Mya enters the room first, immediately moving to the boxes, opening them up and looking among the "junk". She sits down and starts sifting through it all.
"I wonder if there is any rhyme or reason on where these people with yellow robes are stationed, maybe the rooms have something in common?"
Tassa follows Mya in, suspicious of more things leaping out at them.
"A reason? Worth looking, I supposssse, though they sssssertainly don't sssseem reasonable."
She looks about, but is clearly distracted.
Ephra'im looks over the fallen cultists, checking to see if their unusual fervor has some obvious cause, such as pharmaceuticals or mind-affecting poison. Also if they are carrying anything that explains what they were searching for.
As far as you can tell, this room holds personal effects from Briarstone patients. The vast majority are mundane items; most are covered in a thick layer of dust.
Potential Loot
Padded Armor x2
Oil - align weapon
"Everrysing seems just too... what is ze worrd? Rrandom?" Baldrek says, shrugging. "Not surre it worrth ze efforrt to look forr rreason among ze acts of madman."
Mya picks up the oil, pointing out the armors for the rest of the group, if any wanted to use it. She leaves the room and points to the door at the end of the corridor.
"That is where it leads to the blood trail we mentioned before. Should we approach it from that side or circle back around?"
"Do not rreckon we gain anysing forr trrying ze dorr on zis side if we have way arround it." He says, than points back to the room with the files.
"Zerre was doorr left behind and if you feel like looking at ze files, figurre it safe now."
Tassa stands behind Baldrek, wondering what unpleasantness awaited them next.
The door is locked, but you're able to open it using one of the keys you found in the administrator's office.
The walls of this crowded room are covered by filing cabinets, except for one space where a battered old painting of a somber, towering structure hangs.
Tassa knocks the painting to the side, peeking behind it. Then she opens the filing cabinets and peers inside.
Mya stares at the painting for a second before joining Tassa on the investigation.
"Morre files... but zis rroom was locked, so brrobably we will find morre interresting sings herre."
The painting's abstract nature makes identification difficult. You're not even sure if it's meant to depict a specific structure. When it's moved, however, you notice a small brass latch behind it. Behind that is a small hollow containing some patient records - as well as two other items of potential interest.
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Patient Record: Ulver Zandalus
Male, Varisian descent, approximate age 47
Home suspected to be Rozenport, Versex County
Committed: 2 Sarenith 4685
Circumstances: Transferred from Pharasmin lamentations in Rozenport
Attending Doctor: Eliege Losandro
Zandalus exhibits complete withdrawal from society and an inability to care for himself in any but the most basic modes. The symptoms of his passive antisociality chronically present as mutism and blankness. Frequent night terrors result in brief but dramatic nocturnal outbursts - shouting, shaking, fear responses. Zandalus grasps the difference between sleep and wakefulness and typically recovers from nightmares quickly.
Treatment: Therapy, antipsychotic regimen, observation
Development: 2/4687 - Zandalus proves to be a gifted and prolific artist. He has enthusiastically taken to using a charcoal drawing set to create dramatic but fanciful works of art, typically of surreal architecture and skyscapes. Art calms him in the wake of nightmare. He will be afforded basic supplies to continue such art therapy.
Development: 11/4702 - A shift has occurred in Zandalus’s art. He has repeatedly almost perfectly illustrated one of the ancient standing stones situated at the northwestern corner of the asylum grounds. As the isle’s shores are off-limits to patients, I do not believe he has ever seen the subject of his work. The significance or coincidence of this brooks further study.
Development: 3/4715 - Count Haserton Lowls has taken an interest in Zandalus: first his art and now the artist. Lowls has become a repeat visitor, spending hours with my patient, but refuses to explain his interest.
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Potential Loot
Lockbox containing 40gp, six pearls , and a calling card for the Sleepless Detective Agency in Thrushmoor.
MW Dagger in a crimson sheath. The pommel is sculpted in the shape of a cardinal, and an etched gold band bears the name Red Destiny.
