Seat of Our Noble Line (Part 8)
Log Info
- Title: Seat of Our Noble Line (Part 8)
- GM: Riptide
- Place: Ivyhold Manor
Having learned new truths about Rhain Padaryn from Cosette, the headless ghost-maid, the party has decided on a direction: the third floor. Emerging from the door that leads into the bedroom, the first door on the left-hand side of the hallway, however, something becomes quite apparent.
There's no obvious staircase leading up to the third floor at the opposite end of the hallway. There is only a wall there, something that has, oddly, a bookcase that is entirely empty, save for a single hourglass on one shelf.
The hourglass, curiously enough, is full of sand on both ends of the hourglass--but the top portion is not falling down into the bottom. The sands... seem to defy gravity.
A good night's rest -- even in this place -- is not to be dismissed lightly. Telamon feels... not exactly like a morning person, but the mana surges and flares through him, nudging at his mind to be let out. He forcibly restrains himself from whistling a tune, as the group steps outside to look for a staircase.
Of course, there's no staircase. Why should there be a staircase? But the shelf with the strangely static hourglass, though... that has an interesting look to it. He pulls a flask of fresh-brewed tea out of his satchel, taking a sip, as he eyes the hourglass. "Hmmm. Somehow, I doubt this is just decoration."
Seldan, too, seems refreshed and renewed despite the strange dreams, and after some help getting his armor sorted, has hefted his gear and is prepared to continue. "Indeed. It may be that the other rooms offer more hint as to what we shall find?" He cants his head meaningfully at the second door on the left. "Naught would I leave behind us, to encounter later perhaps at our backs." His eyes rove the decorations, every detail of the walls.
GAME: Telamon rolls perception: (4)+25: 29 GAME: Seldan rolls perception: (19)+25: 44
Zeke is somewhat less certain of what to do than the others. He follows helpfully in the wake of Telamon and Seldan, his eyes tracking over the unopened doors and then toward Telamon when the man mentions the fact that there's something curious. There's no sign of a third floor. "Thisss one agreessss. We sssshould sssearch all."
Verna is still undecided as to how 'good' the prior night(?)'s rest was from her perspective. The lack of a conspicuous stairwell, the odd timepiece, and Seldan's wise note concerning their rear are all noted. One gloved hand gestures to the door on the same side of the hall as the one they exited, immediately to their flank. Presumably, it leads to a room adjacent to the one they used. "We explore all possibilities, in that case. Is there any preference against a start with this one?"
Telamon eyes the hourglass for long moments, before finally turning to Seldan with a sigh. "You're probably right. We can come back to this. I doubt it's going anywhere." He rubs his chin, looking at the other three doors, until Verna answers the question. "One's as good as another." He nods to Verna. "Let's go ahead and start with this one. Just in case, though..." He flexes his fingers, and speaks, "Akar irhandi." Planes of starlight appear around him, glowing briefly before fading.
GAME: Telamon casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 20 DC: 20
While Telamon casts, Seldan seems to have been distracted by his perusal of the surroundings. His attention drifts from the walls, to the floor, and he traces the blood trails with his eyes, here, there, and everywhere, the steady and even features growing more and more grave. "I would have us be cautious," he warns suddenly, looking up. "These trails - they are an anchor. For summoning? Perhaps, but it is in my mind that a hole to another plane, or possibly a demiplane, lies in this place. Such would explain the strangeness within this house."
Zeke shifts his weight uncomfortably at Seldan's words, summoning's rarely end well in his experience. He glances toward where Verna is touching the door and readies himself as best he can for... the unknown. The unknowable. "Thisss one isss ready." Cautious yes, as Seldan had advised, but ready.
Verna returns Telamon's nod and steps to the door. She may or may not intend to be the first to enter, but prepares to open the door. Seldan's observation gives her pause. "Should we encounter planar entities, oddities, or inconsistencies, it is best that we remain together. With Telamon's spell cast and Zeke signalling readiness, she processed to open the door.
GAME: Verna rolls fortitude: (14)+17: 31
There's a chill that accompanies Verna opening the door. Something that runs down the spine like a cold shower localized entirely to that thin thread of the back, but it's gone quickly after.
The door opens to reveal a room that is very obviously intended for a young girl. It's littered with large stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes. Lions, tigers, bears, and more beyond, along with a castle-sized dollhouse.
In the center of the room is a bed. A bed that's really a bit larger than it should be for any child, but clearly, the parent of this child wanted their baby to live in luxury. Sleeping in the bed is... Mariana Padaryn. Until she yawns and stretches her little limbs out.
"Mmmmnnnngh~" she greets. Little eyes opening and regarding the adventurers for a moment. And then her eyes look at Seldan. "Papa?"
