"That sounds good. I'd rather not offer any fell spirits further chance to influence me."
Peredur sits, spreads the board out and places his hands on the brass planchette.
He breathes deeply and focuses, but little happens. A minute passes.
The wind begins to pick up, and catches the ruins of the prison at that same unsettling angle. The building moans, and whipsers seem to tease at the edge of hearing.
The planchette wobbles slightly under his fingertips.
"What is your name?"
Iesha holds her breath, waiting for the reply.
The planchette rattles and slides across the board, randomly at first. It moves for a moment with a purpose, but again it begins to scramble randomly across the board.
Chills shoot up Peredur's hands and something grips his very being for a moment.
But then the planchette moves with again, clearly.
Over the rows of letters and the numbers, pausing briefly at each in turn:
His dream of a few nights past still vivid in his mind, Peredur nearly pulls his hands off the planchette as the word is spelled out. After a few abortive gulps, he asks, "What holds you here?"
The planchette slides once again across the board.
Peredur's fingers begin to shake involuntarily. His breath forms a cloud, and he drops the planchette and board.
Talia feels a particularly vicious chill run up her spine. Gooseflesh errupts over her body.
Talia shivers and looks around, expecting to see some terrible danger appear and attack.
"I'm not sure I like this... Perhaps we should stop, and investigate without calling up spirits? I don't know who this Splatter is, but Hawkran sounds familiar."
Talia moves towards Peredur, giving the planchette a wide berth.
"Are you all right, Peredur?
The ranger shivers, clutching his hands together to warm them. "H-Hawkran's th' warden's name. Though c-could also be his wife...."
"The Splatter Man was one of the dangerous criminals we found out about."
"Very true. And if what we suspect is also true, we do not want to give him a further chance to spell out her name."
"Hmm... Very well. What's our next step? Move into the main building and see what we may find?"
Peredur pulls himself together and gathers up the planchette and board carefully. "Th' prospect grows no more pleasant with delay. Let's to th' prison, then." He rubs the mostly-healed blisters on one side of his face. "It's thinking I am that touching th' water is a thing best avoided, mind."
"So, do we just head in the front door or what?"
Peredur nods, loosens his sword in its sheath, and begins to walk towards the prison.
Bracing herself, Iesha follows.
Talia looks towards the ruined prison, biting her lower lip and gathering her resolve, then follows Iesha and Peredur.
As they approach the entry, Iesha surveys the surroundings.
Aleksandr rides up just as the group are set to enter the prison.
"Wait up," he calls out, reining in his horse. "The Professor's friend from the graveyard offered to take the message in my stead. At least you'll have an extra body in there now."
Aleksandr ties up his horse and draws his longspear.
"Aleksandr! Glad I am that you could join us. I fear we may have need of your expertise before the day grows long."
"Nice timing. Welcome back."
Iesha turns to the main entry and observes it then marches directly up to tne main door(s) and pushes them open.
Streaks of mold stain the walls of the prison foyer, and the floor below is a thick, gray carpet of fungal growth. Sturdy looking wooden doors beckon from every wall. Two doors, a double to the left and a single to right on the east wall.
Peredur pauses to kindle a torch, then carefully steps in to avoid slipping on the floor. "Start to th' west, for I'd prefer to put off th' dark water until th' end."
"West is always good. Closer to home."
Iesha nods and opens the door to the west.
Talia keeps a lookout behind as she follows the others through the western door.
A long hallway stretches before the group. Peredur moves down, passing four doors evenly spaced on the right. Another door sits at the end of the hall, and another around the corner on the right. All are closed.
A single, tiny window dares to stream daylight upon the stone floor.
The party passes into the hallway with Talia bringing up the rear. As Aleksandr crossed the threshold of the sturdy wooden door, the three other doors in the foyer swing open. The doors shake slightly for a split second. A disembodied wail of fear and pain echoes up from the floor, and all of the doors in the foyer slam shut, the sound echoing throughout the prison.
