"I would strongly suggest that no one person take possession of more than one of those items belonging to the Five."
Maria stares Cedric in the eye. It takes more than hope to beat back the darkness. She sheathes her greatsword emphatically to drive her point home.
Maria nods grimly at Phaedra. That's right. Let's split these up. Maria hefts the smith's hammer, accustomed to holding such. Once the items have been split up, she nods at Cedric. Let's put that thing to use.
"What's a 'spear it planchit'? Do we have one?"
Phaedra will pick up the flute.
"I believe Cedric is carrying the spirit planchette. It was one of the items int he false crypt."
"It lets you gain information from the ambient spirits in the area but they can try addle your mind and confuse you greatly especially if they are hostile."
"Should we perhaps try it in the presence of the Warden's wife? Maybe she could help to hold back any some of the ambient spirits so that we might be able to get a better reading with the planchette?"
Lazar picks the holy symbols. "We lose nothing by trying."
Phaedra is correct, in her room Vesorianna is the commanding spirit, she will not allow any of an evil nature entrance.
What question will you ask first?
"Alright, what curse is on the bloody axe?"
Cedric nods. If you think it is smart, I'll do it. I've had... some dealings with spirits before. Well, haunts mostly.
Cedric gets out the planchette and sets it up. He repeats Mishtes question.
Alright, what curse is on the bloody axe?
when no answer seems to be given, Cedric rephrases the question.
Is the curse on this axe dangerous to the wielder and those that are his allies?
While Cedric works the spirit planchette, Mishtes scratches his head.
"I guess that brass thingy doesn't like blunt questions", he says silently to himself.
Bloodstained Handaxe: This +1 handaxe was the Lopper’s favorite murder weapon. No amount of cleaning can remove the bloodstains on the blade or handle as long as the Lopper’s spirit continues to haunt Harrowstone.
This weapon deals +1d6 points of damage on a hit against flaming skulls and other beheaded, as well as against the Lopper or any creatures directly associated with his hauntings.
Against the Lopper, this weapon further functions as a +1 ghost touch handaxe.
Once successfully wielded in combat, the handaxe’s curse manifests, after which point the wielder cannot relinquish the axe unless the
curse is removed—as long as the curse persists, the axe’s wielder must make a DC 13 Will save every day at dawn to avoid taking 1 point of Constitution damage as terrific pains lance through her neck.
What are you doing now?
"Perhaps one person should be decided on to hold onto the axe, preferably refraining from using it until we get indications we are entering an area of influence of the Lopper... they all seem to arrogant in life to share, I can't see that changing in undeath."
This axe will provide great power over the spirit of the Lopper, ad against any beheaded type of spirit. However, it will attempt to drain the wields stamina everyday, and a weak of heart person may succumb to this weapon. You also will not be able to relinquish the weapon once you use it.
We will have to wait a day to attempt to seek answers for another item however.
"Well, it's a start, I suppose."
Maria shakes her head, unhappy with the prospect of waiting. She turns to the form of the departed woman Where do we find the Lopper? I say we deal with him today and maybe his friends tomorrow.
She looks at Mishtes. If you want it, keep it. Otherwise, let me know.
Somebody needs to use it against Lopper, so I may as well."
Mishtes puts the bloodied axe in his belt for easy access.
"Thats the problem, they could be anywhere. Lets keep checking this level. Lets check out that central area first."
"We should probably wait until we have info on at least a pair of items, since we don't know who's where down there." Lazar nods when Gadren speaks. "Yes, let's do something profitable meanwhile. Let me have a look..." He goes to tyhe door of the mentioned room and checks for locks, trapas or whatever.
Mishtes will stand guard over Lazar with his bardiche.
Phaedra follows along with the group, wondering what possible curse could be on a mere flute.
Maria follows along, her skin crawling and her shoulders itching to do something about the evil in this place.
S7. Induction Chamber.
This chamber is in a shambles, old wooden benches lie in ruins along the walls, while rusty chains and bits of rotten rope lie scattered on the floor.
Phaedra, as you enter this room you hear a faint sobbing and the clanking rattle of chains, while at the same time being filled with a momentary sensation of hopelessness and the strange feeling of heavy manacles clamping over your wrists.
As the feeling passes from you three figures ooze from the very walls, slimy, shifting masses that have the shape of a humanoids, but are made out of what appears to be some form of sticky rope or cloth. The bodies lurch jerkily, struggling to maintain their horrid forms.
You all feel a dreadful voice echoing in your heads. "You won't put me down there! You won't!"
Ectoplasmic Human
N Medium undead
Init +0; Senses Perception –1
Defense
AC 12, touch 10, flat-footed 12 (+2 natural)
hp 9 (1d8+2)
Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +1
DR 5/slashing; Immune undead traits
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee slam +3 (1d4+3 plus horrifying ooze)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st)
Constant—air walk
The party may act first as they emege.
Gadren moves forward to swing at the undead but slips on a piece of mold throwing his blow off. "Ectoplasmic undead, cutting and chopping weapons work best, don't let it hit you!"
