PrP: Kingdom of a Thousand Faces, Part 4
June 27, 2012
When we last left our adventurers, they were cornered in the mysterious 'vault', which turns out to have been the throne room of the mysterious self-proclaimed 'king' of this place, a man whose face is very familiar to a few among you. The King is not the least bit happy about the deaths and injuries his 'subjects' have suffered at the hands of the group, and is now approaching them with a longsword raised menacingly and the shield with the House Brache crest in his other hand. "So thoughtLESSly you hurt and kill my subJECTS. You are unWORTHy of MERcy. As king, I will carry out your senTENCE." He calls out in his strange voice, approaching with obvious violent intent.
GAME: Nadara rolls initiative: Roll: 8 + Bonus: 3 = Total: 11
GAME: Conrad rolls initiative: Roll: 2 + Bonus: 4 = Total: 6
GAME: You roll initiative for 10: Roll: 14 + Bonus: King = Total: 14
GAME: Savannah rolls initiative: Roll: 6 + Bonus: 4 = Total: 10
GAME: You roll initiative for King: Roll: 2 + Bonus: 10 = Total: 12
GAME: Halani rolls initiative: Roll: 5 + Bonus: 4 = Total: 9
GAME: Donk rolls initiative: Roll: 6 + Bonus: 2 = Total: 8
"Heya. We can hit him now, yeah? Ver? Vera?" Halani still hasn't addressed the 'king' directly, looking to her friends instead. Particularly Conrad and Savannah.
GAME: Dante rolls initiative: Roll: 4 + Bonus: 1 = Total: 5
GAME: Jibbom rolls 2d8+7: (4)+7: 11
"A just ruler does not throw his subJECTS away. You were sent into UNknown danGER. Your ruler thinks noTHING of your lives. I PROtect those who look to me for STREngth." The King extends his hand and murmurs words which are obviously magical in nature. Within seconds, the eyes of the bound unconscious 'double' of Savannah pop open. The ropes binding her can be heard straining as she struggles against them, seeking to free herself.
"Rada, I can't pay you back if I'm dead. Give these find gentlemen a discount, would'ja?" Nadara asks this hopefully whiel she draws her dragonspitter. "Now you listen here! I've got the Goddes of WEALTH backing me. You don't wanna start pronouncing sentences," squeaks the shrill little red-haired goblin girl.
GAME: Savannah rolls weapon4: (15)+0: 15
GAME: Savannah rolls weapon4: (9)+0: 9
GAME: Savannah rolls 1d8+3: (3)+3: 6
When the king begins to cast spells, and making his own subjects, like Savannah's double try to break free, The real Savannah lifts her bow and fires two arrows at him. One bounces off of the crested shield, the second.....gets him in the knee. The Memes....
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+9: (3)+9: 12
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+9: (4)+9: 13
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+4: (18)+4: 22
GAME: Halani rolls 1d8+3: (7)+3: 10
GAME: Halani rolls 1d8+3: (2)+3: 5
GAME: Halani rolls 1d8+3: (3)+3: 6
GAME: Conrad rolls weapon2+1: (9)+6+1: 16
Halani, all set to charge off into the king's face as she's prone to do, actually hesitates for once. For starters, there's the magic he casts... that tends to make the monkette a little wary. For another... she looks down and notes the captive's struggling. "Heya. Not a great time to wake up." So Halani helps not-Savannah back to sleep. With a couple of well placed fists.
Conrad levels his rifle, "You know, we'd me a lot more amenable to talking if you didn't start spouting crazy and advancing on us with magic and weapons." The rifle booms and kicks back, but it misses the King's everything. The human grimaces, "Just sayin'."
Studing the king, Dante frowns and goes into action moving towards him and growling from behind his helm, and draws his weapon at the last momemnt, and going totally defensive with his large sword.
GAME: Jibbom rolls 1d20+11: (10)+11: 21
GAME: Halani rolls will: (1)+9: 10
GAME: Jibbom rolls 3d8+5: (16)+5: 21
GAME: Jibbom damaged Halani for 21 points. 6 remaining.
Hurting his 'subjects' seems to be one of the king's hot buttons. He snarls and lets out a distinctly inhuman cry of rage, leaping forward and striking the monk with the flat of his sword. The impact inflicts little injury itself, but it carries a charge of pure negative energy that flows straight into her, as if draining the life straight away.
