All too aware of the potential supernatural causes of uneasy animals, Jaya kept a careful eye out for signs of another locus of ghostly activity.
Aurealia hangs back, still fighting off the exhaustion of having her breath stolen. She looks around wearily, trying to stay alert, but struggling.
...Oh, there also seems to be something unseen stirring in the room!
Cai’nan casually picks up the dog and hands it off to Audrahni, before turning back to the room and saying ”To who, or what, ever is lurking here unseen...we do not wish to cause harm. Show yourself and let’s talk in peace...”
A piercing, shrill scream fills the air.
While everyone else is focused on Biscuit and Audrahni's reunion, something suddenly materializes before Cai'nan. The creature resembles a mixture of a skeleton and a ghost, and it sports a wicked grin on its decaying face. Almost immediately, the small objects in the lounge rise up into the air and begin whirling around in the air.
Thankfully, since he already noticed the unseen spectre, the Goliath Druid is able to steel himself and avoid running in terror!
Some of the glass suddenly rises off the ground and hurls itself at Cai'nan, but he turns his head at the last second, and his "invisible" helmet deflects it!
”Gah-f$%%!” Cai’nan exclaims as he reflexively slashes at it with his blade! ”Krodha!” he calls out as he steps back, the saurian all too eager to step up into the void and snap its jaws at the thing!
__________
Fingers flash as Jaya combs through her long-studied lore to unveil this thing's secrets, potent evocations at the ready.
Aurealia backs up from the undead thing, unwilling to fight in her exhausted state.
Kallie moves up, sure that her cantrip can help if she can hit it.
Unfortunately, she blasts Krodha in the back. Fortunately, it only tingles.
"Stay behind me, sis."
Croq steps up, pulls drumstick back, and swings it at the skeletal thing with all her might.
Despite the creature fading from sight shortly after it attacked Cai'nan, Croq is able to remember where it last "stood" and easily finishes it off.
Much like ghosts, poltergeists are supposedly bound to certain areas. In this case, you suspect this one inhabits the lounge. This one's exact origins are... difficult to determine.
Poltergeists can only really attack via a limited telekinesis. However, they are also naturally invisible, which makes them very difficult to destroy. They can briefly become visible in an effort to terrify their opponents, which is usually the best time to strike.
Unfortunately, poltergeists typically rejuvenate a number of days after being destroyed. Based on prior experience, you suspect that Sir Roderic's tortured existence is sustaining this creature. Thus, helping the Cove's founder find eternal peace will cause this poltergeist to fade away for good.
"Nice swing!" Aurealia exclaims. "You smashed that thing into nothing."
Croq gives a loud "WOOT!!"
She seems about equal parts pleased and shocked that she took out that whatever-it-was in a single swing.
With the thing gone, she blinks a few times and then starts to look about the room.
Cai’nan, still nervous over everything about this place, turns and checks the next door on this level...
"...Ow. Stupid ghost threw a... fancy bottle stopper at me?" Cai'nan (and everyone else present) hears Gali first grumble and then question aloud. With a shrug, she tosses the trinket in her backpack.
"Was that another haunt? I wonder what the story behind that one was? And how long before it comes back?"
Kallie peeks around Cai'nan's shoulder and looks around.
Cai'nan and Kallie carefully listen for any noise beyond the closed door of the southernmost room.
Cai'nan looks around to Kallie and whispers ”Sounds like a woman’s crying...” nervously as his hand slowly reaches for the handle, his instincts to check on her acting’s almost reflexively...
Kallie's eyes widen and she grins. "Sounds like another haunt! What do you think it'll do this time?"
Croq does a dramatic drumroll and says, "Alright, I guess it's my turn to lead the way to Glory or Death."
"Do you really think we'll learn anything we don't know from this haunt? It's very sad that Rodrik died and his family was left without them, but honestly, are we going to be turned into pillars of tear-salt before this manse is fully examined?!"
Kallie rolls her eyes at Jaya's cynicism. "Phffft. Haunts aren't actually dangerous. A little frightening, maybe, but they can't really cause harm."
She pauses and suddenly looks uncertain. "Right?"
"Oh, I dunno. There's this epic song, The Haunting of Hroghaven that ends with a foggy night when everyone in the entire village's hearts EXPLODE from terror, all at once.
"I mean, who knows if it's true...but MAYBE IT IS! WOOOOOOOOO!!" Croq finishes with her creepiest ghost-moan.
"I just hope we can put them to rest," Aurealia says, giggling at Croq's joke. "Then I can get some rest."
Despite knowing that she is likely walking into a trap, Croq boldly kicks open the flimsy wooden door and steps inside... what appears to have been Andella Roderic's sewing room. The telltale signs are everywhere; all along the collapsed shelves are various decaying items that a seasoned seamstress would use: fabric, yarn, spools of thread, cloth, needles, scissors, and shears.
