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Group 1 Session 2 Summary

  After clearing the first floor of the Holnaf Manor, the party proceeded upstairs, where they found a paper with a map of the layout of the floor. They proceeded to check the paper for traps as well as study it for their plans going forward. Choosing the first door to the left, they appeared out the third door on the right. Deciding that was quite obviously the wrong door, they proceeded to the second door. After opening it, a second piece of paper floated to Samson, who alerted the others to a suspicious note threatening their friend. Pausing to look around, they discovered that Brianna was no longer with them.
  Proceeding into the room, the party discovered themselves inside a billiards room. Oddly enough, the billiard balls seemed to be playing themselves -- no one else was in sight. Across the room sat two vials of liquid with a card propped up in front of it. Curious, Solas attempted to identify the vials while telling the intrigued Samson that no, there was no invisible person in the room. After swirling the potion around and studying it for a moment, Solas discovered that -- especially given the note stating “Ghost potion: to be used in case of emergency” -- the potion might actually turn the imbiber incorporeal. Samson asked if it might be a permanent change, but Solas did not know enough about the potion to know for sure. Just to be safe, Solas decided to bring the potions along -- after emptying out some of the water from her bag of holding.
  Atrayu, also intrigued by the billiards balls, looked more closely at the game being played on the table. Solas used Detect Magic, wondering if this might be the subject of an Animate Objects spell, but discovered it to be a spell she was unfamiliar with. Samson, once the current game finished, grabbed the cue ball, apparated a pool cue, and proceeded to play a game of pool, clearing the table. The balls returned to the tabletop, gave a sort of happy dance, then thanked Samson for the best game they’ve had in a long time. The party members, duly impressed with Samson’s billiards skills, collectively marveled at the self-motivated balls before returning to the hallway to try another door.
  Trying the first door on the right, they discovered a trap similar to the first on the left, reappearing out of the third door on the left. They proceeded to the second door on the right, where they found a nice bedroom, arranged similarly to the bedroom downstairs save for the piles and piles of coins stacked around the room. A paper popped up and flew to Atrayu, the only party member that saw words on it: “Here lies Niga Holnaf, who never had enough. She wanted more things and diamonds and rings, but died without taking all her stuff.” Solas looked to the bed to discover an invisible skeleton lying upon it -- one neither evil nor subject of a necromantic spell. When Solas turned to investigate the coins, determining that they were quite old, the skeleton suddenly appeared to the rest of the party. Meanwhile, Samson opened the closet door to find a slow skeleton that Reiko proceeded to attack and dismantle. Samson picked up the cloak that the skeleton dropped and asked Solas to identify it. Solas identified the cloak as a Cloak of Resistance 4, while musing that the coins were likely a trap, though one couldn’t know for sure without doing something.
  Suddenly, a ghost materialized overtop the skeleton on the bed, demanding that the party go away and leave her things alone. The ghost declared herself to be Niga, the room to be hers, and again demanded the party leave. Solas, intrigued by the ghost, attempted to draw forth the ghost’s story of her life and death, even unsuccessfully attempting to charm her. Niga only grew more and more upset at the intruders, however, and hopped to her feet, taking the stance of a practiced monk and declaring that it was time for the party to die.
  Atrayu cast Smite Evil (though Niga proved to not be as evil as she looked) and attempted to swipe at the ghost with her horn, missing with her first swipe, but managing to connect with her second. Despite her horn being holy, she felt she didn’t do as much damage to the ghost as she felt she should have. Solas at first attempted Animate Object on the coins, but seeing that Niga followed her when she stepped away, instead chose to cast Chill Touch. Niga took her opportunity to attack and punched Solas in the jaw. Samson took a full round of attacks against the ghost, using his psychic strike which Niga was unable to evade with her monk skills. Enraged by the damage she did take, Niga returned the full-round favor, but only managed to land two of her seven blows, though one did hit an especially soft spot. Reiko challenged Niga with her Samurai’s Challenge, but failed to hit the ghost with any attack.
  Atrayu gave her horn the Ghost Touch ability through the spell Blade of Bright Victory while Solas cast the Withering Hex on Niga. Samson’s first attack of the second round was redirected toward Reiko, hitting her squarely and hurting her. His next attack landed, doing damage to Niga, and the third attack missed. Niga full-round attacked Reiko, landing all 7 blows for a total of 117 points of damage. While this normally would have killed Reiko, her damage reduction applied to each hit, sparing her life. Using Samurai’s Resolve, Reiko remained standing, 1 HP away from death. 
  Atrayu used Lay on Horn to heal Reiko. Solas moved up and cast Incorporeal Shell, cutting Niga off from attacking the party. Samson then hit and defeated the ghost, who exploded with the comment, “Don’t take my stuff!”
  Reiko, although deeply grateful to the unicorns for her health, eyed Samson uncertainly, unsure whether the local customs allow others to help when one issues a challenge. She decided, however, to simply be grateful for good companions who will fight alongside her. Meanwhile, the unicorns use Lay on Horn and the Healing Hex on Reiko and Samson. The skeleton on the bed having dissolved into dust and the coins being scattered about, the party discussed the number of ghosts they’d already encountered. Solas put on a mask which changed her to look like a “semi-handsome half orc” before taking it back off with the conclusion that it didn’t make her incorporeal. 
