Play@YSDC

Chapter the Thirteenth: A Modern Pilgrimage; Or, A Four Days' Journey

There being no apparent need for haste, and some reason for caution, the party makes plans for a leisurely excursion to Canterbury, such as might have happened in the time of Chaucer.

Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially from every shires ende
Of engelond to caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.

To wit: From London to Dartford; then to Rochester, with its memories of strange events; then to Ospringe; finally to Canterbury and its renowned cathedral, this last leg of the journey being by far the shortest, allowing sufficient time for whatever activities may prove necessary.

Your Presenter will draw a veil upon the tearful farewells which pass between Doctor North and Miss Carrow, as they whisper promises never again to be parted once this hazardous business is completed.

The first day's journey is made without incident. Lodging is secured at the Royal Oak, a small inn in Dartford, said to have housed Henry VIII at one time; but whether this be truth or fancy, the accommodations are simple ones, the gentlemen in one room and the ladies in the other.
In the middle of the night a loud crashing sound wakes all. As Doctor North and Ivan quickly light candles to investigate, they are astonished to see a figure, resembling a human being of small size and gnarly features, bursting through the wooden floor from the earth below. The creature, albeit of diminutive stature, appears to be mighty of limb and in a state of excessive choler. The gentleman have a moment to react before the ladies arrive, if indeed they choose to do so.

Ines shall certainly rise to investigate the sound, though she will call through the door rather than open it at once. "Dr North? Ivan? Is all well?"

Lila has dagger in hand, listening for further sounds of disturbance.

Henry springs to the door to open it for the ladies while Ivan draws his sword and takes up a position to protect them. "I believe this angry dwarf is the guardian of Earth," he says, brandishing his cane. "Perhaps we can use the elements against each other. Earth may turn to mud when exposed to Water, or Fire could burn it away." He looks around for a bucket of water or the like.

Following Doctor North's line of reasoning, Lila dashes back to her room to retrieve the basin of washing water.

Lacking an immediate means to produce fire, Ines throws open the window to let in the late winter air.

The dwarfish creature, now thoroughly soaked by the water from the basin, appears unharmed, but even more furious than before. Its face turns bright red and it shouts, in a voice louder and deeper than one would expect from its size, words in no familiar tongue.

The bold attempt by Ines to make use of the night air also appears to have been of no value.

From the pocket of its waistcoat -- the creature being arrayed in human-like clothing of surprisingly fine quality -- it takes out a small pebble and tosses it at the adventurers.
Its aim is true. The weapon would seem a harmless one, but it produces an unexpected effect on Doctor North as it strikes that gentleman on the chest.
Although apparently uninjured, Doctor North suddenly feels very weak.

Lila backs away, studying the preternatural figure in an attempt to discern what manner of creature it may be.

There does not seem to be anything in the bold Demon Hunter's experience to compare with this strange being.

Meanwhile, having apparently deduced that the human beings amongst which it finds itself speak English, the creature has left off its own language (which seems to resemble some archaic Celtic tongue) for that manner of speech, albeit heavily accented.

"Ye stole me treasure, and I wants it back!"

It withdraws another pebble from its waistcoat.

"Light a torch," says Henry, and Ivan complies. Henry has always been a resilient man, but the tiny stone has weakened him so that he is no tougher than an average man, or slightly less. He addresses the dwarf. "Your treasure? Do you mean the lump of tin?"

"So it be, as ye well know, ye blackguard," the creature shouts, shaking a tiny fist.

"Many people take tin from the ground, sir," says Ines trying to sound polite. "Why does this piece mean more to you?"

"Them as takes knows sufficient to leave fair payment," comes the churlish reply. Then, as if it has grown tired of conversation, the creature hurls another pebble at the party.
Whether it be a matter of fate, or whether the being bears a particular grudge against Doctor North, that unfortunate gentleman once again bears the brunt of this preternatural attack.
After this second attack, Doctor North is visibly pale and shaken; although, thanks to the blessing of sound wind and limb, not yet incapacitated.

It would appear that diplomacy is of little value in this situation. The creature reverts to its own strange language, as if it no longer wishes to communicate with the adventurers. Whether it can be destroyed, driven off, subdued, or appeased in some manner, is a matter of great concern at this juncture.

