I'm interested in taking part in this AP. I previously gamed with Neirikr, and this game sounds pretty fun.
I'm considering a character to fill any role, really. The setting of a circuit allows me to try out characters I wouldn't normally run with. Since we got an arcane caster and skill monkeys but no healer or main tank, I'll propose three ideas.
1. Orc Enforcer/Straight Man (Martial Tank)
I'm considering a straight-man orc foil to a jokester/clown character (one who gets the pies to the face or is the butt of jokes).
He will probably be a True Neutral tank-type class like fighter, ranger, or barbarian.
His background would be a rigger/prop-setter (being quiet and shy) in the new circuit or an enforcer, and maybe a 'caged monster' in the older troupe when the circus passes more intolerant places.
His personal flaw is that he is deeply uncomfortable with strangers, and is thus unaccustomed to taking initiative or speaking freely.
2. Goblin Firecracker (Alchemist Support)
A more chaotic archetype, the goblin alchemist is an entertainer who takes delight in self-provoked fears of fire. His role is probably manning (or goblining) the cannon, makes the circus's fireworks, and brews poultices and potions to heal (or comically enlarge) his teammates.
3. Hagborn Starspeaker (Changeling Oracle; Divine Spellcaster/Healer)
A more neutral character, the hagborn is a young man that shows signs of unusual parentage (unusually-colored eyes). In charge of a small tent that shows constellations, the oracle reads fortunes and makes displays of star-plays in the evening in the biggest tent. He is something of a more social character, and is a gentle soul that provides most healing, care, and divine spellcasting support.
Out of the three, I'm most partial to the orc tank, but I'm also keeping my eyes open for the other characters' choices.
Shaking his hands dry, the smuggler lets out an embarrassed laugh. "Aye, not much opportunity for hijinks up there. Sometimes you just gotta feel it, y'know? Remind yourself you're still alive, that there's stuff to do besides standin' in place and swingin' a pick all day..."
Raveen nods, before turning his eyes ahead, and says to Andrzej, "Can you hide the manacles in your coat? My clothes are too ratty to conceal them. Do it when the creeper isn't looking."
Vision of the Fifteenth Step wrote:
Hjarni lets out a wheezing sound as his eyes focus on the spikes, pressing himself against the stern with a look of awe—or terror?—drawn across his wizened features.
"That's... a lot I didn't think there was this much skymetal to found.. well, anywhere—even in Numeria..."
Pike grunts her assent, eyeing the spikes distrustfully. She has stopped the boat some ways off the nearest one, clearly reluctant to approach.
Raveen was quiet for a moment.
"We're looking at a fortune," Raveen said quietly. "You can buy a castle with this."
He then realized the underlying danger--this could puncture the boat.
Vision of the Fifteenth Step wrote:
At this point, the creeper you conversed earlier tries to get your attention, gesticulating frantically towards the bow. From what you can gather, it wants to be placed in the front so it can better guide you through the spikes.
Raveen nods at the creeper, and then hands Andrzej the magical manacles.
"We'll be in a bind if they can see magic, but I'll see if we can offer their master our friendship and some information instead," Raveen said. "Though I do feel we're borrowing from Peter to pay Paul with this course of action..."
Raveen then keeps his eyes on the ceiling. Hearing legends of stalactite-monsters, he kept his sling ready at his side while he knotted the party's rope.
@Cost: Fair enough. Raveen is 1 point of Climb away from taking 10 and reliably climbing up and down, so gloves would work nicely.
Can Raveen re-purpose his sling (made of twined bandage and fabrics) into climbing tape, or is it better to hold out for better materials?
If it does work, I suppose 5-10 minutes of work to turn the bandage into sling and vice versa would work.
If it doesn't (and we got to wait for better materials), Raveen will see if the creepers' cloaks or the material the ship is made of is a better fit.
Soon after your descent, Andrzej slides down after you. His flashy entrance takes its toll, as he has to rush to dip his rope-burned hands in the water for relief. Pike lets out a derisive snort, shaking her head at the Ustalav's antics.
Raveen gave a small smile, and said to Andrzej, "Might as well get as much fun we can before returning to prison, eh?"
Vision of the Fifteenth Step wrote:
Looking around from the islet, you see that the water spans beyond torchlight in all directions, with only the occasional spire of rock jutting through its darkened surface. The dark folk who you interrogated is sitting down near its unconscious compatriots, pointing alternately at the boat, and out on the lake. It seems to be gesticulating approximately in the same direction you came from.
Raveen looks up at the ceiling, observing it for threats, before looking into the water.
"Let's pay respect to your master," Raveen says to the dark creeper.
Raveen examines the boat, and once sure it is safe and able to carry them, takes his place on it. Once sitting down, he pulls out his sling, examining it.
Alternatively, Raveen will try to make a climber's kit. He already has rope, but maybe he can make leather gloves that can add traction.
That will possibly boost his Climb to +6, allowing him to take 10 on climbing when not threatened (such as when descending out of combat or when rappling down a rope).
Raveen considers Andrzej's words for a moment.
"Then let's take some risks. Let's pay the darkfolk master a visit."
Raveen clenchs his fist, and communicates the request to the creeper.
He then carries one of the dark creepers, careful to keep its poisonous blades from his skin.
"Perhaps they'd appreciate their comrades' bodies after this...accident," Raveen says, looking down the hole to the depths of the earth.
As GM Rednal stated, something in the game's economy is kicked out of order when a spell makes a great amount of conjured material.
A simple solution is to make the spell redistribute existing materials instead of conjuring it out of nowhere.
The spell doesn't even have to be 9th level in this case, and can be a variant of the existing control weather and secret vault (pathfinder player companion: black markets) spells.
Control Weather
Add this line after the "You control the general tendencies of the weather" paragraph:
Special: If the weather is precipitation (such as a blizzard, thunderstorm, torrential rain, etc.), it can rain another object instead of the original water, sleet, snow, etc., but only the object(s) and quantities present in any existing secret vault spell you are attuned to. When the weather precipitates, it instead draws upon the contents stored in the secret vault, causing them to rain in the weather instead until the vault is empty or the spell ends.
Secret Vault
Add this line at the end of the spell:
Special: This spell can be attuned to a control weather spell, to cause any weather to precipitate the contents of the vault in random in the area of effect until the vault is emptied. The contents are dropped randomly, usually at a rate of 1 cubic feet of goods per round (or according to GM's discretion, if large).
