(M) The Shadows that walk among Us. (IC)

[IsaacGaming]

As Garmr lead the makeshift group, he began to realize that the place was getting more and more narrow. While Garmr wasn’t necessarily afraid of small spaces, he was more freaked out about the possibility of being ambushed in such a small space. However, these fears ended up being unfounded, as he finally came upon what appeared to be the exit. Looking out, it was almost as if a maelstrom had begun to take its course. On top of this, the sheer drop of the cliff was quite disheartening. Garmr began to feel what little hope the escape offered disappear…

That was, until Garmr looked up. That was when he saw a balcony! Looking further, he also saw that there was a latter. This would be too perfect, if the latter wasn’t raised. Looking at the cliff face, Garmr knew what he had to do. He turned back to the others, “Well, this will be a bit risky, but I’m going to try and climb up to that latter and lower it. The rest of you, wait here. Hopefully, I don’t fall to my death…”

[Ma1chbox]

The walls were narrowing in, and the brackish water was now shin-deep. Patches kept on edge, nervous about how little space he'd have to move around if ever they were attacked. The party eventually reached the very end of the tunnel, though... hundreds of feet above a precarious precipice. It seems a hurricane had materialized out of nowhere in the span of just a few hours. The thief was speechless. Some real shit was going down today, and it seemed like there's much, much more to come.

Along with the others, Patches took a gander down below. Nothing but sharp rocks and raging water. Up above, a difficult climb, but it led to what seemed to be the only way out. The thief mulled over giving it a try. Living most his life in a fairly low-to-middle class city, he was a fast little bugger, but he never had to do much climbing. One wrong move on those cliffs though... Patches gulped at the thought.

Thankfully, the man who seemed to now be the de facto leader volunteered to attempt the climb instead. The uneasy Patches gave him a concerned nod, knowing that if he failed and died, it would mean the rest of the party were quite possibly trapped.

[Enigma]

"So," Sabina asked Dani, taking a rest from biting her lip, "How bad is it?"

The others had moved down the tunnel, going to who-knows-where, but there didn't seem to be any immediate threat.

Even assuming they got out, what then? No phone service for miles, the nearest town miles away, nothing but trees and ocean below. Hopefully there was another manhole opening before the end of this tunnel, she didn't like the alternative.

And this taser was little help. How were they going to fight vampires? Much less vampires who may not be afraid to reveal themselves. She had that kukri knife with the laid-in silver, but that only worked against werewolves - right? So it would have to be a big wooden stake through the heart - best done while the vampire was sleeping during the day - did they actually do that?

[Cfavano]

GARMR'S ASCENT

Garmr sidles to the first holds on the cliff, and feels the full force of the north wind's mighty horn blow against him. Rain, icy cold, pelts him like pellets, and he is soaked through in seconds. But, drawing on his inner reserves of strength, he begins to ascend. Up, up he goes, his muscles burning from the exertion, water rushing down the cliff and spraying onto him, making the holds slippery. The heroes watch him with dread, for every instant he is up there, they could be watching him die.

Thor splits the sky with his mighty thunderbolts, the storm increasing in intensity, as if sentient and seeking to stop him. But it might not have to. He grabs onto a hold, and just as he is transferring, the one he was balancing on collapsed, leaving him dangling in the breeze, barely holding on with one set of fingers. The wind repeatedly lifted him up and slammed him into the cliff, knocking the wind out of him, and he would feel his mighty strength waning. This filled him with gloom, as he had gotten so far, the balcony was only five feet to the right. But he wasn't about to go out like a bitch, he would not disappoint his ancestors. Utilizing the last of he strength, and the momentum of the wind, he flung himself at the balcony...but it was not enough, he could see himself falling, and his heart sank.

But just then, a mighty thunderbolt struck the cliff wall, sending a blast of rocks everywhere, right below him. The shockwave propelled him upwards, and his hands found purchase on the balcony's lip. Using what power he had left, he pulled himself up, and hit the latch on the ladder which slides down and locks into place. Garmr, spent, and heart beating like a drum, lays down in the rain, in the fetal position, his fingers torn and bleeding, and his entire body shaking like a leaf from the exertion and adrenaline.

Garmr's climb roll = Nat 20

[IsaacGaming]

As Garmr laid on the cold, hard floor, being drenched in rain, he gave many thanks to whatever higher being there was that he managed to do that. Besides the fact that Garmr was now bruised and battered, all he felt was genuine relief that he was able to manage that stunt. After all, it’s not the easiest to climb a slick cliff face while the mother of all storms is happening. Doing his best to sit up, despite the retaliation from his aching muscles, Garmr tried to make look like he hadn’t been panicking and awaited the ascent of his fellow party members.