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Red Destiny
Every time the wielder of this weapon is wounded in combat, Red Destiny gains a cumulative +1 insight bonus to attack and damage rolls (maximum +5) against the opponent causing the wound for the duration of the combat. This bonus can only be applied against one opponent at a time. A combat ends when either the wielder or his opponent is killed, rendered helpless, surrenders, or successfully flees.
Mya reads the file repeteadly alongside her companions, making notes on what she finds most relevant and cross examining it with the previous information they got.
"Last time, the patient notes also ended on 4715, so Zandalus stayed here for at least 30 years, he must be really old by human standards... And these night terrors are familiar, all right."
Mya picks up the calling card that reads 'Sleepless Detective Agency' "Does anyone know of them? she asks the group but looking at Ephra'im while leafing through her notes "Is Thrushmoor in Versex? If so, it's probably where we are."
Ephra'im tries to think what he knows about Versex and if he has ever heard or read about a place called Thrushmoor.
He considers what he can determine about the asylum from the description of Zandalus's treatment. "It seems like we might be on an island," he notes.
Ephra'im recognizes Thrushmoor as a fishing town off of Avalon Bay. It's the county seat of Versex and - based on the last information you heard - has approximately 3,500 residents.
He conveys what he remembers to the others. "Still no idea how we got here, or what we were doing before. But at least we have a better understanding of where we are. As for the Sleepless Detective Agency, I don't think it is familiar, but I won't let investigating keep me awake at night." He looks around to see if anyone chuckles at his joke, then shrugs.
Mya stares blankly at Ephra'im, and responds with worry in her voice "You should try to sleep whenever you can, no need to risk it with the possibility of night terrors."
"It would be wishful thinking that the mist outside of here is coming from Avalon Bay, somehow, I assume?" she sighs "We need to get out of here."
"Sooo....whatever affected Zandalus is bothering all of us now, maybe? And if he's really still alive, yeah, that would make him pretty old. Hmmm. You suppose he's actually still here and alive? If so, maybe he really is the key to ending this nuttiness."
"I guess he is, alive enough to start his own rebellion, but I was surprised by his age. Regardless, shall we continue?" Mya motions in the direction of the door out of this room.
"We do not know when zey wrrote his age. Berrhabs he is just 47 as it is wrriten."
Ephra'im nods absently, still reading bits and pieces here and there. He shakes his head to clear it and steps forward to follow the members of the party with more experience with these hallways. "Where should we go? Did you say something about a dark room?"
Tassa rolls her eyes.
"Yeah, we were hoping to avoid it, but I guess that was too much to wish for. Follow me."
Tassa leads the way back to the dark room. As she does, rubbery tentacles keep making lazy, experimental forays out from her body.
Mya follows the group but, before entering the room, she briefly touches Tassa.
"Can you make yourself see in the dark, Tassa? Regardless, I feel like we are going to need you in this room..."
As Mya touches her, she grants Tassa the briefest awareness of the flow of time, increasing her reaction speed to danger just a tiny bit.
"Figure zerre is no way arround it."
You open the door to reveal ... nothing. The darkness is absolute. It's as if your eyes are closed, even though they're still open. From every direction comes the sound of sobs in a multitude of overlapping voices. The clearest is that of a small boy. "Brenton? The light went out!"
This was like this hours ago, how could these people still be here if it's not a trap?
Embracing her lack of trust in these voices, Mya just walks north in search of an exit, trying to be close to her companions.
Before going in, Tassa thinks to herself, Is there any chance there's really a child in their who needs help, at this point? Almost surely not, but...
She call out, "Hello? Can you come toward my voice? We can help you! There's light out here."
Ephra'im follows, unsure what this is. This darkness must be magical in origin, he thinks. Probably divine? These voices could be part of a haunt, if I recall how the circumstances of dying under duress can affect the spirit.
Realizing there is no reason to allow the darkness to cow his desire to share knowledge, he explains what he knows about haunts in a low whisper.