"The tin represents earth," Lila exclaims. "If this is truly one of the four guardians then perhaps the only way to appease it is with one of the four elemental objects we collected to break Tom's curse."

"We still have need of those," says Henry, noticably weaker, "but I have an idea of what might appease the guardian." He turns to face the dwarf again. "You have made your point, sir. I apologize. I did not realize that you required payment, but I would be glad to pay you now. What would you consider fair payment?"

The creature stands up as tall as it can, and assumes the posture of one about to recite.

"I must have me gold! But not just any gold, mind ye. Riddle me this, if ye be so wise.

"What gold is it that is born as white as snow, flowing like water? That grows hard, yet more desirable, as it ages? That graces the tables of kings and peasants, yet may be stolen by rats or tossed to cats?"

"You speak of cheese," says Henry. "When born as milk, it is white as snow, flowing like water. Later it hardens into golden cheese, which kings, peasants, rats, and cats all eat. As do I, from time to time. Very well, you shall have your cheese."

The creature bows low, apparently satisfied and of eager appetite.

Henry hands Ivan some money. "Go downstairs and purchase some cheese for our guest," he instructs. The burly servant nods and sets out to do so.

These arrangements being made, the strange visitor consumes, with evident relish, far more cheese than an ordinary mortal would be able to devour. Following this unusual meal, it disappears from whence it came, leaving no trace of damage to the floor of the inn, apparently as a sign of good will.

Our adventurers having been distracted, to say the least, by this encounter, they only now become aware that Tom has remained in a state of deep slumber throughout. It seems likely that the nature of the curse placed upon him renders him so whenever one of the so-called guardians is about, rendering him incapable of offering any form of aid.

After a time of well-earned rest, the party continues to Rochester, a city with which they are quite familiar. All seems well, and the day passes pleasantly. Much discussion ensues as to whether the three remaining guardians, if Fate decrees that such be met, will prove as amenable to simple bribery as the first.

The coach is about to cross the river Medway and enter the city when the driver suddenly pulls on the reins, turning the horses aside, and avoiding the bridge to Rochester. The Medway being quite wide, there is no obvious other way to cross it. Despite the dismayed cries of the passengers, he drives the coach to the very edge of the water, at a place where it runs particularly swift and deep. As if under some compulsion, he leaps down from the coach, heedless of his steeds, and runs into the river until he is waist-deep in the water.

As if all this were not startling enough, a woman, as innocent of clothing as Eve before the Fall, rises from the river. She would be considered of extraordinary beauty by most observers, were it not for the fact that her skin is of a very pale blue color, much as the belly of certain fishes, and her wild and tangled hair, long enough to provide as much modesty as any would require, is of a shade of green so dark as to be nearly black. She embraces the driver and kisses him, in as passionate a manner as if there were none to witness. After releasing the fellow, he collapses into the water and is seen no more.

The woman leaves the river and approaches the adventurers with remarkable speed. For a moment she glances at the ladies, her sapphire-colored eyes blazing with disdain. She then turns her attention to the gentlemen, nearing them with a smile.

If one had time to notice, one would realize that Tom has fallen into a deep sleep, and cannot be roused.

"Light torches," Henry says to Ivan, who proceeds to do so. Then he addresses the guardian of Water. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but my heart belongs to another."

With an angry, cat-like hiss and a wave of her lovely hand, the woman preternaturally extinguishes the torches. Upon close examination, they are seen to be soaking wet, and cannot be ignited again. If nothing else, however, this attempt has won the adventurers some time to respond, as the woman has been delayed in her intended actions by her intense hatred of (but apparent ability to easily destroy) fire.

As the woman seems to ignore the ladies as unworthy of her attention, Miss Davenport has a moment to consider what manner of being the party is confronting.
Unfortunately, she does not have any relevant experience or knowledge of such a one.

Are the company of adventurers the only passengers aboard the coach, or are there others (whom one might imagine not being protected by the love borne by Dr North or the loyalty borne by Ivan)?

On the chance that this evidently preternatural being may be vulnerable to pure iron, Lila draws her iron dagger and places herself defiantly between the watery figure and the men, apparently her intended victims. "Return our driver to us or be destroyed."

Perhaps it is surprising that the woman responds with a sly smile.

In a voice which one of poetical nature might compare to the sound of rain, she replies "As you wish, daughter of Eve."

