Rigor Rictus' Carrion Crown - Game Thread
Game Master LastNameOnEarth

I don't think anyone has any more poison saves to make, but if anyone is still needing to make saves, I will be casting resistance to help.

"I dare to say other than some frayed nerves, I am in good form, and have suffered naught. I thank thee for thy concern Mistress Ember, but are you sure you are ready? You seem to have suffered from more bites than others, are you ready to proceed?"

it hurts a bit but I'm ok

Ried will chug a potion of mage armor now that he's been reminded of the potential danger.

"Valachi, we count on your strength to aid us," Ember chides. "If you are suffering the effects of the poison, I have a potion ypu should drink."

She pulls forth a small potion bottle, offering it to Valachi.
Potion of Lesser Restoration

"Thanks," Val says, taking the vial and gulping it down. He stretches as the healing magic flows through him. "Much better!" he adds with a grin.

1d4 ⇒ 2

Kendra asks "Considering the trouble we found in this room, are there any special preparations we wish to make before moving on to the next one?"

Please confirm what room you would like to enter next (I'm imagining the one across the hall unless you have a reason why not), and any changes in marching order, etc, you would like to be in place before entering.

Here's a repost of the floor room map.

After being in the front of the group, Ember would like to be at the door, but not one of the first into the room.
And across the hall looks good to me.

Start with A and move around clockwise?

We did A ... On to B

Marching order?

Marching order?

No change...

Comfortably in the rear for me.

And yes, I understand how bad that sounds.

The door is jammed and stiff, like most of the others in this place, but like them it is forced without too much effort. The room itself is very dark, as their are no windows to the outside from here. The light from the party's ioun torches gradually reveals it to be largish room, with walls extending 30 ft to the south and west of the door, but a far wall that cuts across diagonally, leaving the room an unusual trapezoidal shape. The contents of this room chamber are in a shambles; old wooden benches lie in ruins along the walls, while rusted chains and bits of rotted rope lie scattered on the floor.

MAP

Agnar is the first to notice waves of shame and anger pouring out of the room, like the tangible memories of so many lost prisoners concentrated into something that can be felt in the air. He can hear the faint rattling of chains in the distance and the sound of some disembodied voice sobbing. A sensation of hopelessness momentarily washes over him, and he needs to look down at his hands to be assured that they are not clasped in iron, for he can feel the oppressive weight of the chains upon him.

He says, "Do you hear that? Feel it?" at which point Ember, Kendra, and Ried begin to feel and hear the same sensations.

Cannot say I can do much until it forms. Though nice description of how it felt.

Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Gah! The dice are against me again!
Maybe someone else will suggest something to me, after all I'm down in the init listing.

The Religion check was not necessarily a requirement for anything, but rather just a hint for those who make the check.

Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

"Per your apt description earlier, this is apparently the manifestation of a haunt. Timely action would be wise." Ried, stupidly, fails to take his own advice, fascinated by what's going on and soaks it in.

Valachi steps back from the threshold, unconciously moving towards Kendra's side.

Ember channels Pharasma's power, hoping to disperse the forming haunt.
Channel to harm Undead: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 2) = 8, DC13 for 1/2 damage

Back...ish

Knowledge Religion 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Delia, upon hearing it is another haunt, eagerly tries to move forward and use the Haunt Siphon that she has been so eager to witness work.

Haunt Siphon, Stepping up into the gap if she needs to. 3d6 ⇒ (1, 1, 6) = 8 positive energy damage. Ugh, seriously? 8? It's like I'm back rolling ability scores as successfully as I used to.

Delia holds up the Haunt Siphon and steps forward, in her eagerness, acting even faster than Ember can bring her symbol of Pharasma to bear. When she twists the cap the churning white mist within the siphon is released and flies out into the room like a starburst. A clank of chains can be heard as the thin mist rushes out, as if they were impacted by some physical force. The distant sound of sobbing cuts off like a gasp, and the intense feeling of emotions and the physical sensation of chains about the wrists vanish. The mist swirls around the room for a moment and then rushes back into the siphon to renew it's miniature, tornado-like swirling. As the siphon clicks shut, the mist changes from white to green, and begins to glow with an unearthly, necromantic light.

Ried stands, watching in fascination, "That was fabulous! So now, what ... does the haunt have to be released somewhere? Can you use that siphon more than once?"

Delia stares wide-eyed, holding the little vial up in front of her face. "That was indeed a most interesting effect. I don't think I can use it again, but can instead throw it at an enemy, harming with the pent-up negative energy of the enclosed haunt." She shakes the vial lightly to watch if it disrupts the swirling contents at all.

