"Something behind us!" Nevai exclaimed as he twisted to look back.
Tunar stares open mouthed at the figures, his previously pleasant mood over the found items quickly turning south with the ghostly images.
"What in all of Osiriani was that about? Someone please tell me you saw that too."
Tunar looks around at Nevai a little confused at his exclamation.
Almathea pulls her scarf up to cover the back of her neck and she peers around, looking for where that breeze just came from.
"I think we may have found ourselves another haunt, likely tied to that ring."
A search of the rest of the room reveals a silver anklet set with tiny gems and an ankh charm, a tarnished silver serving tray, and a small ornate vase.
The silver anklet is worth 150 gp.
The tarnished silver serving tray is worth 35 gp.
The small ornate vase is worth 75 gp.
The ring is a ring of protection +1
Setesh staggers for a moment, before regaining his equilibrium.
"That... felt a little weird."
"Oh lovely, 'another' haunt. Well, at least this one didn't seem to try and play pinball with our heads. So, anyone know what to do about it, or anything about any of these items?"
Tunar takes a small sip of ale before looking over the jewelry again.
He shrugs his shoulders and takes another drink.
Almathea casts Detect Magic and looks over all the items they have found. "I get the feeling we should have recruited a small army of priests to accompany us and lay to rest all these spirits we keep encountering.
Thea pays close attention to the ring after she cast her spell. "Hmm, this ring appears to have a small magic upon it to make one harder to hit.
"The silver anklet is worth 150 gp. The tarnished silver serving tray is worth 35 gp. The small ornate vase is worth 75 gp. We have cleared downstairs; shall we head upstairs?"
A large tiled pool sits in the center of this chamber, surrounded by sloping tiled floors. A few steps descend into the basin, which has accumulated a deep layer of sand on its bottom. Faded murals on the walls depict scenes of life along a river, with recurring themes of running water and aquatic life running through the artwork. In the northeast corner, a tarnished bronze spigot juts from the wall just above head level. Two knobs are beneath the spigot on the wall. There is a stone door that leads outside in the eastern wall.
---
A search of the room reveals nothing else.
"Well, it certainly looks like a pleasant enough room..."
Satisfied that there is nothing hostile or valuable in the room, Setesh cautiously moves up the stairs.
Tunar whistles in approval as Setesh rattled off the values for the various pieces.
Before stoping to take in the bathroom. "Pleasant? Sure. Seems a little excessive if you ask me though, so much hard work must have went into making this. Just so someone had something 'nice' to look at while they ran water over themselves."
Otherwise he will continue following.
"After weeks of trekking through the vast desert, indulging in a bath is one of life's greatest pleasures. Obviously these people appreciated that. Perhaps one day you'll see what I mean," Nevai grinned as he walked by Tunar.
"Perhaps I will, still seems a waste of good water though. "
Tunar shrugs to Nevai, not seeing the immediate value of a bath in general.
The staircase breaks off into two smaller staircases that ascend to a landing on the second floor and opens into a balcony area. This balcony wraps around a twenty-foot-square opening in the floor, overlooking the inner courtyard below and connecting the rooms of the second floor. Above, a square skylight in the ceiling provides natural light to the ground floor and ventilation for the entire building. Six different sets of doors lead off of this balcony.
As you all reach the second floor you hear a raspy voice call out What is all that racket. Oh, we have visitors... You see a blackened, bat-winger fiend's head hovering in the central open area. Tentacles dangle from its chin and scalp. Its fanged mouth hangs agape. And then it screams.
More raspy voices call out from the rooms,
Nice of them to come to us this time!
Lovely!
What...what?
Five more heads float out of the eastern rooms. Two more hover in the central open area between the balconies and three hover outside their respective rooms.
More flying heads! What is that horrorshow?
Leto shoots at the most convenient head, preferably the one who made that noise.
Round 1:
Before they have a chance to act, Setesh hustles forward and takes a swing.