This means that with the two spells, you can easily cause a Biblical rain of frogs (by storing a metric ton of frogs in your secret vault and casting it in tune with your control weather spell), or cause a hail of adamantine shards or caphorite.
However, this means that the total sum of material is what you paid (so stack up on caphorite). There will be no profiting from this spell, since it draws from a secret vault spell your player casts (and fills).
Version 0.5 online, which also adds rules for maneuvering strikes.
These follow the same rules; -4 to attack (or sacrifice critical hit/sneak attack) for a combat maneuver. This requires a swift action instead of the normal action, but does not bypass other requirements (having hands full when grappling, attacks of opportunity, etc.).
@Kirth Gersen: I've been working on an overhaul for Pathfinder's wounding strikes, and thought this might enrich the project. Kirthfinder has feats that replicated called shots (namely blinding strike, crippling strike, daunting strike, severing strike, etc.), but no direct called shot rules.
Although locking the mechanics behind feats or class abilities may be a design choice, it could be better to unchain them.
This consolidates the aforementioned abilities, makes mechanics more consistent and uniform, and gives more combat options (which might help since the project is in the combat chapter).
Furthermore, characters who specialize in certain maneuvers such as blinding can take a feat to improve the effects landed by such called shots.
In an attempt to find a balance between a quick and abstract combat system (with only hit points) and the sophistication to grant additional options in battle (as the old called shot system), I have been working on the Wound System.
The concept is simple; you call a shot before attacking, choose an effect or have it chosen for you (corresponding to a location on the target's body), and compare the damage with half the target's maximum hit points. This usually yields a light wound (penalty on attack, speed, short-term condition, etc.).
If you happened to score a heavy wound (either with a critical called shot or if the damage was exceptionally high), there is an additional effect chosen from a higher-severity list (limb unusable or severed, condition extended, etc.), with many ways to make a light wound heavier (and thus more punishing).
To integrate better with the concept of critical hits and sneak attacks, it is possible for the attack to count as a called shot retroactively. This means that sneak attack is technically a called shot (since it refers to targeting a weak spot), but it deals only 1d6 unless the character possesses the Sneak Attack class feature. This is detailed in the link.
This has went under only a little playtesting, but I believe the system has potential for use in home games. It will not be used every attack (due to benefiting most from critical hits), but is a tactical option that players may choose to use circumstantially.
if you're going to use a point buy system and throw out levels entirely, you should be playing a different game rather than homebrewing Pathfinder.
Yes, indeed. Although a 3.5/PF-compatible point-buy game that actually functioned would be cool...
Eclipse: The Codex Persona is a good effort. I'd check that out if I were you. It requires a lot of studying, though (more than Mutants and Masterminds, I hear).
On the 2e discussion:
Personally, it seems Kirthfinder's action economy format (with the release of the combat chapter) is moving closer to PF's Unchained action economy anyway (with 3 acts).
Add that to Kirthfinder's parry rules and unified maneuvers, as well as incremental casting in PF2e (Cure Wounds with 1 action heals touch, 2 actions heals range, 3 actions heals burst), and it's easy to imagine that Kirthfinder works better under PF2e.
It's a good thing Arline was more sleep-talking (or true self-talking) than awake. That would have been awkward. XD
I really loved how Thaddeus's character development path took him from wishing to tear down old myths, to making his peace with the mysteries of the beyond.
I especially like the contrast between change in attitude from silent mockery-tuned-respect (to the pigeon-keeper) to wide-eyed horror-with-tense-silence (once the house went up in flames).
If I had to choose iconic scenes, it would be the following that could be turned into paintings that show the most character:
Spoiler:
Thaddeus berating the tardy student in Lepidstadt > exchange with the pigeon-keeper > picking up the Sarkoran holy symbol > the grim exchange with Konrad > the surprising reunion with Maddox > Shiraz's bedside visit > the manor door shutting behind the team > the cat! > the empty-pages library > the retreat from Shiraz > the dimming of the library and the oath to forget everything > setting the manor on fire while Arline woke up from her stupor.
Quote:
When we decided to base our game in Golarion, I didn't think it would turn out so well. Unsurprisingly, Ustalav—and Ardis in particular—lend themselves very well to this type of story: ghosts of the past, forgotten history, and creeping urban decay.
I've come to realize that Golarion as a setting worked. Pathfinder as a system wasn't the best idea.
I remember you suggested Call of Cuthulu. That would have been different. :D
@Side characters:
One theme Konrad evokes (intentionally or unintentionally) is upheaval, chaos, and the revival of old horrors. He is an agent of change--without him provoking Maddox to tell the story of Shiraz and to dig up old memories, the mystery of the manor might have never been resolved.
It's just like after having a nightmare. You may laugh it off now, but once you're back in the dark and silence of the night, things that seem funny in daylight suddenly lose their humor.
Ailson as a character I liked. You were bound to meet her--she is Thaddeus's hero, and the most MVP in Ardis. :D
She might have not known it, but her actions helped awaken the old psychic presence that was the House. Her presence is also significant because this is a resolution for her as well. Ailson is another victim of the house, and I felt it was a good idea to show Thaddeus that he can relate to his hero in this as well. She, for one, would be very interested in reading Thaddeus's account of the Misty Manor.
Remember, she knew the real Shiraz before the accident--this story would have different weight with her. The woman also knows how to handle occult-related mental damage XD.
@The Story:
You make excellent points. I'll explain how I saw it, and why I am satisfied with this ending. Look at it though my eyes.
Thaddeus Dusek, a wandering doctor and mythbuster extraordinaire is used to tangling with the occult. He dissects mysteries, and reveals them as they are. If they are mundane, he says so. If they are occult, he classifies, identifies, and demystifies them, helping humanity walk forward with less fears.
However, when the mystery is too close to home (especially in a place Thaddeus left and never returned to), and when the emotional and psychological baggage begins to wear down on him, he is unable to stay detached. When we were kids, who said what? Who was Shiraz talking to? I don't remember.
When the uncertainty hits this close, he can't dissect things anymore. He can't solve the entire mystery. When darkness closes in, he hurriedly waves his torch to keep it at bay.
