"Thank you." Tyrandro tells Ayako. He loses no time as there seems to be nothing of interest and nothing to shoot here he opens the door and hurries down the stairs.
Fluffy comes after the others, as the ghosts are gone.
Mushu scurries after, wondering if he can ask Ayako to buy him anti-ghost tuck blades.
You quickly head down the stairs.
The flight of stairs leads down to the middle of this room. To the east sits what may have once been a small apartment for two, but the ruined beds and desks leave nothing today for creature comfort.
Two ghostly jesters inhabit the room. One is no taller than a short halfling, while the other towers at just over 7 feet in height. Both wear identical outfits of formfitting black leather with tight, black leather masks covering their heads. Each mask has a stitched seam running from forehead to jaw line to seal it in place. The short one’s left leg is missing, replaced by what appears to have been a chair or table leg. The tall one has abnormally long arms that, when they hang at his side, reach to mid-calf. Although their clothing and the fake leg seem solid, they are as ghostly and immaterial to the touch as their incorporeal bodies are.
The jesters rapidly approach you and begin gesticulating and thrashing their arms about as if in a fit. These are mute attempts at pantomime and it seems as if the two are trying to tell you something.
"This is not funny!" Tyrandro comments and move past them into the next room.
The ghosts don't let Tyrandro get away that easily. The follow his movement and continue to gesticulate and grind against him (as much as an incorporeal creature can...).
Sial frowns. "Hrrm! There is no substance or meaning to their actions, they are merely the useless gestures of unfortunate souls whose deaths were agonizingly long enough for true madness to claim them before oblivion’s mercy did. I would know. I've witnessed such tortures before. I suggest we put them out of their misery again."
"And by that you mean kill them?" Tyrandro inquires before starting his standard routine of shooting anything that moves.
Ayako points her finger at the northern ghost and a beam of light spring out to strike it, burning away the ectoplasm.
Tyrandro unloads on the tall one and leaves it in tatters, but still kicking. But Ayako then finishes it off with her searing light.
Sebastian hastily stabs at the remaining ghost who is not too difficult to hit.
Asyra heads down the stairs into a freed up space and lashes the ghost once more.
Sial also moves up to attack. He hits but also does not manage to destroy it.
Finally, Iolana hits the ghost with a barrage of magic missiles and finishes it off.
Once the ghosts are destroyed, Ayako, Iolana, and Sial find that the minds have been muddled and release the insidious truth behind the ghosts pantomime. If the ghosts were allowed to continue, they could have drained your abilities until you died and you don't even realize it is happening until it is too late.
Since Tyrandro moved into the next area, he sees a long hallway that connects to a dining hall. Additional hallways and doors branch off from there.
A long banquet table runs the length of this large room. Portraits caked with dust and cobwebs hang from all the walls, while three chandeliers fitted with dozens of unlit candles hang from the ceiling above.
With the experiences so far Tyrandro concludes it to be best to first shoot, and not ask questions at all.
Ayako shudders as she finds her mind slipping away into the darkness, I think we all need to take a moment here...
Ayako quaffs 3 Lesser Restoration potions
So -1 Int
Ayako taps Iolana with the wand
"Thank you Ayako. That was awful. How horrible that we didn't even realize it was happening."
When she enters the room she points out the state of the plates on the table and silverware. "I shouldn't be surprised that this is dust filled, but you would think someone would have cleaned up the plates before they got dusty."
Ayako spends another 3 charges on Sial
No doubt the choices here were dusty or drenched in blood.
"What do you mean, dusty?" Tyrandro asks incredulous as his companions ignore the guy with the sword and seem to have all the time in the world for a nice talk.
Dust, as in neglected for a long time.
Most of you see nothing but a neglected dining room table but Tyrandro seems to see something else and you are surprised when he suddenly fires an arrow across the table and destroys a seemingly innocuous clay jug of water with a clatter. Tyrandro quickly realizes that what he saw wasn't real but yet another haunt within the castle. He now sees the room for what it is: the banquet table is covered with dusty plates and tarnished silverware. Whether just bad luck or insidious design, Tyrandro continues to be the target of these haunts.
Although the haunt wasn't real, the undead the react to the noise are very much so. Ten vaguely orc-shaped wraiths emerge from the rooms beyond to accost you.
Oh BALLS! Ayako drops her first profanity when all the undead pour out.
