faces are burning in the cold wind. Bodies have ridges of snow in the wrinkles of their clothes.

You eventually find yourselves out of the swirling mists. It's now properly night. To your left, the icy cliffs rise sharply toward black, rolling clouds. To your right, the ground falls away into a sea of fog. Ahead, through the wind and snow, you see a high wall of black stone lined with spikes and topped by statues ofdemonic vultures with horned heads. Set in the center of the wall is a closed iron port­cullis, behind which burns a curtain of green flame.  On the other side of the dark wall, gripping the moun­tain's edge, is a guard tower of white stone topped by golden statues of mighty warriors.  The gatehouse is 30 feet high, while the walls that block the path are 20 feet high.

(OOC: Here is an image of the approach. DragonDenn, it's just a view of the wall, portcullis, and gate house, perched on narrow flat area on the side of a cliff. )

At some point of that freezing ascendance Lionel had to admit, that he was a bit ahead of himself declaring that "nothing worse can be done". He did not share his doubts with Kasimir, though, the elf looked enough down as he was.

The Temple (building sure looked way too evil to be anything else) was definitely impressive. Should it be a little warmer around, Lionel might even feel some uneasiness, if not fear. But when you are frozen half to death, feelings are getting as numb as body parts.

"I wish I was a true angel, Ismark, and now more than usual - I would be able to bring us over that wall. As of now we are left with the climbing because something tells me, simple knocking on the door would not do the trick. Unless there is a secret entrance somewhere?" He looked at Kasimir. "It there?"

Kasimir shrugs his shoulder, "I have not been to the temple in decades. Last time I came this way, this was not here. You could simple pass by the white watch tower just beyond, then head across the bridge over Tsolenka pass, and continue into the mountains to the temple. There was no wall with vultures, no portcullis, and no green flames barring the way." 

This black stone wall that bars the way looks to be...at least a hundred years old, it seems almost built out of the mountain. To imagine that Kasimir was here last...before this wall even existed makes your mind bend in strange ways.

But as you stride forward to consider climbing over the wall, when you get within ten feet the sound of metal on metal begins and the portcullis begins opening on its own volition.  Thirty seconds of grinding shrieking metal later and the portcullis clangs to a halt, open.  Before you stands the gap, and green flames raging within the pathway. 

(How big is the gap and can we see the other side? And btw, how is Olin doing?)

Meepo frowns at the green flames.  Does he recognize anything about them?

Arcana: 14

The passage through the wall is 10 feet wide, and 10 feet deep. The green flame fills the far side of the 10 foot passage. It is difficult to see through the flame, but it appears as if the road continues, curving around the mountain, and you can just make out the outline of the base of the white tower to the right of the road, perhaps 20 feet past the otherside of the wall. 

Meepo frowns....green flames...green flames.....well...he believes there is at least one other spell that has green flames. The flames leap from blade to foe. The flames burn as any other flames in that spell.  Otherwise, Meepo doesn't recognize anything in particular. 

Olin has his hood pulled up, so it's been difficult to check on him.  He did use some healing on his neck, but he has been very quiet and his face was troubled after the battle. Health wise though, he should be ok, unless the bite had any lingering effects.  

"I can move on the other side and bring someone with me. But only once, I am afraid. Although... This is an interesting question - whether or not the power of Misty Step would allow us to simply pile up on my shoulders and get to the other side."

(technically, it does not specify anything weight/size/number wise. So, if we form a pyramid with Lionel at the bottom of it, may be he can bring it over? :) )

(OOC: lol.  Um, funny image in my head.  But...no, I don't think that works.  Unless a spell allows you to target more than one person, carrying people doesn't work, they just don't get teleported with you. So you can't even bring 1 other person with you on a Misty Step.)

"Meepo can go other side too." Meepo says as well.  (He has misty step too.)  "Maybe way to turn off fire?"  He moves into the tunnel a bit to have a closer look at things.

Investigation: 19

Mordekai sees the flames, and thinks for a moment.  "I can also take myself and one other person through.  But maybe... No, I doubt it... Hmm...  Worth a try, though."

Mordekai casts Darkness on the flames and waits to see if it has any effect.

(OOC: Last line of Darkness spell wording: "If any of this spell's area overlaps with an area of light created by a spell of 2nd level or lower, the spell that created the light is dispelled."  Clutching at straws, and depends on your interpretation of "an area of light created by a spell" and also it being 2nd level or lower.  Let's give it a shot before moving to using Mordekai's spell slots!)

(Would not argue, of course, just though if all equipment goes, why not a living being in the bag too? :) )

Meepo spends a few moments under the portcullis examining the space. There is a bit of scorched and burnt bits of bone and wood laying on the ground on this side of the green flame, as if a few things had been tossed through. If they weren't on fire before they went through, the fire certainly did it's job.  There's also what appears to be some bits of bones..scorched and burned.  Something died in this fire.  He can also feel the heat of the green flame from a few feet away. The walls are smooth and there don't appear to be any mechanisms, marks, or secret levers that he can see.  As he backs away, Mordekai's darkness spell smothers the area in a deep blackness.   Mordekai, you can see the green flame is still flickering within the blackness. 

So, Mordekai, Meepo, and Lionel can all misty step through, leaving only Ismark and Kasimir on this side. 

Ismark shrugs, "Perhaps one of you can use your magical teleportation to go up and tie a rope to that spike to make it easier to climb, then myself and Kasimir can climb up, toss the rope down the other side, and climb down." 

(Mordekai has Dimension Door now, not Misty Step, so he can take someone with him.  Or Thunder Step, but I don't think we want the sound effects!  Wish I'd taken Dispel Magic instead of Counterspell now though.)

"Meepo, I think it's worth taking a look to see if there's any way to dispel the magic from the other side.  But if we have to use a rope, I'd be tempted to also use the rope myself rather than drain my energy getting over a wall."

(You just had to suggest that rope trick! :) )

"Good idea, Ismark, we can do that." Lionel checked if his 50ft rope in the backpack and Mist-step to the top of the wall.

Lionel appears at the top of the thick black stone wall near one of the stone spikes sticking from above it.  From here he can see clearly the other side of the wall and the white tower. He turns his back and begins affixing the rope around the spike on the wall.  As he tosses it down, the high pitched metal grinding can again be heard as the portcullis begins to close of it's own volition.  Lionel, the wind and blowing snow aside, you also hear a strange grinding noise and turn just in time to see that the strange vulture statues atop the wall have turned into living creatures, and they look very hostile as they're demonic eyes glare at you.  

One of them opens up his beak and lets forth a horrific screech that echoes across the mountain side.  (Lionel, DC 14 Con saving throw or be stunned until the end of the creatures next turn.)

They appear to be a giant hybrid of a humanoid and a vulture, their gnarled, bestial bodies and broad wings stink of offal. 

Roll init. 

Creatures: 12 

If you go before them, take your turn.  Wall is 20 feet high, and they're atop it along with Lionel. 

Mordekai Initiative: 8

(I'm assuming Hex has worn off by now) Mordekai will recast Hex on one of the vulture-things, and will send a couple of bolts of Eldritch Blast in its direction.

Attack: 25 Damage: 10 + 3 Hex damage.

Attack: 24 Damage: 9 + 5 Hex damage. 

Lionel's initiative: 3

 Ignore the rolls above, Lionel is stunned by the horror of these creatures.

Con save: 14

Meepo initiative: 5