Gallows, previously occupied with looking over the block, butts into the conversation.
"Has this spirit had any house calls recently? Curious children or vagrants?"
"The ghosts had ... a smell? That seems kinda weird." Rynia looks to the others, especially Zilroy and Gallows. "You guys ever heard of that? Maybe these aren't ghosts. Maybe these're zombies... or worse!"
Cadwyn keeps a straight face, nodding solemnly at each persons account of the menace they've seen.
Gods, if these folk are telling the truth we have ghosts, banshees, and zombies in here. He stifles a chuckle. Wouldn't be surprised if they kept going and added werewolves, liches, and Hells, why not a dragon?
"Well," he says, addressing the small crowd, "if Father Fabitor, my companions, and I have our way, soon this will be just another cozy home in this fine city."
"Strange smell, eh? Could well be a ghost's victim if someone went in to investigate or a dead body got stuck between floors. That happened once in the orphanage; we noticed the cat was gone one day and couldn't find him. He was an old cat to begin with, you know, so we just figured he had croaked somewhere. 'The cat that croaked', that's funny. Like a frog. Anyways, around summer it started to smell really bad by the girl's dormitory and Father Davrel had to crawl up there and take a look after we tried a few things, since he was the only adult small enough to do the job. There he was in the crawl space, poor fellow. The cat, not Davrel. I don't feel sorry for him being up there, just the cat. Hmm. I maybe should have kept that one to myself."
"Or it could be that the ghost is allergic to soap. Hmm. Maybe that's the trick to holy water, besides the Divine Grace of Lothian."
The paladin turns toward the house, oblivious to any reactions to his monologue, and closes his good eye in order to focus on the aura of the house.
"Well...it might not be ghosts after all. But let's be prepared for anything."
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"Strange smell, eh? Could well be a ghost's victim if someone went in to investigate or a dead body got stuck between floors. That happened once in the orphanage; we noticed the cat was gone one day and couldn't find him. He was an old cat to begin with, you know, so we just figured he had croaked somewhere. 'The cat that croaked', that's funny. Like a frog. Anyways, around summer it started to smell really bad by the girl's dormitory and Father Davrel had to crawl up there and take a look after we tried a few things, since he was the only adult small enough to do the job. There he was in the crawl space, poor fellow. The cat, not Davrel. I don't feel sorry for him being up there, just the cat. Hmm. I maybe should have kept that one to myself."
"Or it could be that the ghost is allergic to soap. Hmm. Maybe that's the trick to holy water, besides the Divine Grace of Lothian."
The paladin turns toward the house, oblivious to any reactions to his monologue, and closes his good eye in order to focus on the aura of the house.
Gallows detects no aura of evil about the house.
Cadwyn looks to his companions and lowers his voice so as not to be overheard by the crowd.
"So, you think we should just march in the front door? Something tells me that the threat may be slightly less horrifying than these people believe, but I'd rather not tromp in to my death. I'm open to other suggestions."
Gallows takes a deep breath and opens his good eye.
"I sense no evil from the house. Let's go inside; I think you've charmed enough of the neighborhood that they'll be pleased regardless of what we find."
Cadwyn pats Gallows firmly on the shoulder.
"That's one thing I've done right then, for a change."
His somber mood quickly dissapates. He grins tightly at his friends and walks to the front door .
"Well, let's head in."
Yarag follows, his quarterstaff held across the front of his chest.
"All right, friend Cadwyn. I was never very good at skulking around, so a proper entry through the front door sounds good to me."
Zilroy draws his sword and directs a silent prayer to Lothian for courage.
Miasshirra follow the men into the house. Unsure of what she's looking for, or what to do if a ghost does appear, she decided to stick with what she knows. As they enter, she looks around for any mundane objects that could be mistaken for a ghost, and any odd smells or sounds.
Rynia watches everyone go right in the front door. Right. We wouldn't want to check around for other entrances or anything like that. Shrugging, she follows Miasshirra into the house.
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Our heroes enter the dilapidated home.
As you enter, you are assaulted by a musty smell, mixed with the stink of sewage and unwashed bodies. Even for Ptolus, this place stinks.
The room is dark, as the windows are mostly boarded. Walking straight through the first room will take you to the back of the house, to an area that appears to have been a kitchen. There is a closed door to your left.
Most of the furniture in this room is broken. It is made of wood and when whole, was probably of decent quality. White sheets are draped over some of the furniture items, including a table that is obviously broken in the middle. a pile of rusty chains lies in the back corner of the room.
