Hallowed Halls
The temple of Vardama had given specific instructions and a few items to those who had gathered for this mission. Tonight, while the veil between worlds was thinned; a holy day for Vardama, they intended to send adventurers into the most haunted house in Alexandria. Their goal; to cleanse the house and put the spirits there to rest. To that end each person was given incense, and a vial of holy water.
The strict instructions were notes that the holy water didn't seem to affect the spirits that inhabited the house, but it was still required for the cleansing of the house. A circle of it with the incense burning inside in each room was required for the place to be free of those that haunted it.
Determining the cause of the haunting would be icing on the proverbial cake, but the cleansing was the goal set before you. With that you were given directions to the house, and what a house.
A small mansion really, the house had once been beautiful that much is clear, but age and neglect have allowed strangling vines and moss to grow over the home. Once-white paint is now dingy and gray, looking almost black in the dim light offered by the street lamps. Mist and fog add to the mood, and there's no sign of the moon or stars above you to offer illumination. Lights flicker inside the small mansion however. Lanterns? Candles? Who's home? No one should be, but the warm glow inside beckons you.
GAME: Dolan casts Light. Caster Level: 5 DC: 13
Dolan had been a bit quieter than usual when he'd taken the job, taking incense and holy water and tucking them into his bag with gloved hands. For tonight, he wears a white and gold baldric over a freshly-repaired breastplate, beneath the traveler's cape. The harness that holds his sword appears to have seen hard use, burns and blood in places, and probably honestly needs to be replaced. The skin of his arms is pink with newness, and no hair adorns them, although they appear to be hale and whole.
"How'd this thing wait that long to get cleansed?" he asks, reaching for the stylized dragon that hangs over the breastplate.
Zyla makes her way along with the others. The giantborn monk without weapons as her fists are what she normally uses. She cocks her head to the side, "I think this is becoming a regular thing for me, maybe I need to get things to better fight them." she chuckles to herself and hums just a little, "It can vary, each room will have to be done."
Good news! The artificer finally got work.
Bad news, it was purifying a haunted building, something which they had absolutely no experience with whatsoever. The bronze covered figure was sat down on a bench, poring over a large book on ghost hauntings for any shred of helpful information.
"I'm really not sure why they're sending me to deal with this, though. Shouldn't they be sending a cleric? Multiple clerics? I know they can be lazy and greedy, but this seems more like a job for them to be doing themselves." They state in a low, staticky tone, the mouthpiece of the helmet lighting up with each syllable.
The cleric who has accompanied you thus far, to make sure that you get to the right house looks a bit startled by the questions. "The house will not allow members of the clergy inside." There's a glance and then a shrug. "Which means I can not accompany you inside. We've sent a few groups inside but no one has ever come back out... the same. For years we stopped trying, and you're the first group we'll have asked to make this effort in some time. Hopefully you'll have better luck."
Zyla cocks her head to the side, "Does that include monks?" she asks curiously. She walks along with them, not sure at the moment.
"Interesting." Not for the first time, Dolan is quite glad that Andie is not with him this time, and he shifts from foot to foot. "Any idea of exactly what?" He lifts the pendant to his lips, and the pommel of the greatsword at his back begins to glow as if faintly sunlit. Dimmer to be sure, but light enough to see by.
"You don't need to lie you know." The artificer notes, closing the book in their lap and stowing it away. "If you don't want to go in to deal with this, just say so, but be honest."
Schara is slow to get to their feet, before they look back to the entrance. "So, if it's such a foregone conclusion, why are you sending us in there?"
"The house yet requires cleansing." The words emit from Verna's hood as she arrives. A bit tardy, though possibly a matter of stride (or lack thereof) given her stature. "If the restless entities within control the domicile and dictate whom may enter, then the task falls to those permitted."
"The qualification seems to only apply to those who possess the ability to heal, and whom are not associated with the Adventuring Guild. Thus hopefully Mourner Verna will be able to accompany you." The cleric gives Schara a short look. "I would join you if I could, and that is no lie. It is my duty as a cleric of Vardama to settle spirits and it saddens me that I can not assist you in your endeavor. Thus I offer the blessings of Vardama upon you in the hopes that you are able to complete the task set before you." The cleric makes a few motions with their hands and then steps back to allow you to approach the house.
Zyla nods her head a bit, "OKay, I think I understand." she says and shakes her head, "Good thing in good standing with the Guild then." she chuckles and shakes her head a bit as she looks around at the others. "Looking forward to it."
