Doo doo doo.
Go back to the front of the Asylum. If the guard is still under mind control, sneak through the front door.
Follow fellow fleeing wizard
Follow fellow wizrds out of the crawlspace and order mind slave to follow us.
[5,1,3]
Caellath wisely decides to get the hell out of dodge. He scampers back up the vent, using a
screwdriver stabbed through the thin metal of the steep section as a handhold to get up.
Valyar, equally wisely, decides to follow him. Unfortunately, with no screwdriver (or other anachronistic implement) on hand, he is unable to scale the steep section of the vent. Scrabbling to find purchase, he cuts his hand open on the split metal where
Caellath stabbed his 'driver. It bleeds profusely, and hurts like the blazes- his curses echo through the vent, leading to
Owen taking a much more cautious approach. He worms his way past the cursing
Valyar, and using Valyar's head as a stepping board, with
Caellath giving a hand from above, barely manages to get back up. Valyar is left below to curse and swear at his use as a stepladder.
The hypnotised guard is still standing outside the vent, completely unmoving. [5] Owen considers the duration of his spell to be exceptionally long... provided the guard is a regular human.
[...] Is it me, or is it getting hot in here? Like,
really hot. And there is definitely a breeze blowing through this vent. A breeze blowing inwards... or at least for now.
Pick up the decapitated skull and put it on the top of my staff. Ask it if it can talk. Call it Aedelbert Toothclatter IV.
[5] You (there I go again) place the skull on your staff. It rattles around a bit, but whatever. You ask it if it can talk.
Your words seem to stir something in the old bone. The lights in its eyes flare, its jaw wobbles experimentally, and then, [6] in a loud, proud, booming voice, it intones:
"Talk, young lady?
Talk? My dear, I can do more than just talk, I can intone, orate, soliloquise, drawl, gab, chat, wobble my tongue and flap my lips! Why, I am renowned for it. Indeed, who are you that you do not know Sir Ewan Bonecrusher, chief advisor to the King?"
The skull spins around on the top of the staff, taking in its surroundings.
"And why am I in this dreary tunnel and- IS THAT A SKELETON? KILL IT, KILL IT! WHERE'S ITS SKULL, CRUSH IT, THAT'S ITS WEAKNESS! WHERE DID YOU IDIOTS PUT ITS SKULL?"
[1]Sir Ewan's voice is loud enough to raise the dead, and the dead in this passageway do not need much in the way of raising. A cacophony of rattling bones and rusty swords being drawn reaches your ears from further down the corridor. Your candle splutters, and several... other, (even) more disquieting noises acompany them- moans and tortured cries. [4] A passage comes to mind from some old tome on ghosts; that those evil beings object strenuously to being awoken, and will moan and cry with evil voices should this happen.
You really hope it isn't ghosts. Skeletons are one thing- but ghosts... you don't know how you would deal with ghosts.
Smash the skeleton to bits
[...] You are somewhat confused by the skeleton's own skull requesting that you kill it, but you suppose it knows best.
[2] Fortunately for Ewan you are really pathetic, and your staff barely scratches the beast, let alone smash it.
[...] You hear more skeletons rising down the tunnel, and worse. It gives you the heeby jeebies.
Take the Skeleton's weapon!
Edit: And shield if possible!
Also if possible, Search forwards, holding my sword ready to thrust in anything that lunges out at us.
"Did we forget to bring a torch, again?"
[4] You gingerly take the skeleton's sword and shield from its unresisting hands. [1] Both are so decayed that they are even worse than your current weapon- no mean feat by any account. You drop them on the ground.
As Ewan's voice booms out and you hear more skeletons rising, [...] you bravely step forwards, sword ready, protecting those behind you.
Ayup. You have no idea how lucky you are to get this turn; my depression has taken another dip, leaving me sleeping ~18 hours a day, and about as motivated to do stuff as your average
corpse.
Name: Ochita Valern.
Gender: Male
Physical Might: 3
Mental Might: 5
Health: 5/6
Morale: 6/7
Other: Basic Ward on self
Equipment: Studded leather robes. Iron shortsword. Wooden staff. Backpack.
Knowledge: Basic principles of Magic. Basic Wards.
Skills: Creating Basic Wards on self/small objects
Location: Underground passage
Name: Tyrin Denaril
Gender: Male
Physical Might: 4
Mental Might: 4
Health: 5/6 CUT ARM
Morale: 4/6
Equipment: Studded leather robes. Iron shortsword. Wooden staff. Backpack.
Knowledge: Basic principles of Magic. Basic swordplay.
Skills: Fencing
Location: Underground passage
Name: Owen Barthona
Gender: Male
Physical Might:3
Mental Might:5
Health: 5/5
Morale: 7/7
Equipment: Studded leather robes. Iron shortsword. Wooden staff. Backpack.
Knowledge: Basic principles of Magic. Basic Hypnosis and Mind Control
Skills: Minor Hypnosis. Minor Mind Control.
Location: Outside the vent.
Name: Caellath Excrucialis
Gender: Male
Physical Might:3
Mental Might:4
Health: 5/5
Morale: 5/6
Equipment: Studded leather robes. Iron shortsword. Wooden staff. Backpack. Small toolkit.
Knowledge: Basic principles of Magic. Basic Craftsmanship.
Skills: Fixing stuff. Breaking stuff. Unlocking stuff.
Location: Outside the vent.
Name: Henrietta Scriver
Gender: Female
Physical Might:3
Mental Might:4
Health: 4/5 SORE LEG
Morale: 4/6
Equipment: Studded leather robes. Iron shortsword. Wooden staff. Backpack. Silver amulet. Sir Ewan Bonecrusher's skull (on staff)
Knowledge: Basic principles of Magic. Basic knowledge of magical creatures.
Skills: Identify basic monster
Location: Underground passage
Name: Valyar Sanders
Gender: Male
Physical Might:3
Mental Might:4
Health: 4/5 CUT HAND
Morale: 4/6
Equipment: Studded leather robes. Iron shortsword. Wooden staff. Backpack. Silver amulet.
Knowledge: Basic principles of Magic. Basic knowledge of magical creatures.
Skills: Identify basic monster
Location: Mysterious, increasingly warm and drafty, crawlspace.