  Samson, seeing that the coins were no longer guarded by their previous ghostly owner, began gathering the loot, finding a note that gave a total amount for the coins lying there. He proceeded to search for the coins, discovering that some had rolled under the bed during their brief scuffle. He grabbed a handful -- about 250 platinum worth -- and urged the party forward, mindful of Brianna’s absence. 
  The party returned to the hallway and went into another room -- yet another bedroom. This one, however, lacked a reclining skeleton and coins on the floor. Although Solas found no one invisible inside, Samson once again found a skeleton in the closet. The cloak it left behind after Samson swiftly dismantled it was a Cloak of Arachnida. Solas identified the cloak, then gathered the skull left behind by the skeleton, intending to speak with it later.
  The party once again returned to the hallway and entered yet another bedroom. Interestingly, they recalled that the upper half of the library ought to have been in this room, though it clearly was not. The skeleton in this room’s closet, instead of attacking any party member, instantly tossed the cloak away from himself and attempted to flee the room. Samson, however, intercepted him. The party interrogated the skeleton before Samson dismantled him as well. Solas retrieved the cloak and identified it as a Prestidigitator’s Cloak.
  The party exited the room and proceeded toward the stairway at the end of the hallway, knowing it lead to the top floor, the entirety of which was the kitchen. Behind the door to the stairs was the ghost of Onqua Holnaf, who warned them that her husband, Girk, was not one to be trifled with. The party decided to continue, despite Onqua’s offer of exchanging Brianna (ensuring that the rogue was safe) for the loot that the party had gathered so far. Onqua wished the party good luck, then disappeared.
  Arriving at the top of the stairs, the party discovered a very large kitchen filled with floating dishes and utensils floating among the cabinets, counters, and many stoves. On the opposite side of the room stood a pedestal with a glowing book on it, behind which floated an unconscious Brianna. Solas used the hex Speak in Dreams to communicate with Brianna and ensure that she was, in fact, unharmed. Brianna was unable to wake herself up, however.
  Samson headed toward the cookbook, dodging the flying spoons and pots and knives as he went. Arriving at the cookbook, he watched briefly as the pages turned from one recipe to another. Reiko called to him, wondering if there might be any grilled octopus there. Samson, instead of answering, threatened to destroy the cookbook, declaring that he would no longer play this game. In response, a fog appeared before him, and in the fog, a face. With a quick answer, the face was joined by two large hands holding a nasty-looking axe. The flying utensils hid in fear as the hands zoomed across the room toward Atrayu.
  The axe dealt a heavy blow as it found Atrayu’s vital areas. Meanwhile, the face gazed corruptingly at Samson, who mentally resisted more than just the damage he felt he received. Atrayu used Lay on Horn to heal herself, then attacked the hands with her Ghost Touched horn. Samson attacked the face, landing three heavy blows. Reiko, across the room, issued a Samurai Challenge to the face, then ran across the room toward it. Solas, remaining within her shield against the incorporeal, focused to cast Legendary Proportions on Atrayu.
  The hands, unable to penetrate Solas’s bubble of protection, decided instead to follow after Reiko and dealt a grievous strike to her vitals. Simultaneously, the face focused its Corrupting Gaze on her, stealing away 2 points from her charisma score and dealing enough extra damage to kill her, despite her Samurai’s Unstoppable ability. Atrayu channeled revival to give her the ability to use Breath of Life on Reiko, and ran her now-huge self across the room to arrive in time to save her. Samson, still focused on the face, dealt the final blow needed to utterly destroy it. Along with the disintegration of the face, the hands also exploded.
  After a brief pause, utensils peeking out of the cupboards, the room began to shake. A wall of fog appeared at the far end of the room and began approaching the party, quickly engulfing Brianna and the cookbook. Atrayu attemped to Lay on Horn for Reiko but was interrupted by the fog. Solas assisted Reiko onto Atrayu’s back then fled the room herself alongside Samson. Atrayu, too big to fit through the door, smashed through it instead. The party ran quickly, dodging pieces of wall falling toward them as they hurried across the second floor. Solas, despite some help from Samson, stumbled and was engulfed by the fog. Down on the first floor, Samson and Atrayu continued forward. Reiko, however, was jolted off Atrayu’s back and was engulfed by the fog. Rushing through the foyer, Samson and Atrayu parkoured their way out of the manor. They arrived outside just in time to see the house crumble into a big pile of wood.
  Before them appeared the Holnaf family. Girk shook Samson’s hand and congratulated him and Atrayu for getting as far as they did. Samson inquired as to the fate of his other friends. Girk assured him that they were perfectly okay and snapped them back into existence next to Samson. With Solas wondering what had happened, Samson asked Girk if the whole thing had been a game. Girk giggled and explained that it gets boring after a thousand years otherwise. Samson apologized for not freeing the ghostly family, though they all laughed and stated that playing the game of the Holnaf Manor was their purpose. He continued to warn them that others more powerful than the current party may come. Girk welcomed the challenge before bidding the party goodbye. The Holnafs and the Manor house faded away with the rising of the sun. The vulture from the start of the adventure returned and mused about the survival of the party. In silent response, Solas dumped the water out of her bag; Reiko wondered at this not being a dream. The vulture chuckled and also disappeared, leaving the party with the loot they collected -- which, ironically, did not include the fabled cookbook of legend that initially drew them to the manor.