It Came from Hollow Mountain

Game Master DEREK LANE 127

As you step closer and file into the room, the family suddenly decays, their skin sloughing away in wisps of shadows! The two little children's hollow eye sockets turn and look at you. The little girl slips off Roderic's now skeletal lap and faces you, her skin rapidly decaying, maggots eating her face off at an accelerated pace. Her little skull looks at you as her eyeballs turn to dust and blow away. She raises a single, bony finger and points at you accusingly. "Daddy..." her hollow, disembodied voice says.

Ew, Derek!

Roderic stands suddenly and screams, “GET OUT!” in a long, gasping shout.

Will DC12 saves, please.

Will Save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

Now that Sir Roderic's manifestation has been explained to Walfrenden, he understands what it is and stands fast against its second appearance.

He draws forth one of the flasks of holy water and hurls it at the ghost.

Thrown Flask: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
Holy Water Damage: 2d4 ⇒ (2, 3) = 5

Backing up the Crit: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
Extra Crit Damage: 2d4 ⇒ (1, 1) = 2

"BEGONE, SHADE!" he bellows. Then he says, more quietly, "Be at peace, we will set you to rest as soon as we are able."

"Run awaaaaayyyyy....!!!"

(I think she's outside somewhere.)

"Sir Healer, can you help? I feel fine and just thought I took con drain of 1 point, but this red bar above my head makes me think I might have another health issue..."

"Red Line? Uh oh. She done got smacked harder 'n we thought."

"Sir?!? Why I'm jus' an ol' country healer." Hatfield approaches. "May I?" he asks gesturing at the wound. His eyes go out of focus for a moment as he pushes on some pressure points around the injury.

Cure Light Wounds: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
__________________________________________________

Roderic stands suddenly and screams, “GET OUT!” in a long, gasping shout.

Will DC12 saves, please. Fail=you are affected by cause fear.

Will Save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

"But, Sir Roderic, we're here ta help!"

Walfrenden's holy water splashes across the spectral family, causing their ghostly visages to shred apart and vanish. The little girl's faint, "Daddddddyyy... trails away, her voice a sound that will haunt your dreams for many nights to come.

Walfrenden's holy water splashes across the spectral family, causing their ghostly visages to shred apart and vanish. The little girl's faint, "Daddddddyyy... trails away, her voice a sound that will haunt your dreams for many nights to come.

Walf attempts to his emotional reaction to the voice with work. He quickly casts prestidigitation and commences cleaning up any ectoplasm that may have washed over the others or himself.

"That may not last long," he says. "We should search the room and learn what we can quickly. This is clearly an important place for the unquiet spirit."

Walf begins to search. As he does, he discusses what he knows about apparitions with the others.

I think we should take 20 here. Walf's Perception is only +4, but he can aid someone else.

Perception Roll to Aid: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14 Success grants a +2 bonus to someone's take 20 Perception check.

Walf has an ability that grants +4 to aid on knowledge checks when he's trained. This is a check to aid on what that was and what we can do about it (beyond laying the spirit to rest).

Knowledge(Religion) Roll to Aid: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24 Success grants a +4 bonus to someone's Knowledge(Religion) check.

Frantino takes a quick look around, then consults with Walf and analyzes the clues from the haunt to see how to put it to rest.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13
Knowledge religion: 1d20 + 7 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 7 + 4 = 28 from Walf's aid.

If we'e going to spend the time and take 20 to search, that becomes a 30.

Roscoe nods as the haunt dissipates. "That's how it's done," he says.

He helps conduct a thorough search of the room.

perception assist: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

Sounds like we are out of initiative; Ayita will come back in and help...

She'll help assist search too.

perception: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 4 + 2 = 17

Frantino and Walf converse about the spectral family and, throwing together a little of what each know, they realize that, given how much Sir Roderic adored his family and spent as much time with them as he could, this must have been a vision of their time together in this room, reading and playing games, perhaps.

One thing that both Frantino and Walf realize, to the horror of all who hear it, is that while the haunt is not truly intelligent, replaying itself for all to see, it knows. It knows when you're here. It can... sense you. It will come back to you, to this place, when it feels you near.

The only thing that can lay it to rest, letting its pain and sorrow dissipate into the aether, is if Sir Roderic, the primary cast member in its chilling scene, moves on to the afterlife.

I've shared an image of the Spectral Family with each of you on Roll20. Check your Journals.

