Noting Dimitri's terrible hangover, Crummock slaps on the shoulder, instantly curing it, but causing himself to swoon for a moment.
"Мы не можем иметь вас под погодой, когда мы будем бороться против духов ..."
Before Einar goes into the room, he calls up his demonic heritage; his body tranforms: His ankles and feet shift becoming more animal like, his hands also grew larger with talons, now appearing as claws, his maw extended and his eyes grew red, his small black horns became more prominent as his skin went from pale to shiny, emphasizing and enlarging the scales. Causing his Cambion ancestry to become very prominent. He also summons a couple of his doppelgangers.
Thick velvet curtains hang from the walls of this dining room. A large table dominates the center of the room, around which are eight finely upholstered chairs.
Eight desiccated corpses dressed in the finery of Russian nobles are seated around the table, their parchment-like skin pulled tight over their bones as if they had been here for many years. From the mouth of each body issues an ectoplasmic tendril from that corpse to wrap around the ghostly form of a terrified woman in regal bearing with blood splattered all over her dress that hovers in the air above the table dress that hovers in the air above the table, looking rather transparent. As the door opens, from 6 of the bodies rise strange, translucent ghostly figures. Two of the ectopasmic tendrils wrap around the form of the terrified woman, controlling her every action.
The spectres seem to have healed up from the damage done by the party the day before.
Once his hangover is fixed, Dimitri is properly apologetic and contrite. "Izvinite, ya ne poblagodaril vas za to, chto vy vernuli menya vchera, i vse, chto vy nam pomogli. YA vse yeshche pytalsya primirit'sya s ..."He shakes his head, "Vse". He helps steady Crummock as he recovers from his hangover.
Sorry, I didn't thank you for bringing me back yesterday, and all that you've helped us with. I was still trying to come to terms with...
Everything.
"I vchera ya slishkom mnogo pil." He answers ruefully.
And I drank too much last night.
The first spectre moves in and attempts to strike Einar.
One of Einar's images pop.
The second spectre moves in and Einar strikes at it using his ghost touch longsword.
His weapon is fully effective and he does quite a bit of damage causing the spectre to diminish greatly.
Another of Einar's images pop.
After creating a longsword for Greta, Mr. Whiskers casts mirror image and suddenly there are nine of him! He gives Einar a nod indicating he is ready.
The door opens and the first creature comes out. Not precisely sure how easy these creatures are to hit, Mr. Whiskers decides to pump his new spell and unleash it all on the ghost in the center of the room.
The ghost gives Mr Whiskers a mournful look as the blasts tear through it, but it still remains hovering above the table.
Under the control of the two ectoplasmic tendrils from the tongue of the two of the spectres the the ghost floats forward, and gives a frightful moan.
Crummock and Geist feel bone chilling fear and feel like running for the hills!
Einar strikes out at the spectre pouring out of the room, managing to hit a vital spot but not managing to kill it.
Another of Einar's images pop.
Einar strikes out again at the next spectre pouring out of the room.
It survives the attack and tries to touch him.
Einar strikes out again at the next spectre pouring out of the room.
It survives the attack and tries to touch him.
Another of his images pop.
Dimitri starts blasting.
Crummock casts a spell, and disappears (Plane Shift)...
...arriving on Elysium.
Geist, meanwhile, simply flees at top speed.
Dimitri makes short work of the one that Einar hit a vital spot off and another spectre.
Greta curses at the spectres out of her reach above Einar, then draws her ranseur and stabs at one of them.
Another spectre goes after Einar, with Greta stabbing it as it flies by.
Crummock ends up in a forested glade, hip deep in clear water, sharing the pool with a transparent looking nymph. The nymph looks somewhat familiar, as if Crummock has met someone like her before. In the forest a couple of transparent looking brownies are gathering mushrooms, and seated on a large stone near the pool is a Lillend Azata playing a lute, who promptly falls off her perch at Crummock's sudden appearance.
"Hey, who are you and how did you end up here in my pool?" The nymph looks at Crummock with her mouth wide open, shocked and affronted at the sudden intrusion.
Seeing Crummock's abject fear, the nymph is somewhat more sympathetic.