Cadwyn walks into the room a step or two ahead of the rest. His eyes flit back and forth once, and satisfied that he sees nothing, he continues into the room and walks towards the pile of rusty chains with the intention of poking around to see if they are attached to anything.
"If there be evil spirits here," Zilroy murmurs, "let them fear the name of Specterbane..."
Perception (+2 sound/smell) (1d20+5=7)
Miasshirra follows Cadwyn into the house, and is attempting to take in her surroundings as the stink of the house causes her eyes to water for a moment.
"Chains? What are chains doing in a place like this?" Miasshirra asks the others as she walks over to examine them more closely.
"Don't ghosts sometimes rattle chains? I think I heard that in a campfire story as a boy. Combined with the white sheets, I suspect the supernatural is not involved in this 'haunting'."
The smell and dust blur Rynia's sight. Unable to even perceive much of the furniture, she stumbles over the table and stubs her toe.
"Ouch!" Rubbing her eyes, she takes in the room.
"Don't ghosts sometimes rattle chains? I think I heard that in a campfire story as a boy. Combined with the white sheets, I suspect the supernatural is not involved in this 'haunting'."
"My thoughts exactly, my good Zilroy," Cadwyn says, poking the chains with his toe.
Gallows takes as much in as he can with his good eye and says little. He takes up a position near the other door, taking a moment to press his ear to it and listen.
"Are you all right, Ms. Rynia? Perhaps the ghost is starting with mild inconveniences in order to build tension, hence your unfortunate toe. Watch your ears; it may know the Wet Willie."
Gallows takes as much in as he can with his good eye and says little. He takes up a position near the other door, taking a moment to press his ear to it and listen.
"Are you all right, Ms. Rynia? Perhaps the ghost is starting with mild inconveniences in order to build tension, hence your unfortunate toe. Watch your ears; it may know the Wet Willie."
Rynia frowns a bit at the teasing. Not knowing Gallows well enough, she couldn't be sure if he was being good-natured or not. Besides, she was a bit embarrassed at her clumsiness. "I'm fine, thank you."
Rynia frowns a bit at the teasing. Not knowing Gallows well enough, she couldn't be sure if he was being good-natured or not. Besides, she was a bit embarrassed at her clumsiness. "I'm fine, thank you."Gallows takes as much in as he can with his good eye and says little. He takes up a position near the other door, taking a moment to press his ear to it and listen.
"Are you all right, Ms. Rynia? Perhaps the ghost is starting with mild inconveniences in order to build tension, hence your unfortunate toe. Watch your ears; it may know the Wet Willie."
"Come now, Gallows," Cadwyn says with mock seriousness, "don't tease the poor girl. Wet willies are nothing to jest about!" He smiles at Rynia to show her he means no real offense. "But jokes aside, we should stay close. I have the growing suspicion that whatever plagues this house is of flesh and blood, not shadows and whispers.
"And those are the threats I can do something about."
Cadwyn looses his shield from across his back and draws his massive bastard sword. With a nod to Gallows, he motions to the other side of the room.
"Shall we?"
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Gallows takes as much in as he can with his good eye and says little. He takes up a position near the other door, taking a moment to press his ear to it and listen.
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Perception (+2 sound/smell) (1d20+5=7)
Miasshirra follows Cadwyn into the house, and is attempting to take in her surroundings as the stink of the house causes her eyes to water for a moment.
"Chains? What are chains doing in a place like this?" Miasshirra asks the others as she walks over to examine them more closely.
The chains are thick, heavy and rusted. They appear to be the type of chains used on a boat or large piece of equipment. The heavy corrosion may be due to salt water corrosion. However, the links appear to be thick and sturdy still. There are no spikes, hooks, or other heavy implements. This chains was not intended as a weapon.
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"Come now, Gallows," Cadwyn says with mock seriousness, "don't tease the poor girl. Wet willies are nothing to jest about!" He smiles at Rynia to show her he means no real offense. "But jokes aside, we should stay close. I have the growing suspicion that whatever plagues this house is of flesh and blood, not shadows and whispers.
"And those are the threats I can do something about."
Cadwyn looses his shield from across his back and draws his massive bastard sword. With a nod to Gallows, he motions to the other side of the room.
"Shall we?"
Cadwyn pads over to the other side of the room. As he peers in the kitchen, he gets an idea of where the stench is originating. The floor is covered in rotting garbage. Rotten meat and vegetables, mold cheese, broadsheets, and fish bones litter the floor. Near the corner is a broken barrel lying in a pool of brine. A few withered pickles are floating in the brine.
The furniture in this room is completely destroyed and it appears that some of it has been set on fire.
