I moved my token back into the front room.
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I wasn't sure if we were going to the door across the hall, or if we were going to go down the length of the hallway, so I tried to place my avatar somewhere that would be the middle of the marching order. Let me know if I need to move it out of the way until the front line is determined.
"It could have been worse. The only harm done is our friend howling outside. We should see to her before we move further inside." Ethan goes back outside, and calls out, "Juriya! Come back. Erastil can remove the fear from your heart. He can also restore your sanity." Not waiting more than a moment, Ethan attempts to follow the kistsune's tracks.
"I think we should be fine if we don't touch the piano again, and give it a wide berth, but in truth, spirits and haunts aren't my area of expertise. I've never performed an exorcism or cleansing. I'm just a midwife, after all," he says, ending with a small shrug. After a moment he says, "I will channel energy, if you wish, but my ability to do so is limited. That power might be needed more urgently further into the manor."
"The piano is the source of the haunting," Ethan says. "Some poor, tormented spirit is trapped within, and playing it seems to trigger the spirit's manifestation. If we leave the piano alone, I doubt anything else will happen. I can channel divine energy to quell it, but it would only be temporary. An exorcism would be required to put the spirit to rest permanently."
Ethan sees the supernatural wave of fear sweep out, and steels himself against it.
Ethan's eyes go wide as the piano suddenly plays itself and Donimah begins dancing with an invisible partner. He tries to recall if he knows anything about how to deal with possessed furniture or musical instruments.
"I'm not sure now is the time and place for a song, Dame Alicia," Ethan says in a gentle, but concerned tone. Ethan stands in the corner, bow at the ready, with clear sight of the door that leads deeper into the manor.
Ethan moves into the room, bow at the ready. If the room is dimly lit or dark, he calls upon Erastil to light his way. If it is dark or dim inside: Ethan casts light on the upper end of his longbow.
Ethan moves with the group, keeping his bow in hand with an arrow nocked.
"We return your body to the earth, that it may replenish the soil. May your soul find mercy in the Gray Lady's judgment," Ethan says reverently, once the burial is completed, and Arrian and Alicia have given their eulogies.
"Of course," Ethan says, moving to assist Ano with taking the farmer's body down.
"What's that?" Ethan says, pointing in the direction of
Ethan simply nods, accepting Juriya and Alicia's rebuttals without complaint or counterargument. Sense Motive, DC 10: He isn't offended or hurt by his statement being called bullshit. He knows he voiced a purely speculative opinion with insufficient expertise on the subject matter.
"Perhaps it has to do with the duality of mortal nature. An animal, be it predator or prey, acts according to its nature. From what little I know of demons, devils, angels and other extraplanar beings, they too must act according to their respective natures. On the other hand, we as mortals, can act against our own interests and nature. We can sacrifice our own lives and safety for the benefit of others, or we can inflict suffering and death upon others with no clear motivation or benefit for doing so. Maybe the ancient Thassilonians understood a magical connection between the light and dark aspects of ourselves?" Ethan shrugs, making it clear that what he said was purely speculative, and not the opinion of a scholar.
"Well, what we know for certain is that Lord Foxglove is involved with these ghoul attacks. We should pay him a long overdue visit," Ethan replies.
"Could it be connected to what we found beneath the goblin lair? We saw evidence of ritual sacrifice and references to ancient Thassilonian powers; the Runelords, wasn't it? If there was one, could there not be others? Were any of these Runelords associated with ghouls?"
Ethan touches the symbol of Erastil, and calls upon his power. "May Dead-Eye strike you down!"
Most of the hubbub of Christmas Day has died down at my place, so I'm keeping my eyes peeled for new posts.
Merry Christmas!
"If there are ghouls hiding inside, they will come out sooner than later. Ghouls are insatiably hungry. They will seek out meat, living or dead, rotting or fresh."
Ethan does his best to maintain a stoic demeanor, despite the clear evidence that his invocation of Dead-Eye's power failed to cure one of the men. He was certain he drew on enough divine energy to purge the man of the disease, but for some reason, it failed. He failed. I can't let it get to me now. We still have a present threat of ghouls, and we have yet to even approach their Master at Foxglove Manor. He moves with the others toward the house, keeping his bow in hand with an arrow nocked.
Ethan calls upon Erastil to purge the ghoul fever from the aforementioned more dependable survivor. "May the Stagfather remove this sickness from your body, and restore you to health," he intones.
He then turns to the other man. "I'm sorry. I only have enough power to heal one of you, but I can delay the onset of the illness, and give you more time to for your body to fight it. Make sure to see Father Zantus as soon as possible, and drink another vial of anti-plague. Do not delay in either, or you will end up a ravenous ghoul. Do you understand?" He looks to both of them for confirmation. "May the Stagfather delay your suffering, and bolster your body's resolve against this sickness."
That IS a cool knife. I'd have to have him make one for me, too!
He was part of a blacksmithing club, and made two knives. He's actually very interested in doing blacksmithing as a hobby or side-business. Once he gets himself established with a home forge, I'll probably pester him to make me something.
He went the Trades route, graduating with an Associates in Applied Sciences (Welding). He already has three job offers, and they all are offering really great pay. Plus, and this is important, NO STUDENT LOAN DEBT!
