Sorsul wanted to joke. To say that at least someone was having a good time. But the crazed smile? The axe? The way that the wounds it caused were all too real? It froze her in place, and it took all of her will power to make herself start moving again. Her shadow, usually deadly, was reduced to be the mere absence of light.
Frowning as he realizes the 'ghost' has caused him to bleed, Sariel blurts out, "You again." Realizing the blood had become smoke before he could wipe it off Sariel calls on Pharasma's power and channels energy again, hoping to return the fellow to his grave.
Sorsul hesitates at the sight of the spectre, but Sariel's channeled energy seems to wound it. As blood from Sariel's injury seeps into the spirit, it turns its axe on Sorsul!
The pain snapped Sorsul back to reality. Her eyes sharpened, as did her shadow. Moving like the skilled dancer that she was, she controlled her shadow, causing it to wrap around the eyes of the spirit. This did more than just blind, for the darkness was as sharp as any blade.
Realizing he was still bleeding from the wound, Sariel, again, channels positive energy, hoping between his and Sorsul's attack they will bring down the ghost.
The two of you wound the spirit, but the blood that's continually flowing into its body appears to be healing it, limiting your attacks' effectiveness.
Realizing he and Sorsul were badly wounded, Sariel frowns, asking his friend. "Should we retreat back to Lady Shae so she can heal you?"
Having failed to blind the spirit, Sorsul decided to just continue trying to destroy it the old fashioned way. ”We can’t retreat yet.” She said through gritted teeth. ”We don’t know how fast it is. But if you could heal us…”
Realizing his wound was still bleeding, and to make matters worse his blood was healing the axe wielding undead, Sariel, using some of his innate magic heals the wound. Realizing Sorsul was not retreating, and he was not as efficient at healing as the candy maker, Sariel calls back behind them, "Lady Shae, we can use your aid."
Lady Shae runs up and throws a healing candy to Sorsul before attempting to blast the spirit with fire from her staff.
Interestingly, the spirit backs away from the fire, seemingly reluctant to get too close.
Returning his attention to the incorporeal undead, Sariel attacks, hoping his manipulate undeath ghost strike has an effect.
Sariel's ghostly attack burns the spirit.
Seeing that the ghost could be harmed, Sorsul kept the assault going. Moving to ensure that her shadow continuously engulfed the spirit, she sought to tear it asunder in the darkness.
Sorsul's shadow wounds the spirit, but it continues to attack.
Dancing out of the way of the strike, Sorsul continued to control her shadow, wrapping it around the ghost. Seeing that it did indeed cut, she refused to let it go.
Relieved that Sorsul was able to avoid the ghost attack, Sariel determins that his powers from Pharasma does more damage to the undead than his innate ability to injur it. Calling on his diety, he channels positive energy, hoping to bring down the ghost. Asking his friend, "Lady Shae can you blast it again?"
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Fortunately, Sorsul's flaming shadow draws the spirit's attention, preventing it from reacting in time to mitigate the effects of Sariel's blast of positive energy. With a silent scream, it dissipates into nothingness.
Potential Loot
MW Heavy Crossbow
Mw Heavy Mace
MW Longsword
stone of alarm
Ring of Keys
120gp
As the spirit dissipates, Sariel breaths a sigh of relief. Glancing down into the pit he sees a couple items and the gleam of what seems to be keys. Turning towards the ladies, he asks, "It may be that we've found what we are looking for, should we descend?" Frowning he adds, "I did not bring a rope."
”Indeed…”
…she knelt down and took her pack off. Living on the road as much as she did, she was well used to carrying the basic necessities of life. And one would be surprised at how often some rope could come in handy. She looked for a place to tie it to, so that they could retrieve what they had earnered.
Sorsul's able to tie the rope to a grate and use it to climb down to retrieve the various items before climbing back up.
Aiding Sorsul with the rope and keeping watch as she descends and retrieves the items, Sariel, seeing the keys asks, "Shall we see if any of these keys open the safe?"
Without waiting for either of the ladies to answer, he begins to move back towards the upper floor to see if he can open the safe.
Inside the warden's safe, you find numerous legal documents (now decades out of date) and several items of potential interest.
Potential Loot
Potion - cure moderate wounds x2
Potion - lesser restoration x2
Potion - remove disease x2
500gp
Not surprised that the safe did not hold the warden's page, Sariel sighs, "There is still the locked door down the hall in the south-east corner." As he passes the two 'cure' potions and one of each of the other two to Sorsul, he gestures back the way they came. "Shall we see if one of these keys opens its door?"
Not sure what to do with the coins, he removes his pack and places them inside, then turns and heads down the hall, intent on testing the keys on the last door.
A bizarre collection of antique goods rests upon wooden shelves that line the room. Several of the items contain tiny tags with labels written in a careful script.
Potential Loot
MW Thieves' Tools
MW Punching Dagger
MW Shurikan x12
MW Silver War Razor
Bronze War Medallion from the Shining Crusade
Silver Hair Clips
Wand - lesser restoration
Not finding anything he believes will help them in defeating the ghosts, Sariel shakes his head. Looking towards the ladies he asks, "Shall we return to the basement or search harder?"
As he waited for the ladies to help him make a decision, Sariel began to search the room more thoroughly.
After a more thorough search of the room, you find a concealed door in the east wall. Inside are five items.
