"The Whispering Tyrant. Of course." Says Ulrich as he chides himself for not seeing the connection. "Are they strictly necromancers, or are they also priests of Urgathoa?"
As Alessandra returns, he mentions to her "Well done indeed. I was not aware that you were a nature lover. I figured that was more of Elka's domain. Do you have a name for the tiger?"
"There are a lot of members of the Whispering Way that follow the Pallid Princess, but the organization itself doesn't really propose a particular faith. Anything that supports the transition to undeath is ok with them."
~~~
"Why would she name the tiger?" Gabbi interjects before Allie can answer. "It's going on its way and we're going on ours." She turns back to her sister for confirmation.
Ellie looks doubtfully at the tiger, and then at Allie, and then back to Gabbi. "It, uh, it doesn't look like it's got plans to be elsewhere."
The dhampir stares back at Ellie for a moment before replying.
"Well we do," she says as if that's the end of it.
"Why would she name the tiger?" Gabbi interjects before Allie can answer. "It's going on its way and we're going on ours." She turns back to her sister for confirmation.
"But Gabbi..." Allie says, sounding hurt. When her sister turns around she's greeted by Alessandra in full 'puppy-eye' mode, looking cute and pleadingly at her sister.
"His name is Cuddles and he likes me, and he's so warm to hug and cuddly and lovely and cuddly!" She finishes. Aware that that's not perhaps the best argument to use with her notoriously pragmatic sister she returns to pouting.
"Besides, Ellie likes him... and you know I've always wanted a pet!"
"Allie ..." Gabbi responds, but trails off. Her resistance to her sister's pouts has gotten her into more than their share of trouble, but she's never been able to hold out against it.
She sighs.
"Fine, but if he bites me, I'm biting him back," she says in a resigned voice.
Cuddles the tiger placidly licks the blood off his lips.
***
Jando's blind proves a safe place to rest. You awaken the next morning refreshed and ready to begin exploring the ruins of Roslar's Coffer.
------------------------------
Spells Prepared
------------------------------
0th (at will) Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Touch of Fatigue
1st Dancing Lantern, Enlarge Person x2, Repair Undead, Vanish
2nd Blood Transcription,
3rd Haste, Tongues, Speak with Dead
Ulrich starts the day by casting False Life on himself using the rod of extend.
~~~~~
Dawn finds Gabriella counting the ammo for her crossbow. "Quick trip to the inn and then off to Roslar's tomb," she says to the others. "Is there anyplace else anyone needs to go before we do all that?"
Between arcane murmurings, Ulrich says "We could always scour the surface for things of value. I do not mean wealth, but instead weapons and magic. Shops no longer have shopkeepers, after all."
The inquisitor looks down again at her almost empty quiver and nods. "That wouldn't be a bad thing to do along the way. Does anyone know if there was a fletcher's shop near the inn or the cemetery?"
Gabby recalls a fletcher's shop stood a block or so away from the inn. She leads the way into the ruined town, navigating the once-familiar streets, but nothing here is the same as it once was. Very few buildings remain standing--most of them have been reduced to piles of rubble and debris.
Both the inn and shop have completely collapsed. Digging through the rubble eventually uncovers a few of the dhampir sisters' possessions, blackened and charred. Gabby is able to recover merely 12 crossbow bolts from the shop.
She presses a kiss into the Lore Warden, settling for whatever she can reach. "Just remember I'm here to help, whatever you need."
----------------------
Allie spends a long time searching the ruins of the inn and seems quite disappointed when she can only recover a few objects. She tucks them into her bag without comment as to what any of them are before helping her sister search for crossbow bolts.
"So, cemetery?" She asks, making a determined effort to look cheerful.
"I do not believe that there is anything left for us topsoil. We should investigate the cemetery. A forewarning, if the thing guarding the entrance is a ghost, I am not well prepared for such things."
The cemetery is located in the southeast corner of town. A shimmering white light emanates from the wrought iron fence at the cemetery’s gate. As you approach, the light coalesces into an androgynous humanoid figure clad in white robes with hair of flame and large, feathery wings. Though their eyes burn with a fiery intensity, the being appears kind and benevolent.
"Greetings, travelers from beyond the veil. We are Roslar’s Coffer, the collected thoughts and prayers of its people, the sweat and blood they have poured into its construction and defense, the beating heart and vital spirit of the town. But we are broken and fragmented from the foul attack that has slaughtered our residents. We would help you, if you help us. Find our missing pieces—in the schoolhouse, the town square, and the jeweler’s shop—and we will allow you access to the tomb of the false hero. From there, you might find a way to free what is left of this town."
"Alright, so you should know that ghosts cannot be harmed by weapons that are not magically enchanted. Stay clear of touching it, and beware its frightful moan. The best way to deal with a ghost is by resolving whatever keeps it from resting..."
"This is a locus spirit I think..." Alessandra says, looking slightly uncertain. "They live in a particular place and are very emotional... I think they're a good thing."
"Sister Merta's class on categories of haunts," Gabbi says, clearly attempting to prompt her sister's memory. "You were always trying to distract her with questions about succubi."
"I have never heard of a locus spirit. Are you certain this is what you believe it to be?"
"Oh yes!" Allie says, a smiling forming on her face. "She blushed every time! Loci - they're all about positive emotions! That's it! If we can fix this one it might be able to give us a boon. I say schoolhouse!"
With that decided she gives her sister a kiss on the cheek and bounces off down the road with Cuddles following behind her.
"I guess we're going to the schoolhouse," Gabbi says watching after her sister and shaking her head. She grins to herself before running off after her impulsive twin.
