Black-eyed Peas

You stand in a well-established home in the noblity district. It's to say the least a fancy home. One full of warmth and yet... Just walking in you know something is wrong. The drapes are drawn tightly, there are thick blankets thrown over every single surface that might catch a reflection. There's no sign of servants or those who might serve this house. Just two people with tightly drawn faces holding one another as though their lives depend on it.

A man and woman stand before an empty fireplace, the woman holding a stuffed bear that she can't seem to stop crying into. The man looks as though he hasn't slept for days, and holds his wife with gentle and yet desperate fingers. Before them stands Mourner Verna. They look hopeless, helpless. And though the man opens his mouth several times to greet you, or say - something - he can't seem to find the words.

Keeping in perfect theme with the drawn drapes, somber expressions, and general sobriety, Sage Mourner Verna is present (and perhaps for the first time in some time to those familiar) covered in gray robes with hood donned. She looks to those arrived; some familiar, some less so. "I am Sage Mourner Verna, for those unfamiliar. I am present to speak for this family, these parents, who are in mourning. Their child was judged ten day past."

While her tone and pace is neutral and formal, she pauses briefly for the significance. "Their mourning was interrupted a week past, by what is believed to be a haunting. Whatever unsettled soul may be responsible," she does not speculate despite the obvious possibility, "and for whatever cause... For that I requested assistance to determine. So that correction can be made, and all can find the peace and rest that is deserved."

Rocky is grey himself, but not fully by choice, his scales were born that way. He nods at the words, tail thumping lightly upon the floor in understanding and agreement. "Ssssa, what exactly happened?"

Yaretzi nods slowly to Mourner Verna's words, dark eyes looking to the family, and then back to the woman. She doesn't utter a word, just waiting, and letting others do the talking as the reason they've been summoned is discussed.

Zyla nods her head a bit, and glances towards the couple and then back, "My fists are at your service, for such a noble task." she keeps it short and sweet. Normally she would be more interested in the money...but this is something that speaks to her deeply.

"You've got it." It is not the first time, lately, that Dolan has been in this area of the city. Over his breastplate and usual gear is pinned a gold-trimmed white mantle, the pins securing it shaped as a stylized dragon that marks him as tied to the Temple of Daeus in some fashion. He is not, however, clad as a typical Sunguard - the greatsword over his back gives the lie to that. He doesn't say more, though, instead turning himself towards the sith-makar, expectant of the answer.

The man looks at the woman and she at him. "He was... just playing outside, and suddenly he couldn't breathe. We tried everything but... he couldn't breathe." She dissolves back into tears and the man holds her more tightly.

The last bit of sunlight slides away from the house and there's a gentle knocking on the door. A light little tap-tap-tap that makes the two parents stiffen. "Don't answer it!" Warns the man immediately, and the woman holds onto him.

"Why not? Let him come home. Please. I just want him to come home."

"Pease. Pease let me in. Mommy? Daddy? Pease?" A little boy's voice from just outside the door.

Verna is prepared to offer some further details when the parents speak up. As for more specifics concerning the unsettled soul... well, that also speaks up for itself. Her hood pans to the door, though her expression is unreadable beneath it. "What calls is not wholly your child," she reminds or explains to the mother, if gently. This implies she concurs with the father, without explicitly stating as much.

Rocky chuffs in mild surprise, looking to the Mourner for guidance. Enemies with swords and clubs he can handle. Little boys who might be dead are outside his range.

Zyla cocks her head to the side, "Your suggestions Mourner?" she asks as she glances towards Verna and then glances towards the door. She thinks on her own abilities, considering what she might be able to assist with in these circumstances.

GAME: Rocky rolls knowledge/religion: (14)+2: 16
GAME: Dolan rolls knowledge/religion: (10)+9: 19

While the others talk it over, Dolan reaches for the stylized dragon that hangs around his neck beneath the mantle, bringing it to his lips and speaking firmly aloud. "Holy Knight, show me the presence of that which is anathema to you." So saying, he holds it before him, in the direction that he looks, which is toward the door.

