Pizazz's Ravenloft and Beyond

Ulthan moves through water like a fish out of...err a fish in water... He never seems to be slowed down by any terrain, even water. So long suckers! oh... snap...

(the ghost doesn't have Ulthan skills, so moves slowly through the water)

The ghost dives through the water like a fish, emerging on the far side of the cave with unnatural speed. 

Mordekai faces the ghost standing with Meepo, but calls loudly so that the one currently in possession of Ulthan can hear clearly.  "My friends, we can all help you, but if we're going to help, we'll need all of us.  Stop running away with our friend, and we'll do everything in our considerable power to give you peaceful rest."  Persuasion: 29

(Feel free to ignore the roll if you think I'm basically just doing the same thing Meepo did - Mordekai is essentially doing the same thing as Ketch - giving the diplomatic approach a chance before jumping to combat, but I figured I'd add some 'Mordekai' flavour)

Mordekai's voice seems to call out reason to the fleeing Ulthan. The ghost stops fleeing....his panic from the confrontational Paladin subsides for a moment...and he glances back and seems to wait. He doesn't give up Ulthan's body, but he seems to want the other ghost to be free as well. 

The girl, "Yes...please....help us both." 

Ulthan, without any grunting, says, "Yes, show us you'll help, then you can have your friend back..."

"Well, we chose not to destroy you, so clearly our intentions are kind. What do you require? Would it be enough to lay your bodies to rest with a proper burial? Outside of this cave, obviously, as you're so desperate to escape this place. Would that be enough for your spirits to be at peace, or is there more? How did you come to be in this place?"

     Ketch is itchy to do something...  But restrains himself.  If all it takes is digging a hole and throwing two sets of bones into it to get rid of these things it was worth it.  Specially since we can have the other skellies do the grunt work, he thinks to himself.

     Still and all, he does get ready to cast Hold Person in case ulthan tries fleeing again.  ((Note - Is not holding the spell, don't want to waste the slot if never needed or such.  Ketch just has in mind that it's a likely next tactic...))

"If you could...could just take our bones, and remove them from this cave...and just....release them into the ocean....to drift free."  

As soon as the first party member moves to pick up the bones, the boys spirit flies free from Ulthan with a slurp, leaving the large man blinking in confusion as he looks around the room, wondering how he got soaking wet and onto the far side of the room.  The ghosts drift to on side to watch.

     Ketch will assist with the moving of the bones to the current.  “This seems almost too easy,” he’ll grumbley complain while doing so.

     “Ever wonder what makes some linger and care about their bones while others depart unconcerned?” He idly asks Meepo.  “You ever have any come back and complain about you using them?”

It did look way too easy and Lionel, while helping to relocate the remains (he even made a short prayer over them) kept an eye on the both ghosts and retained the spell on Ulthan (just in case).

“Meepo never have complains before.”  Meepo responds.  He sighs as the bones are let free into the water, sad that he will be losing a couple skeletons, but glad the ghosty pair will be happier.  He glances to them as the skeletons are let free into the water.  “Little ghosties happy now?” He asks them.

The two ghosts seem to hug and smile, then their eyes open wide and as if seeing something you can not, and they slowly fade away. 

While moving the bones you noticed several bits of gear and equipment about them.  You find 2 potions of healing and 37 gold. 

Ulthan looks around and shrugs, not the first time one of his tribe has been temporarily possessed by a ghost to give guidance. That said also something he never intended to do either. So he shrugs it off and moves with ease to rejoin the group ensuring his bow string is not wet. He kneels down the pet the cat as he looks around the cave for any other hint of trouble.

Lionel gave up on understanding the logic of this world some time ago and now just sort of went with the flow. Probably some unlucky intruders, set to guard the entrance. That did characterize the wizard as a vengeful type, but for now that part was done and they could move on. "I think ghosty are happy, Meepo. Let us see now what is behind that door." He walked back to the no-more-secret passage and tried to open the door, forgetting to ask the kobold again to let one of his skeleton do that.

