Echoes in the Darkness [IC]

Asking the question reminds Rijo that alchemists value the eyes of the cockatrice for whatever weirdness alchemists use those for. Worth their weight in gold, they are. Probably a couple of gold pieces per eye?

The stairs go up about twelve feet at a relatively shallow incline, between twenty and thirty feet of run for that rise. Ur's torch casts its steady reddish glow on the dusty grey marble steps, which are dusty but highly polished under that dust, veined with silver and gold.

The cockatrice crows again, the echoes ripple ...

You become aware that the ceiling of this room is high beyond the light from the lantern or torch, the horizontal extent of the chamber exceeds the radius of your lights as well.

What are Rezin, Webster, and Stor-bten doing as Ur and Rijo chase the cockatrice?

Webster watches as Ur and Rijo chase after the cockatrice, readying his crossbow.

He says:

"Seems a bit misguided to be running around and causing this much noise in the dark, doesn’t it?"

to no one in particular. He glances around, nervous to fall outside of the lantern’s glow.

Webster slinks closer to Rezin.

"I can spot it with my crossbow if we don't get too far away."

Webster will ready himself with his crossbow, and will take a shot if a clear opportunity arises to assist one of the party.

@seanfsmith Stor-bten stands dumb faced, watching the cockatrice flap into darkness.

@satanicpanic Ur feels searing cold and a great sense of anger as the ghost passes through him. The anger abruptly fades when the ghost leaves his body, but the cold remains. He shivers deeply. @Qralloq, Rijo strikes at the ghost as it emerges from Ur's body, but his axe seems to pass right through the semi-solid form.

@BaboonsandMoons,@Eyes Webster and Rezin act ineffectually.

The ghostly dwarf responds to Rijo's axe stroke with an abrupt lunge toward the headsman.

The cockatrice crows in the distance of the vast chamber, its call echoing from left and right walls.

You all hear a scraping of stone against stone from somewhere in the darkness across the room, possibly at the height of the balcony.

@eyes,@BaboonsandMoons As Rezin moves after the sound of the cockatrice's crow, the bubble of lantern light moves with him. It becomes obvious that this room is very large - in a few moments the light no longer touches the balcony or the row of pillars beneath it, and barely reaches the foot of the stairs. At the top of the stairs, Ur's torch illumines the struggle with the ghostly dwarf.

The floor of the room is flat, cut and polished from the rock of the mountain itself. There is no debris to stumble on. The cockatrice has stopped its crowing, but you believe it may be perched at the height of the balcony, some distance across the room. For a moment, a blink of its glowing eyes confirms that guess. It is more than a bowshot distant by Rezin's estimate - well out of reach from the sling.

@satanicpanic, @qralloq Up on the balcony near the head of the broad shallow stairs, Ur futilely bashes his torch against - and through - the specter. Meanwhile, the ghost brushes against Rijo, who feels a brief chill as he cavorts aside from the malign entity's onrush. The ghost stumbles over the edge of the balcony, through the railing, and drifts toward the floor of the room.

@seanfsmith Stor-bten must choose whether to follow Rezin's lantern or ascend the steps to reach the light of Ur's torch. Alternatively, he can deal with the ghost in darkness.