Kazamir sends a stone at one of the flaming skulls.
Badly shaken by the sudden spectral invasion, Constantin nods a thanks to Zed for his protection before waving his longspear in the direction of one of the skulls, hoping to distract enough that Raj can land a telling blow.
You want the hammer? I'm sure Hazel'd be only too glad to give it back, shame your buddy Lopper ain't here for me to give his axe back an' all! Raj growls, stepping forward and slashing at one of the flaming skulls with his axe-arm
The blow lands well and for a moment the flaming skull spins like a top before righting itself in the air.
Two of the skulls open their mouths and emit a terrifying scream that is blaringly loud throughout the halls of Harrowstone.
Fail
The two flaming skulls on the other hand belch gouts of fire that streak toward the party.
Miss
Miss
The inquisitor and warpriest duck simultaneously though and see the tiny balls of flame puff harmlessly against the wall behind them.
That's my hammer! I need it so that I can fix Scalla's skull and she will come back to me! the Mosswater Marauder wails, ghostly tears running down his cheeks. Help me! he implores to Hazel. Help me fix her skull!
Another skull, this one as ghostly as he appears in the air beside him. It looks as though it has been smashed to pieces and put back together. A good chunk of the crown is still missing though.
Fail
Hazel's hand tightens suddenly on the hammer and she is filled with a sudden and terrifying compulsion to smash the skull of the nearest creature as if this time, at long last, she will find the right piece to fix Scalla.
The ghostly skull swoops down toward Zed and crashes into the inquisitor's chest.
Hit
The Marauder is a haunt, not an incorporeal creature. Therefore it is only divine energy that will harm him, weapons will do nothing.
"Target the Haunt with disrupt undead if you can! Weapons will not harm it!"
With that, he sends another projectile at the skull in AD18
This time Kaz' telekinetic aim is true and the stone he sends sailing through the air shatters some of the teeth of the floating skull.
Zed nods as he looks over at Hazel.
Knowing full well what these haunts can do when they take over your mind, Zed turns to face the Maurauder. He grunts as the skull slams into him, but he is of a single-minded determination now. He raises his hand, a white blazing energy forming on his hand which he fires at the haunt.
Constantin takes a ragged breath and seems to regain his focus. "One thing at a time," he mutters. "Go! Go! I'll let you know if he comes back."
He continues his warding efforts with his spear.
Vala draws a scroll from the bundle at her hip and weaves its magics over Hazel. "Hazel! Come to your senses, child!"
Second, the subject immediately receives another saving throw (if one was allowed to begin with) against any spells or effects that possess or exercise mental control over the creature (including enchantment [charm] effects and enchantment [compulsion] effects, such as charm person, command, and dominate person. This saving throw is made with a +2 morale bonus, using the same DC as the original effect. If successful, such effects are suppressed for the duration of this spell. The effects resume when the duration of this spell expires. While under the effects of this spell, the target is immune to any new attempts to possess or exercise mental control over the target. This spell does not expel a controlling life force (such as a ghost or spellcaster using magic jar), but it does prevent them from controlling the target. This second effect only functions against spells and effects created by evil creatures or objects, subject to GM discretion.
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: 14/50 remaining
Healing Hex targets: Raj, Kaz
Prepared spells
Orisons (4) | DC 14: dancing lights, disrupt undead, identify, read magic
Level 1 spells (2+1+1*) | DC 15: inflict light wounds [ ] [ ], know the enemy* [ ], produce flame (CL3) [ ]
Level 2 spells (1+1+1*) | DC 16: spiritual weapon [ ] [ ], tongues [ ]
Ongoing Effects
Hide from Undead (Raj): 2/10 rounds
Protection from Evil (Hazel): 1/10 rounds
Raj's second blow is as stout as the first and this time the skull breaks under the weight of the attack. As it crumbles apart it explodes in a sudden burst of flame that washes over the surprised Slayer.
