In the next chamber Moadis notices that a 10 foot portion of the blood stained western wall is a doorway barricade of irregular stone held in place with dried clay, easily broken just like all the other ones that you found.
Although various examinations of the corpses have not revealed anything of note, Melufiuos also easily spots the barricade wall that Moadis first discovered. As this information is brought to the attention to the group, Quiella begins work to break down the wall with her hammer.
Behind the broken-down wall, a cave is revealed. Suspended upside down from 40 feet above--thin, spiked wire cruelly wrapped around them ankle to neck--are many brutalized corpses similar to those in the previous chambers. As air eddies south from the cave, carrying with it an unsettling odor of ancient decay, the dangling mummified faces, three feet off the floor, stare back.
The cave continues beyond what you can see from the broken wall, heading south and east. To make it through to that area, however, you'll have to either crouch underneath or push through the thick curtain of cadavers.
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Mel is frustrated by the time it is taking, but he not about to challenge the paladins he just put on a pedestal, so he pitches in to help.
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Quiella also draws her sword and begins cutting them down. "Let's move them aside as we go along so we can have a clear path through. Maybe even take them out into the other room."
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The party begins the grisly task of cutting down the bodies. Although the wire is metal and preserved perhaps through magic, it only takes a small amount of effort to sever it. Whether the bodies are carried off or allowed to drop on the ground, they begin to disintegrate slightly when handled, but stay intact for the most part.
As the group makes progress to the southeast wall of the cave, you discover a ladder made up of iron that runs affixed to the rocky face. It descends 15 feet to a platform and ledge below. Beyond that, the platform narrows to a rocky ledge, and the floor drops off and is replaced by a 30-foot deep pit. If there is anything inside the pit, you cannot currently see it from your vantage point. The rocky ledge continues past the pit into another passage.
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Quiella looks at the others. "I'll go down first and see what I can see in the pit once I am closer to it. Follow me down, or don't, at your leisure."
Quiella does as she says.
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Quiella looks Valik in the eyes so that she sees the odd coloring in her own eyes. "I can see in the dark, Valik."
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Quiella climbs down 15 feet along the exceptionally well-preserved iron ladder to find herself on the platform below. She sees no immediate dangers from her new position, although looking down into the pit she sees that the bottom is covered in sharp, jagged rocks. However, the ledge leading to the eastern tunnel looks even more treacherous close up.
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Quiella climbs back up the ladder and reports her findings. "We need some way to safely cross that ledge."
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With plenty of rope in hand, Valik climbs down the ladder and begins to easily navigate along the ledge. A few steps in, however, he hears the faint, angry muttering from a crowd that seems to come out of nowhere. With his knowledge of the undead, he quickly realizes that he's begun to trigger a haunting.
Fearing the worse, Valik quickly makes a run for the ladder and manages to get up to the top before hearing a horrible cacophony of voices shouting in rage in the area below him. The voices quickly fade and the monk suspects he just barely avoided suffering some horrible fate.
Putting your heads together, discussing what you've read and the rumors you've heard, you come to the conclusion that channeling positive energy can neutralize a Haunt temporarily. The only way to destroy it is to discover why it exists and attempt to rectify the 'wrong' that created it. Also, once Haunts act up, there is usually some time before it will act up again, but not always.
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"We should try to cleanse it, if possible," Ophelia points out during the discussion. "I may be able to neutralize it, thanks to the blessing of my Lady, but I would prefer a more permanent solution. I believe the dead would, as well."
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"To find out what caused it I think we will need to expose ourselves to it first. I am prepared."
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"Valik, can you make it over there to help Ophelia across so she can cleanse it somehow?"
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Melufiuos detects no magical auras in the area, other than whatever magical items Valik carries.
The monk focuses his Ki and hustles along the narrow edge to the other end of the pit. Miraculously, no chorus of angry voices erupts from the cavern this time. Perhaps the haunt just needs time to reset, or perhaps the group inadvertently did something to weaken or destroy it.
At the other end of the ledge, Valik finds the passage that continues east is only 2 feet wide, which will require squeezing to progress. There is, however, plenty of stone jutting out of the surrounding walls in which to tie his rope for the others.
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Quiella crosses over with the aid of the rope. "Well done, Valik. Thank you for the help." then she moves into the passage to make room for the others.
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Looking further down the passage, Quiella only has to squeeze slightly to see set in this cavernous grotto is a statue carved from dark stone depicting a frightening demonic creature tearing a human apart. Tentacles wrap around the figure and other wriggle outward. Each tentacle terminates in a claw, talon, pincher, or other wicked appendage meant to inflict pain. Its circular maw contained rings of jagged teeth which grip an oddly shaped piece of black metal, its surface etched with symbols.
A closer look at the piece of metal suggests that it might be a right cheek guard of an Acrimony Veil.