In a way, Thaddeus solved previous mysteries and built his image by tackling mysteries and uncovering them. Now, he trying to survive. When his childhood friends (and love) are threatened, and his mind begins to fail him, mistakes in calculation are bound to happen. Thaddeus choosing to leave the confrontation with Shiraz and return once he notices the demons' approach is a reaction that could only be explained by him desperately trying to make sense of things. He doesn't have the luxury to be detached and question everything, though. Not anymore, at least.
In the end, Thaddeus knew that only fire can heal (from exposure to Shiraz's illusions, past experiences, as well as the prophecy--if it was one), but he showed apprehension in the last hour, wishing to keep things as they are. In the end, he did accept, and chose to stay with Arline to watch over her. Perhaps subconsciously (and at this point, your guess is as good as mine--our characters do unexpected things sometimes), he was unsure whether he wanted Shiraz gone. After all, he was raised in Ardis--and it was not long before he left. Shiraz was, in a way, a glue to their team.
If I had a regret, it would be that the Misty Manor story is not a sequel. This would have been good contrast between a mystery Thaddeus ate up (zombie plague) and one he chose to leave be (as it were).
@Experience:
The experience was enlightening, really, in terms of railroading vs. free choice. Solo campaigns are much more freeform than others (if only for the fact that there is only one person, and it's easier to improvise for one dude). There was a degree of structure, but I endeavored to give Thaddeus as many meaningful choices as I could. There are some I didn't spell out, but were equally viable should Thaddeus have the toolset.
1. A psychic resolution could be done by a character with psychic/occult powers.
2. A diviner using his spells (Divination, namely) could tap further into the past, and revealed more (the demon boy, history of the house and possible atrocities committed within, etc.)
3. Seeking out those familiar with the occult in Ardis would have likely ended with an earlier encounter with Ailson, as well as her own memories regarding the house
It's unfortunate that you felt Thaddeus had little (or no) influence on the storyline. I assure you he did; his cousins respect him and took word as gospel when it came to the occult. It was him who suggested visiting the house, and it was him who decided when. When Arline suggested staying back because of her lingering guilt over how this ended, she was ashamed to admit it to Thaddeus most of all.
@On the ride:
You're right in a way when it came to feeling like Thaddeus was on for the ride, but I'll counter with this.
In truth, none of the team felt they knew anything, or were doing anything right. Maddox may have led, but he needed Thaddeus to point out where to go. Agatha might have thought up the idea of setting the house ablaze, but she didn't know if it would have resolved the issue. Edric would have continued playing the coward, but Thaddeus saw his cousin's reaction at the thought of his daughter suffering as he did.
There was no capital-H hero in this story--it was a family who thought primarily of their own survival and struggled against the unknown and memories best forgotten. When looking at it that way, Thaddeus's role was the largest. If you think of the other characters as PCs, the thing works out fine.
Overall, thanks for playing this campaign, man. It was fun, and I appreciate you sticking around though real-life stress. We've both suffered through too many PBP games that didn't end. Cheers!
@Epilogue: Well-written! I love it. Very grounded, and shows character development.
The somber note where the story ends is a really great approach to resolving the storyline, which has a decidedly heavy tone. Despite the fact that the mystery has been resolved, it left deep scars.
I imagine Thaddeus easing into the social network Maddox introduces him to, and develops a good relationship with Kindler. Ailson Kindler, his once-hero is now equal in terms of exposure to the Beyond. The two must have a lot to talk about and share in misty nights.
This ride had its bumps, but it was a good experience.
I saw it, but thought you might have been hacked or if you posted in something not unicode. XD How the heck did that happen? Anyway, don't worry about it, no need to apologize.
So we finished the Misty Manor! It didn't end as how I expected. Thaddeus moved more organically, and so did the support cast. We managed to eliminate several red herrings, but Thaddeus had to act/think on his feet more than dissect the mystery. I attribute that to the posting rate.
Most ends were wrapped up quite well, starting from the core mystery (what is Shiraz and why does she do what she does), to side mysteries (was Konrad telling the truth when he said you need only to fear the living, to fear being somewhat infectious and awakening old horrors). It's as the saying goes--Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself.
There are a few unanswered questions, however.
1 If Shiraz is some psychic projection or manifestation of the House, we don't know the origin of the psychic charge. Knowing how the occult works, Thaddeus can reasonably posit that the house was built on the graves the mysterious Sarkorans, whose strange magics seem to linger on, though they don't. Alternatively, the house may have the lingering power of a psychic vampire, or have its foundations on a planar gap to the Realm of Dreams. Any explanation might suffice, but Shiraz will not return to haunt Ardis anymore.
2 Is Miss Juliana (the pigeon keeper) really a seer who has the ability of precognition, or did she tap into the same psychic 'wavelength'? She will not doubt be thrilled that her vision was true, but what does that say about her? The ambitious pigeon-keeper can possibly be over her head when it comes to dangerous things better left alone.
3 Did Konrad intentionally inspire Ailson Kindler to talk about fear to dig up old horrors like the House? He certainly has a dark outlook and a mysterious backstory, and he has more than one brush with beyond the grave, when he summoned up the spirits of his dead children.
4 Does this have any connection to the sudden losses of the Crusaders in the Worldwound?
5 What will the Sovia Arcana report once it hears about Dr. Occult being in Ardis, and once they begin to question the townsfolk?
But what is a horror story with all the answers?
I am overall satisfied with how it ended. How about you?
Following Arline's embrace (or lack thereof), she returns to sleep almost instantly. In fact, it felt for a split second that she was half-asleep when she turned to Thaddeus in the first place.
As the light beneath the column of smoke began to fade, the nurse exclaimed, "That's the old manor by the river!"
The white-haired man turned to old lady Kindler expectantly, but she said nothing for a while, before she smiled distantly, and said, "The Khadrevs. Now that's one old regret I can do without."
Ailson then turned to the nurse, adding, "Since she awoke, my role here has ended. Get the doctor. I'll be leaving now."
She then left, pushed by the white-haired man, who looked curiously back at Arline and Thaddeus before the two left. From the corridor, Kindler's cackle could be heard, laughing, "What a night of horrors!"
Fallout
None of the people of Ardis seemed to take the news negatively--the house truly was feared by all.
The town newspaper instead relayed the hidden relief of the townsfolk. The librarian, who the newspaper described as 'close to the owner of the estate', expressed willingness to sell the land. Ardis law enforcement stated that they are conducting an investigation, but they suspected a prank-turned-arson. After all, only children approached the scary haunted house.