The room is full of chill and the creeping sense of horror that only the unhappy dead can bring. The smell of the moldering couch and the damp floor and walls combine to overwhelm all who remain in the room.

It is a sad, horrific haunting. Happiness, dead. Family, gone. History's wrenching tale. The emotions conjured by smell and fear and eery visions are hard to ignore.

Great perception rolls. Nothing but sadness and fear in this room.

One thing that both Frantino and Walf realize, to the horror of all who hear it, is that while the haunt is not truly intelligent, replaying itself for all to see, it knows. It knows when you're here. It can... sense you. It will come back to you, to this place, when it feels you near.

Do we know whether it might be possible to communicate with it like a rapping spirit when it is disabled as it currently is?

GM Derek wrote:

One thing that both Frantino and Walf realize, to the horror of all who hear it, is that while the haunt is not truly intelligent, replaying itself for all to see, it knows. It knows when you're here. It can... sense you. It will come back to you, to this place, when it feels you near.

Do we know whether it might be possible to communicate with it like a rapping spirit when it is disabled as it currently is?

As is discussed here about investigating haunts?

Yes, you could certainly try! You can feel that the spectral family is still nearby. Linguistics DC18 for up to four questions. If anybody has a ouija board or other way of designating letters, the spirit can spell 1d10 ⇒ 2 words. Or it can answer Yes or No to your four questions.

"If any of you have a knack for communication, as I recall you should now be able to communicate with Sir Roderic, and maybe his family, albeit briefly," Walf explains.

"It's something that happened from time to time in Axis as spirits passed through on the way to Pharasma's Spire. I think it will work in this case, too."

Linguistics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

"I have some facility with languages and communication, but could use some help with the exact wording of the questions we want to ask."

Walf thinks about Frantino's question "If we are to ask yes or no questions, I suggest we start with, 'Do you know how we can lay you to rest?' If the spirit doesn't know, there would not be much point in asking more."

"Then, if the answer is 'yes,' perhaps ask whether the means is in this house....or just start there, asking whether the means to lay him to rest is in this house."

Walf looks to Ayita, Roscoe, and Doc Hatfield. "What do you think?" he asks.

"Worth a shot."

Sounds good to me... though will the spirit understand that wording? If it does not answer directly, maybe we could ask more broadly about what disturbs it most, where had the worst things happened to it... what currently troubles it, endangers the Cove... just possibilities

If it does not answer directly, maybe we could ask more broadly about what disturbs it most, where had the worst things happened to it... what currently troubles it, endangers the Cove... just possibilities

"Yes, a spiritualist with a ouija board and panchette could ask more helpful reaching questions, but no one seems to have that and there is little time. I am afraid we are stuck with yes-or-no questions without them."

Walf continues, "What do we ask if the spirits say the means are in the house? What if they say the means are not? Maybe we ask if there is a clue as to the reason he appeared at the circle market this morning?"

"I'm afraid time is short, perhaps you should begin, Frantino?"

Walf gets out another holy water and closes and blocks the door in case time is really short.

Roscoe listens carefully as Walf describes speaking with spirits. "This--may be something to look into. I can speak with spirits, but--just the ones I'm familiar with," he says.

Bad ones.

Frantino is ready to begin, hopefully. His thought is to narrow down the location where they can lay him to rest.

"Spirit of Roderic, is the means to lay you to rest located in this house? Knock once for yes, twice for no."

If he answers no, the next question is, "Is the means to lay you to rest located within one mile of this house?"

If that is also a no, then we'll ask if it's within ten miles. If that's a yes, we'll try to narrow it down to a five mile radius with the fourth question, but if it's a no we'll have to use a larger distance. Twenty? More?

If the first question is answered yes (in the house), what follow-up question should we ask?

If the first is a no but the second is a yes (not in the house, but within a mile), what would the third question be? And so on.

Frantino is ready to begin, hopefully. His thought is to narrow down the location where they can lay him to rest.

"Spirit of Roderic, is the means to lay you to rest located in this house? Knock once for yes, twice for no."

If he answers no, the next question is, "Is the means to lay you to rest located within one mile of this house?"

The air gets cold after you ask your questions. Death is in the air. The chill of the unquiet dead...

The moldering couch thumps twice. And the twice again.

Ayita considers what she might be able to do; her Varisian cousins have many tools for this sort of thing, but she's never gotten involved. But... she did hear of one thing...