Yaretzi lets out a long breath as the noise and chatter of child begin from behind that door. Her head is canted, a light pop heard from her neck, even giving her shoulders a roll. "Advice good. Yar, doesn't know how to deal with spirits." she says, eyes then fixated on their objective.

GAME: Zyla rolls knowledge/religion: (3)+7: 10

The father is crying silent tears himself now, listening to the sound of his son's voice calling from outside. It's obvious that whatever Verna says that this is the SOUND of their child's voice. He straightens suddenly and shakes his wife. "Stop it! We can't do this anymore!" He lets her go suddenly and starts to stride toward the door himself, leaving his sobbing wife to stand before the hearth in their home.

Rocky moves to put himself between the innocent and probable danger.

"Wait. The Knight shows me something evil stalking you." Dolan turns now fully towards the father, the twisted half of his visage a fearsome and unusual sight in this genteel area. "Whatever waits outside stinks of it, and so does whatever's right behind you, sir. I think whatever it is is after you." Swiftly, he lifts the dragon around his neck again, and this time prays openly over it in a language that is not Common. When it is done, he looks up again, this time staring first directly at the father, then at the door.

GAME: Dolan casts Detect Undead. Caster Level: 5 DC: 14
GAME: Dolan rolls knowledge/the planes: (1)+8: 9 (EPIC FAIL)

Yaretzi moves after Rocky to help stop the emotional man and block him from the door. "Makari right." she says, looking to the door. "We summoned to do this. Let us do this."

Verna addresses Zyla's inquiry. "If it is truly a restless soul, then the cause must be tended, peace granted. This can be as varied as the soul, itself. It may merely wish entry to a familiar comforting space..." Her hood then pans to Dolan at his revelation, then back to the father. "Or there may be malice aforethought." Verna's focus returns to the door, though she steps nearer the mother and keeps the father in view. They are her charges, after all. "Be ready."

Zyla nods her head to the side, "So should we let it in?" she asks and then glances towards the others, then again, maybe it will come in on its own.

When Dolan finishes his prayer and turns his face entirely towards the father. Whatever he sees draws only a nod, and then he turns his face towards the door -

And promptly throws his arm over his face, the dragon falling from his hand and clattering against his breastplate as he crumples to his knees. "Fuck!" he swears, but that's all he seems to be able to manage to get out.

Suddenly things are happening all at once. With Dolan down, the wife attacks Verna, her eyes suddenly filled with a manic light. The teddy bear hitting the ground with a soft thump. As if the woman attacking Verna wasn't enough evidence of something being awry, there's just something about her dropping the bear that tells you something is intensely WRONG.

Meanwhile the father lets out a huff of anger and tries to get past Rocky and Yaretzi. "We have to do something!" He bellows, and the knocking has become insistant.

"Pease! Daddy! DADDY!"

GAME: Yaretzi rolls cmb: (5)+6: 11

Verna has put herself between the woman and the door, believing the latter to be the threat. She does not notice the dropped plush, nor any significance of it, until it is too late. Despite her robes granting the illusion to the contrary, Verna is not much in stature; fare less in might. All enough that she is readily grabbed by the manic... mourning(?) mother. "What?! Calm yourself, ma'am!" Grief manifests in unusual ways, afterall.

Zyla is at a loss at the moment. She looks at her fists and then at the two, worried that even if she tried to pull punches, she could accidently hurt them, so the large giantborn is uncertain of what she should do.

Yaretzi tries to grab the man, but he slips through her guard. The large woman is a bit shocked, turning to see the husband heading towards the door as she flashes a glance to Rocky. Before she can speak the words of Verna draw attention as hers tussling with the woman had not gone unnoticed. "What is happening?" the entire situation now a puzzle to her. Dolan's down, the man's rushing the door, and Verna's being accosted. Not good.

Finally, Dolan manages to stagger back to his feet. "Don't fucking open that door!" Apparently his manners and his language have gotten lost in the miasma created by overwhelming power that is only just now fading from four inches behind his eyes. "That thing's way beyond any of us! Take out the imp behind the father! It's a small devil!"