Potential Loot
- Bloodstained Handaxe
- Collection of Holy Symbols
- Moldy Spellbook
- Smith's Hammer
- Tarnished Flute
------------------------------------------------------------------------
”This is…something.” Sorsul said, at a loss for words. ”Sariel, I can’t help but feel that you have been the heart of this operation. If I wasn’t walking alongside you, I might not have had the courage to push this far in. Please, take the first pick. All of these seem like they will be useful in the battles to come within these walls.”
Sighing, Sariel realizes they've found neither the wardens badge or the hammer he carried. Raising an eyebrow at Sorsul's comment, he pauses, "Thank you for your vote of confidence, Sorsul, I'm not sure I would have taken on this challenge without the help from yours and Lady Shae's support."
Looking over the items he shakes his head, he had no experience with the weapons or the instrument. When his eyes fell on the collection of Holy Symbols he notices a silver 'spiraling comet,' lifting the collection he turns towards Lady Shae, "With your permission Lady, I will hold onto the collection of holy symbols."
As the other items are collected, he asks, "Shall we return to the lower levels?"
Sorsul waited until Lady Shae took the flute and the blade. Only then did she take the Spellbook.
”To the lower levels, indeed. Our chances have significantly increased with this find.” Shw said, as she flipped through the pages of the book.
The first thing you notice when you take the spellbook is the name written on the margins of each legible page - your own.
The book contains the following spells: comprehend languages, dispel magic, false life, gust of wind, illusory script[/i], levitate, mage armor, magic missile, and summon monster IV.
Returning back to the lower level, Sariel heads towards the west, intent on pulling the leaver and opening the portcullis.
A brass nameplate, its face caked with soot, hangs above a portcullis leading into a large cellblock. Many of the iron doors along the walls within the cellblock hang open, revealing empty cells within. To the south, you see what is clearly a torture chamber. Numerous grisly tools of torment decorate that room, from cages to hanging chains along the walls to a stretching rack, a large wooden tank, and a fire pit in the middle of the room. To the east stands a grim iron maiden, the lid closed and presenting a stern decoration of a tormented woman upon its face. The broken, twisted skeleton of a human dressed in a tattered guard’s uniform lies upon the stretching rack in the middle of the room; the body is surrounded by several discarded knives, branding irons, and pliers. A large, bloodstained wicker basket sits at the head of the rack.
Having no desire to actually go further into the torture chamber, Sariel, realizing the twisted skeleton may be the warden, acknowledges he has no choice. Cautiously moving into the room towards the corpse, intent to see if it may be the warden, and if so, still has the keys.
Sorsul likewise approach, coming in behind Sariel. She turned as she walked, trying to watch their blindspots. The last thing she wanted was for some threat to arise from the rear while the two of them had their eyes trained forward.
As you cautiously enter the room, you both hear a creaking sound. Glancing around quickly, you see the lid to the iron maiden beginning to open!
Sorsul moved to one side of it, gathering herself so that her shadow was ready to engulf whatever came out. She motioned for Sariel to cover the other side and for Lady Shae to take point in front of it. That way they had whatever emerged totally surrounded.
Nodding in agreement with Sorsul's gesture, Sariel swings wide into the room to approach from the other side.
The iron maiden slowly creaks all the way open ... to reveal absolutely nothing inside. Even the interior spikes are gone.
At the same time, several hands crawl out of the bloodstained wicker basket and scurry toward you!
Sorsul shuddered. The room hadn’t proven itself to be overtly dangerous, but it had been deeply unsettling. Despite truly not wanting to, she stepped over the ruined forms of the hands and went to go look inside the wicker basket.
The wicker basket is stained with old blood but is now empty.
Having aided in the dispatching of the crawling hands, Sariel moves the twisted skeleton. Frowning as he searches the skeleton, knowing that whoever this had been they died very slowly.
The skeleton is in terrible shape. It's missing both hands, has numerous broken bones, and long needles have been driven into its ears, eye sockets, elbows, hips, and knees. It still wears tatters of a chainmail uniform. Inside the skeleton's pelvis are several keys. In addition, a metal badge has been wedged inside the skeleton's mouth, where it was apparently used to shatter that part of its face.
”What a horrible way to go.” Sorsul remarked. ”Could you say a prayer for the dead?” Sorsul asked her friend. ”I don’t know if it would do any good, but it would be the right thing to do for the poor man.”
Nodding, Sariel breaths a quick prayer over the wardens corpse. Gathering the keys and the metal badge he adds, as he lifts the badge. "We should return this to his wife's ghost"
Having found what they were looking for, Sariel turns to leave the torture chamber.
Heading back the way they came, he ascends, going to the room where they'd found the warden's wife. Entering the room, he holds up the badge, he simply says, "We've found this."
Vesorianna takes the badge and holds it tightly against her chest. "Thank you. I can feel the spirits' influence has grown weaker. Keep doing what you've been doing, and I'll soon be able to cleanse this place once and for all."
Nodding in agreement with Vesorianna, Sariel turns to the ladies, "Shall we return to the subterranean level?"
Having shimmied back down the rope, Sariel turns to the last unopened portcullis. Breathing a sigh, he asks, "Any ideas how to open this?"
”I can start melting it with my shadow.” Sorsul said, already going about it. ”Given the age and the fire I hope it is brittle. Either way, you two can look for a way to open it, as one should be nearby. And we will see who gets through first.”
It's going to take quite some time to dissolve enough of the portcullis to squeeze through, but it is possible.