Vala hurls another globe of fire at Delphine, but her fear of hitting Zed or Hazel may spoil her aim outright.
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 (2/10): +2 to hit, +2 AC vs Delphine
Produce Flame (2/4 minutes)
Kazamir steps to the east, drawing a vial of holy water from his belt pouch. He targets the ghoul and throws.
"The Iron maiden is a haunt, Constantin! It's not Kendra!"
he shouts, trying to break through the haunt's influence.
Raj rushes forward and, with less sentiment than Zed, tries to bury the axe in the spine of this... thing.
Unfortnuate
Constantin struggles against Hazel's grip, seemingly more determined than you've ever seen him before. "The haunt is hiding her from you! You can't see her but she's there and she's going to die if I don't get her out!"
Delphine simply shrieks when Hazel talks, a guttural, inhuman sound full of jealousy and hate.
She once again leaps on the woman, ripping savagely at any piece of exposed flesh and sending streams of blood flying.
At the same time, Kaz notices the manacles recovered earlier rising from his satchel on wisps of ethereal energy. They flip open and suddenly try to clamp onto the investigator's wrists!
They click firmly shut and he feels them tightening on his wrists but not to the point they could yet cause damage.
Constantin, free from Hazel's grasp, lunges toward the iron maiden and attempts to wrench it open.
Zed's onslaught is relentless.
Kazamir is surprised - yet strangely unsurprised - as the shackles attack him. He does his best to lever his wrists out of them quickly...
...and if he succeeds, he grabs them just below each cuff, like grabbing a venomous snake.
Zed brings his axe down once again, crunching with the sounds of breaking bones on the back of the ghoul's neck. With little or no flesh there to absorb the blow it crushes the top of her spine like a dry tree branch and she collapses to the ground.
As soon as she does so, the manacles writhing around in Kaz' hands drop limp.
The danger is not over, however.
As Constantin approaches the iron maiden it yawns open. To the rest it is obviously empty but for him the image of a bound and struggling Kendra is plain as day.
He reaches inside to help her when the lid slams shut, sealing him in.
Immediately he realises he has been tricked by an illusion and though the spikes have been removed, he can still feel the agony of them ripping into his flesh.
Raj rushes across to the iron maiden, but with only one hand can barely get a grip enough to try and prise it open.
Cursing sulfurously, Kaz drops the manacles and leaps to the doors of the iron maiden, retrieving another vial of holy water as he goes.
The former constable smashes the vial directly onto the torture device.
Too many threats at once. We can't handle everything. Zed sweeps across the room to the iron maiden and drops his weapon, using both hands to try to force it open. "I could use some help..." He says through gritted teeth.
Vala watches with thinly veiled disgust as the ghoul contorts and curls up like a dead spider, her limbs turning black and withering as if suddenly aging a hundred years.
She shivers but has a strong will and turns back to the task at hand. She discharges a beam of white light over the iron maiden and it suddenly bursts open, spewing forth the bleeding Constantin who falls forward onto his knees.
Vala shakes her head sadly, "That was decidedly not Vessoriana." She then kneels down beside Constantin and places a comforting hand on his shoulder as she helps him to his feet.
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, Constantin
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
Produce Flame (2/4 minutes)
Constantin stumbles out, gashes and puncture wounds leaving him badly mauled. He staggers to his feet with the help of Vala. "It was Kendra... a vision of Kendra trapped in the iron maiden. I couldn't let the haunts do that to her, it was too much..."
He stands limply, takes control of his breathing and closes his eyes for several moments as he centers himself again.
"The strain of this must all be wearing on me. I apologize for endangering the rest of you," he says. "In retrospect of course it was foolish; unless the ghosts had powerful magic, they had no way to whisk Kendra down here into a trap. But in the moment it seemed like I couldn't risk it. I had to try to save her." He smiles wanly. "Sorry."
Kazamir smiles a little ruefully back at Constantin. "Ah, my friend, who better than you knows how supernatural forces can affect the mind. No, no fault of yours. The evil and tragedy of this place run so deep..."
He trails off, helping Constantin to his feet.
He examines the body on the rack.
The body on the rack still wears the tatters of a suit of chainmail armor though badly rusted and full of holes.
You can quickly determine the truth of this poor man's demise. You can see evidence of broken bones, severed fingers, dislocated hips and shoulders, a shattered jaw and numerous long needles driven into his ears, eye sockets, elbows and knees.
Sitting within his broken pelvis are a set of keys - he was probably forced to swallow them. Finally, wedged into his jaw is the object which was likely used to shatter it, a thick metal disc emblazoned with the insignia of a set of scales.
By the Mother... Zed mutters a prayer for the deceased man, then with a grim set to his jaw reaches in and grabs the keys and the metal disc.
