"Oh hells, not again." Azuk'ai mutters as he sees his breath solidify in the sudden cold. 'F!&!, f!#$, f+*+! It's another haunt! What did we learn? What did we learn? F@!@ it's cold.'
His mind comes up blank as the pressure is on, his ears swirl as he fervently looks around for any hint or inspiration.
Looking around, the elven scientist quickly assesses the situation, and recalling a lesson from the dearly departed Petros, grasps what needs to be done.
"Gentlemen! We must act quickly. This haunt is tied to an item in this room! If we can be Perceptive and deduce what it is, we can neutralize it with Holy Water! Think! Which thing could it be?!"
Aydan is shocked from his anger, quickly turns towards the door way Melk and Akuz'ai stand at.
'Try hitting several things! I'll go for the chains. We don't have time for logical deductions, remember how fast the last one acted! Douse the place we can get more holy water, our health is more important right now! Hit different things than myself!' Aydan shouts in a suddenly strong voice, danger snappong his mind back into place, still acting on his left over adrenaline, despite the deep-seated fatigue in his bones from his raging. The funny thing is I'm safest from myself when I struggle to raise my arms from rage.
A small wave of relief washes over Azuk'ai as Run comes through with identifying the threat. Sparing her a gratefull smile he quickly looks around the room for what he deem the likeliest suspect and douses it in holy water.
"What.. how..." Melk's taken aback by the sudden rush of activity, unable to coordinate himself fast enough to be of much help.
Tanner's cold fingers struggle with his water skin cap, but he pulls the stopper free and sprays some holy water on the ragged clothes.
"Rest. Be Still. Let it go."
Time seems to slow as the group runs into the room, pouring out the vials of holy water with abandon. Tanner tentatively spills a few drops on the clothes and Azuk'ai flings the entire vial onto one of the benches, shattering it. Aydan pours it out over some of the chains. As the water splashes on teh chains, they start to sizzle and smoke. An unearthly moan, which turns into a scream, fills the room. Suddenly, without warning, the room fills with images in the steam: a guard whipping two prisoners as several others watch. His ghostly voice fills the room with psychic echoes of the trauma. "You'll fight when I say! The Warden ain't here to protect you!" He looks around the room and sets his eyes on Melk. He rears back the whip and snaps it in his direction. The ghostly images begin to fade as quickly as they came to be, but the command echoes in Melk's mind as the pain of the whip's lash eats through his flesh into his bones.
A vicious flame burns in Melk's eyes, but his expression is otherwise vacant. His eyes seem to stare at a point one foot behind Run's face as he steps closer to her, his fists in stop-motion. "The Warden isn't watching," he whispers, but there's a tremble in his voice and his arms shake visibly - but to no avail, two fists descend onto Run like sledgehammers. Both attacks narrowly miss Run, as Melk, terror in his eyes reclaims just enough control over his own body to avert the worst.
"Huh? Melk, what are you-ACK! NO! Melk's been possessed somehow!" The elf, who is no kind of fighter, haplessly tries to shield herself with her arms but it is only Melk's last-second mental discipline that saves her.
The unsettling quiet settles after the unquiet spirits dissipate. Melk regains control of his own body, following its seizure by the ghostly echoes of the forced fights that once took place in this room. The cruel guards sadistically watched the prisoners fight, spurred on by the bite of the whip. While these prisoners were killers and rapists, some of the guards were just as bad.
Azuk'ai stands stock still as the haunt fades, eyeing Melk cautiously he edges forward to place himself between him and Run. "You ok buddy? You still with us?" he asks, using one hand to make sure Run stays behind him and the other to ward of Melk.
Aydan jogs up to Run. 'Are you okay? I don't think he got you. Thank Pharasma, or not if you'd prefer,' he grins at her awkwardly before turning to Melk. 'What was that? Were you possessed like I was the other night?' Aydan shudders to remember the horrifying experience, his rage towards Kalkaroth reinvigorated.