The End Epilogue Does Thaddeus choose to set up practice in Ardis, or will he continue on the road, or back to the University?
"It is, isn't it?" she said cheekily, reaching a withered hand for Arline's file. The same hand that wrote the fuel to Thaddeus's imagination decades ago.
The man who accompanied Ailson Kindler removed a medical satchel and placed it at the nearby table, gently moving away the toys left by the Iwan boys. Lady Kindler almost seemed to forget about Thaddeus as she observed Arline, before she began describing the formula for a prescription, as the white-haired man drew out several vials and began mixing their contents together deftly.
"We've drawn out so much of her blood, I believe I might actually be growing fangs," said the lady introspectively with a grin. "What a twist."
Thaddeus recognizes the formula as a medium-complexity blood-thinner. Apparently, the former vampire-hunter feared that Arline was prone to a stroke in case of her heart flutter. A fair guess, given Arline's body.
The white-haired man frowned at the joke, as Kindler spoke to Arline loudly, "Mrs. Iwan?"
Arline's eyes opened slowly, eyes quite red from exhaustion and haunted. The sun's light was only a hint in the horizon, as silver light quickly dominated the room.
"Good evening, dear," Kindler said.
Arline's head slowly turned to face Thaddeus, not noticing Ailson Kindler, locking her eyes onto his.
If eyes truly were windows to the soul, then it was laid bare here. A dozen emotions swam behind her irises. Emotions that fermented here for decades, ever since Thaddeus left Ardis, emotions that came back to haunt all the once-children.
Lady Kindler's voice seemed to be coming from far away, as she continued, "...so, erm, we'll something experimental this night to treat your heart flutter. Once your blood pressure is back to normal, we will get Dr. Redwood to follow-up the..."
As she spoke, the young man laid the needle of the mixture against Arline's virgin vein, and she showed no reaction to the needle, but disengaged her eyes from Thaddeus's own and snapped her eyes to the window.
A line of smoke began arising on the horizon against the incomplete dark. The nurse gasped in surprise, as a soft green glow shone from under the distant smoke.
Kindler frowned at the nurse, but then noticed the smoke herself. She peered at the window.
The smoke started by the river that cut Ardis.
As the smoke thickened and took a brownish hue, curling and uncurling in a way that was almost organic on its ascending journey to the sky. From outside, a distant rumble echoed, as if the earth was sighing. Another flash of emerald lit up the cloud of smoke from below, as if Thaddeus's cousins lit up a fire that happened to be poisonously green in color.
Arline's eyes were yet fixed on the window, but she sagged visibly, as if she had been tensed even during sleep. Color rapidly returned to her, despite the pale sheen imposed by the silver torchlight, and her hand warmed.
She turned to Thaddeus, and weakly and silently reached towards to pull him into a tight embrace, eyes glistening wetly.
If answering her embrace:
Arline's voice softly and weakly whispers in Thaddeus's ear, "W-why...did you leave...me?"
If at moderate distance:
Arline's hands, now warmer, held to Thaddeus for a spell. A wave of fatigue then drowned her, and she fell to her bed and back to sleep.
In the mental ward, Thaddeus found Arline, sleeping. The understaffed hospital yet had nurses, but they did not bar Thaddeus's way, although they said Arline's doctor will come soon. Thaddeus heard of a few doctors who handled her, but they stated that they will look for more expert opinions, and stopped at that (uncomfortably hinting at the state of their hospital or a dead-end thankless job in a forgotten city).
Thaddeus also found children's toys on the far table which weren't there the last time Thaddeus visited, as well as a symbol of Erastil hanged over the bed, the lord and protector of families. A simple drawing of a knight in crayons was set on the bedside table.
Outside, the dusky sky was clear and bright with a navy hue, as the sun splashed the skies with gold and red before surrendering to the night. The silent city went to sleep, hearing only the calls of mockingbirds and crows and other evening avians' songs.
Thaddeus found a file at the foot of Arline's bed.
Arline Iwan, maiden name: Arline Jacob, age 50, occupation: - Married: (check) Malakai Iwan. Mother: (yes) of two
The medical list goes on until it reaches a hand-written conclusion in a neat script
* Taken over from Dr. Redwood
* Reports of cramps, sudden sweating, nightmares, and general numbness (1)
* Testimonies (of Mr. Iwan and Mrs. Agatha Dusek), as well as induced speech (2)
* Mrs. Iwan seems to have with severe illness driven by stress.
* In moments of clear thought, she refuses to speak about what she experienced, but the nurses reported somniloquy.
* Mrs. Iwan's speech in these episodes involve apologizing and regretting something that once happened. Husband has no input, and referrals (Mrs. Dusek and brothers refuse to answer).
* Unresponsive to most stimuli after sleeping. Indicates deep sleeper tendencies or is another symptom.
Scribed on the side of the page are a few words: midlife crisis, dissatisfaction with present-day, and shiraz/House, Mystery?
The last few words have three lines under them.
A. Kindler
Once the sun fully set, the room was lit only by the enchanted silver lamp near the door. Thaddeus's cousins should be setting out now to burn the house.
The door to Arline's room swung open, and in came an old lady on a wheelchair, driven by a muscular young man with hair nearly as silver as the old lady's and a face as smooth as hers was wrinkled. Accompanying them was the hospital matron.
The old lady looked up, surprised there was someone in the room, and said with an air of light cheer, "Hello. Excuse me."
Thaddeus silent for a long time. He removes his spectacles and rubs his eyes, weary from sleepless nights spend poring over his papers.
"I understand how you feel. And two days ago I might have agreed with you. However, I am no longer so certain that this is a wise avenue of action. To seek to destroy something is to give it credence, and that is just what we swore to avoid. As long as we keep to our oaths, there should be nothing to fear. So why should we prod and poke where ought to keep our distance? Mayhaps we might go to our graves looking over our shoulders, but at least we can take comfort in knowing we made it through, together..."
"I am a hematopathologist, not an arsonist. Nor am I an exorcist or a Pharasmin inquisitor, for that matter. I am sorry, but I cannot go back."
Silence descended on the group. Agatha's face was downturned.
Maddox shook his head after a moment of thought, and pressed on as he always did, "Well, fine. Arline might want to forget all this like you, and leave the house intact, but we can't. I can't."
