Beheaded are floating skulls or severed heads whose bodies have long since abandoned them, either in the moment of death or long after. Reanimated via dark magic, these horrors are usually created as mindless
sentinels for dungeons or lairs. Beheaded silently hover at about eye-level, often making them the last thing a casual wanderer or careless villager in an infested area ever sees.
You are facing Flaming skulls. Immune to fire and having Undead traits.
Mishtes turns one of the flaming skulls into flaming shards as he shatters it with one blow.
Lazar smashes another with a well placed arrow.
Maria is too eager and swings too soon, the flaming skull boobing slightly as her blow only fans it.
Cedric fires his crossbow at the skull, using an acid bolt.
Cedric nearly hits.
Red darts at Maria.
Who doesn't even need to move to avoid the attack.
Green swoops in on Mishtes.
But swooping is bad, and it misses wildly.
The party may now act.
Mishtes now attacks the flaming skull that attacked him with Lopper's Handaxe:
Gadren waits for Lazar to fire his bow before stepping forward and swinging his cold iron longsword with both hands tearing a rent in the ceiling.
Lazar tries to help Maria taking down the Red one.
Furious at her inability to destroy evil, Maria puts all her force into a sweeping arc at the skulls in front of her, attempting to end both of them in one blow.
Enraged by her poor showing Maria channeled that rage into her blow, smashing through both Flaming skulls in her fury.
The room goes quiet as all activity ends, only the faint clatter of bone shards as they hit the floor.
Your eyes are drawn to the scorched hole in the floor.
This room was where the fire that doomed Harrowstone began, as detailed in histories you've studied. The fire burned so hot that much of the eastern wing of the dungeon below collapsed once its wooden supports
failed. The jagged, soot-caked hole in the floor was once the location of the lift that connected the two floors. The machinery that powered the lift tumbled into the dungeon below during the fire. It’s a 20-foot drop to the lower level from this point.
You can see the shadows growing longer as night draws near, you have cleared every room on this floor aside from the web choked room at S8
What are you doing now? This would be a good time to head back and rest, or clear the last room and then go for a rest.
Maria nods with grim satisfaction. "I say we clear the last room. I can handle a bit more."
so, do we simply clear out the upper levels today, and come back tomorrow? Or do you all want to rush headlong down there? I'll light your way, whichever you choose.
"Better to carry on tomorrow when we're fresh, after finishing off this floor."
"Let's not forget the upper floor tomorrow. Likely less dangerous than down below but hopefully we can deal with their swiftly too. It's been a while since I've been in the field."
Hearing the agreement, Maria opens the door to S8, waiting a moment in case anyone notices any traps, then throws it open.
Mishtes stands behind Maria (at the door to S8), bardiche at the ready:
Noticing he is probably the "anyone" meant to locate any traps, Lazar has a close look at the door and the frame before Maria opens it.
then let us press forward, I would be out of here before night, as I am worried about the town as well, and Kendra. With what we know now, I fear for many who where involved with the Professor. I have ample energy to continue though.
Cedric keeps the light spell on his ring cast. And readies his crossbow for trouble as they enter the room.
"I'd have an odd feeling of being unfinished if we left just the one room on this floor unexplored. I agree we should check it out before retiring for the night and checking on Kendra. I do worry that whomever did in her father may decide that she needs taken care of too."
The door to S8 opens.
S8. Chapel
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.
Disturbed by the large group moving close to them three large spiders scurrying menacingly towards you.
What are you doing now?
Maria hefts her greatsword.
"Better to deal with 'em than leave 'em behind our backs. Help me out!"
She surges into the room and swings her greatsword in an arc.
Realising the tight confines of the room Gadren moved closer to it but let those of a more martial bent move through first.
Mishtes, lacking room for a pole arm in the chapel, grabs his scimitar and shield.
He then goes in to help Maria, entering a bloodrage as he does so, and attacks the nearest spider (Yellow):
I hate spiders.... Foul creatures indeed. Let us be rid of them Cedric shakily says as he levels his crossbow at one of the spiders before firing.
Maria splatters Yellow over the walls. Her attempt to carry her swing on to Red misses though.
Mishtes bisects Green with a powerful stroke.
Cedric aims and sinks a bolt into Red, who writhes in pain, but is still alive.
Mishtes, steps up to put the last spider (Red) out if its misery:
That done, Mishtes will come out of his bloodrage to catch his breath.
"Phew! I can't do that much more of that today."
Lazar gets into the room and tries to help finishing the last spider.
Lazar pins the last spider to the floor with a well placed arrow, all the creature are now dead and the room is safe.
A search reveal this once was a temple to Pharasma.
Treasure:
A cabinet cloaked in webs is still stocked.
Holy water (5
Scroll of lesser restoration,
Wand of cure light wounds (15 charges).
What are you doing now? This floor is cleared.
"Shall we retire for the day or go upstairs?"
Maria shrugs at Gadren's words. "Personally, I'd go upstairs still. What do the rest of you think?"
"I vote for retiring now and getting a fresh start at sunrise."
"I'm fine with going upstairs. Sounds like the worst to come is downstairs."
Lazar makes the holy gestures of Pharasma. "Holy Lady, please help us bring these poor souls back to rest."
He picks the items and distributes them between the rest, murmuring a thankful oration to Pharasme for delivering Her help.
"For as long as our task is dealing with those ghosts, Pharasma will smile on us. Once this place is cleared, this holy sanctuary should be restored to ensure eternal vigilance of the Lady."
Regarding the matter of keeping on or holding, Lazar doesn't really mind - he could go on, but understands if some others feel tired or depleted. If they choose to rest, he will ofer healing for anyone who needs it.
Gadren cast's light on his longsword "In case it gets dark up there. We can always retreat if we meet stern resistance."
"Will Kendra be safe enough alone in her home tonight? Given that her father was killed, I have to wonder if she might be a target too."
I say we push forward to the upstairs, then we can head back to town and see if the residents have noticed anything strange, or try to endear ourselves to the town in case something bad happens.
Cedric says as he looks to the stairs.
Mishtes shrugs, and grabs his bardiche and follows Cedric upstairs.
Maria also heads upstairs, scanning from detectable evil.
Lazar follows the rest upstairs. "Just for a bit and then we go back home, okay? I've got a bad feeling about Kendra."
He checks any door or floor that might be for any traps, as usual.
Maria nods. She too can't help feeling concern for one of her few friends.
Due to the many gaps in the walls the lighting is slightly better when you arrive on the top floor.
Lazar finds no signs of traps being placed on the door.
T1. Guard Post.
This guard area is blocked from the cellblock by an arc of iron bars. Within sits an old wooden table and a few chairs.
T2. Mess Hall.
Wooden benches once lined this large hall, but several are now stacked in a jumble and others are overturned in disarray. Weakened by fire, the entire east wall has collapsed away, creating an unintended entryway to a wooden deck beyond. The view of the lake beyond would be beautiful if the silence were not so eerie.
As you look around cautiously Maria & Lazar see three Stiges who have been using the old mess hall as a nest rise into the air, hungry for fresh prey.
What are you doing now?
Maria moves toward the stirges and tries to strike carefully at two of them.
She alerts the others. "We need to deal with these things before they become a problem."