A search of the room reveals little to nothing of interest. Masses of chains and rotting ropes lie everywhere, and the benches are mostly broken. There is nothing of value here, nor much in the way of anything from which to gather clues or information. The room appears to have been used as some sort of a staging area; a place where prisoners could be brought for processing, chained in while being given instructions and being searched for contraband. Other than the scraps of cloth and ropes and chains, there is not much here.

Ember frowns slightly at Delia's use of the Haunt Siphon.
"We do not have many of those," she comments solomnly. "They should be saved for when they are needed."

If you wish to do anything else in this room please let me know, otherwise I will start with the description of the next room.

The group proceeds on to the next room in their search (The one labeled C on the room map - Link). Once the door is forced, it opens up on a stark room containing three narrow, barred windows. Two sets of stocks adorn the room, as well as a pair of long extinguished brazers, surrounded by rusted branding irons.

Before anyone is able to make it far into the room, an odd smell starts to rise, noticed by virtually everyone: the distinct smell of burned and scorched flesh, smelling oddly fresh, and hot despite the cold chill that actually pervades the air.

"The ghosts of this place are very restless. Agnar says after smelling the burnt flesh

"Was torture sanctioned here? That seems a bit disturbing. May need to spend done time reading in the office."

Ember again raises her Holy Symbol and channels Pharasma's power.
"Let the departed spirits here rest in peace, and trouble the living no more," she intones.

I'm guessing that it is a haunt, just on the description. This might be jumping the gun a bit, but I think I should channel.
Channel energy vs Undead: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 5) = 6; DC13 save for 1/2 damage.

Not jumping the gun at all; just means Ember is catching on to the way haunts work. Whether she gets her CPE off before the haunt manifests is just a matter of initiative.

Ember's Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Apparently, she does not.

As Ember motions to bring her holy symbol to bear, the iron brands on the floor and in the buckets rattle, and fly into the air without further warning. The iron tips flare to life, turning from dull sooty black to glowing ember red in the time it takes them to rise from the floor and fly to their targets. Eight brands rise, flare to life, and fly at the party; the flight of each breaking off from the others so that one brand targets each person present - even those still standing in the hall. Some of the brands fly over the heads of those in front in order to attack those behind, so that no person is taken by more than one.

Attack on Agnar: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
Attack on Alistair: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Attack on Delia: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
Attack on Ember: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21; 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (6, 6) + 1 = 13 damage.
Attack on Father: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
Attack on Kendra: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19; 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (3, 4) + 1 = 8 damage.
Attack on Ried: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Attack on Valachi: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

Only two of the brands make contact; one striking Ember, and another striking Kendra.

Location: 1 Face, 2 Torso, 3 R. Arm, 4 L. Arm, 5 R. Leg, 6 L. Leg.; Letter A-Z; Number.
Ember: 1d6 ⇒ 5; 1d26 ⇒ 3; 1d10 ⇒ 5
Kendra: 1d6 ⇒ 5; 1d26 ⇒ 23; 1d10 ⇒ 1

Each of the women is struck by chance on her right leg. Immediately after the attack, each of the brands instantly cools and falls lifeless to the ground with a clatter. However, the ones that made contact have left a mark on the two women. On Ember a clear letter and number combination can be seen that reads, "C5", while a similar mark upon Kendra reads, "W1". Kendra is openly crying at the pain of the burn, and after a moment of just reacting to the pain, she tries to cover the burned gap in her dress, that is revealing the bare skin and mark on her thigh, much higher than a lady usually exposes. The scent of seared flesh remains in the room, only now it is all too real.

Are the braziers lit now?

No. The irons became hot, but the braziers never changed. The irons are cold now and the power of this haunt appears to have been expended for the moment.

Valachi hurries to Kendra's side, careful not to stare at her exposed skin. "Are you okay?" He kicks the brand away the brand that harmed her.

"I'm..." She appears to be in a bit of shock. Burns are painful at the best of times, and this is likely the most severe wound she has ever received in her young life.

"Hold still," Valachi says, then looks back. "Ember, can you help Miss Kendra?"

Ember winces in pain.
'To slow again, I must learn to act swifter,' she thinks.
Valachi's words break her out of her thoughts.
"Yes, I should tend to her at once."
Ember calls upon her healing magics to aid Kendra.

Cast CLW on Kendra. 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Then cast CMW on myself. 2d8 + 3 ⇒ (5, 1) + 3 = 9
Both were my domain spells.

"The haunts will come back, yes? We should move out of this room unless there is something here we need to do."

In each case, the healing mgic is enough to close the wounds and stop the bleeding. The raw ravaged skin and burns scab over and the letter-number combination of the brand turns into a bright red weal, The edges are clear and distinct, and the figures still easily read.

Kendra speaks, her voice still a little unsteady, but less marred by stress and pain, "No. It takes time for the haunts to return. If we have already triggered this one, we should conduct a search before moving on. We are in this evil place looking for clues. I for one do not want to have to come back into any of these rooms to search again if it turns out we do not find what we are looking for the first time through."