GAME: Nadara rolls 1d20+5: (12)+5: 17
GAME: Nadara rolls 1d6: (4): 4
Blam!
The little dragonspitter goes off and a tiny bullet rips into the so-called King's side. "You LEAVE HER ALONE," she snarls with surprising ferocity.
GAME: Savannah rolls weapon4: (8)+8: 16
GAME: Savannah rolls weapon4: (11)+8: 19
GAME: Savannah rolls 1d8+3: (8)+3: 11
Even as the King goes after Halani, Savannah is still firing arrows at him. Even as the so called king blocks one arrow, the second arrow, hits the King in the stomach. "Not looking so good now, are you?"
GAME: Conrad rolls 1d12+1: (5)+1: 6
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+7: (11)+7: 18
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+7: (7)+7: 14
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+7-5: (6)+7+-5: 8
GAME: Halani rolls 1d8+3: (1)+3: 4
GAME: Conrad rolls weapon2-3: (19)+6+-3: 22
GAME: Conrad rolls 1d12+1: (8)+1: 9
Halani is just rising from putting other-Savannah to sleep when the king steps forward and... hurts her. She screams as negative energy is poured into her, and for the duration it seems like the only thing keeping her standing is some unnatural connection the magic holds between her and the blade. Then the magic ends, and she slumps, staggers. Breathing hard, Halani manages to recognize that he went straight for her.. and running isn't a great option. So she falls back a half step, remembering teachings from years back... and goes on the defensive. She watches the king, past his armour, looking for his eyes, studying his body language.. and her blows lack the strenght and power she usually delivers.
Conrad grimaces and follows the combatants carefully as they move back and forth under Halani's hail of blows. It's his one bane, trying to fire into a personal battle. But he finally tracks his target until the king is a pace away and unleashes a blast, immediately breaking open the barrel to load in a new bullet, even as he measures the damage done to the undead creature. He's silent. He has no quips for this. Halani took a bad hit.
GAME: Dante rolls 1d8+1: (8)+1: 9
GAME: Jibbom damaged Halani for -9 points. 15 remaining.
GAME: Dante used a Wand of Cure Light Wounds.
GAME: Jibbom rolls 1d20+11: (18)+11: 29
GAME: Halani rolls will: (20)+9: 29
GAME: Jibbom rolls 3d8+5: (10)+5: 15
GAME: Jibbom damaged Halani for 7 points. 8 remaining.
At first Dante was posed to move in for the kill, however the blow struck to Halani, caused the paladin to grow, and moving over towards her, touches her quickly with his wand, after sheathing his weapon, and shielding her, tries to heal her of wounds inflicted.
Whoever this 'king' may be, he's either inhuman or has a truly legendary tolerance for pain. Even as he is struck repeatedly with arrows, fists, and bullets, he ignores them entirely. There's not even the slightest wince suggesting he feels pain from the blows. He simply grows and slashes at Halani again, another current of dark energy sapping her strength away. Fortunately, she has the mental fortitude to resist most of the effect this time.
GAME: Nadara rolls 1d20+2: (15)+2: 17
GAME: Nadara rolls 1d6: (2): 2
GAME: Savannah rolls weapon4: (9)+8: 17
GAME: Savannah rolls weapon4: (7)+8: 15
Savannah sees Halani in trouble and tries to put the 'king' down on the spot. Alas, both of her shots bounce off of the shield. "Crap.....we need to put this guy down."
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+2+1-2: (2)+6+4+2+1+-2: 13
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+2+1-2: (7)+6+4+2+1+-2: 18
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+2+1-2: (13)+6+4+2+1+-2: 24
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+2+1-2-5: (17)+6+4+2+1+-2+-5: 23
GAME: Halani rolls 1d8+2+1+4: (7)+2+1+4: 14
GAME: Halani rolls 1d8+2+1+4: (3)+2+1+4: 10
GAME: Donk rolls weapon6+1+4+1: (12)+8+1+4+1: 26
Halani doesn't have time to issue thanks to Dante... a brief, relieved smile is all he gets because as she opens her mouth.... zap. There's that nasty sword of dark energy again. This time, though, having put up her monkly mental walls, instead of scarying the monkeys out of her it makes her mad. She skips sideways, and a subtle change in her stance has her going on offensive. Her limbs get faster, her blows hit harder.
