RuneRW
Can't Rune away from me!
Heading up the stairs, Baltair notices the armor and hears the weird noises coming from all over the place. He loses his temper, kicking the ground. "Oh fer the love of gods, stop this nonsense!"
Party 8
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Scholar of Barbarism
New Member
Cassia grimaces at the Baltair. "Calm yourself. We're close, so very close, to the child. And yet..." She casts a wary glance at the suit of armor, noting the cobwebs. "The skeleton, the dust, the webs on this suit - this place reeks of being abandoned years ago. It doesn't add up that a family would still be living here." She shakes her head, hearing the cries once more, and turns to the left and proceeds to follow the source. "We're almost here, little one. I just pray we're not too late."
VidkunFanel
New Member
"She is right Baltair. We need to focus on the baby.." Gaarek says reaching the top of the stairs and approaching the suit of armor. "..I don't like this place either but there is no time to throw a fit over this old garbage." He says as clapping his large hand down on the shoulder of the armor.
Balcony:
Baltair's frustrated shout reverberates throughout the room, the loose threads of the cobwebs swaying slightly in the draft of air. When Gaarek approaches the armor and claps down his hand it rattles at the impact, though not nearly as much as he would expect of a loosely standing decoration. Perhaps there was some structure underneath?
Suddenly there is a soft clanking of metal to the side, and when Gaarek looks to the armor's hands he notices that they're balled up into tight fists, the arms still posed firmly to each side of the body. Were they like that when the had come up the stairs? Before he can even consider the answer to that question the metal flies forward in a blur, and he feels a solid blow to his gut.
Having sensed intruders in the house the armor releases itself from the stand, paying no mind to the now flying dust and cobwebs. Without skipping a beat it prepares for another swing.
Baltair's frustrated shout reverberates throughout the room, the loose threads of the cobwebs swaying slightly in the draft of air. When Gaarek approaches the armor and claps down his hand it rattles at the impact, though not nearly as much as he would expect of a loosely standing decoration. Perhaps there was some structure underneath?
Suddenly there is a soft clanking of metal to the side, and when Gaarek looks to the armor's hands he notices that they're balled up into tight fists, the arms still posed firmly to each side of the body. Were they like that when the had come up the stairs? Before he can even consider the answer to that question the metal flies forward in a blur, and he feels a solid blow to his gut.
Having sensed intruders in the house the armor releases itself from the stand, paying no mind to the now flying dust and cobwebs. Without skipping a beat it prepares for another swing.
Boonslayer
New Member
Tazkul sees the armor assaulting his allies, and quickly took action. His quarterstaff ready, he used the boom of his voice to attempt to ensure it did not try to move away while striking it while striking it. He may have been among the more intelligent part of the group, but he was more a tactician than a bookworm.
RuneRW
Can't Rune away from me!
"I KNEW IT!" Exclaims Baltair before unsheathing his bastard sword and cleaving the armor's right arm off with a clean cut. "EAT DWARVEN STEEL!" Afterwards, he says a quick arcane word which heals a bit of Gaarek's wounds. However, with its death throes, the armor hits him before succumbing to his allies.
VidkunFanel
New Member
Gaarek entered one of his frenzies before he could even regret touching the armor. He struggled to catch his breath, after the beating it gave him, long enough to sunder it with his maul but couldn't recover enough strength to do any real damage.
By the time Gaarek regains his compsure enough to retaliate Tazkul has already finished it. Despite the armor no longer moving and his allies ceasing to fight he continues to bring his weapon down on it. He is enraged and even a little embaressed it got the better of him.
By the time Gaarek regains his compsure enough to retaliate Tazkul has already finished it. Despite the armor no longer moving and his allies ceasing to fight he continues to bring his weapon down on it. He is enraged and even a little embaressed it got the better of him.
Scholar of Barbarism
New Member
Cassia's reflexes sprung into action as soon as she heard the armor pummel Gaarek. She quikcly turns around, and dashes over with her longsword and shield to put down the aberrant magical construct. Her first blow makes a notable dent in its armplate, but not enough to divert its attention away from Gaarek. She is somewhat surprised when Baltair and Tazkul join in the melee - moreso when the dwarf clean severs off its arm!