You stand on the shore of a foreign world for a moment as you watch the bones wash back and forth on the coral covered bottom of the ocean, with each wave lapping up against your shins. The sea water fills your boots and each wave pushes and pulls rythmically at your legs. The sound of the ocean, the wind, the constant woosh of waves hitting the land is peaceful as you stare off at the horizon. Above, an overly large moon is white in the blue day sky, with another smaller moon visible just behind it.  Two birds of a kind you don't recognize fly by, yelling absently as they fly. As the spirits vanish you feel a strange sense of accomplishment in such a small task. Whatever power, or emotion, or ghostly need that forced them to cling to their bodies within the cave....for who knows how long...is taken care of, and you know that in this simple task you've let two souls move on to a better place...ending their suffering. Is there any greater accomplishment? The thoughts seep through your minds until Lionel, letting out a sigh, abruptly turns and heads back across the room to the secret passage. The rest of you turn to follow.  A crowd of skeletons stand motionless, chest deep in the water, their heads slowly turning to track Lionel as he wades up to his chest and then climbs the underwater stairs to the passage.  Water pours out of his armor as he emerges from the water, and he trails behind a wet splashing trail as he walks down the passage.

The rest of you follow. 

Lionel pushes open the door at the end of the hallway without hesitation. Whatever he sees though causes him to take a step back in surprise. You all peer past him and see a massive creature in the cave beyond, its bronze scales sliding across themselves roughly as moves to regard the intruder. 

Several small, glowing stones hang from the twenty-foot-high ceiling of this large cave, which is cluttered with laboratory equipment and beautiful coral sculptures. Rising from the floor in the center of the room is a circular stone dais that has obvious grooves to accommodate a device of some kind, though no such device is present. Upon this dais is a large bronze-scaled dragon wearing a coral crown. A large wooden door on the right side of the room is ajar. The cave contains several tables covered with intricate machinery and crafting tools. Bookshelves are filled with books and dioramas. Freestanding chalkboards in wooden frames once displayed arcane formulas, though only smudges and streaks of chalk remain. On the left side of the room, you see a framed doorway with a door in it...though, with the natural shape of the cave wall, the door frame does not sit flush against the wall, and you can see the solid stone of the wall behind it.  If the door is opened you'd imagine you would just see the blank cave wall. 

The bronze dragon does not seem to be surprised by your presence, having likely heard you moving about in the other hallway. He glares down at you under his coral crown and speaks, "Who dares intrude upon my domain? This is my private place...you are not welcome here!"

 "We knocked," automatically answered Lionel, a bit too surprised by the view - genie did not bother to mention the race of the mighty wizard that entrapped him. Unless... For a bronze dragon to trap someone... The paladin was not a big expert on the dragons but never herd of the bronze to be slavers. He recovered from initial shock, politely bowed his head and tried again. "Please, forgive our intrusion." (hopefully, the skeleton army did not get into view yet and it could not be called "invasion") "We are searching for the famous wizard Zikran and were informed this is his place. Were we misinformed?"

     “In polite society we knock,” Ketch says in a low growl, looking towards Lionel.

     “My apologies, great dragon!  We meant not to intrude upon you.  We were given bad directions.  We were merely searching for a legendary wizard, not a being of your strength and power and intelligence…”  Ketch says, slowly advancing towards Lionel, holding in his thoughts that he intends to pull his companion away from the door…  though he doesn’t. Not necessarily.

Ulthan backs more out of the way trying to remember how big of a breath these dragons have.

The dragon lets out a guttural growl at Ketch's response, and raises his head, "Once a wizard may have kept this place, but no longer....I found it, and it is mine. Begone."  The creature seems to crunch its claws back and forth, as it's neck wavers back and forth, as if trying to make itself look even bigger, as if to occupy the entire room and block your view of anything you might see and covet. 

The Genie book open near Meepo, the Genie whispers, "If the wizard was dead, I'd be free....he must still live."

Something was off here. Lionel stepped aside as if to let others to see better or to enter the room but actually trying to look behind the creature. Could that be just an illusion? He could not tell. "Forgive us", repeated Lionel, "but we know for sure the wizard is not dead and it is unlikely he would just abandon the place. Believe me, we would not in intrude on your privacy, but this is very important that we found Zikran. Would you probably have some ideas where he would go?"

Perception: 9, Insight: 9

Mordekai moves to Meepo and says very quietly, "How deep does your knowledge of dragons go? Can you gain its trust bonding over some...er... common traits? Look at all the lost things it has found a home for. It's practically curated the ideal home for lost items, that will be treasured and valued forever here in its possession?"

Mordekai is clutching at straws a little here, but hopes to trigger some kind of inspiration in Meepo's creative little mind.