"Haunted? What does that even mean?" The druid stops at the door waiting for Zenaida to explain.
"If the piano is playing on its own, it could be a ghost. Given that a lot of people have probably met untimely ends here, undead are a real possibility." The warpriest shrugs with a clank of armor. "Or it could be something else."
"What can we do? Burn it?"
"Tarphrex can use magic on undead piano!"
"Something of an illusion, perhaps? We've dealt with enough undead recently, but most of em have been, yknow. Corporeal."
He sighs. "Shall we get inside together?"
Confusion is apparent for the kobold, thinking his grasp of Common has failed him, ”In…. piano?”
"No, no, inside the room with the piano."
__________
So what do you folks do?
Razkiv moves to the piano.
Loth as well.
Zenaida follows Razkiv, eyeing the piano warily.
As the three of you enter the room, the piano starts playing again, louder than before, an impossible tune flying through the room.
Zenaida, Loth, and Razkiv all begin whirling and twirling across the floor like a group of maniacs who have lost all control of their bodies.
(of sorts)
Zenaida, Loth, and Krug all get to act, Razkiv and Tarphrex will have to wait.
For the 3 in the room:
You have lost control of your bodies and can only take mental actions.
Trying to force yourself to stop dancing is an option and takes place at the START of your turn.
--This requires a DC 15 WILL save.
-------If you pass: You are fatigued but in control of yourself again and can act normally on this turn.
-------If you fail, you will take 1 point of STR damage.
And GO!
Tarphrex, close behind Zenaida, stops, mouth agape as the woman displays all the race one can have in a set of heavy armor. He looks at Krug, "What is it? Is plan we should dance, too?"
Loth continues to dance like he's never danced before.
Somehow the music of the piano brings Razkiv back to the drums of the Storval Plateau. The rhythm begins to drive his feet.
Shaking off the compulsion Razkiv reaches to grab Loth and drag him from the room.
Somehow the music of the piano brings Razkiv back to the drums of the Storval Plateau. The rhythm begins to drive his feet.
[Dice=Will Save]1d20+9
Shaking off the compulsion Razkiv reaches to grab Loth and drag him from the room.
[Dice=CMB]1d20+5
None of this happens yet, I said you and Tarphrex have to wait. Specifically, until Zenaida has a turn and then I need to do stuff as well.
The beat is infectious, making Zenaida long to dance. That's not what she's here for, though, and the warpriest manages to resist. She lets out a tired breath. "Well, that was different." Razkiv evidently threw it off (that dwarven stubbornness comes in handy), but Loth is dancing with abandon. That won't do.
Zenaida walks over to the halfling, chants a quick spell, and manages to tag him as he whirls by.
[dice=Will Save]1d20+7
Okay, you've passed the save and can act normally on this turn.
Zenaida?
That's so weird. I don't see anything besides the Will save. Anything else you did I should be aware of? The +1 would not have boosted his save enough to pass. Or if you'd rather it be on his next save, it'll linger.
_____________
Besides that, Krug takes an action, striding to the door to see what is happening....
... He has NO IDEA what is happening and awaits any suggestions from the party.
____________
Then Razkiv's turn. He shakes off the desire to dance away his troubles and reaches out to Loth, who's lithe frame slips away from him.
___________
Tarphrex gets an action before the start of the next round.
K(Religion) checks can garner you some information.
___________
Tarphrex points his finger at the piano and blasts it with his undead-harming ray. Or tries to.
"Ghost! Piano! Ghost piano! Tarphrex says Stop playing!"
Zenaida pummels her memory, trying to think of what might be causing this effect.
2 additional questions as well.
Loth manages to cease his dancing. "Whoa. Phew. Gods, what was that?"
Aha, that's where she heard of this before! "This is something called a haunt. It happens where there is terrible grief and tragedy associated with a death, not surprising in this house. They can usually be destroyed by positive energy, and one other way unique to each haunt. Destroying the piano may or may not work." She looks at Tarphrex. "The ray you use on undead is positive energy, so if you shoot it enough times that should work. Or Krug could channel energy, but I'd prefer to save that for healing later on."
”Tarphrex can try again! Piano moved last time…”
While Tarphrex blasts it, Loth moves in and closes the lid on the piano keys. "If there's a unique way to stop the haunt, might as well try something out!"
Zenaida shares the information she calls up from her memories, and the party responds quickly. Loth deftly closes the cover on the keys, which (while clever) seems to have no affect. While Loth considers his next course of action, Tarphrex temporarily solves the problem with his magics, beaming positive energy into the focus of the haunt, disrupting it and dispersing its energies.
_______
The haunt is defeated, for now. But, as Zenaida knows, defeating it in such a way is no guarantee that it won't regenerate eventually. It's rare for it to happen in less than 24 hours, very rare. But it might take a week, or a month. Literally impossible to tell without first hand knowledge of a particular haunt. But it's gone for now and you're free to act normally.
"Great job, Tarphrex." Zenaida gives the kobold an encouraging smile. "It's not gone for good, but usually it takes at least a week for a haunt to regenerate."
Quite satisfied with the might of his draconic power, the little fellow lets slip a reptilian grin, showing way too many teeth for most onlookers.
He looks around the room, rightfully positioned near Zenaida once more, before pointing a talon at the door east past the piano, "Lolth has good ears. Does Lolth hear anything?"
"Let's see, shall we?"
Still catching his breath, Loth opens the door and listens in.
"There is a sprit their to this place? Can we appease it?
The druid moves to look at the piano for anything out of place.
@Loth: You still your breath, place your ear near the frame, and listen...
@Razkiv: You look into the the piano, checking under it, then inside. You notice that most of the strings are snapped, and the cloth wrapping the hammers that strike said strings has rotted away. Mold splotches dot the inside and bottom of the piano. And, for just the briefest moment, you think you see a beautiful, dusky skinned woman with dark purple skin around her neck sitting at the piano's bench.
"I hear... breathing. But not, like, someone's breathing in the other room. It's like the sound of soft breathing is hanging over me."
A shiver runs up Loth's spine. "Whatever it might be... I don't think it's in the other room. It should be safe. No less safe than hanging around here, I wager."
"Let's go, then." Zenaida walks over to where Loth stands by the door, armor clanking softly. "Is it locked?"
The door is not locked.
Do you continue through?
Loth continues through.
Razkiv looks at the piano, at the spirit tied to it and with a sigh he turns and follows the halfling.
Moving through the doorway, you see....
Zenaida eyes the washtub warily, frowning. "Disgusting. This whole house is disgusting, how can people live like this?"
”Mmm, Tarphrex is short. Can taller one see scratching thing in big body-bowl? Is another piano-ghost? Maybe ratty rat?”
"I don't think anyone's ACTUALLY living here anymore, to be honest..."
Not seeing much use in sticking around in this room, Loth scouts further ahead and opens the door at the end of the hall.
Anyone passing by the tub sees sudden motion as a rat tries to scurry up the smooth sides. It's eyes are scabbed over, rendering it blind, and patches of skin show through its molting fur. That it is disease ridden is obvious, that it somehow senses your presence not as clear. But it hisses and scrambles whenever any of you approach the tub.
@Loth: You see....
...and....
@Everyone:
As your stay in this house lengthens, you begin to smell the must more strongly. And the sound of the house settling begins to remind you of breathing.
"Stay clear of the tub little drake, even a being of your power would be troubled if you ate that rat."
The Druid holds his hand to guide Tarphrex away from the tub.
With a look of concern toward the tub, the kobold is willingly led away.