The Ice Monster was a difficult enemy. It was apparently driven by someone in the Nightmare Court and fought bravely and intensely. Clearly some fire attacks were flung at the creature. The battle was hard and long and by the time it was over the party decided that they needed a rest before attempting to find the ghettos.
As the party healed up they suddenly heard a voice from the trees.
"That didn't take too long." A moment later a man stepped into sight. He was tall, with dark hair and a surreal outfit sewn together from the hides of what must be dream animals and nightmare creatures. "The doctor has sent you to help me, and then I will help you."
Ralom spoke up asking the mans name. He introduced himself as the Walks Alone, who had talked with Dr. Illhousen on the latter's trip to the Nightmare Lands. "Wanderers, you have come to this land to aid me in my plight. The wilderness gave me the sign. I thank you. When you finish, I';; give you a dreamcatcher so that you may find your way home safely." With that, Walks Alone turns to leave. Then he turns back, as though he just remembered another detail.
"Oh yes, I should describe my problem," the shaman said with some embarrassment. "While I was dreamwalking, my dream-self was captured by the Ghost Dancer. You must enter the Theater Macabre and set my dream-self free."
Baru asked how Walks Alone can be moving around without his dream-self. Walks Alone shrugged. "Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Abbers don't normally dream," the shaman said. "Dr. Illhousen might be able to tell you more, though I've never had to fall asleep the way he does to dreamwalk."
Baru still wanted to know how they would deliver the dream-self back to Walks Alone. "I will meet you if you can retrieve my dream-self," he continued, and then wandered back into the forest.
After a rest the party sent Zummergale aloft to find the direction to Nod. She returned and pointed the way, and the party set off for the Sleep City. As they wandered through the forest the landscape would change from forest to desert to mountains in the blink of an eye but their path was straight.
At last leaving the forest they party found the city. The buildings appeared ancient and vacant, as though whoever constructed them abandoned them long ago. The buildings have distorted lines and weird angles, and everything has a gloomy, ominous feel in the silent, deserted place.
Broken glass occupied some of the windows, and most of the doors hung precariously in their frames. Even though they don't see a single person, the hairs on Varrid's neck stood up as though someone --- or something -- was watching.
The party wandered aimlessly, searching for the Theater Macabre. From an alley ahead of the party a "person" appeared, solid at the core but its limbs and head faded into ethereal mist. The dreamer took no notice of the heroes as he made his way down the street. Grunyar, Baru and Drovic noted that he was holding a pamphlet in his hands. The pamphlet showed an ornate logo" The Theater Macabre," Below this title were the words, "Now showing -- The Ghost Dancer's Ballet."
Drovic waved the rest of the party, indicating they should follow this fellow. The dreamer took them through street and alley to a elaborate-yet-decaying theater. The marquee was partly lit with the "Ghost Dancer's Ballet" in highlights. Seeing no one else around, Seglun headed for a door into the inner sanctum. This led to a two story lobby with stairs leading up to the balcony? The lobby was also deserted. So Seglun headed to the door to the auditorium. Inside row upon row of undead, zombies and ghouls were seated facing a curtained stage. Varrid started down the far aisle to a door seeming to lead to the backstage. Baru headed down another aisle looking for Walks Alone's dream-self. As the party moved down the wide hallway the undead snarled at them, but none rose to attack.
The house lights flashed as the heroes started down the aisles peering through the crowd. Varrid found the stage door locked, beyond her ability to open it. Drovic was checking out the Orchestra Pit, maybe he could leap over it to the stage. As he looked into the pit, an undead orchestra started tuning their instruments. Arvien wanted to find this dream-self and leave before the show started, since who knew what the Ghost Dancer's powers were. Ralom spotted the dream-self in a middle row halfway down the floor. Varrid moved quickly to grab Walks Alone's hand. As she did the zombies and ghouls surrounding him attacked, even ones across the aisle. Varrid was quickly paralyzed as a Ghoul inflicted damage. The party was hasted and Baru cast Bull's Strength on himself. The Zombies were not very dangerous and fell quickly but the Ghouls were a dire enemy and there were four of them.
Baru grabbed the dream-self, which was almost as light as air, hefted him into the air and headed for the exit. The Ghouls followed him as Arvien swore at Baru for bringing them to her. Drovic was trapped by a Zombie and a Ghoul at the orchestra pit. Seglun, Ralom and Grunyar pressed the attack and Varrid recovered from the paralysis to flank the awful Ghoul24000+1600/7s. The house lights dimmed as Baru barrelled into the lobby with the dream-self. Grunyar held the Zombies off as Baru left. Drovic broke from his attackers and headed up a side aisle.
Haunting music started from the pit as Seglun and Varrid finished off the last of the creatures. The curtain started to rise as the whole company made it out the doors to the lobby and outside. As Baru exited the theater the dream-self became insubstantial and drifted into the sky. Arvien wanted to follow but just as she was about the ask Zummergale to tail the dream-self, Walks Alone stepped out of the shadows and waved to the heroes.
"I feel better already," he said as he walked toward them. He carried a wooden staff topped by a circle of woven thread, straw and feathers arranged in a strange pattern. "Here is the dreamcatcher I promised you." He holds the dreamcatcher out for the party to take. Ralom wanted to know how to use the talisman.
"You must enter an inactive dream sphere, the dreamcatcher will allow you to navigate to the nether portal. We cannot escape the Nightmare Lands at the nether portal, but YOU may be able to return to Dr. Illhousen."
"May be able to return?" wondered Drovic aloud, "We have no other means since the ship was run aground."
Walks Alone left the party and the group resumed its search for the empty pit. They wandered about turning left and right as the area seemed to shift as the moved. At one point the heroes came upon a familiar building. The clinic stood before them looking even more dismal than the version in Egertus. No Dnar River flowed by the clinic, and the area around it was as deserted as the rest of the City of Nod. Otherwise, the place appeared completely identical to Illhousen's clinic except for one significant change -- the sign over the door read "The Egertus Asylum."
The party gave the clinic a wide berth and continued on their way. Suddenly a great rumble caused the ground to shake and the buildings around to tremble. It felt like an earthquake, though none of the buildings actually collapsed and the street didn't break open. The wide street changed in the blink of an eye, becoming a narrow alley. The buildings, once tall and ominous, transformed into low, decrepit tenements full of shadows and foul odors. Then the trembling stopped.
"Well, I guess we found the ghetto," Grunyar intoned. "Now where?"
An old woman stepped out of the shadows. She looked so frail and ancient that she might blow away in a strong wind. This hunched woman with dark, leathery skin dressed in animal skins and leaned on a gnarled staff.
"You have come searching for something, wanderers?" the old woman asked in a voice that was as dry as sand. "You wish to steal something from Mullonga's home? That is not allowed!"
Her staff glowed with and evil light that spilled over the party. The light made their flesh tingle and their eyes hurt. As it got brighter, vision became blurry and distorted. The old woman seemed to be moving away from them and getting larger at the same time. Then the light faded and the heroes realized what had occurred -- they had been made smaller!
"Much better," Mullonga said. "Now you are not thieves. You are children, bad children. No, you are mice. And I know how to deal with mice." She whistled, and black cats the size of lions padded out of the shadows.
DM's Notes: The party earned 3,657 XP for the night and now have71,154 XP.and need 5,846 to reach 8th level.
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