Upstairs?
As usual Quiddling's spirits rise as the threat is vanquished. He looks at the spent haunt siphon in his hands. "These things are fantastic!" he exclaims abit louder than he ment to. Lowering his voice along with his head he asks: "Do we know how to make more?"
"Well, i guess we have to move on. We're on a tight schedule after all", Quiddling says after a while trying his best to sound cheerily. Then he stalks Stannis to see where the tall paladin leads.
Perhaps the priests could make us more if Sarrah and Arianna cannot? But I doubt we have time. His future burden seems to be wearing on the paladin.
Stannis leads the group around to the last unexplored section of the ground level.
Following along behind the paladin, Arianna comments...
"Obviously, I don't speak for Sarrah, but creating one of these siphons is well beyond my area of expertise."
Location on this level sounds good, let's clean it ou and head back.
You work your way around to the other side of the cage, leaving the room your in via the west door and entering it again via a door further to the south. Inside the fairly spacious caged off section of the courtroom you try to head through the east door- only to find that it is a sturdy metal door completely undamaged by the fire, and is locked.
Stannis begins to exchange his sword for his ugly looking greatclub. He looks a bit sheepishly at the others.
Shall I break it down?
"Sounds good to me.", the young witch says, watching for what ever horror the prison has in store for her next.
Stannislav begins to pound on the door with the massive piece of wood, making very little impression on it. Its clear that he might eventually succeed, but it will take several minutes and its making a lot of noise with each impact.
[i]Stannislav continues unless someone produces a pick or a better idea.[ooc]
Quiddling stands behind Stannis and flinches at every thud, but he says nothing except for his expression that hints of something like Are you sure that's safe?
After dozens of resounding BANGS, the metal door finally gives way to Stannislav's aching muscles. You step into what seems to be a confiscated property room, untouched by the fire and gathering a significant amount of dust. After a nervous few moments, it seems nothing in the room is going to attack you, so you set about searching it.
Quiddling perception
Stannis perception
Arianna perception
Sarrah perception
Arianna spellcraft
Sarrah spellcraft
Although much of the remaining property is junk, a few items remain that are of interest to you, including a set of masterwork thieves’ tools, a bronze war medallion from the Shining Crusade (worth 40 gp), an unframed Taldan painting of Stavian I (worth 100 gp), a set of a noblewoman’s silver hair clips (worth 35 gp), a masterwork punching dagger, a pouch containing a dozen masterwork shurikens, a masterwork silver war razor, and a wand of lesser restoration that Arianna successfully identifies (12 charges).
While you are searching the room, Quiddling happens to notice that a painting on the east side wall has a tear in it- on a hunch he examines it carefully and can see a solid metal vault is hidden behind the portrait of the town of Ravengro displayed...
Stannis handles the punching dagger idly while leaving the rest of the look to the others. After Quiddling finds the vault, he walks up to look past the halfling.
Can you open it? Or should I try the club again?
Let me give you the insight of my goddess to help you!
Speaking to quiddling
Quiddling's excitement on finding the set of masterwork tools is only dwarfed by his find of the safe, something to try the tools! "Can you imagine the precision and effort gone into crafting these tools?" Quiddling says wide eyed as he rummages through the sack. "If these tools don't open that safe, nothing will. It's practicly as good as the original key!"
After twenty long minutes of careful fiddling, tweaking and probing the lock while Sarrah continually invokes a blessing on the halfling, Quiddling is finally rewarded with a satisfying *click* as he manipulates the tumblers into place. Carefully opening the wall safe, he opens it to reveal five distinct items-
Each of the five items in the vault has a small name tag attached to it with a piece of string, on a paper label inscribed with ink in extremely neat script.
Bloodstained Handaxe
This expertly crafted handaxe still has dried bloodstains visible on its sharp edges. The name Vance Saetressle is visible on the nametag.
Collection of Holy Symbols
A dozen holy symbols of various faiths are linked together by a fine silver chain, that appears to have no opening mechanism. You can make out Abadar, Pharasma and Erastil among the symbols. The name Sefick Corvin is visible on the nametag.
Moldy Spellbook
The cover of this thick, leather-bound spellbook has become caked with mold over the years, but it looks as though some of the lower pages may have survived the erosion of time. The name Hean Feramin is visible on the nametag.
Smith's Hammer
This is a finely crafted steel smiths hammer, about two feet in length and with a sturdy metal head that looks well tempered. The name Ispin Onyxcudgel is visible on the nametag.
Tarnished Silver Flute
This beautiful and well made flute bears the nametag The Piper of Illmarsh.
"Personal items once belonging to some of more notorious prisoners of Harrowstone I presume. Perhaps these are the fetters binding the spirits to this place, maybe they can be used to aid us in ridding this place of the malevolent forces that plague this prison...and in the process free Stannislav of his...commitment."
Stannis looks at the items like he would a nest of vipers.
Stannislav detects no evil aura from the objects.
