If what you say about Vesoriana's spirit is true and that this Splatterman character is spelling out her name day by day until he finishes and destroys her, what becomes of the town then? She warned that he would become even more powerful if she is not there to hold him in check and you have seen what he can already do by possessing Benjen. To leave that man in such a state for so long... he must have been under the spirit's influence all this time. No wonder he always looked so tired and strained, I bet the Splatterman prevented Benjen from even knowing what he had been doing all this time. So awful. Kendra says.
You have to finish this somehow.
The next morning the day dawns with a pale, milky light, the sun straining to break through a shroud of clouds that hang low on the horizon but at least for now the rain has stopped.
Old River snores loudly beside the fire that has burned out during the night, twitching in dream every now and then, his breath wheezing with every exhale as it had last night after he was healed. Following the thrust of Benjen’s knife, you wonder if the dog will ever be the same or if, like the sheriff himself, he has just become another victim of the villains at Harrowstone who continue to hurt the innocent even after their demise.
After checking their gear for the hundredth time, the party makes it’s way along the now familiar gravel path out of town and toward the prison, sitting like a crouched cat atop it’s hill, daring them to brave it’s depths once more.
As you approach you note that the memorial looks more or less untouched, the blood that was fresh there yesterday has been mostly washed away by the rain, leaving just an odd brownish-red sheen to parts of the statue.
Once again you steel yourselves to enter the prison and find, to your surprise, that the front doors are this time quite accommodating and swing open easily without any protest or slamming.
As the group approaches the derelict prison, Vala draws the new cloak Constantin had picked up for her tight around her neck as she shields herself from a slithering whisper of stale wind. "Oh, but this place is truly dreadful. Good heavens, let's be careful in there. I don't know that I could bare seeing any of you in the state you found poor Benjen." She shudders then as she thinks of the sheriff then breaks the thought by looking pointedly at the others. "Maybe we should start by recovering those items Vesoriana had mentioned? The ones tied to the worst of the villains who were kept here."
"Vesorianna indicated that the evidence store would be to the southeast. Shall we take the door best pointing that way?"
"That sounds about right," says Constantin. "Let's."
Zed nods and opens the proposed door.
Best be careful. Raj growls as Zed reaches for the door. Ain't never dealt with anythin' as tricky as these buggers. the warriors adds, drawing his twin daggers.
Zed pushes the door open with a creak. A short corridor littered with debris and dimly illuminated by a partially shuttered broken window ends in a rusted, but very stout looking iron door.
You approach, and after Kaz has satisfied himself that the door is not trapped, attempt to open it. Unsurprisingly though, it is locked and does not budge. The investigator realises that the lock is very complex and he could only open it with aid, whether magical or mundane.
"Did we miss a key somewhere?"
The iron door may as well be a brick wall. So for now, the party leaves it and seeks another means to get further into the complex. Returning to the foyer, they head along the corridor and to the double doors they left earlier and find they swings open easily.
Several mouldy cots lay strewn around this room, while doors to smaller, more private sleeping cells hang askew to the west. judging from what remains of the room's decor, this must have been the prison infirmary.
There is a single exit, to the east.
Zed takes a look around the room then moves towards the only exit.
Zed and Raj move cautiously into the room with the inquisitor nodding to the private rooms to the west.
I'll check them. Raj says quietly in reply.
A search of this cluttered room reveals several useful objects - a pair of fully stocked healer's kits, 2 vials of antiplague, 3 doses of soothsyrup, 3 doses of bloodblock, 3 doses of smelling salts and 4 potions of cure light wounds.
Some of the objects on and near the moldy cots begin to rattle. At first it could be attributed to a slight breeze stirring some of the empty jars and rusty implements but within minutes they rise up into the air, floating and rotating slowly.
Suddenly, there is an ear piercing scream and a rush of wind. You shield your faces from the sudden cloud of dust.
When it clears you are met with an horrific sight.
A partially transparent, near-skeletal image of a broken prisoner looms in the centre of the room, chilling you all to your core before suddenly vanishing again.
Vala shudders as the shriek washes over her, but she holds her ground and waits for the spirit to reappear.
HP: 21/21
Negative Energy Resist 5
AC: 14 (10 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 12
F/R/W: +4/+1/+7 (+2 vs death effects, energy drain, negative energy, & necromancy)
Monstrous Insight used: 0/7
Wand of CLW: 15/50 remaining
Healing Hex targets:
Prepared spells
Orisons (4) | DC 14: dancing lights, disrupt undead, identify, read magic
Level 1 spells (2+1+1*) | DC 15: cure light wounds [ ] [ ], know the enemy* [ ], produce flame (CL3) [ ]
Level 2 spells (1+1+1*) | DC 16: spiritual weapon [ ] [ ], tongues* [ ]
Ongoing Effects
Kazamir scans the room, searching for some hint as to the source or epicenter of the spirit's manifestation.