Edric looked to the corridor, noticing his daughter eavesdropping. He didn't react when his wife took her away, and his eyes were pinned on where she stood.
"We can't have a tie on this, Tad," Maddox added, insisting.
"I'll come with you," Edric said quietly. Maddox looked surprised, and so did Agatha.
"Sarah saw her," Edric added quietly. "We beat it, but not everyone can."
He then turned to Thaddeus, and said, "I never wanted to confront this in the first place, but it seems we switched places, cousin."
He stood up, eyes haunted but determined. Maddox nodded gravely at his twin, looking at him with newfound respect.
Paths
1. Does Thaddeus change his mind and finish the job?
2. Does Thaddeus suggest he supervises Arline while his cousins arson the house?
The next few days passed slowly on the Duseks. Arline was in a daze following the ordeal, and it took its toll on the rest. Maddox insisted Thaddeus sleep over in his guest room, and woke up late to work on every day. The spring skies alternated between clarity and cloudiness, as if reflecting the tempestuous emotions felt by the people of the earth below.
Arline herself was admitted to the mental ward of the old Ardis hospice the morning after the events.
The cold silent halls betray a once-lively institution which saw better days, Thaddeus remembered. Many wards that used to be open lay closed for lack of patients and doctors as the state cut funding. The hospital was too large for the declining populace of Ardis.
The matron of the ward, an old and learned sagely doctor, suggested shock, which was met with tired and understanding nods from the Duseks and a crestfallen expression from Malakai Iwan. She added that she will get an expert to study this case, and ushered the Duseks (and Malakai) out. The confusion and fear in the eyes of Arline's two sons caused 'auntie Agatha' to avoid their answers or to promise that it's nothing and their mother is 'just tired'. The way she looked back at them always made Maddox scratch his wounded knee nervously, as if being wracked by guilt.
Mr. Iwan burned with questions regarding his wife's wellbeing, but Maddox said nothing constructive, Edric was evasive, and Agatha avoided direct answers, and said that there is nothing to worry about. He asked about the ghost girl, the house, and what they faced, but the answers only increased his helpless frustration.
[How did Thaddeus handle the aftermath of the events?]
"I have everything we need," Agatha said two days after the events in the manor, pointing at leather containers that smelled of kerosene and alchemical fire. They were situated in Edric's living room, much to his wife's irritation and his daughter's fascination. Edric dismissed his daughter and returned with a, "And what is this for?"
Maddox gave his twin a blank stare, and said, "The house. We'll do it tonight. Coming?"
Agatha looked as if she was about to add something, but held her tongue and looked hopefully at her brother and cousin.
Heavy minutes passed once everyone made their pledge.
It was as if everyone was entranced in the darkness--until the atmosphere lifted. The sunrods' lights brightened once more, as if they never dimmed.
There was no whisper anymore.
Maddox let his hand withdraw, and looked to the door outside, face as emotionless as stone. He swung the door open.
There was nothing there under the sunrod's light. He let out a sigh.
Out of the open kitchen's door, the faint light of dawn streamed into the empty Khadrev estate. The main door opened easily, as did the wire gate.
[Which of the following story paths takes priority for Thaddeus?]
1. Take Arline to a hospital (hospitalize her stressful breakdown)
2. Purge the estate with fire
First of all, I choose option 4... that is, 4 more sunrods. Not as dramatic, but I'd rather keep the other options in my back pocket for now.
Thaddeus plops down his bag and digs out more sunrods, distributing them amongst his cousins. His hands still tremble slightly as he does, but he has managed to regain his senses—for the moment, at least.
"Light them one at a time," he instructs them. "But make sure that at least one is lit at all times."
As Edric lit his sunrod, he held it up. Its light was pale and cold and dim, just as Agatha's.
He almost panicked, reaching for another sunrod, but Agatha had a strangely calm look on her face--she lowered his hand and looked to Thaddeus, as if ignoring the dimming light of her own sunrod.
Thaddeus Dusek wrote:
"I still cannot believe I am doing this," he sighs. "But this is not about faith, but recognising the truth. Swear to Erastil, swear to your father, swear to your families—whatever you hold closest to your heart. Renounce the Khadrev House, renounce Shiraz, and renounce any memory of this place and its inhabitants. Swear that you will never again give life to the horrors you have witnessed here tonight."
Maddox gulped, fade half hidden in shadow. He reached his meaty hand over Thaddeus's own, which held up the Parables, and said, closing his eyes, "I renounce her. Everyone, remember your families--they're what's real, not this. They're who need you."
Agatha put her thin hand over her brother's, and said with a strained voice, closing her own, "This part of our life is over. It was over for years. None of this is real."
Edric scurried to stand opposite to Thaddeus. He nodded with a gulp, and placed his hand over his sister's, and said shakily, closing his eyes, "It's all over. Remember your homes--this is...not a home."
A whisper sounded from behind the door.
Arline's face was taut and pale as a sheet, but she reached out--aided by Edric's own hand which guided hers to stop atop Edric's. Her face was teary-eyed, as she said, ""I'll never again give life to this memory. I swear, Mr. Dusek."
It was as if she was talking to uncle Alistair. The Duseks' faces likewise tightened.
She then closed her eyes, and tears rolled down her cheeks, as she whispered, voice thick with guilt and sadness, "Though I wish it ended differently."
For a moment, in the shadows and fear and desperation, it was as if the old gang was truly back together again. The dim light, fatigue, stress, and what he recognized as some psychic resonance may have played with Thaddeus's eyes, but they all seemed like children once more.
The shadows in the cellar shifted as Thaddeus left the front of the door. The alien presence was silent once Thaddeus strode out, too driven to be able to listen.
Thaddeus Dusek wrote:
Thaddeus drags himself up, supporting himself against the wall and focusing on his cousins' voices. He stumbles once more, exhausted both in body and mind, but trudges forth with purpose.
"Listen to me," he says to the others with renewed confidence. "None of this is real. You have all seen it: she—it—cannot hurt us if do not allow it. We must not give in to desperation. Come with me!"
"It's an illusion?!" asked Edric in disbelief.
"But...Shiraz," mumbled Arline, before Thaddeus dragged her.
Agatha then exclaimed, "The cat! It can't see the monsters!"
She pointed at the cat on the upper floor, which observed the intruders lazily without care to the monsters in the darkness.
