
Navior |

Fredrik detects 9 distinct auras of magic in the room, one coming from each of the bodies at the table.
Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20
Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13
Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17
Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16
Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29
Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21
Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15
Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28
Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16
He succeeds on five of the auras. All of them are illusion.

Navior |

As soon as Venedictus sits down in the empty chair, the bodies at the table spring to life. They go through the motions of cutting and eating food, although there is no actual food on their plates. The clumsily cut with knives and clumsily raise forks to their mouths. Their mouths move up and down as if eating. Some of them begin to "speak". It's clear that the bodies are not actually speaking as their mouths do not move in accordance with the words, but speech does come from them (magic mouth perhaps).
One of the bodies turns to look directly at Venedictus. Its fake voice says, "Once again, milord has provided a delicious meal. It is an honour to dine in your august presence."
Thereafter, other diners chime in with sycophantic comments of their own.
"The Acadamae of Korvosa was wrong to turn you out," a male elf corpse remarks. "You ought to show them like you showed me."
The tattered remains of what must once have been a young woman speak up next. "I shouldn't have ever doubted you, Filge. I always loved you when we were together. Now, I will love you forever."
The conversation continues along these lines, with each of the diners providing some form of sycophantic comment directed towards Venedictus (or rather, Filge).

Fredrik "Flash" Williams |

Fredrik turns to Udaya, and asks with a paintive tone in his voice, "I suppose you have no way to burn that image out of my mind forever?"
She shakes her head, "Sorry there, Freddie, no can do. At least you don't have to suffer with this alone. We all saw this."
She turns to Dara, "Let's find these bones and get outa here! Think I'm gonna need a long bath after this is done with!"

Navior |

It's very unlikely that any of the bodies at the table are the ones you're looking for. They're not decayed enough. The Land bodies should be skeletons like the one you collected upstairs. There are four doors out of this room (unfortunately, when you look at the map, two of them aren't very visible because the MapTool vision blockers are not placed as perfectly as they could have been (my goof), but the doors are visible to you). There are two doors on the south, one door to the east, and one door to the north under the stairs.

Navior |

Opening the door, Bear reveals a storage closet.
Bear Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Dara Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16 +2 stone, +1 traps
Fredrik Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Udaya Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13
Venedictus Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21
It holds four extra chairs, and eight copper candle stands. You find nothing else of interest.
Map Updated

Navior |

Bear Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Dara Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23 +2 stone, +1 traps
Fredrik Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
Udaya Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Venedictus Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
The door opens to reveal a long kitchen. There is an enormous wheel of cheese, a moldy loaf of bread, and several strips of stringy cured meat. There is also some shoddy cutlery.
There is a single door in the west wall and you can see the other south door from the dining room also opens into this kitchen.
Map Updated

Navior |

Navior, this is correct, there is no way to get to the front part of the building, right?
No, there's still a door in the east wall of the dining room that you haven't checked. It's one of those ones I mentioned above that doesn't show up on the map because of my slightly out-of-place vision blockers, but it's there.

Navior |

As Fredrik predicted, the door out of the kitchen is indeed into the pantry.
Bear Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Dara Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9 +2 stone, +1 traps
Fredrik Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15
Udaya Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Venedictus Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
The pantry holds a handful of spices and dry food. Filge's diet displays a definite lack of creativity and most of the shelves here are empty.
Presuming you go to the east door in the dining room next...
Bear Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Dara Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23 +2 stone, +1 traps
Fredrik Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
Udaya Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Venedictus Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Opening the east door in the dining room reveals a corridor running east-west. Another corridor branches off to the south. There are four doors in the north wall of the east-west corridor and one in the south wall. The south corridor contains one door in its west wall.
Map Updated

Navior |

Dara Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11 +2 stone, +1 traps
The wooden door in the south corridor is noticeably warped. Dara checks it out, but finds no traps on it. It's not locked, but it is a little stuck. With a good push, however, it opens to reveal what looks to have once been an office, but does not look like it has been used in years.
Bear Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Dara Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23 +2 stone, +1 traps
Fredrik Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
Udaya Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Venedictus Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
A quick search through the room reveals nothing of interest.
Map Updated

Beargle "Bear" Zstellian |

Moving onto the first (westernmost) of the four doors in the original hall. Same thing with Dara checking the door for traps. If nothing interesting turns up, we'll do those other three doors, then the one on the south side of the hallway. We'll stay in normal marching order - with Dara, Udaya, Venny, Freddy, and Bear in back. (Pup will be with Freddy, I guess.)
If anyone has any additional ideas, i'm open, but it seems like we should do a sweep until something comes up. Just trying to speed things along to an actual discovery of something useful.

