Imperia nods to the north and moves up to listen at the doorway. Her rapier is drawn.
Filiana stands in the shadows of the hub room, shuddering slightly at the memory of all the things she saw last time the group was in here.
I can't believe I've come back in here. And yet...
She removes her wet cloak and stows it in a side pocket of her pack. Then she takes a torch out of the main section of the pack and with a moments concentration and a snap of her fingers she sets light to it. Then she reaches out just before Imperia moves off and touches her rapier, which promptly lights up with a white glow.
Then realizing what she has just done, she pauses for a moment. Goodness! Look at me... you'd think I've been doing this my whole life. What ever will I be doing tomorrow?
Cawthorne moves up alongside Imperia to the side of the northern passage, cane at the ready.
"If there are enemies within," he whispers, "perhaps we might draw them down the passage to this chamber, where we have a tactical advantage?"
Imperia gives Dr. Cawthorne a nod in understanding, and a quick smile at Filiana for the light.
"Would you prefer I take the lead? I am quick on my feet, and can likely outpace anything that might lurk within, leading back here to you all."
Imperia takes a step back ad allows the Doctor to move to the front.
The good doctor steps carefully into the passageway, his keen eyes searching for any signs of danger...
Imperia shares what she saw with the group after she steps back into the room. "It's a hallway with what looks like a cell block ahead."
Making a conscious effort to keep her breathing steady, Filiana will move across to stand behind Imperia.
With a careful prayer to Arqueros, Khardan defends himself with shield of faith.
"I'll take point," he says, and does so, moving into the cell block carefully.
Khardan steps into the cell block, ready for trouble.
Several iron doors line the walls of this large, empty room. In the middle of the room, a hinged ten-foot-square metal grating lies over a dark pit in the floor. A thick rope has been tied to the grating and dangles into the pit below.
...
"...chop, chop, chop, chop..."
What was that?
"There's something making a chopping noise. Be careful." She has her rapier at the ready.
Khardan looks into the pit!
Moving up behind Imperia, Filiana mutters incomprehensibly as she reaches out. The pale white glow appears on her hand and transfers quickly onto Imperia, cloaking her in its faint glow.
"Bones are rattling in these cells as well!" Cawthorne peers into the room around Khardan.
"About drawing the enemies out of this room...?" he whispers to the half-orc.
As Khardan peeks into the pit, the chopping sounds stop.
At the bottom of the pit is a pale, hairless & gaunt figure, crouched and unmoving. It twitches once. Twice.
The smell of blood starts to come from the pit. Blood mixed with smoke.
How deep is the pit?
"Is that a fire I smell?" Imperia stands ready in case something jumps out at us. "Thank you Filiana for your help."
The gaunt figure's head starts twisting around on its neck until it stares up at Khardan with blank white eyes. A maniacal grin spreads across its lips.
Filiana is leaning left and right trying to see past Imperia to what is going on at the pit.
Bramwell advances calmly past his comrades, more intrigued than anything else. He stands close to Khardan and, staring into the pit, sees the pale creatures's maniac grin. "Another haunt, I wonder? Were it a dead prisoner, it would be nothing but bones left. Or maybe it is yet something else."
"Can any of you shoot it?"
Filiana moves forward cautiously. "I could try. My spells seemed to destroy those skeletons that attacked us."
Looking down at the creature with revulsion, she points her hand down at it and mutters some almost-words. As she speaks, her eyes begin to glow with a pale white light and after a moment a fine white beam of light springs out from her hand at the creature below.
"Mind those cells!"
Cawthorne stays put, looking back at Imperia and shaking his head at her with a shrug. It's evident that only Miss Albus and I have ever labored under the discipline of a proper formal education!
The pale figure's head twitches to Filiana as she fires her magic at it--and in the blink of an eye, it twitches to the side, dodging it. It starts floating up, a bloodied axe appearing in its hands.
"...chop. Chop. Chop. Chop. CHOP." It growls, its eyes locked on Filiana.
Filiana goes pale as she sees the ghostly axe appearing in the creature's hands and her hand goes to her neck at the remembered pain from her time in the church. But this time she does not weep. This time the horror on her face changes into something altogether stronger and the white light begins to glow in her eyes even though she is not yet doing anything like casting a spell.
"No!" she says in a stern tone that none have heard from her before. "No! You shall not! All those people you killed. All that pain, and fear, and blood! No more!"