Glancing back at the Medway, she gestures at the roiling river with both hands raised. From its waters arises the driver, his flesh dead white and bloated, his eyes turned up so that only the whites are visible. He shambles towards the party, his arms held out like a blind man. Leeches cling to the exposed parts of his face and body, to which he apparently pays no mind.

Ines slips her brass knuckles onto her fingers, presuming the intent of this apparition to be hostile.

While fascinated by the walking corpse, Henry is all too aware of the danger. He draws his pistol, which while most likely useless against the Water guardian, may prove to be effective against the cadaver should it turn hostile. Ivan unsheathes his sword from the cane he carries without being told.

Whilst the adventurers prepare themselves in such manner, and the seemingly drowned man approaches, the woman gazes with great intensity at one of the gentleman.
It is apparent that Doctor North's heartfelt protests of True Love are of no concern to the woman. A battle of wills begins.
Doctor North has a vision of the woman as the most desirable creature in the world; but summoning all the strength of his soul, he is able to resist, at least for the moment, the wish to follow her to a watery grave. As this requires an enormous effort of will, he is unable to take any other action while the woman prepares to cast another spell of preternatural seduction.

Meanwhile, the walking corpse nears the ladies. He grunts unintelligibly, large amounts of water dripping from his mouth.
He approaches Miss Davenport, his bloated hands raised in a threatening gesture.

Trusting in the demon hunter's abilty to defend herself, Ines plants herself firmly between the water-woman the men, and asks her directly, "Why are you interested in it? Is it because of the dew?"

"You have stolen my blood, daughter of Eve, and I will have your mate."

She prepares to cast her enchantment once again.

Her attention occupied by the shambling revenant, Lila strikes with her dagger.

The driver collapses to the ground, his flesh already showing signs of decomposition.

VictoriaSilverwolf wrote:"You have stolen my blood, daughter of Eve, and I will have your mate."

She prepares to cast her enchantment once again.

"I have no mate," Ines replied. "Neither of these men would balance any scale of theft. There must be another price."

Henry struggles to keep his thoughts focused on Elizabeth. hoping that will help him to resist the enchantment. Ivan takes hold of him to prevent him from heading towards the water.

The woman does not reply to the words spoken by Ines, her attention returning to the two men.
Once again she attempts to cast her spell upon Doctor North.
Although Doctor North shows some signs of faltering in his concentration, it is fortunate that the woman's preternatural skills have also failed her. If one may borrow a term from the game of chess, the situation remains a stalemate. The party has time to make a response before this battle for the soul continues.

The water woman's callous killing of the coachman and refusal to listen to Ines' plea leads Lila to the conclusion that, unlike the earth guardian, this demon will not be appeased, and must be destroyed before it can kill others. Lila swings around and attacks with her dagger.

With the instinct of a true hunter, Miss Davenport slashes boldly at the creature with her pair of daggers; the one of pure iron, and the other blessed against evil spirits. Although this does not cause any obvious wounds, the blades passing through the woman's body as they would through water, the combination of their enchantments causes the being to vanish with a piercing scream. It is a remarkable fact that the daggers themselves melt away like so much morning dew.

No doubt the party will wish to make their melancholy way to Rochester, there to recover from this encounter.

While relieved to have escaped without further bloodshed, Lila bemoans the loss of her daggers, particularly the blessed weapon. At least she still has her silver dagger but will visit a blacksmith in Rochester at the earliest opportunity in order to replace the iron one. "Ivan, I hope you will be able to drive our coach the rest of the way."

Ivan nods.

"Yes, Ivan can drive the coach," says Henry. "Thank you for stopping her. I might otherwise have ended up like our poor erstwhile coachman."

"Until this pilgrimmage is over, we should always make sure you are not alone," says Ines. "Both guardians chose you as their target."

OOC:   The Gypsy girl has no way of knowing that this is mere coincidence, and her supersitious heart would see a pattern that may well repeat.

A replacement for the iron dagger is obtained, not without some peculiar glances from the blacksmith.

While resting for a time in Rochester, the party hears Tom make this odd pronouncement.

"Two's greater than one, a-hey, but lesser than three. Four's most of all."

What might be the meaning of this statement, other than its obvious arithmetical accuracy, is difficult to say. Further questioning does not yield any clarification.

