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

[Blackhawk101]

Alandra thrusts her fist skyward in triumph.
“Well done everyone! I knew that we would make a formidable team!”
”Keep alert still and let’s check the next door North in the hall. Advance Team, please take the lead.”

[lostsole31]

The group gets into something of position (i.e., a mass of bodies in the hallway). Ranghen opens the door and then yells, "Bugs!"

Begin Round One ...

R1T28: Feiya glares into the room.

R1T20: Bořek drops his guisarme and moves into the room while readying his shield. He moves in and takes the worst position possible ... on purpose.

R1T19: Alandra, what do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

“Attack! yells Alandra. Amorphous shadow horrors swirl around her body before streaming towards one of the bugs.

Spoiler: crunch

Show

Sw: manifest Lingering Touch 3 PP (2 rnds)
SA: attack Blue bug with Devastating Touch (RTA)
(1d20+5)[8]
(1d6+3)[4]

[lostsole31]

R1T19: “Attack!" yells Alandra. Amorphous shadow horrors swirl around her body before streaming toward the only bug she sees, though those shadows disperse against the far wall.

R1T18: Rodrigo rushes in while pulling out gun and sword to strike Red for 9 mod, as it seems the hard shell of the bug resists his blade.

R1T19-13: Red was clinging to the wall and hops down to bite at Rodrigo while Blue, on a desk, bites at Bořek.

R1T11: Ziggy moves in and spits at Red, which in turns moves enough to only take 4 acid. "Mama! They like the smockagoches downstairth, but theze is dead oneth. Smashy attacks!"

R1T10: Ranghen darts in without provoking, and then lets loose with a burst of positive radiance that does 5 PE to Red (resisting), but 12 PE to Blue and 5 PE to Green. Ranghen's white fur seems to have a faint lather on it from the exertion and she says, "I can't do any more of that today. But Ziggy's right... they're exoskeleton cockroaches and crushing weapons work best as the hide turns away blades."

R1T9: Green hops off the wall and bites at Ranghen.

R1T7: Daji delays...

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T28: Feiya seems to be concentrating on something for herself, doing some controlled breathing and even shutting her eyes.

R2T20: Bořek smashes Red and instead of dying like a normal cockroach, it internally combusts and leaves no remains behind but a scorch mark on the floor.

R2T19: Alandra, what do you do?

Rodrigo on deck, Blue in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

"****!" snarls Alandra knowing her powers will not affect undead. She uses her Fanatical Stare on Borek. She shifts into a martial stance.

Spoiler: crunch

Show

SA: use fanatical Stare on Borek
SwA: Martial Stance Battle Mantra (AC).
She will "pop" any Cult Trick Psychosomatic Surge if someone takes damage.

[lostsole31]

R2T19: "****!" snarls Alandra knowing her powers will not affect undead. She uses her Fanatical Stare on Bořek as she shifts into a martial stance.

R2T18: Rodrigo acrobatically moves south successfully, and the particular way he does it seems to distract the enemy while heartening his allies. He slashes blue with some type of special maneuver and dusts it.

R2T11: Ziggy spits at the last exo-roach for 4 acid.

R2T10: Ranghen takes out her sickle and slashes the monster for 6 mod.

R2T9: The exo-roach attacks Ziggy, and seems to bite past the scales, but doesn't appear to do any actual damage.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T28: Feiya moves just inside the doorway and points southwards, a line of black energy shooting forth, but missing.

R3T20: Inspired by Rodrigo's bold maneuver, Bořek smiles at him and then dusts the last exoskeleton cockroach with his shield before stowing his shield and picking up his guisarme again.

Combat Ends!

[Blackhawk101]

“Well done! Let’s check this room.” Alandra takes a look around.

[lostsole31]

It takes a minute for a quick search, but nothing of interest in this room.

[Blackhawk101]

Alandra smiles satisfactorily. “Advanced Team head to the next door North and West once you are back in the landing.”

[lostsole31]

The group does as mentioned. The door is checked and opened, revealing what is likely the master bedroom beyond.

[Blackhawk101]

Alandra nods to the forward group to proceed into the room.

[lostsole31]

A moldering mattress lies amid a bowed wooden frame, flanked on either side by ruined tables. A dresser in the northwest corner of the room has seen most of its drawers pulled out and discarded on the floor. Remnants of moldy and animal-gnawed clothes spill from them. A hole has been hacked into the floor, near a long, slender wooden case that is open and tipped over on the floor.

