A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

[BlueSlime]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

Prisoner
Flooded Dungeon

As she started to whisper, with the intent of being heard, the arms flinched and gripped the iron bars. She noticed that they were strong arms, and they seemed to be attached to a strong man, as she took in his figure when she got close.

The man growled low and then in a deep baritone voice he spoke as he sniffed the air.

"Who's there?"

He sniffed some more in the air.

"I hear someone... but don't smell anything. More of Strahd's tricks and torments?"

He hushed down and listened more closely. Strain visible on his face.

"Trapped? Aye. I'm trapped here. If you're here to torment me, you can get fucked. If you're here to simply talk and moan, you can do likewise. But if you're offering help... aye, I'll take it."

He gripped the bars and shoved them with his muscular body, to no avail.

"This dungeon's ancient... but the bars are solid. I'd need a key to this door... Escher has one. He's in there with the Count's newest victim. Pfeh... Damned vampires..."

 

[Pervy]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

Rovanas Ghost
Flooded Dungeon

"Huh, you can hear me.. are you human? Oh what do I care by now.. Don't insult me, I got better things to do than torment someone already locked up. You wont smell anything smart guy, I'm a ghost, I.. well, I rather died than be dragged before the Count. Working on fixing the whole dead thing, but if I do.. well.. Heres the thing, that damned Strahd can easily see and, chances are, disperse me, so going there while he and Escher are .. having fun is out of the question. plus I can't even carry a key, even if I could steal it.." She hesitated. "And as sweet a talker I can be, there be no chance I can make Escher unlock you."

"That said, stop rattling at the bars. Look at the doorframe, the hinges and lock, thats where the weakpoints are. This damned count doesn't seem to know what water does to locks. Don't use your force brutally, .. if I had a lockpick, or just a string of iron... oh, and a pair of hands to operate them with.. Anyway,.. " She stepped forward, bowing.. "Captain Rovana. I know a way out of this place and a way to deal with this door, keys are overrated.."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

Prisoner (Emil)
Dungeon

"Yes. I can hear you - slightly. But I can't... hrmm... I see something now... a wisp in the fog... like a shadow. Hrnn... so you're a ghost. Well, that makes sense. Plenty of those here, I imagine." He grunts, then looks at the hinges on the door where she pointed out the weak points.

"A way out? Hnnh, a fine thing, Captain Rovana, if you were alive and I not behind these bars, it might be of use. I am Emil Toranescu - a 'guest' of the Count's. So, spirit, you're saying you know how to pick this lock? Well, tell me how to do it, and I will return a favor to you. I do not have anything to pick a lock with, however, I think there are corpses around here. They may have something on them... assuming you have a way to bring it to me."

His teeth began to chatter.

"Damn it. Been in this water too long..."

If Rovana looked around the other cells in this particular block, she'd see several corpses, as Emil had said. She'd also notice that glimmering in the bottom of several cells were hundreds upon hundreds of glittering coins. It seemed like a veritable forgotten hoard of treasure was down here! She saw nothing small to pick a lock with, but a dead dwarf, manacled and cut up in one cell had a battle axe resting in the water beneath its corpse. If she wanted to, Rovana could also inspect the other cell block, or sneak around the torture room, if she dared to be in the presence of whatever or whoever was there besides Tammy.

 

[Pervy]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

Rovanas Ghost
Flooded Dungeon

"Many ghosts, yes, well, actually, seen none other so far... but.. I intend to keep this condition temporary either way." I hope. "As favour I'd ask you go to the room of bones, upstairs. Take the skull of a dragon hanging in that room, a trophy of Strads. You need to head there either way, for through the chamberlains office, there lies a secret passage, leading downstairs and towards a brazier. Toss the skull in the orange flame. None other color will do. It wont burn it, but magic the skull and if you chose so, yourself away from this wretched place. You could try fleeing through the tomb, but there be a Banshee there. Oh... and if you see that hunchback Cyrus carrying a beautiful but dead blonde lady to the same brazier, let him, that be.. err.. me." Rovana made sure to pronounce her words fully without raising her voice too much, it seemed her voice could be heard by Emil, but not completely clearly. Of course she couldn't risk Strahd picking her up, .. who'd have thought that Tammys moans would be so vital to her sucess. When she finished she looked about.

"I have an idea.. but its going to .. ugh.. not be a pleasant experience.." She floated around thoughtfully. "Hmnn..." Coins didn't help her much, but a part of her still memorized it for later.."I bet I could temporarily try posessing something small like a rat.. that, or perhaps a corpse..."

Rovana floated to check the other cell block briefly, if She saw a fitting lockpick, or hook like small metal object that could serve as one, she would try and take posession of one of the small rodents that indubitably were where there was corpses to feed upon and none to stop them, she'd try and pick the potential lockpick up in her *brr* snout, scuttle back to this Emil, whom her subconscious kept telling her was more than the normal prisoner he seemed to be, dropping the lockpick into the water, or his hand if he held it out.