'Most importantly, is it gone? Will that happen again? I'd rather not be at fault for harming my comrades...'
Still keeping himself between Melk and Run Azuk'ai glances at Ayeden, suspicion in his eyes. "What? You'd rather not be what? Resposible again? Keep your cool Ayden, this is not the time to loose it. Melk, are you ok?"
Melk blinks, then stares at his hands, slowly unfurling and forming a fist again. "Ich... I'm sorry, I don't know what happened. I'm so sorry Mrs Run. I almost - " he pales with the memory. "-...it was, something in my head pushed me out and took over. It is gone now. But it was there!"
Tanner pats Melk on the shoulder in a comforting gesture, "It's good that was only momentary and that you are both alright." The hand comes to rest on the shoulder and gives it a good squeeze, a little harder than necessary, but perhaps satisfying Tanner's curiosity that Melk won't lash out again.
"I was about to check out that spider-webbed chapel. If any refuge is to be found in this wretched place, that place may offer it.
'I don't think refuge and Harrowstone go together well. We'd be better off finding an exit and find rest beyond its haunted halls.' Aydan shudders at the idea of having to sleep within the prison.
'This place is shockingly dangerous. It may be an idea to retreat, then search for the infirmary later. Though I'd like to push on and find the infirmary first.'
"Sleep? No way. I was just thinking on some room that won't try to kill us..but I guess the spiders helped out there..sorry...but the chapel still might prove useful against restless spirits. At least we should check it out, and start working our way back to that secured door.
"Oh. Ja the chapel is a good idea. In Lepidstadt we had some emergency treatment available at the chapel as well as the infirmary."
Run smiles at Aydan's teasing. "Indeed. My beliefs notwithstanding I'm willing to thank any being, of any level of power and influence, who may have had a hand in helping keep me from being pummeled by a possessed person."
She puts her hand on Azuk'ai's shoulder. "Thank you, Azuk'ai. I'm fine for the moment, and it looks like Melk is back with us." She smiles warmly at the monk, then her face goes back to being all business.
"I'm for following Tanner back towards the chapel and then on from there, if everyone else is." The skinny elf has slowly reverted back to her normal, painfully thin self, and shivers briefly as a reaction against the cold whose chill she now feels more acutely without the extra mass of muscle and a high metabolic level to help keep her warm.
The group returns to the chapel, stepping around the crushed bodies of the spiders to get there. Unsettlingly, they realize that one of the smaller spiders is gone. Its blood still soaks the ground, as do its innards, but there is no trail or clue to its current location. They make their way into the chapel, carefully brushing aside the spider webs. A few normal sized spiders run across the floor and webs, but they are of little concern compared to the huge ones they fought earlier. There are a few short pews, likely seating up to 4 each, in the middle of the room. An ancient altar to Pharasma sits on the north side, long unused. The spiral sign of the Lady is covered in webs. Melk carefully pulls out several items from under the altar, careful to check that they are not an unwelcome biting surprise.
'Good call on that then Tanner. These can only help us get out of here alive. There are four more doors in this area. I suggest that we investigate them, then if we don't find an exit, that we try and make our way east, there was a giant hole in the buildings side through which we can egress,' Aydan looks around at his companions expectantly, clearly eager to see just a little more, but his eagerness is tinged with an almost feverish edge of both anger and fear.
"We're holding up so far, though I wonder how long our luck will run, I'm game for more exploration before we head for the colapsed side. Though I'd still like a look at that heavy door we abandoned when we chased after the ghost."
'Thats the spirit! Well, perhaps thats a poor choice of words, given our circumstances. But lets trot onwards, this gives us more magical healing, and I agree we should try the heavy door. It may well lead us out into the collapsed eastern section, and out route out of this Lady forsaken place,' Aydan smiles broadly, and infectiously around at the rest of the party, hoping that will follow Akuz'ai's lead and wish to explore just a bit further. Kalkaroth won't get off so lightly. I want so link, a clue, anything that gets me one step closer to sending him for is judgement.
