Kylie opens the door to reveal a back entryway with another set of stairs leading up and a door leading out to what looks like a pier where Sir Roderic likely kept his personal ship. A door that opens to the space beneath the stairs is boarded over. The doorknob is broken off and a steel spike has been driven into what used to be a lock.
Stryn looks back to the others not wanting to mess with the broken door he asks "We go up now?"
If they agree he will quietly make his way up the stairs to make sure it safe for the others to follow.
Henric nods towards Stryn. "As good a time as any, it seems. Watch each other's backs."
Kiley follows Stryn, trying hard not to think about what is behind that boarded up door.
"Up it is," Renae says as she follows Stryn and the others up the stairs and towards the mysterious broken door.
Stryn ghosts his way up the stairs, keeping an eye out for any signs of danger. Kiley attempts to do the same, but her greater weight is apparently enough to trigger the squeaky boards of the stairs, and her focus on attempting to move quietly diverts her attention from looking for potential dangers.
Fortunately, nothing jumps out at you while you ascend the stairs, and the others follow up after Kiley. The second floor opens into a hall with both the front and back sets of stairs leading down. There are two doors each on the north, west, and south walls, and one partially opened door on the east wall.
Kiley tries to redeem herself and sneak up to the partially opened door to peek inside.
Kera stays put, holding her breath as long as she can...
While Kiley checks the slightly open door Stryn slinks off to the first door on the northern wall and checks it out as well.
Floorboards creak under both Kiley and Stryn's footsteps, the aged wood of the house making attempts at Stealth difficult, to say the least. Stryn holds his ear up to the door, but hears nothing. It's unlocked, so entry will be easy.
Kiley peeks through the partially opened door. The remains of a wicker cradle slumps against the wall between two cracked windows. A small wicker table in similar condition sits in the corner of the room.
Stryn motions to the other doors and then points to his ear as he slinks off to check the the next door on the northern wall.
Henric steps up the the end of the hallway to provide an extra pair of eyes into the room.
Stryn hears nothing through any of the other doors - if anything is up here, it's very good at keeping quiet.
Feeling somewhat confident the other rooms don't have any immediate threats he joins Kiley to check the partially opened door, heading in first.
kiley follows Stryn, trying to be as quiet as possible while keeping an eye out for anything interesting.
Weary of another attack, but noticing how her more eagle-eyed compatriots had yet to find another threat, Renae opted to use a cantrip to see if the area was truly clear.
With a wave of her and a minute-long chant in Thassilonian she cast a divination to see if any magical presences were about in this part of the Wreck.
Renae detects no magical auras with her spell. Stryn and Kiley attempt to sneakily enter the child's room, although Kiley doesn't have much success.
1=Kiley, 2=Stryn
Kiley and Stryn begin sweeping the room. As Kiley passes near the wicker cradle, something resembling a gray, emaciated child bursts from the ruins of it. It appears to be wearing the tattered remains of a rabbit costume, along with a canine skull on its head. A necklace of lettered, wooden blocks hangs around its neck, and this unsettling creature drags a wooden duck on wheels behind it on a knotted, moldy string.
This is an attic whisperer. Attic whisperers are a type of undead that spawn from lonely or neglected children. Rather than animating the body of the dead youth, the creature rises from an amalgam of old toys, clothing, dust, and other objects associated with the departed—icons of the child’s neglect. The widely varying materials that fuse together to form these creatures lead to attic whisperers with vastly different appearances. Attic whisperers linger in the places where they were formed, typically old homes, orphanages, schools, debtors’ prisons, workhouses, and similar places where children might be discarded. When an attic whisperer first forms, it does so without a skull—this does not impact the creature’s abilities in any way, but it usually seeks out a small animal’s skull as a form of decoration soon after it manifests.
Kiley and Stryn hear the unnerving sounds of of childlike whimpers, songs, and sobs all around them, filling them with feelings of sadness.
The creature then attempts to bite Kiley.
Her armor barely keeps its teeth from sinking into her.
The creature again attempts to bite Kiley.
The bite isn't very painful, but it does seem very tiring.
Hearing the commotion in the room, Henric peeks into the doorway, only to be greeted the disturbing image of the grotesque infant latched onto Kiley. Out of pure reaction, he aims his staff at unknown assailant and nearly shouts out, "Fuego!". The runes on his staff seem to immediately respond by glowing a bright orange, followed almost immediately by a lance of fiery energy that reaches out for the creepy target.
"Foxpaw!" Kera curses, running in to get a better view of the skirmish.
Without a clue as to the thing's nature, she takes a guess that it's some sort of undead. She tosses her wooden butterfly in the air, catching it mid-fall with a deft hand. Instantaneously, a wave of cool blue light floods the space, engulfing the creature.
Kiley's eyes are as wide as saucers as the horrid abomination leaps from the crib. The first bite doesn't even get through her boots and the second only gives her a bruise, but the feelings of tiredness and the leaden weight of her limbs is enough to break her will to fight. She drops her sword and stumbles past Stryn and Henric to fall and roll across the floor to hit the wall by the railing to the staircase. She screws her eyes shut and curls up into a ball like a frightened child and starts muttering a prayer to Desna to keep the monster from eating her.
