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Harsk hist the ectoplasmic entity fair and square but something prevents the bolt to finish it off properly. Meanwhile Feiya prepares to defend herself while Lem and Hakon incite their friends to battle.
Apparently undeterred the creatures attack slamming their fists into the adventurer's vanguards!
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And they prove themselves extremely dangerous, causing their targets considerable damage, especially to Oloch whose ribs creak ominously as the phantom's fist hit them...
"Round 01 - Bold may post
Harsk
Lem
Feiya
Hakon -5hp
Ectoplasmic thing (red)
Ectoplasmic thing (green) -3hp
Ectoplasmic thing (blue)
Oloch -14hp, disabled
Kyra -6hp
Snarling with rage, Oloch smashes his greatsword into the foe that so grievously injured him before collapsing to the ground with a series of clanks.
Krya backs up, not accepting the rage at this time, and casts a DC 15 Murderous Command on red.
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The young bard stops his singing for the moment as he runs up to the warpriest. He remembers seeing a cleric do this once. "Not today Oloch!" His sings a song of peace and purity. Lem's hand glows with a golden radience just before he plants his hand into the grievous wound. I sure hope I'm doing this right. Ulp! Uh oh, queasy stomach. I think I'm going to empty my cupboard right here.
Hakon swings his axes at the red ectoplasmic creature in front of him while maintaining his Linnorn song.
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Kyra tries to force one of the ectoplasms to attack its fellos but it seems immune to that kind of magic.
Harsk shoots and hits again with his crossbow, but the bolt seems to have no effect on the creature.
Lem opts to heal Oloch, and suceeds at stopping the bleeding, although the Half orc is still laying prone on the ground.
Hakon swings twice at the reddish ectoplasm wounding it slightly but not enough to destroy it...
"Round 02 - Bold may post
Harsk
Lem
Feiya
Hakon -5hp
Ectoplasmic thing (red) -4hp
Ectoplasmic thing (green) -3hp
Oloch -15hp, dying -1
Kyra -6hp
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Feiya courageously (or perhaps foolishly) advances on the supernatural opponents smashing one of them with her staff. She hits fair and square but the damage caused to the creature seems negligible.
And then the creatures attack again!
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Feiya pays dearly for her imprudence as the ectoplasm backhands her almost breaking her neck with its blow! Its companion's attack misses Hakon though.
"Round 02 - Bold may post
Harsk
Lem
Feiya -8hp
Hakon -5hp
Ectoplasmic thing (red) -4hp
Ectoplasmic thing (green) -3hp
Oloch -10hp, prone
Kyra -6hp
Hakon pauses in his song long enough to shout out, "Kyra, we could use Sarenrae's touch."
Oloch staggers to his feet, chanting a quick battle prayer to fortify himself.
Blessed iron guard me well,
else I'm damned and doomed to hell.
Kyra indeed decides that a channel makes sense at this time, selectively excluding the opposition, and then moves up to provide support.
"Gratitude!" Hakon shouts as his wounds heal under Sarenrae's grace. He continues to sing as he swings his axes as the remaining foes.
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Feiya retreats, Harsk shoots and wounds the greenish ectoplasm while Hakon finishes the reddish one. Lem waits to see what happens next
The last remaining ectoplasm tries to smash Hakon down...
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And again he finds a weak spot into its target's defenses.
Round 03 - Bold may post
Harsk
Lem
Feiya -3hp
Hakon -5hp
Ectoplasmic thing (green) -7hp
Oloch
Kyra-1hp
Oloch snatches up his greatsword from where it had fallen and careens into the remaining pile of ectoplasm.
And stay down!
And, again, Kyra will channel excluding the foes with selective channel.
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With a mighty swipe of his blade Oloch rids the battlefield of the last remaining phantom.Panting heavily you realize the battle is finally over and you won. From behind the bushes he choose to hide behind comes Dr Qulorum's voice:"Well done, young lads! Well done! Now to study this most fascinating of manifestations..." he mumbles as he approaches the crater and begins to examine the fresh lightning strike's effects. After many inquisitive exclamations, he harvests two vials of ectoplasm into his newly developed storage containers. The old man seeems happy and thanks you profusely for your work, then he adds:"These samples will require further study, of course. I trust I'll be able to learn a great deal about the nature of this manifestations while you complete your assigned tasks..."
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After a couple of days you receive another missive from Dr. Quolorum. He asks you to explore Illirigarde Manor, an abandoned building not far from the village of Dunhob. The good doctor wants you to find something he refers to as "etheric compasses", devices that triangulate the epicenter of the phenomena plaguing the Hungry Mountains.