The description of the qualification is enough to raise what would have been an eyebrow on the scarred side of Dolan's face. As it is, it happens to be a hairless brow ridge, amid the scars and furrowing, but the movement of the artificial eye in its socket is expressive enough despite the calcified scar tissue. "We'll find out whether that's right pretty damn quick." He turns his entire body towards the door, and takes a few steps to the side so that the rest of the party are on his left. "Let's go."
"Indeed," Verna notes in general before dipped her head in a bow to her fellow Mourner. She then moves to the left side of the door, imparting Dolan with a nod as well. A moment is taken to glance from him to the others before her hood returns to the entrance. Whether for sacred duty, determine whether the entities here shall tolerate her, or merely to dispel concerns of fearful clergy, she steps forward and attempts to make way inside.
"Yes, I'm sure that's the case." Schara shrugs. "Don't worry, we will get this done, and you can have your credit and keep the tithes flowing."
The artificer shakes their head once, and moves to enter the house with the others.
For a moment it seems as though the door will not open for Verna. Then, with some reluctance and a deep groan the door gives way. It opens hesitantly, requiring some effort to allow them egress. Still, once open the house looks surprisingly ordinary. A long hallway stretches out before you with a room to the left and a staircase to the right leading upwards to a second floor. The cleric waits outside and when the last of you enter the house the door snaps shut promptly and with some force. A low moan echoes through your bones. It seems to come from the very foundations of the house.
GAME: Dolan rolls will: (14)+9: 23 GAME: Zyla rolls will: (7)+7: 14 GAME: Schara rolls will: (20)+1: 21 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
That moan, and the slam of the door - it's enough to put Dolan through the ceiling. But, he's seen as bad if not worse, and just days past, too, so it washes over him, and with no more than a deep breath, he turns and looks around. "Quite a hello. Let's pick a room and start there."
Certainly the reluctance of the portal to grant them access is the result of malign entities and ill-intent ... and not due to poorly maintained hinges, inertia of dense wood, and Verna's utter lack of athleticism. Admittedly, the sudden abrupt closure behind them is not the Mourner's doing. She frowns, though the expression is mostly concealed. "We were granted ingress, at the least." Her hood pans between the hall and staircase. "Begin at the nearest room and proceed onward and upward?" she offers.
Zyla seemed for a moment like that moan had sent her into a panicked state, but there is a brief flare from her headband and she seems to calm a little but the monk is looking around for a way to flee, obviously still frightened. At this rate, she might attack the wall and try to get out that way.
The artificer jumps a bit and turns to the door, and nods once, before turning back. "Yes, it seems we are... I don't know why exactly the door closed, but something caused it to." The artificer notes. "The others are right, though. We have a job to do, so the sooner it is done, the less chance there is for anything to happen."
It's difficult to determine the source of the wail, but you head into the main room to your left. It too seems surprisingly ordinary. Only there are three people standing around the fireplace. They are quite see-through, dressed in clothes that are far out of date and seemingly unaware of your presence. They speak without voices, and have no reflection in the large mirror that hangs over the fireplace. There's a fire in the hearth, but the room is chilled as if it were the dead of winter.
"Yeah," Dolan looks over at the artificer, turning his head fully towards her. "Let's get it done and get out of here."
And then, he steps into the next room - and freezes. "Aw, shit. Think they'll interfere if we try to cleanse the room?"
Verna considers the translucent individuals. "It is possible, though if they remain as quasi-corporeal as they appear, they may be no more able to affect us directly than we they." A pause. "That said, the drawing of circle and lighting of incense can be done by one as others intervene if needed..." Her hood pans and elevates to the large woman. "Would you wish to light yours, foremost?"
Zyla isn't really thinking straight. She is tentatively following the others, while still looking for a way out.
Schara takes a long moment to peer into the room, and they wait for some time before entering. "They weren't kidding, were they?" They ask no one in particular. "That's a genuine ghost, or rather ghosts, and they're talking together? Should we really just ignore them and continue on?"
"I can light mine first, if she'd rather. Let's give it a try." Dolan's already fishing his incense and flint and steel from his pack, and sets that on the floor in front of him, then goes for the holy water. He does look around him every time he moves, to see if the ghosts are going to come after him.
Verna's hood dips and she steps further into the room, past Dolan, to interpose herself between he and the more ethereal occupants. Her focus is upon the latter, though far more curious than wary. "It is entirely possible that, in their state, they are wholly unaware of our presence and simply continuing the lives that they are reluctant to leave behind."
Zyla shakes her head, "Still think we should try to get out." She is still a bit frightened. She is coming to herself but she is still suffering from the effects of the moaning wail.
