Zindarik - Inside the trunk you find skeletal remains, wrapped in a tattered bedsheet stained with dry blood. The clothes the corpse wears bear resemblance to those worn by the specter you all fought on the floor below.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ankita walks over to where Zindarik is staring into an open trunk and looks inside, "Whoa... is this the mom we just fought? Who in their right mind would lock her in a trunk?" She takes a closer look to see if there is anything else in there.
Ankita - There is nothing else to be found in the trunk, but when you stand and turn to face the door to the room, you see another door to the left of it in the corner. You're fairly sure it wasn't there when you came in...
Almost in a trance, Ankita heads straight to the door that she thinks is a mirage. Mainly to prove to herself that it really isn't there, and goes to open it.
Ankita - After a brief moment of hesitation your hand closes on the door knob. It feels as real as the rest you've felt thus far and when you turn it and open the door you see that a narrow spiral staircase made of creaky wood is contained within a 5-foot-wide shaft of mortared stone and descends into darkness. Thick cobwebs fill the shaft and reduce visibility in the staircase to 5 feet.
"Murdered and stuffed into a trunk," remarks Zindarik as he gazes upon the skeletal remains. "That's certainly a recipe for creating a malevolent spirit."
Seeing that Ankita has found yet another one of the strange nuances of this house, Zindarik cautions, "One locked room remains, and, finally, an answer to the question about how we can reach the basement of this place. Let's proceed carefully and in unison."
(Just making sure that all four of us are together before we move on)
Baldwin joins up with everyone else. "What a disturbing sight! *trillll* Seems like our best chance to rid this house of its strangeness and save the children is down those stairs. *brrt brrrrtt*"
Hofaen joins Zindarik and says a brief prayer over the long dead corpse. Turning to Zindarik he says “I agree, from here on out we are in lockstep - let us look into this locked room, did anyone happen upon a key?”
Ankita takes a bit to regain her composure after seeing the skeleton of the ghost that almost killed them and then this passage to the monster coming out of nowhere. “Agreed Zindarik, we stay together. Can you hand me one of those sheets?” And she takes the sheet and lays it over the threshold of the new door, hoping that when she lets go of the door, it won’t close and disappear.
”Yes, Hofaen, I found an iron key in the desk down below. Let’s finish our search up here”.With a second glance at the door To be sure it’s still there with the sheet spilling out from the bottom, she follows the rest to the iron door in the main hallway. She inserts the key and hopefully turns it and opens the door.
Ankita - The sheet and door remain as solid as anything when you shut it. It's still there even after the third time you've re-checked. You insert the key and the door unlocks. This room contains a bricked-up window flanked by two dusty, wood-framed beds sized for children. Closer to the door is a toy chest with windmills painted on its sides and a dollhouse that’s a perfect replica of the dreary edifice in which you stand. These furnishings are draped in cobwebs. Lying in the middle of the floor are two small skeletons wearing tattered but familiar clothing. The smaller of the two cradles a stuffed doll that you also recognize.
Hofaen looks at the two small skeletons his eyes taking on a glassy look. “Whomever locked that door was a monster - I would bring Tyr’s justice upon those persons”. He kneels next to the bodies clutching his amulet mumbling a small prayer for their souls. He rises, sighs deeply, then begins to look through the room for clues as to the children’s fate - he starts with the dolls house.
Hofaen - When you touch the dollhouse you hear a voice behind you, "Hey! That's mine!" You turn to see the ghosts of Rose and Thorn floating above their remains, "Who are you and why are you touching my stuff?" Rose demands with her hands on her hips. Thorn whimpers and clutches his sister as he holds a ghostly stuffed doll to his face.
You see that the dollhouse is a miniature replica of the house you are in. It even has the hidden staircase and secret room inside the library as well. You don't see any more secret doors and picking it up you see that the basement is not a part of the model doll house. Whatever its mysteries are remain hidden for now.
Zindarik shakes his head in disbelief when he sees the skeletons on the floor. "What evil has befallen this place?" he asks rhetorically.
Then, turning to Rose's ghostly form, he asks, "Do you not remember us, young one? A few hours ago we spoke in the street, just outside this place. We've come here to help you...to face the monster you fear."
“Zindarik speaks true - we have come to help, not to desecrate - I am a cleric of Tyr and would seek justice on you behalf”. Hofaen puts his hands up in a placating gesture and moves away from the dolls house saying “I mean no offence - do you know what happened here, why you were locked into this room?”
Ankita walks into the room slowly, devastated by the sight of the two small skeletons, knowing they are the two they had been searching for since seeing them outside. She walks over to the two ghosts and asks Rose, "I found this in the other room, I assume it is yours? Can I place it next to you?" And if she gets either an affirmative or no response, Ankita will place the doll that she found in the other room next to the larger of the two skeletons.
Zindarik & Hofaen - Rose and Thorn look at each other with confused expressions. Rose looks back to you and says, "We haven't been outside our room since mother and father told us not to leave and locked the door. They told us there was a monster in the basement and we were safe up here. We waited and waited but they never came back..." As she says this she looks down at the skeletons below her, "We've been stuck in here ever since. You're going to defeat the monster? Will you save mother and father as well?"
All - Any of you may make a DC 10 Religion check as you listen to the children's tale. A success will reveal the following:
The children's spirits are likely bound to this room and unable to find rest nor leave. You think that interring their remains might allow them to move on to what awaits after life.
The recent battle with the animated broom is still fresh on Zindarik's mind; so, with longsword drawn, he opens the lid to the trunk...
Zindarik - Inside the trunk you find skeletal remains, wrapped in a tattered bedsheet stained with dry blood. The clothes the corpse wears bear resemblance to those worn by the specter you all fought on the floor below.
