Park grins at Zhandar's reply. He thinks that he's going to like her.... "I hadn't even thought to mention what spells I have access to, or the light requirements."
"I see fine in the dark but usually sing up some dancing lights so I can see color, and so Birdie can see. Other than that, a mage would call them acid splash, detect magic, grasp, mending, prestidigitation, read magic, cure light wounds, grease, and saving finale. I can select any spell from my list but can only cast a couple spells per day, other than cantrips of course. And my bardic music can inspire competence or courage. I tried to use it to counter the Piper's music but didn't have any luck at that. And finally, I know a drum beat that can help us all to move a bit faster for a while."
He glances at Rajuna. "You sure you want the lights behind you? It would silhouette you for them! Better to dance the lights overhead or push them way past you to distract anything there.... Unless there's enough light for you and no light is needed."
"30' or 40' behind me is best - I'm out of the range of the light so I don't cast a shadow, but I have enough light to see. In front or above me warns folks I'm coming. It probably don't matter with the haunts we're facing but against regular people my way works."
Zhandar nods as Rajuna demonstrates his unusual eyes, and listens respectfully to the discussion about where to put the dancing lights. "Since Park appears to have the light source under control, I will prepare resistance instead," she says quietly.
Horm looks at Park for some time. He can see in the dark? He ponders the thought while the others discuss the finer points of their spell preparation. Can he mean the same way as Rajuna? By the way the two of them were talking, it didn't seem like they were thinking about it the same way.
When the others had said their piece, Horm set the thought aside. He will return to it later.
I am a cleric, yes. I have studied in the church of Sarenrae, and her light flows through me." He brushes her holy symbol with the tips of his fingers. "I have learned much in the ways of destroying undead." Horm thinks long about his next words. "I was raised in orcish fashion, in the ways of bow and blade. I have killed two people, both with a sword." He grimaces at the memory. "In truth, I am more an archer than a swordsman, though I think I will not be hurt easily."
"When you are preparing spells, keep in mind that the spirits are incorporeal. Without Morganne we won't have her power on our weapons to make them fully effective against the spirits. Does Sarenrae grant you any magic like that?"
Zhandar gives her familiar the last bit of bread and lifts her bowl to slurp the broth. "Well, since we have some time before we rest, I could brew some more vaporous potions of cure light wounds, if one of you could put up the cost for the necessary magical reagents. They don't go bad, so they will always be useful. If our host would show me to a corner where I could work?" She looks down at the table and frowns. "Fingers, where did you put the spoon?" she asks with an edge in her voice. The monkey screeches and produces it from Zhandar's hair, then proceeds to mimic a catapult with it. "No, you can't have it. That belongs to Professor Lorrimor." Zhandar holds out her hand and the monkey reluctantly places it in her palm.
Park digs in his coin pouch. "Sure. More is better with healing."
Horm rummages in his pack. He has a bag full of valuable gemstones which he carries as a compact means of storing his wealth. Beside it, he keeps a pouch with coins. This he retrieves and counts out.
Horm spends the remainder of his waking hours resting and cleaning his body and equipment. He takes a nap in the late afternoon. Horm has found that his dreams are less troubling if the sun is still up. He still wakes after an hour, unable to sleep longer.
Zhandar gets to work right away, setting up her laboratory equipment and mixing together unpleasant-smelling natural materials that she presumably collected on her journey to Ravengro. So engrossed is she in her work that she doesn't notice when her familiar gets bored with watching and leaves to explore the house. He ends up climbing onto a cabinet in the main room near the others and from there he proceeds to watch Park's familiar intently-- not menacingly, but curiously, as if allured by forbidden fruit. He also tries to borrow books and other reading materials that he can find in the house and carry them up to his perch to skim through. Whenever he reads a word he doesn't know or finds something particularly interesting he screeches loudly as if to share it. "Quiet," Zhandar scolds from the other room.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The next morning is full of more rain, unsurprisingly. It always seems to be raining in Ustalav at one place or another. Harrowstone awaits atop the hill once more, a cursed place with two (at least) malevolent spirits.
Kendra has a hard time waking the next morning, and complains of nightmares. She can't remember any specific details, but her father's death features prominently. She has made some toast for you and left some butter and jams out, but quickly retires to her room for more rest before you leave.
Raj frowns when thinking about Kendra's recent behavior. He doesn't disturb her but he has to wonder if her dreams and tiredness are a natural result of what's been happening... or if there is a malign influence at work.
We may need to search the house or watch over her at night.
He tables the idea while preparing his gear for the day's work.
Park spreads some butter and jam across the toast and enjoys the simple breakfast. He is concerned with Kendra's mention of nightmares but understands that she may still be in mourning for her father.
He leaves the unnecessary equipment behind and stands ready to depart with the team.
Yawning from a fitful rest in the uncomfortable indoors, Zhandar sits down to breakfast after preparing her spells and looking over yesterday's potions to make sure everything settled properly. She looks tired and a little grumpy as she eats. When they are all ready to leave, she sticks the new flasks into her bandolier and checks for her familiar before slinking away behind the others.
Oddly, Horm himself slept soundly the whole night through. Perhaps he is relieved, to finally know what he must do to repay the Professor. He wakes up later than he is used to, taking time to stretch his legs out before completing his morning prayer. He double checks his pack while eating.
"You lead, I'll follow," he says to Park.
Park chuckles and steps up beside Rajuna. "Once we get back inside Rajuna usually leads. He's good at stealth and he spots traps better than me. When the dead step up to fight it can get pretty chaotic, but he and I will try to hold them so you can use your abilities at a little distance...."
