Go back to the double doors on this floor before going upstairs.
"Like I said. Heartbreaking."
"The destruction of any family unit is a heartbreaking loss, both to those involved and the community at large. Family is the backbone of any society. The perversions that happen when the natural roles are thwarted leads to situations exactly like this."
He clears his throat as he looks around. "Well, maybe there's a bit more going on here than just a breakdown of the family unit," he adds a mite sheepishly.
A stone fireplace sits in the northwestern portion of this chamber. Portraits hang on the walls to the north and the south, each covered with a thick sheet of dusty cobwebs that obscures its subject from view.
With nothing immediately out of the ordinary, Tomaru steps into the room and moves to the side to allow room for the others.
Perception:
Rhianni suspicious of the paintings follows after Tomaru into the room.
There's nothing else there.
Tomaru goes to the first picture on the north wall and removes the covering to see the painting underneath.
Lym once again casts Detect Magic and scans the room before anyone can go in.
Rhianni goes over towards the fireplace, not wanting to be close to the picture.
The first picture depicts a tall, middle-aged man with long dark hair, a clean-shaven face, and dark blue noble's clothes. A plaque underneath reads "Vorel Foxglove".
"Family portrait gallery?" Tomaru will uncover all of the paintings along the north wall then the south wall until something happens or nothing happens.
Also on the north wall are a portrait of a stern-faced brunette woman with wisps of grey in her short hair and flowing blue dress, named 'Kasanda Foxglove, and a portrait of a small girl named 'Lorey Foxglove'.
On the south wall are: Traver Foxglove, tall and thin like Vorel, but with an even narrower face and a think mustache; Cyralie, a young woman with long red hair and an impish smile; a boy named Aldern; and two girls named Sendeli and Zeeva.
Wis
Stupid dice. Next room we enter, I'm using Bit of Luck.
Wisdom check:
Wisdom check:
d20+1
Wisdom check:
[ooC]Sorry, yes Lucian is my alter ego. Gone back to university and monday is my first exam. So my head is spinning with abstracts,
As soon as you wipe away the last of the cobwebs, the temperature in the room drops dramatically.
Lym, Rhianni, and Praxim notice the chill first.
"Everyone get out of the room!" Lym snaps as she brings her hands up in an arcane gesture.
"What she said!" Praxim barks grimly. He half-raises his bow, but realizes it would probably be useless.
Your breath frosts in the air, and fingers of rime slither across the walls. The figures depicted in the portraits suddenly shift from paintings of living people to those of dead folk. Kasanda and Lorey slump into misshapen tumor-ridden corpses. Traver grows pale as a long cut opens in his throat and blood washes over his chest. Cyralie blackens and chars, and her arms, legs, and back twist as of broken in a dozen places. Aldern's flesh darkens with rot, his hair falls out, and he deforms into a ghoul-like monster.
Sendeli and Zeeva's portraits frost over, but otherwise remain unchanged.
Vorel's entire portrait, frame and all, suddenly erupts into an explosion of fungus and tumorous growth, washing over the entire room seconds before the room reverts back to normal.
Rhianni rushes from the room in response to Lym's words and the icy feeling in the air.
Fort
"I'm setting fire to the next room."
"I... hate... ghosts," Lym says as she backs up, teeth chattering behind her veil. "It... becomes clear that... it dislikes these... people... no?"
Equally disgusted with the vile fungus and other growths, Praxim backs quickly away from the room, pondering, "I wonder why two of the protraits didn't change."
"Keep away! I've been infected. Screw the next room. I'm setting fire to this entire house." Tomaru activates his Bit of Luck ability for himself.
Nothing happens in the next round.
Rhianni managed to avoid the explosion altogether.
Praxim ignores Tomaru's warning, and moves up to have a close look.
Heal:
Ashen faced Rhianni turns around and looks into the room, to see the damage done. "We should destroy that portrait." She takes up a wand, carved sigils of force along its handle, pointing at the portrait she calls out the magic as small points of force shimmer as they travel through the air, unerringly hitting the portrait. "We must do something to stop the evil in this place!" she shakes in frustration and fear.
The picture is destroyed, bits and pieces flying everywhere.
"Foolish!" Lym hisses. "It may have been that the ghost despised Vorel because he did something to it in life!" She raises her voice a little: "Spirit! Is this the case? Did these people do aught to win your malice? Speak to us, if you can."
There's no response.
"Lets us see what's below, the spirits here are truly malevolent." says Rhianni, hoping they don't need to go into that room again.
"If you want to explore more in there, go see where those other doors lead to. I'll catch my breath here, I can catch you up if you call for my help!" she says putting on a brave face.
Tomaru goes to open the next set of doors out of this room. He casts Guidance on himself just before opening the door.
The furniture in this bedroom, while dusty and unkempt, does not exhibit any signs of water or mold damage. The one exception is a dark stain on the desk near the northern window.
"Ah, this looks more like it!" Lym says, rubbing her hands at the sight of the desk. "Paperwork."
Before she proceeds into the room, however, the Wizard casts Detect Magic.
Praxim growls, his bow up again.
"More ghosts!"
"Bother!" Lym curses, her hands raised in a magical gesture. "Listen, can you pinpoint where the presence is strongest? At all?"
Praxim nods absently and concentrates more, to pinpoint the aura's strength and location (gets the strength after one round, and location after the second).
Rhianni waits, her body trembling a little, waiting for her friends to call her forward, if needs be.
Praxim angles his bow over to point it at Tomaru.
"It's him. He's infected with that evil mold."
"Well, that's a problem," Lym says after a moment of thought. "But not a killing offense. Kindly put the bow down, Praxim. Tomaru, are you still with us? Can you mend yourself, physician?"
Rhianni looks around fearful, not hearing any call.