After Tazkul has neatly dispensed with the armor, Cassia catches her breath and sees both Gaarek and Baltair have sustained injuries. "The darkness of this place threatens to consume us. Here, let me restore a bit of light..." She touches Baltair first, and an aura of soothing light envelops him for a moment as some of his bruises disappear. She next turns to Gaarek. "It's alright, Gaarek, it's over now," she says in a calm voice as the light envelops him and some of the half-orc's bleeding subsides.
After Tazkul has neatly dispensed with the armor, Cassia catches her breath and sees both Gaarek and Baltair have sustained injuries. "The darkness of this place threatens to consume us. Here, let me restore a bit of light..." She touches Baltair first, and an aura of soothing light envelops him for a moment as some of his bruises disappear. She next turns to Gaarek. "It's alright, Gaarek, it's over now," she says in a calm voice as the light envelops him and some of the half-orc's bleeding subsides.
VidkunFanel
New Member
"Thank you Cassia. You too Baltair. I feel better now." Gaarek says inspecting the wounds they both helped heal. "I'm sorry I made it mad I will try to be more careful".
Nursemaid Suite:
Dusting yourselves off after the sudden attack, you look to the left of the stairs, where the wailing of the child seems to have continued unabated. Just as you reach for the door, you pause, craning your ear. You hear a young woman's voice as she cries to quiet the child, poorly singing a lullaby. "Hush little baby," she sings sweetly, "don't say a word, Mama's gonna buy you a Blinsky bird... And if that Blinsky toy don't work..." An exasperated sigh. "... Walter, stop crying. Please, stop crying... by the Morninglord's light, just STOP crying..."
Yet as you press on and enter the room, there's no woman, no light, no singing. Cobwebs are everywhere in this room: along the windows, between the posts of the bed, stretched across the wardrobe. Even the mirror set into the wall is draped in eerie silk. Stained glass doors lead to the balcony you saw from outside, and gloomy dust-choked air haunts this place like a distanct memory. The child's wails seem to continue from behind a door to your immediate right, the threshold dark and dusty and foreboding.
Dusting yourselves off after the sudden attack, you look to the left of the stairs, where the wailing of the child seems to have continued unabated. Just as you reach for the door, you pause, craning your ear. You hear a young woman's voice as she cries to quiet the child, poorly singing a lullaby. "Hush little baby," she sings sweetly, "don't say a word, Mama's gonna buy you a Blinsky bird... And if that Blinsky toy don't work..." An exasperated sigh. "... Walter, stop crying. Please, stop crying... by the Morninglord's light, just STOP crying..."
Yet as you press on and enter the room, there's no woman, no light, no singing. Cobwebs are everywhere in this room: along the windows, between the posts of the bed, stretched across the wardrobe. Even the mirror set into the wall is draped in eerie silk. Stained glass doors lead to the balcony you saw from outside, and gloomy dust-choked air haunts this place like a distanct memory. The child's wails seem to continue from behind a door to your immediate right, the threshold dark and dusty and foreboding.
Boonslayer
New Member
Tazkul wasn't exactly a fan of heading into the room first, considering the voices heard, although he would look from the doorway, looking over towards Cassia. "Er...ladies first, my dear."
Scholar of Barbarism
New Member
Cassia gives a mirthless smirk in response to Tazkul. "How chivalrous. Well, let's not get caught off guard." She begins to search the room for anything awry, but the dust and cobwebs reveal little. Gaarek joins, and points out something off about the mirror. Going over, Cassia recalls the library, and feels about for a hidden switch. Sure enough - *click* a passage leading up is revealed.
She turns to the others, uncertain. "The wails are coming from behind that door, but...everything is so wrong here." She sighs. "Shall we press through?"
She turns to the others, uncertain. "The wails are coming from behind that door, but...everything is so wrong here." She sighs. "Shall we press through?"
