Galimus moves to get a better angle on the creature then flings some more fire at it.
Zoi rushes around the side of the table and tries to pry the tentacle off of Lazlo's neck! "This isn't good!"
The tentacle only seems to wrap tighter and tighter as he tries to free the man.
HP 30/30
AC 17 (18 w/ shield)
Spells Used:
Divine Font 1/4
Focus Points 1/1
Wand of Heal (1st): 0/1
Battle Medicine: Laurel, Lazlo
Hero Points 0/3
Climbing on the table, de Sibelius gets a better view of the choker and quietly calls to the gods to aid his companions.
Fundin touches Lazlo and fills him with Magrim healing
Then he takes a step and strikes the creature "You will retreat going after my companions!"
Lazlo tries to wriggle free, fails, and punches the choker in the face, which releases him.
Laurel tries to rush through, but the choker is too nimble and blocks him, and dodges Laurel's attacks.
Galimus's fire cannot be dodged, though, and smacks it in the face.
Symeon casts a spell.
Fundin swipes at the choker, knocking it to the floor.
-Round 5
Galimus (43/43 hp)
Laurel (30/41 hp, 1 persistent fire)
Fundin (33/49 hp)
Zoi (30/30 hp) revision?
Lazlo (16/32 hp) 1 action
de Sibelius (32/32 hp)
Red Creature (-28 hp)
Blue Creature (-29 hp)
--Round 6
Yellow Creature (-36 hp, prone)
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Zoi runs up to slap a bandage on Lazlo, but ends up smacking him in the back of the head.
Yellow stands up, and, with pure anger in their eyes, grabs at Fundin, the one who knocked them down.
plus strangling fingers
, DC 19 basic Fortitude
--Round 6
Galimus (43/43 hp)
Laurel (30/41 hp, 1 persistent fire)
Fundin (29/49 hp, Fort vs -8 hp, grabbed, suffocating, air 7/7)
Zoi (30/30 hp)
Lazlo (13/32 hp)
de Sibelius (32/32 hp)
Red Creature (-28 hp)
Blue Creature (-29 hp)
--Round 7
Yellow Creature (-36 hp)
Breathing heavily and coughing, Lazlo studies the creature carefully.
Unable to gain any insight into the creature he draws a dagger and throws it at the creature.
Fundin is surprised and not prepared for the attack. He swings his hammer hoping to take the creature down
Both of his strikes connect sending the creature to the ground.
Fundin finds it rather easy to drop the final choker when it has him in its grasp.
vs DC 10
vs DC 10
vs DC 10
--Final
Galimus (43/43 hp)
Laurel (28/41 hp)
Fundin (21/49 hp)
Zoi (30/30 hp)
Lazlo (13/32 hp)
de Sibelius (32/32 hp)
Searching the initial room they entered, the Pathfinders find little other than evidence this used to be a dining hall for servants. Some ash and charcoal by the fireplace seems oddly placed.
The small room to the side appears to be a bathroom. The tiled floor of this room is dusty and spotted with patches of mold. To the north sits a large bathing tub, while to the south sits a smaller washtub for linens and clothes. Next to that is a partially collapsed laundry basket with shredded bits of clothing strewn around its base.
Most of the clothing in this room is dirty, moth-eaten, and ruined. However, the long blue-and-yellow scarf worn by the choker matriarch detects as magical.
When the last one of the creatures is down, Galimus looks to the other members of his party. His fingers go to his own neck in sympathy as he sees the angry red marks where the chokers had them.
"Might I suggest we retire for a time after we examine these rooms. Though I was unharmed in that encounter, I feel quite spent and I suspect the rest of you do, as well."
That being said, he looks at the ash in the fireplace.
He can't quite figure out what is happening with it.
He moves on to examine the scarf.
He looks at it a couple times then to the creature that was wearing it, a wry smile coming to his face.
"Any dancers here? This could prove quite useful if you are."
"Lookit!" pointing to the scuff marks on the inside of the chimney "Stupit Tenta-Slems crolled through 'ere - prolly lung time go - an' so din't live 'n this Spook House 'riginally!"
