"So, maybe that's part of the issue here, we need to put some things to right, help some to find peace?" Volkar said as he turned away from the window and walked back to where Andrezi was. He looked over the rest of the room trying to get some sense of what had happened in this room.
Perception
"Husband and wife, perhaps?" speculates Kiera. "Some kind of argument?"
"I'm thinking we check the two rooms in the northwest corner next."
"That works for me."
"Agreed Mistress Kiera, I suspect it was a relationship that didn't end well," Volkar said as he took one more look around and followed the others out of the room.
Kiera pauses, then faces the door to the west. "Based on the layout of the house, I suspect that this is a closet." Then she tugs on the door to open it.
"Careful. Kiera. Shara does her usual stand ready to defend if something jumps out at the group.
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Opening the door reveals a once fine bedchamber that has been destroyed. The bed is smashed, the walls rent and gouged as if by knives, the chairs hacked apart, and the paintings on the walls torn to shreds. With one flagrant exception: a single large portrait that has been turned to face the wall, now hanging backwards before you.
Shara looks carefully around as she enters the room. "Can any one see if this backward painting is magical? I'll turn it around, but I want to make sure it's not going to suck me into a separate plane first."
"Yes, of course," says Kiera quickly. She intones the requisite cantrip and focuses on the painting.
"You know... usually people do that sort of thing when they feel somehow ashamed, like the person in the picture would judge them for their deeds. Like... cheating on a spouse or whatnot."
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Kiera moves to the doorway to focus on the portrait as Shara moves to the side to avoid being encompassed in the Detect Magic spell. She detects none, but as she mutters the necessary incantation, she misses a voice - a woman's voice - whisper clear as day to Shara.
"What do you get up to in the damp below?"
Shara whirls and responds to the voice she's sure everyone heard. "What do I get up to when I'm where? In the damp below? How dare you ask me that. You, you creature."
"Now, who ya be talking to about getting up in your damp," Volkar asked with a wry grin to the white haired woman who had turned on him and the others.
He looked about and then at the restored portrait that Kiera had turned over. "There is something trapped in this house, more than memories, more than anger, but I don't understand how anyone could let such a place just sit here. Unless, like you say Mistress Kiera, they wanted to forget something."
"What? Ummm... I think... the house is... taunting us?" says Kiera nervously after a few moments' reflection.
"There's no magic that I can spot. Ugh. This is getting creepier. Let's check the painting and then move on," she suggests.
Kiera sighs and then turns the painting around.
Volker stood by to get a look at the revealed face.
appraise
Watching as the others look over a dusty painting Ullogash peeks into the small door beside him. "Anything yet?"
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The painting is turned around and its subject is revealed! A woman. Varisian, judging by the skin tone and bone structure of the face. Not especially valuable, at least not to Volkar's trained eye. But a nice portrait nonetheless.
Surprise round!
Andrezi
Kiera
Shara
Volkar
Ullogash
Shara moves up quite angry at Kiera. "How dare you touch our things? And question what is going on in this house. You are a trespasser." She stabs at the other woman, and connects.
"Shara's possessed!" Andrezi yells to the others.
"Restrain her while I try to help Kiera!" he says rushing to the wizard's side to cast a healing spell.
(student of faith trait)
Kiera does her best to back away from Shara, hoping that the team's warriors will stop her.
Shara moves forward with an angry growl. She pays no attention to the other's as she's concentrating on hitting Kiera.
"Someone disarm her or something!" says Kiera, racing back out of the house.
"I can't get to her!" Ullogash looks for an opening to get to Shara.
Volkar hesitated, and then swung his mace at Shara hoping that if he could just distract the elf, he could figure out a way to stop what she was doing.
Shara dodges Volkar's attack easily.
Sure, go for it Ullogash
Shara growls in frustration and continues to move to where she thinks Kiera went. When she doesn't see her in the hall she stops and listens for any noise the wizard might be making.