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Just Walter and Septimus left, and both of them have said they're pretty busy at the moment. So I will wait for around 24hrs from now before moving things along. If there is no action, I will do the following:
Walter
- Attempt Will save.
- 5 ft. step to Y14.
- Burning hands to catch both apparitions.
- Commence retrieval of magic stone (takes a standard action due to haunted curse).
Septimus
- Attempt Will save.
- Hunker down beside the cot to gain soft cover.
- Throw bomb at both apparitions, aiming for the apparition in square AA16.
Happy to take suggestions from the floor while we wait, as well.
And Rose, no problem with light on your sword. No darkness over in that corner now. : )
Karrik--unfortunately Lem didn't begin his performance until Round 1, and the fear effect happened in the surprise round, so you are indeed frightened. I'm happy for Karrik to cower in the stairwell, he doesn't need to either run further away, or open heretofore unexplored doors.
Karrik's skin becomes instantly clammy under his clothes, and suddenly the room is too small, too dark, and it's too hard to breathe. He does his best to master his response, though he can't help but take backwards, retreating steps back towards the stairwell… leaving Lem holding the rock.
Theron's eyes widen with horror at the scene that he's beholding and an instinct to flee quickly sinks in. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knows what's happening. He knows that the fear isn't natural and that he needs to fight it. He tries to remember his training... some of which he received specifically so he could resist exactly this sort of vileness. However, it all slips away. He forgets what he had been taught, and turns and rushes out of the room.
All right, let's keep moving:
Will saves
Well, that was easy.
Walter and Septimus both hare out of the room for:
rounds each.
Team Creepy
The chuckling continues as most of the party flees, leaving only Rose, Raj and Lem in the room with the now-invisible poltergeists.
The three of you watch in horror as the rusty surgical implements still scattered around the room begin to levitate, before whipping around the room as though caught in a tornado. The rags that were once bedsheets flap around in the sudden breeze.
Rose raises her sword in an attempt to deflect the whirling projectiles, but a scalpel gets through her guard and buries itself in her left arm--and while she's distracted by the pain, a heavy clamp strikes her a glancing blow in the temple. Lem, meanwhile, is hurt when an entire tray of needles is flung at his head and neck.
You can no longer see the poltergeists, and you aren't certain where they are any more either. Creative solutions to this problem will be rewarded--bearing in mind that the poltergeists are both invisible and incorporeal.
That said, one of them is giggling to itself, so feel free to make a Perception check against DC .
And just so I can show that there is no funny business going on or fudging of positions--and because I will forget if I don't write it down somewhere--the other one is in square
Walter, you're back in action after fleeing for a round.
Dragomir, you have to continue fleeing this round because you can still see what's going on in the room.
Theron, Septimus, Karrik--you can act how you want now that you're out of sight of the room, but if you go back into the corridor you will become frightened again, until your duration expires.
Rajuna watches the majority of the team flee up the stairs. It would almost be comic if it weren't so deadly serious. In the general hubbub at the stairs, he loses the location of the spirits. He spares a glance for Rose and Lem. "I've got a bad idea that might work... Hopefully you'll see the spirits in just a moment." He pulls a Ghost Touched magic arrow from his quiver, holding it like a blade. He deliberately crosses the center of the room - making a bee-line for the operating table where his still empowered Magic Stone rests. With every step he braces himself for an invisible attack and anticipates his counter.
Round 2
HP 11/19
Arcane Pool 3/4
Effects
Inspire Courage
Arcane Enhancement
Rose wipes her crystal blood out from her eyes as it streams down from the blow to her head. Slightly fazed, she makes out what Raj is doing and prepares to strike at anything targeting him.
Lem looks around, seeing the party scattered and wounded. He shouts in the direction of the stairs, hoping to rally his companions.
Friends, take heart! The waters of holy Pharasma will cleanse the evil from this room and put fear into the undead hearts of these spirits.
The priest strides boldly to the operating table, dowsing the unattended implements with holy water.
Dragomir pounds his way up the stairs and flattens himself, somewhat irrationally, against the wall next to them, heart beating like a drum.
Raj makes his way across the room carefully, but although the spirits don't attack him, he does hear a chuckle very close by as he makes his way across; spinning around, he jabs the arrow in his hand into the empty space where he heard the voice.
There is a shriek of pain as Raj's arrow finds the invisible creature, encountering a strange resistance in the air that Raj's brain tries desperately to process, as the poltergeist remains invisible.
Rose, ready to act, makes a quick step to the side and blasts a shaft of white light from her outstretched palm into the same space as Raj's arrow, outlining the poltergeist in the air as an absence--an invisibility where there should be a creature. Lem, taking his opportunity, steps forward and upends his flask of holy water onto the...thing.
As Rose's bar of light vanishes, the creature still writhes around with the arrow embedded in it, which it wrenches out of Raj's grasp.
There is just time for Walter to appear at the doorway, looking contrite, when...
Team Creepy
...the poltergeist lets out a scream of rage, as surgical implements, bed sheets, loose pieces of bed frame, and a miniature whirlwind of dust erupt from the centre of the room.