The badge would be one afforded to a person of authority. This is likely the body of Warden Hawkrun.
"I hope that he rests easier than the others here."
He peers at the skull, then asks Zed for the disc. Assuming the inquisitor complies...
Kazamir straightens solemnly, rests a hand on the tortured skull as if in benediction.
Showing the badge to his compatriots, he say quiety, "This is a Warden's badge. I believe we have found the remains of Warden Hawkrun. When our tasks here are finished, we should gather these poor bones and ask Father Grimburrow to commit them to earth.
IN the meantime, before we go further, I suggest that we take this badge to Vesorianna. Did she not say that it would help her contain the spirits?"
The wall of the southern end of the room contains a secret door
"Then let's get it to her!" Constantin says eagerly. "That could be a big help."
"It might be more worth our time to continue pressing on. But I'm not sure on the particulars of this spirit."
Ah, before we go, either way... Kazamir starts, suddenly distracted by something on the southern wall. He paces toward it, squinting.
"There is a door here!"
Zed turns and narrows his eyes. "Well let's check that out real quick than." Zed follows instructions to find the door and attempts to open it.
Something feels very, very wrong about what lies beyond this door. Constantin and Kaz get some kind of psychic echo of rage and power. Whilst Zed can feel the stain of necromantic energy.
Even Vala feels uneasy, as if she were receiving a barely perceptible warning.
Zed silently holds up his hand as his skin crawls. Instead of opening the door, Zed concentrates so he can know exactly what they're dealing with.
WeLcOmE HoMe, ZeD! PuLl Up A cHaIr, YoU'lL Be HeRe A WhIlE!
Whether you imagine it or not you cannot say, but you hear the horrid, hissing voice of the Splatterman in your head.
Zed takes a step back. Alright bastard, let's play it that way. "No, I have a new trick up my sleeve. Let's go in." First Zed heals himself, then raises his arms up over the party. "Daednu edih morf!" Blue motes sprinkle along his arms and he touches each member of the party, to apparently no effect. At the end he nods. "Undead can't see you now, although intelligent undead might break through the spell. Once you attack it goes away for all three of the people linked to you, so choose carefully." With that done, Zed opens the door.
The worked stone slides aside to reveal an entrance to a short cavern that seems to have been dug directly out of the bedrock beneath the prison.
The rough stone walls of this natural cavern drip with moisture,
leaving stagnant pools of water on the uneven floor.
Zed speaks in a whisper. "Avoid the water, they can't see us but they can see what we move. And stronger undead might see us anyways."
Constantin says, "Logically, if we press on now, we don't know what we will face. We might even be slain. But we do know that the way back to Vesoriana is almost certainly safe -- we've taken care of the haunts back that way. So we can be reasonably sure that we can get back to her, deliver the Seal, and then come back this way with whatever advantages it brings."
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Vala shudders as the door is uncovered and shakes her head as Zed asserts to press onward. "No, Zed. I can almost-" her words trail off as she seems to strain, listening intently for some sound too far off to hear. Shaking her head gently as she abandons her reverie, she reaffirms her thinking. "I would not go that way unless we're at our full strength, Zed. Over confidence and recklessness in pursuit of ending the evil here will only afford these twisted spirits more advantages over us. We cannot afford that." She pauses and nods to Constantin, "Listen to to your fellow, Zed. Constantin's suggestion is a good one."
The party trudges back through the dirt and grime of the lower levels before struggling back up the rope to the ground level.
The prison is quiet, at least for now. Somehow the echoes of your footsteps on the cold stone are no less eerie however. Eventually you make your way back to the laundry room where a pale blue glow emanates from under the door.
Vesoriana is within, pacing anxiously though her feet float just above the ground.
She turns as you enter, worry and fear etched on her ghostly face.
You must hurry! she blurts out. I can feel the spirits of those prisoners have been defeated but Ferramin... he grows stronger by the hour now! I don't think I can hold him much longer. Look!
For the first time you notice all around the room, seemingly on every flat surface are the letters;
It is not enough that he killed my husband when he was alive, now he torments me so! By tomorrow night he will have estroyed me and there is nothing I can do to stop him! I do not fear oblivion but the Hell he would wreck on Ravengro were he to break free.... IF you cannot destroy him you must get the people out of town, you must! her tone is almost frantic now, tendrils of eldritch smoke stream off her form as if she were still caught in the fire.
Zed nods sympathetically. "I understand your plight. But I have marked this spirit, there is no escape for it now. I will always know where it is, and if it wishes to survive the wrath of the Lady or Graves it must hide itself away and never harm anybody. I assure you, I will destroy this spirit or die trying."