Death House

[kintire]

Kimber eyes the bodies with sorrow, but not surprise. As the others begn to search she keeps watch, looking around but also straining her ears for any signs of movement

[alhoon]

He aids Van in covering the children's bodies and then he, too, begins searching the room.

"Thank you for your kindness" says a girl's voice from the corner of the room, followed by a shout of "GHOOOSTS!" by Burdur.

Van and Vorj turn to see two ghostly kids, Rose and Thorn, in the corner of the room. Burdur rushes in, his holy symbol in hand about to start a spell to attack these two apparitions. Kimber can see them materializing in the corner from her vantage point right outside the door.
Their forms are nearly colorless and semi-transparent. The gray, cold ephemera that represent their bodies in this side of the world reflect bodies of kids that have died from starvation. Their cheeks are more hollow, their arms more thin, their bellies slightly swelled. Thorn's ghost can be seen behind his sister, seeking her lead in undeath as he did in life.

Unlike the spectre of the nanny that nearly killed Vorj, the ghosts remain on their side of the room, eerily motionless. As Burdur chants, Rose addresses him "We're not your enemies. Don't make us hurt you. We don't want to harm nobody."

The dwarf seems... troubled by this development. His religion for those that know, considers all undead as abominations that should be led to rest. It is obvious though that Burdur doesn't think the party is up to the task. Nor these two seem hostile.
In his confusion, Burdur returns to what he does best: Complaining.

"Every dead body in this place is an undead!" He says accusatory to Kimber waving his stubby finger to her as if it is her fault. "From unlucky adventurers in the library to dead babies!"

"You found Walter? What of Estella?" Rose asks. "She will harm you if you touch our poor brother. Avoid her. Other visitors have won against Estella but she always returns after a while. So do we. We are here forever..." the ghost says in a somber tone.

Thorn interjects at this, looking at Vorj "Have you seen mommy? Have you seen Father? We miss them so much! Is the monster gone? Why don't they come to get us out?"

[VAN]

At Burdur's cry Van turns with his scimitars ready to attack. But after listening Rose lowers them. Infact the children haven't attacked them from behind as the other one did.

"Burdur, I think they will not attack us if we wont. Have you noticed they have been locked in here for who knows how long and died from starvation...what a horrible death."

Van lowers his head out of respect. Regaining his composure asks:

"Who locked you in here? We did find Walter and Estella...she is gone for now but if what you said is right she will be back. Now what can we do for you and how can we leave this house? There are deadly mists all around! Ah and no we haven't seen any monster unless Estella...and not your parents either."

[Ken of Ghastria]

"We... don't want to hurt you, either," says Vorj warily. The paladin slowly closes one hand around his vial of holy water, but he makes no offensive action. He waits for the ghosts to answer Van's questions.

[alhoon]

"Who locked you in here? We did find Walter and Estella...she is gone for now but if what you said is right she will be back. Now what can we do for you and how can we leave this house? There are deadly mists all around! Ah and no we haven't seen any monster unless Estella...and not your parents either."

Thorn answers the first question: "Our parents, till the monster in the basement would leave. But they never came back... "
Rose answers the rest: "I think we're beyond the help of the living" she says with sadness and then she continues "You can never leave this house. Nobody could and several have tried."
She stays silent after the grim declaration of the futility of their efforts.

[VAN]

Van sighs, so they have been others in this house but nobody managed to escape...Trying to lighten the mood he says:

"Well, we will do our best anyway, hoping to get out. Now, do you know where are other traps or secret rooms? Will spare us time and maybe our lives. We need to know more possible about this house, please."

[Ken of Ghastria]

Vorj adds, "And you're not trapped in this room now. That is, as ...you are, you can travel beyond this room. So, please, tell us... have you seen the monster yourself?" He tries to keep his voice as calm as possible, but the innate wrongness of the ghostly children rubs against every nerve in his body. Finally, he can't help himself. He says, "Why do you lure others here?"

To Van, Burdur, and Kimber, he says, "It's in the basement. We vanquish it -- or help it find peace -- and we might be able to put an end to this nightmare."

