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Zaiobe immediately steps back and sends a flaming arrow at Kikonu with a wicked grin on her face.
Shrieking in pain as the attacks come in, you see he suddenly looks panicked as the flame hits him. Kelda runs up the moment he appears and swings her sword hoping to end the fight.
Kelda’s blade finds Kikonu as he is frozen in terror and she stabs him. Spitting in his face as he gasps his last breath. She pulls the blade and the king of the castle perishes.
I’ll finish it up. This likely will be very quick anyways so it’s the least I can do.
Sorry for the long silence. This December was stressful with everything going on. Im getting back into sorts but thinking unfortunately that I am gonna step away from the game. I’ve been pulled in a lot of different directions with life and it’s been hard to find joy in some of the things I’ve done before. DM’ing on the boards is something that has grown increasingly difficult to find enjoyment in. I’m sorry for leaving you all with an unfulfilled game, and wish I had the time and the energy to keep going with the game. I did enjoy the game very much and am glad to have gotten the chance to run this for all of you. I wish the best for all of you and your games.
as you round the corner Zuriel you see a hallway of sorts. A shimmering wall of light shines down across the hallway. In the other side you see a shape. As you close it appears to be a dark smoky cloud which begins to materialize to a vague shape of a feminine figure. The voice coming from the figure. “Yes. I’ve been trapped by your so called mentor. Are you proposing some kind of deal?” She says back her voice more guarded now.
With everything prepared Zaiobe closes her eyes for a second and as she does there’s a moment of silent anticipation until suddenly the Tengu appears. His wings unfold as the small cloud of smoke dissipates, in his hands is the chained weapon with a ball on one end and a sickle on the other. “I’m glad you are willing to let things go Zaiobe. We have more important things to… “ He doesn’t finish his sentence as suddenly all of you strike!
Init:
Init Order: Lyraesal, Winsome, kikonu, Zaiobe, Kelda, Adrian, Byron, Aiko
She would let you know that he would be here immediately, teleporting into the middle of the room. He likely has used the last of his magic and will be unable to escape again. As you all begin preparing for the ambush she pulls her bow and readies her self pulling arrows that begin to burn as she knocks them.
Zaraleva:
reading the harpies scowl Zaraleva can tell she doesn’t like being questioned and took questioning her somewhat personally. But her quick change of demeanor and relative consistent message gives her some solace that whatever Zaiobe is planning there intent is one that’s not aimed at them. To Zaraleva’s questions she shrugs and her thoughts channel to Byron to be spoken.
Byron: “It may be safe, he is afraid as he’s sent most of his lackies after you. But waiting any further or sleeping in the castle would give him a chance to strike. He is very quiet.”
She answers somewhat reluctantly after a moment. “He has been cruel to me for the last time. He thinks I will still help him, and the look on his face when he realizes he is trapped will be all the sweater.
Unfortunately I spoke too soon. Just as I was feeling better I got sick again. It’s been a struggle but starting to once again get better. Hopefully this time things should return to a better post rate.
Byron:
"I don't know why he is here... he's mentioned that he claimed this place as his right by conquest. Though I don't know if that's true or not, he's brought in other creatures as they wandered by offering them safety and rooms. As for the monster, it goes by Nindinzego. It's been here as long as the corbies have been here. They worship it as a god and it's struck a deal with Kikonu seemingly keeping the corbies in line. He gave it something strange, he said it was the other half of a some copper piece. I almost glowed with magic strangely." she looks to Zaraleva and scowls slightly before focusing again. Byron: "He won't escape becasue he won't be expecting me to attack him, along with the rest of you. Especially when I tell him to appear in the room.
Thanks guys, it wasn't too bad just rough with everything else. Happy thankgiving to everyone else in the US!
Winsome:
You would recognize her as a harpy, a form of avian monstrous humanoids that are usually quite violent and wild. They can work with other societies though there’s is one built on manipulation and power so it’s not uncommon for them to work together only for common goals. You’d notice as well that her telepathy is something very unusual as well as seemingly paired with being mute would make her unique. She looks to all of you as you talk with large eyes, before looking back to Byron.
Byron: Kikonu is the self proclaimed king of this place. He’s the tengu like man who looks human. As for aid I can provide plenty with my bow, as well as luring him to us… if you’re willing to help me kill him.
Thanks everyone! Sorry for the late update between the holidays getting sick myself as well as everyone else it’s been rough.
Long week; got behind on getting an update. But between closing on a house and drill this weekend I had quite a lot on my plate.
Lyraesel:
You read her movements, the ways she stands, the way she offers her hand, and the calmness of her demeanor. You don’t sense any tension and the earnestness and ease she has as you all come up makes you feel like she doesn’t see you all as threats. You don’t see anything that indicates an aggressive motive. As you all come into the room she looks to all of you running her eyes across all of you. Her demeanor doesn’t change and her hand remains gestured outwards and Byron is able to reach out and take it. Byron:
You hear within your mind a feminine voice speaks into your mind. You must be the ones Kikonu is worried about. I am Zaiobe, I believe in the can help each other if you’re willing to? As her hand graces Byron’s she tilts her head and focuses on him for a moment her large avian like eyes focusing on him.
