GM Ladile's TL;DR: A Pathfinder Society Campaign

Game Master Lady Ladile

"We are here to help you not to stop you," Zithembe tries to clarify for the youth. "Going carefully is not the same as not going. In that vein, we should see if there is anything useful in the Pathfinder shed. Hepsubia is also very good at slipping into places and scouting them."

Really? I never noticed. Doesn't that prove I'm very good at it? Now, Miss J, I want to be serious for an awful, long minute: all this thing about Calling you "J", and having a smart costume, and a ghostly friend, is fun. But if you hear us Calling you Junia, you do as you are told, without discussion. Your life can depend on it. Ours too. I want your promise on this, before we go in.

"You did keep disappearing in Aroden's cave. I assumed on purpose," Zithembe comments with a chuckle.

Ylva stays silent, figuring that both Zithembe and Hepsubia had said all that needed to be said. She does give her new friend an encouraging smile, though.

"Yes, of course," J replies to Hepsubia, looking a little confused. "I already promised 'Wise Teacher' that I'd follow your instructions and not rush off into trouble, but if it'll help..."

J clears her throat and then makes a sweeping bow to Hepsubia; you're certain that if she had a hat she'd have removed it from her head as well. "Lady Hepsubia of the Pathfinder Society, I do give my solemn promise that I, Junia Dacilane, will obey your orders and the orders of any of your companions as long as I am in your company. To the very letter. For our very lives may depend on it," she says in a very serious, solemn manner. For a moment, you have a glimpse of J as her mother would surely prefer to see her - as a young, well-mannered woman of the aristocracy.

Straightening up, J looks around at everyone. "Will that do?"

"I surely hope so, otherwise we'll be waiting around until Aroden comes back to reclaim his place among the gods at this rate," ghostly Grishan remarks with a smirk.
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With everyone now ready to proceed, the nearby storage shed is given a quick once-over before Zithembe places the key in the shed's lock and unlocks the door. The lock, already in extremely poor shape due to the passage of time and the elements, gives up the ghost and breaks.

"You'd think your leader would've made them put a better lock on this," Grishan comments as the useless hunk of metal tumbles to the ground. "Especially if he's going to put anything valuable in there!"

The shed contains various supplies used by the archaeological teams that work here including large rolls of twine, wooden stakes, brushes, sacks, shovels, trowels, and various measuring implements. A large sign hanging on the back of the shed reads:

“Entry to above ground structure in the ‘Yard is strongly discouraged. It contains a dangerous supernatural force. Items in the yellow box are for emergencies only.

Signed, V-C Dreng”

Within the yellow box you find two haunt siphons as well as instructions for their use, but the container is otherwise empty. Additional searching of the shed reveals nothing else of any note.

"Indeed," Zithembe agrees with the phantom, staring at the crumbled lock before opening the door.

He reads the instructions within the box with the haunt siphons. "Ah, these may prove unfortunately necesary. I would rather put the souls to rest, but the best is not always possible."

"It is best if two people carry each," Kiango says as he pulls the haunt siphons out of the box and holds them out. "The quickest of us?"

"Nothing else for me to do," he says, the healing wand in hand.
________
Religion (Haunts): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17 Just for some general information!

Know Religion: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

Can I have one? How does it works?

Sylvak quietly observes the moment of mourning for the dead. When it begins he demonstrates a practiced solemnity, but as Ylva sings her Ulfen dirge his eyes begin to glisten with a real sorrow that never quite reaches the point of tears.

When the exploration of the shed reveal a pair of haunt siphons, he volunteers, "I'd be glad to carry one of them... I'm not sure I have much to offer, otherwise, when it comes to battling haunts..."

Zithembe hands the instructions to Hepsubia. "Simply twist off the cap when you are within the effect of a haunt."

"Peace Grishan, Gozreh's seas are a bane to iron. It would not surprise me to learn that the lock was quite good before the Wind and Waves got her hands on it," Ylva says. Then a moment later begins to spin a yarn about a proud smith who claimed his wares couled weather any storm that Gozreh could send at them for the young, ghostly lad.

"Do we have all we need?" Kiango asks, growing a little uneasy at the idea of willingly walking into a haunt.

