GM Mindxing 03-15 The Haunting of Hinojai

Game Master MindXing

Kiyoko opens the door revealing a storage room. Several barrels, storage bins, and stacks of very dry firewood line the walls of this room. Wall racks hold a number of earthen jars with lids. A single window is set in the east wall.

Kiyoko steps into the room and walks over to the large window in the eastern wall. She peers out, looking both to the right and left, and harrumphs. So far, this 'haunted' mansion was proving to be rather mundane.

"There was a door in the bathhouse," she says, looking over her shoulder. "There, next?"

As Kiyoko looks around she finds a poorly concealed secret door is set in the floor in the northwest corner. Scratches in the wood suggest that stacking boxes and barrels once concealed it further.

It's a Perception check to find that door but the DC is 12 and I'm sure that someone is going to see it. So I'm not bothering with the roll. The trapdoor is not on the map.

"Hoh? Kiyoko says as something catches her eye. "I see a trap door, here."

She moves to investigate, and lifts the trap door up.

Steps lead down into a simple passage with rough earthen walls and wooden supports. A heavy wooden door at the southern is locked.

Fearlessly To-to climbs down the trap door. "Here is a locked door!"

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

Kiyoko follows down the ladder after To-to. Seeing the door, she tries to open it, and, when it fails to open, she rattled it a few more times for good measure. The sword saint then unsheathes Reitenseiya, her adamantine katana, and motions for the tengu to take a step back. She then slashes the door in half.

Two-handed Power Attack dmg: 1d8 + 16 ⇒ (3) + 16 = 19

Since her katana is made of adamantine, it ignores hardness of under 20.

Well, that's one way to open the door.

Kiyoko's katana chops through the door. The two halves, while still attached to the door frame at the hinges, are handing askew and it is not difficult for her to finish destroying it.

The open doorway reveals a square room, twenty feet per side. The manacles and fetters set in the western wall leave little doubt as to the room’s purpose. Ancient rusty-brown stains coat the walls and floor where prisoners once hung in chains. In the northeast corner, a small table is covered with torture instruments and a small stack of books. In the opposite corner of the room sits a very large barrel next to a stool with a hammer resting on it. The lid has been removed and the barrel is empty.

To-to steps cautiously in looking at the unnerving equipment he finds there. He looks at covers of the books stacked on table trying to figure what is written in them.

The books are oddly eclectic: a collection of love poems, a religious treatise, and a manual on torture.

Kiyoko returns Reitenseiya to its scabbard and follows after To-to into the torture chamber. The book of poetry catches her eye, and she leafs through its pages briefly. She then looks at the other books, and tries to see if there is any connection between the contents of the books.

Kiyoko doesn't sense any connection between the books.

And with a muttering about eccentrics, Kiyoko exits the torture room and climbs back up the ladder. She then proceeds back to the baths (A14), recalling that there was a door in the opposite side of the room, and opens it once there.

Shaking his head To-to follows Kiyoko to the bath and listens through the door on east side.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Aylanna follows the leading door openers. She recasts her detect undead spell, since the original has probably run its course. She doesn't know what is going on here yet, but more presence from beyond the grave is potentially in the mix.

I went ahead and opened a few other doors. The unopened doors are in A15, A11, A12, A13, A17. Also, the map didn't make it super clear and I didn't explain it more in the text but there are stairs heading to a second floor in area A3.

The group trudges back upstairs to the main floor and back into the bath room. The doors on the east side of that room open into unused utility rooms holding very old and broken household items.

"I see a door in here. Shall we open it?" Ki Chin enters A11 and spots the door. He peeks out of the room to let the others know of the door.

"Do it," the Tian-Min samurai calls to Ki Chin. While he does that, Kiyoko advances into one of the rooms off of the bathing area and opens the door at the east end of it (A13).

Ki Chin and Kiyoko open their doors almost at the same time and they open into the same area. Tiles line the floor in this room, in the center of which stands what was once a luxurious communal bathing pool. Now, the water is filthy and dark, and an acrid odor lingers in the air.

"Ugh! What IS that STENCH?" Ki Chin immediately covers his nose with his free hand as he is assaulted by the foul smell.

To-to recoils from unbearable stench and steps away from the door making sure his crossbow is loaded.

Kiyoko advances into the bathing pool room warily. She takes a few steps in and peers into the murky water of the pool, wondering what the smell is coming from--or, for that matter, what it is.

Aylanna follows into the room with the stinky bath, and takes a look into the dark pool as well.

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 20

Kiyoko Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

Kiyoko steps into the pool and sinks to her thighs. The water is three feet deep here. She can tell that it gets deeper towards the center of the pool. The water is too mirky and full of shadows for her to detect if there is anything in its depths or not.

Aylanna stays out of the water but tries to get a closer look at the depths. She cannot tell if there is anything there or not.

...something happens but not all of you notice... I will leave it up to the players who noticed things to announce or not announce what they see.

Perception Aylanna: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (14) + 0 = 14
Perception Eltran: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17
Perception Kiyoko: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
Perception Ki Chin: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Perception To-to: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

initiative Aylanna: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
initiative Eltran: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
initiative Kiyoko: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
initiative Ki Chin: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
initiative To-to: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

We are in initiative and this is a surprise round. Everyone gets one action.

Alarmed at the sudden changes in the room, Kiyoko’s hand goes to her katana. “Where is this mist coming from?”