Besides the letter you also received a large package and a brass key along. The package contains two boxes made of crystalline panels, each about 1-foot cube. No one dares to bar your passage to the manor, yet it stands looming above you ominously...
The PCs may be familiar with rumors surrounding Lady
Illirigarde’s manor, or they can ask the locals.
Anyone know what the crystal boxes are for? It better not be another lightning caller; the woman who built this place disappeared in the middle of a storm and I have no intention of joining her!
Kyra asks around before they get there and manages to get the townsfolk to open up.
"Rumor has it that the place is haunted. As I said before, haunts are tricky business but a quick channel may do the trick. Also, if the rumors are true, the mirrors the place reflect the old house. Sounds intriguing to me, but the locals want nothing to do with it. Who did you say built this place?"
"Not sure who built it forty years ago," Hakon says, "But the last person to go inside entered twenty years ago and came out screaming and never the same."
He looks the cubes over. "You sure he didn't send a letter with these?"
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As you approach the front door you find it to be locked. Fortunately Dr Quolorum has sent you the brass key that opens it and you gain entrance to the manor without having to force the front door.
Dusty sheets cover the furniture of the front hall—all save a large portrait flanked by unlit candelabras above the fireplace directly opposite the front door. The room smells musty and old. As you get inside, the candles lining the walls suddenly spring to life...
Oloch eyes the candles suspiciously, before turning to examine the rest of the room, They probably just did that with magic.
Kyra follows the others, ready to do battle with any haunts.
If there are any mirrors she wants to verify what the townsfolk said about them and look right in.
"Occult tools," Hakon answers Lem. "Especially these things called etheric compasses. Whatever they look like."
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As you examine the room you realize the portrait, now well illuminated by the supernaturally lit candles, was slashed and the visage it was meant to reproduce, defaced. Despite the damage, the subject’s strong widow’s peak is still visible. The plaque below the painting reads “Lady Rena Illirigarde,” but something tried ineffectively to scratch that out and instead carved “Hate” in many places on the wooden frame.
A moment after you check the painting out you hear a scratching sound coming from the east through the door. As you examine the hallway you notice there's light coming from under the room to the northeaster side of the manor.
Oloch sharpens his mind for battle and heads over to open the eastern door.
Kyra points at some tracks from a tiny person that seem recent. Not VERY recent, but the disturbance in the dust that covers the place is noticeable.
"Do you think that whatever is making that noise made these footprints? And had a serious issue with the lady of the manor. I guess we'll find out soon enough."
Kyra casts Guidance on herself and joins Oloch.
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Deciding to ignore the room to the north-east Oloch opens the door to leading to the room to the east.
It leads to a spacious reading room is covered in dust. Expensive furniture hides under sheets, except a round table whose polished stone surface is completely clean. A large, open box carved with skulls sits near the table, and a mirror hangs on the door to the north. There's also a chair to the east, emitting light all around itself.
The translucent form of an old woman dressed in fine looking garments appears in the table’s reflective surface, though she seems tired. A box carved with skulls is closed behind her as she furiously tries to align two delicate silver disks etched with compass directions. She looks down at a book, and lightning flashes brightly outside. When it subsides, the box is open, and the tiny winged creature is hanging from the nearby bookcase. It leaps at her throat with hate in its eyes, and the vision fades.
"Well, that's odd," Hakon comments as the scene begins around the glowing chair.
"I noticed it too. See the frost on that table over there. Prepare yourselves for the supernatural!"
Aaaagggh!
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Oloch and Lem are overcome with unatural fear.
Suddenly an unatural shriek breaks the silence in the room and 3 ugly tiny creatures appear raising their arms into the air and fixing their baleful black eyes on Feiya, Hakon and Kyra. At the same time another misshappen creature charges Feiya opening its fanged maw as it approaches! It's an ambush!
Surprise round
Andolf
Mite (red)
Mite (blue)
Mite (green)
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The creature's fangs find only air but Feiya feels unatural fear grip her soul...
Round 01 - Bold may act
Hakon
Lem shaken
Oloch shaken
Kyra
Harsk
Feiya shaken
Andolf
Mite (red)
Mite (blue)
Mite (green)
Oloch slams down the visor of his helm to hide his wide eyes, and advances on one of the tiny fanged beasts, his keen eye for such things noting the weaknesses of the creature's stance.