Norna Pheperra Raffereene's page

"Ugh..." Norna says, now a little woozy. "I have no idea what time it is except 'nap time'. I'm afraid I am going to need some rest and the travel of the sweet night of Desna's stars before I'm be of full use to all again."

Hmm. Two people are going to be gone for almost three weeks. Should we continue as normal or wait?

"One last try!" Norna says, releasing her last burst of divine energy to harm the undead skulls.

Channel Energy (Harm Undead), DC 13: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Norna steps forwards and releases another wave of positive energy.

Channel Energy: 1d6 ⇒ 4

"... Yet, you mean," Norna gives a grim laugh. "We're going down there sooner or later, I'm sure, to get to you-know-who."

She continues, apparently in an effort to show that she has learned nothing from several recent events, "Hey, if someone could wrap some rope around my waist I could go over and take a look in..."

"They're like normal bones, but hot to the touch! ... Hmm. Either the poor individual's remains were (probably unceremoniously) cremated in this furnace or, much worse, the person actually died in there. One way to solve these things is sometimes to bury them with the proper ceremonies."

Norna takes care to gather all of the bones, sifting through the ash until she appears to be a ghost herself, and then puts them all in a small bag. Over this she says what prayers she remembers the Pharasmins as saying, following up with words and blessings from her own holy text of Desna (her "Better luck next time!" is probably her own invention, rather than an official Desnan send-off to the afterlife).

"We might try to quench its burning anger with holy water," Norna suggests, "but perhaps the encroaching pond will be good enough." With this she ties a length of string to the bag and gives the bag a gentle toss a ways out into the pond, and is so able to retrieve the bag if it seems to fail.
I have no idea how you know a haunt has been solved or not, though, although I've had it sensed before.
"Perhaps, Rustom, you could see the fading of an evil aura?"

Norna ponders the haunt in the bottle, wondering if the haunt can reform, or if the haunt will escape if the bottle is thrown.
I can't remember, offhand, what we found out about them.
Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
Oh well.
"So, Eldon, do you think that the haunt can reform, or if the haunt will escape if the bottle is thrown?" Norna wonders out loud, not finding many answers in her own head. "Well, 'reform' in the sense of becoming a dangerous haunt again, not 'reform' as in changing its ways and turning to a productive and peaceful un-life."

Norna casts Detect Magic and searches the room. "I wonder if there is a way to solve this haunt, or the poltergeist; the straight jacket, manacles, and branding irons we just destroyed or removed, so that is probably that. We could ask the spirits through the planchette, but they are unreliable and it may take a long time -- with considerable risk, too."
Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

"A haunt!" Norna coughs out smoke, "Holy or cold? Or maybe holy or cold? Cold, holy..." Dizzy, Norna moves fully behind the wall and turns the power of another stored spell into desperately-needed healing.
Wand of CLW: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Up to 4 hp, then back down to 3 for having taken a Standard Action while staggered.

"Stay behind the wall! I'll try again!" she yells hoarsely. "I can do it completely covered."

"Badgers, that smell of burned flesh is getting strong!"

Is it in those southeast squares, down and around the corner?

Incoming!

"Burnt flesh (again!) and something flickering in the 'Maw'!" Norna whispers, grabbing the holy symbol around her neck and presenting it, releasing a burst of holy energy.
Channel Energy: 1d6 ⇒ 2
A small burst...
"Maybe I should upgrade from wood..."

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22

"My fleshy bit in the middle of face is twitching!"

I would say everyone should take a holy water except Norna, who is a bad shot and has her Channel Energy ability (a few uses remaining today).

Another healer should take the other healer's kit, of course. Eldon?

"Yup, the furnace it is then. Kawrock will lead us to it, with his nose for burning things. (Although I am not sure, really, if he has a nose, per se...) Kawrock, to the furnace! And, do you have a nose?"
I remember it being mentioned, but I'm not sure which it is either. :-P

I started updating the loot sheet, but it will need a bit of work, adding who has what and some missing items, I think.

Norna takes one of each, whispering to Kawrock, "Better save the soothe syrup as you never know what breakfast will bring."

