Miron looks at the winged beast trophy then looks up, as if hearing something.
"Why is that centrepiece smouldering? It may not be dead. And there are sobbing sounds from upstairs."
If Azalia can tell that this is actually alive and a threat, then she will move and shoot.
If it is just a statue of some sort, then she will move around it, headed for the stairs and the sobbing.
Ferocia narrows her eyes. "We should douse the fire. If it spreads this whole place could burn down around us."
She pulls out her water skin and moves to put out the fire before it gets worse.
There is no actual fire, after the previous room you might begin to suspect this is a sign of a haunt affecting the area.
Heading up the stairs Azalia finds it leads to a corridor but the sobbing seems to have stopped while she went upwards leaving her unsure where exactly it was coming from. There are several doors including one set of double doors.
"Azalia, could you check all the sets of doors for traps and set locks before we move on? Both in case we need to move swiftly, and to imply which doors are more important. If none are trapped or locked, then I suggest we go through the double doors. More room for us to manoeuvre."
Only one of the doors is locked.
"Let us focus on the locked door. Azalia, please get that lock open."
He lightly touches Azalia on her right shoulder as he speaks, then steps back.
Seeing that the fire isn't there after all, she shrugs and puts away her waterskin. Then she follows the others deeper into the house.
Seeing that they're skipping some doors, Ferocia stands at the top of the stairs, ready to keep watch in case something tries to flee out of them.
The door proves no match for Azalia, the lock easily picked revealing a stairs that go upwards.
Miron gets the attention of the others and then speaks and signs clearly.
"Normally, I would advocate clearing out rooms behind and flanking our position. But I believe that we will be better served finding the source of this undead plague first. And then cleanse this place thoroughly when we and specifically Azalia are in less danger. Does that sound acceptable?"
He looks to the others for responses.
Ferocia shrugs. "Go on, then. I'll watch the stairs."
Moving up the stairs you find that you now seem to be on the top floor. Checking the first room you find little of interest. A large number of wooden planks, rope, and other repair supplies are stored here. The ceiling above sags noticeably; in several areas patches of the sky above are visible.
"I suggest checking each door on our way, and try to find the most important-looking. I suspect a large room will contain a large ego."
Each of the next few rooms is stacked with old furniture, sheets and linens, boxes and crates, and other bits. Nothing of value is found.
The ceiling of this room angles down steeply, leaving only four feet of headroom to the southeast. A low cot and a dresser are the room’s only furnishings.
As you begin to examine the room a sudden and unmistakable shriek of pain echoes through the attic. The sound obviously comes from the door to area on the right at the end of the corridor.
Ferocia raises an eyebrow at the sound. "You getting killed up there, or what?" she calls out.
Miron shouts back down:
"No, but someone might be! Join us shortly!"
To the others, he speaks and signs:
"Let us advance to that room swiftly. But it may be a trap, so be wary."
He follows his own statement, keeping an eye out while moving down the corridor.
Miron finds the door is locked into the room where he heard the scream coming from.
"Azalia?" says Miron before he begins to pray, gripping his longbow tightly.
School transmutation; Level cleric 2, inquisitor 2, paladin 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, DF
Range touch
Target weapon touched
Duration 1 minute/level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless, object); Spell Resistance yes (harmless, object)
You transform a single weapon into an awe-inspiring instrument. The weapon gains a +2 sacred bonus on damage rolls, and if the weapon scores a critical hit, the target of that critical hit becomes shaken for 1 round with no saving throw. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. A ranged weapon affected by this spell applies these effects to its ammunition.
You can't cast this spell on a natural weapon, but you can cast it on an unarmed strike.
Azalia attempts to unlock the door.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Azalia?" says Miron before he begins to pray, gripping his longbow tightly.
Marten's head quickly swivels around to look at the elf.
"Has she turned already?!"
Azalia attempts to unlock the door.
"Oh."
It takes Azalia a time to get the lock open and reveal the room beyond. This room is cold and damp; an old armoire stands near the east wall. The ceiling slopes down to only four feet high to the northeast, leaving little room for a small window. A full-size mirror in a dark wooden frame of coiling roses leans against these bricks, angled toward the tiny window. A varissian woman stands before the mirror looking horrified as she gazes at her reflection. Her neck is bruised badly but her skin has become horribly pale and discoloured, it is still easy to see that she was once beautiful. Her hand touches her neck. She does not turn to look at you and merely sobs quietly.
Drazh you recognise this as the woman from your vision.
Fueled by hatred and a need for vengeance, a revenant rises from the grave to hunt and kill its murderer. Devoid of any compassion, emotion, or logic, a revenant has but one purpose, and cannot rest until it has found vengeance.
They have a number of abilities for tracking their killer, almost no illusion can trick them. They are undead with a singular purpose. Cutting blades work best against them.
You know that while vengeance motivates them Revenants have a powerful self loathing. This one is transfixed by it's reflection, if you block it's view of the mirror and do not try to impede it's movement it will be as a bloodhound with unnatural focus in locating it's killer. Attack it will also break its trance but likely lead to yourself being attacked as well.
Miron is unsure of what he is seeing.
Not yet time to force the issue.
He prays again, this time touching his eyelids.