GAME: Donk rolls 2d6+6+3: (12)+6+3: 21
"Attention, everyone!" comes a shrill yell from above. On a natural outcropping of rock high above the group, Donk stands high astride a slightly-skittish Destroyer. How did they even get up there, especially on a mount that's afraid of heights. "The Great and Powerful Donk Yauti spies a false king! One who cowers in darkness, hiding behind his subjects like a shield. He does not know what it means to /earn/ the right to rule! He will be taught by a true King and ruler. He will be taught...by Donk's LANCE! HYAAA!"
With a spur of his heels, Donk and Destroyer launch into the air in a majestic arc. There's even a light *ping* from the end of his lance, catching the dim light, before it turns and plummets down, tearing open the King's side with a CRUNCH of bone and armor. Cavalier and mount wheel away, stained slightly on one side by the gore from their adversary, the former grinning madly as he comes about for another pass.
And with a swift hiss-click of her pistol, Nadara ha also fired again. She's actually put another tiny little hole in the so-called king. "Give it up now, pretender! You don't have a chance!" And then Donk scores that lancing blow and she adds, "...especially not with Donk." Yeah. Puff up the cavalier. That's the way to go.
The King looks down at the massive wound inflicted by Donk's lance, still showing no obvious sign of pain despite having much of his body nearly ripped entirely away. "UseLESS EFFort." His eyes shut as he drops his sword and shield, both clattering to the floor. His whole body goes limp, slumping to the ground, apparently dead. For a moment, there is silence. Then, the king's head begins to well, skull warping and twisting with a sickening cracking sound as it breaks apart. The man's head explodes from within like a melon struck with a sledgehammer.
What happens next is even more horrific. His brain actually crawls out of his head of its own volition, walking on four clawed, vaguely reptillian legs. The brain grows quickly in size as it staggers away, clawing free of the broken body. The disjointed voice echoes again, as if coming from within the adventurer's own heads. "A useLESS tool to be BROken. I shall take your BODies as my own."
GAME: Halani rolls knowledge/dungeoneering: (18)+3: 21
GAME: Conrad rolls knowledge/dungeoneering: (4)+6: 10
GAME: Conrad rolls weapon2+2: (2)+6+2: 10
Conrad snaps the barrel shut after reloading and ughs. As the creature makes its arrogant claim, Conrad replies, leveling his rifle, "Let me think about that. No." BOOM! Sadly, the shot kicks up dirt rather than zombie food.
GAME: Dante rolls 1d8+1: (1)+1: 2
GAME: Dante used a Wand of Cure Light Wounds.
GAME: Jibbom damaged Halani for -2 points. 10 remaining.
Dante reaches and taps Halani once again, though this time the wounds close a little less this time. silently lowers his head and says a prayer to the Sky-Dancer, requesting strength and health for his comrades. though he exhales deeply, as he wactes, though doesn't reach for his weapon, studing the smaller creature.
Despite the creature's threatening words, it does seem a little dazed by the loss of the body. The walking brain continues growing as it pushes away from the broken corpse, finally stopping when it is roughly the size of a pony. Only it's a brain. With massive claws.
GAME: Savannah rolls weapon4: (7)+8: 15
GAME: Savannah rolls weapon4: (16)+8: 24
GAME: Savannah rolls 1d8+3: (3)+3: 6
"...you've got to be shittin' me," is what Nadara says at the... at the... *brain* thing. Her gun is just held out there. She's just *staring* with yellow eyes at it.
As the brain grows, Savannah grumbles. "Controlling a dead body. wonderful." She says before firing a couple of shots at the brain. Unfortunately, the brain's wounds heal quickly. "This is going to require more of a magical touch."
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+1-2: (14)+6+4+1+-2: 23
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+1-2: (8)+6+4+1+-2: 17
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+1-2: (6)+6+4+1+-2: 15
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+1-2-5: (5)+6+4+1+-2+-5: 9
GAME: Halani rolls 1d8+2+1+2: (6)+2+1+2: 11
"...what the devil?? Is that a..." Donk can't even finish that sentence, lowering his lance and staring in amazement at what just popped out of that dude's head. Destroyer, however, is intrigued! He creeps up close to it, his rider too shocked to object, and sniffs at the brain. Followed by a tentative lick.