Renae's momentary dejection that her divination had come up empty quickly turned to alarm when she sees Henric and Kera unleash their magic against a foe that sent Kiley running out the room she was in. The moment Renae moves towards Kera and Henric to get a better view of what their facing she realizes why Kiley ran for it.
"That's an attic whisperer!" She tells them, already going for her crossbow as she tries to explain what that is. "It's an undead spirit born from the neglect of children. We can destroy its assembled body, but we need to avoid its bite or else we'll be afflicted by its magic like Kiley was."
Her crossbow now primed and ready, Renae took a quick breath to steady herself before loosing it at the undead aberration, hoping (but not confident) that it would strike true.
As Kiley disturbs some horribly creeping looking creature and promptly runs out the room Stryn doesn't intend to stick around he steps back outside and waits for the thing to come to them ready to stab it if it tries to attack him.
Kiley's eyes are as wide as saucers as the horrid abomination leaps from the crib. The first bite doesn't even get through her boots and the second only gives her a bruise, but the feelings of tiredness and the leaden weight of her limbs is enough to break her will to fight. She drops her sword and stumbles past Stryn and Henric to fall and roll across the floor to hit the wall by the railing to the staircase. She screws her eyes shut and curls up into a ball like a frightened child and starts muttering a prayer to Desna to keep the monster from eating her. The monster reaches out a hand as she runs, but it fails to touch her.
"Foxpaw!" Kera curses, running in to get a better view of the skirmish. Without a clue as to the thing's nature, she takes a guess that it's some sort of undead. She tosses her wooden butterfly in the air, catching it mid-fall with a deft hand. Instantaneously, a wave of cool blue light floods the space, engulfing the creature.
The blue light seems to have some effect, but the creature appears to have shrugged off the worst.
Hearing the commotion in the room, Henric peeks into the doorway, only to be greeted the disturbing image of the grotesque infant latched onto Kiley. Out of pure reaction, he aims his staff at unknown assailant and nearly shouts out, "Fuego!" The runes on his staff seem to immediately respond by glowing a bright orange, followed almost immediately by a lance of fiery energy that reaches out for the creepy target. His aim is off, though, and he merely singes the wall above it.
As Kiley disturbs some horribly creeping looking creature and promptly runs out the room Stryn doesn't intend to stick around he steps back outside and waits for the thing to come to them ready to stab it if it tries to attack him.
Renae's momentary dejection that her divination had come up empty quickly turned to alarm when she sees Henric and Kera unleash their magic against a foe that sent Kiley running out the room she was in. The moment Renae moves towards Kera and Henric to get a better view of what their facing she realizes why Kiley ran for it. "That's an attic whisperer!" She tells them, already going for her crossbow as she tries to explain what that is. "It's an undead spirit born from the neglect of children. We can destroy its assembled body, but we need to avoid its bite or else we'll be afflicted by its magic like Kiley was." Her crossbow now primed and ready, Renae took a quick breath to steady herself before loosing it at the undead aberration, hoping (but not confident) that it would strike true. Her bolt pierces the attic whisperer.
The attic whisperer moves out of sight of the doorway, but does not leave the room.
Attic Whisperer - 36/45
Kiley - 10/10, 1 nonlethal
Henric steps into the room, the remnants of fire energy dissipating from his staff. "I'll try to keep it occupied. Do what you can to finish it off," he tells the others as he tries to smash the creature with the butt-end of the staff.
"Kiley!" Kera squeals in frustration as her friend runs past her. "Th' beastie's thataway!"
Groaning, she turns her attention to Stryn, weaving a fortune charm on him from a distance.
Kiley doesn't answer Kera's cry nor is she wholly there in that moment. Memories of a dark, starless night of blood and horror fill her head and the anguished cries of her family dying around her shake her shoulders with barely stifled sobs.
Stryn follows Henric into the room trying to tumble past the thing to get close to the other side of it while not provoking an attack.
He tells Henric "Move it center, Stryn get behind!"
Renae got no more than a few seconds to enjoy her lucky shot before the whisperer moved out of her line of sight in the other room.
"Typical," Renae sighed under her breath before rushing to join Henric and Stryn in the room. She quickly took the corner furthest from the whisperer while the others closed in on it and immediately went about firing another bolt.
"Kiley!" Kera squeals in frustration as her friend runs past her. "Th' beastie's thataway!" Groaning, she turns her attention to Stryn, weaving a fortune charm on him from a distance.
Kiley doesn't answer Kera's cry nor is she wholly there in that moment. Memories of a dark, starless night of blood and horror fill her head and the anguished cries of her family dying around her shake her shoulders with barely stifled sobs.
Henric steps into the room, the remnants of fire energy dissipating from his staff. "I'll try to keep it occupied. Do what you can to finish it off," he tells the others as he tries to smash the creature with the butt-end of the staff. As he steps into the room, the creature bites him, drawing a little blood from his ankle. His return strike with the staff doesn't hit the target.
