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We pick off where we you left off. Off-color rectangles on the moldering walls show that there were once many frames hanging on the walls of this room. A selection of pens and brushes, as well as a silver-capped ink jar, lie on the floor amid the remains of a desk. It seems like nothing here has been disturbed for decades. Yet, the see-through form of an old man floats before you. His clothing torn in places, and hair a wicked knot on his head, there is a fight in his eyes. A concerned look upon his face as he look over you all. As he speaks, his body moves about unexplainably - fragments of the past leaking through this restless soul. The fragmented speech sound broken and disjoined.
“The cove. The stone house in the wood. The gauntlet. Save them. My map. The key. You will need help.”
And with that, he raises his hands in acknowledgement of what is to follow. And as if willing them to come forward, you all witness as the room is split in two. Tears in the fabric of reality - the room seems the same, yet somehow different. It cracks like glass, and the force behind this occurrence sends you backwards. A few terrifying moments later, the cracks in space spill forth a blinding light...and just like that, it's gone. The room is just as it was seconds ago, but the timeless ghost floats above two young women who have crashed into the old sagging floor. Well, a young woman and a child...
As the two come to consciousness after a few moments, the ghost moves effortlessly to help the child up to her feet, somehow being able to interact with her corporeal form. He snaps back to his original position in the middle of the room, his voice now and echo in time. "I am afraid I was too late. There was no other way. My map. They took my map. It holds the key. To the vault. Baraket will control them. It will control you! I should have taken the gauntlets, but I fled. I was a coward. You must be brave. You must endure where I did not. The vault. It lies still in the vault. You must save my Cove. Save. Their. World.”
Giving you one final solemn nod to the group, he slowly disappears into the aether. The air grows still, and the noiseless Roderic's Wreck remains perpetually earie. You once again hear the soft sobbing of the small undead child from the other room. Looking back, you now see him standing at the doorway, looking in your direction.
As the warm sensation of feeling slowly returns to your bodies, you are left in awe at what has just transpired here.
The voice of the ghost speaks to you once more, his breath vibrating off the moulding wood of the building. One, final, time.
"A stone house in the woods. Trust each other. The Hero's of the Cove are reunited once more."
DC 10 knowledge Local or History! ...in case you don't know who the ghost is.
DC 15 knowledge Local or History! ...to try to connect the dots.
DC 25 knowledge History or Arcana! …"Baraket"?
DC 32 knowledge Planes or Arcana! ...try it anyway.
Please do not roleplay aggressively or try to really question Remy and Maddie. They know as much as you do about what is happening - absolutely nothing. I hope. For now, they are more in need of your help as much as you need theirs. Obviously, question them, but don't shun them for not coming up with real answers.
The woman who fell through the tear in reality groans as she slams into the floor. After a few moments, she pushes herself to her feet. She wears black and red robes these leave her pale arms and midriff bare. She is, in a word, gorgeous. Tall, slender, and curvy with a beautiful face, sparkling amber eyes, and full, sensuous lips. Her dark hair is cut short in a boyish style.
The woman furrows her brow as she looks around in confusion. "Maddie? How did we--? Oh! Sir Roderic!" She remembers seeing the ghost when it manifested in the Circle... But how long ago was that? Hours? Months? Everything is so fuzzy...
She listens to the ghost's words, trying to make sense of them.
Belatedly, she notices the other people standing nearby. She takes a protective step closer to Maddie and eyes them warily. "I'm not entirely sure what is happening, but perhaps introductions are in order. I am Remy Tomovici. Who might you be?"
The young girl lets out a startled cry as she falls to the ground, "Woooaaah! Oof." she looks up, eyes darting back and forth as she stands up, brushing herself off. She tries to get her long brown hair out of her face, and her eyes- one bright blue, the other a vibrant green- study her surroundings keenly. "What happened? I went to bed, and then falling, and I'm... dressed? What? Remy? You too? I'm confused..." she stops as she's cut off by the ghost.
She gives a small curtsy to the spirit as he finishes his speech, "Hiya again, Mister Roderick. You do this?" before turning to the other people in the room, and moves slightly, apparently unsure as to what she should do, "Any idea what just happened? I'm Maddie, by the way."
Flik whistles in astonishment at the apparition and the two new figures that have appeared. His dark, lively eyes are wide in amazement.
What an unusual day!
The gnome sweeps off a weather-beaten hat, revealing a stock of bushy, indigo hair.
