Party 6

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Shrine:

The illuminated spirit almost seems to deflate a bit when Benson asks who they are, the particles fading slightly in their glow for a moment. "I... it has been too long, I do not remember my name. I only remember I had devoted my life to the Lady, and to cleansing the land of darkness in Her name. But this land cannot be cleansed; it is dark to its very core."

At the sound of the spear hitting the dirt ground the entity shakes a bit, before reimposing themselves in a vaguely solid form. "Freedom... yes, you may yet seek freedom from this place. But you will not cleanse it. I vowed to cleanse it so long ago, and in my failure my vow has chained me here, to a quest I will never see through. Your only choice is to play its cruel game, until it is satisfied."
 
Hazel slowly removes the cloak and sets it down on the ground, as if trying to avoid angering it for taking it off.

She pauses to consider what the apparition is saying. "So... you came here at the behest of this Lady of the Mists to try and cleanse this house of evil. She betrayed you and left you here to die. Your spirit has been unable to leave so you're stuck here, just conveniently able to ward off random adventurers who come through and disturb possible evil relics. Sound about right?"
 
Reppip steps up, a little hesitant.

"My lady, please forgive the accusatory tone of our other lady here. She's just concerned, and like us and like you, she wants to see this place cleansed and all happy. It's sort of like when the Horrible Red Wizards back in... Oh, never mind. That's not important right now. More important, if you have a minute, I wanted to know something too. If there were a ballad or a mournful song written about your life and attempts at cleansing, as well as your long loneliness down here... would you see it in Dorian Mode? Or Locrian? I was thinking maybe that even Ionian could be fitting, though that may be a little more upbeat and not have enough awkward intervals to truly express your current straits. I'm sorry for the possibly slightly odd question here, I'm just thinking about how usually I'm able to posit myself into the mindset of the subjects of my stories, but you... well, you seem a bit odd and.... misty. I've always wondered how that would go, but none of the other magical ghost creatures I've seen or heard about seem half as talkative as you..."
 
Shrine:

The spirit pauses, almost as if thrown off by the accusatory tone of Hazel and then the rambling of Reppip. For a moment they tilt their head, one of the most human gestures observed so far, before their posture returns upright and stoic once more. "I am... not a lady," they start, as their tone becomes considerably less echo-y and more noticeable male, perhaps one which belonged to a younger man. "And I am no expert of the musical arts, but..." they falter, as if doubting the words coming out of their mouth before continuing. "... but. I feel as if I once knew someone who used those words before. Someone close to me."

For the first time their head turns away, as if avoiding the gaze of the onlookers. "I do not know if it is 'convenient', I... believe you are the first ones I have encountered since my passing," they say, stumbling on the right words to say. "I... do not think I was alone. But the darkness has whispered to me over time, crept into my soul, fractured it from the inside. I cling to what little remains."Their gaze turns slowly to the cloak on the floor. "That cloak.. I too wore it proudly once, before the shadows leaped at us. I... we cleansed them, but there must have been someone else who struck, and who chained me here."

They pause again. "Who placed it back onto the statue once more."
 
Varis took a step closer to the figure, "The darkness is a powerful being, it's nothing to be ashamed of that it has taken over. But.. but, please do not lose hope! For I have dealt with my own darkness and aim to convert that fear into good. If you can help us return light to what has become dark we can help free your soul." Looking to his friends, not sure if he is rambling our doing justice to help their cause. He steps back into the group weary of what will happen, but he places the orb down.
 
Hazel neatly folds the cloak that she had set on the ground, and places it at the base of the tower. "Sounds like something my da' use to call foreshadowin'. We should be on our guard fellas." She turns to the apparition, "My apologies if I came across as hostile before sir. I meant no disrespect by it. As I'm sure you can empathize with, it's a confusing and dark place down here. I haven't seen any sunlight in what feels like ages. That's no excuse though, and I do apologize."

She pastes on an attempt at a warm smile she's not really feeling but wants to try anyways, "My good friend Varis here is right. You are still human, deep down in there. That hasn't changed. We'll do our part to help your soul move on if you'll help us understand what you can. I also swear by the peaceful melody of the babblin' brook back home that I used to nap by that we will purge the evil from this home by any means necessary."
 