"Hey," she says as they walk a bit. "You haven't introduced me to your new friend. It will be nice to know that he's not going to think I'm a threat if I do something like ..." She reaches across and tweaks her sister's bottom while looking back at the feline following them.
*Whistles*
Gabbi ignores Kamosh's musical commentary.
"Hey," she says as they walk a bit. "You haven't introduced me to your new friend. It will be nice to know that he's not going to think I'm a threat if I do something like ..." She reaches across and tweaks her sister's bottom while looking back at the feline following them.
"I'm sorry!" Allie replies with a smile, pulling up as she smacks her sister's hand. "Gabbi, this is Cuddles. Cuddles, this is Gabbi - she's my sister and part of our pack."
Cuddles gives Gabriella a lengthy sniff and then bumps her gently with his head. "He likes you!" Alessandra says brightly, "Of course he would - I do afterall!"
Elká can't help but wonder if Alessandra's essence perhaps wasn't fully restored to this world. Right now, it would explain a thing or two. How could anyone be so cheery and happy given their predicament? "So, Cuddles. Now I'm no expert at the matter, but eh, don't these big cats like, exclusively eat meat? Preferably from prey that they've killed themselves? Poor thing, it won't like what we're about to do. Ugh, I do not like what we're about to do."
A one-room schoolhouse stands on the northeastern edge of Roslar's Coffer and, unlike many of the other buildings in town, remains standing and in reasonable condition. As you approach, they can see a glow from within, emanating from a dozen frolicking child-like figures.
Four rows of four small desks each fill most of this chamber, with a single large, wooden desk near the only door. Broken writing tablets and dozens of pieces of chalk litter the dirty floor. Several grimy windows around the room look out onto the ruined town.
The ghostly children caper about the room. "Teachers are here! Come play with us, teachers, and our new fairy friends!" they laugh as they jump around and climb up on the desks, giggling and laughing.
"New fairy friends?" Alessandra asks, "Should they be in school with you? You should introduce us at once! Or else you'll have to sit down and do lots of sums instead of playing!"
The children laugh. "Don't you see them?"
Alessandra's stern tone has some effect, as one of the children stops playing and sits down. Her glow diminishes, and the room starts to get darker.
Suddenly, Allie and Ellie feels intense pain as unseen blades sink into their backs! Blood flows from the deep wounds, which burn with a weakening poison.
Without much more to go on than where she was stabbed, Allie reaches out behind her - hoping to grapple with whatever it was that attacked her.
"Ow!" Allie exclaims as she's stabbed.
Cuddles sniffs deeply before lashing out.
Allie and her tiger miss her invisible assailant. Both the oracle and Ellie get stabbed again!
"I'm sorry!" Allie replies with a smile, pulling up as she smacks her sister's hand. "Gabbi, this is Cuddles. Cuddles, this is Gabbi - she's my sister and part of our pack."
Cuddles gives Gabriella a lengthy sniff and then bumps her gently with his head. "He likes you!" Alessandra says brightly, "Of course he would - I do afterall!"
Gabbi reaches out tentatively and scratches the side of the big cat's head. "He is kind of adorable," she says with a slight grin. She turns back and continues walking with her sister. After a moment, she gives her twin a slight push with her shoulder. "And I'm pretty sure a group of tigers is called an ambush - not a pack."
~~~~~
"In your seats, now!" Gabriella snaps, not one to tolerate the capricious nature of children.
Another child quickly gets in his seat when Gabby snaps at him. The light dims again, and you catch a fleeting glimpse of glowing shapes by Allie and Ellie. Perhaps dimming the light enough will render the assailants visible!
"Sit down, all of you!" Allie commands, stepping towards the children and away from whatever is stabbing her. "Sit down now, and be quiet. Quickly! Lives depend on it!"
"SIT YOUR G#+ D!!NED ASSES DOWN THIS INSTANT!" Ulrich roars at the children, as the stress suddenly breaks him.
Gabriella turns a raised eyebrow towards the necromancer. Her lips quirk up into a odd smile. "Why Doctor, I didn't know you had it in you." Her eyes travel up and down the man. "You gave me a tingle." Her lips purse in a quick air-kiss before turning back to her sister and the wayward child spirits.
Ellie gives an identical "Ow!" to Alessandra as she is stabbed. Grasping her flail, she looks around for the enemy.
Though Allie fails to have an imapct, Ulrich's anger causes a third child to sit down. The light is still too bright to see your assailants.
"Come on, sit down, don't make the angry doctor even angrier. Come on now, please!"
Badly hurt already, and not willing to 'fight' an enemy she cannot see, Ellie retreats out the room. Hopefully if whatever it is follows her she'll be able to see it.
As Ellie retreats out of the schoolhouse, Allie feels the invisible dagger pierce her side again. The other assailant seems to have switched targets, as a poisoned blade scrapes against Ulrich's belly.
Allie collapses onto the floor as Cuddles growls ferociously and lashes out at a space near his fallen ambush-mate.
"Didn't you hear the man?!" Gabbi shouts out at the children. "Arses in seats, NOW, or I start tanning them!"
Two more children immediately scramble to be seated. The light is almost dim enough to be able to see your attackers!
"You've heard her! Now, do as you're told! This is no laughing matter!!!"
The invisible blade cuts into Ulrich's false life. With Alessandra on the floor (and not in a good way), and Ellie fleeing, Ulrich knows the only way to succeed here is to make the enemy visible.
He undoes his leather belt and whips it at the desk next to him.
EDIT: Forgot about saving throw
The belt does the trick, and as a sixth student sits down, the light returns to normal levels. Revealed now are two small humanoids with bulging eyes! One threatens Ulrich, while the other stands over the fallen Allie.