Appearing drenched and bloated, Roderic drains up from the floorboards into the room in eerie mockery of gravity, then speaks in a hollow voice:

“The cove. The stone house in the wood. The gauntlet. Save them. My map. The key.”

[Blackhawk101]

Alandra pleads with the ghost of Sir Roderick, “We will help protect the town! What other help can you provide?”

[lostsole31]

Sir Roderic's ghost seems nonplussed. With a slight change in inflection of increased frustration and anger, he repeats:

“The cove. The stone house in the wood. The gauntlet. Save them. My map. The key.”

[Blackhawk101]

---

Alandra looks around at the others nervously.
“Yes, we will!” she assures he spirit with as much confidence as she can muster.

[lostsole31]

The ghost of Sir Roderic burbles and gags as water spills out of his mouth as he disappears.

[Blackhawk101]

Alandra shakes herself to clear the lingering uneasiness of the spirit’s visit.
“The map we have of the stone house in the woods is obviously important to solving this mystery! Anyone know what the significance is of the other items he mentioned?”

[lostsole31]

None of the NPCs know off the top of their heads.

[Blackhawk101]

^{_{“All right then. We will figure it out later.”
Alandra huffs, chagrined.
“Let’s search this room before moving on.”}}

[lostsole31]

It takes two minutes to search in here, with folk re-upping light as needed. This was once Roderic and Andella’s bedroom. Now, animals have torn out most of the bedding, leaving a scattered tangle of cloth remnants and soiled and shredded stuffing. Aside from the couples’ garments, little of interest can be found among the scavenged dresser. Most items of interest that resided within have long since been scooped up by those who took the dare to spend the night in Roderic’s Wreck.

The open wooden case discarded on the floor once contained a sword. The case is of masterwork quality, and a thin sheeting of lead lines its interior. Etched into a plaque in ornate lettering on the case’s side is the word “Baraket.” Two small but complex locks line the edge of the open case. A wad of adhesive gum holds a pair of keys tacked to the lid of the case. The case looks valuable (value unknown).

As the party discusses if they've ever heard the name "Baraket" before or not, Feiya casts a spell on herself, but it doesn't help. Nobody has ever heard that name before.

The keys are removed from the case and when closed, the case automatically locks. The keys are verified as being unable to unlock the case, and it is put into party treasury.

[Blackhawk101]

Alandra puts her hands on her shapely hips and addresses the group, ​“We have more questions than answers but I say that we are definitely onto something!”
“Let’s go back to the landing and then explore the hallway to the North.”
”Advanced Team…move out!” she commands with a giggle.

[lostsole31]

The hallway to the north ends in a window, but also has the northern set of stairs going down ... the one that downstairs had some creepy water noise coming from it.

[Blackhawk101]

"Good to know where another possible exit is. Let's go back to the landing and check the next door to the NE." ​Alandra decides after a few moments of thought.

[lostsole31]

The door is checked and opened, and the room is described for those that don't see in. The remains of a wicker cradle slumps against the wall between two cracked windows. A small wicker table in similar condition sits in the corner of the room.

[Blackhawk101]

The group will make a quick search of the room.

[lostsole31]

Surprise Round ...

As soon as the first two (+two) enter the room, there is the sound of a child whimpering and sobbing.

Begin Round One ...

R1T25: Ranghen reaches out and throws the overturned crib to the side, revealing a small creature. It wears the tattered remains of a rabbit costume, its canine skull protruding from the hood-like head of the destroyed outfit. A necklace of lettered, wooden blocks hangs around its neck, and the unsettling creature drags a wheeled wooden duck by a soiled and knotted string.

Ranghen calls out, "It's an attic whisperer, an undead child! Be careful, because its touch and attack can steal your breath or steal your voice!"

R1T24: Feiya stays where she is and stares at the attic whisperer, and smiles. "I ... have ... you...." she says in her creepy dialect. "Daji, away!"

R1T23: Ziggy hops to the side and spits at the undead. It moves very quickly and only takes 2 acid.

R1T22: Daji backs out all the way and looks around carefully.

R1T16: The attic whisperer steps to the southeast. It bites Feiya in the left elbow with notable speed, like a serpent striking, doing 6 + fatigued, having taken some of the breath out of her. It then reaches up and touches her chest, but Feiya rallies and keeps her voice.