Proud at his discovery, he continues to look around the room for clues!
"Afraid, I haven't danced in some time, though I must agree. I need a bit of rest myself." Zoi feels absolutely drained as he pours the last bits of his heling into Lazlo. "Let's find some respite for the night. Answers can wait another day."
HP 30/30
AC 17 (18 w/ shield)
Spells Used:
Divine Font 0/4
Focus Points 1/1
Wand of Heal (1st): 0/1
Battle Medicine: Laurel, Lazlo
Hero Points 0/3
Still coughing, Lazlo retrieves his daggers before looking around the room.
"That was unpleasant. I wonder what otherworldly forces drew them here?" His normally sonorous voice is unpleasantly raspy.
He kicks one of the corpses.
Just in case they get ambushed along the way to a safe space (though really they might just stay here) Galimus sends out a wave of positive energy, the last he's capable of for the day.
Seeing the last choker choke, de Sibelius rushes to Lazlo, "Are you all right, you had me worried there. Please I don't want to have to write your obituary, however brave and audacious your actions are, keeping you alive to become the owner of this manor is .. most important." The gnome tends to the mans wounds, with bandages and poultices.
Once all is quiet and the group get a chance to sleep and regroup, de Sibelius starts to dream of Tchekuth..
Zoi leads the group into the Library. "Let's rest here. We can read for a bit before bed." With all quiet he snores loudly as the fire crackles nearby. His dreams haunted by the psychopomps that flit through the air.
Seeing the last choker choke, de Sibelius rushes to Lazlo, "Are you all right, you had me worried there. Please I don't want to have to write your obituary, however brave and audacious your actions are, keeping you alive to become the owner of this manor is .. most important." The gnome tends to the mans wounds, with bandages and poultices.
Lazlo looks a bit embarrassed at the attention. "Err...thank you De Sibelius. I shall endeavor to be more careful in the future."
As the evening comes to an end Lazlo falls asleep with an open book on his chest.
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Galimus takes some time to contemplate the group before going to sleep.
Laurel's bravery borders on foolhardiness but he has a surprising ability to back his bravado up for one so young.
Zoiqoppour is hard to pin down. Clearly wise and knowledgeable but a bit mysterious.
Fundin is solid and dependable. A rock for the dangers in this place to break themselves upon. Yet with a powerful mind as well.
de Sibelius is perhaps the hardest to read. Unless he really is just here in his function as a lawyer. But what lawyer would put themselves through so much danger just to do their job.
And Lazlo seems just as brave as Laurel though far less brash. Not to mention the fact that he's likely the one with the most claim to actually be at the house.
The key to all of this seems to be Tchekuth. Whatever happened here happened either because it came or was summoned.
Brave but never "Foolhardy" - no matter what they say! - Laurel sits down and immediately falls asleep, pinches himself in his dream, suddenly realizes he is dreaming, practices his knife-twirling skills - accidentally chops off his pinky finger! - remembers he's dreaming and has his mom sew it back on for him "Thenks ma, all better" and then plays hide and seek with ravens in the forest at night - and "wins"! = gets lost for hours until nobody is playing anymore, then forages for berries, eats a whole stash of them, all the while collecting his resolve into a single act of daring:
He approaches the Unknown Ashen Man, totally unafraid!
Fundin sits on the chair and first cleans his hammer and shield. He chews on some dried rations as he tries to clean his mind and process what they learned today.
He does not know when he has fallen asleep ...
Lazlo awakens before he sees the title.
The forest is gone. The entire world is a desolate, ashen wasteland. But Laurel feels at home. The Ashen Man is home in this post-apocalyptic landscape.
"Sweeeeeet," says Laurel.
The group awakens in the morning, well-rested.
Zoi yawns, though he seems a bit unnerved as his fuzzy mind begins to remember his dream. "I had the strangest dream. I watched as a thief entered the house. I am not sure from which side but it seemed so real."
Galimus isn't exactly upset about dreaming about what he actually dreamed about instead of dreaming about what he set his mind to. It was much more pleasant, after all.
