Amkarang stands back, ”Well, feels strange to just stand here. Not much else to do.”
William pulls out the wand of magic missile and fires it at the creature.
As predicted, the malevolent spirit doesn't follow the living outside of the kennels. One of Aerel's arrows passes through it and takes away some of its ghostly essence. The magic of William's wand hits it with full effect, but the spectre remains potent, floating back and forth and hungering for life.
Aerel keeps shooting. Teasingly, "That wand is hardly sporting, William." Then he adds, "Does it have enough charges to kill this thing?"
William shrugs, "I don't know but I can try this.".
Benedict shakes his head and tries to clear the horrific sensation.
As if part of his soul was just sucked away.
"Don't let it touch you!"
”Sure. The hobgoblins aren’t using them any more, so I hauled several quivers into the forge where our allies have set up camp. We should have plenty.”
William shouts over his shoulder "I have two flasks of holy water we can use as well. They are in my pack if you want to dig them out."
One more of Aerel's arrows harms the undead, and William's own magic is much more potent than the wand he used. The spirit isn't stupid, and as the group retreats to the safety of the sunlight, it slinks back into the darkness of the kennels and out of sight.
"Grum, Amkarang, can you get in there and finish it off?"
William adds "I can keep using the wand of magic missile or I could use the wand of fireball. I could also switch over to my bow. I don't know who is doing more damage the wand or Aerel. What do you think?"
"I think your bow, if it appears in your line of fire again."
Aerel stands with another shot readied.
"I don't think knocking down the walls and shooting it is going to work. It rose up from the floor before. If it went back inside the floor, then being prepared to strike as soon as it appears seems the only way to defeat it.
Maybe if we all had flasks of holy water... I guess we could ask Aubrin to make some."
Willam opens his pack and pulls out two vials of holy water. "Take these. Aerel and I can use our bows. You guys can use these. Hopefully we can kill it quickly."
”See what the priestess can bring to bear vs. such a foe. I will wait to see if it will show itself once more. I could see it’s essence torn by my arrows - perhaps one or two more will be enough.”
Nobody else does the damage that a Ghost Touch Grum can do with a readied action. We are looking at about 5 for Benedict (with a vial of Holy Water) and about 7 for Aerel and 9 for Amkarang (single regular attacks, halved). Grum does his full damage of 20 or so. Only William's Magic Missile spell is close. (William, did you update for level 7 with the new feat, new spells known, and new spell slots?)
Benedict will go in with an open vial of Holy Water and a readied action if it will make Grum feel better, but only if Grum goes as well.
Aerel holds out a hand. "Wait. What is so pressing that we must deal with this creature right now with what we have on-hand? It seems to be limited to this building and we have other concerns, do we not?"
"We have injured it. Can such things recover and regain their strength?
I would hate for our efforts to be in vain."
William says "I believe this is the last threat we have to deal with here. As Benedict said it is wounded. If we wait and can memorize two magic missiles. We can take some time and talk to any of our experts we brought with us and see if there are anymore holy water or other resources we haven't identified."
Benedict moves in alongside Grum, holy water at the ready.
William stands at the doorway ready to shoot if the creature appears.
Sensing its prey returning, the spectre darts out from its hiding place deep within the kennel. This time, though, the heroes of Phaendar are ready for the danger. Benedict splashes it with holy water, and Grum's blade slices the ghostly apparition like it was made of real flesh.
In a keening wail that chills your bones, the undead spirit is destroyed!
Searching through the kennel, you find a loose stone in the floor concealing 512 gp 14 Molthuni medals (worth 25 gp each), a magical bead and two pairs of gloves (also magical).
"Thank you for trusting in my plan, Grum. I know it was a risk."
Benedict finds the loose stone in the floor.
"Hmm.... fourteen Molthuni medals? Trophies, perhaps? Maybe our Rangers can tell us who this spectre was."
He will bring the items for William and the adepts to identify.
"I suppose the next step is to search the place thoroughly," "deal with any returning patrols, and then start bringing our refugees here from the caves. Maybe we can do a little more business with the Darklands trader in the course of that move."
William takes the items and sits in the shade with them. He casts detect magic and attempts to identify them.
William figures out that the bead is a bead of force, while both pairs of gloves are assisting gloves.
