The group stared in wonder at the fearless, dark-haired
female child seated cross-legged on the floor next to a pile of moldering
fabric and bones talking calmly to an eerie floating female spectre.
From the back of the party Valeria yelped and yanked her
hand out of the Magpie’s pocket.
At the sound of Valeria’s yelp, the ghostly woman turned to
look at the party, “Are you the new guards?”
She asked.
“No.” Valeria stated.
“We’re here to find the children who had gone missing.” Akura offered.
The girl finally turned to look at them, surprise widening
her eyes as she took in their outlandish appearances.
“Your parents were worried for your safety and sent us to
bring you home.” Akura explained, moving
further into the room.
“Are you okay?” Valeria asked,
also moving into the room.
“Yes, thank you.” The
girl said, gesturing to the ghost, “Anna saved me.”
Akura bowed to the spectre, “Thank you.”
The group remembered that the deceased warden’s wife’s name
had been Vesorianna, this Anna was likely her ghost.
“I fear this place is taking its toll on my husband...” The
spectre explained, confirming their suspicions, “His spirit is keeping the
madmen in check.” She shook her head,
“So many haunted, restless souls.”
“Is there anything we can do to help?” Akura offered.
“Do we really want to do that?” Valeria whispered, pinching
the monk’s arm.
“Need I remind you we’re on a mission for Pharasma?” The
monk hissed back, finishing with a glance skyward and a barely breathed, “That
heartless bitch.”
“He’s just been having trouble deciding who needs to be
locked away.” Anna said, waving away the offer. Sadness tinted her expression, “I know he’s
been patrolling, I’ve seen his lantern.
He keeps most of the madmen locked away, but then he tried to lock the
children up as well... I don’t think he can tell the difference anymore...”
“Please, if you can, tell us what has happened since the
fire?” Magpie asked politely.
“Most of the nights since the fire have been quiet.” Anna said, “The madmen howl at night, but my
husband does his rounds and keeps them in their cells. Recently it’s almost like his mind starting
to go and he’s having trouble telling who needs to be in their cells.”
“Why would there be new guards?” Valeria asked, frowning,
“This place is abandoned.”
“To replace the inept ones who locked me in here.” She replied
as though it were obvious.
“Is there some way to lay the madmen to rest?” Davros asked.
“It would be a large undertaking.” She replied doubtfully,
“If you could simply get the living out of here and ensure that we aren’t
bothered again, my husband can keep the spirits in check.”
“If we were able to put all of these souls to rest would
that be more of a comfort to you and your husband?” Magpie offered.
“It would.” She replied, though she still looked openly
doubtful.
“Could you shield us from attacks by your husband while we
tried?” Valeria asked.
“I can’t seem to leave this room,” the ghost replied, “I can
see his lantern, but I cannot seem to get him to listen to me.”
“Would you like us to help you put your remains to rest?”
Akura asked.
She struggled for a moment with her answer before saying,
“Eternal rest does sound tempting... but I am needed here.”
“What were you protecting the children from?” Akura asked.
“My husband.” She
said, “I can only manifest myself in limited ways, but I managed to stop my
husband from locking them up.”
Thanking Anna for her help in saving Gerty and the other children,
the group sent the little girl on her way home and pressed on to find the last
child. They opened the double doors,
following the last set of tracks, only to discover a wide curving staircase
leading up.
Leading the way up the stairs, Akura pushed through an iron
grate and paused at the door, listening for any threats on the other side. He heard nothing so they opened the door.
A hallway stretched out on either side of them. To their right about thirty feet away was a
wall with a crumbled hole in it. Akura
scouted the hole. As he approached it,
he could see an abandoned eating area off to his right whose back wall was
decimated, revealing the courtyard and the fetid lake beyond. On his other side was a doorless privy.
As Akura passed the dining area something stirred and five
bat-winged mosquito-like creatures exploded from the rubble. Akura shrieked something about monsters.
“Are they on fire?” Davros called.
“No.” Akura replied,
looking confused.
“I can fix that.” The plague-doctor grinned, pushing to the
front of the group and hefting a bomb.
Valeria swung around the corner and squeezed off a shot,
exploding one.