[Undead_Fears]

Link watched as Garmr started his climb up the rock face, wringing her hands nervously as he climbed. As the storm seemed to worsen as he climbed, she yelped as a bolt of lightning striking the cliff face right below him as he climbed. As he made the final push and let the ladder down, she quickly pulled herself up the ladder. As she climbed she became soaked through the bone, the rain stinging her skin.

As she pulled herself up onto the balcony she went over to Garmr and knelt beside him. She put a hand on him, feeling him shake from what she thought was a mixture of chill in his bones and the fear that his adrenaline left behind. "We'll get you fixed up once we're out of the rain, ok?" She looked up and looked around before quickly snapping her head away. "Fucking Shadowwalkers.." She took a moment before looking back up to fully observe where they were.

(Observe)

[Ma1chbox]

Patches watched in awe at the spectacle of sheer luck that had just taken place in front of him. He'd half expected Garmr to die in the attempt, but boy, did gods have something else in mind. The ladder slid down and locked into place, and one of the girls was the first to make the climb. Patches followed shortly after.

The moment he left the relative safety of the tunnel mouth, he was immediately buffeted with heavier rains and stronger wind. It made the ladder climb more difficult, to be sure, but nothing he couldn't handle at his current state. He emerged at the top, rolling over onto the solid ground of the balcony.

Drenched head to toe in rain, the thief got on his feet and gave Garmr two light pats on the back. "Good job, mate... Now let's get the hell out of this damned hurricane already." Patches then peered around, looking towards wherever the balcony would lead.

[Enigma]

Bandages and tape strips applied, Sabina sighed.

"Thanks," she told Dani, then waved downstream. "We better join the others."

It wasn't long before they reached the end, and found the extended ladder.

"They must have gone up," she said over the wind and rain. Steeling herself, she climbed up the ladder, pausing only to look out of the top to see where the others had gone.

[Cfavano]

The room that had the balcony, luckily had large glass doors. It was a somewhat large room, but looked unused. The furniture was covered in sheets, but they could see a few chairs and a sofa There was also a large wooden bar, and an stone fireplace. The door looked simple, there was not even a lock, just a handle to keep it from blowing open. The owners must not expect anyone to try and break in through this door, and it would be nearly impossible to enter the castle like that anyway. So, in a way, it makes sense. But at this point, its pretty much an 'any port in a storm' situation.

Inside, it is dry, and slightly warmer, and while there is some dust, its obviously not abandoned, but no one has used it in at least a week. There was dry wood stacked next to the fireplace, as well as in it, with tinder and kindling set up. An easy (take 10) search check reveals small knife and flint on the mantelpiece. Looking at the room, its a sort of lounge. The bar even seems stocked with liquor, and even a big jar of herrings wrapped around sour pickles.

[Kortaga]

A soft bed sheets had welcomed her and now they were trying to keep her. She pressed her face more into her pillow feeling the embrace of sleep attempting to pull her into another nightmare. Drinking had been her way of sound sleep and with her sleep schedule shifted from day to more night activity, her body was pushing her to fight her drunkenness and get up. She felt the sheets and scratched at them like the beast would allow her up more easily if she fought it. Once the fog in her head rolled away she lifted herself up. She cooed softly to no one and stretched. She looked around a bit concerned at first and then blinked a few times. She relaxed a bit and reached down to find her dark bra on the floor. She pulled it up and looked at it like it had defied her. She remembered fighting in her sleep with something that had been strangling her. It was probably this.

She got dressed in her suit pants and dress shirt leaving the tie on a nearby chair. She wished she had a cigarette. She left her hair loose and scanned outside the window. She watched the storm clouds and the thunder and smiled mischievously. “Aww…how lovely…” She still felt some of the effects from her slamming drinks but rolled her head around a bit to get the stiffness out. She looked towards her desk and grabbed the water there getting a drink. The room temperature water was not refreshing…

She glanced outside again and started to look closely. She had one thought on her mind. “Now that all the good little boys and girls are in bed…” She reached over and slipped the suit part over her dress shirt. “I wonder if my darrrlinnnng is here tonight!” She giggled to herself and felt a rush in her blood. She hoped very much so that she was right…she had not been right in such a long time.

She figured she would watch the storm for at least a little while and if it got boring she would leave to wonder the halls. It was after all…why she had come in the first place.

[General Spot check for anything]