If she did not find anything with a few hopeful glances arond, she would return, to try and posess a corpse.. she doubted she could do it for long, but it was worth a try. She just needed to pick up the axe and push, slide it over to the black mans cell.. sure, creating noise was dangerous, first the sliding, then the hacking open of the door, but Tammy, Escher and Strahd already produced a fair amount of noise here.

(Dex roll, either for this, or for help guiding the lockpicking.. yey!)

Spoiler

Roll(1d20)+4:
14,+4
Total:18

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

Emil
Dungeon
Tag: Rovana's Ghost

The man grunted at Rovana's words.

"Very well. If you get me out of here, I'll do as you ask, spirit. I just need to be free and escape from this damned castle. I'll not die like some caged animal, soaking like a barge rat."

Rovana left him for the moment and explored the cells, first in the area around her, and then across the way in the other cell block. Each block had eight cells, four to a side. Entering into the new cell block on her left she saw an empty cell, then one containing the rotting corpse of a half-elf, and in the next two cells, the glint of platinum and electrum coins, glinting beneath the water.

On the right side cells, Rovana saw three empty cells and a fourth one which was bathed in soft, shimmering light. Beneath the water was a glowing blade. It might have had some sort of light enchantment cast upon it. In its light, the half-elf's corpse in the opposite cell was illuminated. The corpse appeared to have been a woman, and though the skull was showing, the hair still was bound up with a hairpin. Rovana figured that this pin could be used to pick the lock to Emil's cell.

Now the trick was to get a hold of it. She searched around for rats, but didn't see any in this cell block. Moving back to the other cell block, she found a rat crawling over the dead dwarf. She moved closer and tried to reach out an INTO the rodent.

[Charisma saving throw for Rodent. Failed. (which is good for Rovana).]

Because the rat was a fairly simple creature, the act of possessing it was not difficult - however it was still taxing and took all of Rovana's concentration. It was comparative to lifting a heavy weight - and revealed just how difficult it would be for her to even contemplate possessing an actual person. It might take decades of dedicated effort to be able to do and even then, her instinct was that whatever fueled her spiritual power was probably not optimized for such efforts. Wasn't it after all the restless spirits with great and terrible emotions that were most often perceived and influential among the living?

Controlling the rat, she would be able to swim and scurry up the half elf's head if she desired, or she could try the dwarf's battle axe right here and closer. Or she could even try to go to that glowing sword perhaps...

 

[Pervy]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

Rovanas Ghost
Flooded Dungeon

All this glittering of coins, Rovana wondered if it was a trick, or just one of Strahds cruelties.. a way to pay people he wished to not pay ever again.

She looked at the gruesomely displayed hairpin, discarding the sword.. she had her fill of magical swords with the one on her. And the axe was likely much too heavy for a rats body, to try, no, she would swim over to climb up the elfish corpse (Ew) bite the hairpin, pulling it out and along with her (Ew ew), then, assuming she got it, she scuttled back, squeeking out a half loud greeting and dropping the needle into the mans hand as she instructed... leaving the rat again so her instruction didn't sound like 'squeek squeak!'

"Ugh that was.. exhausting and I really don't want to think about what I tasted from that rats last meal... I doubt I can do it again, alright, you'd propably prefer an axe, but we can't have noise, I don't think you get more than a hit or two before Strahd notices, lockpicking on the other hand.. This hair pin will do, normally pins are for advanced lockpicking classes but what we don't have in time, we'll make up for with determination, wont we?." Her ghost took a closer look at the lock. "It was good quality, but it aged. Alright, if possible bent the pin, at the tip, no longer than .. " looking again. "Your small fingers nail across, that'll help. If you cant, you'll have to be -fast- This looks like a bolt lock, which is good for us, yarr need to get in there with the tip pointed upwards at the beginning. Gently apply pressure, gentle with a capital 'G', can't risk breaking this one, if it doesn't move slowly push the pin onwards and pressure deeper in the lock, there will be a bit that gives slowly, until you hear the faintest of clicking, it should be possible to hear for a beginner with an older lock like this. If you hear the clicking, this is important, keep the needle steady, and slowly guide it along deeper into the lock, if the bolt snaps out of place you'll have to do it all over again. Once you are mostly through just hold it in place and pull above and below the lock.. strong man like you will propably have an easier time snapping open a half picked lock than trying to pick it in its entirety." She adviced. "Oh, also, theres a dwarfish axe in the cell over there, and a suspiciously glowy sword in a few cells down the block, in case you meet trouble after breaking out." She shrugged, then added. "Trust me, I don't want to di..stay here dead either and getting that skull is.. important, indirectly. If you take too long I can distract the vampires, but not for long." She hesitated.. "Belay that! No lock tearing or listening to clickin! I'm a bloody brainless barnacle! This is actually easier than ever. I can see in the dark and move through things.. Hold on." She floated -into- the lock, by first kneeling down as if to take a close look at it.. and then just leaning into it.

