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As the anti-incorporeal shell springs into existence, Luisila moves to better shield her companions before chanting a prayer to the Savored Sting.
♪♫ I don’t want to see a ghost.
It’s the sight that I fear most.
I’d rather have a piece of toast.
With caviar and Lady Avenstar ♪♫
♪♫ Life. Oh, life. Ooooh, life. Oh life.
Calistria, give it to me.
Life. Oh, life. Ooooh, liiife. Oh life.
In a pillar would be cool ♪♫
Luisila *casts* pillar of life and a column of honey-colored positive energy plasma appears in a *FLASH* in the Mohrg’s square.
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Luisila's pillar of light burns the flesh right off of the mohrg, leaving only its bones and the intestine-like worm coiled up and throbbing within its ribcage. A voiceless scream accompanies its pain.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Kalendir fires a volley of arrows straight into the fleshy worm. As pus and blood begins to spray out, it is instantly disintegrated by the pillar of positive energy. The mohrg falls, but it bursts into dust before it can touch the ground.
The wraith that had tasted Kalendir's sweet vitality attempts to float after him, but is stopped by a translucent energy field. It pounds against it with its ectoplasmic tendrils for a moment, then silently recoils, watching patiently.
Luisila
Wraith 1 (+0 HP) WAITING FOR SOMETHING, RATHER ANNOYED
Conan (-5 HP)
Wei Ji
Quiven
Mohrg DEAD
Wraith 2 (-19 HP)
Takkit
Wraith 3
Kalendir (-3 HP, 3 Con Drain [-16 max HP])
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"Have faith, Kalendir! Note that Luisila's DIVINE POWER is keeping us SAFE FROM ATTACK! Well done, my lady!"
Conan briefly switches, incongruously, to a sudden, restrained whisper: "Major, three undead in the basement, two incorporeals. Dealing with it, SIR!"
He then returns to his normal volume as he turns his attention on the mohrg. "This REMINDS ME of a JOKE! Why didn't the skeleton cross the ROAD?"
Conan's eyes narrow and abruptly his visage changes, his skin becoming coppery hued and his face elongating. Conan leans in and... bites? the mohrg.
Conan pulls back, spitting out chunks of bone shards and disgusting writhing mohrg intestines. "He dimm't haff the guts."
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Wei Ji fires off another wave of positive energy, sizzling the edges of the two exposed wraiths.
Quiven slices a few times at the wraith then tumbles back into the protective aura, while Conan strikes two mighty blows with his greatsword from safety. His overeager attempt to bite the wraith is met with what could only be described as a chuckle from the spectral creature.
The wraith that had retreated into the southern wall pops out and tries to push his way into the barrier. He appears to throw up his arms at the western wraith. His associate shrugs and flicks a tendril against the shell. The southern wraith makes a crackling noise that is most likely some kind of grumbling, then floats to the stairs appearing to wait for something.
Luisila
Wraith 1 (-5 HP) WAITING FOR SOMETHING, RATHER ANNOYED
Conan (-5 HP)
Wei Ji
Quiven
Mohrg TOTES DEAD
Wraith 2 (-19 HP) WAITING FOR SOMETHING, A BIT PUT OFF
Takkit
Wraith 3 (-37 HP)
Kalendir (-3 HP, 3 Con Drain [-16 max HP])
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"...focus on the opponents. We can disparage people's ancestry AFTER we're done with the mission."
Luisila *shrugs* “Meh. I can’t see any reason why we can’t do both together.”
Her playful tone turns serious. “The wraiths appear to be waiting for something. I’m wondering if it’s a demon or a necromancer, so I agree with Wei Ji. Let’s take these ghosties down as quickly as we can.”
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"They're waiting for whatever is keeping them from devouring our souls to stop doing that, it would seem. Also, if this is what was waiting for us, we really need to step it up if there's something worse attacking the guests. Do you think you think the Savored Sting is feeling properly vengeful over the deaths of those two?" Wei will do a head-tilt towards the two dead bodies.
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Luisila closes an eye to think, but can't come up with the answer. “Touché, Conan. Now for my riposte!”
Conan pauses after the joke, then laughs heartily, his mirth echoing of the walls of the cellar. "A GOOD ONE! I SHALL REMEMBER IT!" he promises Luisila. "To STRETCH! HA!"
