Valachi shakes his head, "Give me something physical that I can get my claws into. These spirits... I cannot confront."
Kendra puts in, "I've not really used any of my true magic yet, only cantrips, but as it is for you," she indicates the fighters, "there has been little here upon which to work. Most of the time we do not even know what we are walking into until it is upon us!"
Riff's face is stark and white, "I never care if I never here the name of this place ever again! Do we not have what we need? The spirits here are mad with strife! Surely it must be what has been afflicting the town. Let us return and tell the council as much!"
"I have one spell remaining me, as well as the ability to declare Iomadae's judgement on a foe. If we indeed meet one that can be bested by force of arms, it will lend me strength for the battle."
"However, I too am wounded. I feel like that cold robbed the strength directly from my flesh. I think it will take more than common healing to restore me. I can press on a bit further, but I think our limit may be approaching. For this day at least."
He fumbles as well, pulling out the wand in his belt, and touching it upon Ember.
"We still have much to learn here. There is a sinister power in play, but we still don't know what killed Lorrimor. I say continue in, for now."
To Kendra, Val adds, "I've not been much use as a bodyguard."
Ember stands and channels, giving healing to the group.
"We can press onward a bit more, but I feel Zhan is correct, we have almost exausted our ability to find an answer today."
"I am sorry Riff, but so far, the haunts here are ones tied to this spot. You saw how the haunt here could not even leave this room. If there is something here affecting the town, it lies deeper within."
"Your claws were a great help against those skulls, and I don't think we would have been nearly as successful against that scythe without Agnar's sword. No, the range of challenges here does seem to be diverse, but I would not want to be here without either of you. We should search this chamber for clues. Hopefully we can find a way to put this haunt to rest so we need not have to deal with it again.
As he has suggested, Zhan moves out into the chamber to begin a thorough search.
Kendra puts a hand on Valachi's arm, "As I told you all upon the day we met, I am not a doll. I can look after myself. That being said I am still very glad each and every one of you is here. My father would be so proud! I think Zhan is right though Valachi; the threats here are diverse, and I imagine we will face physical foes soon enough. Let us aid Zhan in the search. If this cold is as draining as he says, then we do not want to have to endure it every time we cross this room. Keep in mind to bear a lookout as well for other clues to our mission; ties to Ravengro and the purpose the Whispering Way had in coming here."
Presumably, the group spreads out and conducts a close search of the room. The doors exiting the room are like those that barred your entrance, and look similarly like they could be as easily forced. No one does so of course, for fear of provoking something new before this room is dealt with, and until a choice of doors is made by the team. The benches are old, and some are burned, broken, or rotted, from the ancient fire, time, and the penetrating moisture of the pond that begins in the room next door. The search of a room this size does take some time, and some thirty minutes pass before all are satisfied that there is nothing new to be learned. Unfortunately, nothing results from the search that was not known at its outset. There is nothing hidden in this chamber, and no sign of what might have tied the spirits of cold to it.
Riff states the obvious question when all are regathered at the open end of the room, "Well, now what do we do?
Valachi nods shyly to Kendra, then moves to assist Zhan with the search. After turning up nothing, he points to the door off stage right. "I think we know its flooded, but a quick look there before we move on?"
Kendra replies, "Are we giving up on defusing this haunt then?"
Val shrugs, "Any ideas?" He looks around to the others for suggestions.
Delia also shrugs at the question, "I have no idea how to deal with these things. I have the vial here, but I don't think it works if the haunt is inactive. I am ready, however, for the next time one of these things pops up." She brandishes the vial held firmly before her.
"Sorry, but I do not have any ideas," Ember replies. "Maybe if I could study more of the lore of this place..."
Kendra interjects, somewhat cautiously, "We have the spirit planchette; we could ask the spirits thhemselves what would ease their torment..."
"Why yes, that would work. But we would only have one question, so we should decide what we will ask first."
Kendra continues, "Unfortunately, yes. And the question needs to be one that can be answered with a yes, no, maybe, or a single word answer. It will be hard to find out what we need to do in order to put them to rest with those limitations... I have heard that sometimes it is possible to communicate with spirits in other ways as well, so perhaps once we have their attention..."
"Does anyone have suggestions on what our question should be?"
Valachi's brow furrows as he thinks out loud, slowly. "Well, the fire furnace ghost thing took cooling off in the water to release it. This one bursts freezing cold... but we haven't found anything like the bones we found in the furnace..." He sigh, frustrated.
Kendra looks around during the long silence, and at the blank faces that stare back at her, "Um, ok, no concreate ideas. Valachi might have a point though; if the last haunt was settled by cooling, maybe the key to this one has something to do with heat. We could ask if the spirits desire heat...?"
"Light a fire or maybe get some warm clothing? " Agnar suggests.
Kendra asked Delia for the spirit Planchette , and presuming that she hands it over with no objection, Kendra takes it over to the Podium and places it down on the top surface.
The kit contains a thin wooden board, with the words 'Yes' 'No' and 'Maybe' writer across the top, with all the letters and numbers of the common tongue written out beneath. The Planchette itself is a brass piece with a hollow in the center and an arrow indicating that whatever is visible within that window is the focus of the Planchette's attention.
Kendra places her hands on the brass piece and closes her eyes, moving the planchette randomly around the board. Soon however, you see her muscles relax, and the planchette appears to be moving itself around the board, in a slow exploratory style.
Kendra's voice is low and steady when she speaks, "Hear me spirits; those trapped and suffering in this room. Hear me, we wish to lay you to rest, but we need your help to tell us how. Hear and answer my question: Is warmth what you desire?"