Fail
At the Marauder's behest the spectral skull once again sweeps down toward Hazel but, back in her right mind, she dodges aside easily.
Miss
Zed on the other hand is licked by fire as the flaming skull once again spits at him and Raj takes a hefty blow, like a headbutt, from the screaming skull.
Hit
Hit
Miss
Kazamir's eyes widen in surprise and shock, and he is barely able to lean back far enough to let the hammer's head sweep past his own. He prepares to respond, but Vala is quicker.
After a terse nod to the ladies - I suppose we should have expected something like that... - he turns his attention to the skull that attacked him.
Zed grunts in pain, but he is of a single-minded determination to destroy the haunt. His hand fifes another searing ray of positive energy.
Vala fires a needle of white at one of the bobbing skulls, but the nimble thing zigs when she expected it to zag.
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: 14/50 remaining
Healing Hex targets: Raj, Kaz
Prepared spells
Orisons (4) | DC 14: dancing lights, disrupt undead, identify, read magic
Level 1 spells (2+1+1*) | DC 15: inflict light wounds [ ] [ ], know the enemy* [ ], produce flame (CL3) [ ]
Level 2 spells (1+1+1*) | DC 16: spiritual weapon [ ] [ ], tongues [ ]
Ongoing Effects
Hide from Undead (Raj): 3/10 rounds
Protection from Evil (Hazel): 2/10 rounds
Constantin continues to do his best to defend Kaz from any darting enemy strikes.
As Hazel tears the top from the Haunt Siphon, a pale green light blasts out and bathes the room. There is no cry of pain or anguish but the image of the Marauder blows away like wisps of smoke on the breeze and then as you have seen before are sucked back into the iron cannister.
The remaining skulls vibrate in the air and then violently explode in a shower of bone chunks and fire.
"North, across the hall?"
"Not so fast, you two. Let's see if there's anything here of worth. Like some gears to fix that winch, perhaps."
Constantin posts his longspear and catches his breath. "Sorry about that," he says sadly.
"Not sure how we can fix this gate... anyone handy with gearworks?"
"I think the machinery here is still in working order. Why don't we open this portcullis and continue to the west?"
Kazamir tries the winch and though it squeals in protest, the gears grind and the sound of clanking machinery rings through the halls from the west.
Once it can turn no more, Kazamir locks it in place and heads back out into the hallway.
A brass nameplate, its face caked with soot, hangs above the portcullis, now raised and leading into a large cellblock. The words Reaper's Hold and just about legible.
Many of the iron doors along the walls within the cellblock hang open, revealing empty cells within.
The entire place, unlike other cellblocks is completely empty, with no remains in any of the cells. Only one other exit can be seen from this cellblock, to the south and through a solid steel door, one piece door.
"You know, it was less unsettling when the cells weren't all ominously empty." Vala glances left to right cautiously, one white eyebrow arched in worry.
From somewhere south you begin to hear the soft crying of a woman. She does not wail in anguish nor scream in rage but rather she moans like a young lover who's heart is broken.
Zed lowers his weapon and narrows his eyes in the direction of the woman crying. "Either there is a victim here or another tortured spirit. Either way we must go to it." Zed leads the way.
Vala stops in her tracks, looking to the south. Glancing to the others, she mouths, "Vesorianna?" and then shrugs her shoulders.
Zed swings the door open, somewhat to his surprise given how sturdy it looks.
Numerous grisly tools of torment decorate this room, from cages to hanging chains along the walls to a stretching rack, a large wooden tank, and a fire pit in the middle of the room.
To the east stands a grim and imposing iron maiden, the lid closed and presenting a stern decoration of a tormented woman upon its face.
The broken, twisted skeleton of a human dressed in a tattered guard's uniform lies upon the stretching rack in the middle of the room; the body surrounded by several discarded knives, branding irons and pliers.
A large, bloodstained wicker basket sits at the head of the rack.
You can no longer hear the crying as you enter the room.
I was never much of an optimist, but this place is destroying what little I had. Zed scans the room for undead.
