Hallowed Halls (Part 3)

The ghosts, some of them at least seem to become aware of Slixvah as she calls upon them for aid and tries to convince them of the group's sincere wish to aid the ghosts in turn. The hostility on their faces however suggests that the speech does little good, and perhaps actually convinces them of something else entirely. Five of the ghosts stop wandering the room and turn toward the group of you. Munch, touched by one of the ghosts briefly, falls to the ground and doesn't stir there-after. Joining the others in a strange semblance of sleep.

Slix's feathers press against her face, a chill running down her spine. "Very well, we apologize for the transgression," she intones shakily, stashing the cleaned vermin skull back into her robes and rising to her feet. A glance is stolen towards Munch tumbling down. Her throat bobs as feathers from her wings wrap around their metal torso as they strain to drag him up the stairs.

Patch just stares as Munch falls, Slixvah's words and helping just watched without word. It takes a moment, the Egalrin woman half-way up the stairs with the construct-man before she speaks. "I have done some religious readings. Not too many mind you. Mostly about the hymn." a hand rising to touch her brow, rubbing rubbing it and sighing. "Think, Patch. There has to be something we can do." she says to herself, trying her best to ignore that 'another' person has fallen unconscious. "Vaire, I need an idea!" this last bit said in <Sylvan>.

Schara peeks down from the back of the stairway, seeing the war golem pass out. "Oh goodness, it's just like with the cleric and the inquisitor!" They exclaim, stepping down to help carry the war golem out of the room once she could. "I think that's what knocked out the others, we need to be careful going in there. I don't know if we can send for anyone else though, since apparently they've tried to clear this house out of hauntings several times already."

GAME: Patch rolls perception: (3)+10: 13
GAME: Slixvah rolls alertness+2: aliased to perception+2+2: (4)+12+2+2: 20
GAME: Schara rolls perception: (5)+9: 14

The ghosts shift, the subtle tide of their aimlessness fading as several approach the stairs with lazy intent. It seems something you've done has certainly gotten their attention.

Slix blinks as she sees the ghosts shifting towards their stares, her quickening the pace as her eyes widen. Still thrumming from the spell that pierces sight unseen. "Ya'll, move it," she quickly hisses to her friends. "They comin', I can sees 'em! Grab some of da others!"

Patch listens to the sage advice to run away. It's the first thought and plan she's been totally onboard with. Scurrying up the steps, trying to pull some of those collected there with her up to safety. Patch continues to watch the ghosts with a side-eye she works. "I am running out of ideas, and none of them were very good to begin with. We got a /strange/ situation." a glance spared for her work partners. "I can see why this was an emergency." a sigh. "But who at the guild thought /I/ was qualified for this?"

"They're coming up here now, I guess they weren't just floating through Munch for the sake of it, they're aware of us!" Schara exclaims, working on dragging the others out of the way as best as she could, which wasn't too quickly. "Just, I guess we can't get them out of here, hopefully the ghosts keep following us, and not them? We should get out of here, but I don't want to leave them behind."

Thankfully the ghosts only follow you up the stairs. They stop at the doorway and begin their meandering ways once again. It's... very odd behavior for ghosts.

GAME: Patch rolls knowledge/religion: (4)+9: 13

Slix slows some as she's dragging the half-mul priestess by an arm with Munch wrapped in her feathers, breath spilling out of her as this physical labor was not her forte. "O... okay..." she huffs, carefully placing them at the front door to the estate to make some distance from the stairwell.

Once the others are placed there, she puts her hands on her hips as a strip of feathers rub at her face. "Yeeeeah, Pattie, I'm... not entirely certain either," Slix pants.

GAME: Patch rolls perform/sing: (3)+11: 14
GAME: Patch rolls perform/sing: (13)+11: 24

Frustration creeps in, Patch's brow rub coming with a stern glare at the ghosts at the bottom of the stairs. A note forms in her throat, bobbing her head as she just doesn't relent in her glare. "So, Slix. I've been thinking on this, and I think I could close the portal with what we have on hand. The sage, and holy waters. The veil is just naturally thin." she finally says, her eyes snapping from the ghosts to Schara. "Anyone have some rope? I'm going to have to talk to the ghosts.”

"I asked Vaire, Slix. She's likely laughing at us, but I think the ghosts don't mean us any harm." Patch says suddenly. "All of this mess is some strange consequence and misunderstanding." her tone dropping. "I hope."

There's some relief from the artificer as they find a wall to lean their back on after a few minutes of frantic body dragging. Schara sighs, and nods to the other two. "I don't have many ideas on how to close it, but if you think we can with what we have, I'll take your word for it, and we can give this a shot. If they don't know they're harming us, could you try to tell them that floating through us is harming us? If they can stay out of our way while we work, that might help."