She gets out her parchment and pen (she has these) and takes about 10 seconds to draw a very quick sketch of the shoreline of the Cove, with the rivers and major towns and cities nearby indicated, very approximately.

She then passes this to Frantino, along with a small coin that a spirit could move over a map, and the pen.

She also hands him her deck of cards. (The type is not specified in my list, not sure how helpful it can be.)

Can you ask the spirit to move the coin on the map to a spot we should look?

Is the house located in the town limits, or is it well outside Roderic's Cove?

"Worth a try. Roderic, please move the coin on this map to the spot we should look."

Is the house located in the town limits, or is it well outside Roderic's Cove?

It is just outside town.

"Worth a try. Roderic, please move the coin on this map to the spot we should look."

The coin shudders once, twice, and on the third it begins to hover in the air in the exact spot Ayita has drawn the house. And then it slowly floats back down. When it touches the parchment it slides off to the southeast, coming to rest on Ayita's representation of the nearby Churlwood.

Ayita considers what she might be able to do; her Varisian cousins have many tools for this sort of thing, but she's never gotten involved. But... she did hear of one thing...

She gets out her parchment and pen (she has these) and takes about 10 seconds to draw a very quick sketch of the shoreline of the Cove, with the rivers and major towns and cities nearby indicated, very approximately.

She then passes this to Frantino, along with a small coin that a spirit could move over a map, and the pen.

She also hands him her deck of cards. (The type is not specified in my list, not sure how helpful it can be.)

Can you ask the spirit to move the coin on the map to a spot we should look?

Mmmm. Creative solution!

Roscoe's eyes go wide as the coin moves.

"Clever way to work this--maybe this would be helpful with some of the things I'm dealing with," he says.

Looking around the room, he says "I think we should probably finish looking around the house. Let's see if there are any other clues here. Because that's a big place to explore without some more information."

Room across the hall?

Roscoe's eyes go wide as the coin moves.

"Clever way to work this--maybe this would be helpful with some of the things I'm dealing with," he says.

Looking around the room, he says "I think we should probably finish looking around the house. Let's see if there are any other clues here. Because that's a big place to explore without some more information."

Room across the hall?

Certainly, there is more to explore. But I also call your attention to a previous discovery in the house, in case you've forgotten: link to post here.

Roscoe strokes his chin. "It appears the Secret Horde is in the Churlwood--look, this matches the map we found!"

Thanks for the reminder!

Walf makes sure to close the door to the family room as the group leaves the room. He grabs some scraps of wood, furniture, or crockery from the room that had the spiders in it and wedges them between the door and the frame to make the door difficult to open. If he cannot find anything suitable, he instead uses his dagger, hammering it into the wood with his light hammer or smithing tools like a spike.

"Until Sir Roderic is laid to rest, I'm afraid that room is dangerous. I would hate for any local children to get hurt coming in here," he explains.

I'd better buy a hammer and some iron spikes before we head into the woods, he thinks to himself.

"Until Sir Roderic is laid to rest, I'm afraid that room is dangerous. I would hate for any local children to get hurt coming in here," he explains.

"Whatcha suggest?"

"Whatcha suggest?"

"Sealing the room. The spirit will return soon. If children really do come in here, I think we should try to keep them out of there until we can lay Sir Roderic to rest. I hope this will do for now."

I'm up for searching the rest of the house before we leave. We found a map in the first room, and I'd like to confirm that there are no other useful items before leaving this place. I'm also happy to flee, if we encounter something we can't handle.

"Good thinking! We should search the rest of the house for additional clues before we prepare to investigate the Churlwood."

Frantino will check the doorway across the hall then enter the room, if it's safe.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12

Seeing Frantino moving toward that next room, Ayita searches the entrance for unsafe boards and other "traps"... Then going in alongside Frantino if it's safe.

Ter is on her shoulder. Ter lets her know that Ter wants to get back outside. Ayita promises her a treat, just wait it's ok...

Perception: 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 4 + 1 + 2 = 17

p.s. if the light in here is "bright", a hawk familiar adds another +3 so this would be 20.

Frantino will check the doorway across the hall then enter the room, if it's safe.

[dice=Perception]1d20 + 10

Room A8 (again)

A sickeningly sweet scent hangs in this room’s otherwise stale air. Mold and fungus grow up the side of the northern walls, and what was once a table lies decayed and slumped to the floor at an angle. A door and a stone hearth occupy the west wall of the room, the oven’s door slightly ajar.