"Well, there's no pleasure like an unexpected meeting! Flik Gnellelps, at your service. I thought I knew everyone in Roderick's Cove, or hereabouts, but I've never met you before.
"We came out to this house from the town, hoping to find some answers about Sir Roderick's ghost. You seemed to take a slightly different route! What brings you here?"
Remy tuns to the gnome. "I'm not entirely sure how we got here. We were speaking to a woman named Audrahni about investigating this Wreck to find a way to put Sir Roderic's spirit to rest and then... All of a sudden we are here. Though this place looks less dilapidated than it should be."
Alustria blinks, then hurries over to the two newcomers. Her first instinct is to comfort them, but she brings herself up when she realizes they are, at first glance, okay.
“That was...ummm... She glances around. “It sounded like Roderick needs help. Did any of that...make sense...to anyone?”
"Hiya Mister Flik! Good to meet ya. How've we not met? I've lived here my whole life. Things do feel different... Weird." Maddie comments, her voice picking up energy, even as she seems to retreat into her thoughts.
Then something occurs to Alustria. "Wait," she says to Remy. "Audrahni's my cousin! She asked us the same thing." Alustria's brow furrows. "By the Dawnflower, I feel completely out of my depth here."
"She has a cousin? Huh. She never mentioned you. This is so weird..." Maddie notes, confused, "Is this what it was? Why didn't I mention this? Just... what?"
"I feel like Roderick made himself as clear as he is able, but we shouldn't leave the Wreck before we have investigated. Shall we look in the other rooms? Oh! Don't go into that room, though." Flik points at the room where the group encountered the anger spirit."There's a ghost in there that shouldn't be disturbed."
Flik will push to continue exploring the upstairs rooms in a clockwise fashion.
Remy nods. "Very well. I am trained as a monk, specializing in fighting foes with my whole body as a weapon. With your leave, I will stay near the front lines of the party should combat become inevitable."
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Sir Roderic’s words, though cryptic and confused, refer to a great threat to Roderic’s Cove. The mention of “The stone house in the wood” you think refers to the Stonehouse in Churlwood Forest. This was a point of interest for Roderic when he was alive, as he used to study the many locations around the settlement, for whatever reason.
The mention of “My map” is a plea referring that he would have created a map detailing the specific location to which he is referring to. If it is not here, it would be somewhere back in Roderic's Cove.
His mentioning of Baraket, shakes you to your core. Flik, you know this from researching and studying the History of Varisia and the Thassalonian Empire. Maddie, you have, more direct knowledge - you aren't sure how, but you know what this is refering to. You both recognise this.
Before the fall of Old Thassalon, the Runelords creaed weapons of immense power - the Swords of Sin. One of such weapons, was granted the name, Baraket, Sword of Pride. If by chance, it lies in a vault that Roderic is refering to - this vault could be from the time of Old Thassilon. These artifacts are so powerful they were sought to bend reality to the will of their Runelords. If such weapon exists here, in the Churlwood Forest, that is bad, really - really bad.
As the conversation you are having proceeds, all of a sudden it starts raining. Thunder strikes somewhere nearby, as you begin to question how long you've been here? From what most of you can tell, you just got to Roderic's Wreck. It was midday only a moment ago, or was it? It gets dark outside, and whatever light was peering in thorugh the rickety windows turns into eerie shades of dark light.
The undead child behind you DC 14 Religion starts sobbing lounder, reacting to the change of weather. Suddenly, you see the ghostly image of a older woman, dressed simply in a gown step out from the closed room right south of you. She walks through Alustria as for a brief second, she feels cold and loses the air in her breathe. She walks over to the child. Now now there. It's just some bad weather. The image dissapears as she takes his hand, and the child holds the hand of an invisible figure who leads him into the room and places him on a bench. He lies down and softly sobs. Don't you worry, your father is brave. Can you be brave for him? Let's count the seconds between the thunder and the lightning...one, two... as the matrony voice continues to soothe the child through the darkened atmosphere.
The room where the female ghost came out from starts to vibrate, and the door begins to bang slightly in the wind. Flik moves and opens the door. Sagging shelves, one of which has partially pulled free from the wall, line the walls of this room, set with spools of thread, boxes of needles, moldy scraps of cloth, bolts of decaying fabric, and various types of shears. A round box of soiled yarn rests on a worktable along the north wall, and a dress form lays propped in the corner.