Neither Kiango or Hepsubia are able to recall anything more than what Sylvak did earlier on the nature of haunts but even that basic information is better than nothing at all. With the haunt siphons distributed among you, J nods and turns back to face what's left of the ruined school.

"Well...time for one last lesson, I suppose," she whispers. Then, she straightens her back and nods. "Okay, let's go."
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The group has little trouble with making their way into what's left of the ruined school through the school's main entrance, the badly battered doors still miraculously attached to their hinges but otherwise unlocked. On the inside, the devastation becomes more apparent with large sections of the building completely collapsed in on itself, leaving nothing but rubble. Still, one hallway remains partially intact with only a small portion the roof collapsed, leaving it open to the elements. It is down this hallway that J slowly moves, Grishan leaving his position near Ylva to float close beside her.

"Sorry...finish telling the story later?" Grishan whispers back over his shoulder.

After making her way down the hallway, J suddenly stops outside the door to a classroom - one of the few classrooms you can see that isn't completely buried under rubble.

"Here...it's in here. Let's be careful..."

J waits for a moment for all of you to make any investigations and other preparations that you might want and then steps through the door, beckoning for the rest of you to follow...
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Theater of the mind for now~

Zithembe moves to the doorway and concentrates on the room within. "One moment, Jay."

Cast detect magic

Theo had been strangely silent since the fight with the Qadiran noblemen, but perks up at entering the ruins of the school. As the group steps into darkness, he casts a spell while holding his mace, and the head of the weapon suddenly shines with a bright glow, like late afternoon sun.

Casts light.

"I never thought I'd be exploring old ruins, but isn't this exciting?"

Theo then waits near the door as any others prepare to enter.

Ylva smiles at Grishan and J.

"Of course. I have told many tales and I've yet to leave one unfinished," she says as her smile turns into a grin.

As they move deeper into the ruin, Ylva stays close to J does her best to look out for her friend.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

Hepsubia does some quiet scouting

Will moves on the map....as soon as there is a map

one spell that I think might harm a haunt, and none of my abilities are going to do much against any form of undead... at least we’ve already found where J wants to go... hopefully the ghost’s errand will be quick too and we can get out of here...

Sylvak stays at the back of the pack as the group moves into the classroom.

Tupp, unusually quiet since stepping foot in the grounds, inspects his surroundings with an expression somewhere between deep concentration and melancholy. However, his thoughts for the long departed, and his attentive watch for malevolent spirits are interrupted as Theodric lights up the room with excitement. "I thought exploring old ruins was the whole point of joining the Society?" He chirps as he makes his way up to the front, "I plan on visiting every last cave and ruin on Kortos before I retire and start my dojo... With hand on the hilt of his sword, Tupp makes one more sweep of his surroundings before turning to J, "Okay, so when we go in, I think it would be best if you stay in the middle of the group. Nothing can happen to you if you're surrounded by experienced Pathfinders."

Some more detect evil action for Tupp. :)

"Some more experienced than others," Ylva adds with a grin.

As J waits just outside of the classroom, several among you scan the immediate area for signs of anything unusual while Theodric sheds a little light on the subject, the glow welcome among the dreariness of the ruins. Neither Zithembe nor Tupp detect anything out of place with their respective magics and nothing seems amiss out in the ruined corridor, either. With everything apparently clear, J nods and shuffles into the center of the group.

"Okay...let's go, then..." she remarks, voice shaking slightly.

With that, you all begin filing into the classroom. The small classroom seems to be all that remains of a once great school. School benches and chairs are scattered about in a haphazard fashion and a chalkboard hangs crooked from a single nail on the western wall. Several children’s names are written next to small memorials with their portraits; the names include Badru Ahnkamen, Grishan Maldris, Cassiel Marlinchen, Stilonius Morilla, Anaretta Nimz, and Jaran Shamyyid. The sound of the ocean beating against the cliffs in the distance is the only thing that breaks the silence.

"Our classroom...I never imagined I'd really be back here," J whispers, a haunted expression on her face as she stares at the memorial plaques. "If it weren't for Grishan and the Pathfinder Society, I'd just be another name on this wall..."