The Planchette moves slowly, but settles over the word, 'Yes.'
Her fingers not really placing much pressure on the planchette, Kendra is a bit surprised when it stops moving of its own accord. It thumbs to the lower edge of the slanted podium surface, stopped by the lip placed their to hold papers from falling to the floor.
Kendra moves a stray strand of hair back towards her bun, and returns the planchette and the board to the box. "So, we have a clue. How do we provide these spirits with the warmth they desire? I don't think anything so simple as a fire will suffice; after all, this building was destroyed by fire. If there were bones like in the furnace, I would suggest we take them to a forge or some such, but as there are not... Perhaps if we had a vessel of some sort in which to transport them?"
Just as she is finishing speaking, the podium and the benches in the room begin to rattle for a moment, as though in an earthquake; though the floor you are all standing on remains perfectly still.
"I would say the spirit wants us to burn these benches and podium," Ember comments, stating the obvious.
"Agnar, Valachi, Zhan; if you could gather them together?"
She reaches for a bench herself, and begins to drag it towards another.
As the podium shakes, Delia lets out an EEP of surprise, before she grabs the vial in both hands, ready to unstopper it. Looking around, waiting for the sign of the spirit's return, she looks to Father, "Help them with furniture, would you please?"
As Ember reaches for a bench it scoots away a few inches on one end, leaving subtly beyond the reach of her fingers. She could easily reach a bit further to grab it, but the movement seemed deliberately timed.
Agnar moves to pick up a bench so he can start a pile.
Ember pauses, and contimplates her actions.
"Perhaps not burn the benches, but bless them?" she wonders aloud.
No response from anything in the room.
Valachi makes a deliberate attempt to grab the jumping bench.
Valachi moves beside Ember and deliberately extends his hand to grab the bench. Again it scoots perhaps an inch away, but he is able to lay his hand on it without difficulty.
Val lifts the bench, looking at the underside.
"Or perhaps burn just the podium?" Ember ventures a guess. She turns and reaches for the podium.
You lift the bench and examine the underside. There is nothing unusual about it. It is an old, worn, wooden bench with no back.
There is no response at the verbalized question, but when you reach for the podium, it rattles a little bit as if to discourage the action.
Kendra pipes in, "The spirits here certainly seem to be trying to communicate. Perhaps we just need a way to help them make their wishes more clear." She raises her voice a little and addresses the room, The benches and podium rattle in response. The furniture rattles again, then after a long pause it rattles once again, pauses and rattles again. Kendra turns and smiles at the rest of the group.
"Spirits, do you wish a small fire to warm you without burning the furniture in this room?" Ember quiries.
Valachi slowly puts the bench down. By the look on his face, he seems unsure whether to be horrified or to laugh.
After Ember's question there is a rattle, a pause, and then another rattle.
"Would you want us to burn the podium?" Ember asks next.
Two rattles.
Kendra says, "Do you want another sort of fire?"
Two rattles.
Riff gets in on it and asks, "You want heat, but not fire?"
One Rattle.
"Try ask if blankets would be okay since they do not seem to want fire or maybe hides?." Agnar suggests to Ember and Kendra.
Kendra gives Agnar a wry look, "I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not, Agnar. Spirits? Why... damnit, I wish they could just answer that." She turns to the others present. "They want heat, but not fire. Why would they want that, and how would we provide it for them. There are no bones here, so we have nothing physical to use to represent the spirits. Spirits? Do you require a proxy or a vessel of some sort? An object to represent your travel from this place?"
One rattle.
Agnar shrugs "They said they wanted heat."
"Maybe we can find a winter blanket, or old lantern... I don't know." Valachi shrugs. "Should we move on and return?"
Delia is confused by the whole exchange, she looks back and forth between both sides the men with their literal ideas and the women with their clarifications, nodding in agreement as each speaks. "What if we are looking at this too black and white? What about heat or warmth, in a not real sense. What about the warmth of compassion, the heat of a body held close, the fire of love? Maybe they just feel the cold of loss and regret." she asks, with eyebrows raised, as if she wants someone to agree so she doesn't feel ridiculous for asking.
"Might be that we need to locate a key to get through. A bit of smash might work, but I think we should try keeping our presence low profile, if we can." Valachi tries to recall any passages or other doors we've skipped.
"I would guess that they just want warmth without a fire. Do we have some object that we could heat up to give them?"
"Seems to be a good idea." Agnar says after hearing Valachi.
"Shall we try the door on the opposite side then? It appears to of a more common construction. We should note this room though; such a sturdy door is likely to con eal something of note."
Can you repost the current map, please?
"I would guess that they just want warmth without a fire. Do we have some object that we could heat up to give them?"
After Ember says this, there is an immediate single rattle, and then silence.
Zhan notes the response from the room, "I don't believe I have anything like that. I could heat up a shell casing from my gun easily enough, but it is very small, and not likely to stay hot long." He pulls one of the bullets from his belt, and holds it up to demonstrate the size.
There are two rattles in response.
Riff pipes in, "There was a lot of metal in the last room, and plenty of wood in here for fuel. There may also be some what's usable in the coal shoot. We could start up a fire in the furnace, a heat up one of them hunks of iron. Would that be better?
A single rattle answers.
"Is that it? Will that give you rest?" Kendra puts in.
A rattle, a pause, and then a second.
"Then we shall do that," Ember decides. "Riff, can you gather up the needed items to do so. I will assist you."