"Yes, we know we're all spirits here except for Serephiel there." The nymph gestures at the Lillend, "But we're all good spirits or we wouldn't have ended up in the Elysium, which is where you are now." She tries to calm Crummock down."We mean you no harm."
Serephiel takes a more pragmatic approach after she recovers from her shock and doses Crummock with a remove fear. "Calm down before you crash into something and do yourself injury!"
He then bows to Serephiel.
"Thank-ye dear lady; that was verra much appreciated. I was o'ercome by the terrifyin' moan o' a geist, and fled the best way I could; I am just fortunate that I did not end-up on a more inhospitable plane..."
Crummock then turns to the spirit of the Nymph.
"I apologise unabashedly for distrubin' yer pool; as I mentioned, I was Shiftin' blind, in a verra terrible panic. If there be anythin' I can do to atone for the terrible faux pas, please, let me know."
He then looks thoughtful.
"Do ye have any siblings on Golarion, perchance? Ye look mighty familiar..."
"Yes, I could sing you about tales of people who shift themselves into hell and are doomed to eternal torment, Serephiel continues. "What ghost was it? Would you like me to tell me about it so I can weave it into a fine tale?"
"Actually...you could,"the Nymph nods thoughtfully once Crummock mentions that he was from Golarion. "The person that looked familiar." She stares intensely at Crummock, "How did the person look like?"
"I have a daugther on Golarion," The nymph looks sorrowful at the thought. "I left her all alone in the forest...I didn't know that I'd meet my end...I always wondered what happened to her after I left."
"Well, it was a ghost that we encountered on a planet where magic had nearly disappeared; essentially no-one thought magic was real, and it was almost entirely populated by humans. In fact, most of the humans we encountered were rather freaked-out by the non-human things that they came across, as if they were completely alien. I think the planet was called 'Earth'."
He then turns to the Nymph, his face suffused with sadness.
"I think I need to put this delicately... the only creature that I can think of that I encountered that might fit that bill was *not* a nymph... her father was from a plane that would make him decidedly *not* welcome around here...? Does that sound like your daughter?"
"I've heard of that place. Technology has outsted magic and magic is a thing of athe past." Serephiel winces distastefully. "Cold iron has chased creatures of magic from the world with the rest hunted to extinction to become trophies. The air is filled with smoke, the rivers clogged with poison such that nothing lives. And they call it progress!"
The nymph gives a sad sigh, "Yes that sounds like Mierul. She was a child of rape, but all life is sacred. I tried to bring her up the best I could, but knew that many would not accept her because of her tainted heritage. That's why I told her to stay in the forest... "
"Tell me, what news do you have of her, so that you can ease a yearning mother's heart?"
"Aye, that sounds like the place we visited. An elemental that I summoned said the very ground was sick, scarred and poisoned by the humans."
Listening to the nymph's words, he then sighs sadly.
"Aye, 'twas Mierul that we encountered. Unfortunately, I have naught but sad tidings for ye - she had thrown her lot in with the Unseelie of Irrisen, who were bent on turning all o' Golarion into a ball o' ice; we were forced to defend ourselves, to prevent the deaths o' others. That said, I subsequently learned from a colleague that I brought back from death, that she has found new purpose in the afterlife, as a Psychopomp o' Pharasma, guiding other souls to their final rest."
"I'd advise you to get the heck out of there. There's been some very serious disturbances in the ether. It looks like someone named Rasputin is draining a powerful entity to open a portal to the lower planes. All hell is seriously going to break loose down there." Serephiel advises him.
"Mierul is dead?" The nymph looks broken-hearted. "I knew I shouldn't have left her alone that day. It's all my fault..." She falls down into a heap, weeping inconsolably. "And you say that her spirit has now been conscripted by Pharasma? She could be devoured by daemons! I'll never see her again!"
Einar cuts 3 spectres down with his longsword. Only one remains threatening him.
Seeing the problems that Greta is having, Mr. Whiskers casts fly on her. He then picks up the force sword her dropped and holds it out for her.
Hesitantly Mr. Whiskers says "Здесь что-то странно. Оставь призрак до конца, это может быть под контролем другого духа."
The two remaining spectres use their tendrils to control the ghost such that it strikes at Einar.
Einar manages to duck out of the way.