Only seconds after Croq enters, the woman's weeping becomes an chorus of angry screams, and these objects begin to rattle! Before anyone can react, they fly at her, Cai'nan, and Krodha! The different fabrics attempt to blind the trio by wrapping around their noggins, while the thread and yarn rapidly form elaborate webs and tripping hazards. Meanwhile, the needles, scissors, and shears float aloft as if held by invisible hands and start to slash and stab at them!
Jaya feels no shame in beating a hasty retreat. Ugh, that got around Cai'nan's head. I'll just give him a voice to follow.
"Wow. What brilliant sage could possibly have foreseen this."
"Sufficient positive energy should quell the storm, but a more permanent solution... Probably can only be brought by Roderic's rest?"
"Well then let's keep looking for clues as to what is disturbing him!"
Kallie fires off a parting shot, then retreats with the others from the sewing room haunt.
"You know, I could just shoot at it from the hallway."
”Gah!” Cai’nan exclaimed as the fabric entwined itself around his eyes and face! He backs away and began trying to tear it away.
Aurealia sneaks up behind Cai'nan and starts to tickle him as he struggles to escape the cloth.
The group rather wisely scurries out of the haunt's reach. After about several more seconds, the chaos fades. With everyone else rather beaten up, Galatea and Cheshire volunteer to explore the room. After all, it seems like the restless seamstress has calmed down.
...For the most part.
"Ow! She threw a bar of gold at me! ...Wait. There's a bar of gold in here?! ...Wait, no... "
"Neat!" Kallie says after the report of the treasure Galatea found. She goes over to the next room and takes a peek, trying to ignore Aurealia's actions.
Jaya can't help but wince at Aurealia's flirtation, but decides to keep pressing on. "The sooner we can find some sort of locus for Roderic's spirit, the sooner we can put all these haunts to rest."
”Get it off!” he shouts as he flails one arm st the fabric and another at the spiders or whatever crawling on his ribs as he continues stumbling backwards.
Aurealia snorts as she stifles a laugh and quickly backs away from the panicking druid. "Oh my gods, there's so many of them crawling on you Cai'nan!"
"Cut it out. You don't want Cai'nan calling Krodha to come and start chewing on him, do you?"
Kallie investigates the room that once housed the undead cockroaches. Much like the rest of the house, the area is in a state of rot decay; there is a big crack in the ceiling, and some of the wall's wooden boards have fallen off. Going by the empty desk, this room might have once been a study. However, the centauress discovers nothing of real interest.
Galatea trots out of the sewing room carrying a round box that is in surprisingly great shape. Cheshire lazily follows her caretaker. Sure enough, inside the container is ten bars of pure gold!
"Oh my Gods, this is just like that time I found that dragon's- Oh my Gods, Cai'nan!"
Gali quickly sets aside the box of gold and helps free her childhood friend.
"So, where else haven't we explored?" Kallie inquires while moving away from the last empty room. "Is there an attic? Though I think it would be a moot point since we already fought an attic whisperer."
As Cai’nan gets the fabric ripped away from his face, he immediately begins looking for whatever was crawling on him...
"OOOOooo, did that blanket-geist give you a creepy crawly sensation too?"
Croq tries to keep a straight face when talking, but can't resist a wink and grin to her sis.
"Oh, wow, it just disappeared."
Cai’nan narrows his eyes at the sisters. ”That shit isn’t funny,” he grumbles as he composes himself and turns to take point again. Krodha growls at them with a leer in his eye as he stomps past, sensing the tension in his companion.
Jaya exhales a light snort through her nose, and keeps her lips tightly compressed to keep from grinning.
Okay. That was a little funny.
Trying to turn back to business she answers Kallie, "Or we're about to find out what attic whisperers are afraid of."
As Cai'nan walks off, Croq whispers, "Oh, that was s~#* was hilarious."
Then she smiles at Krodha and says, "Nice doggie?"
Galatea peaks her head in the eastern room.
"...Seems pretty empty. Going by the bunk beds and the abandoned toys, it was the older kids' room. As such, I doubt that it's secretly loaded up with treasure," she concludes after a few moments of looking around.
Gali once again picks up the box of gold bars.
After some discussion, the group decides to venture to the northwest room. After Cai'nan checks the door, he steps inside what must have been the master bedroom, taking care to avoid a sizeable hole that has been gouged into the floor. Much like the rest of Roderic's Wreck, the room has definitely seen better days; all the furniture from the bed to the tables to the dresser in the corner are in deep decay. The ground is covered by the moldy remains of what were likely clothes.
However, near the hole in the floor, there is a fine wooden case that is in far better shape than every other object in the immediate area. You hear Gali start muttering to herself about its net worth. She settles on a figure of "At least 350 gold pieces easily..."
The word "Baraket" is etched onto a plaque on the side of the masterwork wooden case.
Just as it seems that there is nothing else of interest in this room, the air grows cold. Within seconds, an old acquaintance rises from the floor like water flowing in reverse from a drain. As he pulls himself together, Sir Roderic himself (not some silly haunt) stares at the group for a long moment, carefully appraising each and every one of you...