"You're not sure which side of the house they entered from or which side they're on, meaning ours or our opponents'?" Galimus asks.
"I also saw a dream with a thief, a human thief. Psychopomp asked them in common 'What are you doing in my house?'" he wonders for a moment and rubs his face
"What does it mean? Did the owners of the house had some connections to psychopomps?"
"A thief, huh? Interesting..." Lazlo ponders this information for a moment before describing his own dream.
"I saw Ioseff Xarwin searching a grand library for a particular book. When he finally found it I couldn't see the title before I woke up."
"Was there anything specific about that book? Like book cover with particular color or material?" asks Fundin
"It's all gone"
Uncharacteristically dejected, the pep in our young hero's step seems to be drained, replaced with a morose and sour mood. Instead of racing around juggling his knives, Laurel walks with his head down, and avoids eye contact.
Skipping breakfast and walking slowly behind the party as they ready to break camp.
"Ok, maybe we cleared this place from all of its monsters, let us see the other rooms."
Zoi nods and follows behind. "Let's move swiftly and be out of here as soon as we can. This house holds more secrets than we expected." He ruffles his feathers nervously.
Lazlo moves to back Fundin up. "Lead on my friend. Let us see what awaits beyond."
Coat hooks adorn the walls of this otherwise empty room.
"A coatroom? How anticlimactic. Nevertheless we should press on while there are still mysteries to resolve."
Lazlo gestures to the northern door.
"Well coats have to hang somewhere." shares his dwarven wisdom
"Agreed, ever onward," Galimus says and approaches the northern door. He'll open it once everyone is ready.
Zoi instantly begins clawing at his throat before realizing nothing is there. The only trace is his hands and neck are now damp. "Did anyone else see that? Some sort of ectoplasmic arm came out and started choking me!"
...Laurel continues to mope...
...following along...
...deflated...
Fundin turns toward Zo
"What?" and looks at his hand and neck "This place is full of spirits, ghosts and lingering monsters. I have a feeling that the easiest solution would be to burn this place to the ground, but Master de Sibelius would probably not be happy about that solution"
"Perhaps so." he wipes his hands off, trying to calm his nerves as the group shuffles through the room. "I am just ready to be out of here."
One of the two windows in this ten-foot-wide hall is broken, and years of weather exposure have caused significant damage to the walls and floor. On the opposite wall hang eight medium portraits, only two of which have escaped mold and decay. The portraits bear the plaques reading “Carpenter,” “Majordomo,” “Cook,” “Butler,” “Maid,” “Tutor,” “Groundskeeper,” and “Librarian.”
The first portrait depicts a stern-looking bald man wearing a leather carpenter’s apron and holding a hand drill in his hands. Asethanna's signature is visible, and the de Sibelius estimates its value to be 10 gp.
The second portrait depicts a nervous-looking elderly woman dressed in the attire of a majordomo. Asethanna's signature is also clearly visible, and the portrait is worth 10 gp.
The latter six are ruined beyond recognition by mold and decay.
Galimus gives Laurel a brief, subtle pat on the shoulder as he moves past the boy to look at the pictures.
"Seems Asethanna had quite the hobby. And not a small amount of skill," he comments as they find more paintings by the lady of the house.
"Do you think the fact that she painted portraits of them meant that she liked the servants or that she simply ran out of other subjects?"
He doesn't know much about art restoration but there is a lot moving around in his subconscious so he examines the ruined paintings to see if they could be salvaged, or at least if something could be don so the images on them could be seen.
Laurel makes sure to keep behind Galimus, doing his best to be brave, but certainly not so much as even looking at the portraits...
"Seems they were all fairly close to each other then." Zoi looks over each painting wondering where each of them are now in life.
Galimus looks carefully, but despite his best efforts, he can't surmise much else than vague figures.
he tries to determine anything about paintings
"I wonder the same thing, she might have been practicing her skills. Or they were close. Hanging the paintings probably implies that she was close with them or particularly proud of the paintings. "
Lazlo's eyes narrow as he passes the portraits. He stops and gives each one a thorough search before moving on.