Carrion Crown: The Haunting of Harrowstone, Pt. II [IC]

[Tippnick]

Zauberei agrees, "Indeed, this seems like a place to search thoroughly."

[Ason]

"My thoughts exactly," Marius says with a nod. "I don't expect prisoners' quarters to hold much, but the guards might have left something useful."

[lostsole31]

The group does a deep search in here, which takes 48 minutes, but there is nothing useful in here, and nothing which hints at ownership of anything.

Now what?

[Moriar]

"Perhaps we should clear the south door before heading through to the west." Angelo suggests.

"Wren, can we jam that wench so it won't fall back down later?"

[Ason]

Marius comments, "Both ideas seem wise, Angelo."

[Tippnick]

"The southern door is agreeable with me", Zauberei says.

[BuckGodot]

Alexandru nods his assent to go south.

[lostsole31]

Wren shakes his head and locks the winch in place using the given mechanism.

It is important to note, by the way, that Zauberei's mage armor dropped during the earlier part of the search in this past room. Also, Wren's created light hammer disappears.

Wren searches the door clear, and hears nothing on the other side. He readies the Lopper's axe. Alexandru, as mentioned previously, can now enjoy holding a shield in his hand before breaching. He opens the door to the room beyond.

This guardroom contains a single large table with two chairs astride it and a single sagging cot pushed up against the eastern wall. Several battered cabinets line the northern wall, with a few arrows and bits of chainmail lying scattered on the floor nearby, yet the most eerie sight are the three fractured skulls sitting on the table next to a heavy hammer. It looks as if someone has arranged the fragments of the skulls in some sort of pattern, as if an attempt had been made to construct a fourth skull from the broken fragments of the trio on the table. The leathery body of a long-dead dwarf, his wiry red hair and beard still strangely vibrant in death, lies slumped on the ground behind the table.

Wren says, "The Mosswater Marauder's work, no doubt, and likely his body as well. Marius, you might want to put down your big hammer and take out the Marauder's hammer. This axe seemed particularly effective against the Lopper, and I'm going to assume the same for that hammer against ... it. Okay, everyone, listen up...." and Wren spends three rounds given advice on how to be careful (his Careful Teamwork ability).

What does the party do?

[Ason]

"Wren, you spoke my thoughts exactly," Marius says. "Give me a moment."

At that, Marius steps back into the hallway to lay his lucerne hammer down gently on the floor, tucked up against the hallway wall to avoid getting underfoot. He then draws the Marauder's hammer and rejoins the party.

On his return, Marius adds, "This grisly scene may have more than meets the eye. Unless you object, we should search this place thoroughly." Pausing, he asks with greater alarm in his voice, "And, erm... how did the Marauder escape to do these murders?"

[lostsole31]

"It was a riot, remember, and I don't know how the fire started," says Wren, "but it was the warden's decision to drop the lift to keep the rioting prisoners from escaping from the fire they wrought themselves, and he gave his life in that time. It's not surprising that at least one of The Five managed to get out of his cell for mischief."

Wren will step in first, checking for traps as he goes, so it is a slow file-in. No sooner does he step in, then he grunts in pain and hold his head. "The skulls. You see them?" he says through gritted teeth, as though suffering a terrible migraine. "They're rattling on the table!"

Lexi, the skulls are doing no such thing.

What do you (plural) do?

[Tippnick]

"Another haunt?", Zauberei asks. "Everyone out and Hargrimm and I will channel."

[SwordChucks]

Hargrimm nods. "Sounds sensible to me." He gives Zauberei a thumbs up and follows his lead.

[Moriar]

"While you guys are getting ready ill see if I can locate a source," Angelo says.

He steps to the side, casts a spell and begins concentrating as he stares into the room.

Spoiler: Boo?

Show

Steps 5' to SW

Casts detect magic

Looking towards the SE into the room and begins concentrating.

[BuckGodot]

Alexandru gently places his hand on Wrens arm and tries to guide him from the room...

"Nothing is happening from what I perceive, Wren. Why don't we step out of the room?"

[lostsole31]

Wren steps out of the room.

Marius (and Marius only), do you do anything?

[Ason]

Marius joins Wren and Alexandru in stepping outside of the room.

[lostsole31]

Okay, now what?

[SwordChucks]

Hargrimm steps into the room, leaving space for Zauberei to follow, and lets loose a wave of energy.

Spoiler

Show

Move action: Enter the room and step to the east.
Standard action: Channel energy to harm undead.

Channel: (2d6)[11]

[Tippnick]

Zauberei will step into the room as well look around quickly before releasing a bright light of positive energy.

"We need to make sure it is taking effect before we use more."

Spoiler: positive energy

Show

Channel positive energy to harm undead
[Roll]d6[/roll]

[lostsole31]

Both clerics move in and channel as noted, though by the time their initial volley is complete and then take stock of their surroundings, nothing is animated.

Now it is their turn what their fellows had previously espied ... This guardroom contains a single large table with two chairs astride it and a single sagging cot pushed up against the eastern wall. Several battered cabinets line the northern wall, with a few arrows and bits of chainmail lying scattered on the floor nearby, yet the most eerie sight are the three fractured skulls sitting on the table next to a heavy hammer. It looks as if someone has arranged the fragments of the skulls in some sort of pattern, as if an attempt had been made to construct a fourth skull from the broken fragments of the trio on the table. The leathery body of a long-dead dwarf, his wiry red hair and beard still strangely vibrant in death, lies slumped on the ground behind the table.