Kelda holds her spear and shield and follows up. As you get to the top you all see what Byron sees. The woman mouths something for a moment to answer but shakes her head; she holds out a hand and points at offering it to you, miming touching it with her other.
Moving up you see the walls of this semicircular room are lined with bookshelves, although the majority of the books lie in disorganized piles on the floor. A large, filthy nest of grass, branches, and strips of cloth is tucked in the northeastern corner of the room, while a wooden door is open leading to a balcony near the northeastern side of the room. You see the source of the sound. A woman with large bird like wings and claws for feet, in rather plain clothes covered by a chain shirt is pacing, she has a bow on her back with a quiver full of arrows. As you walk up the stairs she looks over and seeing you tilts her head, she speaks but no sound comes out. And for a moment your eyes are locked as she stares at you with a confused face, before waving at you weakly. GM Screen:
Moving to the curved room you open the door to see within a study. The chamber’s furniture—couches, drawing tables, and empty bookshelves—lie in disarray, with the exception of one writing desk and chair in the center of the room, its surface heaped with pages of parchment and paper. Stairs curve up and down to the south and north respectively. You can hear what sounds to be pacing and the clack of talons on stone echoing down from above.
You stop just as you’re about to enter and hear the crying stop, though the ghostly murmurs remain. You can see just over the destroyed remains a small skull of what looks to be a dog bobbing ever so slightly there’s other bones next to it. You also see scattered around what look to be drawings of some kind scattered across the floor.
She shakes her “No. we didn’t have any children. Whatever this is, it wasn’t with us.” she clutches her weapons and looks warily at the room with sidelong glances, obviously disturbed but the sounds.
Waiting for a moment unlike the other two events nothing manifests yet the unsettling sounds remain. You can see the faintest look of movement within the room across from the knocked over crates remain of barrels. know Religion 16: With the eerie whispers and the sounds you have an idea that whatever is this is some type of undead. The possibility of what this is fitfully to say but the manifestation seems to be similar to what you know as an Attic Whisperer; an undead able to cause distressing audible sounds around it that seemingly are always at a whisper.
Moving to check the closest room before the going down the hallway you check the door and find it stuck. The door must be pushed open. Str check 16:
You shoulder the door open, and see within that although this storeroom may have once been well organized, the fallen crates and broken barrels that fill the room now present a tangle of debris. You begin to hear mournful crying from within, sounding like a child crying and whimpering. And a series of whispers from within that sound childlike. Perception 12 Only available on failure of STR check: From within you hear the muffled sobs of what appears to be a child, and a whispered voice speaking but unable to make out any words.
That is correct, give me a some time and I’ll get a post up for U12.
Opening the next door you find it easy to push open. Inside you see several bunk beds lean precariously against the walls in this cramped chamber. Looking about you don’t find much but a brick long left alone looks to be loose. Pulling it reveals a niche that has what appear to be fine silverware within, altogether worth a hundred gold or so.
Moving the bones gets some dust but little else, nothing untoward happens and you shift the bones and scraps of clothes around. There is nothing of value left in the room unfortunately either.
With some fire you’re able to scorch the fungus away, underneath are a series of bones and the remains of what was once clothing, now decayed and slightly singer. You notice two things about the dead here. First is that they were killed by extremely sharp weapons. You see bone cut in two cleanly without much destruction. The second is that the skulls are not here, despite no other bones missing.
It was once nice; like you would see silks and what not or what’s left.
Sending a bolt of fire scorches some of the fungus and leaves what appears to be more bones underneath. You can see the remains of old clothing, seeming somewhat nice as well under the small hole now in the layer. The fungus however remains there mostly, not reacting to the magic.
Between the both of you, you’re positive this is simply fungus from years of decay. Besides a bad cough if you breath to much in you’ll be fine. As for any magic you don’t detect any win the room Zaraleva.
Working to open the door on the right (U10) takes a moment, but you’re able to shoulder the door open. Inside you see fillaments of white, fibrous mold grow all along the walls and across the bunk beds in this room, giving the room a foul, musty stink. Here and there, thicker mounds of fungus grow in nauseating colors. You do see what looks to be barren if gross bones under the mold, barely visible in the mourns of mold.
Ill update tomorrow; busy with going to drill this weekend for this first time in awhile.
Peaking in you see that this is a small passageway bending back around, which would mean that it has its outlet just a little further in the room. You see two doors within both of which look to be untouched for years.
Unless you have some way of communing or speaking with dead it’s more or less a guess based on the haunt. I play it that the haunt has a hint about the task within it.
I would say she would know the answer; it’s technically neutralized. It may return eventually, it’s different for every haunt, but you know for the the time being it is not a threat. It’s generally a safe bet that it is atleast a day before it will rise again, to completely destroy it and release the spirits within completing the specific task for it will do the trick.
Reconvening on the second floor you are all able to link up as the three of them start to gather themselves. The multitude of doors leaves you lots of options to choose from.