Yes, tenderize the meat, Halani! It will make it so much more delicious!
".... oh," the islander monk says, looking like she just bit into something rotten. "That's gross. But explains so much, yeah?" Halani then proceeds to try and... pulverize it. It's tricky to fight, though, when you've trained all your life to fight people. "Use acid if you have it, hey!"
GAME: Conrad rolls weapon2-3: (9)+6+-3: 12
GAME: Dante used a Potion of Cure Light Wounds.
Conrad grrs and tries to track the pony-sized brain, but his shot goes wide, "What the hell is that! You'd...wait...Stop moving!" The huntsman sounds frustrated as he finally cracks open the barrel and starts to reload, "Bloody hell!"
GAME: Dante rolls 1d20+12: (11)+12: 23
GAME: Dante rolls 2d6+11: (7)+11: 18
Dante reaching and trying to get a potion in Halani's general direction, draws his weapon in an instant, and is attacking the large brainy creature, and is able to connect with it for a little bit of damage, as he prepares for his next attack.
GAME: Donk rolls will: (10)+1: 11
The brain, lacking any obvious way of speaking aloud, makes no sounds in response to being struck and sliced. I just staggers and reels appropriately. Again, the booming voice can be heard inside everyone's minds. "You shaTTER my body. I shaTTER your mind." After this is said, Donk begins to feel very funny. And not funny in the way Donk normally feels. No. Something is very, very obviously wrong with the gnome.
GAME: Nadara casts Divine Favor.
GAME: Savannah rolls 1d20+2: (9)+2: 11
Seeing that her arrows aren't working, Savannah snaps her fingers and throws a blue ball at the brain. Unfortunately, the Missile pops before it's meant to hit the target. "Damn."
GAME: Savannah casts Magic Missile.
"..wha...what *is* that?" says Nadara, shocked. She lowers her gun, slowly, and says, "Okay, Rada. You're gonna have to give me a lil' more help here because that... that just isn't right. Not a bit." Her eyes widen a little and she says, "Okay. Thanks. I'll sign the dotted line later."
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+1+2-2: (7)+6+4+1+2+-2: 18
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+1+2-2: (14)+6+4+1+2+-2: 25
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+1+2-2: (5)+6+4+1+2+-2: 16
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+1+2-2-5: (13)+6+4+1+2+-2+-5: 19
GAME: Halani rolls 1d8+2+1+4: (6)+2+1+4: 13
GAME: Jibbom rolls 1d100: (6): 6
GAME: Donk rolls weapon6+1+4: (8)+8+1+4: 21
GAME: Donk rolls 2d6+6+6: (6)+6+6: 18
GAME: Conrad rolls weapon2-3: (11)+6+-3: 14
GAME: Dante rolls 1d20+12: (16)+12: 28
GAME: Dante rolls 2d6+11: (3)+11: 14
"Waugh! It...what...I..." Donk blinks and gives his head a harsh shake, pushing his helmet back. He blinks, looking a little dazed...and his face turns into a rictus of anger. "All of you! Planning to try and usurp the Donk? You will pay for this! Pay dearly! Starting with YOU!" Almost completely at random, Donk lowers his lance, pointing it at the group around the brain...and charges blindly at them, screaming incoherently. Which manages to actually hit the brain! Shocking! "YOUR DEFENSES WILL NOT STAND AGAINST THE DONK'S MIGHT AND FURY!"
"It's a brain sucker, vera," Halani tells Nadara, oh so helpfully, as she tries to get the brain monster's attention by punching it in the... brain... again.
GAME: Jibbom rolls 1d20+13: (7)+13: 20
Conrad shakes his head as another shot goes wide, "...I really need to work on shooting into melee..." Conrad cracks open the barrel and loads another bullet, "Nadara! Don't suppose I could make a spur-of-the-moment deal with your goddess, could I? This isn't going so well!" Snapping the barrel shut, Conrad lines up for another shot.
GAME: Jibbom rolls 3d8+5: (21)+5: 26
GAME: Dante rolls will: (19)+10: 29
GAME: Jibbom damaged Dante for 13 points. 21 remaining.