Ankita walks over to where Zindarik is staring into an open trunk and looks inside, "Whoa... is this the mom we just fought? Who in their right mind would lock her in a trunk?" She takes a closer look to see if there is anything else in there.
Investigation: 8
Ankita - There is nothing else to be found in the trunk, but when you stand and turn to face the door to the room, you see another door to the left of it in the corner. You're fairly sure it wasn't there when you came in...
(Oh that's fun!)
Almost in a trance, Ankita heads straight to the door that she thinks is a mirage. Mainly to prove to herself that it really isn't there, and goes to open it.
Ankita - After a brief moment of hesitation your hand closes on the door knob. It feels as real as the rest you've felt thus far and when you turn it and open the door you see that a narrow spiral staircase made of creaky wood is contained within a 5-foot-wide shaft of mortared stone and descends into darkness. Thick cobwebs fill the shaft and reduce visibility in the staircase to 5 feet.
Baldwin goes and inspects the one remaining room before rendezvousing with the rest of the group
"Murdered and stuffed into a trunk," remarks Zindarik as he gazes upon the skeletal remains. "That's certainly a recipe for creating a malevolent spirit."
Seeing that Ankita has found yet another one of the strange nuances of this house, Zindarik cautions, "One locked room remains, and, finally, an answer to the question about how we can reach the basement of this place. Let's proceed carefully and in unison."
(Just making sure that all four of us are together before we move on)
Baldwin joins up with everyone else. "What a disturbing sight! *trillll* Seems like our best chance to rid this house of its strangeness and save the children is down those stairs. *brrt brrrrtt*"
Hofaen joins Zindarik and says a brief prayer over the long dead corpse. Turning to Zindarik he says “I agree, from here on out we are in lockstep - let us look into this locked room, did anyone happen upon a key?”
PC | Hofaen - Curse of Strahd by Dylanthalas
Ankita takes a bit to regain her composure after seeing the skeleton of the ghost that almost killed them and then this passage to the monster coming out of nowhere. “Agreed Zindarik, we stay together. Can you hand me one of those sheets?” And she takes the sheet and lays it over the threshold of the new door, hoping that when she lets go of the door, it won’t close and disappear.
”Yes, Hofaen, I found an iron key in the desk down below. Let’s finish our search up here”. With a second glance at the door To be sure it’s still there with the sheet spilling out from the bottom, she follows the rest to the iron door in the main hallway. She inserts the key and hopefully turns it and opens the door.
Ankita - The sheet and door remain as solid as anything when you shut it. It's still there even after the third time you've re-checked. You insert the key and the door unlocks. This room contains a bricked-up window flanked by two dusty, wood-framed beds sized for children. Closer to the door is a toy chest with windmills painted on its sides and a dollhouse that’s a perfect replica of the dreary edifice in which you stand. These furnishings are draped in cobwebs. Lying in the middle of the floor are two small skeletons wearing tattered but familiar clothing. The smaller of the two cradles a stuffed doll that you also recognize.
Hofaen looks at the two small skeletons his eyes taking on a glassy look. “Whomever locked that door was a monster - I would bring Tyr’s justice upon those persons”. He kneels next to the bodies clutching his amulet mumbling a small prayer for their souls. He rises, sighs deeply, then begins to look through the room for clues as to the children’s fate - he starts with the dolls house.
Investigation: 16
PC | Hofaen - Curse of Strahd by Dylanthalas
Hofaen - When you touch the dollhouse you hear a voice behind you, "Hey! That's mine!" You turn to see the ghosts of Rose and Thorn floating above their remains, "Who are you and why are you touching my stuff?" Rose demands with her hands on her hips. Thorn whimpers and clutches his sister as he holds a ghostly stuffed doll to his face.
You see that the dollhouse is a miniature replica of the house you are in. It even has the hidden staircase and secret room inside the library as well. You don't see any more secret doors and picking it up you see that the basement is not a part of the model doll house. Whatever its mysteries are remain hidden for now.
Zindarik shakes his head in disbelief when he sees the skeletons on the floor. "What evil has befallen this place?" he asks rhetorically.
Then, turning to Rose's ghostly form, he asks, "Do you not remember us, young one? A few hours ago we spoke in the street, just outside this place. We've come here to help you...to face the monster you fear."
“Zindarik speaks true - we have come to help, not to desecrate - I am a cleric of Tyr and would seek justice on you behalf”. Hofaen puts his hands up in a placating gesture and moves away from the dolls house saying “I mean no offence - do you know what happened here, why you were locked into this room?”
PC | Hofaen - Curse of Strahd by Dylanthalas
Ankita walks into the room slowly, devastated by the sight of the two small skeletons, knowing they are the two they had been searching for since seeing them outside. She walks over to the two ghosts and asks Rose, "I found this in the other room, I assume it is yours? Can I place it next to you?" And if she gets either an affirmative or no response, Ankita will place the doll that she found in the other room next to the larger of the two skeletons.
Zindarik & Hofaen - Rose and Thorn look at each other with confused expressions. Rose looks back to you and says, "We haven't been outside our room since mother and father told us not to leave and locked the door. They told us there was a monster in the basement and we were safe up here. We waited and waited but they never came back..." As she says this she looks down at the skeletons below her, "We've been stuck in here ever since. You're going to defeat the monster? Will you save mother and father as well?"
All - Any of you may make a DC 10 Religion check as you listen to the children's tale. A success will reveal the following:
The children's spirits are likely bound to this room and unable to find rest nor leave. You think that interring their remains might allow them to move on to what awaits after life.
Ankita listens to their tale and makes a religion check: 2
Religion: 10
Zindarik nods his head in response to Rose's questions. "What can you tell us of this monster?"