Kelda seemed rather taken aback by what she witness and shakes herself from her thoughts. “That was intense… why would whoever defend these stairs so heartily?” partially to herself but to you as well. “they, ran upwards. Hopefully it wasn’t too far.” Looking about eh dining room Aiko besides the squalor you can see stairs downstairs as well as as a pair of doors to where you’d assume is the ballroom. A door to a set of rooms to the southeast and a few doors close together to the northwest trying them one of them the one Winsome tried is stuck. But the others work and you are able to open them and peak if you wish.
Rushing forward Winsome runs into a dimly lit room, the chamber reeks of rotten food and bird droppings. A long dining table sits in the middle of the room, heaped with partially eaten animal carcasses and several thick eggshells. You see rooms branching off as you’re in in, sprinting forward you make towards a series of doors on the Northwest side of the chamber. Slamming into the door it doesn’t budge seemingly stuck. As you catch your breath the fear starts to fade as you look about the room. Down below; Zaraleva feels her power fading as she continues to channel Sarenrae’s radiance until finish a last bit of strength she raises her holy symbol and reaching out grasp a ghostly figure. Unlike before, charging into its death it stops and looks at the hand touching it. The ghostly face looks up at you. And in a moment of peace relaxes. “thank you.” Before dissipating. The haunt is neutralized for the time being, it may resurface eventually but you are safe now.
Aiko sprints upstairs a blur of fabric, half convincing you it’s intentional if not for the utterly terrifying sight you just witnessed. As you crest the stairs Aiko you see the the final aspects or the haunt fading and see Winsome pale as a ghost. It however does not resurface as you reach the top letting your fear fade as you breathe deep now.
Aiko sprints upstairs a blur of fabric, half convincing you it’s intentional if not for the utterly terrifying sight you just witnessed. As you crest the stairs Aiko you see the the final aspects or the haunt fading and see Winsome pale as a ghost. It however does not resurface as you reach the top letting your fear fade as you breathe deep now.
The haunt is damaged again as the scene plays out. You see parts of the figures dissolve from the wave of positive energy. However as you all watch it happen again Winsome rushes upwards ane see a little room scarred from battle. Judging from the from the blood and gouges marring the walls, a terrific battle once took place in this guard room. As he gets to landing the walls run with blood and he sees several wounded soldiers here with others. They scream as shades of the figures below begin to cut through them. A singular figure with wings and the chained weapon in his hands cackles standing out from the vague shadows. “How much I cherish this, a truly climactic end.” The scene then fades leaving only screams as the disembodied faces before it’s only the screams left. Will Save 13: Success you resist the fear from the ghostly sight. Failure you are terrified by what you encounter and are frightened for two rounds, and must flee upstairs or away from stairs.
As you step forward Lyreasel, all of you can see that the blood now runs down the walls across the room. As she closes in to the stairways things start to happen. From the blood ghostly figures of soldiers in armor like the captain you saw charge forward screaming. Shades of figures meet them in battle; some are monstrous, and much larger than a man others are nimble and slim moving liking water amongst the battle. One of them is different though looking fuller and more substantial. The figure is small with wings sprouting from its back carrying a chain and sickle type weapon. As the ghostly figures are hewn apart blood splatters you all and the screams of the soldiers echo in your minds. The shades melt back into the darkness except for the winged one which stands for a moment, you can hear a faint voice hissing “vengence” as finally this last figure fades away. As the haunt starts to spread and materialize Zaraleva sends forth a wave of energy protecting you all. However the power of the haunt eventually shatters the barrier ledge behind by the positive energy. Will Save DC 13 success and failure results inside: On success take 1 point of negative damage. On failure take negative damage, and frightened and fleeing for 1 round. You can not flees downstairs and you will need to make a save if you remain here next round.
You would recognize this as a haunt Zaraleva, it’s a meta-physical representation of some event that can manifest some sort of effect. You would know that you can damage a haunt with positive energy and neutralize it but it will eventually return until it is destroyed. They are destroyed by some event or action usually. Finding out what destroys a haunt is difficult speaking with the dead, seances, etc are effective and a desperate fallback is to experience the haunt.
Heading over to the area in front of the stairs you see a donjon. Old tapestries depicting a seaside castle hang askew on the walls of this circular room and a thick layer of dust cakes the floor. The air is musty and weirdly cold. Old bloodstains splatter the walls, along with numerous brutal gashes and slashes to the stone itself. To the north, a third door lies in fragments on the floor, opening onto a flight of stairs leading down into darkness. A second staircase leads upward against the north wall.
As you move forward Aiko stops the group from getting any closer than a few steps in. She notices the blood on the walls what was once dry mysteriously starts to run down the wall as if fresh and new. She quickly realizes this is some kind of supernatural thing.
The sword detects as magic, and is easily identifiable as a +1 weapon while the Morningstar is simply masterwork.
Looking over the helm it is unfortunately not magical; and the identity and mystery of the seemingly last commander of Brinewall is left unanswered.
The helmet despite the decay and obvious battering is extremely well made and the golden dragon on top is of a style that matches the throne. Those of you familiar would recognize it as Tien Xa imagery.
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