Following Kendra's request, the party spreads out and conducts the search of the room. Unfortunately, and disappointingly, the search once again turns up nothing of interest. The brands are all combinations of letters and numbers, and the stocks placement indicates that this might have been used for simple branding as opposed to torture, as was theorized by one of the party earlier. Once so branded, each prisoner would have a unique identifier that would have prevented any mix ups, and helped to avoid attempts by prisoners to impersonate another, for whatever reason.

Frustrated, the team moves on and prepares to enter the next room.
Map Room D
The door to this chamber is locked, but it appears no stronger than any of the other ordinary interior doors. With a few moments to work, Ried is 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16 able to turn the lock with a sharp click. This room appears much larger than the last, and has enough room for everyone without getting crowded. Moving inside you are able to see tangled mounds of moth-eaten fabric sitting on several wooden tables, each surrounded by workbenches. Various sewing tools — shears, needles, rolls of thread, boxes of chalk, and other objects lie scattered over the floor, while the arm of what appears to be a skeleton protrudes from a stained heap of fabric to the west.

As the group files in, wary for anything odd that might happen, something strange occurs. Not that anything that has happened so far in this place might be considered normal, but what happens seems out of place for here. A sense of calm and determination enters the room. It is so unlike the feelings of rage, anger, hatred, fear, and frustration what you have felt so far that it catches you somewhat off guard. A spirit manifests in front of you, above the skeletal arm that protrudes from the laundry. Unlike the others, this is not a vague spirit or collection of malevolent minds, but a single defined presence. It appears to be a woman, closer to her middle years than those of her youth, but still very attractive and well dressed. The dress is tattered and scorched in places, but you can see that it must have once been quite lovely. Evidence of tears that look recently shed glisten in tracts down her cheeks. However, there is a look of determination in her eyes, and she looks at the party without flinching. She takes no hostile action, but rather regards the group expectantly.

Agnar raises an eyebrow at the ghost holding his sword at the ready. He than says to the group "Well that is a first for me."

Valachi growls, flexing his claws. "Undead!" he warns, crouching to attack.

"Who are you, who haunts this place?" Ember asks, holding her holy symbol at the ready.

The woman speaks, and her voice sounds as warm and real as if she were still alive and truly standing only a handful of feet in front of you.

"I am Vesorianna Hawkran; my husband was Warden here. Who are you, and why are you here? Are you the new guards? Has the Governor finally sent someone to replace the men who fled during the riot?"

Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

"She's not a pris ... ah, I guess she just told us that." Ried frowns as he listens to her.

"Ahhh, ma'am, the 'riot' started a fire and killed ... uhhh" Ried looks around helplessly and then finishes lamely, "... everyone."

"Not everyone. The fire itself only killed a handful of people, most of those prisoners. It was the smoke that killed the rest of them... everyone who could not flee because of locked doors." She turns and regards the arm sticking out from beneath the ancient mound of cloth. "Most of the guards were able to flee, leaving the prisoners and the rest of their allies to choke to death. Two dozen good men... and my husband..." She gets a hitch in her voice, and a few more tears slide down her cheeks. "They locked me in here, for my own protection they said, but then they did not know about the fire yet at that time. When they fled, none of the cowards came back for me. I thought the blankets might help keep the smoke out, but it was so thick!"

"They locked you in here, knew you were here, and didn't come back for you ... oh ... my, I'm sorry."

"Beware! It may be trying to trick us."

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Agnar shrugs after Valachi speaks "Even if it is at least it is not trying to attack us, which is more than I can say for most of the things in this place."

"You are bound here, through no fault of your own," Ember answers. "What must we do to allow you to pass on to Pharasma?"

She answers Ember first saying,"I am not bound here. I remain by choice." She then turns and address Reid, "Thank you for your sympathy, but don't despair; it didn't hurt - not really. I had come to the prison looking for my husband. When I learned of the riot I was scared; not for me, but for him. He was in the dungeon trying to keep the prisoners from escaping to the main level. I was so scared for him, I just wanted to be with him. It pains me that I was unable to say farewell." She turns back to Ember, "I remained because he did. Even if I could not reach his spirit, I could feel it nearby. Like a glow just beyond my fingertips. For him, I would suffer anything."

She turns next and regards Valachi, "And you? To what end would I bear false, wild-man? As you will find, if I ask for any aid it will be against those threats that dwell here; to keep them contained when they might otherwise escape, and spill out into the surrounding fen, and onto Ravergro itself, as I feel they are trying to do. No, Half-blood. If you are here to replace the guard and protect the world against these spirits, then we are of a mind. If not, and you are merely scavengers here to pick over the bones, I would advise you to leave this place at once, else your efforts here provoke what struggles here and you suffer the fate due you for your crimes."