Dante swings at the creature once again, and is able to slice into its flesh, though his wounds aren't closing, they are sligfht compared to the size of the creature. Still it appears to be a lot tougher than it looks
The brain recoils from the wounds inflicted on it. Lashing out like an injured animal, it rakes one claw across the front of the paladin's armor. Just as when his former body attacked Halani earlier, powerful life-draining energy accompanies the creature's touch, sapping life away. Fortunately, Dante's mental strength protects him from the worst of it.
GAME: Nadara rolls 1d20+7: (3)+7: 10
Nadara fires again. This time, the bullet whizzes over the brain. She's still not exactly sure how to hurt this thing and she looks apalled by its very existance. "Someone... do something to that.. that thing," she says, despite the best efforts of the otehrs already. She can't really figure this out.
GAME: Savannah rolls weapon4: (6)+8: 14
GAME: Savannah rolls weapon4: (4)+8: 12
Savannah's lucks isn't holding it seems. She fires another two shots and they both plink off the armor of the brain-thing.
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+1+2-2: (3)+6+4+1+2+-2: 14
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+1+2-2: (7)+6+4+1+2+-2: 18
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+1+2-2: (12)+6+4+1+2+-2: 23
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+1+2-2-5: (13)+6+4+1+2+-2+-5: 19
GAME: Halani rolls 1d8+2+1+4: (7)+2+1+4: 14
GAME: Jibbom rolls 1d100: (65): 65
GAME: Jibbom rolls 1d8+3: (2)+3: 5
GAME: Jibbom damaged Donk for 5 points. 27 remaining.
"...no, wait! These attacks...they always start from within!" Eyes narrowing, Donk turns his lance around...and starts beating himself over the head with the blunt end. "TAKE THAT! (ow) AND THAT! (ow) AND THAT! (ow)"
Destroyer looks back at his rider, whimpering worriedly and nosing Donk's foot.
GAME: Conrad rolls weapon2-3: (10)+6+-3: 13
GAME: Dante rolls 2d6: (7): 7
Another shot, another miss. Conrad just shakes his head and sighs, "Hell of a time to become a rookie at this..." He reloads once more, forcing himself to be calm.
GAME: Jibbom damaged Dante for -7 points. 28 remaining.
A slight recoil and grunt of pain from Dante as the creature/brain slashes across his chest, ignoring the armor completely. Still this only causes him to slap his arm, and the power of Eluna courses through, as a few os his wounds heal from the attack. then he pours his strength into trying to kill it.
GAME: Dante rolls 1d20+12: (14)+12: 26
GAME: Dante rolls 2d6+11: (4)+11: 15
GAME: Jibbom rolls 1d20+13: (9)+13: 22
GAME: Jibbom rolls 3d8+5: (18)+5: 23
GAME: Dante rolls will: (19)+10: 29
GAME: Jibbom damaged Dante for 11 points. 17 remaining.
Halani keeps punching and kicking at the brain monster. "Try not to look at it!" she suggests. "Or think about something else! Shield your minds!"
The brain's voice rings out in everyone's head again. It has a panicked, fearful quality now, the creature obviously staggering as great amounts of blood pour forth from its wounds onto the cavern floor "NO! MY KINGDOM WILL NOT END HERE! I SHALL WEAR YOUR SHATTERED BODIES AS MY ROYAL ROBES!" Another swipe of the claw carries another torrent of painful life-draining energy into the paladin.
GAME: Nadara rolls 1d20+3: (13)+3: 16
GAME: Nadara rolls 1d6+1: (2)+1: 3
GAME: Savannah rolls weapon4: (15)+8: 23
GAME: Savannah rolls weapon4: (3)+8: 11
GAME: Savannah rolls 1d8+3: (5)+3: 8
So Nadara...shoots it again. Because that works so well. The bullet hole is sealed up afterwards right away and she grimaces, fear showing in her yellow-sclera'd eyes.
Savannah shoots at it as well, though it seems Svannah is mostly ineffective against this thing. She slowly backs away from the....thing.