Horm nods his understanding. As Park had been the one to explain what the two of them had already done, Horm had assumed he was the leader.
I would lead the group to meet Vesorianna before going back down.
Note: Taking a second rope (knotted for easy climbing) so we can leave it in place and still have one if needed below. Park will carry the extra rope and tie it off so we can climb down.
Horm follows Park's advice and walks with the group to meet Vesorianna.
"The air in this place has a foul odor. Despite the long years, it still reeks of despair."
The ghost is sitting in her chair once more, completely still until you reenter the room.
"Ah, Park, Rajuna. Did more friends arrive? Were you just introducing them or did you have some questions?"
Park considers Vesorianna's question, then smiles. "Mainly introductions. Meeting a friendly ghost is a rare occurrence in anyone's life. But, I do have one question. Once we.... kill the last two spirits below, will you be able to keep them down? under control? or whatever? Or should we try to collapse the prison in on itself or something like that? I just want to be sure the danger is contained so the town is safe."
Zhandar's eyes widen despite her being prepared for the spirit's appearance. She studies Vesorianna intently, her wild eyes darting across the ghostly figure to take in everything she can see and relate it to facts she has heard. She nods to herself, as if seeing her is confirmation of questions she had, but she seems reluctant to speak to her if she doesn't have to.
"Zhandar," she says by way of introduction, only when it obviously becomes uncomfortable.
Horm watches the ghost closely. He feels little threat from her, but a ghost is an unusual sight all the same. Park is right. Those damnable souls must be remanded to their abyss. Horm rests against a wall. Or brought to salvation, if they feel earnest remorse.
"I am Horm, from lands far from here. If only we had met under better circumstances, my lady." He bows low.
"It's good to meet you, I am glad to have you here regardless of circumstances." she says, standing and offering a short bow.
"If you can defeat the last two remaining spirits, I will be able to contain them permanently. I mentioned this earlier, but if you can find a symbol of my husband's office, I believe I'll be able to banish every spirit in this prison permanently." She looks around the room, as if savoring the sight of both you and her surroundings.
"And yes, that means me as well. It is high time I leave this world, I think. With your help of course."
Raj looks to Park, "Have you visited the Warden's office? Or should we expect to find it... on the lower level?" Out of deference for the Warden's ghostly widow, Rajuna tries to avoid referring to her husband's remains.
"We haven't seen it, but I would assume that he was wearing it." He thinks but does not mention that one of the prisoners might have taken it....
"We'll do our best Lady, and return with his badge if possible."
Raj nods, "Let's go finish this business then."
Zhandar nods to demonstrate to her party that she understands, her mind still struggling to come to terms with her first sight of a real-live ghost. Unable to resist, she tries to touch Vesorianna's body, and her eyes widen more as her hand goes straight through.
Zhandar waits to descend the rope after the others. She accepts her haunt siphon with a curious quirk of her eyebrow, but she finds room for it on one of her bandoliers.
Rajuna slides down the rope.
Zhandar follows down the rope.
Raj moves quietly down the corridor. He anticipates that behind the door is a spartan guardroom... Of course, outside the last guardroom a flaming axe nearly took his arm off at the shoulder, so... he's a little more circumspect about his expectations.
After the party regroups at the bottom of the rope, Zhandar takes out her canteen and casts a spell on the water within it. "Drink this," she murmurs. "It will heighten our senses and our wits for a good while." She distributes the draught to everyone including both her and Park's familiars. Then she follows at the back of the party, watching for dangers as best she can with the little monkey on her shoulder.
The walls and floor along the hall towards U11 is marred with burn marks, unlike the other two hallways.
The portcullis blocking the way forward is actually down and closed. The room next door that Rajuna pokes his head into is another guard room, but the winch controls the group found in the other guard room seem to be burnt beyond any point at which they might be useful.
Raj hrmphs at the obstacle. "Right. New plan... we go west." He heads to the western corridor and begins to move cautiously down it.
Park examines the controls and the portcullis....
"Try to fix it? Or break through? Or maybe we should check out the other way?"
"Good plan. Maybe the controls there will work."
Zhandar shrugs and follows west.
"Perhaps there is another way past it," Horm observes. He licks his lips, savoring the taste of the drink Zhandar passed out. [i]Oddly sweet.[i] He follows behind Park.
"Zhandar.," he says quietly, moving towards the druid. "I'm not sure if you noticed, but I don't think Vesorianna liked it when you put your hand through her incorporeal form. I would not do that when we see her next."
Zhandar blinks. "Do you think my action offended her? Very well, I will apologize if we return. I merely wished to see if I could feel anything at the point where the ethereal meets the material world-- it stands to reason that there would be a slight resistance. After all, she has a visible image, so surely other senses must pierce the veil as well. Still, it was merely an academic curiosity, not worth harming our group's relationship with the ghost."
”I’m not sure you need to apologize,[b] Horm clarified. He has drawn his bow as the group continues to explore, and rubs his fingers across its hard surface. [b]”But I don’t think she wanted any more reminders of her current situation.”
After a moment, Horm asks, ”Did you feel any resistance when you touched her?” He is curious.
"I thought I detected a slight change in temperature, but it may have just been my imagination. Perhaps if my touch were magical I could feel something? If what I've read about ghosts is true, they can only be affected by magical weapons, therefore it would stand to reason that magic hands could also interact with them. Alas, my hands are not magical, though unless I miss my guess about our friend Rajuna's martial abilities he may be able to confirm at some point."
The portcullis to the western hallway is also down and blocking the way, although there are two doors in either side of the walls here.
Park watches as Rajuna checks the doors and chooses one. He readies his weapon and waits for the door to be opened. "Unless you'd like me to open it?"