Ayita, not bright light, but normal. Nevertheless, you make the DC

Roscoe smells something, but can't make anything of it. He makes his way into the room, leading the way.

"Our resident ghost was not a clean freak," he muses.

perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

I'm having a hard time moving my icon into the northern room. I think the light source became unattached to me and now it's a giant token that can't navigate a doorway. :/

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Walf wrinkles his nose but does not notice anything not to be expected in a long-abandoned house.

I'm having a hard time moving my icon into the northern room. I think the light source became unattached to me and now it's a giant token that can't navigate a doorway. :/

Fixed

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21

"Say... What's this here?" Hatfield gestures towards the north edge of the room. "Seems ta be a mass o' diseased fibers an' mold. It's a movin' an' slitherin'!"

Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

[dice=Perception]1d20+1

"Say... What's this here?" Hatfield gestures towards the north edge of the room. "Seems ta be a mass o' diseased fibers an' mold. It's a movin' an' slitherin'!"

[dice=Knowledge Nature]1d20+5

Doc Hatfield has heard of garden oozes. This must be one of them.

What two pieces of information do you want?

As Hatfield realizes what's in the room, he slowly backs out of there. "Aw, heck. I'm an herbalist, not an alchemist!"

Speaking softly, he shares with his companions the details of a garden ooze and its special abilities and weaknesses. "Y'all," he begins. "Serious, y'all. That mess over there is a garden ooze. It's real dangerous. I read that they can __________ and are weak to __________."

Roscoe stops in his tracks as Gregory talks about the ooze. He slowly backs up, not wanting to face it on his own.

"Well--maybe we don't even need to go in this room. Let's just close the door and skip this one, shall we?"

Speaking softly, he shares with his companions the details of a garden ooze and its special abilities and weaknesses. "Y'all," he begins. "Serious, y'all. That mess over there is a garden ooze. It's real dangerous. I read that they can __________ and are weak to __________."

A garden ooze excretes digestive acid that dissolves flesh, but not plant matter.

Also, a garden ooze can release foul-smelling gases in a 5-foot-radius spread centered on the ooze. The ooze usually does so after it is first injured. The stench of these vapors is overpowering!

RE: weaknesses... it moves slower than most of you? Slightly lower fort save than others?

Roscoe stops in his tracks as Gregory talks about the ooze. He slowly backs up, not wanting to face it on his own.

"Well--maybe we don't even need to go in this room. Let's just close the door and skip this one, shall we?"

The room appears to be the kitchen, if that affects your decision-making.

"We need to search every room and make this place safe again. Point it out. I work around acids all the time."

Assuming someone points, Walf tries to make out where the ooze is.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

He takes a deep breath and holds it. Then he strides in confidently, and starts beating random mold and ooze in the hopes that he hits it.

50/50 Miss Chance for Attacking the Square the Ooze Is Ostensibly in: 1d100 ⇒ 50 Low is good

Earthbreaker attack: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (8) - 1 = 7

Damage: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (5, 2) + 4 = 11 bludgeoning

GARDENING IN THE KITCHEN

BOLD MAY ACT.

"We need to search every room and make this place safe again. Point it out. I work around acids all the time."

Assuming someone points, Walf tries to make out where the ooze is.

[Dice=Perception]1d20+4

He takes a deep breath and holds it. Then he strides in confidently, and starts beating random mold and ooze in the hopes that he hits it.

Walf finds it, but it oozes out of the way before his earthbreaker can hit it!

Roscoe scowls at the creature and rushes in.

[size=bigger]"FINE! IF WE CAN'T MOVE ON WITHOUT KILLING YOU, LET'S JUST KILL YOU!"[/SIZE] the halfling yells, his face suddenly red and in a rage.

But in his abrupt anger, he misses the creature badly as he swings out of control.

morningstar: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 61d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

I don't know why every time I move the light source is de-coupled from me and then I can't move it. Sorry.

Walf swats at the sludge again. The precinct office really ought to have reassigned or condemned this dwelling long ago, he thinks to himself. I should apply for it if I'm going to stay here for a while.

Earthbreaker: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (7) - 1 = 6
Damage: 2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 2) + 6 = 11

Hatfield moves to a position where he can get to those who might need medical treatment.