IV - The Impatient Axe

Before I can consider a thoughtful course of action, Reuben barrels past me into the room pushing me out of the way and launches a javelin at the creature. Missing badly.

With any form of surprise lost I step passed him into the room aim and land a crossbow bolt squarely in the creatures squirming body. It shrieks and lunges madly at the source of its pain, It moves more swiftly than I had imagined for such a worm-like creature and it is upon me slashing with tentacle and maw. A bite lands deep on my shoulder and I can feel its foul breath on my skin. My limbs go numb and I find myself paralysed.

The remainder of the group charges into the room and dispatch the foul carrion, making short work of it and after a few moments the paralysis proves to be temporary and wears off.

I glare at the Paladin. Yet another member of this group I need to keep an eye on.

We progress further into this foul place. As we traverse the passageways we encounter and dispatch a pair of Ghouls with speed despite the chaotic and ineffective whirling of Rheubens great axe. 

We press on and find some rooms furnished as living quarters for the owners of the dungeon. We discover a book that seems to list the dozens of torture victims that have been brought to the dungeon. Alongside a pathetic letter penned by Lord Durst that blamed his cruel actions on his wife's evil ways and ask his children to forgive him his madness. It is a pathetic read and the man deserves no forgiveness.

My Beloved Children,

I wish I could do what all fathers do and tell you that monsters aren’t real. But it wouldn’t be true.

Life can create things of exquisite beauty. But it can also twist them into hideous beings. Selfish. Violent. Grotesque. Monstrous. It hurts me to say that your mother has turned into one such monster, inside and out. And I’m afraid the disease that afflicted her mind has taken hold of me as well.

It sickens me to think what we’ve put you through. There is no excuse. I only ask of you, though I know I do not have the right to do so, to try and forgive us. I despise what your mother has become, but I love and pity her all the same.

Lily, I wish I could see you blossom into a strong, beautiful woman. Spike, Walter, I wish I could be there for you. But I can’t. This is the only way.

Goodbye.

Lord Durst as a Wraith

A room next door is furnished as a bed room - as though anyone would sleep in this place of death! As we investigate the portraits of Lord and Lady Durst come to life and step into the room. In death as in life I presume, the Lord is a pitiful hen-pecked man and his wife is an evil crone cajoling him into attacking us.

Cai the celestial cleric produces his holy symbol and turns the undead. The crone shrieks and turns to run, dashing immaterially through the far wall. The Lord resists and is on me in a moment.*  The wraith is fearsome but finally Reuben earns his keep and his great axe smites deep followed by a holy smite. Along with divine blasts from Cai and I the Lord's wraith is despatched.

A moment later the wraith of Lady Durst returns in fury. But we are ready and Reubens axe is accurate and she joins her husband.

Neither of them deserve our pity, or our fogivness.

* At no point did the wraith reduce me to 0 hit points and reduce my max HP to 0 rendering me dead only for Lazlow to produce a portent after the hit and set the course of progress on a different track. That didn't happen. At all. No matter what everyone else tells you.