GAME: Rocky rolls strength: (1)+3: 4 (EPIC FAIL)

Rocky grabs at the father, trying to push him back towards the hearth, but at the news of an imp behind the Father, the motion stop, unsure.

Zyla looks around for said imp, since that is something that she could hit. Her eyes narrow as she seeks out something that she doesn't have to worry about hitting softly, that she can let loose with.

For a moment it seems you might stop the father, but everything is chaos now and he yanks open the door. Beyond him you can see the image of a small child, a little boy who has dark circles around his eyes and a hollow expression within them. He smiles wickedly at his father who stares at him with uncertainty and hope at the same time. That hope is dashed when the boy lets loose an unholy howl.

GAME: Dolan rolls fortitude: (10)+11: 21
GAME: Yaretzi rolls fortitude: (19)+6: 25
GAME: Rocky rolls fort: (4)+9: 13
GAME: Verna rolls fort: (3)+15: 18
GAME: Zyla rolls fortitude: (2)+8: 10

The howl of the child is an unholy thing. It echoes through the room and pierces your very soul. It feels like nothing you've ever felt before. It's not fear, its the chill of the grave. It reaches inside and pulls your heart with it, leaving you feeling hollow and helpless. The boy flickers in and out of existence, appearing directly in front of his father so that the door can not be closed. The father steps back reflexively. Not fear, just instinct and the boy holds his hand out to him.

Meanwhile the mother is doing her utmost to strangle Verna. She doesn't see her child at the doorway, which might be for the best really, and she is instead hanging onto the Mourner. "WHY?! WHY IS HE DEAD?" She sobs as she clings to Verna.

GAME: Verna rolls cmb: (2)+10: 12

"Holy Daeus, where did that thing go?" Dolan snarls, gritting his teeth against the feeling of _hollowness_ that surges through him, that catches his breath for a moment and tries to take it away. "There you are! Get away from her!" Forcing himself to burst into action, forcing himself to act against the pull of the grave, he drops the harness of the greatsword over his back and dashes towards the hearth, seeming to be minded to - attack the hearth?

GAME: Yaretzi RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 6 temporary HP

"Wh-urk?!" If Verna holds an answer to the mother's question, she cannot convey it. Gloved hands flail at the woman in attempt to break the embrace, but they are likewise ineffectual. She is a Mourner, not an Angoron nor wrestler.

GAME: Yaretzi rolls weapon1+2: (9)+9+2: 20
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 2d4+6: (2)+6: 8
GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed+2: aliased to Melee+1+1+2: (6)+14+1+1+2: 24

That unnatural holler, and magical ability that the child-specter let loose causes Yaretzi's hair to stand on end. Her body is screaming one thing at her, as others yell about an imp she can't see. A lip peels, a foot is stamped, and the barbarian lets out a yell as she's suddenly charging the ghostly figure. "Yar no see, Imp!" her falchion drawn as she wields it in hand, coming to a screeching halt at her target as she uses both momentum, and strength to let her blade sweep the figure. "Yar fights what Yar sees!" the lashing of blade enough to leave the ghostly figure staring in surprise, though she knows not if it was truly hurt.

GAME: Zyla rolls first+1d6: aliased to 2d8+10+1+1d6: (11)+10+1+(2): 24

Zyla blinks and still doesn't see an imp, she does see a specter though and she can't let it hurt the others, so she focuses her ki and electricity starts to dance over her form. She suddenly vanished and appears behind the specter and lashes out with a powerful fist crackling with lightning.

GAME: Rocky rolls weapon9: (11)+11: 22
GAME: Rocky rolls weapon9-5: (19)+11+-5: 25 (THREAT)
GAME: Rocky rolls damage9: aliased to 1d10+5: (4)+5: 9
GAME: Rocky rolls damage9: aliased to 1d10+5: (8)+5: 13

Rocky shivers. The touch of death is familiar, but this, this is unholy. The grey-scale draws his large blade and slashes at the ghost-boy. It may have been innocent once, but now it's undead, and the sith has OPINIONS about that.