As the group looks around the ruined classroom, a rumbling sound is heard that grows steadily louder as the ground suddenly begins to shake and the sky seen through the nearby window turns pitch black!

"Wh-what's happening!?" J cries. "Another earthquake???"

Only Zithembe, Sylvak, and Hepsubia have time to react, having caught a faint vibration underneath their feet just before the rumbling and shaking began in earnest...

Surprise Round

Zithembe
Sylvak
Hepsubia
=============
?????

1d20 ⇒ 13

”No! It is a haunt,” he warns. ”Open the haunt siphon!”

know (religion): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

”The Haunt!” Sylvak calls out in chorus with the medium. As he does, he draws the siphon he’s carrying.

edit: ninja’d... and apparently I don’t have a siphon?
Do I know if I can damage a haunt with a CLW spell? What would I touch?

re-edit: did you change your post Zithembe or did I misread it the first time? Either way, it looks like our posts more or less work together now, lol

Yes, you would all know at this point that positive energy can help to neutralize a haunt - but it won't permanently destroy it. To be honest this one doesn't list a specific object as the focal point so feel free to get creative as to what you do with your positive energy! Sylvak, you also realize that it could be fooled by a Hide from Undead spell once it eventually resets.

Let me try that!

Quickly, Hepsubia shoots at the haunt, giggling

Hauntbuster!: 3d6 ⇒ (1, 5, 2) = 8

As Zithembe cries out a warning, Hepsubia expertly untwists the cap from the haunt siphon that she carries and brings her arm around in an arc. The positive energy flows out of the siphon and a multitude of shrieks and cries echoes throughout the room, the cries of the children and staff that once died here...but the rumbling and shaking continues!
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Surprise Round

Zithembe
Sylvak
Hepsubia
=============
Haunt (-8)

Active Conditions: None

Sylvak is UP!
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Sylvak, according to the string of posts a few posts up, you've got the other haunt siphon since Hepsubia took one and no one else expressed interest in carrying the other. So you can use it here if you'd like.

soo... in my mind I thought my surprise round was over (you only get a move or standard action and drawing the siphon would take a move action), but I understand haunts a little better now and see that the siphon is basically useless unless you carry it in hand... if Sylvak understood that before than I’d love to say he was carrying it and I’ll use my action to activate it, if not then I think my turn is over.

That's fine; you've basically been told that the likelihood of encountering a haunt or haunts is pretty high here so it'd make sense for you to be carrying the siphon in your hand, ready to be used.

Know (religion): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

"Yup....That's a haunt, all right!"

***slight retcon***

While calling out the warning, Sylvak pulls open the siphon he carries as well.
hauntbuster: 3d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 3) = 13

As Sylvak uncorks his haunt siphon and directs the blast of positive energy towards it, the shrieks and wails grow louder and louder, reaching a crescendo before fading away as the rumbling and shaking slowly abates. The mist inside the haunt siphon in the half-elf's hand turns a sickly green color, remnants of the negative energy generated by the haunt and perhaps something that can be weaponized in its own way.

Combat Over!
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Sylvak's haunt siphon can now be thrown as a grenade-like splash weapon that deals 1d6 negative energy damage.

J shakily wipes at her brow, looking unnerved. "Th-that was a haunt? But it felt so real...like that horrible day was happening all over again!"

"Maybe it was, in a way," Grishan remarks quietly as he hovers protectively at J's side. "We weren't up here when the earthquake hit but almost everyone else was. Maybe the ghosts here relive that moment over and over..."

"How horrible..." J whispers.

Ylva shivers on J's other side, her eyes darting about as she tries to still her racing heart.

"Baba Yaga's black t&!$," she mutters in a quiet, shaken voice, "how do you free someone from that?!"

"The ways are infinite and unique to the spirit," Zithembe answers. "The haunt siphons only suppress the manifestation, so we should be swift in our search. It may be possible to find a clue to how to release the trapped souls."

Sylvak corks his strangely charged siphon and stows it. ”Can’t you speak with the spirits and ask them, Zithembe?” Sylvak inquires.