"I'm in the lock, hah! Still deserve me captains hat.. alright! I can tell you exactly where to press the bolts like this. Teamwork time Emil, we can do it! Close your eyes, wont do you any good anyway, and let me tell you how to move the lockpick, this be a trust-exercise. If I can actually see the lock itself I could guide a toddler through the process in its entirety!" She grinned slightly. "First bolt is right infront of me, alright, slow and steady, I'll instruct you." And that she would do, with ghostly insights into the locking mechanism itself, even if it was a bit odd to be in a solid object while it was being picked.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

Emil
Dungeon
Tag: Rovana's Ghost

With Rovana's clever realization and guidance, Emil swiftly was able to force the tumblers on the bolt lock into the correct position and shove the gate forward with a sloshing of the water and the creaking of old iron bars.

"Hnnahh! Free! And it couldn't be soon enough!" He moved towards the next cell and grabbed the battle axe, weighing it in his hand, a toothy grimace on his face and fire in his eyes.

"There are many who deserve my steel. I long to face them. Hnnh... but you have requested that I move your old dragon skull... I will do this, but I am not familiar with this place. Lead me to it."

If Rovana was amenable to guiding him, Emil would move out of the cell block, following her back toward the stairs. Something made him pause however, and he sniffed, then turned back to hear the sound of the whip cracking upon Tammy's undead flesh. The girl squirmed and offered up a muffled scream of pain through her ball gag.

"Strahd..." Emil muttered, conflicting emotions of fear and anger playing out on the strong man's face. Sighing, he moved carefully down the waterlogged hall up to the stairs. As he reached the base of the stairs, both he and Rovana heard a sound of heavy chains and pulleys being moved, and then a sudden *Crunch* of some great weight smashing down above. The echo reverberated throughout the castle. The sound of the whipping behind them stopped.

"Shit." Emil said. "Whatever that was, someone's going to check on it."

He rushed up the stairs and at Rovana's beckoning, ran down the small tunnel and through the door into the misty long hallway. From there he took a swift left and moved into the hall of bones. He let out a deep breath as he gazed up at the size of the skull. He was the sort of man who could seriously consider carrying this sort of thing around a castle, but it was still going to be unwieldly and leave him open to attack.

He looked around, then grabbed a bone chair and set it up underneath the skull trophy. Stepping up carefully, he gripped the dragon's skull and heaved it off of its hanging hooks. Breathing loudly and intensely, his large muscles flexing and his veins rippling he stepped off of the chair and brandished the skull in both hands.

"Right... and now you'll need to talk me through this," he muttered.

The creaking of doors from the dungeon tunnel could be heard and so Rovana would have to guide Emil quickly. He went through the way she'd come and into the chamberlain's office, then down into the hidden stairway. As he crossed the room, Rovana saw the shadows darken and move of their own accord. Her ghostly sight normally could see in darkness, but because the far half of the room was still blind to her, she got the eerie sense that some dark magic or devilry was in use. Emil was defenseless with his back turned to the shadows as he prepared to go down the long flight of stairs. Rovana's spirit saw the tendrils of the shaow creeping closer and closer to him, and then one tendril became a clawed arm of darkness stretching out...

 

[Pervy]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

Rovanas Ghost
Flooded Dungeon

"Aye, it be only fair.. Frankly, I care not whom your steel finds.. as long as a fair amount of Strahds servants are among them." She nodded, then guided the once-prisoner along to the room of bones. "Aye.. the one he toys with used to be a short timed crewmember of mine, but.. let us make him pay for his distraction later." She floated after the man and, was relieved when she saw him able to lift off the skull.

"Alright, downstairs, there is a brazier, if its not burning in an orange flame, toss a gem of that color into it, that brazier can actually teleport objects placed in it.. I'm not sure if living bodies work too, but its our best esca.." she noticed the shadows moving.. luckily, she was not the person to scream, or shout 'look out' because.. then people did that, instead, in a swift, stern voice of urgency she demanded: "Move! Down the stairs. Something is here trying to stop things alive coming through and the Count will indubitably come fast.. I beg of you, for freeing you, make sure that the skull as well as my body and blade make it through that fire if they do not have yet.. I'll see what I can do here." She growled, almost on instinct reaching out for her sword.. then realizing there was none to draw, instead, stepping up in between the grasping arm and the retreating Emil.