Kazamir will scan for psychic impressions.
"Apparently when all chaos broke loose, the prisoners overran some of the guards," says Constantin, warily circling the iron maiden without touching it.
Fail
Constantin enters the room and surveys the grisly scene. The broken shell of a man on the table sends a chill along his spine but the ting that truly draws him is the iron maiden.
It's door lies open and for a moment he believes he can see something in there, something familiar...
His eyes suddenly snap open in horrific recognition. Kendra stands in the maiden, fear and pain written on her face in plain, grey lines. As she is about to call out to her friend the door slams shut!
Zed scans the room before the psychic can do anything and feels the familiar build up of necromantic energy.
What is that!? There is some horrid, half-human thing clinging to the ceiling above the door!
(Knowledge religion to ID)
"Watch yourselves! Look there, at the ceiling!" Vala points at the twisted creature lurking up above.
Vala points and reveals a horrid, twisted thing clinging to the ceiling and looking down at you with nothing but malevolence.
It is a thin, pale-skinned thing - you would hesitate even to call it a woman - with straggly white hair that hangs in clumps. Her body is a roadmap of scars and ragged flesh but worst of all is her mouth - a mash of scarred tissue sewn together with thick, black wire.
As the only female prisoner, you think this is probably Delphine the Weeper.
This is some kind of ghoul, though none the like of which you have ever read. All undead of that kind have sharp claws and though most can causes paralysis in their victims, you cannot say whether this will be the same. From the stinking look of her though, you think it safe to assume she carries disease.
Realizing Delphine is likely some twisted form of ghoul or ghast, Vala calls a roaring orb of crimson fire to her hand. With a defiant shout, she hurls a globe of flame at the creature.
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: 1/7
Wand of CLW: 14/50 remaining
Healing Hex targets: Raj, Kaz
Prepared spells
Orisons (4) | DC 14: dancing lights, disrupt undead, identify, read magic
Level 1 spells (2+1+1*) | DC 15: inflict light wounds [ ] [ ], know the enemy* [ ], produce flame (CL4) [X]
Level 2 spells (1+1+1*) | DC 16: spiritual weapon [ ] [ ], tongues [ ]
Ongoing Effects
Monstrous Insight (1/10): +2 to hit, +2 AC vs Delphine
Produce Flame (1/4 minutes):
Kazamir steps into the room, eyes flickering about and mind racing. As he considers his surroundings, he sends a bit of debris flying at the Weeper...
Constantin lets out a strangled cry and lurches forward, heedless of his own safety, toward the iron maiden!
Zed glances at Constantin. "Keep him under control." Zed says to the side as he stares up at the creature draping from the ceiling. With a raises hand he fires a searing blast of positive energy.
Constantin struggles in Hazel's grasp, and says in a pained voice, "They've got her! Somehow they got Kendra, she's trapped down here and they're going to kill her! Hazel, let me go, I have to save her!"
Vala get back! Raj shouts, instinctively putting himself in harm’s way between the older lady and the thing, unaware that anything is untoward with Constantin.
The ragged ghoul drops down behind the party like a cat, hissing through her ruined mouth;
What’s wrong with meeeee.....? Aren’t I beautiful....? Aren’t I as beautiful as HER! she seems outraged at Hazel and Constantin’s ‘embrace.’
Despite the pain inflicted by them, it ignores the others, and lunges toward Hazel, pointed claws out and reaching for the young woman’s eyes.
The thing moves with incredible speed given it’s emaciated body and latches onto to Hazel, ripping and tearing at her face with terrifying ferocity. The warpriestess desperately tries to defend herself whilst still holding on to Constantin.
Jealous in her existence. What a poor soul. Zed takes a step towards the ghoul with a sad look, weapon at his side and stance relaxed. "You are beautiful. I am sorry for what has been done to you. I promise, you will find peace in the next life." Zed suddenly whips up his tetsubo in a violent uppercut.