Boonslayer
New Member
Tazkul makes his way in after the others, and sure enough, the hidden passage is what catches his eye first. Recalling the more disturbing things from the first hidden entryway, he looks towards Cassia. "Perhaps it may be...tactically efficient for us to close that pathway first and proceed to the next room. As urgent as the crying child likely is...we would be less likely to be taken by surprise if we had advantages in hearing someone who may try to do so."
VidkunFanel
New Member
"What of the baby? If something happened to it I don't know what I would do." Gaarek says glancing to the room where the baby cried.
RuneRW
Can't Rune away from me!
"I must say, I agree with Gaaerek here. But I don't know how tae proceed here! This is all so wrong, let's just get this o'er with." Says Baltair angrily, grasping his longsword probably a bit stronger than would be necessary. "I just hate tae fight an enemy I can't seem tae face squarely."
Scholar of Barbarism
New Member
Cassia nods firmly. "Of course you're right, Gaarek. We must not let fear conquer us - let us face the darkness together." Cassia hefts her shield, steps to the dusty door and opens it.
Nursery:
Deciding to put off exploring the strange corridor for now, you instead turn to the sound of the ceaseless wails and open the nursery door, pushing past the dust and dreary cobwebs to seek the source inside. The nursery, dimly lit except for your own torchlight, is decorated in strange toys -- a mobile of black and white bats shaking slightly in the disturbance, a rocking chair carved with the likeness of a proud and mighty wolf with a slight scowl.
At the end of the small room, a long black shroud embroidered in windmills covers a large crib. There is no sign of a woman -- perhaps she had left the room through another means -- but the cries continue, only slightly muffled beneath the thin cover.
Deciding to put off exploring the strange corridor for now, you instead turn to the sound of the ceaseless wails and open the nursery door, pushing past the dust and dreary cobwebs to seek the source inside. The nursery, dimly lit except for your own torchlight, is decorated in strange toys -- a mobile of black and white bats shaking slightly in the disturbance, a rocking chair carved with the likeness of a proud and mighty wolf with a slight scowl.
At the end of the small room, a long black shroud embroidered in windmills covers a large crib. There is no sign of a woman -- perhaps she had left the room through another means -- but the cries continue, only slightly muffled beneath the thin cover.
RuneRW
Can't Rune away from me!
"Oh for the love of the gods, we are blundering around the dark in here!" With that, he marches up to the crib and opens up the shroud.
Nursery:
You lift the shroud, uneasy as it feels with the creeping dread -- and there's nothing there, just an empty bundle of rags wrapped around nothing. As soon as the cloth is brought up, the wailing ceases, the last of the empty cries echoing throughout the dusty room... until another sound creeps into the air. Weeping.
Suddenly there's another thin bony hand on the rails of the crib, on the opposite side of Baltair, almost longingly brushing along the sides of the empty bundle. You wonder who it could belong to, considering it the crib was right next to the wall... until you glance up, and are met with the sight of a woman, dressed in a soiled white gown and hair covering her face like rotted vines as she looks down upon the crib. "My dear Walter... why..." Looking down you realize she is sticking halfway out of the wall, phasing fully into the room after a moment or two.
She slowly turns her gaze upwards towards the party, her frayed hair giving way to a ghastly visage of pure spite. "Why. Why. WHY WHY WHY--" She screams in a bloodcurdling tone, her face stretching impossibly far, and she shifts through the crib and lunges forward, claws ready to strike.
You lift the shroud, uneasy as it feels with the creeping dread -- and there's nothing there, just an empty bundle of rags wrapped around nothing. As soon as the cloth is brought up, the wailing ceases, the last of the empty cries echoing throughout the dusty room... until another sound creeps into the air. Weeping.
Suddenly there's another thin bony hand on the rails of the crib, on the opposite side of Baltair, almost longingly brushing along the sides of the empty bundle. You wonder who it could belong to, considering it the crib was right next to the wall... until you glance up, and are met with the sight of a woman, dressed in a soiled white gown and hair covering her face like rotted vines as she looks down upon the crib. "My dear Walter... why..." Looking down you realize she is sticking halfway out of the wall, phasing fully into the room after a moment or two.