Zed jumps at the sudden appearance, then begins scanning the room with detect undead.
Constantin concentrates and steels himself against the unnatural horror of the ghostly monstrosity.
Well it's sure not stacking books.
The nightmarish visage rises out of the debris. The party stands firm but unable to see their enemy remains tense and ready.
Suddenly a storm of implements fly through the air toward them.
Miss
Hit
Hit
An old rusty scalpel whizzes through the air towards Zed's throat but he ducks it quickly while a broken ceramic plate cracks Hazel on the jaw and a piece of broken brickwork slams into Constantin's knee.
Vala ducks in alarm as the debris sails through the room and strikes her comrades, "If it won't reveal itself, we should retreat! There's no use standing around here letting it pummel us to bits!" She then moves back toward the way they'd come in by, watching carefully for any projectiles.
HP: 21/21
Negative Energy Resist 5
AC: 18 (14 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 12
F/R/W: +4/+1/+7 (+2 vs death effects, energy drain, negative energy, & necromancy)
Monstrous Insight used: 0/7
Wand of CLW: 15/50 remaining
Healing Hex targets:
Prepared spells
Orisons (4) | DC 14: dancing lights, disrupt undead, identify, read magic
Level 1 spells (2+1+1*) | DC 15: cure light wounds [ ] [ ], know the enemy* [ ], produce flame (CL3) [ ]
Level 2 spells (1+1+1*) | DC 16: spiritual weapon [ ] [ ], tongues* [ ]
Ongoing Effects
total defense: +4 dodge bonus to AC
"Agreed! Everyone grab something useful and beat a retreat!"
"I can pin down its location if you give me another moment!" Zed shouts.
Constantin ducks and holds one arm in front of his face, trying to buy time without getting hit by anymore flying cutlery.
What about holy water or those haunt things? Raj hisses, keeping his eye out for more missiles.
Hazel slashes at the darkness and, guided by Desna's hand, is greeted by the feeling of the blade ripping cloth and a shriek of pain.
Hit
Hit
Hit
Another storm of debris comes whipping out of the gloom.
"There, it's right there!" Zed yells, pointing out the exact location of the creature.
Constantin prepares for his chance to engage the phantasm.
Hazel once again pierces the ether and draws a howl of pain from the unseen spirit.
As Zed points out where the spirit resides, Raj pulls a torch from his pack and strikes a flint against it, the flame at first guttering and then bursting in to life.
Burn to death did you, bastard? he shouts into the darkness, waving the torch around in front of him. Well good enough for you! Do you still like a lick of flame?
Whether he intended it or not, his gambit works perfectly.
Screeching in rage, the spirit reappears before you all - the same horrid, skeletal visage.
But even in the short time they have known eachother, the group has learned that the terrible experiences they have shared over the last few weeks have steeled their souls and even in the face of the terrible thing they stand firm.
As the spirit manifests, there's a sharp intake of breath from Constantin -- for a moment it almost seems as if the horror of the apparition has overwhelmed him. Then his face twists into a frown and he leans forward slightly as if pushing against an invisible wind. His hands clench and he lets out a ragged scream of forced effort. The air in front of him seems to whip and wave as invisible forces clash.
(Will save DC 14 for half)
A faint, silvery image of a Third Eye flickers across Kazamir's forehead. From it, a pair of quicksilver motes flash, darting into the hazy, horrific figure.
Vala shakes her head in disbelief as the group holds their ground in such unfavorable circumstances. Unwilling to abandon them though, she tries catching the poltergeist as Zed calls out its location.
HP: 21/21
Negative Energy Resist 5
AC: 14 (10 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 12
F/R/W: +4/+1/+7 (+2 vs death effects, energy drain, negative energy, & necromancy)
Monstrous Insight used: 0/7
Wand of CLW: 15/50 remaining
Healing Hex targets:
Prepared spells
Orisons (4) | DC 14: dancing lights, disrupt undead, identify, read magic
Level 1 spells (2+1+1*) | DC 15: cure light wounds [ ] [ ], know the enemy* [ ], produce flame (CL3) [ ]
Level 2 spells (1+1+1*) | DC 16: spiritual weapon [ ] [ ], tongues* [ ]
Ongoing Effects
With the spirit now fully manifested, rather than break their spirits, it only serves to strengthen their resolve and they pour on their power, blasting it with spell and slicing it with blade alike.
With the combined might of their attack the poltergeist is torn apart like wet paper.