As you discuss the next best step to take in appeasing the spirits bound to the ruined school J gets a faraway look in her eyes, as though paying little to no attention to your words. After a moment, she seems to snap out of it and shakes her head.

"Below...there's something still calling to me from below," she murmurs. "From the necropolis..."

Grishan nods in agreement, looking uneasy. "She's right. I can feel it too, a vengeful presence somewhere below us. You heard the story about what happened to J, right? Those other agents pulled her out of the necropolis that's underneath this place - I think that's where we need to go next!"

Tell me where to go, I'll scout. Stay there, I'll soon be back

Hepsubia is ready to go all alone

Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

Over in a flash, Kiango barely has time to register the event before Sylvak releases the power of the syphon. "Real in the mind is all that is needed for tragedy to occur. Yes, let us go deeper. Hepsubia, going alone is foolish but steadfast you seem. How long do we wait before we follow?" he asks the elf.

Five minutes? Unless you see me coming back screaming and running for my life, of course.

”Uh, we’re not even going to check this room at all? Or, give Zithembe any time to ask the spirits?” Sylvak asks confused.

Pointing toward Sylvak's haunt siphon, Theo says, "Boy, those things sure come in handy!"

To the group, "Hey... before we rush off to the necropolis, let's see if there is anyting else to be learned in this classroom. I will check for magical auras. Zithembe, can you talk to the spirits here and find out how to send them on?"

Casts detect magic and scans the room.

"Hepsubia, I think it best if we do not wander this place alone. I will be by Tyri's side, but who would be by your own if you went with no one?"

"The spirit needs to be present," Zithembe answers, "And we just banished it--for a time. I trust Grishan's instincts in this though. The source of the agony is most likely deeper within."

I won't take unnecessary risks, mommy.

Hepsubia winks at Yvla

As Zithembe did earlier, Theodric gives the interior of the classroom a quick sweep for magical auras but doesn't turn up anything else out of the ordinary. Now that the haunt has been neutralized, at least for a time, J seems to slowly regain her composure.

"I think...I think just coming in here and witnessing even a fraction of the power these spirits still hold was enough for me," she offers to Sylvak. "This...this was our old classroom, after all. Grishan's, mine, our friends..." she gestures to the memorial plaques on the nearby wall.

Grishan nods. "And if they've come in here to put those plaques down then there's probably nothing left in here to find. Anything that belonged to anyone would've been taken out by now...or stolen," he sighs.
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Another post to follow, please stand by~

While the rest of the group waits, some more anxiously than others, Hepsubia creeps back out of the classroom and further down the hallway towards a large iron door at the end - the only obvious way to go as the rest of the classrooms leading off from this corridor are blocked off by fallen debris or collapsed entirely.

After giving the door a brief examination - no traps and, to her surprise, unlocked - she eases it open and slips inside. The lighting in here is pretty dim (unless Hep has a light source) and the reek of death is heavy here. From what she can see, thanks to the light creeping in through the partially-open door behind her, she seems to be standing within a narrow stone corridor that leads further into darkness. Three vaguely humanoid-shaped lumps lie scattered along the corridor, corpses that are slowly rotting into the stone floor...
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Still theater of the mind for the moment~

Zithembe gently brushes his fingers across each of the memorials, whispering an ancient Garundi prayer for the souls lost while he waits for Hepsubia to return.

Ylva stays by J's side as they wait.

"Tyri," she says softly, hoping not to attract any attention from the spirits that may still be around, "you never did tell me if you planned on joining the Eagle Knights."

Kiango shifts his weight slowly to the other foot and pokes at the ground with his staff, his thoughts adrift upon a sea of fragmented memories.

The haunt over before he even registered it started, Tupp wipes his brow in relief that the others are so quick thinking. Those poor souls... Not entirely sure he likes the idea of his friend wandering off alone in such a haunted place, the young halfling waits by the classroom door for her return, hand ever present on the hilt of his sword. "Umm... When you say it's calling you..." He asks J, although his gaze is firmly planted down the hall Hepsubia disappeared down, "You don't mean that literally do you? I mean, can you hear something saying 'Hey J, come down here to the dark scary place... We have cookies.' Nothing like that, right?"