With that, more unintelligible words spring from her lips, different from any she has used before and a pulse of bright white light explodes out from her and flows across all of her allies. As the light touches each member of the party there is a brief sensation, not quite a sound, more like the memory of a sound, of a high horn, blown in the distance. Everyone who hears it is emboldened and uplifted by it.
Imperia moves into melee with the creature. "I believe we have found one of the gentlemen we are looking for. Lord Bramwell do you have his chopper?"
She attacks the creature.
Bramwell reachs into his sack and stuffs his hand inside, reaching for the cursed handaxe. "Ah, yes, yes. It would seem the time has come for the Lopper to be reunited with his blade, and hopefully separated from his own body, yes?" Gripping the weapon tightly with both hands, the nobleman feels the chill of the Lopper's essence burning his fingers as he raises his trembling arms in preparation to strike down the vile murderer.
(not included: +2 vs. disease and mind-affecting effects; -1 vs. effects that damage, drain or reduce physical ability scores)
Khardan moves to place himself between The Lopper and Filiana, then utters a short prayer to Arqueros.
Cawthorne hesitates, still wary of the surrounding cells, until Filiana's incantation instills in him the urge to act. What am I thinking? I cannot leave my allies in the lurch! The tengu rushes past Filiana to flank the murderous spirit opposite Lord Bramwell, and thus positioned he takes a hard swing at it with his cane.
Imperia & Dr. Cawthorne's strikes aim true--and they pass through the Lopper's form without hurting him. The man's body drifts in response to the weapons passing through him, but his form turns translucent, and he grins at them with glee.
Well, up until Lord Bramwell's swipe. The Lopper's Axe glows a dark, bloody red around its edge, and it rakes across the wraith's back, making a sound like the tearing of flesh. The Lopper's grin abruptly fades, replaced by a howl of pain.
It whirls on the dhampir, glaring murderously at him before swinging its axe...
...and it appears his long confinement has affected his aim. The axe whistles over his head ineffectually.
Bramwell ducks to avoid the Lopper's clumsy swing, but finds fimself off-balance in doing so, taking a sidestep to regain his footing. As a result, the dhampir's own riposte is feeble, and likely a miss, Bramwell assumes, although his target's intangibility makes it difficult to determine the accuracy of the strikes against it.
Bramwell's swing goes wide.
"Arqueros, bless my spear!" huffs Khardan as he attacks.
Khardan's spear encounters momentary resistance, but it causes the Lopper to flinch in pain.
Trying not to draw attention to herself, Filiana's hand points at the incorporeal attacking Lord Bramwell as she mutters unintelligibly to herself. After a moment a thin beam of white light lances out at the creature.
vs DC 15 - Success!
vs Touch AC
EDIT: Added in extra +1 for my own Bless spell!
The ray of white energy flies past the Lopper and hits the far wall.
The doctor's beak drops open in disbelief as his precise strike passes harmlessly through the ghostly Lopper. When Lord Bramwell's ax stroke elicits howls of pain he snaps it shut and regains his resolve. This will be the lord's fight to win! I'd best protect him as I can.
Cawthorne steps into the empty corner of the room, cane at the ready should any more material foes present themselves.
Imperia takes the time to make her Rapier her imbued. "This time it should hit."
The Lopper turns his attention back to Lord Bramwell, seething with anger. Its translucent axe raises high, and comes down...
...only to miss again.
Cawthorne winces as the Lopper swipes his ax at Lord Bramwell, showing visible relief when the ghost's aim seems none improved by its undead state. He keeps at the ready should any new danger engage them.
Once more, Bramwell escapes the Lopper's chop, but not really thanks to his own nimbleness. The ghost strikes erratically; passionately, almost. It is disturbed by me having his weapon, is the nobleman's conclusion. Taking advantage of the Lopper's reckless attacks, Bramwell finds an opening and aims his strike right in the middle of the ghost's ethereal chest.
Khardan backs up 5' feet and blesses Cawthorne's weapon.
"You are part of the shield that guards the mortal realm, Doctor! To arms!"
Bramwell's next strike rips an ethereal tear in the Lopper's form, eliciting another howl of pain.
Disappointed to have missed with her spell, Filiana decides to try instead her holy fire. She points her hand again and a stream of white flame shoots forth at the Lopper.
vs Touch AC
The white flame splashes across the Lopper's back for divine damage.
Once again Filiana's magic lances past the ghostly figure to strike the wall beyond him.
Unfortunately, Filiana's ray misses once again.