"We should search well The Get Well-ary and Happier-ary while we can, and any part that connects to it, because the poltergeist might, I believe, reform after some time. Both haunts and ghosts need to be solved, not just stopped, and most of the solving is probably with the ivefay and getting Vesorianna in control."

Norine moves to a corner of the room where she has an all-encompassing view and then casts Detect Magic, scanning until the auras, if any beyond the groups, resolve. She then helps search the room for supplies physically.

[ooc]To identify any magic items found, if any, praying for Guidance for each:[/dice]
DM and Spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 7 + 1 = 14
DM and Spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 7 + 1 = 23
DM and Spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 7 + 1 = 22

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

Channel Energy (Harm Undead): 1d6 ⇒ 3

Norna tries again. "Well, getting better..." "Maybe we should have kept a dialogue open..."

Knowledge (Arcana): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

"Ah yes, that kind of incorporeal!"

Norna moves towards the center of the room and grasps her holy symbol, releasing a second blast of holy energy through the room.
Channel Energy (Harm Undead): 1d6 ⇒ 2

"Yes, Lena, holy water is probably fine," Norna responds, missing any other intended reference. "But first, Eldon, do you know any more about the vulnerabilities of a poltergeist? Will an arrow work against it, ghost bane or not?"

I got the most basic info. I'm not sure if you made your roll or not.

I forgot to do the roll for my channel energy. Probably not enough to do much to it, but it might add with next time.
Channel Energy (harm undead): 1d6 ⇒ 4

"Maybe if we all leave? It started to fade..."

Norna grabs her symbol of Desna, releases a wave of badgers positive energy through the room, then turns and flees towards the door. "Well, It's not like I worship Iomedae!"

It looks like everyone could make it out soonish and we can see what happens, coming back when everyone calms down.

Fear save: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 6 + 2 = 20

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

"Poltergeist - angry undead! Watch out, they throw things (and people)! But, it can't leave this place!" Norna loudly whispers to her companions.

"This wouldn't have happened if it was the 'Get Well-ary and Happier-ary'..."

"Now, I totally understand that you are angry about the straightjacket..." Norna then begins, in her best counselor's voice.

Norine will continue, generally, to search new rooms with Detect Magic.

"A furnace room? That sounds ... cozy," Norine whispers with a certain well-earned trepidation. "I like the sounds of the infirmary better, although I always think it would sound better still as 'The Get Well-ary and Happier-ary'. We should look here for supplies and magic, which I have been ill able to afford thus far."

Norine scans the The Get Well-ary and Happier-ary for magic, and then begins searching, looking for medical supplies in particular.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13 (But then more thoroughly.)

"Yes, Eldon, you are right that the genders do not correlate to either Good or Evil - certainly not! - but, suppose there is an alternative material plane where they still do not correlate, but in reverse, with Good and Evil not correlating to either gender instead? It is a hard metaphysical problem..."
Norna is still working on "A<>B and so B<>A".

Norna continues to the next room, following the wisdom of the clock.

"Ah, excuse me, Arval! I forget that not everyone is as interested in matters of religion as I am (or as knowledgeable as I am sure Eldon is!). Anyway, there is 'positive energy' - the force of life commanded by Good - and 'negative energy' - the force of unlife commanded by Evil, and one can oppose the other."

"To be a little risque, the two are a little like male and female badgers, if you know what I mean," Norna continues with a sly grin, pausing to give two exaggerated winks, "But only in the one sense, you know, not in the other - that would be silly! - or in any other sense, so it is probably a rather limited analogy, and likely offensive to badgers... Better not even mention it: badgers can be ornery when riled."

Norna nods sagely, sure that her lesson on religion (and badgers) has been effective.

"*Cough* *cough* *cough*... I feel like I've been given a bear hug ... by an owlbear... *Cough* *cough* Thank you kindly, Kawrock."

Up to 6, then.

CLW (converting Command): 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
CLW (converting a PfE): 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

Norna then says a prayer to Desna, casting a spell of curing over herself, healing most of her wounds, then casts another as she discovers bones still moving in ways they weren't meant to.

Back to full.

