Return of the Runelords, Book 1: Secrets of Roderic's Cove [IC]

[Blackhawk101]

Alandra nods and motions the women to proceed into the room.

[lostsole31]

As soon as Ranghen ad Ziggy step in, Ranghen says, "I have something. It's all mold and muck in here, but there is definitely something hiding in the muck to the west........ It hasn't responded to my voice or mention of it, so not intelligent. Wait, yeah, that's a garden ooze. Looks like flowering and fruiting mold that camouflages in other mold. How do you want to proceed?"

[Blackhawk101]

“Garden ooze? Is it dangerous? What do we know about it?” Alandra asks prettily concerned.

[lostsole31]

"Yeahhhh," admits Ranghen in her accented drawl, "it's already starting to quiver, so I am guessing it senses our vibrations now."

Begin Round One ....

R1T24: "Daji, stay," Feiya says before she casts a spell on herself, giving her a faint, protective glow. She rushes in and jumps up on top of a side table.

R1T21: Daji steps to the side of the door and is ready to defend himself if attacked.

R1T19: Ranghen wasn't ready for how quickly the garden ooze would slide forth towards her in a smooth, quick motion. Part of its amorphous, floral form stiffens to attack Ranghen with a pseudopod.

R1T18: Alandra, your lit bow is in hand, and you have a partial view of something near Ranghen. What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Alarmed, Alandra advances and tries to cause pain to hamper the creature.

Spoiler: crunch

Show

MA: move 5’ North (free)
SwA: manifest Lingering Touch (visual) spending 3 pp for duration 2 rnds
SA: RTA Devastating Touch with Fear’s Reach.
to hit - (1d20+5)[24]
to dam - (1d6+3)[6] 2 rounds

[lostsole31]

R1T18: Alarmed, Alandra advances and looks upon the creature. A host of spectral creatures coalesce around Alandra - giving initial alarm to her allies - when suddenly they all fly forth into the quivering floral mass to make it quiver irregularly for 6 as it suffers terrible pain.

R1T14: Ziggy moves just a few feet north and then belches on the muck, but it seems to have no effect.

R1T13: Rodrigo enters, and in trying to get between Ranghen and Ziggy, the things lashes out at him and misses. He ends up in the northeastern corner. He quick draws his weapons while getting into a stance, including an iaijutsu strike with his sword that does 14.

R1T6: Ranghen doesn't move but draws her sickle and power strikes the garden ooze for 9.

R1T3: Bořek moves behind Alandra, but doesn't advance farther.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T24: A diadem forms on Feiya's brow before flashing, causing the muck to have a fit or seizure of some sort.

R2T21: Daji delays ...

R2T19: The muck quivers erratically, affected by Feiya's strange attack, but then takes 4 lingering pain from Alandra's prior attack. The thing quivers, but now seems to be a strange quiescent mass. Several seconds again, Alandra's continuing damage hits it again and kills it, causing it to lose all surface tension and falling apart in mud, muck, and flowers.

Combat Ends!

[Blackhawk101]

Alandra bounces up and down excitedly.
“Well done! Well done!”

“Since we are here, take a look around and note if you find anything of significance.”

[lostsole31]

It takes less than 2 minutes to toss the kitchen, and there is nothing found of note.

[Blackhawk101]

“That looks like the extent of this floor except the freaky closet. Advanced Team: Feiya , Ranghen and companions. You lead us back East and then South into the entrance hallway. From there we head up/down the stairs.”
Alandra smiles encouragement to the women and their companions.

[lostsole31]

The party reroutes as recommended, regrouping at the base of the stairs that lead upwards. The advance is carefully begun, with an eye to safe transit over the old, warped, wooden stairs.

Once Ranghen and Ziggy get to the top, they pass down what they see ... it is an upper hall. Two sets of stairs descend to the lower floor of the home. Two doors stand along the north, west, and south walls, while a single door stands partially open along the east wall.

How do you wish to proceed?

[Blackhawk101]

Alandra’s beautiful face scrunches up in concentration for a bit as she tries to suss the best direction to go.
“To the …West I think.”

[lostsole31]

Ranghen calls out, "Looks like the west has a southern spur to the south with a door. Check that door first, or the west?"

[Blackhawk101]

“Yes, check the Southern door first,” Alandra replies.
“Do you need more light up there?”

[lostsole31]

Feiya - who was carrying a light source, had already gone up, but Ranghen yells down, "Couldn't hurt."

It is assumed that the rest of the party begins moving upstairs. Ranghen and Ziggy check the door, and then open it, revealing some kind of lounge.

[Blackhawk101]

Alandra nods and smiles at the advanced team to proceed.

[lostsole31]

The leather of the room’s two large chairs seems mostly intact, but stuffing covers the ground beneath them and has been strewn about. Broken glass glitters on the floor, and a low table lays on its side, the drawers from a small cabinet on the ground beside it. A draft from a broken window stirs the moldy drapes, and a crooked painting of a sailing ship at sea bears a lengthy rip through the canvas.

[Blackhawk101]

“Let’s do a check of the room.” Alandra moves to examine the cabinet.

[lostsole31]

The party does a quick search of the room, which takes only about two minutes. From the cabinet, Alandra finds a fine crystal decanter, and Ziggy finds the decanter's stopper which rolled under one of the leather chairs.