Ethan hands the vials of anti-plague to the two men. "Drink this down. All of it," he says. He waits for the men to do so, and then proceeds to gently apply pressure with his fingers to specific points under each man's jaw, in the recesses of their collarbones, and finally where their ribs meet the sternum.
Ethan looks over the survivors and tries to assess which are the worst off.
"My ability to treat ghoul fever has improved, but I do not possess the power to wipe the sickness from every one of them in the same day. Maybe, I can prevent those who are the worst off from succumbing," he offers.
Apologies for the delay. My younger son graduated from college today, and I've been occupied with family stuff.
”Let’s move on to the house, but keep an eye on the fields. There could still be ghouls hiding among the rows.” Ethan keeps an arrow nocked, and watches for trouble as he moves down the road.
Receiving a confirming nod from Alicia, Ethan takes aim and looses an arrow at the struggling ghoul.
Ethan nocks an arrow in his bow, and readies himself for the impending ghoul attack. "The one that's struggling to break free, did it register as evil to your magic?" he asks Alicia, seeking confirmation.
Ethan nods in agreement. "Use your magic, Arrian. If it only harms undead, it will be the perfect test."
Protection From Evil has the edge, (+2 AC and saves) vs (+3 AC) for the same duration, so I think you're right. Final Answer.
I have Remove Fear prepped already, for that very reason. I think I will go with Shield of Faith as a means of improving my chances of remaining upright so that I can channel and heal, as needed.
Remove Paralysis is 2nd level (for Clerics, anyway) and Hide From Undead is 1st level. It would make sense not to use Hide from Undead if you already have it on your list. I should probably pick a replacement spell quick before the shooting starts, though.
"This is strange. It feels like a trap. Why are ghouls bound up and dressed as scarecrows? Were the people they once were infected, and then bound to the posts? Are we sure they are ghouls? As much as I hate getting close to them, I would feel better removing the sacks from their heads and confirming that they are truly undead. Unfortunately, I think this is part of the trap. Their master knows we have conscience."
Since Alicia has detect evil at will, it might make more sense for me to replace detect undead with hide from undead. This would give us all a chance to sneak up on them.
"It is a blessing that we have all found new reserves of strength and power," Ethan says. "I have a feeling it will require all of it to be equal to the task ahead of us. If the Hambley farm is on the way, we should probably see to clearing it out of any ghouls that might still be there. I do not like the idea of passing them by, only to find they went out hunting while we confronted their master in Foxglove Manor."
Ethan rises with the sun, feeling remarkably refreshed despite the previous day's exertions. He begins the day with his morning prayers, asking Erastil for the strength and resolve to stand in the gap between the ghouls and the people of Sandpoint. He feels that some new understanding about the nature of Erastil's power has ingrained itself into his mind and heart. He is certain that he could call upon more powerful healing and restorative magic than he could just the day before. Once his prayers are completed, he washes, dresses and makes his morning visit to the privy. He then comes back into the house and begins the process of prepping his gear for the day: cleaning, oiling, sharpening, and the like.
For what its worth, if I were choosing, I would choose Cure Moderate Wounds and Align Weapon, since they are more versatile. Remove Paralysis may not have much application beyond this fight.
Arrian, this is the spell list I tentatively have planned. Let me know if you want me to change up anything: 0-level: Create Water
1st level: Detect Undead
Domain Spell: Bless 2nd level: Delay Disease
Domain Spell: Shield Other 3rd level: Align Weapon, Communal
Domain Spell: Prayer
Is it safe to assume we can level-up now?
With Carol safely delivered to the Cathedral, and Father Zantus’ care, Ethan make his way back to the group’s house. Once he arrives, he makes sure to purposefully lay out his armor and weapons within easy reach. He strips, washes and climbs into bed, softly muttering a prayer to Erastil as he pulls up the blanket and drifts off.
"It's good to see you again, Father," Ethan replies. "Carol is in need of our help. She and her husband Maurice were attacked on the road by ghouls. Maurice, unfortunately, did not survive the attack. Carol needs a place to stay, and someone to look after her. As you can see, her baby is nearly due." Ethan places gentle emphasis on Carol and her late husband's names, hoping to gently coach Father Zantus into recalling and retaining them.
"Yes. The rest of you should get as much rest as you can," Ethan says, nodding. "I will see that Carol has lodgings, and meet you all back at the house." Ethan buys Carol food and drink suitable for her condition, and waits for her to eat before walking with her to the Cathedral. As they walk, he keeps an eye on her for any symptoms of stress-induced labor. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, Carol, and I am sorry for the loss of your husband. I will do what I can to ensure that you and the baby's needs are provided for. Hopefully, Father Zantus will also be able to help."
"Your son? Are you speaking of the child you carry, or do you have an older child as well? If so, where is he? Is he at your home alone?" Ethan asks in a tone of genuine concern.
Before the group leaves for Sandpoint, Ethan says a prayer for the deceased man. Since there are no remains to transport or bury, he quickly looks through the ashes for any personal items that may have survived, such as a ring or necklace.
Anything he finds, he hands over to Carol. "Despite the smell, we should probably take the heads of the ghouls with us," he suggests to the others. "We will probably need evidence to corroborate these events, especially with some of the current sentiments in town."
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