Begin Round One ...

R1T24: Only then, after that false lull of safety, do the beings of the Underworld begin their assault. A skull right next to Hargrimm has its eyes go from complete darkness to a baleful red as it rises from the table, its head now covered in blue flames. The skull lets out a piercing scream.

R1T21: Alexandru, a hideous keening is heard from within the room, and there is a faint blue light in the room now as well. What do you do?

[BuckGodot]

Alexandru, with hammer and shield, steps into the room past Zauberei and says, "Marius, to me!" as he makes an assessment of the foes.

[lostsole31]

R1T21: Alexandru, with hammer and shield, steps into the room past Zauberei and says, "Marius, to me!" as he makes an assessment of the foes. Or rather, foe, singular .... A haunting cry of despair and pain echoes off the walls, preceding a soft blue glow emanating from a flaming, azure skull that floats just above the table, its jaws masticating the air.

R1T19: Paula is terrified, but delays ...

R1T18: Marius, you have the Mosswater Marauder's hammer in hand, and shield readied. What do you do?

[Ason]

"Paula, stay here out of danger," Marius cautions his familiar before chasing after Alexandru. Wincing at the shrieks, he nevertheless tries to attack the monster with his newfound hammer.

Spoiler: OoC

Show

Move: south into the room and then toward the flaming skull wherever it is (since I cannot see the skull myself yet, I cannot precisely dictate Marius' movement)
Standard: risky strike at the skull with the Mosswater Marauder's hammer if Marius can get into melee range; attack roll (1d20+9)[13]; damage roll (1d4+3)[7]

Immediate (if triggered): Bad Karma if targeted by any enemy or Inner Sense if forced to make any save, whichever condition is satisfied first

AoOs (if triggered): hit any enemies who trigger attacks with his hammer

[lostsole31]

R1T18: "Paula, stay here out of danger," Marius cautions his familiar before chasing after Alexandru. Wincing at the shrieks, he nevertheless tries to attack the monster with his newfound hammer. The little bugger is damn fast, and Marius just barely misses it.

R1T17: Paula comes out of delay, scrambles down Marius' clothing and out into the relative safety of the hallway.

R1T16: Wren comes in while taking out the Lopper's axe. "Any weapon works, gentlemen, despite it being skeletal," he says and to prove his point, he shatters the lone screaming skull with his axe.

R1T13: As if to mock Wren, another skull fragment develops itself into a full skull, floats off the table, and screams. Marius calls on his reserves to protect him. While creepy, nobody is particularly effected by the screech.

R1T12: Angelo, what do you do?

[Moriar]

"Well those targets seem obvious" Angelo observes. "Perhaps a little too obvious?"

Angelo then shrugs and after speaking an arcane phrase launches a ray at a skull.

Spoiler: pew pew

Show

Casts disrupt undead at green skull

To hit of (1d20+6)[21] and damage of (1d6)[2]

[lostsole31]

R1T12: "Well those targets seem obvious" Angelo observes. "Perhaps a little too obvious?"Angelo then shrugs and after speaking an arcane phrase launches a ray at a skull, hitting it for 2 PE.

R1T10: The spirit you might rightly assume as being the Mosswater Marauder’s spirit seems to rise up from his bones, appearing as a sobbing dwarf wielding a ghostly hammer. A ghostly skull floats in the air nearby, its cranium laced with cracks and missing a knife-shaped shard of bone along the side. He flies towards Wren and swings at his skull, but Wren ducks out of the way. The Mosswater Marauder floats several feet of the floor.

"He's all yours!" Wren says to Marius.

R1T7: Then, the third and last skull assembles and floats just off the table, giving a hideous scream.

R1T6: Hargrimm, what do you do?

[SwordChucks]

Hargrimm scowls a bit at the skulls seeming to ignore his efforts, but he looses another wave of energy. Then he steps to the east to allow the others more room to enter.

Spoiler: Combat

Show

Standard action: Channel positive energy to harm undead.
5ft step to the east.

Channel: (2d6)[5]

[lostsole31]

R1T6: Hargrimm scowls a bit at the skulls seeming to ignore his efforts, but he looses another wave of energy that hits all enemies for 5 PE. Then he steps to the east to allow the others more room to enter.

R1T3: Zauberei, what do you do?

Alexandru on deck, Marius in the hole ...

[Tippnick]

Zauberei studies the skulls and then unleashes a wave of positive energy.

Spoiler: crunch

Show

Assess the skulls

Channels positive energy to harm undead
(d6)[2]

[lostsole31]

R1T3: Zauberei studies the skulls and then unleashes a wave of positive energy. Green shatters and its blue glow dissipates. On the other hand, Red and the Mosswater Marauder prove a little more resistant as they only take 1 PE. And yet, for some reason, when Green was destroyed, it seemed to do 2 to the ghostly dwarf.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T21: Alexandru, what do you do?

Marius on deck, Wren in the hole ...