"Your belief in us thus far has not been misplaced. If allowed to fester, even in obscurity, Anobaith will eventually find ways to force herself on the outside world. Better to deal with the problem head on." Galtar punctuates his words with a nod of the head.
Yes, I could have stopped you. You have proven adequate so far but perhaps there will be others more suited to the task. If you fall, she will escape. . . run away. . . I will have to find her again and by the time I do it may be too late. Tell me now why I should let you be the ones to defeat her and not wait for the next group of battle-hardened adventurers.
"We care about helping Verus and Branda. And I totally beat the snot out of that anti-paladin in single combat!"
You have proven yourselves thus far. And your hearts are in it, especially with your friends' lives at stake. So be it. I wish you well.
"Is that it...?" Temujin asks, confused by what purpose this served unless the creature has information to help them.
"What more can you impart on us in regards to Anobaith?"
You move along to the last room:
The windows of the nursery remain mostly intact, but are filthy from years of neglect. Three small daybeds lie empty. Several old toys, including a porcelain doll and a collection of wooden animals, rest unused in the corners of the room. Tiny tracks crisscross the dust on the floor. They seem almost like the tracks of a cat, but the oily fingerprints on the windows are unmistakably those of young children.
As you enter the nursery, dust swirls in the room in chaotic eddies. An unseen wind drives the dust and debris on the floor into vaguely childlike forms. Within seconds, three small creatures shuffle forward, a terrible mixure of broken stuffed animals, dried cat bones, and old clothes. One of them wears a filthy rag over its round head, one has the face of a large bat skull, and the last wears the head of that broken procelain doll. They approach you, surrounded by a dreadful chorus of disembodied, childlike whispers, uttering things such as, "Where have you been, Mother?", "Play with us," and "I'm hungry."
An attic whisperer spawns as the result of a lonely or neglected child's death. Rather than animating the body of the dead youth, the creature rises from an amalgam of old toys, clothing, dust, and other objects associated with the departed—icons of the child's neglect. The widely varying materials that fuse together to form these creatures lead to attic whisperers with vastly different appearances. Attic whisperers linger in the places where they were formed, typically old homes, orphanages, schools, debtors' prisons, workhouses, and similar places where children might be discarded. When an attic whisperer first forms, it does so without a skull—this does not impact the creature's abilities in any way, but it usually seeks out a small animal's skull as a form of decoration soon after it manifests.
Destroying an attic whisperer reduces it to its component parts, usually consisting of dusty junk left to molder in the attics of old houses, though a few items, such as china dolls, small lockets, music boxes, precious marbles, fine teacups, sculpted metal soldiers, or the like, may have some value.
With a quick flourish of his cane, Zeldones sends a stream of golden motes playing over the three odd creatures.
Zeldones blinds two of them! They sob in the voices of little children, perhaps breaking your hearts to have to fight these monstrosities. The one who kept his sight, however, leaps forward and tries to bite Galtar, destroying any notion of sympathy!
The others regain their sight a few seconds later.
red:
green:
blue:
"You guys might want to back up..." Galtar suggests as he swings at the critter that tried to bite him!
Tobian casts and slams it into the red child!
Galtar swings and misses again but Ruckus' missiles knock off a few pieces of fabric and bones from one while Tobian burns away parts of another!
red: 11 dmg
green:
blue: 17 dmg
Temujin scowls at the thought of blasting children, but then he see one try to bite Galtar and he sends his obsidian spear through the chest of the one in rotten blue clothing.
Temujin's glassy spear sends dust bunnies, old toys, and bones scattering as the creature is torn apart!
red: 11 dmg
green:
Zeldones fixes his gaze on the nearest one before shooting at it. His bolt goes wide, though.
Thomson hits the creepy thing but Zeldones misses! The attic whisperers move in against Thomson!
red: 25 dmg
green:
Galtar seems to forget his previous calls to fall back and steps into the room to aid Thomson! He moves into the room, past the two creatures onto the bed and then turns to swing at the green one!
threat
-Posted with Wayfinder
Tobian will slam the into the red child once more. He then steps up and stabs at the creature!
for
for
---
Galtar hits the creepy critter! The other one leaps away from Tobian's flames only to be stabbed in the side!
red: 35 dmg
green: 22 dmg (-1 hit/damage)
*pass*
*fatigued*
Temujin stays behind Tobian as the occultist seems to want to act a shield for him. "If you wish, Tobian."
Temujin sees his obsidian spear embedded in the wall and will it to return to him, trying to slam it back through the green-eyed attic whisperer.
After piercing the creature, the spear returns to its pyramid-like form in his hand.
Temujin finishes off one of the attic whisperers! The last one stands little chance against the rest of the party and is quickly overwhelmed.
Galtar yawns and stretches as he puts away his falchion. "Tired. I could use a nap..."
"I am sorry--I have no skill to restore your elan vital. Were it a mental disorder, I could easily repair the damage."
The mesmerist casts his eyes and hands skyward. "Ah! I am a fool! I do have that ability." He chants a lengthy spell, gesturing as he does so and fixing Galtar with a penetrating stare. At the end of the spell, however, the half-orc is much less tired.
"Many thanks, Zeldones. Anyone got some healing magics? Before we go and fight what's her name, I should probably get a few wounds stitched up." the half-orc gives a toothy grin.
Yes, my mental powers are nearly drained. I could use a rest as well.
Temujin brings Snak into the building and lets him find comfort on the rug as the group rests. The fiery halfling will keep watch for any other undead stalking the land.
The chimney is narrow enough that you need to descend one at a time but being able to brace yourself against all sides makes it an easy climb.
The chimney empties into a busy alchemist's lab. Colored bottles and vials of varying shapes and sizes litter the tables here, along with workbooks, inkwells, grease pencils, and pieces of chalk. An iron cage along the north wall holds a lone occupant, an emaciated man dead from advanced age. Several large jars hold the remains of what look like rapidly aged children immersed in amber fluid. A dozen smells compete to be the most foul.
Taergan Flinn himself works in the lab with two apprentices, although they look as if they expected you. Only the first few of you are able to tumble out of the chimney before they start grabbing vials and mixing dangerous components....
Zeldones again opens with a glitterdust spell on the trio.
---
Zeldones finishes picking himself up from the chimney and tries to blind the alchemists!
At Ruckus' suggestion Taergan hesitates. "Well, maybe...."
T: suggested
blue: blind (DC 17)
A flurry of bombs come flying at the party!
---
---
---
Taergan thinks about turning on his patron....
T:
blue:
Zeldones takes a great deal of fire damage from the bombs bursting around him and screams in agony.
Galtar is not quick enough to get out of the way of the bombs area, but quickly rushes forward at the apprentices hoping to chop them down!
Tobian emits an for at the enemy directly across from him.