Items in the room come to life and chaotically fly through the air, slashing at and tangling everyone in the area. Flurries of needles fly about like straw caught in a dust devil, while scissors and shears flap dangerously through the area. The image of the female ghost reapears in front of Flik's face and shouts at him - as if looking through the bard. "I can't keep doing this! You come back from your adventures torn and bruised! Is that all i am to you - your seamstress? How could you treat me like this! and she throws the needle and yarn into Fliks direction.
DC 11 Kknowledge Local or History -- to identify this sprit
"Ugh. My head hurts." Maddie comments, rubbing her temple, "Baraket is interesting, though. It's…." Maddie furrows her eyebrows in concentration, "The-sil-on-in. " discontent, she shakes her head, "Tha-silan-in? Th-osil-anin. Thes-sil-on-in? There we go! Thessilonin. It's a powerful Thessilonian sword."
"I have some magic stuff," Maddie says in relation to their skills, then watches in fascination at the spirits interacting, wanting to get closer.
"The stone house... The one in the Churlwood, perhaps? We should try to locate one of Sir Roderic's maps so we can be sure of its exact location."
Remy's eyes widen when Maddie starts muttering about Thassilon. "A Thassilonian relic? Of course. Nothing good comes from meddling with ancient artifacts. That's what lead to my current... condition." She looks to the others. "It's a long story. I'll tell you about it when we are in a less dangerous location."
Remy peers past Flik at the ghostly woman. "That must be Andella, Roderic's wife. Look out!" She ducks back as she sees the needle hurtling through the air.
Borgol blinks and shakes his head, Every time that ghost appears, it's like it tries to split my skull worse than that troll-blooded kid did with his blasted club back in the pits.... He stretches his neck, carefully, to make sure that the headache and dizziness have passed without taking all his balance, then brings up his shield between himself and the newcomers, By the Stag, what is all this?
He slowly lowers his shield as the introductions start, then tries to smile, "I'm Borgol Ashblade... and sorry about the shield, I'm currently feeling more than a little jumpy.. it's been quite the day... and I didn't even fall out of a tear in space, so I can't imagine how things are feeling for you two."
...
As the stange seamstress throws her needles at Flik, Borgol draws his longsword, asking "Is there a way to stop her from hurting us? I'm long past enjoying the novelty of spirits that I can't cut.."
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As above, you see the following in the room. The haunt is emminating from a sewing needle on the chair in the room. But you can harm the spirit Andella with positive energy, or holy water. You could also just shut the door on her and hold it shut. Or any other creative way of dealing with it if you cannot destroy it.
The room where the female ghost came out from starts to vibrate, and the door begins to bang slightly in the wind. Flik moves and opens the door. Sagging shelves, one of which has partially pulled free from the wall, line the walls of this room, set with spools of thread, boxes of needles, moldy scraps of cloth, bolts of decaying fabric, and various types of shears. A round box of soiled yarn rests on a worktable along the north wall, and a dress form lays propped in the corner.Items in the room come to life and chaotically fly through the air, slashing at and tangling everyone in the area. Flurries of needles fly about like straw caught in a dust devil, while scissors and shears flap dangerously through the area. The image of the female ghost reapears in front of Flik's face and shouts at him - as if looking through the bard. "I can't keep doing this! You come back from your adventures torn and bruised! Is that all i am to you - your seamstress? How could you treat me like this! and she throws the needle and yarn into Fliks direction. Reflex Save from Flik please.
Flik will reach out and close this door.
"It is troubling that there are so many unquiet spirits here, but I doubt they can be put to rest without dealing with Roderick's ghost."
You must save my Cove. Save. Their. World./The Hero's of the Cove are reunited once more.
Everything this ghost spoke about seemed confusing, but this line struck Fergus somehow. His cousin Cordwin was a hero and was this ghost now referring to them as heroes? Of course it was a ghost, don't ghosts sometimes speak about past events and people? Not that this ghost was making much sense anyway!
"I'm not entirely sure what is happening, but perhaps introductions are in order. I am Remy Tomovici. Who might you be?"
I am Fergus of the Ironbeard dwarfs. Fergus says with a slight bow. He has spent so little time above the surface, it does not even occur to him that many have not even heard of the Ironbeard dwarfs.