School divination; Level alchemist 2, bard 2, inquisitor 2, psychic 2, shaman 2
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
EFFECT
Range personal
Target you
Duration 10 minutes/level (D)
DESCRIPTION
You gain heightened sensitivity to the mannerisms, reactions, and body language of one creature you can perceive, allowing you to sense its state of mind and easily influence it. You gain a +10 bonus on Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks attempted against the target creature, as well as a +5 bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks attempted against it.
"What?" Ferocia calls up from the bottom of the stairs. "Are you scared again?"
Ferocia smirks. "Wait til I show you my ugly side." she calls back up.
Azalia, seeing that the ghost isn't attacking them, cautiously asks Is there any way we can help you?
The woman looks in the mirror as if entranced by it not reacting to Azalia or the group.
In the still moments after shouting to Drazh while Ferocia is all alone she hears sounds, just the kind of sounds you hear in an old house... those creaks and groans of floor boards, nothing to be worried about as she continously shouts giving away her location... if something was coming for her she'd know by now right?
Miron steps forward into the room, his bow held in one hand but with no arrow and not aimed forward.
He speaks to the ghost.
"Greetings, I am Miron. Who are you? Do you know where Albrene Foxglove is?"
And he awaits her response, focusing heavily on the ghost.
The figure doesn't seem to respond but Miron notices a momentary flicker when he says the name Albrene Foxglove, rage, pain and remorse but she still seems transfixed by the mirror.
With a flash of inspiration, Miron uses sift to examine the mirror from a distance.
It appears to be a normal mirror from what Miron can tell.
Azalia moves between the ghost and the mirror to see if she can get her attention, and asks the same question again.
To the others, he softly says:
"The mirror appears normal, but perhaps it is transfixing her somehow. We could destroy or cover it and see what happens."
He looks around for a drape or blanket he could use to the latter effect.
As Azalia interposes the woman and the mirror the woman draws herself up and unleashes a baleful shriek, then cries out, “Aldern! I can smell your fear! You’ll be in my arms soon!"
The baleful shriek shakes the will of those about her sending all but Miron (and Anneka who can hear it) cowering in fear. She shoves past Azalia and starts heading towards the door.
So it had a reaction. Perhaps good.
Miron steps to the side, bow now firmly in one hand.
He says and signs rapidly:
"Let her through. I believe she may lead us to Aldern."
She moves with purpose out the door and through the corridor heading for the stairs. You note that the floorboards creek beneath her feet indicating she is likely corporeal.
Hearing the commotion upstairs, Ferocia lets her claws slip out and watches the stairwell.
It's hard to tell what's being said over all the screaming. Did someone just say to let it go?
"What?!" she calls up. "Did you say let it go?"
"Let it go! It may lead us to our quarry!", Miron shouts back, as he himself exits the room, following the ghost.
Ferocia steps back out of the way of... whatever's about to come barrelling down the stairs.
The woman storms past Ferocia on her descent towards the ground floor.
Though some are still recovering from her shriek if they run they can catch up with her.
Coming to the landing area she moves into a section previously unexplored by ye. A rather gruesome antique—what appears to be a mummifed monkey head—hangs on the northern wall here, its tiny mouth gaping. A bellpull extends from the monkey’s gaping mouth. A ratty throw rug partially obscures a foul stain of dark-colored mold on the floor.
She goes through a door and descends down a staircase.
Two wine racks line the walls here, their shelves empty and dusty. Mounds of broken glass bottles clutter the floor. But the creature ignores them as she moves with purpose and determination going through a door and down a corridor.
This room looks to have once been some sort of arcane workshop, although it now lies in ruin. A row of soggy books sits on the northern end of a workbench along the western wall. At the other end of the workbench, what looks like three iron birdcages sit, each containing a dead diseased rat.
To the east, two stained-glass windows loom. The northern window depicts a thin man with gaunt features drinking a foul-looking brew of green fluid, while the southern one shows the same man but in an advanced state of decay, as if he had been dead for several weeks. His arms raised and head thrown back in triumph, his rotting body turns to
smoke and spirals into a seven-sided box.
The man depicted in the stained glass window is Vorel Foxglove.
...but the creature continues briskly through the room ignoring the curious moldering books and other odd items through another door.
Piles of broken stone, dirt, and a few ruined pickaxes line the edges of this room. The floor in the middle of the room has been torn up to reveal an ancient set of stone spiral stairs, obviously of much older construction than the surrounding basement, winding deep into the bedrock below. A foul stink, like that of rotten meat, wafs up on a
cold breeze from the darkness.
The foul stench in the area is more than natural, you suspect a haunt affects the stairs though it does not seem to dissuade your guide.
Mirom chases after the ghost, trying not to allow her out of his sight.
Similarly to the ghost, he moves swiftly.
Unlike the ghost, he pays attention to their route's surroundings.
He says, both hands on bow:
"The stairs is afflicted by a haunt, but it is not impeding us. Let us continue the pursuit."
And continues after the ghost.
Ferocia shrugs and follows the ghost, apparently unconcerned she's chasing a corpse.
Bewildered that the others even tried to interact with this ghostly creature and are now following it after its shriek, Marten follows in silence.
But he makes a mental note to come back to those books on the workbench.