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+1+2-2: (13)+6+4+1+2+-2: 24
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+1+2-2: (1)+6+4+1+2+-2: 12
GAME: Halani rolls 1d20+6+4+1+2-2-5: (16)+6+4+1+2+-2+-5: 22
GAME: Halani rolls 1d8+2+1+4: (3)+2+1+4: 10
GAME: Halani rolls 1d8+2+1+4: (1)+2+1+4: 8
"SHUT! UP!" Halani aims a kick at the fleshy mass of the brain monster, then drops her elbow on top of it. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
The final blow from Halani seems to take a lot of the fight out of the brain beast. It staggers away. A sound like a horrible scream can be heard in each adventurer's mind, one which slowly fades into a whimper. With uneven, stumbling steps, the creature crawls away in Nadara's direction, the surface of the brain quivering and shaking much like the skull it once inhabited did before breaking. It slumps over in front of Nadara, dead. Then, much like before, the brain creature suddenly bursts open in a shower of blood and brain-meat that covers Nadara with a surprisingly high-pressure shower of goo and gore. It smells truly awful. All that's left is a broken sort of empty membrane, truly dead.
Donk goes on beating himself upside the head, until the jostling loosens the saddle around Destroyer, and the gnome tips a little with each bonk upside his noggin. Bonk...bonk...bonk... Until he's still stuck to his saddle, dangling sideways off the side of his steed, eyes rolling in his head from the head-trauma. "Dun wanna go back in th' hole, mammy..." he mumbles.
And so Nadara is covered in blood and gore and goo. She stands there for a moment in abject shock that this has happened to her, jaw slack as a bit of goo plosps off her lip to the ground and off the end of her nose to boot.
Then she doubles over and proceeds to begin vomiting mesily in horror.
Savannah blinks as the brain drops. "Well....Good show Nadara. Looks like you truly broke his brain." Savannah says with a bit of humor.....as she vomits. "Ugh....sorry."
A scurrying sound echoes through the tunnels, heard faintly over the sounds of various people vomiting. It grows fainter until it can no longer be heard. Perhaps any remaining denizens of this 'kingdom' have opted to flee.
Conrad swallows heavily. He's seen a lot of horrible things. Horrible things he'd like to forget. But that? That's a whole new level of revolting. Conrad looks down at the ground, closes his eyes, and forces his stomach to settle. It's a long process. He eventually manages to say, "...Well."
Dante sheathing his weapon, turns towards Halani. For whatever reason the helmed warrior sorta stares in the direction of Donk and his mount..Pulling out a healing kit, he quietly begins working on her injuries. though he did touch himself first, hell combat might be over for the moment, a good time to gather one's strength.
GAME: Dante rolls 2d6: (3): 3
Donk's lance clanks loudly against the ground, so close to it that he's not even managing to hit himself in the head anymore.
GAME: Jibbom damaged Halani for -3 points. 13 remaining.
GAME: Jibbom damaged Dante for -3 points. 20 remaining.
GAME: Dante used a Wand of Cure Light Wounds.
GAME: Dante rolls 1d8+1: (2)+1: 3
GAME: Dante used a Wand of Cure Light Wounds.
GAME: Dante rolls 1d8+1: (4)+1: 5
GAME: Jibbom damaged Halani for -5 points. 18 remaining.
GAME: Halani rolls 1d8+1: (6)+1: 7
Dante puts away the kit, and decides to tap Halani with the wand, then motions towards the potion saying simply "Drink it, don't assume the fight is yet over, stay forever vigilant against evil" and walks over to examine the remains of the fallen king, kneeling down
Conrad has carefully made his away around the muck, and is searching around the King's throne. He checks it quite carefully before moving on to the book cases and scrolls, searching through them. He stuffs everything of 'interest' into his sack.
"Do we have a sack or something for all thats being collected?" dante says as he pulls up the shield, and plucks other things of value, then says, holding up what he has thus far.."Well I remember the shield, but I grabbed a few things off the body I can see, anyone else is free to search it, so that we have everything for the ghost"
And so, with the crest of House Brache finally retrieved, the adventurers begin their trip back to the surface. The tunnel they used to get here is sealed off now, but Conrad's expert navigation enables the group to find an alternate route back to the manor. The trip out is decidedly less eventful than the trip down. No more traps. Whatever remaining subjects of the mad brain king remained, they have fled. And so, the group returns to the manor's foyer, where some of them fought the ghost of Pyrrhus Brache what seems like a lifetime ago.