Maddox followed, pushing his sister Agatha forwards, shouting, "By the gods, Agatha, forget about the cat!"
"W-wait for me!" exclaimed Edric, following. Nobody faced Shiraz, and nobody heard her speak.
Running from the foyer kicked in the cousins' flight response, and adrenaline pumped through them as Maddox hobbled quickly on his wounded leg. He stumbled, dropping his lantern, extinguishing his own flame.
Agatha supported him to go on, holding out her sunrod like a beacon to the group as she accompanied Thaddeus.
Entering the study, he shut the door behind them in the face of extending shadows and gruesome howls of what wounded like warped hunting dogs. The door shook, dropping dust from its frame.
"N-now what?" said Agatha. Maddox was unsure whether to keep standing at the door or focusing on denying the illusion, and took a cautious step in-between.
The study's dark gothic style was nightmarish in the flickering single light, casting alien shadows behind furniture, a world globe with faded colors, and a bust half-hidden in shade. The diary of Shiraz's mother sat nearby, the strange picture of young Shiraz, the Witch Boy, and Alison Kindler within its folds.
The shadow's reach stopped just before the huddled Duseks and Arline, as a silence fell over the house. It was a tense silence, as like children playing hide-and-seek.
The golden brilliance of the sunrod in Agatha's hand began to flicker. Her eyes widened in panick, as she held it tightly, as if subconsciously trying to squeeze it for more light.
"Does anyone have another light!?" whispered Edric in a most unman-like squeak, as it slowly began to fade. Maddox checked his pockets--no tindertwigs.
If the evil in this house extinguishes the light, keeping the party both sane and together will be an impossible task..
Story Paths
1. Crack open Konrad Tarkowski's gift, and use his metal lighter to provide firelight, and make improvised torches out of book-paper.
2. Draw out Uncle Alistair's Parables of Erastil, and gather the cousins to swear to never to acknowledge or recognize Shiraz.
3. Chant the Ankh's prayer, substituting any two deities of good (or 'The Lord and Lady') for the one whose name was forgotten.
Ankh's Prayer:
"In the name of [Picture of Stylized Eye middling a hand], by the power of His Gaze, and the [unclear scribbling], I assume authority over Evil.
"In the name of [Picture of downward back of a hand], by the power of Her Strike, and the Right path, I banish black magic, wicked sorcery, and demonic forces."
I suggest holding hands and collectively chanting, 'Monsters don't exist.'
Jokes aside, if making an oath would work, it surely won't work so long as everyone sees terrible monsters gathering around them.
Something like 'this is an elaborate illusion--that is why nobody who is not a child saw this. Shiraz doesn't exist--empty your minds and remember your families'.
In that case, I suggest leading the party to a safe area and attempting the act there, or wherever Thaddeus feels has the most resonance (for lack of better word).
Here is a list of places in the house:
1. Study
2. Library
3. Music Room
4. Kitchen
5. Larder
6. Master bedroom
7. Shiraz's bedroom
8. Sewing Room
9. Maid's room
10. A bathroom
11. The attic
12. The dining room
The most cohesive theories you've presented are the Infection Memory and Evil House theories. The house is actively resisting efforts at escaping (via spawning monsters and doors resisting opening (bulging out to absorb physical attempts to escape).
Yet, Thaddeus might have noticed something: there are a lot of illusions here (though not arcane or divine in nature). Even Shiraz's monster didn't physically push Arline off the balcony on the second floor.
Recalling how the house was sent into dormancy (so to speak) in the first place, it was by swearing oaths to never visit it. By renouncing the house, the young Duseks (and Arline) were freed.
It stands to good reason that disbelieving these illusions and attempting another oath to forget the house might work again. Thaddeus still has the Parables, after all.
You are already very close to cracking the case. You've found several inconsistencies and poked at holes, finding crucial pieces of evidence to reveal that not everything is as it seems.
I felt, however, that real life bogged you down enough to slow down your train of deductions--lost energies and things of that nature.
So it makes sense that Thaddeus would get a bolt of inspiration. I'll provide a conclusion derived from theories you decide hold weight.
Is that a good way to both help move the story along without spoiling the conclusion?
Edric said, "Our families know about us being here. Come morning, and they will break the doors down!"
As the cellar door finally gave away, Thaddeus noticed two emerald lights approach from below. Four more slowly came up from the darkness. They blinked, and narrowed.
"Thaddeus?!" shouted Agatha, before Maddox bellowed in fear. "Help!"
Arline's voice came, shaky and frail. She must have waken. "Shiraz--we...can be your friends again...put all this behind us. Please."
A terrible bitter laugh answered her.
Thaddeus managed to pry one side of the cellar door open. All the books in the library were empty, except Shiraz's mother's notebook. That was everything of her that remained.
"Lies! She had a decision," came Shiraz's bitter voice from the landing, undoubtedly pointing at Arline. "She chose poison. She chose evil and fear to reign."
Thaddeus Dusek wrote:
"Rude? People will die, and I am supposed to care about manners?"
The voice merely chuckled before fading away. Thaddeus jammed his crowbar's pronged end between the iron, which began to give way slowly under pressure. In a split second, Thaddeus remembered something from way before.
Memory:
The sun was setting over the Khedrev House, painting the sky with bloody reads and vivid yellows. Shadows formed the children--how many were there?
"Shiraz, I'm afraid of the sunset," said a childish, familiar voice. "It's like the sun is dying." "Silly...the sun doesn't die at sunset," said Shiraz, her long shimmering black locks casting a wider shadow than the rest. "It goes to sleep in its house far away." "Shiraz...I'm afraid." "Afraid while I'm with you?" she asked.
Perhaps no one could bring the courage (or understand themselves well enough) to admit it was not that---perhaps fear is from her.
Curiously--even back then, he remembers somebody watching the two of them.
The demon-child was there, decades ago. It was also here. It wasn't afraid to hide itself anymore--or was so amused, hiding didn't matter as it used to. He could show some of himself, yet Shiraz's mother and their butler was nowhere to be seen.
Thaddeus heard the exchange between his cousins and Shiraz continue on, becoming steadily more heated.
"It was childish jealousy!" replied Edric bitterly. "Arline was--"
Maddox replied sullenly, "We were forced to! We were children. It wasn't our decision!"