R1T15: Bořek bravely heads in past the rest, with the whisperer missing him with its bite. Despite attacking from a back line and the grating tears, the armiger manages to strike the undead with his guisarme for 10.

R1T14: Rodrigo rushes past everyone up to where the crib was and spins around like lightning, drawing his sword in a brilliant twirl to slash two-handed for 11.

R1T10: Alandra, the sobs coming from the creepy undead are unsettling. What do you do?

Ranghen on deck, Feiya in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

“That is so gross! How do we kill it?” asks a panicked Alandra. She will see if she can remember ever hearing of this kind of creature and then activate her Cult Trick Psychosomatic Surge on Feiya.

Spoiler: crunch

Show

FrA: assessment
Sa: activate Psychosomatic Surge Cult trick on Feiya.

[lostsole31]

R1T10: “That is so gross! How do we kill it?” asks a panicked Alandra, never having heard of such a creature before. She prepares in case Feiya gets hurt again.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T25: "It's undead!" answers Ranghen. "I don't think it has special defenses, so same thing as any enemy, but as undead it hates positive energy."

She takes out her sickle and slashes the undead for 5 mod. "It's sobbing seems to be sapping a little bit of my attack strength."

R2T24: Feiya begins to laugh hysterically before casting carefully to place a spell upon Ranghen.

R2T23: Ziggy carefully squirrels into the space of the attic whisperer and whips her tail at its leg but misses.

R2T22: Daji delays ...

R2T16: The attic whisperer bites Feiya in the foot and Alandra is ready and energizes the trick that completely ablates the initial damage while granting an additional 2 THP and Feiya keeps her breath. It swings a little clawed hand at the witch but misses.

R2T15: Bořek calls out, "You powers of the Godclaw hear me! Give unto me the means to give peace to this child." With that request, there is the faintest glow on his polearm, though he misses with his attack.

R2T14: Rodrigo steps into the corner, draws an exotic knife, takes brief aim, and throws it. The tanto hits the creature center mass for 12 mod + entangled, as it staples the creature to the eastern wall.

R2T10: Alandra, what do you do?

Ranghen on deck, Feiya in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

Alandra adopts a Marshal stance and quickly nocks and fires an arrow at the horrible creature.

Spoiler: crunch

Show

FA: enter Battle Mantra stance +1 to hit
SA: Fire bow at creature , Risky strike, Psychic shot
to hit - (1d20+4)[11] +1 Battle Mantra not included
to dam - (1d8+2)[5] +1 psychic shot not included

[lostsole31]

R2T10: Alandra adopts a martial stance, knocks an arrow, and fires it at the horrible creature, but misses wildly with all of the interference.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T25: Ranghen concentrates on a spell, and with a glowing hand reaches out to touch the attic whisperer, which just barely resists to only take 4 PE, the glow now gone from Ranghen's hand.

R3T24: Feiya continues to laugh at the unfortunate child undead. She points at the thing and as a black beam shoots at it, the attic whisper touches her shin. She gasps but continues her laugh as a black beam lances out to just barely get the whisperer 12 disruption!

R3T23: Ziggy spits at the whisperer and takes 3 acid, and the string leading to the rolling duck gets destroyed.

R3T16: The attic whisperer bites Feiya in the knee with a speedy snap for 7, removing the last of Alandra's protection. Worse, it steals more of her breath and now Feiya is exhausted and falls to the ground asleep, which in turn stops her laughter. It then reaches out to touch Ranghen in the belly ... and she coughs as she fights to keep her voice.

R3T15: Bořek picks up Feiya, and then tries to get out of the room. As he does so, he gets touched in the buttocks, though he doesn't show any signs of any kind of struggle. Once outside, he drops her unceremoniously on the ground.

R3T14: Rodrigo continues his arc and stops at the door to screen Alandra, and then quick draws his wakizashi that cuts across the attic whisperer's small abdomen and spine. There is an internal burning - in much the same was as for the exoskeleton cockroaches - and the entire attic whisper combusts to ash from the inside out before dropping to the ground as a scorch mark.

As soon as that happens, Feiya gasps awake dramatically in the hallway as it seems that her supernatural link was tied to the attic whisperer in some way.

Combat Ends!