Session 02: The Haunted House Report
What's Haunting the Haunted House?
General Summary
The party decides to stay on the second floor rather than descend to the first from the north wing, and shifts their attention towards the west wing of the haunted house. They came to a hallway with two doors. Behind the first door is an old master bedroom with a tall wooden wardrobe opposite a fireplace. The house creaks as Mystan opens the wardrobe, and the group finds a pair of old boots and a blue cloak decorated with silvery leaf patterns. Fischod investigates the cloak, only to find that it has a strange yellow growth on it: yellow mold. It's deadly when touched, but sunlight can kill it. Fischod thus decides to take the cloak as their own.
The group then checks the second door: rubbish is scattered around a guest bedroom full of obvious signs of rodent activity. Calling it a bust, the group descends to the first floor and checks the west wing first. This hallway has three doors, and the first they check is on the left. Within is a library; bookshelves stand half-broken around the room and a pile of books sit in a heap on a desk. The books are mostly histories and romantic poems, but there are a handful of interesting ones: The Magical Properties of Gemstones by the Archmage Tenser, The Magical Properties of Herbs and Flowers also by Tenser, and The Metaphysics of Mathematics by the mage Nystul. Within the last one is a scrap of paper with the words "beyond skeletons." Fishcod also took the books, and was particularly interested in The Magical Properties of Herbs and Flowers, though they cannot understand it's topic, dialect, or jargon.
Melody opens the next door, finding an old writing room filled with a desk and a fireplace. The desk's drawers are locked, and Mystan opens it. All that's in it are alchemical receipts, but they detail odd purchases - including cadavers! Virion was particularly interested in the Alchemist's receipts, which he noted included references to transmuting lead into gold, and maybe purchasing a few cadavers from Seaton University.
Mystan gives Ned some food, and the group opens the last door. it leads into a parlor, which has a door north to the patio. It's a bare living room except a fireplace, and the patio is of little note. Mystan investigates the room, and upon investigating the parlor, a terrible voice calls out. Undeterred, the party then locates footsteps in the dust that lead to a hidden trapdoor.
The group gears up for battle (leveling up) and they descend, finding a huge cellar that has been converted into a living area. There are beds lining the south wall, a table with a pot of stew, and three humans holding cutlasses and immediately hostile.
Melody casts Tasha's Hideous Laughter on one, and he collapses laughing. His partner - who is brandishing his sword while standing on a table - dodges a telegraphed blow from Mystan (despite some Divine Favor). The archer tries to shoot Mystan, missing. Virion retaliates with Magic Missile, and demands surrender. One of the sword-boys considers it, and responds by stabbing at Mystan, his cutlass glancing off Mystan's armor. Fischod stabs through his brain, and he falls dead. Then, Melody hides behind a bed and Mystan slays the archer with Toll the Dead
Before victory is assured, however, two gunmen and another man armed with a cutlass emerge from a secret door, firing a shot into Fishcod and missing Virion. In response, Mr. Sylvenne gives her a nasty cut, crying "Don't fuck with my allies" - earning a similar response from her friend, whose cutlass plunges into Virion's thigh. Fishcod runs to his aid, gazing him with their spear. Melody then loosely ties the laughing bandit up (DC 6 to untie or escape). The gunwoman tries to shoot Virion at point blank range, but her arm is pushed out of the way and she fires wide, punching a hole through the ceiling. Virion misses pommeling her in return.
Ned comes down the stairs, horrified at the bodies. Melody tries to comfort him and then goes back to tying up the laughing person - only to get literally stabbed in the back by Ned, with a poisoned shortsword. Ned the flees to hide, the rest of the chaotic battle oblivious thanks to black powder and general conflict. Mystan, running to encircle the enemy, and flanking him. His warhammer strikes true, and he swings once more as a War Priest - felling the enemy swordsman. The gunwoman retaliates, her shot flying through Mystan's scaled body and puncturing his armor. Her ally emerges from the secret door and tries to stab Mystan, missing - and Virion knocks her unconscious.