As the being of light speaks, Benson becomes gripped by fear and anger. Trapped like an animal by a vow to a god? He feels his muscles begin to tremble slightly and he paces to relieve some of the discomfort in her limbs as the others speak. After another minute goes by, Benson responds.

"The gods are not infallible. They make their own mistakes." He looks around to his party, his eyes lingering on the paladin, Hazel, and the spirit which seems to hold its own faith. What does it matter what they believe of the gods? Isn't it more important that they know the truth? He continues, "One of those mistakes is that they allowed a man's spirit to be trapped here by the devilish forces of this house, and of this land. One of their weaknesses is that they've allowed this place to exist at all."

He walks up nearer to the lights. "Hear this, spirit: You wish your freedom? You will have it. No soul deserves to be caged in some fetid basement of this world. We will set right what folly the gods have allowed, you only need to tell us where to strike to break your cursed chains.

"You say the dark core of this place cannot be cleansed? Then we'll cut it out by the very roots, and salt the earth. If the gods and devils of this world wish to enlist us in their games, then we will play them. And win them. For ours is the side of light and truth, which scatters the darkness in front of it like nothing.

"Like nothing. That is was the darkness is. That is what the forces of darkness amount to. An absence of light. Come, brother. Shine that light once again with us, so that you may rejoin your rightful place in the afterlight."
 
Shrine:

The spirit takes a long moment to consider the words being spoken, the conviction, the hope -- all the while the particles of its being continue to flicker in and out of view. When Benson finishes speaking there is a gasp of silence, of frozen time... before he finally seems to lower his head, in some semblance of a bow in respect. "Perhaps the darkness has lead me astray, and caused me to believe that there is no path at all. Regardless of whether your convictions are true, I will choose to believe in them once more. May our lights shine brightly in unison, if for but a blazing moment."

He tries to take a step forward but immediately stiffens up, as if held back by some unseen chains. "Still... I am bound here, to the place of my demise until my quest is completed. And yet, I cannot fulfill that quest myself. I do not know if it is the Lady herself who tortures me like so, but either she is unable to free me or unwilling. I fear I may one day discover which one."

Considering the options he looks around, before his light-shrouded gaze eventually falls on the fur cloak and orb on the floor. "Perhaps ... perhaps. If you were to take one or both of these with you, I may yet follow, as the magic they hold causes them to be deeply infused with the dark essence that permeates this place." He looks back to the rest of you, then to the statue. "I would not ask you to take on such a burden for my own benefit, as you still have lives to live. But without it I am chained here, to this facsimile of humanity."
 
Shrine:

The party agrees to help out the lost spirit, Hazel and Varis deciding to take on the burden of the fur cloak and the orb respectively. As they begin to sit down and attune the spirit returns to a more stoic position beside the grandiose statue, trying to ignore it but unable to stray far from it due to his invisible bounds. He mostly keeps to himself, not wanting to disturb the attunement process with his presence, instead focusing his attention on the two exits out of the room and keeping a vigilant watch for anyone else approaching. However beyond any idle chitchat the party has among themselves the halls are noticeable silent, save for the ever present chanting that reverberated throughout the halls.

Based on the words of the radiant spirit Hazel and Varis decided to attune themselves to the objects, feeling their magic imbue within the core of their very being. Though it would be preferred to understand the items time was of the essence in this accursed house, and that would have to wait for later.

Locke9558 Locke9558
You sit down and begin to bond with the cloak, taking some of the dark essence of the house into yourself. Despite that you are surprised when you realize that over time, the fur cloak has started to feel... warm, and soft, despite the years or even decades it had laid within these damp dungeon tunnels. Running a hand along its exterior it almost feels natural to wear, like a second skin.

Though you're not quite sure what it does yet you have an intuitive sense that it must have helped its former owner with hunting, perhaps helping to forge a closer bond with the wolf that was depicted at their side. Or, to exercise dominion over such creatures. Perhaps even to become one with them. Feeling a shiver down your spine you catch your reflection on one of your weapons and notice that your normally blue eyes are now tinged with flashes of gold.


Chinchster Chinchster
Just from holding it you could tell that this orb was different from the regular knick-knacks you were familiar with, like the arcane focus you had touted along with you into this house. Unlike regular orbs or wands or crystals, which simply channeled the magical energy of the caster and acted like a catalyst for spells, this one seemed magical in its own right. But until you sat down and began to attune yourself with it, you didn't quite understand just what made it different.