Stryn follows Henric into the room trying to tumble past the thing to get close to the other side of it while not provoking an attack. He tells Henric, "Move it center, Stryn get behind!" Stryn was easily able to evade its attack.
Renae got no more than a few seconds to enjoy her lucky shot before the whisperer moved out of her line of sight in the other room. "Typical," Renae sighed under her breath before rushing to join Henric and Stryn in the room. She quickly took the corner furthest from the whisperer while the others closed in on it and immediately went about firing another bolt. The creature's size easily allowed to avoid her attack.
The creature bites at Henric again.
It bites the other ankle, this time its teeth going a little deeper.
Attic Whisperer - 36/45
Kiley - 10/10, 1 nonlethal, fatigued for 1 hour
Henric - 7/10, fatigued/exhausted for 1 hour?
Repeated bites from the Attic Whisperer start to take it's toll on Henric's energy level, and the signs start show show as his stature is affected by fatigue. "Damn, this is tenacious," he says, his breathing becoming labored. Not wanting to get bitten again, Henric goes into a more defensive stance, trying to keep the thing off of his ankles as he strikes again. "Kiley, we need you!"
Kera maintains her charm on Stryn.
Seeing Henric isn't going to draw the thing out Stryn moves up and stabs at it with his blade.
Terrified as she is, Henric's plea pulls Kiley from her nightmare and back to the present. She stands and staggers forward and back into the fray as she draws her other sword, the shorter one on her hip. As she moves past, the others can see the tears streaming down her face and her inhuman, blue eyes wide with fear.
Renae couldn't help but agree with with Henric's remark. "Quite right," she said grimacing as she loosed another bolt at the whisperer.
Kera maintains her charm on Stryn.
Repeated bites from the Attic Whisperer start to take it's toll on Henric's energy level, and the signs start show show as his stature is affected by fatigue. "Damn, this is tenacious," he says, his breathing becoming labored. Not wanting to get bitten again, Henric goes into a more defensive stance, trying to keep the thing off of his ankles as he strikes again. "Kiley, we need you!" His staff cracks the attic whisperer on the head, but his exhaustion lessens the force of the blow.
Terrified as she is, Henric's plea pulls Kiley from her nightmare and back to the present. She stands and staggers forward and back into the fray as she draws her other sword, the shorter one on her hip. As she moves past, the others can see the tears streaming down her face and her inhuman, blue eyes wide with fear.
Seeing Henric isn't going to draw the thing out Stryn moves up and stabs at it with his blade. Unfortunately, the attack misses.
Renae couldn't help but agree with with Henric's remark. "Quite right," she said grimacing as she loosed another bolt at the whisperer. The chaos of melee makes her bolt strike the sodden wall instead.
The attic whisperer again bites at Henric.
This time it gets a good bite on his thigh, drawing blood.
Attic Whisperer - 36/45
Kiley - 10/10, 1 nonlethal, fatigued for 1 hour
Henric - 2/10, fatigued for 1 hour, exhausted?
Henric does his best to keep from crying out at the pain from the repeated wounds being inflicted on him. "I would really appreciate it is someone killed this thing," he manages to gasp out between beleaguered breaths. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this going." He stops all attempts to attack the creature and puts all his energy into defense.
Move Action: 5-Foot step away
Standard Action: Total Defense.
Kiley steps up to the little monster and picks up her sword. With fear-born fury, she brings it down in a vicious overhead chop that misses her target, but puts a pretty impressive gouge into the floor.
Kera reaches out and channels a pulse of positive energy into Henric.
Seeing her bolt miss yet again, Renae knew without a shadow of a doubt that she hated fighting the undead.
Renae signed. "Anyone else finding this tiresome?" She asked dryly, even as she sent another bolt flying.
Stryn jabs at the creepy thing once again while Henric steps back out of the room.
After his attack he takes a step back as well, hoping to draw the thing out of it's corner so that they could try and flank it.
Kera reaches out and channels a pulse of positive energy into Henric.
Henric does his best to keep from crying out at the pain from the repeated wounds being inflicted on him. "I would really appreciate it is someone killed this thing," he manages to gasp out between beleaguered breaths. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this going." He stops all attempts to attack the creature and puts all his energy into defense.
Kiley steps up to the little monster and picks up her sword. With fear-born fury, she brings it down in a vicious overhead chop that misses her target, but puts a pretty impressive gouge into the floor.
Stryn jabs at the creepy thing once again while Henric steps back out of the room. His rapier scrapes along it's side.
Seeing her bolt miss yet again, Renae knew without a shadow of a doubt that she hated fighting the undead. Renae signed. "Anyone else finding this tiresome?" She asked dryly, even as she sent another bolt flying. Her bolt went wide yet again.
Henric was no longer in the attic whisperer's reach, but Kiley was back, so it went for her, instead.
It reaches out to touch her, but she manages to avoid the thing's grasping fingers.
Attic Whisperer - 34/45
Kiley - 10/10, 1 nonlethal, fatigued for 1 hour
Henric - 5/10, exhausted for 1 hour