Lem takes a glancing blow on the arm from a heavy piece of timber, formerly a part of one of the cot frames.
Soon, all is still again--but there is a gibbering coming from the space between Raj, Rose and Lem, from which some kind of eldritch vapour is slowly rising.
Team PC
Your turn. You can't actually see the creatures so providing you with an accurate condition summary would be impossible. Poltergeist #1, though, is pretty badly off judging by its insane ranting and shrieking.
Walter, you can act normally.
Theron, Septimus, Dragomir, Karrik, you can act normally so long as you stay out of sight of the room. You can, for instance, cast buff spells, if you want. Essentially, you become rational once out of sight of the source of your fear.
Have at it boys and girls.
Rajuna! the priest cries, drawing another vial marked with the spiral symbol of Pharasma, These creatures are not of this plane, and cannot attack you directly. They can merely animate the objects in the room. Baiting them won't work, we have to locate them by sound. Like this one here, he gestures, pulling the cork from the bottle.
Pharasma and Desna, together, shall speed you on your true path to the afterlife, not this mockery between worlds. Accept their blessing, and be free!
Lem douses the water near the rising vapors, trying to strike the ghost.
Karrik hears the ongoing fight, but can't quite bring himself to look into the room. He looks at his teammates instead, "Can't seem to bring myself to re-engage... any other plans?"
Rajuna doesn't hesitate. He pulls his last remaining ghost-touch arrow from the quiver and stabs at the wispy beast again, trying to bury the arrow in what passes for its 'head'.
Karrik hears the ongoing fight, but can't quite bring himself to look into the room. He looks at his teammates instead, "Can't seem to bring myself to re-engage... any other plans?"
Theron seems to be shaking, though the look on his face makes it difficult to tell is from fear or rage. Shameful... you're supposed to be better than this! "I... can't go yet". He pauses for a moment as he tries to think. "We should use protection spells on the first person who can make it back in."
I am seriously under the pump at work at the moment, but Lem is right on the extra damage, and his second dump of holy water will kill the poltergeist. I'll post something more descriptive later.
This means that Raj, you don't need to use your arrow on the poltergeist as it is already dead, however, if you pass a DC 15 Perception check I'll let you locate the other spirit as it keens for its dead companion, then you can use the rolls on it, if you like.
Theron, Walter has headed back into the room. If Raj or Rose can locate the remaining poltergeist (Lem is busy intoning his sermon and dumping his holy water, and consequently won't be able to make his way over to where the spirit is to pinpoint its square), I'll have Walter head over and unleash burning hands, unless Ice Titan comes back before tomorrow.
At present, both Walter and Septimus appear to be busy. I will PM them tomorrow to see if I can raise them.
Rajuna listens to the mourning dirge of the second spirit, from somewhere, at the destruction of its companion. He snatches the Magic Stone from the operating table and pulls the last ghost touched arrow from his quiver. The thief growls at the invisible creature, brandishing his motley weapons. "Come get a piece of me, ya bellyaching spook. Let's send you to join your friend."
Karrik hears the ongoing fight, but can't quite bring himself to look into the room. He looks at his teammates instead, "Can't seem to bring myself to re-engage... any other plans?"
Trying hard not to soil myself, Dragomir comments somewhat fatalistically from the top of the stairs. Got any of that finger waving mumbling magic that will work? - Hows Raj doin anyways?
"All of my 'finger-wavin' requires line of sight to my target, unless you're suggesting I use a spell to enhance the capabilities of one of us in the hallway... which seems unhelpful."
Karrik, still sweating, cocks his head as he listens to the fight. He winces at the sounds and looks away, "Rajuna sounds to be giving as good as he's receiving. Hopefully that wailing isn't one of ours..."
I'll wait to see if Rose can make a post in the next 4-5 hours or so before wrapping things up for this round.
Round 3
HP 11/19
Arcane Pool 3/4
Effects
Inspire Courage
Arcane Enhancement
Rose keeps her voice quiet, carefully searching the room, trying to find the source of the voice. She keeps her left hand raised, the incantation upon her lips for the moment the spirit reveals itself. The only sounds she can seem to pinpoint are the others voices and her own heartbeat.
Lem upends his vial of holy water onto the steaming but invisible spirit, which howls in agony and then--judging by the arrow that still sticks out of it--collapses to the floor. Seconds pass--to all appearances, it looks like the creature is dead.
A similar howl arises from the north end of the room, but neither Raj nor Rose can pinpoint its exact location.
Walter is similarly nonplussed.
Team Creepy
The howling increases in volume as the creature somewhere to the north end of the room hurls more debris at the interlopers.
A surgical knife slices Raj's arm, almost directly across where he cut himself only two days ago to demonstrate a point to Kendra. Rose gets the remains of a bedsheet tangled around her head, and stumbles into a corner of the operating table, jarring her knee and giving her a limp.
As far as you can tell, the first poltergeist is dead. There is certainly much less debris being thrown around the room now.
The second poltergeist is definitely in the north end of the room. Again, DC 15 Perception checks to locate it as it screams its incoherent rage.
