"Smaranda, I don't think she means to clean the dust and cobwebs. She wants us to put the ghosts and haunts down, and remove the necromantic magics that are powering this place"
They were supposed to search for the symbol, so Smaranda spends a few moments poking at the rotten cloth.
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Poking her head out of the laundry room, Smaranda hisses loudly to get the others' attention. Should they look in her direction, she makes urgent beckoning motions, pointing at the pile of clothing.
"Something here. Moving."
Delixia takes a step back and prepares to swing her weapon at the sudden flicker of movement. When she realizes it's a floating straight jacket she pauses and studies it, unsure if it is a continued threat.
"Are... they attacking us? Or.." Mihaela says, peering through the doorway next to Delixia.
She concentrates and releases a Detect Magic into the room.
"Sound the alarm! Smaranda is under attack!"
Thistle alerted the others while rummaging through his pack looking for Abelard's thesis on the semi-corporeal nature of haunts and the means of their dehauntification. He always thought dehauntification was such a good term. Too bad he didn't get to use that in many conversations. Perhaps he should make more of an effort.
Thistle moved over to the others, wondering how he kept being left alone.
The girl hisses as the odd flying garment wraps its sleeves around her neck and squeezes, leaving deep purple bruises. She sways for a moment as she tries to get her breath back, then shifts her weight on her left foot and launches her other leg in two swift kicks at the jacket, attempting to push it away from herself.
Realizing Smaranda is in trouble, Delixia bursts into the room and tries to get the attention of the haunted jacket away from the dhampir. As she willingly throws caution aside, she moves beside it and continues past it she taunts it and screams, "Hey! Over here!" Once in position behind it, she whips her cold iron morningstar towards its center mass.
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Hearing the shouts of combat from around the corner Kisasi comes rushing back to help. Seeing the flying straightjacket he lobs a dart of acid at it. Unfortunatly he rushed his shot and missed the flying coat.
Thistle moved his hands and chanted a quick spell and the blessing of Desna flowed over the group. Everyone felt renewed by the magical energies, which guided hands to act more effectively.
Stunned and apprehensive at the apparitions, she quickly focuses on Smaranda and places a protective ward on her. "Here! This should help"
What a strange thing, to be attacked by clothing! And now it was going for the angry woman. Smaranda couldn't say that she had great affection for Delixia, but she couldn't let the thing harm her. Leaping at the jacket, she grabs the sleeves in an attempt to peel it off Delixia.
"Tear it apart, DAY-LIX-EE-AH! Use those angerous thoughts to good effect. Be like the barbarian, who upon seeing the bear, swells with anger and rends the creature asunder. Of course, in those cases, he then turns on his friends because of his rage...so, no not that part, obviously. "
With Smaranda flipping the situation from being wrapped up to free again, Delixia spins and buries her morningstar into the straight jacket. Am I really attacking clothing?
Because the dhampir is grappling with the fabric, she doesn't put her full strength behind the swing for fear of harming her companion. Or should I?
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Having protected Smaranda as best she could Mihaela takes a moment to ponder what they are facing off against.
[spoiler=Mihaela}This medium construct is an animated straitjacket. It is able to grab a victim and constrict them if it maintains its grip. it is also able to see in the dark and in low light situations.[/spoiler]
Meanwhile Thistle knowing it is unwise to just stand our in the hallway and talk, especially when DAY-LIX-EE-AH is already angry and fighting, decides to pull out his crossbow and load a bolt. "Smarandra! If you would be so kind as to duck and give me a shot it would be most graciously appreciated. For you see you make hitting the flying and flailing piece of cloth and leather that much more difficult when you are standing in the way. As best I can remember I believe it was Reginald the Bold who said "Shooting around people is like trying to shoot through a door. Difficult and impractical."
The straightjacket assaults Smaranda because she his holding it in place. The arms of the straightjacket attempt to wrest control of the grapple from her.
What is wrong with this people?! Now he's in the way too...
Growling in frustration at the closing window of opportunity to attack that doesn't include her own teammates, Delixia tries to swing and avoid Smaranda and Kisasi but misses by a foot in the process.
Why won't the damned thing die! Well, as much a piece of clothing animated by spirits could die, Smaranda supposes. She has the thing in a clinch, and it's grasping her as well, but instead of trying to break free she launches two quick jabs at the jacket.
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The straitjacket flutters to the ground after taking a couple of palm strikes from Smaranda and does not move again. Taking a moment to search this room you find nothing of interest or value within the piles of rotting laundry.
Leaving the former laundry room you go to check the next door only for Kisasi to stop you all. "No need to check in there. It is an old privy and I would not want to arouse the smell from its containment by searching within."
Smaranda disentangles herself from the straitjacket, breathing raggedly. "Heal stick, please."
Thistle obligingly pulled out a wand and prepared to tap Smaranda with it. Then, he hesitated and looked at the wand again. Blushing a fiery red that contrasted with his orange hair, the dwarf put the healing wand away and brought out the negative energy wand, instead. He tapped Smaranda on the shoulder with it, activating the magics that would heal her special kind of flesh. He peered at the results, then tapped her once more.
"How does that feel? Need another?"
Mihaela reached out to Thistle as he pulled out the wand, "Wait, that's... oh." she looked relieved when Thistle abruptly swapped wands. "Are you ok Smaranda?" Mihaela assists the Dhampir in pulling off the remnants of the jacket.
Nodding her thanks at the gnarf, she hesitates for a moment, then smiles at Mihaela to show that she's alright. It is a thin and feeble thing, but it's a smile. She should learn how to operate the special heal stick as well, but for now her flesh has reknit itself and they are victorious. She tries to poke her head into the privy just in case (what does she care for bad smells?), then pads down the hallway to the south to check the next room.
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Striding off down the hallway to the south with everyone else on her heals she moves to check the door to the West and finds that it has fallen off its hinges. The rectangular chamber beyond seems to have once been a chapel, but now thick sheets of what appear to be cobwebs drape everything within in gossamer threads.
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Kisasi steps back out of the room and whispers that he saw a spider the size of Thistle on the ceiling inside that room.
Initiative Rolls
Ah yes, that is indeed a large spider. Um...look, spiders and I don't get along very well. It's a long story involving a pair of red-bellied hydra spiders and a very unfortunate acolyte. You know I hate long stories, so if you'd just take care of that one quickly?"
Seeing Kisasi in the room, Mihaela quickly wards Kisasi, dropping the existing ward on Smaranda.
Smaranda pulls out a curiously-shaped knife and squints at the ceiling. She has difficulty spotting the creature until Kisasi points it out, at which point she throws the knife at it.