"If the door can open, but it might not. Still, there's a job to be done here." Schara offers. "Just one incense per room, right? So I should save mine for later? This is my first exorcism I've been on, I guess. Or would more be better since this room seems to be more haunted?"
The ghosts continue to ignore you for the most part, then one of them catches sight of Zyla and moves rapidly toward her, reaching out with faint fingers toward her. It seems intent, as if it has some purpose behind it. The other two ghosts start to fade without the presence of the third. The ghost doesn't seem aware of anyone else but Zyla.
GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed-2: aliased to Melee+1+1-2: (20)+14+1+1+-2: 34 (THREAT) GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed-2: aliased to Melee+1+1-2: (3)+14+1+1+-2: 17 GAME: Zyla rolls 4d8+20+2: (16)+20+2: 38 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+6: (19)+6: 25 GAME: Zyla rolls will: (16)+7: 23
And there they are. Right on cue. There's only one way to help Zyla the fastest, though, and that's to focus on what he's doing! Dolan quickly drops to his knees, his bag next to him looped around his arm, unstoppers the vial and sets a metal bowl down in front of himself. He begins to sprinkle the holy water in a circle around the metal bowl.
GAME: Zyla rolls fortitude: (3)+8: 11 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6: (3): 3
The ghost shudders at the point of contact with Zyla, sliding closer to her and then reaching out, leaning in. It seems to be trying to say something to her. Something that whispers around the edges so that only she could possibly hear it. It's chill touch seeps into her bones, the touch of the grave. Just touching her seems to make the incorporeal thing more real. Firms it in reality and that seems... unsettling.
GAME: Zyla rolls perception: (6)+18: 24 GAME: Verna rolls heal: (10)+22: 32 GAME: Verna spends ONE use of POWER OVER UNDEAD. GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (9)+7: 16
Verna's concern peaks as the phantom moves in, though almost diminishes as the ghost appears to speak. Almost. As the effects of the contact upon Zyla become apparent, Verna's concern returns to the fore. "Keep away from its touch!" Her gloved hands lift, but not to the Scales about her neck. Instead, they gesture and form a mote of negative energy between them. A moment is taken to tune it slightly out of flow with the 'norm' before it is released in a small burst. Inconsequential to the living, but akin to nails across the chalkboard on one's essence for the unalive.
GAME: Zyla spends ONE point of KI POOL. GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed: aliased to Melee+1+1: (6)+14+1+1: 22 GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed: aliased to Melee+1+1: (1)+14+1+1: 17 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed: aliased to Melee+1+1: (18)+14+1+1: 34 GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed-5: aliased to Melee+1+1-5: (18)+14+1+1+-5: 29 GAME: Zyla rolls hammer1: aliased to 4d8+10+1: (18)+10+1: 29 GAME: Zyla rolls rest: aliased to 2d8+7+1: (3)+7+1: 11 GAME: Zyla rolls rest: aliased to 2d8+7+1: (11)+7+1: 19
Zyla doesn't like the chill that flowed through her, but she is also managed to get more a hold of herself. She thinks she heard the words from the ghost, but she isn't sure and doesn't want to risk others getting hurt. She summons her ki and then looses a barrage of blows in a flurry of activity. She brings her hands together first and slams them down onto the ghost, and then left missing though barely, and then right, and another left. The last two strike as well as the first. and her ki strikes do seem to have some effect on the ghost. "I think I heard whispers about where we can look for a cause." she isn't sure about saying it out loud to the others, the ghosts might get more pissed if they know she knows. She isn't sure.
GAME: Schara activates her Titan Armor, gaining: +4 Dex
"Wait, we aren't supposed to be killing ghosts, are we? We're supposed to be removing the- wait, can you even kill a ghost? Does punching a ghost make it extra dead? Or does it just get sent to the gray halls where it's supposed to be?" The artificer rambles as the ghost seems to make it's hostility known. Unsure whether or not to try to attack it, they elect to flip a switch on one of their gauntlets, which causes the bronze armor to expand at the joints and emit a large gout of steam, before they run over to where Dolan was. "Gotta finish this even faster than before now, okay. You got the water, just need to ignite the incense stick, right?" They as while holding it up to a coiled wire on their right arm that glows red hot, setting it ablaze before it can be dropped into the circle.
Immediately the house groans, shifts and dust falls from the ceiling as though the house is unsteady. The sounds are comparative to a home about to fall apart. The ghost vanishes and the fireplace goes out, leaving you all in total darkness.
Except for Dolan's light of course. That remains.
Zyla glances around as she seems everything like that. "Um, is that a good thing or a bad thing?" she asks as she looks at the others, mostly to Verna. "Oh, there is something about a secret basement below." she says, now seems like a good time, no ghosts at the moment.