Edit:
"Kawrock or Rustom, perhaps one of you should carry the wand of curing that I am holding, in case I offend any more laundry, or to use the power of positive energy against a foe. I have some other such energy left me today, and so another might better use it."

"This is one bad-tempered garment!" Norna thinks before passing out.

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

"I was - often warned that - I would - end in a straightjacket! Never knew - why before ..."

Norna takes her shillelagh and attempts to club the straightjacket: "Ow!"
Shillelagh: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 131d4 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3
Might hit, if its Dex is decreased for being in a grapple just like mine, assuming it is a grapple. (?) Fortunately, there isn't actually a possibility of hitting the wrong person when attacking a grapple.

"Careful! It might also be a rat, and we wouldn't want to hurt it and set back diplomatic relations."

Norna strides forward and gently grabs the clothes, trying to free whatever it is that is trapped.

Can you take a Total Defense standard action with a move action like that? I don't know.

"A laundry!" Norna points out with her penchant the obvious and her excitement about the commonplace.

She scans the room with detect magic.

"Careful," Norna agrees very seriously, "since it wasn't hung up properly and you never know what might grow on some wet towels in 60 years."

"I believe we should continue with this floor, which - hopefully - will not take long, and we may yet find more to help us with the five. If there are none on this floor, it is a safer place to start, one hopes."

"When we do go down, I believe we should go for the keys and no more at first, since the 'Nam Rettalps' seems to be the strongest or, at least, the most dangerous to Vesorianna and the best at making himself known.

"Of course, it the spelling of her name gets too close to the end we may have to act against him, prepared or not."

Norna tries to avoid thinking about the Professor, but takes some comfort, in fact, knowing he died a hero, rather than a victim of a mere unlucky accident.

"It is a peculiar question, but would you know if they are ghosts or haunts" Norine asks, not knowing if a ghost (?) has special insights into such matters or her, um, 'kindred spirits'.

"And, do you have any special powers over them? Or know of any thing to aid us?"

"Oh, and would you know of any keys? We kind of made a mess in the warden's office looking for a key - sorry about that!" Norna feels a bit sheepish, and stares at her antsy feet for a moment. "Sorry to trouble you with so many questions!"

"Um, yes, well no one has hired us to be guards (we haven't yet met the warden, I don't think), and aren't being paid for this, and it is all a little unofficial, and its about ghosts and haunts instead of living prisoners... But, that aside, we are certainly here to set things right and to save the town from any danger," Norna says, trying to think it through on the spot. "I guess we are the new guards!"

"We've seen that the Splatter Man appears to be controlling a man in town, a Mr. Gibs, and causing him to spell out what we think is your name - Vesorianna, correct? - one letter at a time, as he would do with his victims in life. It spells 'V-E-S', so far."

Norna gives it a good bad shove.
Str: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 5
Str: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (10) - 1 = 9
Str: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (15) - 1 = 14
Str: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (14) - 1 = 13
Then a fair shove, then a pretty good shove, all things considered. But, by this point, was wearing herself out and couldn't muster much more. Plus, she was beginning to lose track of which way, exactly, the door was.

Norna seems a bit disappointed that her curiosity isn't going to be satisfied. "Fixed? ... Well, yes, that is good, I suppose, but I didn't get to test my theory... I guess we could wait around or come back later to try again..."

After a moment, Norna squeezes her eyes shut, shakes her head back and forth vigorously multiple times, and then opens her eyes again and pauses before declaring, "Okay, that's better: I think the curiosity is gone for a bit. Never mind about the theory."

Unfortunately, with simple curiosity momentarily banished, thoughts of the horror and cruelty that the room must have represented - "They branded the prisoners?!" - begin to creep in, so she quickly moves on: "To the next room!"

Same procedure as before, aiding Kawrock's perception then opening the door.
Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16 (If something is seen or sensed.)

"Each seems to only go once, and each person - Kawrock, me, Eldon - coming into the room seems to attract only one attack... Hey, would one of you in the hallway like to help me test a theory?" Norna says as she starts gathering up the old irons ('spit-testing' them for hotness before picking them up) and then going over to the brazier.