Is the Rangers' gear to be found anywhere in the fort? Or should we equip them out of the hobgoblins' gear?
The Rangers' gear had clearly been doled out amongst the hobgoblins, so outfitting them involves reclaiming them from the hobgoblins.
One of the prisoners of the Legion, Cobb Greenleaf, was a subcommander of Fort Trevelay. He and Ceirio take provisional command of the fort, though they both view the Heroes of Phaendar as honorary Chernasardo Rangers and the defacto leaders of the fort so long as they remain.
When it becomes evident that the Heroes plan to head back to the caves to collect the rest of the refugees and then continue to Fort Ristin, Ceirio decides to remain at Trevelay. "Best of luck to you. Hopefully those fey won't give you much trouble. You're dragon-killers now. Don't let some drunken korreds give you a hard time."
The rest of the militia who traveled with the Heroes decide to accompany them back to the caves and plan to escort the refugees back to Trevelay, assuming that the Heroes will want to make for Fort Ristin immediately.
Though Fort Trevelay will be short-staffed, the Rangers who remain are confident that they will be able to hold off any straggling Ironfang remnants. "Be swift, if you are able," Cobb says as they are about to leave. "I don't like the looks of those battle maps left by the Legion. We're safe for the time being, but I'm not sure about the rest of Nirmathas."
Benedict wears the Aegis of Recovery and Amkarang's Belt of Mighty Constitution in an attempt to recover from the specter's touch.
So his first priority is to get from the trader a scroll of Restoration than can remove the level drain (1,700 GP). Aubrin can use it on him after we clear Fort Ristin.
He will also seek to buy the material components to craft a Manual of War and a Circlet of Persuasion.
Aubrin activates the spell, and the unnatural weakness lingering in Benedict is finally lifted.
After selling off the treasures they have no need of, and buying/upgrading their gear, the Heroes of Phaendar head out to the ruins of Fort Ristin again to see what the fey have done to the place.
It takes a day and a half to reach the fort. Ristin remains hidden as ever, but the signs remain that they used before to find the secluded redoubt.
When they arrive, the fort still partially stands, though with walls shattered and towers broken.
It is much quieter this time. The Red Rock Revel seems to have ended.
Benedict worked on his book during the night, when he would be the second person on a watch shift. "Aerel, I'll be right here, and I'm awake, but this will benefit all of us. You'll see."
----
On reaching Fort Ristin, Benedict listens for any sound.
"Is it too much to hope they have left?"
Benedict looks on the ground for tracks, trying to see if a large number of individuals have walked away from the Fort.
He has the flag and buckler in one hand, the MW Cold Iron Scimitar in the other.
|
Grum walked along looking happier than ever. Not only had they killed a dragon, but his life had become *much* more comfortable. With his share of the loot he had his armor enchanted. Not to be stronger...no. Now it was always clean and felt as comfortable as a suit of regular clothes. And not only that, but he had a ring which allowed him to forgo food, water, and (for the most part) sleep. It made living in the wilderness no longer a hardship. He couldn’t think of any purchase as sound.
Neither Grum nor Benedict can hear anything other than the general sounds of nature.
"Aerel, can you sneak up on the gap in the wall and see if you spot any guards?"
The elf salutes and heads forward.
When he looks into the courtyard, he sees a grim, but quiet scene. Apparently empty of anything living, there are brown-stained rocks and the remains of several hobgoblins whose blood was used to provide the color. Broken casks litter the grounds along with the tumbled stones of the fortress.
He sees nothing moving but a few carrion birds still picking at the mostly-clean bones.
If he sees nothing after ten minutes, he will prepare to enter the courtyard, searching for traps as he goes. (Another +3 to his Perception check for those checks.)
Aerel disappears into the rocks. Several minutes pass with no noise but the ambient sounds of nature.
Aerel sees no sign of activity for the ten minutes he watches.
When he finally slips into the courtyard, he sees no sign of physical or magical traps about.
When he reaches the interior courtyard, suddenly the Red Rock Revel erupts all around him! Korreds and other fey are guzzling booze, tormenting captive hobgoblins to death, and engaging in violent drinking games and he is in the center of it. Aerel looks down and sees a large mug in his hands!
Aerel tries to leave the courtyard.