" 'In a land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king'. See those footprints?", Gallows points to the small prints left in the dust near the chains, some still intelligible around Cadwyn's prints.
"And look at the dust around the walls out there. Some strange cleaning habits; this ghost needs to have a discussion with his housekeeper. Heh."
Though nothing really looks like it would be, Rynia will step back a bit and quietly cast detect magic, looking over the contents of the room. Doesn't hurt to check, she reasons.
After checking, Rynia kicks a piece of moldy cheese. "Well, I think we've confirmed it's not a ghost. Footprints, garbage, old food. Unless anyone has heard of a pickle-eating spirit?" She quiets for a second, then says to everyone, "Why don't we just call out for whoever it is to show themselves? They gotta know we're here, and we know that they're probably here hiding. Why beat around the bush? Our mystery person hasn't hurt anyone (as far as we've heard); maybe they'd be willing to talk."
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Though nothing really looks like it would be, Rynia will step back a bit and quietly cast detect magic, looking over the contents of the room. Doesn't hurt to check, she reasons.
After checking, Rynia kicks a piece of moldy cheese. "Well, I think we've confirmed it's not a ghost. Footprints, garbage, old food. Unless anyone has heard of a pickle-eating spirit?" She quiets for a second, then says to everyone, "Why don't we just call out for whoever it is to show themselves? They gotta know we're here, and we know that they're probably here hiding. Why beat around the bush? Our mystery person hasn't hurt anyone (as far as we've heard); maybe they'd be willing to talk."
"Couldn't agree more, Rynia," Cadwyn replies, wrinkling his nose at the smell. "It seems that most of the disturbances have been merely annoying rather than malicious. For all we know, it could be a simple squatter."
Cadwyn looks over and notices the prints Gallows pointed out. "Gorum's balls, my friend," he curses, "I muddled that up. From here on out, maybe I should look before I walk. My apologies."
He takes his place back with the rest of the group.
"Should I call out to our 'ghost'?"
The one-eyed paladin raises an eyebrow at the mention of an Old God's nether-parts, but doesn't say anything. Borderline heretics like himself should usually avoid theological scolding.
"I think it matters little. Like Ms. Rynia said, it's likely they know we're here, if they're around at all. I suspect the house may be empty to begin with. When night falls it may be a different situation. We should look around some more, see why they're faking the haunting."
Cadwyn nods at Gallows words. "A sound plan, my friend. Let's check the rest of this floor, and with some haste, too."
Unless someone stops him, Cadwyn goes to the closed door, sheathes his sword, and tests to see if it's locked. If not, he proceeds to open the door and look through.
Zilroy prays for light from the Daykeeper and his sword begins to glow.
Yarag moves to guard the rear, his quarterstaff levelled in both hands.
As the others examine the kitchen and door, Miasshirra begins checking the room for a cellar or trap door, making little hopping motions as she tests the floor.
As the others examine the kitchen and door, Miasshirra begins checking the room for a cellar or trap door, making little hopping motions as she tests the floor.
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Cadwyn nods at Gallows words. "A sound plan, my friend. Let's check the rest of this floor, and with some haste, too."
Unless someone stops him, Cadwyn goes to the closed door, sheathes his sword, and tests to see if it's locked. If not, he proceeds to open the door and look through.
This room appears to be a small, storage room. There is a broken broom handle on the floor and two broken boxes. A staircase in the corner leads up to the next floor.
This room is also covered in dust. Now that you know what to look for, you can tell there are several sets of humanoid prints going up and down the stairs.
"Can anyone tell if this is several people, or just one person who has used it many times? I don't really have that kind of experience."
"Can anyone tell if this is several people, or just one person who has used it many times? I don't really have that kind of experience."
Gallows shrugs his mailed shoulders.
"Not sure. It looks like several of the little buggers, but my opinion ain't enough to hang anyone on. Well, let's see what's up there."
He starts up the stairs, his good eye looking for anything strange on the way.
Perception: 1d20+1=10
Cadwyn follows close behind, sword sheathed but shield on his arm.
"This does not feel like a crypt," murmurs Tusker quietly as the group moves forward. "More like... a nest."
"This does not feel like a crypt," murmurs Tusker quietly as the group moves forward. "More like... a nest."
"Nest? You don't see signs of an animal or beast, do you?" Rynia's mind flashes back to her journey back to Ptolus, and the night she wasn't able to reach an Inn before nightfall. She still heard the wolf calls in her mind ...
Zilroy eloquently raises an eyebrow. "Shall we awaken these 'ghosts'?" he whispers, sword at the ready.
Cadwyn draws his steel.
"After you my good man. After all, you do speak for the church. I'm at your side."