She slowly turns her gaze upwards towards the party, her frayed hair giving way to a ghastly visage of pure spite. "Why. Why. WHY WHY WHY--" She screams in a bloodcurdling tone, her face stretching impossibly far, and she shifts through the crib and lunges forward, claws ready to strike.
Scholar of Barbarism
New Member
Cassia was already on edge as Baltair pulls the sheet from the crib. She gives a short gasp as the specter appears. "Such pain - such sorrow! Such a cursed place, that we must cleanse..." With grim determination, she springs to action and dashes towards the hollow echo of a woman with her sword and shield raised. Her swing connects to a section of bone, but the specter's phasing mitigate some of the momentum. She pauses and recalibrates as the others land their own muted hits. She notices the rhythm of the specter's phasing was tied to her wails. "Why" - phase - "why" - phase - "... She readies her sword, and times her next swing perfectly. It strikes solidly in between the phases onto the collarbone, and the specter's frame vibrates at a soft hum. "I'm so sorry..." Cassia whispers, as the specter lets out a final sigh - was it of pain, or relief? - and crumbles into nothing. She gives a solemn bow of her head and looks towards the crib, sheathing her sword. "I hope you're at peace now, your soul finally at rest - somewhere far away from this gods-accursed place."
Boonslayer
New Member
Tazkul was a few feet back from the rest as the sheet was pulled. He was a bit less startled by the specter since it wasn't in his face, so he had a bit more of a readied response for it, arcing lightning towards the ghost and pulling it to him like a magnet; better to fight it in the open than have it against the corner where it could escape from their non-spectral reach more easily. Of course, it was right after he pulled it from the wall that he saw Cassia's sword swing for the neck, looking towards his paladin compatriot. "Somewhere far away that hopefully we can get to sooner or later...I fear that we may have already arrived too late to save much of anyone."
RuneRW
Can't Rune away from me!
"Just what is wrong with this place?" Shouts Baltair as he recoils from the specter. But then he steels himself and takes a swing - and it connects. It didn't have the effect he expected though. "Tazkul! Do something!" He shouts, inspiring the dragonborn.
VidkunFanel
New Member
By the time Gaarek has drawn his weapon Cassia and Baltair had already struck the creature but the weapons were clearly not having their full effect.
Baltair was trying to inspire Tazkul and create an opening for him. Gaarek thinks magic would be more effective than steel and tries to help widen the opening Baltair was making. Gaarek lets out a roar and charges the specter cracking his maul down across the back of its shoulder, though his blow too didn't fully connect.
Baltair was trying to inspire Tazkul and create an opening for him. Gaarek thinks magic would be more effective than steel and tries to help widen the opening Baltair was making. Gaarek lets out a roar and charges the specter cracking his maul down across the back of its shoulder, though his blow too didn't fully connect.
Attic Hall:
Dusting yourselves off after the encounter, you steel your resolves and turn towards the hidden staircase that you had discovered before. Ascending to its peak you come to a small hall, choked with dust and cobwebs, as if no one has been up here in years. While many doors stand around you notice that one in particular appears to be locked tight with an old and heavy padlock. Beyond it, you can almost swear that you hear the faint sound of playing children in the air.
Dusting yourselves off after the encounter, you steel your resolves and turn towards the hidden staircase that you had discovered before. Ascending to its peak you come to a small hall, choked with dust and cobwebs, as if no one has been up here in years. While many doors stand around you notice that one in particular appears to be locked tight with an old and heavy padlock. Beyond it, you can almost swear that you hear the faint sound of playing children in the air.
VidkunFanel
New Member
Gaarek is exhausted and beaten and had enough ghosts and fake children. So when he hears the laughter and play of kids behind the locked door he loses it and strikes at the padlock on the door letting loose a solid TANG that echoed through the house.
To his horror the kids seem to hush one another and he thinks they may actually be in there. "Children can you hear me? Don't be afraid your siblings outside sent us to find you. How can we open the door?"
To his horror the kids seem to hush one another and he thinks they may actually be in there. "Children can you hear me? Don't be afraid your siblings outside sent us to find you. How can we open the door?"
