Veren nods at Nadeq. "That will be particularly handy should another big storm come up." Towards Rasina: "Yes, I don't know why we haven't seen a sign of him - maybe, like me, he got separated from the rest of the group as well during the storm."
As twilight dims the dome of heaven, stars come out, one by one, and twinkle in the clear night air. The sound of sand scrunching under your feet breaks the otherwise quiet of the Wastes.
You all make the Perception roll. The western hills are still a dimming dark blue, and the gibbous moon is rising in the east, when you hear a shriek, and an echoing scream. They sound as if they're coming from a great distance, but not in any particular direction.
Could everyone make two Will saving throws, one for yourself and one for your mount? Anyone who succeeds (DC 16) can lend a +2 modifier to your horse's saving throw, too.
The scream unnerves Rasina and her steed, imposing a –2 penalty on attack rolls,saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. (This is a sonic, mind-affecting, fear attack.)
Mikka
Horse
Handle animal
Mikka remains calm, skeaking to her hore in a soothing tone in an attempt to calm the mare.
Veren tries to soothe his horse - but it seems highly spooked.
Nadeq: ; and his horse ; are both shaken by the scream.
--+--+--
It's Rasina who first looks up and sees it, a cadre of bioluminescent creatures, floating fifty feet above you, like aerial jellyfish. Below them, and descending slowly towards you, you see a spectral figure, a human man in plate armor, bearing a long banner that flutters, although there is no wind. It looks like he's about to land in your midst.
One of the jellyfish shrieks.
Veren follows Rasina's gaze - then draws his rapier and climbs of his horse. Veren steadies the horse by holding on to the reins, and looks uncertainly at the apparition before them.
Rasina looks up at the apparition and wonders just before the nameless terror grips her heart, if this was the end for the fools quest.
"Mikka, do you recognize this thing...at all?" she asks in a small voice, forlorn and without hope.
Knowledge Nature
As Rasina watches the appaition float down, a part of her mind screams at her to get moving!
She dismounts and draws her weapons, looking up at the form, and the strange mass of jellyfish(?) trying to determine what they are.
Mikka
Rasina
Rasina looks to Mikka, a look of confusion on her face. "Do you think this apparition led to the demise of his" she indicates Veren, "companions?"
"How do we even begin to do battle with that?" Nadeq says, trying to back his horse slowly backwards
"It's a ghost. One of the Warriors of Light I think. I have no idea what those things are. If they're hostile we need to attack now, but if they aren't...."
I'm sorry, Mikka. but the entities up there are too alien to read quickly.
The ghost descends, to hover over the sands in front of you. It drifts there for a moment, moving slowly up and down, as if it were riding unseen ocean waves. Its face, you can see, is that of a young man, perhaps no more than twenty summers old, but that image flickers, sometimes appearing as an empty skull, or a skull with skin stretched taut over it. He floats there, waiting.
Veren ventures: "Hail the Army of Light!...?"
Sense Motive (DC 10):
Rasina turns to her companions and says, "I think it wants to know why we are here." Turning her attention back to the apparition, she fights her growing sense of fear, and says, "Can you understand us? We are tracking dwm one of our companions that had gotten separated from us. An elvish female, we believe she passed this way but a day ago. Have you seen her?"
"We seek to save those trapped out here in this wasteland, and cleanse the taint of evil that has permeated this place for too long. Your sacrifice and that of your brothers has not been forgotten, but the need is still here." Mikka follows up hoping to appeal to the fallen warrior's memories of duty.
Who's carrying the elvish scabbard?
Who's carrying the elvish scabbard?
Rasina is carrying it.
The ghost nods at Mikka, solemnly. He notices the scabbard.
Sense Motive (DC 10)
Rasina unhooks the scabbard from her belt and holds it in front of her, allowing the ghost to examine it further. On his motion, she nods at him.
Veren looks nervously from ghost to Rasina and Mikki. Whispered under his breath: "Baccusbreath! What is going on?" Veren makes sure to look at the jelly-undead and the surroundings as well - daring them to make the situation even more uncertain.
