A Curse of Strahds [IC]

You manage to pick the lock, it unlocks and falls to the floor with a dull thud, kicking up some of the dust on the floor.

"Yes lets make a bunch  of  noise, if they dont know were here then they know now." Necros  wispers as he readys eldritch  blast and opens the door reay to fire at anthing

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 (unmoving) skeletons wearing tattered but familiar clothing. The smaller of the two cradles a stuffed doll that you also recognize.

Good job not getting beat by a lock this time, Zenn.

Right Necros, because the screaming ghost didn't just make a ton of noise.

Well, that's creepy. That clinches it, those kids are ghosts. This whole house is a trap. We're going to die in here. They kept them locked in here with no window out? Was it horrible parenting, or for their own protection?

“More souls departed before their time,” Lae says sadly with eyes cast to the ground.

Embir enters and puts her hand over her mouth in shock at the sight of such small skeletons.

"Yeah Necros, we have been in here yelling and smashing things... But that lock dropping... That's the one noise that let everyone know we are here..."

Embir falls to her knees near the skeletons. She turns and glares at Necros, Zander and Zennas, "PLEASE! A little respect?!"

Zander sighs. Sorry, Embir, you're right. Children shouldn't have to die. Would you like to perform a rite of passing or something, before we move on?

"We should dig a grave and give these children a proper burial." 

Embir holds her holy symbol then puts each of her hands on one of  the skeletons and begins muttering something. The rest of you can tell she is not casting a spell, but probably saying some kind of prayer over them.

"I am having some kind of trouble.....resistance?...I have never experienced this before."

Suddenly, as if called, the children appear before you. They appear a but different than they did downstairs, however. Lae, you can tell these are ghosts, and now looking at them, can only assume the ones outside must've been some kind of illusion.

“Embir..” Lae whispers “... now would be a good time to cast that spell we talked about earlier..”

Embir nods. She mutters some words and moves her hands, then waits a moment. "I can sense them. But all I sense from them is good."

That's even sadder. Good kids, taken before their time.

Embir nods sadly. She whispers, though it is difficult to tell whether she is talking to the skeletons, the ghosts, or merely to herself. "How did you die?"

Regardless of whom Embir was speaking to, the ghost of Rose (the girl, the elder of the two) answers, "Our parents locked us in here to protect us from the monster in the basement. We died here. We were so hungry."

Hoooo... Oh man, that gets me, that gets me right here. Zander pounds his chest.

That probably means their parents didn't survive holding whatever monster is down there at bay. We have to find the basement.

Rose points to the dollhouse. "There is a secret door in the attic."

Zennas takes a moment to grieve for the starving children. 

"I know what it means to starve, I've gone my share without rations, but for a child to experience even what I have... I don't even wish on my enemy."

Zander pats Zennas on the shoulder.

Thank you, Rose. We will do what we can to give your spirit some rest.

“I’m sorry children.. like the wee one said though.. we will do what we can to fix this mess,” Lae says as he lowers his head in respect.