"Parrrley! I demand to talk to your leader, Count Strahd von Zahrovich. He has a debt to pay to me." She insisted. Not that she was keen on getting his attention. But she was keen on moving it away, if only for a few seconds, from her escape and robbery attempt.

Mentally she tried to also contact Joe.. she should be close enough to her Familiar again.. and was trying to get a feel for how things were going, worriedly.. She couldn't invest the focus to get full input from Joe.. if she could actually still do this at all, as a ghost, but any inkling would do.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

DM
Stairs to the Catacombs

Emil was huffing and puffing from the effort in holding the dragon skull. Even for a man of his apparent strength, the size of the adult dragon's head was far too heavy and unwieldly to be held steady for long periods of time. Going down stairs while being chased only compromised the situation further.

"I'm moving as fast as I can, gho---oost!" Something swooped in front of Emil as he made is way to the first landing and the shock caused him to drop the skull. It landed on his foot, causing him to howl in pain loudly, followed by the skull tipping down and falling to the wall, ricocheting off of it and down the steps further, until it spilled out into the brazier room below. Although ancient, it seemed dragon bone was made of sterner stuff than human remains, as the impact that should have shattered it did not cause it to crumble, and not a single fragment broke off.

For her own part, Rovana's spirit barred the way in front of the living shadow, and it swirled before her, an unearthly shriek its only reply to her damand for a parley, then the shadow parted around her, leaving her instead face to face with a feminine figure wearing a hat made of shadow. The creature of darkness was exactly Rovana's height - and come to think of it, her exact body type. It came to her with a dawning of realization that she was staring at her own shadow - which had been absent from her ever since Strahd had stolen it from her at the dinner table.

Her shadow grinned malevolently at her spirit, though it didn't, or couldn't, speak. Rovana had the feeling that the other shadows in this room were separate but still living - or unliving - and continued to go after Emil, ignoring and bypassing the spirit, although her intervention had slowed them perhaps for a fraction of a second.

Cursing, Emil hobbled down the stairs after the skull and away from the oncoming shadows. Rovana could turn and try to stay ahead of the rushing shadows, or confront her own shadow in front of her.

 

[Pervy]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

Rovanas Ghost
Flooded Dungeon

"Hoi, ye bastard, I won the bet. Get back here to under my body where ya belong!" Rovana insisted at her shadow. "And don't give me that grin, I don't fear meself. You know what, lookit that, I got more important things to do.." That the shadows had parted, rather than rushing after or just through her ment one thing..

She rushed after the shadows, gripping to hold back the closest one after Emil. "Avast there me shady!" She grinned, kicking at another shadow.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

DM
Catacombs, Brazier Room

Rovana swept incorporeally down the stairs, literally grasping at shadows, and discovering that the evil presence they represented was at that moment existing wholly within the physical realm, meaning that she could not affect them anymore than she could open a door. She passed through them. However, she was quicker than they were and sped down the stairs, cutting through the corners with her etherealness and arriving to see a rather farcical sight.

In the brazier room, Emil had reached the skull of Argynvost, where it had rolled up against the edge of one of the iron knight statues. In the center of the room was a pale white Cyrus, dragging the naked body of Rovana with him, her medallion looped around her neck. and her equipment held falteringly in Cyrus' arms. The flame in the middle of the brazier glowed white, and all seven colored stones still hung about the rim. Above this hung the hourglass whose sand seemed to defy gravity, staying in the upper half of the glass. Under the base of the hourglass was written what appeared to be a poem.

Cast a stone into the fire:
Violet leads to the mountain spire
Orange to the castle's peak
Red if lore is what you seek
Green to where the coffins hide
Indigo to the master's bride
Blue to ancient magic's womb
Yellow to the master's tomb

Behind Rovana, the living shadow was approaching and quickly. Cyrus blinked and looked at Emil.

"E-escape!" He shouted warily, dropping Rovana and her equipment, pointing at Emil. "You need to be back in your cell! The master hasn't forgiven you yet!"

"Mongrel dog!" Emil growled angrily, obviously recognizing a servant of his captor.

 

[Pervy]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

Rovanas Ghost
Brazier room

"Oh hey, my body and my stuff.. but weres Joe? I swear if anyone..

No time to bother with him, Emil, chug the orange gemstone, then the skull and the body and gear that fool is carrying into the Brazier, jump on after, I got friends waiting on the other side, just tell them you're with me. Theres Shadows on our heel and.. theres nothing I can do against.... actually there is... I'll deal with the mongrel!" She floated forward, Seeing how Cyrus dropped her things and saw the curse of her sword.. he propably qualified as weak of heart.

