[Game Thread] Chapter 2: The Haunting Horror

[punkrockguy]

After reaching down to help each member of the group through the trapdoor Grimnash only had time to turn before the others had moved into the next room. Now all Grimnash could see was two dead bodies on the floor and a extreemly large beastman with axe just as large standing over the bodies, how they had not heard the fight he would never know, all he knew at this point is that he needed to kill that beastman. Slipping past the two archers as they quip at each other Grimnash charges straight for the huge creature, bringing his axe down in a vicious slice "in the name of Gringni I smite thee" he bellows, the runes of his axe flaring into life, while keeping his sheild well placed to deflect any in-coming attack from his new foe.

 

Charge the beatman, attack beastman and smile.

[darthcharon]

The creature roars as it steps forward, readying it's weapon to swing at the disoriented knight. Before he even has a chance, however, Holly has already drawn her pistol, and fires a shot at the beast. The bullet travels right through him, leaving a clear entry wound, but frighteningly no blood pours from it, only a strong, cold wind that leaves you all shivering. Still, the shock was enough to stagger the creature, and Grimnash, seeing the opportunity, swings his weapon in a great arc, threatening to remove it's leg in a single swing. Once more, only icy air issues from what should have been a fatal wound.

The beastman raises it's head, and lets out a slow, almost mournful howl as smoke emits from it's throat. Its body begins to evaporate into the very air, and within seconds, all that remains is a suddenly very cold room, covered in blood. A quick look towards the painting reveals that it has reverted to the way it was, sans the beast, though the blood it has already spewed is real enough.

[Insacrum]

With the combat over almost as fast as it started, Ollona can't help but mutter under her breath, "I dislike this place, immensely!"

[dbaque]

The disappearance of the beast, though fortunate, leaves the dhampir knight with naught to distract his fervid senses from his crimson coating. Despite his best efforts, his breathing is still ragged & his pupils dilated. He backs from the blood covered painting. He takes out his waterskin from his pack & pours some on him to wash off the worst of the blood. Cleaner, calmer, if a little wetter, Lunigen relaxes, takes a drink, & puts the half-full skin away.

While the eerie chill in the air does little to disturb the pale knight, the lingering malevolence is most effective: "What sorcery is this? Magics of the living? Or of the restless dead?" Lunigen moves up (warily) to the painting to confirm his brief glance earlier before moving away to Marcus to ask: "Brother Marcus, perhaps you might know of this. This painting shows the banner of the noble & wizard Ludovicus Hanike. Methinks that this should be found here suggests that it might have something to do with this fell presence. Do you know aught of how he finally fell? I only know of the involvement of some strange ritual but no more."

[DukeofTuring]

Looking at the blood drenched knight, the strange painting, and the untouched far door, Marcus seems to be trying to puzzle everything they had seen so far out. "I can't make much of the paining myself, but Ludovicus Hanike was a noble of the empire and a wizard trained at the colleges of magic, one of the best of his generation. He was slain when the magicks he worked with went badly awry. He did receive some particular attention from the Cult of Sigmar, although whether he was treated as an ally against chaos or an enemy I honestly can't recall." Furrowing his brow, the priest tries but fails to remember more.

"Whether this is the work of the living or the dead, I for one don't know. Perhaps I can shed some light on that matter..." Holding out his holy symbol, Marcus calls out, "Sigmar, guide my sight and Casts Detect Magiclet me see that which evades my eyes alone." His eyes seeming to glow with a strange light, he scans the room, ceiling, and floor, trying to Take 10 on spellcraft, for a 15interpret any auras he does see.

[Quadra Wield]

As the beast disappears, and Ollona's words reach Holly's ears, she frowns in frustration before remarking back at the elf, "Well how was I supposed to know how all this magic detect stuff goes. Usually everybody in my hometown just read books, made guns, and shot green skins with said guns." Holly crosses her arms and protrudes her lips before "conceding," "but fine, I'll play along with what you guys say from now on. You guys can deal with the painting I'll try to figure out where this house is."

Holly walks over to the wall opposite the painting to peer out the window and discern a possible location as to where this house is.