The malevolent energy which pervaded the manor has left entirely. The dust and bones remain, but the creepy feeling of evil in the air is gone. It's now oddly peaceful. The faint image of Brache is waiting for the group, ghostly and insubstantial, hovering in the foyer. Those who didn't encounter him before will recognize him now: his face is the same as that of the body the brain beast inhabited.
"Thank you." He whispers in a faint, echoy voice. "You've not only retrieved my house's crest, you freed my remains from the horrible creature who has profaned them for so long. Thank you."
Savannah slightly bows to the ghost. "You are welcome. I am glad I was able to help you."
"It would have been simpler if you had just told us, your body had been taken over, by some foul-ass creature" The helmed Dante replies, then adds gruffly "Your welcome"
Conrad gives the ghost a very casual, two-fingered salute, "Happy to be of service..." Then, much quieter, and more respectfully, "...Be at peace."
During all of this, really, Nadara is looking horribly queasy and sick. When the voice, that fanty echoy voice and the insubstantial speaker of it appears, she utters a very foul curse in goblin and takes a step back. Then it reveals itself to not be very hostile. "Glad to, uh, help. Presume yoiu can go on to your rest now? I'm sure there are people waitin' for you. They've probably been waiting a long time."
Brache's ghost looks saddened by Dante's words, perhaps a touch guilty. "I am sorry. The anger, the rage... I felt nothing but that for so long. For so very, very long. But it is gone now. I feel the pull now... I don't know to where. I don't know if the Dome of Heaven would still welcome one who dwelled in anger and lusted for vengence for so long. I pray that they will. I will go soon. But I wished to stay and thank you first. I'd hoped..." He gestures with one ghostly hand towards a dust-covered mantle. "... I'd hoped, before I go, that I might see my family's crest restored to its rightful place. Just to see it once more..." There's an obvious place where the shield might be suitably displayed, with hooks in the wall still present for that very purpose.
Dante removes his helm, glances over at Nadara..Then the ghost and goes to hang the shield up first.
"You are House Brache," Donk pipes up from the back, "You deserve that place in under the Dome. If they hesitate, make them let you in, good sir."
Savannah says, "They will let him in. I'm sure they would understand the circumstances." She says as she watches Dante place the shield upon it's rightful place."
Conrad offers quietly, "If nothing else, the Gods of Neutrality aren't all that bad..." He smirks, weakly. But then adds, "I will pray for you this night. For all the good that it might do. You have suffered long enough."
Dante seems Donk spoke up, and that too draws Dante's attention, so with his helm off, when he narrows his eyes, its more easily seen,. Since the shield is now hung up, turns to head in Donk's direction, saying over one shoulder "Priestess? Do we need to aid this sp[irit any further?"
Halani has stayed.. inconspiciously away from Nadara. Probably because she smells. Bad. Despite whatever attempts to clean herself may have happened. "I told you a ghost hired us, vera," Halani points out unhelpfully to the goblin's startlement. Then she look sat the ghost. "The crest is back, ver, time to go, yeah? Wherever fate is pulling you... staying here is only going to turn you into that... angry spirit again. Face wherever it is with Brache pride."
The ghost manages a final little smile as he sees the shield hung above the mantle. Donk, Conrad, and Savannah's words seem to make him smile just a little brighter. "Thank you." He whispers once more. And with that, he fades entirely into nothingness, his presence gone completely.
Some time later, once the group has a chance to clean up, they are finally able to report to the merchant that hired them for that initial exorcism job. He is horrified to learn that he unknowingly purchased a new home sitting atop a kingdom of evil shapeshifts and body thieves. He is quite grateful for the group's efforts in wiping out this threat, and assures that he will hire builders to have the tunnels sealed off forever. An inspection of some of the records Conrad retrieved suggests they were originally constructed by conspirators against the Sorceress Altima who used them as meeting places and storage for arms and armor to be used in supply of rebels. House Brache apparently did a great deal to secretly work against Altima at great risk to themselves. This discovery will no doubt help ensure that the House is well remembered for a long time to come.
And so, at the end of the day, the adventurers laid the vengeful ghost of a noble man to rest, helped an honest merchant get a lovely new home, and slew a maniacal brain monster who could've posed a serious threat to Alexandria and her people. All in all, a good day's work.