Well, this is new. As rooms go, it beats 'canyon with two angry dragons in it'. But Telamon remembers the warning Cosette gave about this spirit. For clearly, it's Mariana Padaryn. A bit older, but still a child. He shoots a glance at Seldan, and gives the man a nod to play along, or at least don't rile the ghost.
For his part, he offers Mariana a winning smile, drawing on a dream he shared with Lana a while back. Letting that dream, the memory and the promise illuminate his features, though he doesn't speak just yet.
Seldan has not forgotten the warning about this spirit, either, and follows the others, with a look at each of them in turn and raised eyebrows, into the room, surveying the child-ghost with that steady gaze. "Did you sleep well, little one?" he asks quietly, with a glance at Verna to make certain that nothing is amiss.
Verna's review of the revealed room is slowed by the sudden shiver that shakes her spine. The breath that was sharply inhaled is more calmly exhaled a moment later as she steps aside to allow others entry and/or view of the 'child'. An entity whom she studies rather intently whilst the focus is upon Seldan.
Zeke blinks at the hatchling. It looks different than before. Taller. Changed in nearly imperceptible ways. He tilts his head trying to medically catalogue them. He eventually gives up after a moment or two while Seldan makes nice with the spirit.
Mariana reaches up and rubs at her eyes. The little girl spends a moment doing so until she looks at Seldan again. "Not papa," she says. "Who are you?" Like she'd forgotten the group already.
And then she looks at Reunion. "Where's Zee?" she asks more solidly. "Is he here? You've got his sword." She gestures with a little hand to the sword again, blue eyes locked onto it now more than Seldan himself.
Telamon can't help but mentally catalogue some of the furnishings. He doubts his future children will need (or even want) all of them, but... what child wouldn't love a giant-sized Pothy to cuddle? His lips still curled up in that smile, as he turns to regard Mariana with his starry eyes. "We're just here to talk to Papa," he says reassuringly. "Nothing serious." He has no idea whether this is a simulacrum, or a ghost, or something weirder, but riling it strikes him as a bad idea all around.
GAME: Verna rolls perception: (1)+29: 30 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Verna rolls knowledge/religion: (15)+24: 39
It seems clear that Seldan has no intention of riling the little ghostling, and he smiles at the girl's recognition, dropping to one knee in the armor. "Very good," he answers her evenly, letting her see the blade at his hip. "You don't know me, but your papa asked me to help him. Zee is with me."
"I am here, Mari." The voice is the light, young voice from Reunion that seldom speaks, but it does so now, from Seldan's hip. "Have you been a good girl?" Even Seldan looks down at the blade, curiously, the usually mouse-like Zee confident and assertive for once.
Watching the others interact with the ghost-child (or whatever she is) Zeke stays silent and observant. His green eyes tracing over the room, the other doorways. Just in case something takes offense to their conversation.
Verna continues her quiet observation for a time further, allowing Padaryn(s) to address Mariana. Rather than interrupt Seldan or Telamon, she instead quietly asides to Zeke, "She appears more than simple ghost or other incorporeal entity. Regardless of all else, the living do not do well in making contact with such..."
"Zee!" Mariana looks at Reunion with such joy. "Yeah! I've been really good. But... But..."
She looks so horribly confused suddenly, sitting up in bed. "Papa said something happened to you... Why are you..." She frowns so deeply. "Why are you a sword?"
Her eyes well with tears. The room gets colder. "Cosette is mean to me," she says, "and Papa won't talk to me. I don't know why..."
Telamon just knows Seldan probably can't lie any better than Tel's friend Dolan can, so he'll take care of that for him. "It's complicated, Mariana," he says warmly. "Just know that Zee is all right, and we're here to fix things." He looks at the girl-ghost with a gentle expression. "Well, Mariana... Cosette is very worried about your Papa too. He won't talk to her either. And it makes her upset, because she wants to help Papa, just like we do."
Seldan hesitates, suddenly uncertain, but the sword at his hip speaks up, light and bright and reassuring, in a way he's never been amid the other voices of Reunion. "I can't come back right now," Zee tells the little girl. "Seldan here is here to help me help your papa, all right? Him and his friends. Cosette's worried about your papa too, just like he said. When was the last time you saw your papa?"
Zeke frowns minutely as he takes one small step forward. He's a sith so the expression might be lost on the others. He lifts a claw. He takes a small step back. His green eyes peer thoughtfully at the ghost-hatchling and then to Seldan. The claw falls. He takes another rather firm step back.
"We are here to aid," Verna adds her own assurance towards the ... child; plain, but true. Telamon is far superior in social interactions, and this is Seldan's family line and manor. Thus her attention shifts some to Zeke as the makari takes a step back and she regards him with question in her expression. He may simply be cautious, or he may be aware of something that she and others are not?