Navior |

DOOR 1 (Westernmost)
Dara Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13 +2 stone, +1 traps
Dara finds no traps on the door and proceeds to open it. The simple chamber beyond hosts a plain bed, a small open footlocker, and an unremarkable wooden dresser.
Bear Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Dara Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24 +2 stone, +1 traps
Fredrik Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
Udaya Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
Venedictus Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
A quick search of the room turns up nothing else.
DOOR 2
Dara Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 +2 stone, +1 traps
Dara finds no traps on the door. Beyond the door is a room identical to the last.
Bear Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Dara Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 +2 stone, +1 traps
Fredrik Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13
Udaya Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Venedictus Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
A quick search of the room turns up nothing else.
DOOR 3
Dara Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12 +2 stone, +1 traps
Dara finds no traps on the door. Beyond the door is a room identical to the last.
Bear Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Dara Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11 +2 stone, +1 traps
Fredrik Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19
Udaya Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
Venedictus Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
A quick search of the room turns up nothing else.
DOOR 4 (Easternmost)
Dara Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15 +2 stone, +1 traps
Dara finds no traps on the door. Beyond the door is a room identical to the last.
Bear Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Dara Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9 +2 stone, +1 traps
Fredrik Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
Udaya Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Venedictus Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
In a quick search of this one, however, Bear turns up a small pouch dangling behind the dresser. The pouch contains 6 pp and 5 gp.

Navior |

Dara moves up to the last door and gives it a look-over.
Dara Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12 +2 stone, +1 traps
Finding no traps, she proceeds to open it. Furniture fragments, smashed planks, broken glass, and other detritus cram this large antechamber. At the west end of the room, several upended tables form a crude barricade. Behind the barricade kneel three skeletons holding loaded heavy crossbows which they turn in your direction.
Bear Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
Dara Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Fredrik Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Udaya Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Venedictus Initiative: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (18) + 0 = 18
Skeletons Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
Roll-off between Dara and Udaya:
Dara Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Udaya Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
Order: Skeletons, Venedictus, Udaya, Dara, Bear, Fredrik.
ROUND 1
Three crossbow bolts fly over the barricade at Dara.
Skeleton heavy crossbow: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Skeleton heavy crossbow: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Skeleton heavy crossbow: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
Damage: 1d10 ⇒ 4
Dara Fortitude: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
She is not affected by the poison.
One bolt slams into Dara, but the other two whiz over her head past Venedictus. The three skeletons all drop their crossbows and pick up scimitars lying at their feet.
Next Up: Venedictus, Udaya, Dara, Bear, Fredrik, Skeletons.
Map Updated

Dara Hellhammer |

"Hey, that kinda tingled," Dara comments frowning at the wound. Hefting her war axe, she points at the first skeleton and challenges, "I got a bone ta pick wit ya!"
If there's room enough, Dara will rage and charge the one that shot her.
Acrobatics 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15 to hurdle the baracade
war axe 1d20 + 5 + 2 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (9) + 5 + 2 + 2 - 1 = 17 rage, charge, power attack
dmg 1d8 + 3 + 3 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 3 + 3 = 15 2H, rage, power attack

Venedictus |

Venedictus has a few channels left. He'll dash as forward as he needs to (can't see map at the moment) and channel.
1d6 ⇒ 1 Will DC 15
Obviously, there's been so much ugliness in this place, that it's sapping Venedictus' new-found appreciation for life and draining his beauty power.

Beargle "Bear" Zstellian |

UDAYA
Udaya's warcry rips the air as she moves to destroy one of these abominations from existence.
Move to AD-20 (should be across from the southern-most skeleton - whom she will attack).
Standard Action - Single Hit on AD-19 (scimitar crit: 18+/x2):
To Hit: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9. 19 total damage if it confirms!

Beargle "Bear" Zstellian |

Spurred on by Hell-cat's ferocity, Bear follows her charge, a roar like his name-sake filling the room.
Move to AC-20.
Arcane Strike vs. skeleton in AC-19.
Attack 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 7 + 2 = 15. Favored Enemy.
Damage 2d4 + 6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (1, 1) + 6 + 1 + 2 = 11. Arcane Strike, Favored Enemy.
AC is at 14 for the time being.