"We know that two of them are no longer on this plane. We seek a woman and a centaur, one or both may be injured. With your guidance we would see to it that this Desolation does not claim another good soul."
The ghost examines the scabbard and his eyes roll up to meet Mikka's as she explains the party's plan. His expression turns to anger.
Sense Motive (DC 15):
Far above, three of the jellyfish move out of formation and wheel around the others, each shrieking a tone. Together, the chord sounds ... anticipatory.
Rasina glances at Mikka, with a worried look on her face, seeing the situation rapidly deteriorating. She prepares for action...
That's good enough for an Aid Another.
Nadeq hold his breath, unable to remember the last time he was this.. What is he really? Not scared. Tense.
Not able to judge to strange ghost he is unsure of its intensions and he silenty tries to cast a spell on himself.
bluff
sleight
stealth
Nadeq checks his pockets for pipe and tobacco, and inadvertently spills silver dust all around him. Somewhere in the process, he subtly casts protection from evil.
Does Nadeq want to attempt a Sense Motive roll?
Mikka tilts her head slightly as she studies the ghost. "If their actions were innocent we seek to save them, if not, they should be stopped. Either way it would help us to find them. If they are alive we can question them. The sooner we find them, the less damage can be done."
Rasina, after hearing the words of Mikka, allows the import to sink in. A slow flush enters her face as she looks at Veren with a distinctly hard look in her eyes. She whispers at him, "Is there something you may have forgotten to tell us, about your reasons for being here?"
Is there something you may have forgotten to tell us, about your reasons for being here?
"Nothing special. Adventurers doing adventurous things. Why is he looking so angry? Did they disturb his rest? Surely it must have been an accident."
Does Nadeq want to attempt a Sense Motive roll?
Nadeq, then you can tell what's under the last spoiler.
Mikka, would you please make a Diplomacy roll? (Anybody else can help, if you like.)
Rasina, just listening to the three shrieks from up above, you feel some compulsion nagging at the back of your mind. Then you suddenly realize that you've adjusted the grip on your dagger, idly preparing to plunge it into your thigh.
That was a pretty good Diplomacy roll! Do you have anything to say, that might sway the spirit before he loses his ephemeral pack upon you?
Good enough to Aid Another if Rasina wants to handle the negotiation.
And Mikka, you see Rasina absent-mindedly readjust her weapon to stab herself.
Isn't that right Rasinia?" Mikka looks over at her companion, making eye contact.
Rasina hardly pays attention, other than to think to herself, So that is what happened to them...
Aloud, she addresses the ghost, "So, this is how you show mercy? By condemning those who have committed no crime, save for trying to rescue this one's companion. Do you not remember mercy? or redemption? I realize you are full of anger at the injustice inflicted on you by the forces of the Prince of Undeath, but to cause our deaths will serve no ones cause but his own. See the blood flowing in my veins, you can see our causes are aligned. We are not merely mercenaries, we seek to bring him down, and restore justice to the Desolation."
"I beg you, allow us to retrieve his companion, and allow her the chance for redemption. If this was an accident, then no harm is done, if she has wronged you, then we will bring justice to her, that I promise you!"
Would anyone else like to chime in?
Veren wonders to himself, why is this apparition haunting these wastes still; how much of "him" is still here - given that he might be trapped as much as we by the jellyfish; and would we be able to help him if he suffers in some way?
To Rasina: "I have a hard time swallowing that these ethereal remains have judged my companions and found them wanting. But, I've seen enough of life - and the Desolation - to know that there is always more to the story." - here Veren struggles: "Can we, maybe, do a... a service, for him, in exchange for aid? Maybe he seeks a... a freedom he cannot readily obtain."
The ghost nods to Rasina and gestures towards the east:
Sense Motive, DC 15:
Exclusively for Mikka, Sense Motive (DC 15):
And with that, he takes a step back and fades away. Above you, only the stars are visible.
Rasina sighs in relief as the ghost fades away. She turns to her companions and says, "I got the impression the ghost wants us to rest before continuing onwards. He believes we will need our strength before we meet her. What do you think, Mikka?"