After a peaceful night's sleep, the party proceeds to Ospringe. The day is warm, with not a cloud to be seen nor a breeze to be felt. Such, at least, is the case until the adventurers reach a grassy area not far from their destination. Then, seemingly from nowhere, a mighty wind shakes the coach to the point where caution dictates that it be brought to a halt. Loud thunderclaps crash; curiously, there are still no clouds to be seen. One is reminded of Lear's speech upon the heath.

Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!
You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout
Till you have drench’d our steeples, drown’d the cocks!
You sulphurous and thought-executing fires,
Vaunt-couriers to oak-cleaving thunderbolts,
Singe my white head! And thou, all-shaking thunder,
Strike flat the thick rotundity o’ the world!
Crack nature’s moulds, all germens spill at once
That make ingrateful man!

It is an inconvenient fact that there is no obvious shelter to be found in this open area. As if the impending storm, if such it be, were not enough of a problem, the horses neigh nervously and threaten to bolt.

"You're good with horses," Henry says to Ines. "Perhaps you can keep them calm. We may need to abandon the coach and ride the horses. It's the only way we can get somewhere we might find shelter quickly."

Ines attempts to do as Dr North suggests.

OOC:   Rolling separately for each horse: Charisma 10 +1 Animal Husbandry SunlessNick rolled 1D20: 12, failure SunlessNick rolled 1D20: 1, success

OOC:   If there are four horses: SunlessNick rolled 1D20: 6, success SunlessNick rolled 1D20: 10, success

One of the horses is panicked beyond Ines's ability, but she manages to exert a calming influence on the remainder.

Lila looks around the grassy area warily, these events portending some sinister unseen supernatural presence. Like a spirit of air, perhaps...

"We do have the bellows, in case the guardian of Air should show itself," adds Henry.

The party will need to quickly decide which two among them will share a single horse among the three available, before the approaching windstorm renders them incapable of mounting the steeds.

"Ivan's too big to share a horse," says Henry as they mount up, "but I have a small frame and can share with one of the ladies."

It seems logical that Ines, with her skill dealing with animals, should ride with the passive Tom behind her, leading the others to safety, whilst Doctor North and Miss Davenport ride together (propriety not being a primary concern at this juncture.)

As the three steeds and their riders head for shelter, the extraordinary wind follows, as if pursuing them. It pushes hard, directly against the horses, no matter which way they may be turned, as if possessed of intelligence.
Perhaps because it bears an extra burden, the horse bearing Doctor North and Miss Davenport becomes recalcitrant when faced with the wind it cannot escape. The two riders attempt to regain control of the beast.
Through sheer force of will, Doctor North is barely able to force the animal forward. The wind continues to blast away, sending leaves soaring through the air, and even knocking down small trees. The party is able to make its way to Ospringe and find shelter for themselves and the horses at a small inn.

The storm grows stronger. Soon people are knocked down if they dare to leave their houses. Windows -- an expensive luxury! -- are destroyed, and the dust of the street blows everywhere, causing much coughing and blindness.

"The end of the world," remarks the innkeeper gloomily, as a particularly powerful blast of air bashes the door of his establishment wide open, even though it be barred against such.

A whirlwind enters the inn, for all the world as if it were a human being seeking victuals and company. As it swirls in a mad dance, like the fabled Dervishes, small objects in the room are tossed about, causing many of the assembled guests to duck their heads in terror. Even chairs and tables are moved about the room in a chaotic manner, leading to no little injury to those unfortunate enough to be in their way. It blocks the only exit to the inn, those attempting to bypass it being thrown to the ground by its force.

"I am not sure a pair of bellows will be of use against this," Lila remarks. She backs away toward the fireplace.

Henry and Ivan follow hastily. "We could try to reason with it," says Henry. "The other guardians could communicate, so presumably this one can too. They don't always listen to reason, though. If that's the case here, the bellows is the only idea I can think of at the moment." He gets it ready, just in case.

Dr North's suggestion can but be attempted. "Will you speak you us?" Ines asks the whirlwind directly. Perhaps we can right any wrong done to you."

Among the persons within the inn there is an elderly fellow, with the look of a scholar, who had been perusing a large and heavy book before the entry of the whirlwind. Apparently aware of the preternatural nature of the phenomenon, he shouts out to the others "One of Faery cannot bear to hear its name spoken! This being's name must be--"

At that moment the whirlwind picks up the book and dashes it at the man's head, knocking him senseless. It makes no response to any attempt to communicate with it, although this action indicates that it is aware of what is said. It seems likely that in a moment it will make a similar kind of attack upon the party.