Looking at Fergus you see he is taller and broader than most dwarfs. His long, blond hair is braided and his long beard is tied at the end with a ribbon. He wears a holy symbol of Angradd around his neck. He carries a greataxe with the dwarven runes for Angradd etched along the blade. He has a serious look about him and he often looks deep in thought.
"Any idea what just happened? I'm Maddie, by the way."
Fergus again bows and again repeats, I am Fergus of the Ironbeard dwarfs.
“It sounded like Roderick needs help. Did any of that...make sense...to anyone?”
Fergus shrugs and with a bit of annoyance says, Why can't ghosts speak plainly. If they want us to do something, why don't they come out and say it!
"Tha-silan-in? Th-osil-anin. Thes-sil-on-in? There we go! Thessilonin. It's a powerful Thessilonian sword."
Hmmmm...I wish my cousin Cordwin was here, he is an expert on all things Thessilonian.
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-- damage and entangled
Flik isn't able to react as quickly as he would hope, as the needle and spool fly around his body tangling him. The spool unfurls and tangles the gnome on the spot.
He consiously reacts by slamming the door on the angry ghost and keeping it closed with his body. Fergus comes to help with his broad shoulders. Luckily they are able to keep the ghost at bay as it continues to bang agasint the wooden door. YOU LET ME OUT, OR I WON'T FIX THAT RAG YOU CALL ADVENTURER'S GEAR ANYMORE! YOU COME BACK HERE! she continues to wail.
As the sounds behind the haunted door come to a gradual close, all you can hear is the rain outside.
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As the space quietens down some more, you realise that to keep making you way clockwise, you have to go around the staircase and past the other two rooms.
The small undead child - Attic Whisperer, pays you little attention as you move past his room.
Fergus, Remi and Alustria collectively hear some skittering from the middle room as they get closer. The rain isn't enough to stop the sound of quiet chitters and shuffling going on in the room. You think the noise from the restless Andella has spooked something in there.
Remy winces as Flik takes a hit. Fortunately, Fergus is able to keep the haunt contained until it runs its course. "Is one of you a healer? That wound should be tended to before we continue."
The monk cocks her head as she hears the noises coming from the middle room. "Something's moving in there. Perhaps we should deal with it first."
Remy attempts to sneak closer and look into the room without being noticed.
Borgol suggests, "Unless someone's got a door spike or a piton, let's hanger a dagger between the door and frame. A little expensive, but should work to keep the door sealed."
"Ouch! That smarts. I should be able to jam the door without leaving anything of value behind, I think."
"Handy trick to know."
After hearing the chittering in the middle room: "I'd just as soon avoid any more conflicts here, but what if Rostler's map is in there?"
“I’ve already done what healing I can today,” says Alustria, her eyes widening as she looks over Flik’s injury.
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Flik manages with the help of his friends, after breaking past the entangle, uses his friends dagger to jam a piece of lock further into the door. With a click, the old structure locks. He thinks this wouldn’t hold a physical being from smashing the door down, but maybe it will hold a spirit?
Remy moves quite silently across the wooden floor board of this rickety house. Her steps, light as a feather, moving closer to the door. She even manages to open the door so slighly, that the light from your torches finds a way inside boucing off some reflective surfaces.
This study, a simple desk sits along the north wall of this room. A few of the boards in the wall have come loose and fallen to the ground below. A moldy puddle fills the middle of the floor, and a wet stain spreads from a crack in the ceiling. Remy notices the floor boards move, before she realises these giant exoskeleton roaches, wound through the remains the floor, rise up and charge her!
Round 1
@ Alustria
@ Borgol
@ Fergus
Roaches
Remy
Maddie [may chose to use forewarned to help Remy or herself to go before roaches?]
Flik [-5 lethal]
@ May act!
Maddie shudders as the bugs animate, "Ugh! Bugs. And zombies! Zombie bugs! Why????"
Faint blue energy washes over her, speeding her up at a slightly unnatural rate, as though she's being pulled into the future, and she throws a bolt of green energy at the swarm, which plows through quite a few of the dead bugs before dissapating.
Fergus rushes in to attack the first swarm he sees .
I can see why no one comes here! Fergus mutters.
Alustria moves south and flings a ball of swirling winds and rain at the roach before Fergus moves past her!
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The arcane spell shines past Fergus's stout shape and hits the creature straight in the chest. The druid also lands a hit, dealing no damage but disorienting the creature. Fergus is left standing as he realises he dealt no damage with his greataxe.