Somewhat more sedately he adds on, "I am still in some CONTACT with Major Colson, but he has not yet responded to my last MISSIVE. I will listen INTENTLY, I promise."
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After a tumultuous combat...
"Now comes the tough part. If the guests aren't being attacked, we now have to clean up and go back to the party and *act like nothing happened*. It's the only way we're going to be able to draw out who's doing this, I suspect? Does anyone else have an idea that isn't running upstairs and immediately accusing everyone with no information?"
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Conan grins broadly as he shakes loose ectoplasmic gunk from his blade. His face has returned to normal. "Well done, friends! I hope these poor maidens can rest in PEACE!" he stage-whispers. "Let me try again with the MAJOR..."
"MAJOR! The undead have been DISPATCHED. What is the situation in the DINING ROOM?... "
Conan cracks his knuckles and looks around. "Do we think the rest of the house needs a SWEEP THROUGH?"
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“I understand Calistria’s servant Tordurbar the Tentacled has quite a following in Minkai, Brother Wei.”
After Luisila’s channelled energy – in the form of glowing golden Chaos Beast tentacles, emerging from her mouth, ears and underarms have finished lashing the wraiths into the afterlife – she checks on her companions’ injuries.
“Please heal yourselves in the ♪ circle of life ♫ before it dissipates. Saves Cure Light Wound wand charges, yannow.”
Once everyone is ready, Luisila turns to Coco. “If Major Colson’s charges are OK and there’s time, I think we should sweep the Salon. That’s where we’re gonna end up at the end of the night. Also I think we should find Brother Tespren, and ask the Blakros’ chief of security why we found undead in the Manor on his watch.”
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"Wow. That just looked really uncomfortable. Given how effective it was, though, cannot argue with the results. Does it feel liberating to have the power surge through you like that?"
The tengu is thoughtful and contemplative as the combat calms down.
"We definitely need to have an inter-religious conference when this is done.
Wei is very much on board with the plan Luisila suggests.
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Kalendir reluctantly reaches out a hand to the pillar of light. His wounds quickly mend themselves.
he lifts his mask to get a breath of fresh air. Looking at him it looks as f though he was healed his skin color still remains pale and ashen.
That apparition really did a number on me.....Let's head to the Salon before anymore undead are created this night.
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"Ah. Irori observes, and in so watching, educates. It may sound incredibly passive, but observing one's heartbeat after running seven leagues, or how one's breathing responds to increased activity, these are all observations that allow us to grow, not only as individuals, but with others."
"Sister Luisila, I'm a member of the Pathfinder Society and an Eagle Knight as well as a humble student of the life teachings of the Master of Masters. New ideas and concepts are first tested before being discarded. The pain of training gives way to the rush of accomplishment. The drudgery of studies finds the road to wisdom. Or, as some human scholar I once heard say 'No pain, No Gain'."
The tengu tilts his head and considers Luisila's whistling. "You really should be careful with that, in Tengu that's an invitation to a duel in some quarters." There's a hint of humor behind the words, though.
Kalendir gets a worried glance. "First chance we get, we get you back up to par. Can't be facing opponents if we're worn out."
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Luisila has been pondering the events of the evening – maybe a little too much? “I’ve just has a crazy thought. Hard to believe, I know.”
“Senator Naran of Andoran and his wife could just be selfish asshats and therefore red herrings in this whole ‘who is the mole’ thing. Apart from ourselves...” Luisila pauses to take a hard look at Takkit. "Who else is above suspicion?"
“Lady Gloriana and Major Maldris are one possibility. Have they been out of our sight at any time during the evening?”
“ALSO, what about Michellia and Damien Blakros? Nobody would suspect them, and Tespren the Security Chief could easily be cornered and charmed by a demon possessing or disguised as a Blakros.”
"You really should be careful with that, in Tengu that's an invitation to a duel in some quarters." There's a hint of humor behind the words, though.
Luisila smiles. “Does that include verbal duelling, Brother Wei?”
“I understand your point about training, learning, testing and checking. Drudgery giving way to enlightenment. But what about *sparks* and spontaneity? Fun? Taking a chance? Dizzy highs? Deep lows?”