Slix gets her breath back, affixing Patch with a reading look. Another to Schara as if they could see past the helmet before a long sigh escapes the bird woman. "Aight. Jus'... be careful, aight?" she intones, rummaging around for basic adventuring supplies on her person and pulling out a length of rope. "Scha-Scha, between my feathers and your armor, we should be able ta pull Pattie back real fast like."

She makes a loop, then tosses it over to Patch. "Here ya go shug. We'll be right there behind ya. Ivge ti oury esbt ohts," she chants, a hand flitting through the air before brushing against the elf shoulder. An errant breeze flits by.

Feathers hold onto the rope as she advances towards the stairs.

GAME: Slixvah casts Guidance. Caster Level: 6 DC: 15

Adjusting that loop, Patch nods to Slixvah. "Thanks." she says quickly. Schara is flashed a grin, a brow wiggled as she steps forward. "I always get to do the crazy stuff when you're around Scha-Scha." she muses, repeating Slix.

Armed with the rope-safety, Patch descends the steps to see what it is these ghosts wish to convey. "I'm sorry. I really don't know what's going on, and I'd ask you understand we're only here to help. That includes helping you too." she says to the undead ectoplasm, her feet stopping just before their reach. "We're listening now." a hand outstretched in a gesture of good will.

The ghosts initially don't seem to notice Patch, but after a long moment of simply floating up and down the stairs aimlessly one of them seems to notice her and advances on her. It repeats her gesture back to her, holding out it's hand, and draws closer and closer to the woman as she stands precariously on the stairs. Some kind of very low noise hisses from the ghost, a whisper perhaps.

"Just be careful, okay? I don't want to have to drag you out of there, there's already so many people to deal with that it's more than a bit overwhelming." The artificer asks as they take the rope and wait at the stairwell.

"At least, maybe they can listen to reason, possibly. Maybe it's just a matter of how you talk to them?"

"Oh, that's close." Patch says, her breath held a bit as she tries to stick to that 'one' nerve that keeps her brave. "I, yes. Hello." the repeated gesture assuring, but the closed distance is not. Brave face. Schara and Slixvah are watching. She leans, an ear twitching just a bit before it rests near the ghost's lips. "I'm sorry Darlin'. I need to speak louder. I can't hear you." her eyes wide from anxiety. This incident proving that elves 'do' sweat. A trickling down her back. Risking an ear is serious business. "We'ere listening." an uneasy side-glance show back to her two compatriots.

Slixvah shifts on her taloned feet, watching this unfold without the ethereal veil getting in the way. The feathers wrapped around the rope nervously tense. She nods along with Schara. "Do what ya think's best, shug," she murmurs.

Just gotta have faith, she thinks to herself as the scene before her is tugging at all the danger strings in the back of her head.

"What I think is best is shooting the hinges off the door, dragging everyone out of here, and letting the clerics deal with this." The artificer sighs to the egalrin they were next to while holding the lifeline for the bard. "What is right, is to get to the bottom of this and give all these souls some semblance of the freedom they should have."

GAME: Patch rolls will+2: (14)+6+2: 22

The ghost touches Patch, connecting with her and obviously whispering something into her ear. But it doesn't stop there, it actually merges with her, its incorporal outline superseding hers for a moment in a strange white light before the light fades and then the ghost meanders away once again, leaving Patch standing there.

Patch shivers and shudders. It's strange, that chill and bone-touching sensation as she is caught briefly in a trance. A hand has to seize the banister, having to hold on something to support herself as the wave even seemed to touch her toes. "Oh, that was some weird shit. I have more questions than answers, but I prayed for something, and /something/ answered." she spouts, turning to climb back up the steps.

"Good news everyone! I now know what to do. There is a ritual to close the rift, and a separate one to send them back to the Gray Halls." Patch blurts. "Since the portal is blocked, we should worry about the deceased first. Send them onward, then we can seal the rift." seemingly sure this is an answer. Mostly.

Slix nods along, staring at PAtch's interaction as she addresses Schara, "Yeah, I thinks that's prolly a good backup pl- ooooOooo sheeee-"

There's a lot of tension in that rope as the ghost phases through the elf. Then a massive sigh of relief, her reaching out to help Patch up. "Damn girlie, you got some balls," she whistles lowly as they retreat up the stairs. "Yeah? What do we gotta do? You're now the bonafide subject matter expert," she lightly jokes to mask her nerves.

There's a groan from the other side of the room, where one of the unconscious forms lies. Dolan rolls over, encounters the harnessed blade over his back, and rubs at his face. "Fuck," he states matter-of-factly. "Where-"

Schara was already pulling on the rope, only to stop when the ghost continued floating onwards. "That was dangerous, but you seem to be okay, which is good. And it told you what to do? That is another great thing, I hope we can manage this ritual." 