Greta takes Mr Whiskers force sword and cuts apart the remaining spectre.
Mr. Whiskers flings a magic missile at one of the two specters in the room.
"That sounds aboot right. I know it be dangerous, be we are tryin' to stop him from doin' that. We were already makin' reasonable headway when I was scared off - we were workin' oot how to call is hideaway back down to Earth...."
He then tries to land a consoling hand upon the nymph, sighing regretfully.
"I said that it would nae be happy news... Now, I realise that it is small comfort, but bein' conscripted by Pharasma is probably the best that she could have expected; her life choices (based on what I saw) might otherwise have resulted in her goin' to a lower plane. At least this way, there is still *potential* for her to visit, even if (I grant ye) it is a small chance..."
"Good luck on that. Losing another planet to the forces of darkness would be ill hearing indeed."Serephiel answers.
Crummock's hand passes through her shoulder.
"And she made a mess of her life because I wasn't there to guide her," The nymph sniffs unhappily. "I'm sorry for any trouble my daughter has caused you. I wish all this never happened..."
She wipes away her tears,"If you do see Mierul again, tell her that her mother Dallandra, waits for her in the Elysium, and that I would be glad beyond measure if I could see her again, no matter what she's become."
Greta moves into the room and whacks the same spectre as Mr Whiskers struck, but the spectre is still up.
Dimitri moves, then fires at the same spectre but it still remains there, though about to dissiipate.
"Thanks. We will certainly do our best to avoid that happening."
He then sighs, as he regards the distraught nymph.
"It nae be yer fault - you were nae there. She survived as best she could, certainly longer than if she had been with ye; if she was wholly given over to darkness, I dinae believe that Pharasma would have taken her on as a Guide. Rest assured, if I come across her again, I will be sure to send her your message."
Crummock then bows formally to both of them.
"Now, I should probably go and see what has happened to my allies."
He then casts Plane Shift (to take him back to the Hut). Once there, he will use Wind Walk to go back to the rest of the party (arriving, I am sure, after the combat is over).
Einar cleaves one of the remaining spectres apart. The other spectre tries to control the ghost alone, and fails, and the ghost takes the opportunity to flee and hides in the chair.
Greta clambers on a chair to strike at the last spectre and strikes it squarely, but it's still up.
Einar makes short work of the last spectre and the bloodstained ghost peeks out of the chair. "O, spasibo, chto spasli menya ot etikh uzhasnykh zverey. Mne zhal', chto oni zastavili menya prichinit' tebe bol'. YA - Tsaritsa Aleksandra. YA ishchu svoyu doch', Anatasiyu. Ona ne na etoy storone."
Dimitri is very pale and his eyes look about to pop out of his head. He speaks in a strangled tone, "Ty zhe znayesh', chto govorish' s prizrakom? Tsaritsa byla ubita bol'shevistskim otryadom. Kak i vse yeye deti."
You know you're talking to a ghost, right? The Tsarina was killed by the Bolshevik firing squad. As were all her children.
Crummock planeshifts back to the Hut, then turns into a fluffy white cloud and heads back to the prison camp.
The party sees a fluffy Crummock shaped cloud let itself in through the open door.
Searching the room yields nothing of value.
” Ona dolzhna byt' vse yeshche zhiva - kak ya uzhe skazal, ya ne mogu nayti yeye na etoy storone zavesy. YA boyus', chto kto-to mozhet derzhat' yeye v plenu, chtoby nanesti yey vred. Znachit, ona vnuchka Baba Yagi? Rasputin - yeye otets. YA sodrogayus', chtoby dumat' o lyudyakh, ispol'zuyushchikh moyu devushku za yeye magicheskiy potentsial ...” The ghost looks at Einar pleadingly.
She must be still alive – as I said I can’t find her on this side of the veil. I’m afraid that someone might be holding her captive to do her harm. She’s Baba Yaga’s grand daughter, did you know? Rasputin is her father. I shudder to think of people using my girl for her magical potential…
Dimitri gulps audibly, ” Khorosho. My pomozhem nayti tvoyu doch', yesli yeye gde-nibud' nayti.” Then he turns to Einar wincing, ” YA DEYSTVITEL'NO pytalsya zabyt' ob etom.”