Navior |

The skeletons are currently prone, so you have a +4 bonus to hit. However, that's essentially negated by their +4 bonus to AC from the barricade.
Udaya moves in and, in a single blow, smashes the skeleton to pieces. Dara quickly follows suit, doing the same to the next skeleton. Bear, unfortunately, is not able to repeat the action as his blade slams into the barricade. Bear can't actually charge in since he can't go in a straight line (room wall in the way) and has to detour to go through the door. It's a miss either way, but he doesn't take the AC penalty.
Next Up: Fredrik, Skeleton, Venedictus, Udaya, Dara, Bear.

Beargle "Bear" Zstellian |

Oh, he's not charging. The AC note was because I didn't cast Shield... which is something I usually do. I'm usually very specific in my "ooc" descriptions, and I'll say if I'm mechanically charging in there or not. And the only +2 modifying the attack roll is Favored Enemy Bonus for fighting an undead.

Navior |

Oh, he's not charging. The AC note was because I didn't cast Shield... which is something I usually do. I'm usually very specific in my "ooc" descriptions, and I'll say if I'm mechanically charging in there or not. And the only +2 modifying the attack roll is Favored Enemy Bonus for fighting an undead.
Doh! You're right. Sorry about that. The 15 is still a miss though.

Navior |

Fredrik's ray hits the skeleton in the skull, creating a crack across it, but not bringing it down.
ROUND 2
The skeleton stands up to attack Bear. Dara, Bear, and Udaya can all take AoOs. Ah, the joys of mindless creatures! :)
In the unlikely even it survives the attacks of opportunity, it strikes at Bear.
Skeleton Scimitar: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
And it will miss.
Up Next: Attacks of Opportunity from Bear, Dara, and Udaya, then Venedictus, Udaya, Dara, Bear, Fredrik, Skeleton.
Map Updated

Dara Hellhammer |

"Git dah an tha grand naw!"
waraxe AoO 1d20 + 5 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 2 - 1 = 10 rage, power attack
dmg 1d8 + 3 + 3 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 3 + 3 = 10 2h, rage, power attack
When Dara whiffs, UU says, "Simmah dahn naw, shorty!"
She then reaches out to crush someone...
scimitar AoO 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
dmg 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Fredrik "Flash" Williams |

Michael is going to be doing cool Renfair stuff this weekend, so Dara will be spending that time admiring her handiwork, he he.
Fredrik looks over the ruins of the chamber and wonders, if this will suffice for satisfying Alastor's request. "Well, I guess we have saved the day, just like the old heroes of yore, he he."
He starts gathering up the bones, and hands them over to Udaya for safekeeping. "Unless anyone has any urges to do more sightseeing, then I suggest we follow Bear's advice and exit the way we came in, and return to the farmstead."
In the interest of speeding things up, since both Michael and Justin are unavailable, our plan is to:
1. Loot the skeletons, and anything else we missed.
2. Fix things to look like Filge was killed by his own undead.
3. Destroy the Spawn of Kyuss.
4. Leave by the window we came in, and then return to the farmstead.
5. Bury the bones, and then return to the Whispering Cairn, and see if Alastor's ghost is still there.

Navior |

A search of the skeletons and the rest of the room turns up nothing of any value other than the skeletons themselves. You now have exactly four skeletons (admittedly in numerous pieces), so those should be the ones you're looking for (since there were four family members in addition to Alastor).
With all the skeleton pieces gathered together and placed in a sack, you return upstairs. You move the zombie bodies so that they appear to have attacked Filge. A concerted examination of Filge's body would likely reveal that his head was sliced off with a sharp blade, so you the scimitars used by the skeletons and arm the zombies with them. It's still conceivably possible that someone could tell the difference between a head cut off with a scimitar and one cut off with an axe, but you doubt there's anyone is Baslwief with that kind of skill. Once that's done, destroy the worm by burning it. Then you return to the closet you entered through. You lower the rope again and climb down. Dara goes last, replacing the window before going down. She then descends. Once at the bottom, she gives the rope a good shake to release the grapple.
You spent a couple of hours total in the observatory. It's still dark outside and will be a for a couple more hours. Do you wish to head straight to the farmstead or get some sleep first?