Tunar lets out a roar of anger at the scream before moving forward letting fury take over, going after the one Setesh did not.
Tunar swings his Greatsword in a mighty arc at the floating head.
Almathea moves up to the edge of the balcony in front of the head.
Thea channels the magic in her ring to cast Burning Hands at the 3 floating heads.
Then she moves back away from the railing.
Nevai clambered up behind the others, drawing his crossbow when he noticed the close ones were all occupied.
Erei will begin to sing and then move up close enough to hit the nearest thing with his spear.
Between fire, an arrow, and a bolt, the floating head that screamed falls to the floor below with a sickening splat. Tunar and Setesh do significant damage to their respective heads, though neither drop.
Another head in the central area screams.
One head attacks Tunar,
And the other attacks Setesh,
The other two heads wait to see if anyone becomes paralyzed from the scream.
Setesh continues to calmly attack the one in front of him.
Vargouilles attack by swooping in on their opponents, shrieking them into paralysis, and then biting them with rows of razor-sharp teeth. When multiple vargouilles take up a common cause and fight as allies, they overwhelm their victim with bites and shrieks, tearing it to shreds.
A vargouille's low power and hideous method of reproduction make for a dangerous combination. Vargouilles are relatively easy to summon to the Material Plane, and once here, they can swiftly reproduce, creating more and more of their hideous kind from those who fall victim to their kiss. Vargouilles created on the Material Plane in this manner are still extraplanar creatures, and as such can be banished with the right magic.
You know their bites are poisonous and difficult to heal, even with magic.
Tunar stands is ground, barely feeling the bite, and takes another swing at the floating monstrosity.
Rage-Last Round
Inspire Courage
Flagbearer
Thea appears to be paralyzed for the time being.
These bites are poisonous. Just so you know. And not a good or easy to deal with poison either.
Erei will continue to sing and stab the nearest one with his longspear.
Round 2 Ini 10
Leto keeps shooting at the heads, this time he aims the ones who didn´t shout yet though.
Poisonous flying heads? This gets better and better! Don´t tell me their shouts are poisoning!
Nevai reloaded and continued firing at the ones out of melee reach.
,
One of the heads flies forward and opens its maw to lay a horrifying kiss on Erei. The other retreats into the northeastern room.
Setesh slams his mace into the head attacking him and it splatters apart. Tunar cuts a second floating head cleanly in half, both falling to the floor. Two of Leto's arrows slam into the creature that just "kissed" Erei and it screams as it drops to the ground below with another sickening splat.
The remaining head (slightly burnt and just having screamed) also retreats into the northeastern room.
Setesh chases after the injured head.
Thea stands still.
Tunar follows swiftly after Setesh, going after the head, taking a swipe at it himself if he can.
2 Rounds of Persisting Morale Bonuses
Tunar and Setesh rush forward into the room and see the two heads hovering in the back corner. One screams.
Leto follows suit, eager to take the abominations down!
Remaining paralyzed.
"Scream all yer want, it won't help you!"
Tunar rushes the healthier looking head.
Setesh continues to ignore the creatures' otherworldly screams.
He then closes with one of the remaining heads, and wallops it.
Almathea is still paralyzed.
Nevai reloaded his crossbow then hustled after Setesh and Tunar, unable to reach the doorway before a howling scream echoed from within.
After resisting the final scream, Tunar and Setesh easily dispatch the last two flying heads. Looking around the room you are in:
Dust blankets this room. The walls, once brightly painted to depict life in ancient Wati, are now faded. A smaller room or alcove takes up the northeast section of the room; it was once closed off by a wooden door that since has rotted away, leaving only its hinges in the doorframe. A strong, cloying odor of decay pervades the room.
The effects of the scream wears off the others.
"Erei, are you ok? What did it do to you?" Nevai said as he checked the party over for injuries.
"Well, that was unpleasant! Let's see what, if anything, they were guarding..."
Setesh carefully begins to search the room.