"Yea. Let's go."
As you stand in the room, the sound of scraping silverware is followed by the appearance of the spirits of an attractive young Taldan couple. Adorned in evening wear and expensive jewelry, the pair go through the motions of a civilized dinner without a word. Even as she pours his wine and he slices her roast, their gestures are cold and routine. Suddenly, the young male spirit gestures to his wine glass, struggling to speak. The female spirit grasps at her throat and fixes him with a shocked glare. Moments later, their forms both slump to the table in apparent death.
Alfonzo nearly dies from the ghost attack! Fortunately, with his first set of adventure's funds, he bought 10 scrolls of... I mean prayed enough to cast Lesser Restoration ten times!
The faithful animal is also given physical repairs!
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Kafir watches the scene in horror. "That was unpleasant. What the hell was that?"
Everyone survives the haunt....
Continuing through the eastern door, you enter what appears to have been the kitchen. Perhaps this kitchen was once used to prepare opulent dinners for memorable events, but now the tables are all but bare. Scraps of meat and cheese give proof that a meal was eaten here recently, but otherwise the kitchen seems unused. One of the long tables still smells like it was used for butchering, and the multicolored stains darkening it chipped surface make that even clearer.
Checking the two smaller rooms, one is a pantry containing a few hunks of bread, cheese, and jerky, while the other is the old cook's quarters. It contains a small cot, a trunk, and a rickety wooden table. The table bears a whetstone, while the trunk has two potions of cure light wounds and a vial of wyvern poison.
"A whetstone, I can believe a cook would own. The poison from a dragon, however, I would doubt."
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"Interesting. The kitchen is somehow indeed still in use, and I'm discerning two sets of tracks here. The first from the wererat, the second from someone much heavier. I would have said a golem but golems don't need to eat, so it's something (or someone) much more alive than that."
"Maybe just a really big guy."
"There's only one way of knowing that. Lead on, Kafir."
Kafir follows along humming a song to himself.
Every rose has its thorn
Just like every night has its dawn
Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song
Every rose has its thorn
Kafir leads the way up the stairs. At the top of the landing, you see fours doors; two in the western wall, one in the southern, and one in the eastern wall. The stairs continue up as well.
Kafir pushes through the southern door.
Kafir leads the way into the southern room. This bleak room is filled with broken iconography, smashed holy symbols, and tomes with violent or suggestive artwork on their covers. Standing by a desk along the west wall, an armored woman brandishes a longsword with a cruel, serrated edge. Her skin is weathered, and her face scarred and scowling.
“You are not permitted here. Present your champion. If I kill him, you are bound by your honor to leave. If he kills me, this place is yours to do with as you see fit.” She states.
"What if we don't want to abide by your silly rule?"
The woman stares coldly at Akaash as she loosens her blade in its scabbard. "Then you will suffer my wrath, and I will be the death of all of you." She states matter-of-factly.
"If I volunteer, can Roo fight with me?"
The woman thinks for a moment, the nods. "The two of you appear to only equal one....."
"I believe that may have been a height joke at your expense..."
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"Oh. Well that was mean."
Drawing her blade, the woman readies herself.
"Alright mean lady."
Roger puts up his fists and throws a pair of punches angrily!
Roger! punches at the mena lady, but his blow deflects off of her armor! Roo has no luck kicking the woman.
The woman attacks with ferocity, slashing Roger! once, but missing on her backswing, and missing Roo with her shield!
"Ow."
Roger keeps boxing.
Roger! and Roo miss!
The woman misses Roger!, but slams her shield into Roo, knocking him back five feet!
Roger and Roo step back up and swing!
Roger! hits the woman once, while Roo deal a terrible blow!
Clearly rattled, the woman misses all her strikes.
Roger continues to try to rattle her.
Though he just rattles himself.
The woman smirks as Roger! misses, than slashes twice, but misses as well. She slams her shield in Roo and pushes him back again. This time she follows.
Roger and Roo are literally backed into a wall but it does not deter the determined halfling.
As Roger! and Roo miss again, the woman grins, feeling she has the upper hand. Roger! manages to dodge the sword strikes, but Roo can't evade the shield as it slams him again!
The smile fades from the woman's face and turns to a grimace as Roger! pummels her with his fists. Her grimace turns to shock as she falls to the ground, unconscious.
Searching, you find the woman carried a potion of cure moderate wounds, +1 half-plate, mwk heavy spiked shield, mwk dagger, amulet of natural armor +1, and a silver unholy symbol.
Roger comes down from his rage. "Who's short now?" Roger says rather uncharacteristically. Roo shadow boxes as celebration.
"I believe the terms was she was to die, but I think she's not in a place to argue otherwise."
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Akaash shakes his head silently.
I don't understand why she sought that fight. What hubris...
"Shall we explore further?"
Since she carries an unholy symbol, Kafir has no qualms about ending her life if Roger does not wish to.
"Yes, let's keep going."
to ID the unholy symbol. He will not stop the killing blow, but will heal the victor.
"And, yea, from the 31st Step did the Living God praise those of valor and bestow rewards unto their faith. Know your journey is not unseen by divinity..."
Clw wandings:
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"Thank you, Al."
As you heal up, a door to the northeast opens and a breature draped in robes steps out. Claw-tipped tentacles emerge from the cuffs, clutching wands and soul gems, while below its robe’s margins, its multiple-jointed legs—almost like a reptilian insect’s—end in clawed, three-toed chitinous feet. Its face remains perpetually covered by a dark veil, and a trio of long, forked tongues periodically emerges from its rounded mouth and tastes the air around its thin lips. It looks as if ready to cast a spell, but notes the woman's unconscious body and silently regards you for a moment.
"Uh, who are you?"
"Yes, she and us had the strangest agreement; the victor of a duel would gain access to the house. Are you associated with this woman?"
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Kafir puts his hand on his khopesh but doesn't draw it yet, waiting for answers.
"I am a servant of Anobaith, a researcher and keeper of the library. Trespassers are not welcome, you should leave now, while you still can."
"Tell us more about Anobaith, who she is and what you're doing for her, and then we'll consider your threat."