"Thanks for that," Dolan nods to Schara - and then the lights go out, plunging them all into a darkness and stillness lit only by the candle-like glow from the pommel of the greatsword at his back. "Nice trick. Damn difficult to work a flint and steel in gloves." He breathes appreciation, not for the first time and not likely for the last, for Daeus' light at his back. With an effort, he gets to his feet and grabs the metal bowl, incense still smoldering inside. He'll doubtless need more of it for the next room.
"I believe that this indicates our actions were effective," Verna offers, "even if the current effect is not wholly comforting." The dim does not affect her as much as others, perhaps, but the noises of the structure are no less concerning. "We should continue straightaway..." though her words pause as there are several potential destinations. "Where shall we cleanse next?" She looks to the others. If there is such a secret basement, then it could be nearer the heart of the matter. Alternatively, rushing to the dank basement of a haunted abode could have ... some potentially negative connotation if not results.
The armor off the artificer ceased steaming, and the various plates clanked back into place, while the artificer in question braces on their knees. There's more than a few retching noises accompanying the glow of the helmet mouthpiece.
"Sorry, sorry, just, needed a moment." They state before collecting themself. "It's not a trick, it's a heat sink for the various magical parts on the armor, it's meant to do that, but not light things on fire." They explain, looking around. "I guess it was the right thing, yeah? Unlike having a hidden room in your basement, unless it's for experiments you don't want any one to stumble on and get hurt by not knowing what you're doing. I think we should go there, but not immediately, that seems a good idea. Do the ritual on the rooms on the way, so we have a safer way back?"
"Decent idea." Dolan's focus remains, and he turns towards the rest of the house. "Let's leave the basement for the moment and see if we can clear the rest of the house first."
You make your way carefully through the rest of the house, cleansing each of the rooms with the holy water and the incense. Sometimes the room has a ghost or two in it. Mostly they leave you alone and fade when the ritual is performed. Sometimes they notice you, and reach out, but you're quick on the ritual and each time you perform it you get a little faster at it.
Eventually however you locate what seems to be a secret staircase in one of the closets. A staircase leading down into a basement which is... Stuffed with ghosts. They wander around the small space of the basement, walking through one another as though unaware of the existence of each other. In the middle of the room there's a reddish veil of uncertain air. It looks almost like heat rising from the ground, an optical illusion of some kind, but the reddish edges suggest a portal of some kind.
GAME: Dolan rolls fortitude: (18)+11: 29
"A wise choice," Verna concurs as well, and so she moves with the others to cleanse and clear a path. Step in, pour a steady(?) circle, ignite the incense. Repeat. Whilst she is Vardamen, such ritual is not her daily toil, thus she grows more adept no different than the others. Just as she has begun to feel more confident in such things, the basement is discovered.
She considers the room below and its cornucopia of quasi-corporeal contents. As well as the distinctly dire distortion. "I have the mild suspicion that this may require more than incense and water..."
GAME: Verna casts Arcane Sight. Caster Level: 19 DC: 20 GAME: Verna rolls spellcraft+4: (15)+36+4: 55
Almost at once, Dolan reaches for the platinum dragon hanging around his neck, clasping it to his chest. "Holy Knight, show me the presence of that which is anathema to You." The prayer is almost immediately followed by a colorful curse, and he covers the golden gem seated in his eye socket with one hand. "That's evil as all the green garden hells, Verna. Be careful."
Schara follows along, and proves handy at starting fires, as they clear out each and every room. The artificer is even starting to feel more at ease, or at least they were before they happen upon the basement.
"Those are all... they're from dead people, right?" The artificer asks, holding their hooked arm with their other normal hand. "Why would there be so many here? What could make so many show up in one place? It, that doesn't make sense in the slightest, or at the very least, it isn't right. I kind of wish I went to the sewers instead, I packed all sorts of aromatic oils, and at least there's less, death?"
Verna shifts her hands in a complicated gesture made rote by near-endless repetition and her eyes become twin azure lights beneath her hood. She studies the effect in the room below, but is not ignored of her peers. "My thanks for your wisdom, Dolan. There was always a chance that these souls were merely lost, trapped, however unlike-Her Hallowed Hall!" The last is uttered in shock; one-part expletive, one part honorific.
Hers dart up to doff her hood before her head and eyes swivel to the others. "They are not lost here and trapped! They are emerging from their place of judgment, from The Harpist's Very Hall, itself!" She spins back to point. "Whatever vile thing created this, it is a portal that MUST be closed!"
-TBC