The artificer looks to Slixvah, and shakes their head. "I don't see any balls, Slixvah."

Then someone is stirring, and the artificer turns around. "Oh, you are okay! That is great news, I am glad you are no longer unconscious, and hopefully the others will recover like you in time. I asked for help, or I'm still in some horrible dream, but others showed up when all of you passed out from the ghosts."

Patch sighs heavily. "This is not a dream Schara. It's a lot more like a nightmare if you'd want to be technical." the bard muses, looking then back down the stairs. "Yeah. I think we can do it. We need to help them, and close the rift. Both things we can do on our own now." not mentioning why they couldn't before. She still needs time to process that 'touch' and encounter with the spirit.

"We even have an extra hand now." Patch muses, looking to Dolan as he stirs. "Hi there. We're the B-Team."

"B-team?" Clearly, Dolan is still getting himself straightened out, and finally sits up, then gets up, gently nudging the unconscious form aside that was half-piled on top of him. "Hold up. The ghosts were trying to tell us something. They showed me a ritual to use. They need us to close that gate."

The statement seems to focus him, and he finally turns his head from person to person. Some he knows - some he doesn't, and he essays a sheepish grin. "Thanks."

Slix looks back as there's groaning and Schara is talking to someone. "Weeell hello sleepy head!" she coos nervously. "We are indeed the B-team! B for Brave! Totally Brave!"

A glance to Patch, and she reaches out to settle a hand on the elf's shoulder. "We can totally do it," Slix reassures, gathering her wits and turning towards the stairs again for the third time. "Ya'll ready ta give it a shot? I'm always down ta try anything once."

"You, the cleric, and the monk all passed out when we found the basement filled with ghosts. Slixvah and Patch dragged you out of there, and the others are still unconscious." The artificer explains. "I'm not particularly confident in our ability with the ritual, but I'm willing to give it a try. If the others are waking up, then we can always leave if we have to."

Patch laughs a bit nervously, offering a nod to Dolan's words. Slixvah pat on her shoulder helping the situation, and provoking a grin. "Yeah, they really were trying to help." she confirms to Dolan. "So, let's not betray their trust. We can assuredly get it done."

"It'll be two rituals, but I don't think the knowledge came from the ghosts themselves. No, something else shared that memory with me." Patch finally admits, a stern glance on Dolan. "This is the second time the essence of something from beyond death has spoken to me. It's becoming a eerie habit. The advice worked the first time. I wager it would work again." sighing, and resigning herself to the next task. "We're going to have to go back down there." an apologetic glance turning to land on Schara. "Now that we have the clues, and tools. We can't just walk away. Right?"

"Who said anything about walking away?" Dolan still seems a little - absent, as if his attention is elsewhere, but at least he's conscious. "Thanks," he tells Schara. "I dreamed about a ritual - like I watched it. I might be able to replicate it. I think. Not sure who it came from. It's as if the ghost - passed it on. Like I saw it third hand." His flesh and blood eye blinks.

Slix looks to all. Concern on her face. But also intrigue. "Welp. I'm used ta sorta-kinda half assing my way through things with only half baked knowledge. Lez do it! Dolan, Pattie, ya'll just tell us what ta do and we'll do what we can!"

"I said something about walking away, on account of everyone I came in here with passing out from a basement filled with ghosts, and one of the people who came in here to help passing out from them as well." Schara explains. "Well, the ghosts aren't actively trying to kill us, so maybe some unknown ideas from an unknown souce can work. We can give it an attempt, at the very least."

The artificer looks at Slixvah, and shakes their head. "Their is no time for further confusion right now, Slixvah. You can explain how you partially ass your way through something or bake knowledge another time. We need to focus for the time being."

It takes a bit of bravery to walk down those steps again. It takes more time to make it through the room. The ghosts notice you more and more as you make your way through, and they don't seem entirely convinced that you know what you're doing. Thus everyone gets their own brief interlude with the dead. A touch of cold that one can not shake and then the memory of a ritual to send the ghosts on to the Gray Halls. You can tell that the memory doesn't come from any ghost you interact with. But you can't tell who it comes from.

In the end, it doesn't really seem to matter. You perform the ritual as prescribed and the mass of ghosts vanish all at once. The relief in the room, the sense of peace that comes when they are gone is strong enough to make your head swim. It doesn't end your work though, and afterwards you close the gate too. This too brings its own sense of peace and you make your way back up to your companions. The sun is shinning through the windows when you arrive back upstairs. It feels like days have passed. Weeks. You shake the sensation of too much time passing off and the front door opens, the chill of winter waiting for you on the other side.

It's a much more familiar and welcome cold than that you experienced before.

GAME: Schara rolls sense motive: (15)+3: 18

-End