The opening to the cellar was a thin door made of brass wire. The handle was frozen to the touch. It was locked. As Thaddeus negotiated the lock, he caught a glimpse from the window they came from. The angelic statue was there, kneeling in prayer.
Once the idea of leaving through the window drifted in, it shut itself.
It was as if the house read his mind.
"It's rude to leave while people are talking."
The voice came from nowhere. The voice sounded young and male. It had a dark air of confidence and amusement.
"Thaddeus?" called Agatha.
Story Paths
1. Use your crowbar to open the cellar's lock
2. Try to smash the kitchen window
3. Confront Shiraz--she never wanted friendship, just to trick us--and now to abuse us
4. Confront the voice
"There's something off," Agatha started.
In the midst of absolute nightmarish conditions, her statement seemed bizarrely dated. Maddox didn't pay his sister any mind.
"We can head to the roof," suggested Maddox. "We can signal passers-by." "If I saw people calling for help from this house, I'd run home and hide under the covers," replied Edric dryly.
Besides that, Thaddeus remembered the broken staircase. There is no way Maddox's bad leg will help him there, or carry Arline's weight (or that of either of the twins).
"We can head to the window in the kitchen," suggested Edric. "We can go for help, and come back with Arline's husband!"
A faint meowing echoed from the upper floors. It was the cat from before.
"If he even saw a glimpse of Shiraz--" began Maddox, before he heard the girl's gentle laugh.
It took a while to negotiate carrying Arline without causing her existing wounds more harm, eliciting a wince, groan, and a curse in that order as her childhood friends pulled, pushed, and carried her to the entry hall. Her glazed expression didn't change, but her unfocused gaze always returned to the stairs to the second floor.
Thaddeus followed, noticing that Shiraz was no longer up there. The heavy stale air was poisonous, and the shadows stretching behind the terrible Gothic artifacts seemed like demons ready to pounce. A marble bust had its profile lit, the other half shrouded in darkness, but it seemed the eyes of the dark old man followed them. A heavy chandelier seemed to be creaking lightly, as a meowing sounded from the upper floors. Two cat's lights appeared in the upper floor, reflecting the light eerily.
Maddox and Edric reached the door first.
"All right. Simple door. This will be easy--" Maddox said, sounding uncertain. He twisted the door's handle. "Well...it's locked."
"Demons ride on my back, of course it's locked! Kick it in, man," said Edric impatiently. Agatha seemed lost in thought, holding up her sunrod in one hand, and shouldering Arline's body on her thin frame. She looked back on the balcony, narrowing her eyes, and then looking at Thaddeus, frowning in thought.
Maddox kicked the square of the door. It didn't budge.
"Demons ride on my ass! Kick it in the hinge, Maddox!" Edric practically screamed. "Center of mass is spread if you kick it in the middle! Move over!"
Maddox murmured something about academics and ivory towers, but the twins began raining heavy, meaty kicks on the door. One strike gave a particular air of strength--and the door shifted. A ragged exhale from the two caused the rest to freeze.
The main door didn't open, but bulged outwards as if bruised, before slowly returning to a door-like form. Before the horrified eyes of the Duseks, the door looked like a nightmare made flesh.
"We'll stay until we starve," said Agatha in a tiny voice.
"Shut up, Agatha," growled Edric nervously. "Come morning, they'll come looking for us."
A pregnant silence followed.
As Thaddeus leaped to catch Arline, he managed to catch her by the leg. Her weight strained Thaddeus's old muscles, causing them to ache and groan.
At first, Thaddeus's cousins didn't react, still captured by the paralyzing fear spell. Upon a more desperate call, they shook to their senses slowly. They dropped their light sources, reached, inadvertently closing their eyes for impact.
A long rip echoed, and Arline's dress tore, dragging Thaddeus with her, leaving him to hang by the sword, holding to one of Arline's shoes, as her unconscious body fell like a meteor on the three cousins, causing them to cry out and fall to the ground, groaning and cursing. Thaddeus realized they were all alive. Arline began groaning, too, apparently being roused to waking up.
Another groan sounded from above. The floorboards Thaddeus's cane sword was jabbed into. The old wood creaked.
Climb check to hold on:1d20 - 1 ⇒ (7) - 1 = 6
Thaddeus's hand slipped, muscles still weak from the strain, and he fell the distance, slamming painfully against the floor, bloodied, sprawled on the floor.
fall:1d6 ⇒ 5
Thaddeus HP 6/15
Maddox struggled with the rest, all prone, before waving his fist at Shiraz, shouting, "You little demon! Just wait until I get my hands on you!"
Shiraz and the bear-like beast withdrew slowly into the shadows.
"Edric, lift your foot from my neck!" Maddox shouted, trying to move back.
"I cgh brgh!" gasped Edric.
"Whose hand is this?" Agatha gasped, lifting a hairy arm wrapped on her foot.
It took a while for the cousins to disentangle themselves from the mess on the floor.
In the wounded silence after saving Arline, no one spoke. Arline looked hurt and dazed, still on her back where she fell. Tears gathered in her eyes.
"She really loved us, didn't she?" she croaked from her place on the floor, looking to the empty balcony.
Edric looked to Thaddeus for an explanation. "How did you know this wasn't an illusion?"
I'm also a bit stumped as to how I should proceed, both in and out of character. While interesting, I don't know if any of these theories really help me in making in-character decisions. What are my most immediate options here?
I believe the most immediate decision is how to keep Arline from fatally falling to her death (either by jumping to catch her from the second floor, making an alchemical 'pillow', or any other method you can think of softening her fall).
After Arline is safe and Shiraz's insidious scheme of seeing Arline die without being aided is thwarted, I'll put up story paths responding to your input.
3. How about re-rolling upon every failure, until success is had (roll an additional dice per failure).
Example: As above with Barbra, Eric, Bart, and Margaret; after failing their first roll, they get to roll three dice instead of two. They retain the same bonuses, of course.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean.
If the party fails, they take damage, right? They also have to roll again (same modifiers). If they succeed, they move on (enemies defeated/scattered/etc.). If they fail, they take damage again and have to roll once more until they succeed.
Sounds like a powerful narrative tool. I like it, but it needs good playtesting.
1. How about times/day abilities, like Smite Evil?
2. Shouldn't the damage taken be relative to the CR, not APL? In this case, higher-level characters who fail the check take more damage from the same enemies than lower-level characters.
