IC Stuff

Somehow, the intense paladin lands a clean hit! Her blade bites deep into the creature's side, causing thick blood to pour out.

The wolf lets out a howl...but this time, it's not a magical one. It's the last howl of a doomed beast. It flops down beside its brethren, dead. As with the other two, the red light fades.

Veronica walks over to the wolves, poking at them with her toe. As she examines the creatures, her Minor Illusion spell ends, and the woods are again still.

Veronica: "Damn! Lucky these things're scrawny (juveniles, maybe?), or we'd be in for it! That howl o' theirs didn't affect me, but I still saw it buffet you two!"

Alice wipes the blood and guts from her blade, then returns it to its sheath. With the wolves dead, she's no longer frightened...but still glares at the three corpses.

Alice: "You speak truly, Veronica. I do not wish to be frightened like that again, nor do I wish to get surprised by a pack of full-size wolves with similar abilities. And that red magic, or whatever it was...any thoughts?"

Veronica: "Oh, they were empowered by something, no doubt about it. But did someone -- something -- magic them up specifically, or is some force spreading through the forest like a virus, infecting all sortsa beasts? Guess we'll have to keep traveling to find out...."

"Spooky! I think we should keep our eyes peeled as we walk through the forest now." I have the group continue our travel, a little slower and more on guard than before.

Leaving the defeated wolves behind, the party continues deeper into the forest. The more you walk, the more clouds appear overhead, and the cooler the air gets. The way is also getting more wild; you occasionally have to hop over fallen logs or dodge branches that have grown across the path.

After about an hour, you've covered two miles at your slower pace. It's now 4 PM.

As you round a slight bend, you see something up ahead: a blue spectral figure, pacing (or floating, more like) in the path. It's gesticulating wildly with its hands, and seems to be talking to itself, but you can't make out any words.

It's about 60 feet away, and it hasn't seen you yet.

Can I stealth up to hear what it is saying?

I'll have the other two circle around, but far enough that they are not at risk of being detected.

You're able to sneak closer to this spirit (or whatever it is) by sticking to the undergrowth alongside the path. It's also so absorbed in its conflict that it's not paying close attention to its surroundings. Alice and Veronica are somewhere else in the woods, keeping their distance.

You're now about 30 feet away, and can make out the figure's details: it's a spectral form of a young halfling woman. You can also easily hear what she's saying. Her voice changes back-and-forth from a normal tone, to one that's overflowing with rage:

"...not yet, not yet...what about the Pig and Whistle, all my friends...dead, throat slashed, blood gone. Accept it. Become vengeance...vengeance against who, though?! My killers are...are...back there...no matter, no matter! Take vengeance on everyone! They deserted you!...No...no! That's not true!"

Can I step out of the hiding spot and try to convince the ghost to not become a vengeful monster? I am a necromancer, so maybe I get advantage when convincing the dead? I also have Command as a backup.

"Hey, my guy.... You don't want to be a vengeful spirit. Then people like me would have to take you out before you could enact your vengeance on the world. Say... Who's asking you to be vengeful anyways? Maybe we could take them out for you?"

The spirit whirls around and stares at you. Like its speech, its face shifts between a pleasant expression and one of pure hatred.

However, your words have had an effect, because it doesn't immediately attack you.

"Interloper! But no matter...you'll be my first kill!...No, stop it! I'm not killing anyone!"

The spirit closes her eyes, and her entire "body" shakes...but after a few moments, she's got her nastier side under control. For how long, though?

"Nobody is asking me to be vengeful. At least, not how you think. That other side...it's me. I'm...transforming. And I can't hold it back for much longer. I'll become a...spirit? Ghost? Specter? I don't know the right word...never studied that stuff."

"But if you want to help...kill them...the ones who slit my throat...those...people...at the lodge. They need blood...for their pendant...captured me and others...I'm Teeka Lightleaf, worked at the tavern...tell everyone...I miss them...and love them."

The strain of maintaining this peaceful side is obvious. You actually see blue tendrils drifting off her face. Ethereal sweat?

"Secret entrance...look for bush right by the stream...it's trapped...careful...."

More blue tendrils. She's now evidently "weeping."

"Now either destroy me...or leave. I don't want to...become this thing...or hurt you...can feel it clawing at me...not much time left."

Can I perform some sort of necromancy magic to help her spirit be at peace? Maybe I can collect her spirit in my weapon? I usually collect the spirits of thing I have killed, but maybe I can capture a willing spirit without violence.

"I have this soul stone... Maybe I can capture you in it? That way you can't hurt anyone. I'll hold you until I can release you, when your energy would help me in the fight to avenge your death. What do you say?"

I hold up the Soul Stone and use my necromancy to make it glow so she can see it. If this does not work, I'm hoping I can try to use magic to calm a vengeful spirit. I don't have a specific spell or ability for this, but I can make an arcana check if it helps.

The spirit nods eagerly as you explain...but then pauses, clearly having second thoughts.

"Will it...hurt? How do you...capture me, exactly? What happens once I'm...ughhh...in the stone?"

"You seem trustworthy, but...do you promise not to use me for...for evil?"

Instead of answering, Lydia takes the handle of her weapon and quickly touches it to the spirit. Second guessing your choice will only lead to more work and less good answers.

I will roll an attack roll (my spell and STR based attacks are the same +6) just in case you want that.

The spirit recoils, and its features warp until you're faced with unrelenting hatred.

"Knew you were like them! Only want to use me! Die, you deceitful cunt!"

Since you didn't slay the spirit, and you didn't have its cooperation, you're unable to absorb the soul. The transformation continues, until Teeka Lightleaf is no more. All that remains is a skeletal, glowing specter!

No longer able to speak, it can only hiss and roar at you. It moves towards you, ready for battle! However, there's still plenty of daylight, and you would know that this would hinder it somewhat.

Alice and Veronica have noticed what happened, and are moving to aid you...but they're still about thirty feet away.

Init.

16: Veronica, 8/8, AC 10
15: Alice, 13/13, AC 18
6: Specter, healthy