Melk takes heart at Aydan's words, "Ja! We can do this! The prison is big. Much bigger than in Lepidstadt. We've barely scratched the surface." He looks in the directions available, "Aber where do we go? Where did the ghost lady go?"
Inside the chapel, the five adventurers try to regain their strength. Between the spiders and the ghosts, their trip into the Harrowstone has been trying. They have several injuries, some of which are freshly healed by magic. They are thankful for the respite, but it is temporary at best. The suffocating fear of the prison is beginning to get to them as they fear being unable to find a way out, hunted by the ghosts that haunt this place. After a few minutes of rest, it is time to return to the prison's main halls and look for a way out. Even in the chapel of Pharasma, they know that it is only a matter of time before one of the wandering ghosts finds and attacks them. Staying any longer will simply lower their guard.
'Lets get moving, we can't get complacent. Not in this place.'
Aydan leads the group back out into the hall way, then south and around the room with the haunted chains before approaching the first door he finds. He searches it carefully before trying to open it.
Melk closely follows Aydan, one more apologetic nod to Run as he follows quickly and cautiously. "Alles wird gut, alles wird good," he mutters to himself, like a mantra.
Pausing to look up at the web-coated spiral, Tanner never had much use for Gods. Too much asking and pleading, he was always of a mindset of just doing what needed to be done, and not letting Gods get in the way.
But here, this is a Pharasman Chapel, and the ghost's are rampant. He raps his walking stick upon the alter. "Look alive there. You are needed here." When there is no response from the symbol or the alter, he turns to follow the others....he thinks to himself. Bah! I didn't really think she would respond. But what if she already did? What do you mean? I was right there..nothing.. Right. You WERE there. You ARE here. Wait. I can't be suggesting that I am here on Pharasma's wishes. I must be thinking pretty highly of myself to come up with that. This place must be getting to me. But it isn't, is it? You wanted to find that ghost, you were disappointed the spiders didn't attack you. Even if that is true, that doesn't mean Pharasma has a plan for me..does it? Let's just say She owes Me one..............
Without realizing that he walked there, Tanner finds himself standing beside Aydan at another door. He looks around no one else seems to be hearing or affected by voices. That was just his conscious, must have been. He has always talked with himself, reasoned things out, or more likely, talked himself into doing reckless things. It wasn't the best conscious, but it got him this far. And everyone talks with their conscious like that...don't they? ..but still...that was pretty metaphysical for his conscious.
In a quite voice so as not to disturb Aydan or any specters, "Hey, um..Melk. When that voice took over. Was it your voice you heard, or some ghostly voice?" When Melk shudders at the thought, Tanner has his answer. "Sorry. Don't answer that.
As Aydan searches the door, Tanner pulls out his flask to clear his mind. I am going to pound the snot out of whatever is behind that door if my conscious keeps talking nonsense and doesn't SHUT UP. Just as the liquid first hits his tongue, That's the spirit, sounds off in his mind. Tanner gags and chokes but gets the small swallow to go down.
He replaces the flask and holds his stick ready as Aydan goes to open the door. Right. Let's do this. If it would just shut him?..me?...up..
Aydan opens up the door after hearing nothing behind it. After being attacked by spiders large enough to ride, he cannot be too careful. Nothing spills out of the room except the musty scent that permeates the building. It is a small room with a stone bench along the north wall. A thick wooden door on the west wall holds the promise of an exit, as it is flanked by narrow barred windows to the outside. An old brass brazier lays on its side on the south end of the room. Four rusty branding irons lay scattered on the ground.
Aydan is too focused on the possibility that another beast is going to jump out at him to notice the faint smell in the room. Azuk'ai, despite his sensitive sense of smell, is overpowered by the moldy, musty room. The others, however, smell an unmistakable scent, one anyone can identify even having never smelled it before. The pungent smell of burning human flesh rises out of the room.