Then, Ned emerges from the smoke. Fishcod falls from his blade, and he swings at Virion - alerting the remaining party members to Ned's involvement. The tied up bandit breaks free, and flees. Mystan uses a healing spell to return Melody to consciousness, and tries to swing at the other enemy - but he misses. That enemy then flees, seeing that many of his allies are unconscious. Virion grapples Ned, who tries to stab him amidst the wrestling - drawing a great deal of blood from the elven bladesinger. Melody draws a crossbow, and trains it on Ned, while Mystan brings Fishcod to be stable and circles around Ned. Virion slashes Ned within the grapple, which Ned then breaks free of - triggering Melody's attack, which misses. Ned disengages, and flees.
Melody runs up to the rest of the party, and gives Mystan the Help Action as well as Bardic Inspiration, because all she does is buff people. She requests that he use those gifts to take Ned in - alive; her pacifism only extends as far as her life. Mystan gives chase to Ned, whacking him from behind - getting TWO NAT ONES but with channel divinity, is able to desperately hit Ned for a little less damage (halved). But, with war priest, can attack again, knocking Ned out cold (and earning him piety).
They tie the woman (Eva) up (DC 19), as well as Ned (DC 14). The group wastes no time searching Ned and their surroundings. On the traitor are documents about company manifests and whatnot, but they're oblique and reveal nothing about Ned's employer(s). Melody guesses that the bandits were sea princes, and given they have yet to find who caused the magic burns they head into the next room.
They find a wine cellar, within which is Andri Blueson's corpse still-clad in plate mail. Fishcod investigates the corpse, only for grubs to appear "like curdled milk squeezed from a bladder." While Fishcod is unharmed, the party takes a few healthy steps back. Melody tries to identify the grubs to no effect, while Mystan deduces that the body has been dead for a few weeks, and sports wounds from firearms and swords - but not magic.
Melody then investigates the next room. It's a private bedroom with comfortable furnishings, included candles, a lantern, books, and a closed wardrobe. The books include a naval almanac, a treatise on the demigod Ithaqua and his minions, and a volume of fully illustrated erotic poetry. Melody burns the latter, and takes the other two books. More searching yields a secret lantern code to use from a second story window, as well as a nice oilskin coat which Melody gives to Virion.
The group then checks the second door: rubbish is scattered around a guest bedroom full of obvious signs of rodent activity. Calling it a bust, the group descends to the first floor and checks the west wing first. This hallway has three doors, and the first they check is on the left. Within is a library; bookshelves stand half-broken around the room and a pile of books sit in a heap on a desk. The books are mostly histories and romantic poems, but there are a handful of interesting ones: The Magical Properties of Gemstones by the Archmage Tenser, The Magical Properties of Herbs and Flowers also by Tenser, and The Metaphysics of Mathematics by the mage Nystul. Within the last one is a scrap of paper with the words "beyond skeletons." Fishcod also took the books, and was particularly interested in The Magical Properties of Herbs and Flowers, though they cannot understand it's topic, dialect, or jargon.
Melody opens the next door, finding an old writing room filled with a desk and a fireplace. The desk's drawers are locked, and Mystan opens it. All that's in it are alchemical receipts, but they detail odd purchases - including cadavers! Virion was particularly interested in the Alchemist's receipts, which he noted included references to transmuting lead into gold, and maybe purchasing a few cadavers from Seaton University.
Mystan gives Ned some food, and the group opens the last door. it leads into a parlor, which has a door north to the patio. It's a bare living room except a fireplace, and the patio is of little note. Mystan investigates the room, and upon investigating the parlor, a terrible voice calls out. Undeterred, the party then locates footsteps in the dust that lead to a hidden trapdoor.
The group gears up for battle (leveling up) and they descend, finding a huge cellar that has been converted into a living area. There are beds lining the south wall, a table with a pot of stew, and three humans holding cutlasses and immediately hostile.
Melody casts Tasha's Hideous Laughter on one, and he collapses laughing. His partner - who is brandishing his sword while standing on a table - dodges a telegraphed blow from Mystan (despite some Divine Favor). The archer tries to shoot Mystan, missing. Virion retaliates with Magic Missile, and demands surrender. One of the sword-boys considers it, and responds by stabbing at Mystan, his cutlass glancing off Mystan's armor. Fischod stabs through his brain, and he falls dead. Then, Melody hides behind a bed and Mystan slays the archer with Toll the Dead
Before victory is assured, however, two gunmen and another man armed with a cutlass emerge from a secret door, firing a shot into Fishcod and missing Virion. In response, Mr. Sylvenne gives her a nasty cut, crying "Don't fuck with my allies" - earning a similar response from her friend, whose cutlass plunges into Virion's thigh. Fishcod runs to his aid, gazing him with their spear. Melody then loosely ties the laughing bandit up (DC 6 to untie or escape). The gunwoman tries to shoot Virion at point blank range, but her arm is pushed out of the way and she fires wide, punching a hole through the ceiling. Virion misses pommeling her in return.