"Protect us, Ivan!" says Henry, handing his servant the bellows. He then rushes over to the fallen scholar and tries to revive him in the hopes that he will tell them the being's name.

As if it were no more than a plaything, the whirlwind snatches the bellows from Ivan's mighty grip and tosses it against the wall. Clearly this being is of great strength!

The injured man is restored, but only to a half-sensible state, unable to communicate with words. He feebly points to the fallen book, which proves to be -- oh, tragic irony! -- an edition of The Tempest by William Shakespeare.

"Ariel!" shouts Henry, reasoning that that could be the whirlwind's name, as there is a similar being by that name in the play.

With a sound halfway between a human shriek and a howling wind, the whirlwind vanishes, leaving a room much disturbed but at peace. After some effort, the scholarly gentleman is returned to a normal state of health. When the necessary cleaning up is completed, the landlord and his guests retire for the evening, to enjoy a well-deserved rest.

The next day's journey is a short one. If the past be any guide, it appears likely that the final encounter with a so-called guardian will be even more hazardous than the first three. The party may make such arrangements as seem necessary, taking into consideration the fact that the coach was left behind during the encounter with the windstorm.

"Few would have dared the night of such a storm," says Ines. "There is a small chance the coach is as we left it."

"Yes, we should go check," agrees Henry. "We may need that bag of sand when we face the guardian of Fire, and if it's gone, we should replace it."

Given the short distance to Canterbury, the party has sufficient time to recover their equipment from the abandoned couch and still reach that famed city by the late afternoon of the next day.

Upon reaching the cathedral, arrangements are made to expose Tom to the four substances obtained at such risk, in the hopes that this might lift the curse from which he suffers. As best as can be told from the fellow's muddled speech, this must be done within the building to be effective.

As the final preparations are made, and the adventurers are about to enter the cathedral, a peculiar sound is heard from high above. It is not unlike the roar of a great wind, as recently encountered so memorably; yet it is not accompanied by any signs of a disturbance in the weather. Looking skyward curiously, one can detect what appears to be a flying creature of remarkable size, as if a whale had taken to the heavens. It directs its flight downward with considerable speed, landing between the party and the cathedral, much to the alarm of the various persons about.

Once upon the ground, the creature is revealed to be a winged reptile, perhaps half a dozen ells in length from its blunt snout to its pointed tail. The upper portion of its body is covered with green and gold scales, as if it were bejeweled. Its eyes blaze like rubies.

A cleric rushes forth from the cathedral, shouting at the creature. It turns its long, sinuous neck so that its head faces the fellow, inhales deeply, and emits a blast of fire at him. The unfortunate man is reduced to ashes. It turns it attention back to the adventurers.

Ines looks for a moment as if she about to break and flee, but keeps control of herself. More than the other guardians, this monster is hard for her to see as anything but demonic - to anyone fleeing into the Cathedral building, she screams "The bells! Ring the bells!" hoping that they can hear her.

"Spread out!" says Henry, and he and Ivan move in opposite directions to make it harder for the dragon, for that is what they face, to incinerate more than one of them at a time. He takes out a white handkerchief and waves it. "We bear you no ill will, mighty one," he boldly addresses the dragon. "We wish to parley with you. What is it you desire?"

Lila poises to fight or flee, her gaze fixed upon the awesome beast.

The adventurers wisely take various positions around the creature, to wit:

Doctor North, boldly addressing the being directly, stands before it.

Ines, rushing to alert the bellringer, stands behind it.

Ivan stands at its left side, and Miss Davenport at its right side.

The sound of the cathedral bells appears to have an effect on the creature, confusing and weakening it.
It makes no response to Doctor North's entreaty. Rather it roars and makes an attack.
The creature lashes out with its left wing at the loyal Russian.
Ivan is just barely able to dodge the leathery appendage, which appears capable of inflicting much damage.

It appears that the being behaves more in the manner of an enraged animal than a rational creature.

"Can you calm it down like you would a smaller beast?" Henry suggests to Ines. He draws a pistol and takes aim at the dragon, ready to fire if her efforts fail or if it should be about to attack again. Ivan draws his sword and likewise makes ready to follow his master's lead.