"Um, no! Not really a haunt! ... per se," Norna says nervously, crossing her toes as she does so. "Just put the siphon away for now, okay? We need to save those for the big ones, and this one may just run itself out, or we can take away its irons or something."

"These little ones are probably only becoming a problem because of the breakdown in whatever was holding the most malign forces back, probably the - Whispering Way's - doing," she speculates, dropping her voice to a whisper.

Norna walks into the room, shillelagh and shield raised high, ready to dodge, trying to puzzle out if it is a haunt like the manacles or another kind of haunt.

Total defense, AC 21.

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

"Perhaps, just thinking, we should destroy the brazier, too, since it is normally the source of the heat for the irons. Or maybe freeze them, or dump them in the lake."

Hi All, I'll be on a short vacation to the coast this Wednesday through Friday and will have less computer access, so feel free to GMPC me if I hold things up.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

"Well, good, that will make it easier for us to take the door with us, when we go."

My 9, Eldon's 8, and Lena's 9.
Norna nods affirmatively, saying, "I concur, it is a nice door." (She doesn't really see the attraction, but doesn't want to be left out.)

Norna is relieved to see the manacles fall, broken and inert, but the victory seems mixed, in that only the expression of the haunt (or whatever) was defeated with the haunt itself not solved.

She also feels mixed emotions about Eldon's story, not being quite sure if she is relieved or disappointed about the manacles story not going the direction she expected a manacles story to go. "Maybe I'll ask it again after he's had a few ales," she thinks, giggling for no apparent reason, "Hee Hee".

Norna searches - or, rather, helps Kawrock search - and scans the room for magic, as well. "You never know what is concealed in a wall or under a loose floorboard," she explains.
Aid Another - Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

After they are finished with the central room, Norna suggests re-starting their search at the next room clockwise, although she has always been uncertain as to why clocks are considered 'wise': "It must be something I've missed!"
Norna's placed outside the next room.

She'll listen at the that door and, after Kawrock does too, will open it and enter.
Perception at door Aid Another?: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
Perception on entering: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

You wouldn't expect Eldon, of all people, to summarize the results of his knowledge, would you? ;-)

Norna is glad that her hunch is confirmed by Eldon, pointing to him and saying, "What Eldon said!" as should skirts between and around her comrades, finally flanking the manacles.
Double move, 40', no AoOs generated.

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

"Those are all very good questions..." Norna affirms indecisively. "Maybe just destroy the manacles?"

Since we're all still standing, it's probably not one of the 5, so we might wait on the siphons (assuming that they are haunts and not ghosts).

"Remember," Norna says, "We are looking for the warden's wife, Vesorianna, or her ghost, or something. Hopefully not just a haunt: there's just no reasoning with a haunt, even over tea and biscuits. But I'll go in first, as I'm told I have 'a good shoulder to cry on', at least if you are short or sitting down." She then knocks, waits for a moment, and opens the door slowly with a tentative, "Hello?"

I was going to update things on the party tracking sheet, but I can't seem to make edits.

Norna nods, taking a scroll, the wand, and a vial of holy water, handing another vial of to each member of the group besides Kawrock.

She then goes to listen at the door of the central chamber just to the west, but waits for Kawrock to listen and inspect before opening the door and proceeding.
Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

"Heehee!" Norna giggles. "Awww, all is well little spiders! I won't hold your brethren against you. Just always stay small and cute, okay?"

Spellcraft, wand: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 7 + 1 = 20
Spellcraft, clear vials: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 7 + 1 = 27
Spellcraft, scroll 1: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 7 + 1 = 12
Spellcraft, scroll 2: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 7 + 1 = 9

Norna will also try to identify to who the chapel was dedicated, if to any god or religion in particular.
Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

Norine casts Guidance and Resistance on herself, and then will enter carefully, searching for any spiders waiting to ambush. She casts Detect Magic and searches the room for auras, then physically.
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
DM and Know (Arcana): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Everything, though, looks like a big spider, the webs swaying and tearing at her movements, and Norine has trouble thinking or concentrating. "I think, before, I must have encountered such spiders without my good companions..."

Too bad that didn't happen earlier: Rustom could have used the +1 to do 49 points of damage. :-P