A moment of silence follows, as the sound dies away followed by shrieking, burning faces, rushing out from the wooden doors, and flooding the foyer, surrounding and passing through Talia.
Another moment and faces, along with their deathly wails, fade away like a bad dream.
Realization comes: The group is seperated; Talia alone in the foyer, the rest in the hallway.
Iesha turns back and opens the door to check on Talia.
The door does not open, doesn't even budge. It is held firmly in place.
Peredur spins at the sounds, trying to keep track of what's happening. "Th' jaws of this place, they're closing on us! Iesha, will th' door open?"
Iesha tugs harder. "No! Talia? Are you OK? Can you hear me?"
"You have a big sword, Peredur. Can you try to smash through it? Stating the obvious here, but staying split up is probably a bad idea."
"Better, and I had an axe. Shoulder'll have to do."
"I can hear you. What's that banging? Are you all all right?"
Talia looks at the door, seeing if there is a way to open it or help pry it open.
Aleksandr steps back and looks intently at the door and it's surroundings, attempting to gamer some kind of idea as to how it works.
init
Alzano
Aleksandr
Talia
Iesha
Peredur
Kendra
critter
Areas with a high concentraion of undead and spiritual energy can sometimes manifest spiritual energy that can manipulate-sometimes violently-the area around it. these are known as Haunts.
Haunts that close and open doors at random are a particular bother, and can be de-powered and dispersed with holy energy. Permanent destruction requires the use of holy water sprinkled near the doors affected.
the door appears to be a normal, no visible traps or triggers. It merely seems intent on staying closed.
To Talia's horror, a human face slowly emerges from the north door, then shoulders, leaving a greenish smear on the door. When the thing finally passes through the door completely, you see the upper body of what was once human, trailing away into whisps of the same greenish liquid.
Standing to the back, Alzano glimpses over his shoulder, luckioly it would seem, to notice human face slowly emerges from the western door, then shoulders, leaving a greenish smear on the door. When the thing finally passes through the door completely, you see the upper body of what was once human, trailing away into whisps of the same greenish liquid. His cry of alarm brings the rest of the party's attention to the foe.
Talia lets out a shriek as she sees the form appear. "A ghost or specter just showed up! Beware, everyone!"
Assuming a ghost or other undead apparition has appeared to attack her, Talia readies for a healing touch if the ghost-thing approaches her.
Touch Attack; Healing Hex:
"Iesha! Channel at th' things!"
Startled out of her surprise at the thing's appearance, Iesha summons Shelyn's holy grace and sends a wave of divine energy at the creature.
Belatedly, Iesha tries to recall if she'd ever heard of such a creature.
Unsure as to what manner of thing this is, Aleksandr waits to see what move it makes first.
Alzano draws his rapier and short sword and readies himself to attack anything that approaches him with hostile intent. "Why can't it ever be something I can stab? Anyone know what they want?"
"Revenge, I suspect. Revenge for what happened to them even though those responsible are long dead. We live and they don't. That is enough."
Ectoplasmic creatures arise when ethereal energy manifests in ectoplasm, which traps souls. They maintain a base intelligence, and their touch can have unpleasant after-affects for their victims. They can also phase through material obstacles.
Round 1:
At his action, Peredur pulls out the flask of holy water he got from Father Grimburrow and splashes it on the door.
Round 1
Aleksandr hesitates as the thing floats toward the party. It's outstretched hands and slack jaw giving it a hungry and mournful look.
Peredur turns and shatters a vial of holy water against the stubborn door. There is an audible hiss, and the door slumps slightly in the frame.
Iesha's holy energy washes over the creature as it draws closer. The ectomplasm the creature consists of hisses and boils, but the thing presses on.
will save:
It closes on Alzano, reaching for him, but the rogue is prepared, and retaliates:
As the thing in the room with Talia reaches for her, she touches it, the healing energy anathema to such undead things, it hisses and boils and lets out a mewling wail, but does not fall. It reaches out a hand and claws at her, but she manages to evade the hideous touch.
attack
Round 2