Death House

[Ken of Ghastria]

"Burdur, I don't really care what you think of me," Vorj says bitingly. "Or for more 'royalist' and 'rebel' nonsense, especially here. Stay awake while I keep watch, if you wish."

[VAN]

"Ok we don't need that right now. We will have watches as Kimber said because so many things have happened here. Be pairs isn't bad idea, Burdur can go with Vorj and me with Kimber."

[kintire]

"Sounds good to me... Although the plan where I got a full nights sleep while you watched also worked!"

Kimber tries for a jest to lighten the tension, but her heart isn't really in it

[alhoon]

After a brief discussion, the party leaves the room of the kids and heads to the dining room in the first floor, grabbing a few blankets from the room for the maids in the 2nd floor. The stark antithesis of the clean and pristine 1st and 2nd floor compared to the dusty, decrepit third floor and the Attic is apparent.

This time, as the party passes by the Main staircase with the overbearing Durst family portrait, they notice something. The party sketch, that used to have the outlines of the six party members now contains only four sketches. The gnomes are missing from the drawing.
But there's something else. The second man, presumably Vorj, is now sketched with horns. The woman, presumably Kimber seems to have a small figure, the size of a 6-years-old boy, hovering behind her shoulder.
The findings don't make anyone feel any better or safer. The House keeps mocking them, provoking them.

The party sets down to rest, sleep and recuperate in the inhospitable dining room. Feeble daylight still filters in through the windows, but Burdur lights one of the polished oil lamps so that he doesn't have to maintain the magical light. He doesn't make small talk sits on a chair, takes out a small piece of wood and starts carving it.

A couple of hours pass before anyone in the party sleeps.

and then...
The door handle to their room turns, but the door refuses to open. As the party, alarmed, realizes what's happening and scramble to their feet, there's a loud bang on the door, as if someone tries to force it open. A second later, there's a second. The door buckles inward this time, but doesn't give in.

[VAN]

Van stands up and says:

"Kimber and Burdur cover us. Vorj lets put furniture behind the door to secure it even more! We need to get out of here."

He grabs a the table and puts it behind the door.

[kintire]

As Kimber sits in the dim room she seems to be concentrating fiercely on something. A clear white glow emanates from her cupped hands, where something small seems to be forming. It grows for a while, and then suddenly winks out. As it does so, something seems to slip from her hands, taking an oddly long time to do so.

In most respects, it looks like a snake. A long slender body, a wedge shaped head and a flicking tail, it slithers along on its belly like any other snake. But those who get a better look at it will see that it is unquestionably a mammal, with thick black fur, flaring nostrils, large dark eyes like those of a cat, and a little tail lifted from the back of its body that flicks left and right. Kimber plays with it for a while, then returns to concentration. Again the white glow seems to shimmer for a while, and then fade suddenly. This time, the result appears to be a six legged animal about the size of a piglet, with a long tubular snout, large dark eyes. plump body and thick silken black fur the same colour as the first creature and, some may not, the same colour as Kimber's own hair. Radiating a sense of accomplishment and pride she plays with them for a while, before settling sown to sleep... and leaping up as the door is suddenly assaulted, apparently struggling with panic.

She cries out in a voice completely unlike her own, but much like Thorn's, and dives for the far corner of the room.

[alhoon]

As Kimber sits in the dim room she seems to be concentrating fiercely on something. A clear white glow emanates from her cupped hands, where something small seems to be forming. It grows for a while, and then suddenly winks out. As it does so, something seems to slip from her hands, taking an oddly long time to do so.

Kimber plays with it for a while, then returns to concentration. Again the white glow seems to shimmer for a while, and then fade suddenly. Radiating a sense of accomplishment and pride she plays with them for a while, before settling sown to sleep...

Burdur breaks his silence "What are you doing there druid? why are you summoning ... what are those things anyway?"
Then the commotion with the door starts and Burdur helps Van and Vorj reinforce the door. The change on Kimber's voice startles him though and he looks at Van as he points to Kimber. "He is Thorn now, the ghost. Are we to trust the ghost of a resentful kid to stand watch while he, or the half-human, summons pets? With something banging on the door?"

After the party barricades the door, there's no obvious commotion or sound coming from outside. A couple of minutes pass before things are settled again. And the party is left looking at two small little animals they've never heard of before. The fur of both happens to have exact the same color as Kimber's hair.

[VAN]

Van is surprised by Kimber's reaction, the ghost apparently has posessed her. His remembers the portrait at the wall and smiles at the irony of how accurate it was ...

"Kimber, focus now, come back to us we need you. It's pretty cool that you can summon creatures, but can you command them as well? Can you send them outside to find out what is going on? Or is Thorn that did that.."

[alhoon]

Why the party moves the table to reinforce the door, Kimber thinks she listens...

VIEW CONTENT:

steps of someone or something walking away from the door.

[kintire]

"Its going! Its going! I think...its...going..."

The snake like creature is writhing rapidly to and fro, apparently alarmed by Kimber's behaviour. Suddenly it unfurls two pairs of bat-like wings, one pair from just behind its head and the other pair not far above its tail. Flapping wildly, it zooms into the air and begins doing rapid figure eights around the room. The six-legged piglet Sits placidly for a moment, then edges towards Kimber's provision bag and begins taking advantage of her distraction to rootle through it looking for snacks which it proceeds to happily munch on.

Kimber grits her teeth and shakes her head, and her voice moderates to its usual tones.

"Right. Right. I've got this. Pugsley, stop that and see if you can peek through a crack in the door. Chutney, get your head out of my breakfast and guard the door!"

She glances to Burdur.

"It seems this is going to be a problem. How are you at exorcisms?"

[alhoon]

Burdur is distracted by the many things that require his attention. "What? You want me to unsummon the things you brought to eat your breakfast? Oh, you mean the ghost of the little boy? We tried that a few hours ago with Vorj and didn't work half-elf. "

Meanwhile, both Creations do as directed. Pugsley flies over the table bracing the door and does its best to look through the very tiny slit and the crack with the top of the frame and the floor, but the door closes too well for this.
Chutney moves under the table and sets her hind legs to the ground looking at the door, ready for action.

[Ken of Ghastria]

Vorj is both bewildered and depressed at what he sees. He gets to his feet and says, "Hold still, Kimber. I may not have succeeded in helping the spirits, but I have faith that I can still help you."

He holds out his holy symbol, mutters "Piris, do not abandon me," and recites a prayer.

[alhoon]

Warm light pours out of Vorj's holy symbol and bathes Kimber. She feels a feeling of protection, as if she's shielded in the hug of her parents for a brief moment.

Everything is normal again, as normal it could be in this place. The party can return to rest.

[Ken of Ghastria]

Vorj sags, dropping to one knee. He is openly weeping, overwhelmed by the success of his spell. "Thank you, Piris, thank you," he mutters through his sobbing, "for not abandoning me to despair." After a few moments, he recovers himself and he says, "Kimber, I ... I do not know how long this prayer's effect will last, especially in this foul place. Get what rest you can... all of you."

[VAN]

Van is happy that the Vorj's spell worked. He was afrid that the deity the paladin is worshipping would have turned his back to him after the revelation that he is having a demon inside him...Trying to reassure the group he says:

"Great job Vorj. I will get the watch, you all need to rest more than me."