Off the Beaten Track

- Dirk -

The machete hums angrily in your hand, almost like something within it objects to the bell it struck --or the power behind it.

‣ Do you mention your vision of the 'horned wolf' to the others?

Asha and the captain had been standing guard at the window-entrance. At the sudden resounding and explosive BONG from above they had started to climb but the answering and chilling moan from below stops them, caught once more in the indecision of following Rook instead --they know there is a 'bell' up there, so they know roughly what cased that sound.

Their call of relief is barely audible over the ringing in your ears, but they lead the way down and then let Albert pass in his 'rush' while they make their way carefully down, having tied themselves together with the rope.

At the bottom they make space for Albert to examine things. Asha looks at the water. "That is not the sort of pool I would want to swimming in." She comments --she has already spoken of her time in the water around the harbour back home.

"Did you hear that... moan?" The captain asks Rook in a hushed voice. It has not repeated since its initial reaction to the bell being rung, and they were further away so it all came from 'down' from their perspective.

What do you all do?

- Albert -

It is very hard to tell down here --the falling water creates streaks that pull at the eye, and the flickering torchlight makes all the shadows dance-- but you did not see anywhere where the dark tendrils would have terminated, so presumably they go down further.

‣ How do you investigate?

- Albert -

If the tendrils did interact with water, any extra ripples they caused would be hard to spot among those from the constantly falling drips of water.

"Where?" The captain asks, not handing over her sword, but following your lead and slicing it through the apparently empty space in the center of the tower to no effect.

- Albert -

Once more your broom-handle tangles with something, invisible, but just where you expected. Expecting it as you are, you can hang onto the stick and stop the bell's movement with it.

The captain passes her sword right over your broomstick, but it does not seem able to affect whatever is there. "By the gods!" She mutters, looking concerned.

"I don't see anything." The captain admits. "Except for how it moves your staff." She adds.

"You seem to be the one who can." She shrugs her lack of objection. "How do you want us arrayed?" She asks, dropping into something resembling military discipline, possibly confirming some suspicions about her past.

- Albert -

Not unexpectedly, it feels like 'hitting a rope with a stick'. There is not much resistance but your broomstick also does not pass though the empty air.

This time it is not pulled from your hand, but instead, the rope seems to be yanked from the 'hand' of whatever is below, dragging it back and forth. If the possessor of that 'hand' is upset by this, you can not tell through the intervening water, all you all can perceive is the churning of an invisible rope being drawn out through the water, and then --untethered- vanishing.

- Rook -

Sometimes there just is no time for precautions (sometimes there are people behind you rushing you onwards with threats of 'falling church-bells'). This is one of those times... But also one of those times when at least one more precaution would have helped.

The door's heavy lock grinds open, but, along with it, some mechanism in the wall grinds its connected response and something above starts to move.

- Roald -

You join everyone else just in time. Below the lowest-window height, the stone stairs rumble, extend from the wall, and iris closed; blocking that route of escape. The only way is down, it seems.

Those below would only know that it gets darker as the medallion of light far above shrinks.

What do yo do?