Ayako chants and wiggles her fingers and protects herself with runs made of dripping shadow
Seeing the table as for what it is Tyrandro voices "Oh." But as there is little time to ponder what that was he starts shooting the next ghosts again, who he at least is not the only one seeing.
"What I wouldn't do for a lightening bolt. Sial you have one of those in your bag of tricks? Hey Sial are you evil? Can I cast a magic circle against evil and not hurt you or Asyra?"
She sends out an elemental blast at the Orcs.
Sebastian pulls out Iolana's crossbow and fires at the first one in line.
Tyrandro's first two shots destroy the nearest wraith. And one more arrow hits the next in line. He must still be shaken from the haunts because he fumbles two arrows.
Sebastian also hits a wraith with a crossbow bolt.
Sial responds to Iolana, "My dear, I've never concealed that fact that I am evil. However, your magic circle will not adversely affect Asyra or I under we intend to attack you. And unfortunately, lightning bolt is not in my repertoire. My spell line is ill-equipped for flying undead but I do have a number of spells to enhance my allies if appropriate."
Sial casts blur on Asyra.
Asyra then moves up and hits wraith 1 another time.
The wraiths begin to swarm forward, moving through walls if necessary to get into position and avoid attacks of opportunity. (3 on Asyra, 2 on Tyrandro, and 1 on Iolana). Asyra gives hit twice; her blur not helping her this time, but the death ward does. Tyrandro also gets hit once and likewise benefits from the death ward effect. Iolana manages to dodge her assailant.
Ayako protects herself with death ward.
Iolana unleashes a blast of cold and the wraiths are surprising not dexterous and all fail to avoid the explosion.
The remaining wraiths move up as well. One tries to hit Iolana but she dodges again. The other targets Tyrandro and his death ward and stone skin protect him.
"I think I'm claustrophobic. Let's make some room." Tyrandro tells.
"I really don't like those things in my face." She casts Magic Circle Against Evil.
Sebastian attacks the wraith in front of him.
Ayako is feeling pressed and so moves her fingers more cautiously and aims at the wraith in front of her, trying to send a spear of light into it.
Tyrandro's first shot destroys the weakened wraith in front on him (wraith 3). His next two shots destroy the next in line (wraith 5). Lastly, he hits the one in front on Ayako with one more arrow (wraith 8).
The one in front of Sebastian was uninjured by Iolana's icy blast and still floats alive after Sebastian stabs it three times.
Asyra whips around and attacks the wraith behind her with a fury of chains.
Sial finishes off the wraith closest to him (wraith 4) with his first two hits, but chooses not to step any closer to hit with a third attack since he is not protected by death ward.
The remaining wraiths of the first wave attack Tyrandro and Asyra. Tyrandro's stone skin absorbs the attack again but is beginning to get thin. Asyra's blur works this time and causes the other wraith to miss.
Ayako burns away the wraith in front of her with her searing light.
Iolana casts magic circle against evil.
The remaining wraith flanking Asyra gets a hit in. Wraith 10 dashes forward to attack Ayako and luck must be on her side that she dodges the wraiths black hand.
As it works just fine Tyrandro keeps mowing through the wraiths.
Ayaho defensively casts Cure Light Wounds on the wraith before her.
DC 17 to reduce
Tyrandro's first shot takes out wraith 2. His second two finish off wraith 9. And his last injures wraith 10.
Sebastian moves and hits Wraith 10.
Asyra finishes off wraith 6.
Sial moves around to flank the last wraith.
Then an undead orc comes barreling out of the western door. This creature’s pallid skin and dead, vacant eyes belie its healthy, powerful physique. It is clad in fearsome armor and wielding and equally fearsome skull-shaped axe that glows green with necromantic energy.
Wordlessly, the axe comes down on Sial and from the gash, the axe drinks up some of his lifeforce.
"Oh no, one of those undead in a tin can." Tyrandro sighs. He forgoes the extra shot to make sure he hits Ukwar.
Ayako steps up to Sial and casts Heal on him
Iolana decides to give her brand new spell another try. This time on an undead creature. She quickly pulls out her Meta Magic Rod of Piercing spell and uses it. She fires Disintegrate at him.
Seb stabs at the undead guy several times. Then he takes a step to the side.
Tyrandro doesn't try piercing the undead's thick armor and instead shoots it right through the skull and out the other side. It reels but still stands.
Sebastian joins in but can't land a hit.