"I--I don't remember," Mariana says, little ghostly tears appearing in her blue eyes. "It's been... A really, really, really long time. And I'm--"
The tears down her face as she wails. "I don't think I'll ever see him again!" Her voice carries with far more power than it ought to...
GAME: Telamon rolls Will: (9)+20: 29 GAME: Verna rolls will+2: (18)+24+2: 44 GAME: Zeke rolls Will: (9)+24: 33 GAME: Seldan rolls will: (16)+34: 50 GAME: Telamon rolls Perception: (3)+25: 28 GAME: Telamon rolls Knowledge/Religion: (19)+13: 32 GAME: Seldan rolls perception: (5)+25: 30 GAME: Seldan rolls knowledge/religion: (20)+22: 42
Telamon flinches back from the wail, and the waves of despair. He clamps down on the sudden urge to snap, instead trying to soothe the troubled spirit. "Mariana, dear heart, please don't cry," he says softly, his brow furrowed. "We know you're scared. It'll be all right."
He kneels down, though he doesn't touch the spirit. Probably a bad idea to do so. "We all get scared, grown-ups too. The trick is to work your way through it. Just like building with blocks." His voice is warm, striving for calm. "Whatever you can tell us will be enough. We'll get this fixed."
GAME: Telamon rolls talky: aliased to diplomacy+5: (10)+34+5: 49
The flood of emotion is like getting hit by a tidal wave, but that's not the first time that's happened to Seldan, and he merely draws in and releases a deep breath, releasing the despair and remaining on one knee. "That's why we are here, little one. So that you can see your papa again. But in order to do that, we need your help. What did your papa say the last time you talked to him?"
He looks up, then, and over at Telamon. "Zeke may be in need of assistance," he tells Telamon and Verna quietly. "The hasting spell, or perhaps the spell of movement, may be enough."
Zeke shakes his head at Seldan's words. "Thisss one isss well. There isss. Time dissstortion. Near the hatchling." He is glad with her tirade of emotion that he's stepped away from her. The emotions were unpleasant to say the least, and his tail lashes behind him in withheld displeasure.
It is not the cry of child that causes Verna to wince and grimace, but the mental impact of the wail from something that is no longer a child. She takes a step back in the process, now putting Seldan and Telamon fully in the fore and her nearer Zeke. Who, in retrospect, is proven quite wise (or prescient) in his prior step. Her hood turns to the scaled one at Seldan's comment, perhaps into to do just so, before Zeke explains.
Now Verna's hood points once more at the child. "If so, changes in her apparent aging may be more than mere appearances. All the more reason to be cautious." All the more reason to keep some distance.
Mariana looks like she's struggling to remember when the question's pose of her. The tears are flowing from her bright and big blue eyes like little jewels, but she seems, suddenly, to be... struggling in a way that a little girl ought not to be. Her hands go up to her face, to wipe them away.
Except when she pulls her hands away, her right eye is glowing brightly. The tears down her face begin to turn black.
"HE TOLD ME TO KILL YOU." The voice is gutteral in a way that a child's should never be. The room drops to such a cold temperature that one's breath turns into mist in the air. The look of anguish on her face is a mirror for the one on Rhain Padaryn's face.
Telamon's eyes widen, the stars flaring brightly in them. Part of him deeply, deeply prays this is just some construct, that it's not the 'real' Mariana. Because they're going to have to destroy this thing before it kills them -- and judging from the distortions, the flickers around it, and the chill, it really is us or them.
Which is why Telamon snarls, "Sir Seldan! Reunion! Don't hold back, whatever it is!"
"Even so," Seldan answers Zeke, but when the girl starts to struggle, and the right eye appears, all he can do is stare in horror, the cold in the room making his breath come in frosty gouts, but not, seemingly, hampering him or causing trouble. "It is a fluxwraith! Either spell will counter the time distortion, but we must move swiftly!"
Reunion rasps from its sheath, the sound of metal on leather cracking through the chill. "Reunion, there is no choice! It is not her, but crafted from her memory! We must release it!"
It's... all happening rather suddenly from Zeke's perspective. They'd all known surely that this was not a real hatchling? He blinks as the room plummets in temperature and feels a deep lethargy settle into his bones. Cold. His claws bite into his palm. Pain. He loathes the chill in a fully irrational way. Despair. So quickly on the heels of the hatchling's over-wrought emotions he feels his own clawing its way up his throat. His bones ache with the cold.
Verna was aware this was no longer a child, but those remants with such a strong memory of self to retain form and knowledge of the living also tend to retain other traits. This makes them best treated by the same. Oft, but not always. It is now blatantly that this is the exception, and far more than she believed. Her hands come up at the ready. Verna's intent was always to bring peace to those souls trapped here. It seems that some must receive such earlier than others.