"Ahuuuuuuuuh.. Cyruuuusss! You dare disturb my body! I have come to take you with me to the graaaaveeee! Did you know that that Damned Strahd took my shadow? Not like I was using it, but it was MINE. I'll not have my likeness molest travelers. Worse so, I had a bet and he went back on it, I bet theres some good magic I can use against him powered by a broken word, then again, that bastard is cursed enough. Anyway.." She floated forward. "You either hear my angry wailing, or my words, either works. You know that cursed sword you held? I'm its wielder. You fear that sword? Think about just how horrible I am. Do you think Strahd killed me? I killed myself all an elaborate gamble that almost paid out now and I wont have some bufoon like you get in the way. You know what, annoys me? Strahds smugness.. Just once I want to see him angry, or actually afraid. It's not even that I care about protecting the innocent Ireena or doing good.. I just can't stand the bastard flaunting his power, not even respecting a guest, respecting a bet, I swear that guy is so messed up whatever demon grabs his soul will have to get -creative-." Rovana growled, unknowingly with a certain truth to her assesment. "But do you know something about your master? He's not here to protect you right now. So heres what you do.. RUN! Awhuuuuuuuuh!" Just to try, her pirate-ghostly form tried to reach out to her cursed blade, whilest the captain thought: Come on, damned sword, one gust of wind and those shadows should be off Emils back, letting him escape proper... Screw you Dagon, if this be my curse I own it! Thank but soddoff Molly, this power is not yours or even Dagons. It belongs to the Reaver! She insisted, trying to pull forth her blade.. and if it was an etheral version of it.

Actions:

Spoiler

Intimidating Cyrus:
Roll(1d20)+5:
13,+5
Total:18

Then trying to cast gust against the shadow pursuing Emil.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

DM
Catacombs, Brazier Room

As soon as Rovana makes a comment about where Joe is, he swoops out of the passageway, carrying a torn piece of cloth in his beak.

Emil turned and looked back at the shadows coming for him and bared his teeth.

"Your favor is going to make me a spirit like you, Rovana!" The man roared, then gripped the skull with both hands and gave it a heave, yelling to get the necessary energy into his muscles as he charged headlong towards the brazier.

Cyrus made a frightened sound as Rovana hovered towards him, and he clamped his hands over his ears and shook his head. This had the effect of dropping Rovana's body face first into the stone floor with a dull thud. Her gear, including her crossbow, armor, clothes, boots and cutlass also clattered and thwumped to the ground.

From the shadows, a particularly nimble and agile shadow - Rovana's - emerged with a shadow cutlass drawn. Dashing and sliding in the fashion consistent with her former owner, the Shadow caught up with Emil and slashed across his calf muscle as he was making it to the edge of the brazier. Argynvost's skull tipped and tumbled forward out of his hands, knocking the violet stone, the one just next to the orange stone, into the flame instead, with the skull then tumbling over to follow it.

"Ah, crap!" Emil said as the skull sank into the suddenly Violet flame and disappeared. Hastily, as if to correct his error, Emil slapped the orange stone in after the skull, turning the flame orange just as the skull had disappeared.

He rounded on Rovana's shadow and aimed a kick at her, which she dodged with a dive off to the side, tumbling into a crouched position.

As the flames had become different colors, the sand in the top of the hourglass began to tumble down into the bottom half of the container.

"M-master will punish poor good Cyrus!" the mongrel man moaned, and with Rovana's wailing hounding him, he ran from the room, his key and eye pendant jangling behind him as he ascended the third set of stairs, the one that Rovana had not yet followed.

Emil grunted, and then Rovana was able to turn about and cast gust at her own shadow, knocking the dark mirror of herself back about five feet, as the creature wobbled backwards under the temporary wind. This would allow Emil to move to the far side of the brazier without provoking an attack of opportunity. However, as he did so, he spoke aloud, addressing the invisible spirit of Rovana.

"I don't have time for this... your skull is in the flames woman. That was our deal!" It seemed the threat of oncoming shadows was getting a bit much for him. She might have to make a quick appeal ((read: social roll)) to convince him he needed to heave her dead corpse and all her stuff into the flames while being set upon by the shadows.

In her ghost form, hovering above her body, dark whispers began to play at Rovana's mind. Some dark force was suggesting to her, by wordless means that she could not understand - nor ever likely would - that it was possible to repossess her body for a short time - though there might be a permanent price for doing so.

 

[Pervy]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

Rovanas Ghost
Brazier room

Rovana clenched her ghostly hands into fists, watching her own shadow slash out.. and the skull tumble into the wrong flame after."Forget about fighting this one with brute force, she's nimble and will avoid you just to come in from another side to strike when you try to recover your balance."

She looked at Emil. "The deal was to put the skull in the orange flame, if you jump into the orange flame without my body and equippment my allies" whoever those are "Will think you more likely enemy than ally and attack you, unless yarrr scared of shadows, pick up me body and assets and go." Rovana growled.. plus-side, apparently she could invoke a part of the blades powers even as a ghost. Downside.. so much for her plans of taking the skull.. and her own damned shadow fighting her... and apparently it could use all her techniques too. This place was getting worse by the daily.