[Blackhawk101]

Alandra gives the decanter to whichever party member(s) is holding the loot.
“Alright! Advance team…back to the Hall and check the first door to the West!”
She flips her hair over shoulder and points dramatically back into the hall, clearly enjoying herself.

“Too much attitude?”she whispers to the flamboyant swordsman Rodrigo as the group moves out.

[lostsole31]

"No, no!" says Rodrigo more flamboyantly. "Gotta be relaxed, like this...." and he plops down on a leather chair like a king in his castle. When he does so, there is a long, slow, expelling squeak of air as the air trapped between the leather upholstery and the cushion are slowly pushed out. He jumps a little at the squeak, and everyone stops cold as the long, awkward noise finally peters out.

Once the noise is done, and it is obvious that the creepy squeaking was just old, broken down furniture, Rodrigo slowly starts to laugh nervously, embarrassed that he was spooked by so simple and mundane a reason, and the other NPCs - mirroring the nervousness and building to a good laugh.

Does Alandra find herself laughing in what amounts to a form of stress relief?

[Blackhawk101]

Alandra’s high melodic laughter joins the others as they enjoy the chance to relax a little. “Thanks for the advice!” ​she giggles.

[lostsole31]

The team shares their first stress-bonding over the laughter, meaning that the laughter is probably louder and longer than one would expect more as a form of release than what caused the laughter, but as the group's laughter begins to abate, one laughing voice seems to be particularly sharp-edged and laughing longer and with more force than everyone else and with a malignant overtone that gets everyone else's laughter to stop .... for floating out of the chair and now above Rodrigo is a ghostly, skeletal form accompanied by a fast-growing mini-cyclone of loose debris from the room!

Alandra, roll a Will save!

[Blackhawk101]

“Gasp!” Alandra is surprised at the haunts sudden appearance.

Spoiler: crunch

Show

(1d20+10)[26]

[lostsole31]

A disturbing sight, to be sure, but not enough to make anyone in this group to go running for the hills.

Begin Round One ...

R1T21: Daji yips in alarm, but waits for a command.

R1T14: "A poltergeist!" calls out Feiya. "Spirit undead- so positive energy or magic attacks only may hurt it. It is bound to this house, so can't move more than 30 yards from the property. Daji, carefully, outside!"

She stares at the creature balefully, seemingly getting a reaction from the poltergeist.

R1T13.5: Daji scampers out of the room.

R1T13: Alandra, what do you do? Your bow (with light) is in hand.

[Blackhawk101]

Alandra is painfully unprepared in encounters with the undead. She withdraws NE and then N so that she is in the hallway just behind Borek.
"I am not much use against the undead. I will try to aid you as much as I can."

Spoiler: crunch

Show

FRA: Withdraw 5 ft. NE and then ten ft. North.

[lostsole31]

R1T13: Alandra is painfully unprepared in encounters with the undead. She withdraws NE and then N so that she is in the hallway just behind Borek. "I am not much use against the undead. I will try to aid you as much as I can."

R1T12: A sound of a caustic hiss from inside and Ziggy scuttles outside and behind Alandra. "I did thomething with my bweath, but vewy wittle," she half-heartedly boasts.

R1T8: Bořek drops his guisarme before stepping inside. "I know not if you are sentient, but trust that I hope Iomedae gives my hands the power to send you to your final end."

R1T7: There is a burst of light from the room.

R1T5: Rodrigo heads out into the hallway, following Alandra's light and then getting behind Alandra (sharing square with Ziggy). He shrugs. "Perhaps I should invest in holy water, si?"

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T14: Feiya begins cackling wildly, which may just be more disturbing than the poltergeist. A faint flash of light.

R2T13: Alandra, what do you do?

Ziggy on deck, Bořek in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

Alandra moves to the doorway and stares fanatically at the young armored knight.
"Get it Borek!"

Spoiler: crunch

Show

MA= 5ft step South
SA= Use Fanatical Stare on Borek with only the good buffs: +1 to hit / +1 Damage and +2 Will svs.

[lostsole31]

R2T13: Alandra moves to the doorway and stares fanatically at the young armored knight. "Get it, Borek!"

R2T12: Ziggy runs back into the room, and takes advantage of the fact that the poltergeist is flying. It breathes at it as it partially dodges and takes 1 acid.

R2T8: Bořek's hand is glowing when Alandra first sees him on her return. He waves his hand through the poltergeist and the light on his hand flashes as it does 5 PE.

R2T7: Ranghen channels energy and does 8 PE.

R2T5: Rodrigo delays ...

R2T3: The poltergeist seems partially insensate.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T14: Feiya continues cackling and shoots a beam of blackness that warps through the poltergeist for 2 disruption.

R3T13: Alandra, what do you do? If you just want to keep staring at the man until the battle is over, let me know.

[Blackhawk101]

Alandra keeps staring at Borek until the battle is over but she takes a battle stance and defensive posture.

Spoiler: crunch

Show

Sw: Battle Mantra stance +1 AC
FAA: Full defense

[lostsole31]

R3T13: Alandra keeps staring at Bořek until the battle is over but she takes a battle stance and defensive posture.

R3T12: Ziggy spits at the poltergeist, doing 1 acid. Ziggy then backs away out of the room.

R3T8: Bořek says a quick prayer under his breath, and reaches out. The positive energy on his hand reaches out and destroys the poltergeist.

Combat Ends!