Mishtes enters the room with a crazed look , and attacks the furthest spirit (yellow) with his Bardiche:
Maria grins grimly, darkly joyful to have plain evil in front of her. She whirls her greatsword at two of the strange creatures.
The close quarters and the strangeness of her enemies completely throws off her balance as her sword misses wildly.
Phaedra shivers and rubs her wrists to get rid of the feeling of the ghostly manacles. "Does anyone else hear that sobbing?"
As she looks around for the source of it, Phaedra sees the undead. She pulls out her whip and attempts to trip the closest undead to her.
Finding himself impeded to put an arrow properly into the fight, Lazar decides to help one of his team mates.
Cedric enters the room and looks around as the ghastly gruesome ghostly apparitions move in close. He moves so as to get them all within 30ft of him.
He clutches a holy symbol close to him and soon radiates a warm, golden light. And his eyes light up entirely with a golden light.
Blessed light of hope, shield and protect us from those passed on. Expel the evil and spirits of the gone!
A swirling golden mists whirls around Cedric in a 30ft radius as he channels positive energy
Mishtes slashes one to pieces.
Cedric chants and destroys the other two.
No more of the things arise. There is nothing to be found here anymore.
Where to now?
Coming out of his rage now that the fight's over, Mishtes looks quite tired.
"Well, that was a good start. Should we try finding our way down below now?"
"I do not like the idea of leaving foes at our back. The return to the grave of these poor wretches has probably eased the ladies burden a little. I suggest we go through here first, if we find a way down very well but best to check the other rooms up here before descending." Gadren moves over to one of the other rooms and examines the door to the west back out in the corridor for tell tale signs of traps... or haunts.
Maria nods as her comrades dispatch the abominations. That's right. I say we clear it up here. Don't want these things at my back and I won't leave one of them moving if I get my way.
Maria inhales deeply and closes her eyes then begins looking around the first floor.
S6. Branding Room
This stark room contains a low stone bench against the north wall and a ruined desk to the west that sits under three narrow, barred windows. An old brass brazier lies on its side to the south, surrounded by several rusty branding irons.
Ghostly Brands CR 2
XP 600
CE haunt (area S6)
Caster Level 2nd
Notice Perception DC 15 (to notice the rising scent of
burning flesh)
hp 4; Trigger proximity; Reset 1 day
Weaknesses susceptible to cold damage and positive energy
Effect The four branding irons rise up into the air as their tips grow red-hot. When the haunt strikes, these irons lance through the air at any targets in the haunt’s area, striking as +1 flaming arrows. The haunt has a +2 attack roll, with each brand dealing 2d6+1 points of damage on a hit. No more than one brand attacks a single target—if there are more brands than targets, those brands do not attack at all. At the end of the round, the branding irons return to their original locations on the ground, once again cold and dark, as if they had never made their eerie attack at all—yet any brands and damage dealt to PCs remains. The brands themselves remain as scars until this haunt is destroyed (at
the GM’s option, powerful magic such as restoration, break enchantment, or regeneration can also remove the brands).
Destruction This haunt is destroyed if all five of the primary spirits that haunt Harrowstone are destroyed.
What are you doing now?
"Wait, I think this area is connected with our star prisoners. They're infusing it consciously or not with negative energy. Dealing with them should resolve it. There's not doors leading from the room so lets not waste resources tackling it in the short term. It's a big building best not to squander our resources but if it comes to it I think some positive energy or extreme cold would disrupt it for a time."
Assuming no one presses the issue Gadren goes to another door checking it for traps and haunts. [b]"We'd best not waste our energy on minor avoidable dangers. Our five most infamous prisoners will be quite enough to challenge us I think."
[/ooc]Just trying to keep us moving along.[/ooc]
Mishtes nod knowingly; obviously not understanding a word Gadren said.
He then follows Gadren to the next room (outlined in red).
Bardiche at the ready, as ever.
Maria looks suspiciously at the brazier full of dark energy and, keeping a wary eye on it, advances after Gadren.
Lazar gives a side look to the brazier. "This is dangerous. Don't get near it. We can leave it for now, or we can deal with it today, as we're not going down."
S13. Privy
This is an empty privy once used by the guards.
Nothing of interest remains within today.
Where to now. Down to the room full of webs Cedric saw at S8, or through the door to the right?
Gadren heads to check the door to the right careful to check for traps or signs of haunts.
Maria turns to the door to the right, ready to aid Gadren. She growls Aside from some small scares, this has been far too quiet. I don't like it... She looks around warily.
Mishtes stands guard and as alert as he can while Gadren does his bit:
Mishtes responds to Maria's complaint:
"If it's too quiet I can make a lot of noise, if you prefer.
"Don't have to worry about waking the dead, they already are."
Seeing that the rest seem to prefer the door to the right, Lazar tries to discern if the place is safe.
Lazar the door opens onto a corridor, with a door to the north, two on the east wall, and one to the south.
Maria you can detect something evil in S14, though there are no sounds within the room.
What now?
Maria holds up a fist to attract attention and points at the door to S14. She readies her greatsword and throws the door open, looking inside for any trouble.