She was frankly, too annoyed at her break of good fortune at the last moment to follow the advice of the whispers at first, now that they were tempting her... prices to pay? She felt she had paid in advance... Well, she had tried her best for Ludmilla, even risking her revival and the same had killed her and now she was fighting her own shadow. Excluding the pendant, even with her streaks of luck this place had done nothing but taken from her.. Joe was undead, she was dead, admittedly, partially her own fault, her gear was shrinking by the daily, this place kept her from the sea and kept taking everything from her... She wanted to shout out, to curse it all damn it all. Dagon was Terrifying. Strahd was both intimidating and irritating. Ludmilla, locked away was frustrating. She wanted to scream out in misery and curse it all. She exhaled. Damn this place. She stared at the riddle. The skull was gone.. to the mountains.. spire.. wait.. wasn't that where she had to go anyway? All things considered.. she had gotten the necklace, the skull, a letter of Strahd and once she was revived, she would get Ludmilla and while at it, Damia, Patrina, perhaps Tammy and Emil would make for a good core crew already. Still, using my own shadow against me.. no class.

"Yarrr know what. The problem is not the problem but my attitude about the problem, savy?" She slammed her etheral hands together, floating down and into her body. Put it on Strahds tap for breaking his word in the bet, stupid whispers She thought, as she took posession of.. herself. She blinked and groaned sligthly, cracking her jaw, her bodies arms suddenly coming up, adjusting it. "If a shadow scared you, run then, ye bloody bilgerat." The undead captain smirked dismissively. "I'll be transportin' myself." She reached out for her gear, putting on her dress, her hat, adjusting her cursed cutlass, giving it a good patting. "No breathing, no pulse.." She felt her arm, still cold. "Still, an improvement. Like an old pair of boots. Finally figured out what the seer ment. I'll be myself and not give a darn about any curses, evil force or undead trying to stop me. So then, Emil, you think you got what it takes to sail with a pirate, stand here and beat up that weak image Strahd took because he can't control the real thing. Or run." She raised a finger. "I got something left to do here, can't believe I did not earlier, being dead got me actually intimidated for a moment. Shame on me." She once more wore her crooked grin, a mental command for Joe to land on her shoulder, her flesh pale, but her eyes burning with a posessed determination. Then she dashed back to the tomb.

Ludmillas tomb, to be precise, tipping her hat towards the banshees tomb with a confident stride. Once there she'd either grin at the open coffin, or use her sword to leaver open the same. "M'lady." She greeted, sheepishly tipping her hat. "I'd love to keep you company, but I stole the Skull of Argynvost and busted out some cowardly buff bald guy from Strahds prison so I have.. propably less than a minute before someone as full of themselfs as the count figures out whats going on and at the least sends Escher here, not sure I can fight 'em like this. Also, I don't think I can keep posessing my body for too long, odd as it sounds. So this is for killing me as well as thinking so low of a pirate captain as to believe ye could stop 'em so easily." She reached out, slapping Ludmilla.. not too hard, admittedly.. "And this is for being you and saving me from being his undead bitch." Then she reached down to kiss Ludmillas mouth, hot, lustfully, passionately.. but for only a moment.. it was really more of a spiritual gesture, with this not living body. ".. I want to stay here with you.. but.. I got an oath to keep, things to do.. and as I am, I can't even feel your kiss.." She subconciously reached for her neck slightly.. "I love you, alright? I care more for you than.. any other person and it feels weird and frightening and at the same time I dislike Strahd like none other and it hurts and I don't give up, so you don't either, for me, aye? Now dry those tears, ye can pay me back and make me yours once you catch up to me. Now I'll be busy fully resurrecting myself and if ye still blame yerself I demand ye instead think up some exspecially kinky way to make it up to me, savy? Fair winds, Lady Vilisevic!" She waved.. as much as she wanted to stay and spend time with Ludmilla, she also wanted to get resurrected.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

DM
Catacombs
Tag: Rovana

Emil grunted and stood aside, brandishing his axe and warding off Rovana's Shadow, as well as the rest of the living darkness which seemed to strike out at him with tendrils and claws of black miasma.

Meanwhile, Rovana's spirit sped into her body, using the offer of the dark voices. Or were the many voices just one voice? Were they real or just imagined? Fuck it, she thought. She was going to steal back her body and damned be the consequences.

She rushed into her corpse self, and she felt as though she were slipping into the rat's body again from the dungeons, only now things took a hundred times more effort to move. She felt more rage building up. Now she was going to just be a dead weight?