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20: (6): 6
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+26: (15)+26: 41
GAME: Aftershock rolls 14d6: (48): 48

The wife clings to Verna, almost seeming less to try and kill her and more just... despirate. Either way she's succeeding in hampering Verna quite a lot.

The ghostly visage of her son reaches out and sticks its hand into the father's chest. The man seems to wilt before your eyes, his hair turning pure white and his knees hitting the ground with a solid thump. His vitality drains and his whole body crumples. "Why?" He asks of his son, but all there is is the echo of the boy's scream in your ears. No answers.

The imp, seeing Dolan coming for it, and still invisible, tries to fly up the chimney but hits its head on the grate and there's a loud noise from the hearth that... is largely drowned out by the sound of combat.

GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1: (2)+9: 11
GAME: Verna rolls cmb: (5)+10: 15

The loud *clang* of the grate is not lost on Dolan, who immediately snarls. "Oooh, you're stupid. Got you now!" The sword between his hands slamps up over the hearth, intending fully to pin it to the grate, but finds only empty air. That's am awkward angle to get a sword into a chimney.

GAME: Yaretzi rolls weapon1+1-1: (10)+9+1+-1: 19
GAME: Zyla spends ONE point of KI POOL.
GAME: Zyla rolls melee+2: (8)+14+2: 24

Verna gets her voice back. However, she is unable to free her arms, much less able to make any of the precise gestures necessary or reach the scales about her neck. "Calm yourself!" she manages to the woman, before reacting to the visitor and the effect on the father. "Beware the child, retrieve the father!"

GAME: Zyla rolls melee+2: (2)+14+2: 18
GAME: Zyla rolls melee+2: (5)+14+2: 21
GAME: Zyla rolls melee+2-5: (10)+14+2+-5: 21
GAME: Zyla rolls hammer1+1d6: aliased to 4d8+10+1+1d6: (16)+10+1+(5): 32
GAME: Zyla rolls rest+1d6: aliased to 2d8+7+1+1d6: (11)+7+1+(4): 23
GAME: Zyla rolls rest+1d6: aliased to 2d8+7+1+1d6: (10)+7+1+(6): 24

Yaretzi switches her stance, eyes wide as she tries to gauge the spectral entity. Her swing is wide, her falchion missing as ringing sharp tones of metal on stone can be heard as the weapons edge scrapes the floor. "Gnah! Stay still ghost!" she says, though... the creature didn't really move. She's just mad. Really mad.

GAME: Zyla rolls knowledge/religion: (5)+7: 12
GAME: Verna rolls knowledge/religion+2: (1)+24+2: 27 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Rocky rolls knowledge/religion: (16)+2: 18

Zyla is still right there behind it and lets loose with a flurry of blows. Her hands come together for the first blow and try to smack it hard, but then there is another punch, it misses, followed by a third and then a fourth, the last two strikes hit, but she can't really tell if they are actually doing anything to the ghostly creature.

GAME: Rocky rolls weapon9: (12)+11: 23
GAME: Rocky rolls weapon9-5: (3)+11+-5: 9
GAME: Rocky rolls damage9: aliased to 1d10+5: (1)+5: 6

Rocky chuffs, recognition lighting in his eyes. "Banshee. Wail of death... but we knew that." The sith glances in concern to the Father, but has nothing to help but try to put down the undead. His blade connects, but to little effect.

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20: (16): 16
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6: (5): 5
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+26: (3)+26: 29
GAME: Aftershock rolls 14d6: (54): 54

The woman is so distraught that she doesn't seem to realize that she's throttling Verna. Or maybe she does and is so distraught she doesn't care. She shakes Verna back and forth, managing to hit the Mourner's head into the wall in the process.

The ghost drains more vitality from his father, and the man hits the carpet, barely breathing. His eyes are glossy and faint, his life fading quickly.

The imp, worried about that sword being wielded against it, carefully reaches out and opens the grate preventing it from flying to freedom. "Jal'goroth sends his regards to the Mason family." It growls out in a whining voice, quiet, but still loud enough to be heard by Dolan.

GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1: (15)+9: 24
GAME: Dolan rolls 2d6+5: (3)+5: 8
GAME: Dolan rolls 2d6+2: (6)+2: 8
GAME: Verna rolls cmb: (5)+10: 15
GAME: Verna rolls cmb: (2)+10: 12

Dolan's artificial eye may be malfunctioning, leaving the inquisitor trying desperately to sort out conflicting and badly-formed afterimages, almost a miasma, but the voice is enough to orient on, the crackly voice that speaks of Jal'goroth. "Jal'goroth, yeah? Well, mighty Daeus sends his regards right back to you." With that, the blade flashes with the light of a noonday sun, and he _slams_ it upwards into the chimney. The result is a _hideous_ scream of rage and agony, followed by the sprinkling of ash back down into the hearth, where it vanishes into nothingness.

Verna attempts to push the woman from her, ire finally bleeding past her typical composure. "Your son has passed, but your husband yet lives. For the moment! Unhand me so I may aid him!" Her tone is more forceful than her musculature, however, at least in comparison to the distraught mother's own.

GAME: Yaretzi rolls weapon1+1-1: (10)+9+1+-1: 19
GAME: Yaretzi rolls 2d4+8: (5)+8: 13

Yaretzi snarls as the banshee doesn't seem to relent, but the noise of whatever Dolan had done to that imp brings a wicked smile to Yaretzi's face. She shifts, her two-handed blade swept through that apparitions form with a roll of shoulders and an overhanded swing. It's not as gratifying as it should be, but as the thing dissipates and fades, Yar begins to calm. Her heart beat slow, her face paling from the red that took her in rage. At least things ended well, giving the others a broad smile. "Ha! Funny man with eye was wrong. Boy not stronger than us!"

Zyla blinks for a moment as she gets ready to flurry again and then just relaxes for a moment and glances around, "Did it move, or did it we get it?" she asks as she looks around a bit more.

Rocky freezes, holding perfectly still a moment, then moves in a rush. Moving to the Mourner, he drops his blade and grabs at the Mother, trying to pull her back that Verna can tend what's left of the Father.

GAME: Rocky rolls cmb: (13)+9: 22

Rocky easily manages to disengage the mother. All it really takes is a little tug and she realizes that she's dropped the teddy bear and... Well she falls to the floor so that she can gather it up. Rocking to herself whilst Verna is freed and her husband lies mostly inert on the ground. Luckily he's not dead, but it'll take a fair bit of healing to bring him back around again.

"My thanks," Verna notes to Rocky as she is freed, pulling away to move briskly to the husband. The Mourner takes a knee by his side, one hand reaching down to him as the other claps The Scales at her neck. "Harpist, this one has lost, and mourns. I beseech that his time of judgment has not yet come to be." With her Mistress' agreement, Verna revitalizes the man as best as she is able.

GAME:  Verna casts Heal. Caster Level: 19 DC: 23

"No, he was. Good thing for you, and him, that the imp controlling it wasn't." Dolan's rejoinder as he nods to the helpless father is curt, and he keeps blinking and shaking his head, his massive greatsword held in one hand, some sort of icky brackish substance coating the blade. He pulls a cloth from his belt pouch and starts to clean it, but stops, his human eye finally seeming to focus on the father. "Shit." Fortunately, Verna has it well in hand, and he resumes his cleaning.

Rocky just nods, and picks up his blade, moving to the door in case anything else comes along. Like a fussy neighbor who heard yelling and will cause a problem if not turned away.

Zyla nods her head a bit and then looks around a bit, "Anything else that can help with?" she asks. She is already thinking about getting something that will help her fight a spirit like that next time.

Yaretzi puffs out a breath at Dolan's words, her weapon sheathed with a nod. "Funny man prove there was imp." she acknowledges, her glance going to the others as they tend to the Father. For him, he gets a glance, but it doesn't linger. She had tried to stop the man. "Thing vanish after imp die." reasoning his words, and then shrugging. "But why words of defication and fornication? Curse such things?" the man's cussing something she's not accustomed to.

-End