Akura stepped up and slammed his fist into a second one,
turning it into a fine red mist.
The remaining three creatures rushed the group, attaching
themselves to Akura, Valeria and the Magpie and inserting their proboscises. Valeria and Akura managed to dislodge theirs,
but Magpie had a bit more trouble.
Olivine blasted it with a ray of cold, weakening it and leaving it open
to Davros’ mace attack.
It exploded.
Magpie braced a hand against the wall, swaying woozily,
having lost quite a bit of blood. Davros
handed him a tiny glass vial that the Magpie drank gratefully, feeling
instantly better.
Just across from the latrines were a pair of hallways lined
with doors leading into ten by ten cells.
The child’s footsteps led away from the cells into a set of double doors
off the eating area.
While the group was studying the child’s footprints a faint,
bluish, lantern-like glow approached from the far row of cells. As Valeria rushed past the group to hide
behind one of the tables she mumbled to the everyone she passed, “Ah, guys, I
think something’s coming.”
With an alarmed squawk the Magpie ran for the door the child
had taken, ducking behind Valeria.
“Sir, we are the new guards here to assist you.” Akura yelled, standing his ground.
The bluish light responded by slamming into the monk,
zapping him good.
“What are you talking to a will-o’-wisp for... are you
stupid?” Davros called.
“Eek!” Olivine
shrieked, hurling a pair of magic missiles at the spectral light. They crashed into the thing, but it didn’t
seem to care.
Valeria opened the door, following the child’s footprints. Beyond the door were the charred remains of a
kitchen. The footprints led to a door on
the far side of the room.
Akura, meanwhile, took a pair of swings at the thing,
missing as he danced away from it, screaming like a girl.
Davros threw a bomb, singeing the thing and sickening it. It vomited sparks.
“You guys are doin’ great!”
Magpie called, offering a thumbs-up before rushing through the kitchen
to open the pantry door. He found a
small blond girl cowering in the dark there.
“You guys are dicks!”
Akura shouted, still battling the irritating ball of hovering blue light.
“Hello Isabelle, we’ve been sent by your mother to get you
out.” Magpie smiled, offering her his
hand and leading the child out of the kitchen.
Olivine hurled another pair of magic missiles into the
thing, damaging it further but not putting it down.
Davros hurled a second bomb at the creature. It flickered.
Leaving the girl in Valeria’s capable (and un-feathered)
hands, Magpie rushed back to the rest of the group, offering to help.
Seeing that things were not stacked in its favour, the blue
spark disappeared.
After a few moments of tense silence, when the spark didn’t
reappear, the group decided to press on and deal with the thing if and when it
came up.
A few moments after sending the girl away another lantern
glow appeared from the hall at the far side of the cells, this one was being
held aloft by a spectral man who yelled, “What are you doing out of your
cells!”
“We’re your new guards.”
Davros bluffed.
The spectre cocked a skeptical eyebrow.
“We are your new guards.” Akura tried.
“Indeed.” Yuri
nodded, stepping up next to Akura and crossing his arms to fortify the bluff.
Magpie stepped around the corner, distracted, “Hey guys,
what’s goin’ on.”
The spectre frowned at the odd bird-man.
Valeria opened her mouth, but nothing helpful came out.
“Why would we need guards?”
The ghost demanded.
“We are here at the behest of your wife Anna to protect the
living by getting them out.” Yuri
supplied.
The spectre nodded slowly, seeming to buy into the bluff a
bit more. He drifted forward, raising
his lantern to inspect Yuri.
Unfortunately the party’s courage was not up to the task (except
for Olivine who apparently has a will of iron).
Davros bolted down the stairs, Akura bolted out the window. Magpie dropped his sword, which skittered to
Olivine’s feet, and fled down the stairs.
Valeria dropped her pistol and bolted after the party. With a heavy sigh Olivine picked up the
dropped weapons and followed the group.
They fled out of the prison and back to town without looking
back, taking the children back to their parents.
Their successful return of all the children ensured that the
party was able to stay in style for the rest of their break, living off the
gratitude of the townsfolk – after strongly suggesting that perhaps the
accesses to the prison should be better fortified against further curious folk.