OOC:   The player's manual says a Gypsy can only use Animal Husbandry on monsters at 6th level.

Swallowing down her fear, and praying that the cathedral bells have allayed any demonic nature in the beast, Ines approaches it slowly, uttering soothing words as she goes.

OOC:   Charisma 10, +1 Animal Husbandry SunlessNick rolled 1D20: 17, failure whether the attemp could have worked or not.

Perhaps the dragon senses that Ines is behind the ringing of the church bells, or maybe it smells her fear.

The creature snaps with its mighty jaws at Doctor North.
Fortunately its aim is poor, and its huge fangs merely snap together with a loud noise. Wisps of smoke appear from its nostrils, as if it is attempting to prepare for another blast of flame.

Henry fires his pistol at the dragon, and then Ivan rushes in and swings his sword at the beast.

The pistol shot is unsuccessful, these weapons being notoriously unreliable, but the Russian slashes at the creature's side with his sword, striking at a soft, unarmored portion of its belly.
However, the wound appears to be quite superficial, only a small trickle of sickly yellow-green ichor dripping from the beast's flesh.
A quick analysis of the situation suggests that half a dozen such attacks would be required to kill the animal.

Roaring with pain (perhaps out of proportion to its injury), it strikes out again.
This time it lashes its tail, which bears a heavy, sharp stinger, at Ines.
Alas! The bold Gypsy lass is struck!
The wound appears most serious, no doubt due to the deadly poison the creature bears in its stinger.

"This is futile," Lila cries anxiously. "There must be some way to appease it." All she can think of is that dragons are said to covet treasure. She draws her silver dagger and approaches the creature cautiously. Instead of attacking, she places the dagger down on the ground at its feet then retreats. It is a small offering perhaps but it is made of pure silver and the nearest thing she has which might be called treasure. Will it be enough?

The beast is easily distracted, if only temporarily, by the sight of the precious metal, even in such a small amount. As it toys with the object, much as a dog playing with a bone, the party has time to launch another attack or take some other action.

On her knees and barely clinging to consciousness, Ines wonders if the dragon may require an offering from everyone in the company. Emptying her bag on the cobbles, she feebly pushes her coins and jewelry in the beast's direction.

It would seem that each offering distracts the creature for a moment, allowing for at least some safety as plans are made to deal with this difficult situation.

Henry places a gemstone before the creature and rushes around behind it to help Ines, knowing that he must act swiftly before the poison can spread. "Shall we press the attack, while it is distracted?" he asks the others.

Lila agrees this seems their most likely opportunity. While the dragon's attention is momentarily elsewhere, she draws her iron dagger and rushes in to strike.

After sustaining this more serious injury, the creature flies off, ichor dripping from its wounds.

The local population having, understandably, fled the area, the cathedral stands empty. As Doctor North tends to the barely conscious Ines, Tom rushes inside, throwing himself at the foot of the altar where Thomas Becket breathed his last.

Henry works quickly, trying to drain the tainted blood before it can spread the poison through Ines's body, "Once she's stable, Ivan can carry her inside," he says. "It may help her to be on such holy ground, and the prayers of the faithful wouldn't go amiss. We also need to bring the elements we collected to break the curse on Tom."

Doctor North's medical skills, aided, no doubt, by the favor of Heaven, are able to prevent Ines from succumbing to the flying serpent's venom, but she remains quite weak for the time being. Meanwhile, the others are able to gather together the four elements presumed to be necessary to bring the afflicted man eternal rest. Tom himself, as if under an unseen power cast by the place of his infamous crime, is in an unresponsive state, unable to provide guidance as to the exact procedure to be followed. It will up to the adventures to decide how best to proceed.

"I don't think the creature will return," says Henry, "but if it does, we will be in a better position in here."

"If it bleeds," said Ivan, "we can kill it."

"Quite. Shall we try placing the four elements upon the altar? There are four of them and four of us, so it seems fitting for each of us to place one. Remember when we saw which colour represents each of us, when we did that experiment with the prism? The blue light fell on me, which suggests that my element is Air. Miss Davenport's light was red, the colour of Fire. Miss Ines had the green light, which could be for either Water or Earth. Ivan did not participate in the experiment, but I'd be inclined to think that Earth is the best element to suit him, considering his strength and fortitude."

