The hidden stairs
Cisco looked for stairs and found two fake walls. Sent Lorien Painbearer through one — disappeared. Yort Li tested the wall by poking his boomwhacker through. Cisco poked his head through — standard Platform 9¾ magic wall.
Ruasar attempted to scratch out the hag’s rune from the study. Every etch caused a small puff of magical energy. As he did this, a large humanoid shape materialized.
Combat.
- Yort Li noticed several creatures descending — told everyone to run for the hidden stairs.
- Elijah J. Lucas dragged Ruasar into the stairs. Fernie shoved Lorien through the wall. Drays Cisco through.
- Yort Li found a weeping ghostly woman.
- Lorien, Cisco, and Yort Li met at the top of the stairs while the others caught up.
The game room
Yort Li opened a door — found the game room. Could hear / smell one of the larger fleshy creatures below.
Ruasar headed up the stairs and saw the woman to the left and the other three to the right.
Cisco entered the game room and scooped up five coins with the silently screaming faces of each of us (except Fernie). Pocketed them. Yort Li didn’t notice.
Lady Serenna
Lorien Painbearer walked over to Elijah / Ruasar / the woman. Felt through Alric that this was Lady Serenna, Alric’s long-lost love.
Heavy sadness and regret — couldn’t really sift through whose emotion it was. Lorien spoke to her:
- She asked if Alric lived within him.
- Lorien explained who he was and that he did not hold “the weakness Alric held for you.”
- She glided to Lorien, recognized the glow on his breastplate, mentioned she remembered the ash.
- Asked if Alric regretted what he did. Lorien explained Alric’s last feelings.
- Came out: she was sacrificed in a bid for power.
- Lorien asked what Alric did to see if she deserved it.
- Flicker of anger.
- During their back-and-forth, Lorien mentioned he serves a higher power.
- This set her off. Piercing scream. She joined combat.
Combat
- Yort Li used Turn Undead — worked on both Lorien and the woman.
- Partway through, Serenna wailed — killing Fernie, Ruasar, and Yort Li outright.
- Lorien Painbearer dealt the final blow.
- Combat over. We were healed up.
The skull contraption
Investigated the hag’s mark again — a skull suspended in a wooden contraption over the sigil.
Lorien looked inward and felt a wall of shame — knew this contraption did something to Lady Serenna.
Ruasar was blocked from removing the skull with both his Mage Hand and quarterstaff. Started scratching out the sigil — the skull shook.
Elijah J. Lucas moved to cut the sigil while Yort Li restrained Ruasar. Debate among the group.
- Elijah struck the contraption while Ruasar scribbled on the sigil.
- Ruasar broke the seal. The contraption leapt at him, wrapping around his head.
- Saved his Dex saving throw with a nat 20.
Inside the contraption, Ruasar was face-to-face with the now-animated skull in the visage of Lady Serenna. One tear. “Thank you for your noble sacrifice.”
Her skull rolled out. Ruasar is now permanently(?) trapped in the contraption — speaks like a Dark Souls mimic. Seems to be fine otherwise.
Moving on
Cisco unlocked the door Lady Serenna’s soul escaped through. We headed through.
Entered a hallway similar to the one below and called it there.