All right – we’ll help you find your daughter if she’s anywhere to be found.
I was REALLY trying to forget about that.
” YA dumayu, chto Anastasiya - samozvanets. Mozhet byt', Rasputin poluchil kogo-to, kto pokhozh na neye i yeye brata Alekseya, chtoby vydat' sebya za komandu, chtoby prodemonstrirovat' ikh vokrug lagerya. Bol'sheviki ispolnili vsyu sem'yu. Ili, mozhet byt'…” Dimitri sounds uncertain, ” Rasputin voskresil yeye iz mertvykh, kak ty sdelal dlya menya?
” Then he throws up his hands in frustration. ” Ili - ya ne znayu, chto ya dolzhen dumat'.”
I think Anastasia is an imposter. Maybe Rasputin got someone who looks like her and her brother Alexei, to impersonate them to parade them around the camp. The Bolsheviks executed the entire family. Or maybe…
Rasputin raised her from the dead like you did for me?
Or – I don’t know what I should think.
Mr. Whiskers asks "Моя леди, не могли бы вы рассказать нам больше о ее магическом потенциале. Есть ли какой-то волшебный тип, которым она казалась особенно искусной?"
Mr. Whiskers calmly explains to Dimitri "Я еще не знаю, что такое правда. Я могу сказать вам, что существует несколько различных типов магии. Есть маги, способные вернуть желаемую душу к жизни и восстановить тело. К сожалению, есть также падающая магия, которая привяжет душу к мерзости нежити."
"Kogda my byli zhivy - my nichego ne khoteli - my veli mirnyye zhizni ... u nas bylo vse - i ona kazalas' sovershenno obychnoy. Tol'ko posle togo, kak ya umer, ya uznal pravdu. I imenno poetomu ya vernulsya - potomu chto ya khochu, chtoby moya doch' byla v bezopasnosti ot vsekh, kto prichinil yey bol'." The ghost answers.
When we were alive – we wanted for nothing – we led peaceful lives…we had everything – and she seemed perfectly ordinary. It wasn’t till after I died – that I learnt the truth. And that’s why I’ve come back – because I want to see my daughter safe from anyone who would hurt her.
"Yesli eto posledniy, ya otpravlyu yeye obratno v mir, gde ona prinadlezhit." Dimitri answers as he touches Maggie.
If it is the latter I will send her back to the netherworld where she belongs.
Turning back toward Crummock and Mister Whiskers, ”Where to now?”
"I am concerned about the sniper. Is it time I have a look at it, to hopefully find out what it is?"
The ghost materialises out of thin air a trumpet of spirit speaking in Einar's hands. "Udar'te yego, kogda vy vstretite yeye, i zvuk budet rezonirovat."
Blow it when you find her and it's sound will resonate. I will hear it.
Mr Whiskers summons a little spying eye and peeks into the tower.
A single onion-shaped dome still stands teetering atop the burned chapel, threatening to collapse into the ruins below. Before his little spying eye gets shot out, he sees 3 skeletal figure wielding a rifle each. Their garb is dusty and weathered, and one of their eye sockets are empty.
Mr Whiskers recognises them as pale strangers- undead abdominations that rise when a gunslinger has unfinished business. They have Dr 10/magic and bludgeoning and can fire a special shot.
As a full-round action, a pale stranger can take careful aim with one of its firearms and take a single, ruinous shot. This single shot always resolves as a touch attack, regardless of the actual range. If the pale stranger threatens a critical hit with this shot, it automatically confirms the critical hit. Regardless of whether the shot is a critical hit or not, it deals +6d6 points of damage.
Crummock nods thoughtfully.
"Ну, мы раньше не сталкивались с духом Анастазии, поэтому она может быть жива ... Я говорю, мы видим, что мы можем найти."
Listening to Mr Whiskers' description of the upper tower, he nods.
"Правильно. Мы должны разобраться с теми, что есть там, а затем спуститься вниз."
Mr Whiskers uses his magic to transport Einar, Crummock, Dimitri and Greta and himself to the top of the tower. It's really a little confined in here, but they manage. The pale strangers are caught completely by surprise at Einar, Crummock, Mr Whiskers and Dimitri and Greta arriving straight in their midsts.