The possesed skeleton roaches charge the paladin!
You watch, horrified as the paladin walks into the room, and justly falls over, slamming his head on the wooden planks.
Round 2
@ Remy
@ Flik [-5 lethal]
@ Alustria
@ Borgol
@ Fergus [-14 lethal, unconsious, bleeding] - stablalisation check please
@ Maddie
Roaches (yellow -5, purple, green)
@ Everyone may act!
"Ugh!" Remy says as the undead roaches converge on Fergus. A wave of revulsion washes over her, but she steels herself as she drops into a powerful stance. She steps behind the dwarf and brings her foot down on the nearest roach.
"Careful, these are undead roaches! They are resistance to damage from non-bludgeoning weapons."
Maddie recoils as the dwarf rushes into the room, and is immediately cut down, and she shrinks back. Seeing Remy have so much luck with the undead bugs, she runs up and taps the back of her leg, green arcane energy shimmering into a forcefield around her "Stay safe! Don't leave me."
Alustria hears Flik's cry and grimaces, pulling out her sling and a bullet. She whips the thing around her head and looses the stone toward the bug!
Borgol, using his training, knows it isn't a good idea to rush in. He moves to the other side of the door with the dragon-monk, and swings his lucern hammer at a roach.
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Maddie helps out Remy, who feels bolstered, together with the spell and the bard behind her. Flik guides the party and tells everyone about the creature and their weakness to bludgeoning weapons. Alustria, finds an opening between the dragon-monk to sling at the creature, who was in the middle of feasting on your duying friend.
-- Fergus!
The roaches move up, their focus now focused on their new prey - the lady-monk. They chitter up over the unconsious body of Fergus picking up his blood with their claws.
-- ouch
-- cover
-- thank god
The creatures skit up, one of them angry from the druids sling shot, taking its frustration on the monk.
Round 3
@ Remy [-2 lethal]
@ Flik [-5 lethal]
@ Alustria
@ Borgol
@ Fergus [-14 lethal, unsoncious, stable]
@ Maddie
Roaches (yellow -10, green)
@ Everyone may act!
Remy glances back at Maddie, feeling a surge of protective (maternal?) instincts. "Don't worry. I'll keep you safe." The momentary distraction costs her, though, as one of the bugs takes a bite out of her leg.
Grunting in pain, she whirls back around and kicks the offending insect, then follows up with a brutal knee drop!
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The small undead child, peaks his head around the corner with a concerned look on his face, and tears welling up in it's eyes.
Remy deals devastating damage to both of the roaches, moving from the first and onto the second finishing them both off. The strength from her surging, she calms herself down as she notices there are no more undead left.
As the soft sound of rain settles around you, a drip or two land onto the unmoving body of Fergus. A sudden wave of calm washes over the party, as they have dealt with another major threat in this forsaken house. And just like that, another sound of lightning, brings them back into reality of the situation. Danger still surrounds the newly formed group, and with their ally unconscious, they are faced with a hard choice...
Party Conditions
Remy [-2 lethal, mage armour running 59 minutes]
Flik [-5 lethal]
Alustria
Borgol
Fergus [-14 lethal, unsoncious, stable]
Maddie
Remy shakes the remnants of exoskeleton off of her leg. She frowns down at Fergus. "Have we any wands or potions to revive him? If not, I think the best course of action would be to fall back to town and seek healing for him. Perhaps the caretaker of the Lady's Chapel can help."
Alustria nods toward the relief. “Something shiny and metal in there. I have no further healing magic today,” she sighs. ”Retreat may be called for.”
Maddie spots the coins as well, and nabs them with a telekinetic pull.
"I can't really fight zombies, not now." Maddie comments, "But I could tomorrow."
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As just are discussing your next cource of action, you watch as Rederics Ghost appears in the same room as you saw him before. His appearance is younger, as he strolls looking for something in the room. Angry, he storms out and walks through the party and into the top left room of the building. Where is it, where is it, where is it? Oh how could I be so stupid! as he repeats these phrases more quietly befrom behind the locked door.
The last thing Fergus remembers is the bugs charging him. Then he was in the halls of Angradd drinking ale and telling tales. Such a beautiful place it is! He was then yanked away and found himself in darkness. He is not sure where he is but he still hears the sounds of the bugs!
Alustria does look longingly at the door Roderick vanished into. "What are the chances that the map is in there, and not weird undead monsters?"