"Brrenton?" Baldrek tries to grab Mya and keep her from entering. "We have hearrd zis name, uh? No, not hearrd, it was wrriten in one of zose rrooms, rrememberr? In chalk. Brrobably kids. Zerre was wooden horrses in ze floorr."
"Berrhabs we can ask Winterr if she knows about zis Brrenton orr ve can searrch ze name in ze arrchives. Berhabs zerre is clue to end ze darrk."
Ephra'im realizes the constant chorus of whispers and sobs is likely being caused by an attic whisperer: undead creatures spawned from the grief and loss of a neglected child's death. Motivated by loneliness, they seek out creatures to play with ... forever. Their touch can steal a victim's voice, and their bite can steal a victim's breath.
Mya is stopped by Baldrek "I had completely forgotten about that name. We could circle back, they are not leaving the room and fighting in this darkness is unadvised."
As always, Ephra'im is happy to share everything he thinks he knows about what they discover. "An attic whisperer, likely!" he breathes. "Undead creatures born of lonely children, that seek to steal the voices and breath of those who fight them. Beware their touch and their bites!"
He nods at Baldrek's caution. "It would be a dangerous fight in this magical darkness, and if we do not have to enter it would be best to avoid it."
Tassa shudders. "Not that I should be surprised...but that sounds horrid.
"I do have a thought though. I wonder if I can bait it into getting stuck in this goo that I seem to be able to create. I'm going to step in and give it a try. If it touches my web I should be able to tell you where it is, even if I can't see it."
Tassa takes a deep breath and then transforms again. Once again tentacles emerge out of her abdomen, covered with sharp-toothed mouths.
You feel something touch your webs a moment before a small hand touches your arm. It feels like it belongs to a child.
Aaaaaugh!
Feeling a small cold hand touch her out of the dark, Tassa starts to scream reflexively, only to realize that no sound is coming out of her throat.
Instead, Tassa tries to gesture emphatically toward where the hand came from...though she realizes belatedly she's not sure if her companions can see that either.
Tassa quickly realizes that in darkness this absolute, there's no chance of anyone seeing you.
Mya listens to Ephra'im's explanation and feels like she should feel horrified, but the sentiment never flourishes inside her. She agrees to Tassa's plan but becomes nervours as time passes and she does not return.
"Something must have happened. We need to run in and take Tassa from there, at the very least."
Mya hastens both Ephra'im' and Baldrek so they can run in and take her if need be.
Baldrek grabs Tassa and pulls her from the room.
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Ephra'im hastily checks Tessa for physical injuries, and when he doesn't find any he shakes his head sadly. "The creature has stolen your voice, as I feared. It should return in a little while. I wonder what it does with it while it has it?" He looks curiously into the direction of the darkness and muses.
When Baldrek reaches is for her, Tassa tries to say, Give me a sec, I think I can catch this thing now, but no sound comes out.
Instead she pushes back gently, trying to indicate that she's alright.
Tassa feels something try to bite her but manages to evade despite the darkness.
Mya keeps concentrating on the Haste on the group while staying on the edge of the darkness.
"Tassa, I don't know, knock the floor really hard if you want us to get you!"
Tassa cringes silently when the thing brushes up against her arm, but she resists fleeing (or tapping her foot for help).
Instead, she pinpoints the spot on her web where the thing attacked from and attempts to wrap it up completely with the remainder of her webbing.
Then she steps back out of the darkness, tries one more time to explain what happened, and then settles for pointing to the mute throat, and then pantomiming trapping the creature.
Tassa thinks she's managed to successfully trap the creature but can't be certain. It doesn't follow her out of the darkness, though, so that's potentially a good sign.
Ephra'im briefly frets that Tassa is incapacitated or paralyzed and can't knock on the ground for help, but then she appears outside of the darkness and the investigator takes a deep breath of relief.
Baldrek waits for a moment to see if Tassa will drag the think out of the darkness, but then throws his net just in case.
Thinking she's likely trapped it, Tassa steps back in and lashes out at it with sharp-toothed tentacles, doing her best to bite it in two.