Session 389 - The Dolls
General Summary
The Story So Far
Ash - An expert in the occult and a skilled monster hunter. Ash uses his talents and budding alchemical expertise to battle what people fear most for a price.
Ryobi - A monk of the embattled Order of the Warriors of Mameka. Ryobi is given an important mission: retrieve the holy blades containing the souls of his brother knights, which were lost in the recent Rethemi civil war.
They are joined by Vinzent, a bard with a morbid demeanor and a haunted past.
This is the continuation of Session 386 - The Brothers of Flame.
Location - City of Golotha in the Kingdom of Rethem.
10th Nuzyael (Spring) 728TR
Part 1 – A Father in Need
Ash, the monster hunter, has a new mission.
His woes include a death in the family and his servants have been injured by a series of “accidents,” and have refuse to work. Worse, his twin eight-year-old daughters Renana and Renanni seem possessed by the dolls he brought for his daughters.
Everything went wrong after the dolls arrived at his house. His staff claimed that the dolls talked, and the girls have become bad-tempered and obsessive over their new toys. Anyone who angers the girls suffers; one vagrant outside his house made a crude remake when the girls walked by and was found dead the next day. Gaulter's wife, the stepmother of the girls, hung herself.
He purchased the dolls from a band of Night People, whom he admits he used to smuggle goods from as far away as Kaldor, thus avoiding tariffs. When pressed by Ryobi, he confesses to driving a hard bargain with the last delivery. “Take it or leave it,” he said, knowing full well the Night people had no choice but to accept his terms. They took it, sold him the dolls, and have since disappeared.
Part 2 – Molly the Doll
The twin girls are alone with the dolls in his townhouse. Gaultier gives the heroes the house keys.
The party carefully approaches. Nothing seems amiss, so they enter the building. The large lounge is messy, with clutter scattered about and dirt on the floor, and someone has tried to clean it up by the evidence of three brooms. Suddenly, some evil spirits seem to possess the brooms and fly at the heroes, but they are quickly converted into splinters.
The rest of the first floor is investigated, but apart from the mess, nothing untoward happens. There is a small garden out back with a staircase leading to the second floor and a trapdoor leading to a cellar. From the cellar, the heroes hear the faint sound of girl's talking. The party quickly makes its way down.
The party attacks, but Molly the Doll points at Ryobi, and suddenly, he feels ill, bruises appearing all over his side. The doll proves evasive and a fearsome foe, its tiny limbs hitting hard. Worse, Renana attacks Ash, furiously pummeling him, not causing any damage but is a distraction. He is forced to knock her out. Eventually, Ryobi decapitates Molly, and the heroes examine the doll, finding a small gem that contains the spirit controlling the doll. Ash smashes it.
Part 3 – The Fireplace and Silverware
The party moves upstairs, finding a study with a roaring fireplace. Suddenly, it comes to life, bellowing out flames and ash on the heroes and almost swallowing Ryobi. The heroes fight back, spilting up so as not to be caught in its flames, and after some pondering, smashes it to pieces. Then it disappears. The fireplace is still there in its normal position. It was a waking nightmare—all an illusion.
The party moves through a pantry, and cutlery, knives, forks, and various sharp objects whirl around the heroes, stabbing and slashing them. At first, the heroes think this could be another illusion, but the painful cuts and holes in their clothing convince them otherwise. Eventually, the party prevails, wreaking the tableware and nearly setting the house alight with alchemical fire.
Part 4 – Dotti the Doll
The evil doll looks at Ash and waves her hand, and he feels a good part of his life force drain and add to the doll's. The doll waves her hand again at a crude harpsichord, and it plays the worst music the heroes have ever heard. It causes their ears to scream with agony, and start to bleed, but the quick-thinking Vinzent plays a composition that counters it. Nevertheless, Ryobi and Ash are in severe pain as the doll strikes. However, the heroes now have some experience dealing with the tiny terrors, and the fight goes easier than with the previous doll. The girl’s screaming is annoying Ash, so he headbutts her, knocking the eight-year-old senseless, but he makes the mistake of throwing a bomb in the room, which causes an electric discharge, and the girl is nearly electrocuted. Vinzent rushes to her aid to revive her while Ash and Royobi tear the Dotti to pieces. Again, the heroes find a controlling gem and shatter it.
Metal trader Gaulter is grateful the curse on his house has been dealt with and pays the heroes as agreed. However, the heroes, especially Ash, have made enemies for the life of that pair of eight-year-old girls.
To be continued.
NPC Interactions
Gaulter of Gildermont.
Created Content
Nothing this week.
Related Reports
Player Characters
Ryobi - Human - L7 Monk
Background - Temple Guard.
Archetypes - Barbarian.
Ash - Human - L7 Thaumaturge
Background - Weaponcrafter.
Archetypes - Alchemist.
NPC Companion
Vinzent - Human - L7 Bard
Background - Cursed.
Archetypes - Blessed.
Next Session
NPC Companion
Vinzent
He is a skilled minstrel who is infamous for his depressing performances and bad luck.
Love the Friday the 13th inspired creepy dolls!
Yep, I watched a few episodes per your recommendation. Very inspirational. Also, this was our Halloween night episode.