3. How about re-rolling upon every failure, until success is had (roll an additional dice per failure).
Example: As above with Barbra, Eric, Bart, and Margaret; after failing their first roll, they get to roll three dice instead of two. They retain the same bonuses, of course.
Infection Memory Theory The memory of Shiraz awakened her to haunt Ardis again, causing her to appear once more and terrorize her childhood friends. It was Maddox who inadvertently awakened this memory in Alison Kindler's horror party
+ Event timeline lines up
+ The more Duseks were aware of/or feared Shiraz, the bolder (or stronger) she became, even visiting them in their houses
+ All Duseks have been told about Shiraz returning. Edric was told by his daughter Sarah, Thaddeus was told by Arline, and Agatha and Maddox were told by the others, which also lines up with the infection theory
- Unlike all the other Duseks, however, Arline was not told by someone else about Shiraz's appearance, and saw her by herself when she passed by her house.
- Arline was not told about Maddox's experience, leaving a gap.
Conclusion
A. Either someone not mentioned reminded Arline about Shiraz, or Arline is weighted with guilt over betraying Shiraz over something.
The question is raised, however. Why would Arline pass by Shiraz's house in the first place?
B. The event that caused the memory to be wiped might be the Arline's betrayal, or the oath made to Alistair. If such circumstances were repeated, it might work again.
Shiraz: Childhood Apparition Theory The adults of Ardis fear her, and children are likely to see her. Theory is that Shiraz was always present and never disappeared, but she was never seen again because the Duseks and Arline felt that they were somewhat jaded by their betrayal of Shiraz. Jaded enough to be counted as adults for the purposes of the curse.
+ The Duseks and Arline met her only when they were children
+ Sarah, Edric's daughter, noticed her and feared her
+ Lines up with the cyclical theory. If the Khadrevs were alive once, there was another childhood apparition (the 'witch boy' and dark house in the pictures)
- The theory alone does not explain why they can see and interact with her now
So far, the evidence supports several theories regarding the house and Shiraz. Evidence was stacking, and putting clues into cohesive blocks is an appropriate gesture (as this is a mystery/occult game), especially since the pace of posting was slow enough for some clues to be forgotten.
Pluses indicate clues for
Minuses indicate clues against
Vengeful Ghost Theory Shiraz is literally a ghost returned for vengeance.
+ She knows everything Shiraz should know
+ Heavy heretical presence in the house
- Shiraz and her minions leave no trail of Ectoplasm, or residual magical auras (powers are Su instead of SP or SLA)
- There is no explanation why she didn't act for nearly four decades after her friends abandoned her, and many years since Uncle Alistair died
- Tarkowski explicitly says there is nothing undead be afraid of in Ardis
Trick Theory This is all one big trick to embarrass or mock Thaddeus
+ Nobody was physically harmed (only scared)
- Does not explain Shiraz's powers or the memories, as well as supernatural elements such as the nightmares
Transcending Evil TheorySomething happened a week or so ago since the beginning of the story (specifically the 'Kindler's night of horrors' that awakened this evil
+ The timeline and Tarkowski's speech line up with the theory
+ The theme of terror and Shiraz's use of it makes sense
- The theory doesn't explain anything about Shiraz's behavior--how she knows everything she should, and how she acts.
Latent Powers/Evil House Theory A tragedy occurred in the house of the Khadrevs generations ago. This tragedy suffused the house, and a presence or malicious intent of some sort animates a projection that looks like Shiraz
+ The projection of Shiraz knows everything Shiraz should know (as all encounters with Shiraz occurred in the house)
+ Heavy heretical presence in the house
+ Explains lack of ectoplasm, as the evil in the house is a projection (something of a supernatural illusion)
+ Explains the Khadrev's account of the 'demon-boy' in the pictures--it could be the projection that came before Shiraz died in the tragedy
- The theory alone doesn't explain why the events started happening recently
- If there was an evil force in the house that was animating a projection of Shiraz, there is no explanation why it didn't harm Thaddeus, Maddox, Agatha, Edric, and Arline as children and is harming them as adults
If you have any other theories, please add them. Let this be considered Thaddeus's 'two minds' in analyzing this supernatural case.
Thaddeus's cousins screamed, as Arline's dress tore further, bringing her a second away from collapsing onto them. The creature roared again, causing supernatural fear to rise in the Duseks.
Maddox Will:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9 Edric's Will:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4 Agatha's Will:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
Agatha was paralyzed in fear, shaking, as Edric and Maddox took slow steps back. Nobody was there to catch Arline should she fall.
Arline stood frozen for a moment, and her knees buckled, causing her to fall back over the weak railing, crushing it tumbling over the balcony.
The gods must have been smiling on the Duseks; for a loud ripping sound held up the unconscious Arline, dangling her closer to the ground (and to the terrified hands of the Duseks).
Story options
1. Use Alchemy to create a cushioning mixture (and spend a mixture or extract) to soften Arline's fall
2. Attack the nightmarish beast or Shiraz
3. Use a move-equivalent action to perceive and deduce the true evil presence previous investigation result was a 22
4. Use a move-equivalent action to reach to Arline and lower/hold her
Agatha took a step back, stammering, "But-" "Help me carry her now!" Maddox moved below the balcony as Thaddeus headed upstairs, roaring, "Just do it!"
Thaddeus Dusek wrote:
"Circle yourself, quickly!"
Thaddeus shouted, throwing the tube at a crouching Arline. She, infuriatingly, was too frightened to reach forward, and too clumsy to grab.
The tube hit the ground between Arline and the monster, spraying the salt in a semicircle. The salts glowed softly.
Thaddeus's Arcana check:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
Shiraz looked at the salts with an inscrutable expression, as the slow nightmarish beast continued--crossing it, causing Arline to scream and lean back further, uselessly warding off the creature with her chubby arms.
Arcana results:
DC 10: The salts are functioning against an evil presence, but the monster advancing on Arline is not affected.
DC 20: There is an omnipresent evil the salts are directed against.
Story Options (one round before Arline falls)
1. Use Alchemy to create a cushioning mixture (and spend a mixture or extract)
2. Bleed the spiritbane spike and attack the monster or Shiraz, pushing it back (make a DC 15 Reflex save to avoid falling into a shadowed pit in the stairs)
3. Use a move-equivalent action to perceive and deduce the true evil presence. Thaddeus's Investigation check; +4 from previous information:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22