Ned comes down the stairs, horrified at the bodies. Melody tries to comfort him and then goes back to tying up the laughing person - only to get literally stabbed in the back by Ned, with a poisoned shortsword. Ned the flees to hide, the rest of the chaotic battle oblivious thanks to black powder and general conflict. Mystan, running to encircle the enemy, and flanking him. His warhammer strikes true, and he swings once more as a War Priest - felling the enemy swordsman. The gunwoman retaliates, her shot flying through Mystan's scaled body and puncturing his armor. Her ally emerges from the secret door and tries to stab Mystan, missing - and Virion knocks her unconscious.
Then, Ned emerges from the smoke. Fishcod falls from his blade, and he swings at Virion - alerting the remaining party members to Ned's involvement. The tied up bandit breaks free, and flees. Mystan uses a healing spell to return Melody to consciousness, and tries to swing at the other enemy - but he misses. That enemy then flees, seeing that many of his allies are unconscious. Virion grapples Ned, who tries to stab him amidst the wrestling - drawing a great deal of blood from the elven bladesinger. Melody draws a crossbow, and trains it on Ned, while Mystan brings Fishcod to be stable and circles around Ned. Virion slashes Ned within the grapple, which Ned then breaks free of - triggering Melody's attack, which misses. Ned disengages, and flees.
Melody runs up to the rest of the party, and gives Mystan the Help Action as well as Bardic Inspiration, because all she does is buff people. She requests that he use those gifts to take Ned in - alive; her pacifism only extends as far as her life. Mystan gives chase to Ned, whacking him from behind - getting TWO NAT ONES but with channel divinity, is able to desperately hit Ned for a little less damage (halved). But, with war priest, can attack again, knocking Ned out cold (and earning him piety).
They tie the woman (Eva) up (DC 19), as well as Ned (DC 14). The group wastes no time searching Ned and their surroundings. On the traitor are documents about company manifests and whatnot, but they're oblique and reveal nothing about Ned's employer(s). Melody guesses that the bandits were sea princes, and given they have yet to find who caused the magic burns they head into the next room.
They find a wine cellar, within which is Andri Blueson's corpse still-clad in plate mail. Fishcod investigates the corpse, only for grubs to appear "like curdled milk squeezed from a bladder." While Fishcod is unharmed, the party takes a few healthy steps back. Melody tries to identify the grubs to no effect, while Mystan deduces that the body has been dead for a few weeks, and sports wounds from firearms and swords - but not magic.
Melody then investigates the next room. It's a private bedroom with comfortable furnishings, included candles, a lantern, books, and a closed wardrobe. The books include a naval almanac, a treatise on the demigod Ithaqua and his minions, and a volume of fully illustrated erotic poetry. Melody burns the latter, and takes the other two books. More searching yields a secret lantern code to use from a second story window, as well as a nice oilskin coat which Melody gives to Virion.
Rewards Granted
- Various books
- Several weapons
- Ammunition
Character(s) interacted with
- Ned Shakeshaft
- Eva
Melody Rose Hazel Turen
Neutral Good Forest Gnome (Hermit)
Bard 3
Bard 3
12 / 18 HP
STR
8
8
DEX
16
16
CON
11
11
INT
8
8
WIS
13
13
CHA
18
18
Virion Sylvenne
C/N Wood Elf (Noble)
Wizard 2
Wizard 2
7 / 12 HP
STR
12
12
DEX
16
16
CON
13
13
INT
16
16
WIS
14
14
CHA
14
14
Co'oquilan Mystan
Bronze Dragonborn (Acolyte)
Cleric 3
Cleric 3
10 / 24 HP
STR
14
14
DEX
11
11
CON
14
14
INT
13
13
WIS
16
16
CHA
13
13
Fishcod
Report Date
31 Jan 2022
Primary Location
Secondary Location
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