"Personal items once belonging to some of more notorious prisoners of Harrowstone I presume. Perhaps these are the fetters binding the spirits to this place, maybe they can be used to aid us in ridding this place of the malevolent forces that plague this prison...and in the process free Stannislav of his...commitment."
We should also check to see if any of these are magical. Arianna, I assume that you are skilled in detecting and identifying their aura's if not the items magical powers as well?
"Skilled may be a bit of a strong word, but it is something that I have done in the past." Arianna says as she casts a detect magic spell, focusing on the objects in the vault.
All five of the objects within the vault glow with magical power, but Arianna is having a hard time determining the strength of the auras as well as their schools of magic.
Ariannna continues to concentrate on the auras in hopes of gaining further clairity about the items...
"Very strange, the auras are difficult to discern the type and strength, perhaps if the items were separated so that I could focus on one at a time..." she says, as the young witch's voice trails off as she concentrates on her spell.
Spellcraft (if needed):
Spellcraft (if needed):
Spellcraft (if needed):
Spellcraft (if needed):
Spellcraft (if needed):
Knowledge (Arcane):
Knowledge (Arcane):
Knowledge (Arcane):
Knowledge (Arcane):
Knowledge (Arcane):
Despite her best efforts, the items seem to almost resist identification, as though the schools of magic and strength of the auras on each item are changing and fluctuating- or at least are appearing to be. Arianna can provide no insights to the properties of any of them by sight and divination, except that the handaxe bears a seperate magical enhancement (+1). The five items sit in the vault as she scrutinises them and the auras surrounding them.
Arianna rubs her forehead, obviously mentally fatigued from the intense concentration as she tried to learn more about the items...
"It seems to be little use. The handaxe carries an enchantment common to many weapons, but I am unable to pin down anything else. We should take these items, they may be of use to us latter."
"If indeed these are the fetters binding the spirits here, I may be able to use the planchette to learn more about these spirits, but I..I am hesitant to do so here, based on what happened before." she says, still with a tinge of doubt, having no recollection of her previous possession.
Noone has ever accused Stannis of being bright but the symbiology isn't exactly difficult even if the items weren't named.
Axe. Lopper.
Holy Symbols. Charlatan.
Spellbook. Splatter Man.
Hammer. Marauder.
Flute. Piper.
He looks to the others. How do we use them? Destroy them like the bones?
I suggest not touching the items until we have done some more research on what to do with them. I am afraid of doing anything with them until we learn more.
The planchete is a dangerous item, only the strongest of wills should use it. I am not implying anything, just stating the obvious, it should only be used as a last resort.
Lets put them in a sack using something to slide them in and be away from this place for the night and return tomorrow morning, fresh and ready to take on this evil place again. Maybe we can find some information about their nature in town with some research...
Stannis nods.
OK. We should also talk to the priests. They need to know what is going on should we fail.
Quiddling retracts his fingers from the items like they where on fire as he hears Sarrah's warning. "If we remove the items from here, will their ghosts come with us?", he asks having trouble to conceal the shaking of his voice.
Stannis uses his dagger to slide/sweep the items into his pack.
Stannis is successful in not touching the items, but he does feel uneasy about carrying them.
Stannis uncomfortably settles his pack back on his back.
Let us go then.
You make your way out of Harrowstone- or at least you try to. Just as you are approaching the final intact set of doors in the entrance chamber, they slam shut forcefully- and blood begins to run in rivulets from the frame across the door itself. In your minds, you hear whispers, dark, grim voices promising your death and eternal damnation. Shadows without bodies seem to be forming in the darkest corners of the room, and your light sources seem puny and insignificant by comparison. The other doors in the room slam shut, boxing you inside the small 30x30 room.
Quiddling's spirits rise with every step that takes him closer to the court yard and out of the haunted ruin. His thoughts drift to brandy and a good nights sleep. This thought is so appealing he continously chooses to ignore the feeling of dread that creeps down his spine, until it finally stabs him in the heart as the door slams shut.
"No, this cannot be!" the halfing cries and rushes to the door. "Let us out!"
Sarrah releases another flash of positive energy trying to dispel the forces gathering around them!
Stannis readies his sword trying to stay between his companions and the shadows.
The impending sense of foreboding and doom seems to retreat from Sarrah's burst of positive energy, and the door flies open once more. The shadows in the corner of the room are significantly diminished, but they seem to start slowly growing once more. You quickly rush out of the door to Harrowstone Prison and it slams shut behind you. From inside the closed door, you can hear maniacal, howling laughter, mocking your retreat and the progress you have made.
Quiddling looks at the door with terror in his eyes. "Do we really have to go back there tomorrow?" he whimpers, painfully aware that he already knows the anwser to his question.
"Unfortunately we do. Hopefully I will be better prepared next time, I apologize to you all for my short commings today, I shall try to do better."
I plan to continue until every evil spirit is destroyed. Every one. Stannis seems tired but resolute.