[darthcharon]

[DukeofTuring]

Scanning the surrounding area, Marcus announces, "The painting has a strong aura of shadow magic. That 'beastman' we just fought may have been nothing more than an illusion. As for the rest of the building, there seems to be some traces of magic everywhere, nothing strong but perhaps the remnants of some prior spell of great power." Looking around at the assembled party for their opinion, he continues, "I can keep on searching for more traces of magic as we keep on exploring, but I don't think I can offer any more advice. To the next room?"

[dbaque]

At Marcus' mention that illusions might be involved, the knight frowns in thought. Wondering if the blood itself was also an illusion, he tries to concentrate on

Dice Will save:

d20+6

(1)+6

Total = 7

disbelieving it, but the avid panic was still too fresh in his mind for the task.

"Keep searching then, brother Marcus, & on to the next room, friends," Lunigen replies. Wary for more of the house's surprises, he carefully opens the door to the next room.

[Insacrum]

Ollona looks around, trying to make sure that nothing is still in the room, out to get the group. "I second Lunigen, let's continue as we can. If all that Marcus can discern is that there are traces of magic through out the house, then we should investigate."

[darthcharon]

The door opens up into what is clearly the entrance hall. The bottom half of the walls are ornate wood, while the top half is decorated in a very old fashion wallpaper. A few more paintings decorate the hallway, each detailing some horrible and grisly fate for the inhabitants of the artwork. The hallway is mostly straightforward, save for a small aclove on your right, about a third of the way down. You have quite a few choices to pick for doors here, as there is one directly across from you, which can only be the front door and (hopefully) leads outside, as well as two doors on the wall to your left, one of which is a double door. Only one door lies in the hallway to your right, but the alcove has four doors for which you could choose from.

[Quadra Wield]

After Holly finishes looking out the window she turns back towards the party as Marcus explains that the beast they just fought might have been an illusion.

"I Agree, lets continue searching the rest of the house. Also, from what I saw from outside the window, the house seems to be a part of some village."

As Lunigen opens up the door to the hallway Holly groans. This many doors and rooms would take forever to investigate, but the party might as well play it safe after their last mishap. "So seeing as there might be "evil" in these rooms, I suggest we open the door closest to us, and investigate it, or we could get this done faster, and go open up some of these rooms separately."

[DukeofTuring]

Nodding his agreement at Holly's plan, Marcus opens the door nearest to the party, getting his two-handed hammer back up and ready for battle as soon as he can. Although not entirely closed to the prospect of finding some friendly or at least neutral inhabitants of this manor, he clearly expects most animate things they find to be hostile.

OOC Detect magic is still active, so unless I lose concentration during combat I'll have a good look at any unusual magic auras nearby

[Insacrum]

As the group gets ready to go through the next door, Ollona raises her bow, notching an arrow this time, ready to fire if something comes for them.

[darthcharon]

As Marcus opens the door, the smell of roasting meat rushes out to meet you. The room before you is a large kitchen, with a central table and several worktables on the sides. On the north wall you see two small doors, which appear to be storage cabinets, and to the northeast you see a back door which leads to a small enclosed porch. The west wall is primarily dominated by a large fire pit, where you see two people wearing tattered peasant clothing rotating something on a spit.

One of the peasants shifts as the door creaks open, giving you a brief glimpse of what they are cooking, and you nearly lose the contents of your stomach. On the spit is a large, amorphous, writhing piece of meat, from which protrudes several silently screaming faces. Hands seem to claw at the surface of the meat, as if trying to escape the horrid fate. Then the peasants turn to face you, and your stomach churls harder, for their faces are decomposed, resembling corpses sooner than people, and insects fly freely from several gaps in their decaying flesh. Without a word, they begin walking towards you, with meat cleavers in hand. The spit continues to turn on its own, but as the abominations shamble towards you, their silent screams gain volume, becoming a cacophony of moaning and screaming

OOC Initiative time again, and I also need a fort save to avoid becoming sickened (DC 14) and a will save to avoid being shaken (also DC 14)