But no, some Otherness occupied her body along side of Rovana. Darkness swept through her spirit and coated it like a symbiote, and it gave her the strength to mover her body. She rose up, her body being shoved into a standing position from dark tentacles that extended from her body. She quickly grabbed her clothes, her cutlass and her hat, leaving the other incidentals on the ground.

She bolted up the stairs that she recalled led back to the crypts, retracing her steps. Behind her Emil shouted and slashed at the Shadow, receiving a cut for his efforts. He snarled and then shouted: "That's it! To hell with all of you!"

Rovana was already dashing up the stairs, but if she turned back, she'd see that Emil had ripped his own shirt and was... changing. Growing hairy, jawline cracking and distending, his mouth filling with sharp teeth, his legs bulging and ripping his pants. He was becoming a werewolf.

Right, that's my cue to leave, the pirate said to herself and ran down the long dark corridor back to the crypts, running through the mists that covered the floor until she arrived at the central aisle where she noticed Ludmilla's crypt.

When she opened the door, she found the vampiress sitting there, on the edge of the opened sarcophagus. She had a tear-stained cheek, but she was no longer crying. When Rovana threw open the door, she'd begun to hiss in anger with her vampire fangs bared, but upon seeing Rovana she halted, faltered, and gasped, despite not needing the inhale of air.

"Rovana..." She whispered, wide eyed. "B-but Cyrus took your body away. Joe said Rum and Raspberries... I thought... I don't know what I--"

She stopped and listened, then when she was slapped, she didn't raise her hand to defend herself. She let her head be pushed to the side by the sting of the blow and she kept her eyes downward, looking as if she felt the slap deserved and yet at the same time filled with sorrow and self pity. Rovana followed this up with a kiss, and a heartfelt declaration of love. To this, the naked vampiress squeezed the pirate's body with a tight hug and kissed her back with all her might. It was clear that she had very little intention of letting go, as though she wanted to hold Rovana for an eternity.

"I don't want to let you go again, Rovana, my love. You have no idea what that was like for me... hurting you so that Strahd could not have you. I don't know why I feel for you so strongly, but it tore me up inside. Strahd has commanded me to stay in this accursed crypt... but if there is any spirit with enough magic to break that hold... it might be Argynvost."

She backed away but clutched Rovana's corpse by the shoulders and held her fast. It was annoying for the pirate, as her undead corpse could not feel Ludmilla's kiss, only the numb pressure of her body against her own.

"Bring his skull back to his home, lay it to rest. If my own pledge is fulfilled, the despair the fuels this curse of mine could be destroyed. It's a dim hope, but now my hope rests on you."

She caresses Rovana's face, but the pirate cannot feel it.

"I will wait until you are successful, and then I will fly to you, my love."

 

[Pervy]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

(like this just a bit paler and.. posesseder..
Captain Rovana
Ravenloft underground

Huh, dark tentacles. Rovana mused along the way. Those could come in handy, wasn't that Dagons thing? Whatever. Any dark and terrible evil tries to mess with me, I'll mess with it more.

"I don't know why I feel for you like this either, truth be told, the first time I saw you I more flirted because I could, to try and disrupt Strahds forces... not that I disliked what I saw, I mean I always liked strong women and when you took firm hold of me and .. err, I mean, obviously I'm the captain and in charge, but.. I just.. given all of Strahds riches or you, I'd rather steal you... or perhaps be stolen." She bit her lip slightly.. well, it felt slight to a ghost posessing a body, in reality and for the vampiress to see it left a small mark. "Anyway! As for Joe.. yarr thought right, but my escape has a bit of a.. derailment, granted, my fault, got greedy. But what can I say, can't trust mongrels and landlubbers to rescue meself. And you obeying Strahd I dunno.. whats that feeling when you want a great treasure but someone else takes it from you? Kinda like that. Soo.. had to get the dragons skull too. Almost gave up, not going to lie... it.. was tough being.. well.. killed by you. You know the whole power of love nonsense always works in the fairytales.." She sighed. Just a reflex, not like this body needed to sigh. She also let her eyes wander over Ludmillas nude beauty.. that was less of a reflex. In hindsight, even though it felt right to do, she felt a little bad about the slap.. and she did definitly not feel enough of the kiss, a clear moment of hesitation showing on her face, but she didn't fight Ludmillas grip in the least.