Then Iolana zaps it with her disintegrate ray and the undead orc turns into a fine pile of ash. Upon its death, the creature's spirit visibly rises from the ash and infuses into the battleaxe laying on the ground which now radiates evil.
"That was anticlimatic, but this spell is really mean." Tyrandro tells Iolana, seeing the pile of ash that is all that remains. Meanwhile he checks the room where that undead came from.
The fext had normal non-masterwork full plate and heavy shield, but it's axe is the real prize, named after it's wielder, Ukwar.
Ukwar
Price: 23,335 gp
Slot: none; CL: 8th; Weight: 6 lbs
Aura: moderate necromancy
Alignment: chaotic evil; Senses: 30 ft. (darkvision)
Int: 10; Wis: 14; Cha: 10; Ego: 10
Language: Speech (Common, Orc)
Ukwar is a +1 conductive battleaxe infused with the angry spirit of a Deadwatcher orc leader named Ukwar. After perishing in Scarwall and rising soon thereafter as a fext, Ukwar spent decades longing to be free of her curse. When she is permanently slain, her spirit enters her axe. As long as the PCs continue to adventure in Scarwall, she doesn’t attempt to exert influence over her wielder—she wants to see each and every one of Scarwall’s denizens suffer. If her wielder spends more than 1 day outside of Scarwall (and the castle remains cursed), she attempts to take control and force her wielder to return and finish this job.
As long as Ukwar remains intelligent, the blade grants weapon proficiency with the battleaxe to her wielder. If the wielder is already proficient with battleaxes, he instead gains a +1 bonus on all attack rolls and damage rolls made with Ukwar. She imposes negative levels on nonchaotic evil wielders only when they are outside of Scarwall. She can cast rage once per day, and does so on her wielder the first time each day he attacks one of the spirit anchors or the chained spirit—she can be convinced to cast rage on her wielder at another time with a successful DC 20 Diplomacy or Intimidate check (a standard action).
Ukwar’s special purpose is to lift Scarwall’s curse, and as long as her wielder is engaged in this quest and is within Scarwall, the weapon functions as a +1 conductive undead-bane battleaxe. If Scarwall’s curse is lifted, Ukwar’s spirit leaves the axe behind, and this weapon returns to being an unintelligent +1 conductive battleaxe.
The axe of the ground surprises you when it calls out, "Hey kid, you want an axe? Wield me and I'll help you end the curse on this castle. What do you say?"
"Is that supposed to be this way?" Tyrandro asks Iolana, seeing the ashes move. Meanwhile he checks the room where that undead came from.
The doors to the left and right of the long hall where the wraiths emerged are all the same empty guest rooms.
These chambers appear to have once contained all the amenities of a luxurious bedroom, except that now all the furnishings are crumbling, decayed, and spotted with patches of mold.
"I've heard the saying, that with some people you have to kill the mouth separately. But that the weapon is the thing that keeps talking?" Tyrandro kicks the axe into a corner.
Ayako is swaying back and forth and bleeding fromt he eyes again.
A talking weapon? Just how will it help us end the curse?
Ayako casts Restoration on Sial to heal the drain upon his being.
How is everyone? How hurt are you? Ayako points to the door to the east of Fluffy.b] Let us try that door[/b]
According to my records, I have everyone at:
Ayako
58/77 hp
-1 Int
Iolana
55/67 hp
-1 Int
Sebastian
81/94 hp
Tyrandro
88/106 hp
Tunstall
96/105 hp
Mu Shu
38/38 hp
Laori
108/108 hp
Sial
93/93 hp
Asyra
60/94 hp
Ayako healed herself up with her CLW wand
The axe speaks, "Hey, don't talk about me like I'm not right here. How will I help end the curse? I will destroy every denizen of Scarwall with my destructive rage! I will not stand for a single creature, alive or undead, to remain! This castle will be cleansed by my hate! Pick me up and together we will be unstoppable!"
The room to the east used to be a bath.
A large pool of fouled water fills much of the center of this room. Thick sheets of slimy algae cling to the edges of the pool, sending out dark green tendrils across the floor, while the waters churn and ripple as if something unseen wriggled in the foul-smelling depths.
Mushu sniffs the axe, pondering about becoming.....RAGE PIG!
Iolana goes over and picks up the axe. "I'm sure this is a very bad idea, but if it's willing to help. We might as well use it."
Are you an he or a she or an it?" she asks the axe.