Cassiel's funeral is in the morning.
Grimburrow performs a service much like the one he gave Lorrimor. Nobody else is in attendance besides the priest and you, along with Kendra. It seems none of you will be mourned by these villagers if you are killed.
After the service, the day is yours to do with as you please. Ezekiel is still quite hurt, but can walk around easily enough.
Ezekiel speaks to Grimburrow after the service. "The body didn't walk away, did it?"
"Not that I've seen, but we're keeping an eye on it for now just to be sure." he replies.
"Have you seen any strange occurrences recently? The talk of the town seems to be about the statue."
Ezekiel visits the magic stuff seller.
"I found the defacer. He is dead."
"Have you seen any strange occurrences recently? The talk of the town seems to be about the statue."
"Now and then, if you visit Harrowstone near sundown, you can hear the ghost of the warden’s wife wailing and sobbing from somewhere within the ruins. She haunts the prison now, forever mourning her husband and attempting to frighten anyone who intrudes on the prison."
Ezekiel visits the magic stuff seller.
"I found the defacer. He is dead."
"Oh good! Who was it?"
"I forgot his name. He was being controlled by some evil power that gave him youth and strength."
"Ehm...okay..." nevertheless, he hands over the book.
Carefully taking the book, "Thank you, uh, I forgot your name too. Bye!"
The next morning there's a knock on the door.
It's an acolyte from the temple, wearing a wooden Pharasma spiral and a bandolier with some flasks of holy water.
"Good morning. My name is Azrin Nemarosa. You probably don't remember me, but I helped prepare your friend Cassiel's funeral a few days ago. I am truly sorry for your loss, but I hope it will be some consolation that, after such a long life, his soul is finally at rest."
"But I'm not here just to pay my respects. I understand that Cassiel was killed by undead creatures while you were exploring Harrowstone. If you are planning to go back there, I think it would benefit you greatly if I came with you. I would be honored to help wipe away the infestation of the undead from that place."
"Has his body walked out of his coffin yet?"
"No, thankfully. But we're still keeping an eye on it."
Ezekiel gives Azrin a brushing handshake.
"So we go to Harrowstone, yes?"
"Nice to meet ya, Azrin. It'd be great for you to come along. I'm Steef, and this little guy here" he gestures to the dog "is Moose. Say hi, Moose!" He waves Moose's paw at Azrin.
The group heads back to the dreaded prison.
Ezekiel clomps back upstairs.
"This is where he died."
...Is what Ezekiel was GOING to say, but as soon as he walks in the room he stops cold with his mouth half open.
You are Paralyzed and unable to move.
The stirges move in more quickly than their master, and begin biting you all over as you are helpless to stop them.
The skeletons in the cages begin to rattle ominously again, but none seem able to escape their cells...yet.
GLORIOUS BARBARIAN WILL THROW IT OFF
Ezekiel rips open the door to the nearest cage and smashes the first skeleton.
The f@%% do you think you're doing?
When you're hit with a status effect you don't just go "Lol I'ma roll my save until I get one that passes and then ignore it".
"Oh, for the love of...
Steef marches up to Ezekiel and punches him as hard as he can. "I'M NOT LOSING ANOTHER FRIEND, DAMMIT! SNAP OUT OF IT, YOU PIECE OF S@!@!"
The f~~* do you think you're doing?
When you're hit with a status effect you don't just go "Lol I'ma roll my save until I get one that passes and then ignore it".
Cassiel rolled a save every round. The skeletons are stuck. A pile of beef is blocking the door.
I mean, since it was frozen-in-place save-every-round then I figured it was basically hold person. No need to let your jimmies get rustled.
"Ezekiel, wait!"
Azrin watches with dismay as the barbarian charges into the room and freezes in place.
Once Zeke manages to shake it off , Azrin casts Bless on the group.
"Haven't you realized by now that there are more dangerous things than skeletons at work here?!"
"You know, I'd be all for dungeoneering if we actually had some power. I'm not willing to fight an even fight again."
Shoukichi casts Detect Magic and also looks for anything flammable.
[ooc]Don't quite know if I'll need a Perception check for this. I assume I will need to for Fine sized objects and such.[/dice]
The skeletons clatter forward and begin pulling at the bars, trying to bend or break them to get through.
One succeeds, pushing its way out of the cage. Thankfully, it is all the way at the end of the hallway and can't make it to a position to do any harm yet.
Shoukichi finds nothing truly flammable. If he recalls, this place has already been burned, and badly. While the damage up here isn't as extensive as the lower levels, the combination of the flames and time's ravages has destroyed most cloth and paper, and most of the wooden furniture is rotten. There may be some better preserved in rooms not so exposed to the elements.
Steef draws his bow. "This time...this time I'm going to do better."
Shoukichi lets out an Inspiring speech to commemorate the death of their friend and the new beginnings of another.
Azrin steps forward, holy symbol in hand.
What Azrin ACTUALLY does is cast Bless without needlessly put himself in harm's way.
Shoukichi
Azrin
Ezekiel
Steef
Skeleton
End of Round: Skeletons try to break free again.
Shoukichi performs the performance of his people, boosting morale and making his friends better at hitting enemies!
Azrin likewise boosts his companions, praying to Pharasma for aid.
Ezekiel remains frozen in place like a good little boy.
"Right then. Let's just deal with this guy here..." Steef readies his bow and fires at the advancing skeleton.
Steef nails the skeleton right between its eyesockets, dropping it.
Another skeleton breaks free, this one a lot closer.
The group crushes the skeletons this time, though the Haunt still persists.
Azrin scans the area with Detect Magic, and opens the double doors on the west side of the room.
It appears this room used to be a kitchen, though it's hard to tell just by inspecting the charred and blackened remains of it.
Nothing of note remains here, besides a "hidden" pantry which bears the signs of foodstuff...long since eaten by rats and squirrels.
"I doubt we'll find much else of interest in here. Shall we proceed further?"
The flight of stairs leads downward, to the first floor.