[alhoon]

Vorj adds, "And you're not trapped in this room now. That is, as ...you are, you can travel beyond this room. So, please, tell us... have you seen the monster yourself?" He tries to keep his voice as calm as possible, but the innate wrongness of the ghostly children rubs against every nerve in his body. Finally, he can't help himself. He says, "Why do you lure others here?"

Thorn and Rose look at the paladin with what could be taken as lack of comprehension before Thorn gives an answer that shows the depth of difference between a living human child and a cursed existence
"Why would we leave this room?"

Rose answers the other question "Others have told us that too. We didn't lure you here. We didn't know you were here till you broke the door. This is the first time we see you."

[VAN]

Van looks at the ghost children puzzled.

"But we saw you outside earlier, you told us to come here and save Walter that is in the basement with the monster. This doesn't make any sense."

Slightly irritated Van asks:

"Anywyay, what do you want from us? Can we do anything to help you to rest or can you help us getting out? Maybe tell us where is the basement's entrance for example so we can try to deal with this monster hoping to be bale to leave this place."

[alhoon]

Rose looks at Van "We had nothing to do with your arrival in this place." The child's ghost points to the dollhouse and says “There’s a secret door in the attic.”

[VAN]

Van quirks an eyebrow when Rose points the dollhouse. He goes and takes a closer look at the dollhouse.

[Ken of Ghastria]

Vorj keeps a wary eye on the children, ready to protect Van as he looks at the dollhouse. "A secret door?" he asks them. "Was it known to your parents, or was it a secret that only you two knew?"

[alhoon]

Rose answers "Our parents never told us about it. We knew there was a hidden door to the basement but not where it was. Others like you said after looking carefully at our toy house that it is very much like the house we are trapped in. Some have found a secret door in the attic. You may look if you want.
None returned from the basement to us."

Thorn adds with sadness. "The grown ups all abandon us here, to eternity. Alone. Everyone abandons us. Are we punished? What did we do? We've been good.
Mother and father would not abandon us. So we wait here. If you see them, tell them we're good."


Burdur frowns. He seems moved by the plight of the children but conflicted since they are undead. Finally he grabs Vorj by the arm even while he speaks to the ghosts and whispers "They are innocent of the crimes done here, yet damned. Even a royalist lackey would know that punishing the innocent forever is wrong. We should help them. "

Rose answers, having clearly overheard. "We have heard promises before. Nobody returned."

[VAN]

Van takes a closer look at the whole dollhouse trying to remember the lay out of the rooms they have been already in and see if they have missed a secret door. He also checks the rest of the toyhouse so he will already know what it will be in each room and if there are any secret doors there. When he is done he says:

"Kimber, Vorj, do you want to check the dollhouse as well? If it is indeed a replica to the big one it will be very handy knowing what is in each rooms and if there are more secret rooms."

To the ghost children he replies:

"I cannot promise that we will come back, but we are willing to. We don't know what we will face down in the basement and if the monster is still there we can defeat it. So I just repeat what I said, if we can we will return. Do you know any other traps in the house we can avoid?"

[Ken of Ghastria]

Burdur frowns. He seems moved by the plight of the children but conflicted since they are undead. Finally he grabs Vorj by the arm even while he speaks to the ghosts and whispers "They are innocent of the crimes done here, yet damned. Even a royalist lackey would know that punishing the innocent forever is wrong. We should help them."

Vorj glares at Burdur and shrugs off the arm. "Of course, punishing them is wrong," he hisses. Glancing at the children, he continues in a softer voice, "No child deserves to be cursed by evil."

When Van asks if he wants to examine the dollhouse, he shakes his head. "Not right now, Van," he says. He crouches down and begins to pull items from his backpack. "Burdur," he says, "I'd... appreciate your help. So would the children." He removes an ornamental white-and-gold tabard, the front of which is emblazoned with the design of a scale. Priest's garments.

"I'm going to do a ceremony, right now, to bless these bodies." He puts on the tabard and sets out candles in front of him, along with a block of incense, a censer, and the vial of holy water. He looks to Van, Burdur, and Kimber for acceptance. "Perhaps we won't escape this house... but it's time that these children's spirits did."