Upon hearing this statement, Tom revives for just a moment, and croaks out a warning.

"Choose the one which fits you," he says weakly.

He then returns to his former unresponsive state.

Ines, perhaps inspired by Ivan carrying her into the Church, adds weakly "The Earth is strength and safety, and Ivan is this. And he was the one who got the tin. Miss Davenport is a scourge of evil forces. For most of my life, I have come and gone like the dew."

Lila murmurs agreement with the proposed plan, also reminded of a similar ritual involving a certain Mister Harcourt some time ago.

These personal characteristics being agreed upon, each person brings the substance most closely associated with his or her personality to the altar. Tom, now in a state of extreme immobility, lies before it, surrounded by the four elements. For quite some time, nothing of note occurs; then, all observe a very faint light appear before the altar, as if a gently glowing mist has formed from the atmosphere. It is remarkable that each person present experiences a feeling of peace and contentment, for no evident reason. The light grows slightly brighter, and presents the image of a vaguely human shape, as of a person observed at a distance through thick fog. Simultaneously, the four substances grow translucent and eventually disappear, as if they were mere illusion. As if all of this were not extraordinary enough, Tom is observed to undergo a series of transformations, rapidly changing from a living man into one recently deceased, then into a corpse which has undergone the process of corruption for some time, then a jumble of ancient bones, then mere dust, which is swept up by a gentle breeze and carried away, never to be seen again. Although far less dramatic a metamorphosis, it may be noted that the glowing figure fades away, taking with it the unexplained sense of tranquility.

After a considerable time spent pondering this strange experience, the party, likely in a state of exhaustion after such struggles, particularly the severely injured Ines, will no doubt seek out rest and refreshment at some quiet inn. The local populace, of course, is greatly excited by the appearance of the flying serpent; already, however, those not witness to it are dismissing it as the imaginings of the weak-minded, abetted no doubt by strong drink.

Whilst in deep slumber, the members of the party have peculiar dreams, similar but not identical. They hear strange voices, of no obvious sex, speak to them. The words spoken, and the places from which they emerge vary slightly, to wit:

To Doctor North, from a drifting cloud: Seek thy challenge and reward East.

To Miss Davenport, from a burning torch: Seek thy challenge and reward South.

To Ines, from a rushing stream: Seek thy challenge and reward West.

To Ivan, from a towering mountain: Seek thy challenge and reward North.

Upon awakening, there will certainly be much discussion of these strange dreams, and in what manner they should be interpreted. The party will no doubt wish to make their way back to London before deciding what action should be taken in light of these mysterious messages.

Certainly, Ines will retire as soon as she can to whichever room is procured for the ladies. In the morning, her mind will have cleared enough for her to thank Dr North for saving her life - but she will show little enthusiasm for pursuing anything that might be construed a challenge in the immediate future.

Upon arriving back in London, Lila too settles back into the routine of life in the capital. And if word of demonic activity requiring her attention should reach her ear, and if said activity should happen to lie away to the south as the strange dream indicated, then she will be prepared to journey and to fight once more.

Ines spends her convalescence composing a tavern song commemorating the battle with the dragon, though she will replace herself in the tale with Miss Carrow (the role Ines played - marshalling a force of faith to weaken the beast, before being struck down and saved by Dr North - is surely more stirring when attributed to his gentle lady love than a Gypsy he, if it wouldn't be above her station to use the world, befriended). Their love is counterparted by the beast being driven off by Dr North's mighty manservant Ivan and the valiant fighter of evil Miss Lila Davenport. She will set it to dance when she feels stronger.

OOC:   I'd be interested in carrying on, but if you need to recharge, this is a natural point for the company's adventures to pause.

Henry marries Elizabeth Carrow in a lavish ceremony, for which he spares no expense. His companions are all invited to attend. Now she is a Countess, with a noble title to match her noble heart. After the honeymoon, he continues his research and develops an elixir that can heal even the most grievous of wounds. In their adventures, such a thing would surely be useful.

OOC,I definitely want to continue playing. For level 4, I'll increase Intelligence again (to 15). I'll create a new Mad Invention with the Cure Light Wounds power, which I'll call the Elixir of Regeneration (or simply the Elixir). I do want to marry [b]Miss Carrow[/b].