As Aydan open the door an eager Tanner steps into the opening and stops. "Everyone stop! Back up. Smell that? Burning flesh..probably from those branding irons...it looks like there might be an exit there, but knowing what old chains can do, there are four branding irons just laying there."
He takes his waterskin in hand and removes the plug, to have it ready. He hesitates to give other time if they wish, and then steps toward the irons ready to douse them at the first sense of heat or burning.
"Right. Have your holy water handy." Azuk'ai says as he edges into the room after Tanner, pulling a ghost-bane arrow and noking it.
"Do we run in any way? There might still be clues or new questions for us." Melk's voice, at least, is edgy. His face keeps his usual friendly rictus.
'Well spotted Tanner. Damn well.' Aydan grabs his own bottle of holy water, and stands at the ready to deal with yet more ghostly activity.
'We have to see if this will get us out Melk, then we'll have another quick search of the place, but getting a confirmed escape route is of utmost importance.'
Run nods at Tanner's assessment of things. "Yes. I smell it too. It can't bode well. Last room we heard the muttering from Melk when he was possessed, the bit about fighting, and Melk's possessor then made him turn on us. In here, I suppose it's obvious the branding irons will come at us, or...or worse. I have holy water ready as well, but let me just think for a second if there's another way out of this..." The alchemist pulls a notebook out, just a small one, and riffs through it, looking for notes from a series of lectures she once attended on astral interference and imposition.
Aydan
Azuk'ai
Melk
Runyon
Tanner
Target
Target
As Tanner edges into the room, the brands suddenly glow red and the smell of burning flesh grows unbearably strong. Runyon yelps, dropping her notebook, and looks at the inside of her right forearm. Her skin smokes from no apparent cause, the form of the letter 'M' rising up in reddened skin. Melk looks at his own wrist, an 'R' rising from his skin, but he simply stares at it with a look of shock and strange smile.
'Godsdamn this place! Drench the irons!' Aydan shouts out in sudden exasperation and fear. We need a way out, even if we do go on. Cures on those who caused such pain and sorrow here.
Cures on those who caused such pain and sorrow here.
Melk, eager to redeem himself, grabs the nearest sample of holy water available and empties it over the brands.
That's unintentionally accurate, no? ;)
As Melk pours the holy water over the brand, a horrible wail of pain emerges from nowhere. Suddenly, as steam rises from the brands, the group sees a shimmering ghostly figure standing next to Melk. With the jerky movement of a malicious haunting, the figure presses a brand on his wrist. The 'R' brand burns into his skin, a horrifying sight that nearly cripples him with pain.
"HEISS! ARGH!" Beads of sweat form on Melk's face only moments later. His eyes tear over from the pain, but he manages to pull through, letting every last drop of holy water pour out from the flask onto the brand.
Aydan runs forward, heedless of caution, rapidly getting to Melk's side. 'Melk! Melk! Are you alright? Are you you? What happened?'
"Ow!" Run hisses in pain and rifles her vial of holy water at one of the brands. The vial hits and breaks, spreading its contents all over the piece of superheated metal. If that doesn't work, she's flinging a bomb. I have certainly had e-NOUGH of this nonsense for one day. Ghost or no, I'll teach you a thing or two about heat.
Tanner moves toward the brazier. "Perhaps the source of the heat is the source of the pain." He squirts the brazier with a stream of holy water.
As Runyon's vial of holy water shatters, it douses the smoldering brands. They hiss with steam, both from the physical water and the effect of the blessed water on the haunt, and causes the mark on her arm to dissipate in a flash of smoke. Melk's wrist still bears the mark of his burn, the only sign that anything occurred in the room at all.
Azuk'ai goeas over to Melk and grabs his arm, twisting it and glaring at the burn. "You feeling ok?" he says glaring into his eyes, scowling. "Is it gone?"
Letting go of his arm with a sigh he glances around the room. "I get the feeling were going to run out of holy water before this place runs out of haunts." he mutters sourly as he takes in the room, shifting dirt and dust as he walks around.