Holding the orb between your hands you finally start to sense a spark of energy within. It didn't feel like warmth, nor heat; rather, it reminded you of the spark of life, of the blood course through your shadow-tinged veins. As you look down and stare into the center of the orb, you note that you can see a small flickering flame dancing within the middle. You don't know why, but you almost get the sense that it was trying to escape.

During the rest anyone paying attention to the spirit would notice that over time, the soft light particles that made up his body flickered less and less, almost as if they were becoming more stable and present. After about an hour when Hazel and Varis finished up their attunement process he finally attempts to move from his spot, finding that with only a little bit of resistance he could hover near Varis or Hazel, more stable if he was between the both of them together.

"... Interesting," he starts, looking back and forth between the gathered group. "It worked almost too well." Though he still sounded the same to Benson and Reppip, those attuned to the dark objects would note that the echo was mostly diminished, and he sounded more human than ever now. Slowly he floats to the ground, stepping onto the dirt though it's clear that gravity does not hold him down. Standing next to Hazel he seems to be about half a head taller. "Ezra's blessing upon you all for helping a lost spirit as myself, strangers. But now that we are acquainted we should not waste any more time beneath this accursed place." His gaze sweeps around the various exits once more, before waiting for the group's direction.
 
Benson rests for a time. He actually finds a corner with the wall to his back and closes his eyes, attempting to meditate. He manages to block out the incessant chanting for a few minutes and feels refreshed.

While the others attune to their new items and explore the stairway hidden in this room, Benson peeks around the corner at the door to the next area of the basement.

Strange, he thinks, a door here? When the rest of this floor has been open? What are they hiding in here I wonder.
 
Feeling refreshed after a short rest Varis tosses his new orb around and cracks a smile as they continue on. "I honestly feel like we are doing some good to fix this wrong."

Watching as Benson stops, seeing the odd door it looks out of place, as if it's the first door he's seen since descending this far. Keeping a safe distance he watches preparing for the worst of what's behind it.
 
Taking into consideration the rest of the cellar, Benson realizes this is a very suspicious door indeed. The door itself doesn't seem to belong.

"Friends, I don't think this door belongs here. In fact I'm not convinced this is a door at all."
 
Hallway with a Strange Door:

The rock thunks against the door, but it doesn't simply fall back down. Rather, it sticks to the door somewhat unnaturally, before goopy pseudopods emerge and wrap around the stone before spitting it back down. Clearly angered the door-shaped mimic seems to unfurl itself from the imaginary hinges it had attached to in the dirt wall and prepares to go after what it sees are tasty adventurers.

"... Keep your distance," the radiant spirit says after a moment, holding up a hand to stop Hazel and the rest from approaching as he steps forward. As he furthers the distance from Varis and Hazel his light begins to flicker slightly, and at nearly thirty feet out he is only a faint illumination. He does not appear to have any weapons; instead he clenches his fist and releases before reaching forward and touching the mimic. There is a bright pulse of light that quickly subsides, after which a decent sear mark can be seen on the mimic's flesh. The mimic seems to flail around blindly and just barely makes contact with the spirit.

As he reaches forward for another strike he just barely notices Reppip and Hazel rushing in despite his warnings and suddenly he glows a lot brighter, to the point where it is almost painful to look at. "Wait--" before he can stop he is already channeling the energy, and in a maddeningly bright pulse of light everything goes white for a second, under which an intense searing sound can be heard. Hazel manages to avert their eyes in time but Reppip is not so lucky, and the gnome's eyes burn with temporary blindness.

The mimic falls soon afterwards, a charred mess, and the spirit looks down at Reppip for a second before turning away and moving into the room, keeping a distance. "... I figured that would happen, I am unstable in this form," he notes quietly, a hint of regret in his tone. "I desire nothing more but to cleanse the evil here but I will hurt you if I do not restrain myself."
 
During the fight, Benson conjures searing light from above the creature, intertwining, and enhancing the burning damage from the radiant spirit.

"That was amazing," Benson says in a low voice. "You are truly blessed with power of the gods. I'm sorry you don't remember more about who you were in life..."
 