She holds her hands in an open gesture. “And besides, I just can’t see you winning a mate sitting on your bum on top of some mountain with your legs crossed.”
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Another stage-whisper from Conan: "AYE AYE, SIR."
Conan turns to the others. "The major says all is well in the dining room and directs us to CONTINUE OUR RECONNAISANCE. I will still be in contact with him for SOME TIME."
Conan pauses as if a a mysterious voice in his head had given him a hint, and then brightens and looks towards the bodies of the poor girls. "Did we figure out how the UNFORTUNATE DAMSELS passed?"
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Wei will approach and murmur a few words in Tien, keeping his 'holy hand' ready in case it should be required to lay the bodies to rest. With his right, he gently pokes and prods the two bodies, examining them in respectful fashion, trying to play through what the cause of death was, if they're due to become haunts, etc, etc, etc.
As the Master of Masters also insists on observation as the tengu had previously noted...
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The two women appear to have first been asphyxiated, their jaws removed and their bodies savagely ripped by claws after they already died. While their faces are mangled beyond recognition, the keen eyes of Wei Ji and Luisila notice that their wounds are noticeably clear of cloth fibers. Were they dressed at the time they were given these wounds, the claws would have driven bits of cloth into them.
Upon close inspection of the mohrg, it appears to have been (un)dead for quite some time.
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“I’d say the jawbones were removed to foil divination magic like speak with dead.”
Luisila stays as clinically detached as she can. “The absence of fibres in the wounds indicates the victims were naked when they were ripped apart post-mortis.”
As the cleric watches the tengu examine the victims’ fingers, she nods. “There is a possibility that the perpetrator(s) are wearing these unfortunates’ clothes. However, they could also have been undressed during the whole ordeal – say if they had been charmed by some lustful creature, like an enchanter or a succubus.”
She turns to the burglar. “I wouldn’t mind searching the well again, Quiven.”
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Being rather untrained in healing, Conan does not assist with the forensic examination. Instead he stands solemnly alert for any threats that might come down into the cellar.
"This does not remind me of a joke," he says earnestly, while the two young dead women are laid out as respectfully as possible.
"Should we try and question each of the staff? If only one of us had the ability to perhaps detect the presence of evil around them!"
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"We're going to need to check the salon, and talk to Tesperen. After that point, we can move forward on what you suggest? It will be difficult, but I'm sure we can make it happen."
Luisila smiles. “Does that include verbal duelling, Brother Wei?”
“I understand your point about training, learning, testing and checking. Drudgery giving way to enlightenment. But what about *sparks* and spontaneity? Fun? Taking a chance? Dizzy highs? Deep lows?”
She holds her hands in an open gesture. “And besides, I just can’t see you winning a mate sitting on your bum on top of some mountain with your legs crossed.”
As a complete departure from the moody discoveries, Wei tilts his head at Luisila.
"And yes, verbal dueling is usually what escalates to blade on blade dueling. Insulting one's lineage has been elevated to an art form in some circles."
"Identifying how one reaches those sparks and having grasps at the random is actually one of the ways that the Master of Masters and I differ in our philosophies. In life, all things are possible. Becoming too static limits one's potential, as does becoming too random.
There's a bit of a laugh at the concept of Wei finding a mate.
"Perhaps in another life I'll look at that option, right now I'm still firmly in the midst of returning forward the aid that Andoran via the Edge provided me."
"So, shall we?" Wei's ready to move on to the next room, unless the well uncovers something else of import.
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“I hear ya, Kalendir.” Luisila washes her hands in a small fountain of created water, before looking around for something to dry them on.
Wei Ji’s coattails would work. Nah! Better not …
“Wouldn’t surprise me if the perpetrator has a detect evil deceiving abjuration up anyway. Is it time to move on?”
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The party finds nothing else of particular note in the cellar. The lid on the well appears to be just as securly locked as ever and shows no signs of having been opened.
The party continues on the to the salon, which has a few male servants making some final preparations for the guests to come in.
None of them are evil.
Major Colson peeks in the room after the party enters.
"The speech is going to end shortly. I have already informed Tespren, and he has begun searching the premises. The guests heard a certain comedian's fighting downstairs, and they are a little on-edge already. We do not want them to know how serious the situation is, so wrap things up and make sure you are presentable to the guests in a minute when they come in."