Standard action to start a full-round action. Assuming the haunt is near enough next round, she’ll finish the full-round action as an Iaijutsu Strike; otherwise she’ll just abandon the completion part of the full-round action.

Ki Chin grimaces as Kiyoko wades into the water. Wrinkling his nose the magus draws his wand of magic missile with his free hand.

Cold sweat drips from To-to's head as he steps closer to door leading to pool room, while trying to recall if the presence of mist signifies something otherworldly.

Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Aylana and Eltran still have a chance to act.

Slight retcon. Kiyoko didn't actually get in the water. I misread that. But it doesn't change anything. The trigger was proximity, not getting in the water.

Kiyoko steps into the room and looks around. She can tell that the water is about three feet deep at the edge of the pool and gets deeper towards the center. The water is too mirky and full of shadows for her to detect if there is anything in its depths or not.

Not knowing what kind of threat the party faces, Aylanna prepares her comrades to better fight certain kinds of evil creatures. She casts Weapons Against Evil on the weapons of Kiyoko, Ki Chin, and To-to, as well as her own shield.

Link

Basically, their weapons now ignore most DR of evil creatures if that DR is 5 or less. May or may not be useful but she has limited information.

Eltran starts to encourage the team!

"Come on! We can do this!!" Eltran says.

Inspire COURAGE +2 to hit and damage.

The translucent image of an attractive Tian woman appears on the eastern side of the room, pointing scornfully to unseen figures in the pool. "Yes, go ahead and weep!" the manifestation cries. "Weep as I mourn for the years I devoted to this organization. And for what? To grow old and die? In my mercy, I will spare you one of those fates!" Ghostly bodies rise from the waters with frozen expressions of horror before being pulled into a single swirling blue sphere floating over a the pool.

Suddenly the area becomes extremely cold as all the life and warmth are sucked out of the room.

cold dmg: 5d6 ⇒ (6, 5, 1, 4, 6) = 22 DC 19 reflex save for half

Moments later the blue sphere fades away and the room warms back up to normal.

Reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

27/49

Seeing the vortex appear floating at the center of the pool, Kiyoko tries to duck for cover. Unfortunately, she is too slow. Shivering now, she climbs to her feet again and looks around. It is gone now, she observes silently.

“What was that?”

"What organization?" Ki Chin asks into the ether. "Which organization?!"

Reflex: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Even though the tiny halfling reflexively curls up into a relatively warmer ball, she still is vulnerable to the cold and takes extra damage.

22 / 2 * 1.5 = 16 damage, so 22/38

"So cold.... I can't feel my .... anything..."

She takes draws some of the damage from Kiyoko through her life link
Kiyoko up to 32, Aylanna down to 17

She uses a channel to heal herself and Kiyoko before even thinking of looking around.
Channel (+6 to self) DC 16: 3d6 ⇒ (4, 2, 1) = 7

Kiyoko up to 39, Aylanna up to 30

That would be one round, so if nothing is happening imminently, Aylanna will heal again the next round...

Aylanna repeats the life link and channel to hopefully restore Kiyoko and herself to full.
Channel (+6 to self) DC 16: 3d6 ⇒ (5, 2, 4) = 11
Kiyoko up to full, Aylanna up to full

Sorry, I didn't make it clear that the cold was affecting everyone. I'm waiting for reflex saves from Eltran, To-to, and Ki Chin

The image fades and Ki Chin doesn't get a response.

reflex: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28

"Historic records may reveal what this 'organization' might have been."

Reflex save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24 The channel restores To-to back to full hp

After the horrific scene fades like vapors rising and swirling from the dark surface of the murky pool, the room returns to normal temperature.

Ref: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
Ki Chin's free hand rises and starts rubbing his other arm.

After Aylanna's channeling, I think everyone is back up to full. Are you guys going to explore in here a bit more or are you heading to a new location? Are your locations on the map correct?

Ki Chin joins Kiyoko and Aylanna in the pool room and notices a door to the north. "This one next?" he nods his direction towards the closed door.

Kiyoko joins Ki Chin near the northern door. "As good as any," she says, and motions for Ki Chin to open it.

Ki Chin opens the door and reveals an area that is open to the outside but sheltered by the roof two stories above. A simple waist-high metal railing separates this patio from the cliffside to the north. A few serviceable chairs rest near a large free-standing brass telescope aimed at the heavens. Broken statues of foo dogs and other mythological animals litter the floor along the southern walls. Standing hunched over and looking through the telescope is a small, grey skinned creature. The creature is making unintelligible grunting sounds -- apparently commenting on whatever it is seeing through the telescope.

Ki Chin pulls back before the creature can notice him. Turning back to the others he describes what he has seen. "There is a creature in there. I don't know what but it may be the cause of the rumors of haunting. How should we proceed?"

"We don't have a choice other than confront whoever that creature is. First I shall cast aid spell on myself. Anyone else need magical help?" To-to asks

Aid temp. hp.: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

The creature continues mumbling into the telescope.

Does the creature detect as undead?

Aylanna whispers to the group "Anyone recognize what this thing is? Do we want to talk to it?"

Kiyoko shakes her head at Aylanna's question, then strides directly into the room. She keeps an eye on the mumbling creature, but doesn't attack unless it attacks her first.

It does not detect as undead. Knowledge (nature) to know what it is.

The creature ignores Kiyoko.

Is anyone else doing anything?