Reppip, during the fight, rushes up and jams his rapier into the door, causing some pain. His laughter at his own valiance is short-lived as his eyes are burned by the radiance.
"Okay, everyone better hope this isn't permanent since now I have to hold someone's belt or hand or something. Any takers?"
 
Varis holding his orb in his right hand and the new one in the left. Seeing Hazel toss a rock and it stick, "Nice thought, it saved us from some unnecessary trouble."

As the group attacks, Varis sends in a couple of firebolts, blocking his eyes from the radiant light in between strikes. Impressed with his shadowy friend, Varis comes forward to join the group.
 
Having seen that the door was in fact weird Hazel hangs back once the fight really begins. She opens by hucking a javelin at the door, and huffs when it misses and embeds in a nearby wall. "Ah nuts. Gonna have to sharpen that later or something now. Can't even hit a bloomin' door Hazel. Shoulda practiced on the chickens back home more." Not wanting to be outdone, Hazel draws her sword and goes in for a strike on the door. She manages to land a solid blow, and smiles as she feels her sword gain purchase in the wood...stuff. Next thing she knows there's a couple flashes of light and fire, and the door has gone down.

"Well done y'all. Dumb door. Whose idea was it to put that there? They should fire whomever they brought in to do their interior decoratin'. Oh and Mr. Shiny, you're definitely a shiny bastard. What else can you do? Nearly blinded me right there. Though I do appreciate the warnin'. Was able to cover my eyes in time fortunately."
 
"Reppip, come here. Let me see your eyes. Relax, open them up... that's it." The cleric looks at Reppip's eyes and notices that the irises have shrunken to pinpricks.

"We'll just wait a minute or two here. I think you'll be alright. Sometimes, when there is too much stimulus, the body just... turns that receptor off. In this case, too much light. So we just need to wait for your body to lower its defenses again."
 
"Huh. That's weird, thank you for that. Usually I'm the CAUSE of too much stimulus, not the recipient. This is interesting, for sure."
 
Hazel moves over to the wall where her javelin is embedded in the wall, and pulls it out. She brushes it off and inspects it, "Huh, looks okay. Just a little dusty. Not bad. I'll have to be more careful with these considering I only have five of 'em."

She moves over to Reppip and Benson, "You a'ight there cowboy? Was a big bright flash to be sure. We can hang out till you're ready to carry on."
 
Leader's Den:

Clenching his fist, the spirit turns his head away as if to scowl at Benson's comment. "If I am as blessed as you say, then why can I no longer heal? Why can I no longer rptoect?" Though his face is still obscured his tone is noticeably tinged with frustration and shame. "In my past life it must have been second nature to be a guardian of the people, but now this burning light is all I can invoke. It is all I know, and I fear the day I am no longer able to keep it bound. Your musical friend will not be so fortunate if he is caught off-guard when that happens."

He sits and waits at the edge of the next room until Reppip's sight naturally comes back into focus, and the rest of the party follows him in. It's a relatively plain room, a feeble chandelier suspended above a small dining table in the middle of the room, flanked by two high-backed chairs. Upon the table sits an empty clay jug and two flagons, their contents long dried; the candlesticks in the two corners of the room no longer hold candles but are decorated by cold drops of melted wax.

"Nothing here," he notes quietly, his form stabilizing once more as the group approaches. He seems to be eyeing one of the two corridors leading out of the room, focusing on it intently. "... But there is a presence over there, I can feel it. I know not what it means but it makes me restless."
 
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"Yep. You're right. Definitely not a lady. And I'm thinking anything about you would probably be in the Mixolydian mode. That seems like that would fit, almost just a major scale, but with just enough of a nudge at the end to fit dominant chords better. Some could say blindingly well."
 
Varis follows along impressed with the radiant spirits power, "You can sense them? We're you able to do that before as well?" Appearing somewhat interested, he still keeps his eyes open for danger while asking the questions.
 
Benson considers the formless man's words a moment. "I can see that you are cursed also. To be kept from rejoining the afterlight is a horrible fate, and I wish to free you from it. I just meant..." Benson sighs. "The way you fight, the way you dispatched that deceitful beast by your mere touch and presense. In life, I hope to be able to do that one day.

"Let's continue on. We have more fight in us yet."
 
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