"I wish I could just take you along.. frankly, I think your spirit is stronger than some old dragon skull, which, by the way, is very heavy to carry. I want to stay with you too but.. not here, or like this. I'm still dead, this body will in time decay and love, not even my sex appeal can make up for that beyond a certain point, aye? I do not feel your kiss, barely feel your hand upon me, certain I can't get drunk. 'tis no fun. Alright then. If you really care so much about this silly skull I'll do it, for you.. Errr.. not sure I'll manage to carry the thing, are you sure wolfishness is out of the question? ..and I hope the Vistani know of the dragons resting place. Now.. got to run before trouble gets.. troublesome. Would love to abduct you from your tomb but you're stronger than I and would propably do the snarly thing.. in a non-sexy way..." She nodded and leaned to the hand caressing her cheek yearnfully, but it was clear in her annoyed expression that she couldn't feel it... even if she posed encouragingly (only 10 charisma though, bleh ) "I got to go." She hesitantly stepped backwards, if Ludmilla let her, preparing to head back to the brazier, not without a waving if she saw a banshee along her way.. she had to collect the rest of her assets and then get herself back to proper life.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

Ludmilla
Catacombs
Tag: Rovana

As Rovana turns to go, she is caught by Ludmilla one last time by the shoulder.

"I wish I could go with you. I *want* to go with you. But even if I could break Strahd's command to leave this crypt, I'd worry about him using me against you. It's not until his hold over me is broken that I would trust myself to follow my heart and be by your side. But if you're wondering where to bring the skull, I can answer that. The dragon's remains were buried at his manor, south and west of Vallaki. The place is called Argynvostholt. It was the stronghold of the Order of the Silver Dragon. It is haunted now by the slain knights - revenants who hate Strahd, but who are themselves consumed by their hate. If you can find the mausoleum, the skull must be placed there. Goodbye, Captain Rovana. Until we meet again. And if this is to be our last meeting, then find me in the next life. Knowing that you will be out there fighting and reaving will keep me smiling."

---

When she returned to the brazier room, the sand in the hourglass had reset and all seven colored stones were on the lip of the brazier. In the center of it, the flame still blazed white.

The only figure in the room was the dark, slim figure of Rovana's shadow. It was playing with the hand crossbow that was still on the ground. Rovana felt that there was a chance the creature had not noticed her. On the other hand, who knew how shadows perceived their surroundings?

 

[Pervy]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

(like this just a bit paler and.. posesseder..
Captain Rovana
Ravenloft underground

Rovana cast a last nod at Ludmilla, a smile returning to her lips with her words. So a skull to place in a mausoleum.. of course it wasn't that easy.. and a Banshee to save. First.. she had herself to rescue though. Noticing the shadow she smirked, hesitating.. then stealthing..

In the light of the torches, not the shadows around. It was counterintuitive, but it felt like the thing to do.. against a shadow. She rushed forward, aiming to thrust her blade into the shadows back. "Want to try me sword, while at it?" She grinned, reaching out to grab her own shadowy self by the hat, if she could "You can rejoin with the original or stick with being a crappy imitation that can't do a thing.. I know you're not even my darkest desires, because frankly, you're not good enough for that."

Spoiler

Initative:
Total:22

Bonus action to Stealth.. as crappy as real Rovanas perception
Total:10

Move to attack the shadow

Attack roll: Total:15

For a potential, if sneak damageable
Total:13 damage

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

Shadow
Brazier Room
Tag: Rovana

The shadow turns at the last moment as Rovana sneaks up to it, forming a blade from its own hand, mimicking the one that the dead pirate held in her hand.

The shadow blade clashes with the reaver's cutlass. The shadow flutters from the impact, but then presses forward, the edges of the shadow pressing against Rovana's corpse, which begins to decay. The Shadow's touch also weakens the strength of Rovana's body, innervating the muscles.

[Rovana's attack hits. Shadow attacks back and hits on a 21, dealing 12 necrotic damage to the possessed corpse and draining 3 Strength.]

Rovana could see the effect of the shadow's touch and believed that if she were to be dealt enough damage, it could mean the end of her body's physical form. The pair squared off against each other. This shadow moved like Rovana, dueled like Rovana. It knew all her combat tricks and could tumble and duck and weave like she did as well. Their flurry of trading blows circled around the brazier with the flames and stones. Currently, Rovana was near the Violet, Orange, Red and Green stones.

 

[Pervy]

Re: A Pirate's (Un)Life for me! (Rovana)

(like this just a bit paler and.. posesseder..
Captain Rovana
Ravenloft underground

"We fight equal, but I strike first. I win." She grinned.. not like she could feel pain, though her body decaying was propably not a good sign..

She struck at the shadow, but missed (9) snatching the orange gemstone and tossing it into the flame. She should propably leave .. Then again, if she didn't defeat the shadow, it might simply pursue her, not only that, but losing the map, the last of her equipment, her crossbow, Strahds letter.. She gritted her teeth. "So tired of this damned place. Not giving up just yet." She growled, brandishing her sword again. "I'm through backing down and losing everything bloody shadow." She growled, dashing forward and slashing at the shadow again.

Spoiler

This attack misses with a 9

Next attack is a Total:21, presuming a hit, for: a total of 18, unless the strength penalty applies to damage here too, then a 16... or more if she gets drained moar too.