Theron, Karrik, you find your fear abating and can now rejoin the fight. If you make it into the room this round you can make the above Perception check as a free action. (Don't worry about Walter being in the doorway, allies ignore each other for movement purposes, I believe--of if you want to end your movement in his square, let me know and I'll shuffle him over.)
Dragomir, Septimus, you're still not sure that going back in there is a good idea. (One more round to go.)
Fortunately Septimus has been a bit...busy? in this combat, but in future, yes, that would work well for me. Thanks Lem.
Suddenly the fog lifts, and he scowls back at the room. For all his supposed brains, in this moment, he just looks like a pissed off half-orc. He slams a fist into Dragomir's chest, "We need to get our asses back in there."
Suiting actions to words, he rushes down the stairs, muttering a few arcane words and preparing a spell against the ghost-things. As he steps past Walter, Karrik scans the room for sight or sound of the ghost.
As he slides to a halt in the room, he points at the window with his blade, "He's by the window! Between the two cots!"
Raj ignores the wound for the moment, looking for the tell-tale signs of his quarry. "Ah ha! Got ya, ya thrice-damned spirit! Rose, it's by the window!"
The thief moves across the intervening space, careful to not trip over the jetsam littering the floor, and stabs his makeshift weapon at the spirit. "Die, black-hearted wisp!"
Both attacks hit--the creature is still wailing and therefore obviously still alive, but everyone in the room is now aware it's in square Y11. (Map updated.)
PS: Karrik, I put you at the entrance to the room (and moved Walter), so you can do your thing when you get there. Theron should be able to fire into the room (if he wants) from the doorway--even if you are distributed around the stairs in odd ways, I figure the fact that you are all able to act normally while there means you could jostle for a good position before jumping back in, so your 30ft. of movement ends just inside the room.
Fortunately Septimus has been a bit...busy? in this combat, but in future, yes, that would work well for me. Thanks Lem.
Lem admires the heavily wounded Samsaran standing her ground amidst the onslaught of the specters. He steps around Karrik, clearing his line of fire while moving next to Rose.
Rose, have you heard the expression: "Fortune favors the bold?" I know it to be true. Remain steadfast against the forces of evil, and Desna will shield us from the worst they can muster. Your journey will not end here. Accept Desna's guidance, and destroy this creature!
Feeling the grip of the fear finally fade, Theron heads back to the room right behind Karrik. He quickly moves into position and lets an arrow loose upon the spot that everyone else seems to be firing.
Round 4
HP 16/19
Arcane Pool 3/4
Effects
Inspire Courage
Arcane Enhancement
About to charge the spirit, Rose holds as Lem comes up and closes some of the wounds inflicted upon her. "Thank you, Lem." Taking the stone offered, thankful for her hurt leg, she whips the stone with all her might but watches as it spins oddly, uncertain of it's strike.
Dragomir turns to his faith to calm himself from the terrors caused by the disembodied spirits and their wails... he mentally runs through some of the Psalms he had read in the last two days...
Oh Lady of Graves, Oh That I may walk in life in such a way that I may, in the Spiral Boneyard and before thy seat, give account of my deeds that finds favour in thy judgement. Give me now that which I need...
His memory falters, the language far too flowery and stilted for his nature.
Lady of Graves, I need courage to cut down our foes.... Please, help me, he says simply as he brings up his blade in one hand and fumbles for a vial of holy water with the other.
Theron's arrow clatters off the wall and lands on the floor; no telling from this distance whether it's useable again or not.
Rose, unless I am missing something, you should take the -4 penalty for making a ranged attack into melee, and miss with your magic stone.
Dragomir, you feel a warmth and comfort suffuse you as your fear finally fades. You are free to act next round, as is Septimus.
Walter strides across the room and fans his hands out in an arcane gesture while mumbling under his breath--and a sheet of flame erupts across the space in front of him.
The spirit shrieks in pain--but survives. The cots engulfed in the flames (marked on the map) catch fire and burn slowly--although the room does begin to fill with smoke.
(On the smoke, you'll be fine for Round 5, in Round 6 there will be partial concealment, on Round 7 there will be partial concealment and everyone will be sickened, and by Round 8 anyone remaining in the room will be nauseated. Not that I think it will take that long to finish this off.)
Poltergeist #2 attacks Walter, Raj and Rose.
A burning piece of cot frame breaks off and smacks Walter in the head, while a piece of masonry hits Raj's elbow.
Everyone is free to act now. I don't think I've missed anything in my rewritten post!
Dragomir moves down the stairs to the mouth of the room, holy water in hand...
Dragomir moves down the stairs to the mouth of the room, holy water in hand...
Here you go. : )
I'll add it to the campaign overview page.
Desna, grant me the gift of your sight, that I may divine the location of this malicious shade.
Lem cranes his head, listening, and hears...nothing.
Show yourself, spirit! he yells in frustration.
Knowing that they needed to take care of the poltergeist quickly before the smoke made things worse, Theron pushed into the room and began scanning the area. His keen senses quickly picked up the slightest signs of a wavering in the air moving towards walter. Walter, it is next to you, between the cots!
The inquisitor fires a shot where he thinks the poltergeist is, but the fact that it fails to hit anything doesn't lend much credibility to his claims.