Mistamere Castle

A sharp shriek fills the room the moment Will's sword strikes the pulsing heart on top of the altar. The ghost's features twist with intense pain, and then, with a final, sorrowful cry, she dissolves into mist, vanishing completely into the darkness.

The blood oozing down the wall comes to a sudden stop, and the cold and heavy air begins to warm, lifting the oppressing chill that filled the room. The two smaller zombies now lay motionless by the altar, whatever force animating them fading with the disappearance of the ghost.

The room is small and doesn't take much time to search. Besides the alter are skeletal remains, with several broken ribs and a sharp ritual dagger. The small alcove at the far end contains candles, an overturned table, and the remnants of books, their pages reduced to dust. One particular book, however stands out from the rest. It remains intact despite the passing of the centuries. Its cover is cool to the touch, much like the journal you discovered earlier, only these pages are filled with frantic scrawls and dark magical formulas.

It is too soon to tell if the unnatural cold has subsided (you're at the basement, and it would take some time until the temperature starts to rise). The whispers that have been accompanying you all along did cease, however, and your torches burn with their natural intensity rather than the flickering lights that struggled to remain alive.

There is one other room in the basement, the one where several skeletons were held off at the entrance of by Boudica's faith. You find all these skeletons unanimated as well, the room they were at nothing but a guard room with several cots. You can pick up several old copper weapons and armor off the skeletons, but their personal items have long since decayed and lost any value.

Where to from here?

From her vantage point on the second floor, Miyana has a clear view of the courtyard below. The goblins look even more wretched than before; they huddle beneath the crumbling battlements, desperately shielding themselves from the scorching sun. The miserable lot are too busy scratching at their skin, rolling in the dirt, and covering themselves in filth to notice you - even if they could see that far in the blinding light. Even from this height, the stench of the goblins is almost unbearable. A fetid odor that makes you regret having your breakfast that day.

The sentries they posted on the walls are likewise barely a threat, constantly squinting against the light of the sun, and struggling to spot anything beyond the courtyard. They’re more concerned with their own discomfort than with watching for intruders. A handful of goblins, along with a couple of hobgoblins, stand near the castle entrance, their eyes watching the main door that leads inside.

They've seen you arrive and are preparing for whatever may come next. To the hobgoblin leader, you were either doomed to perish at the hands of the ghosts haunting the castle, like every other adventuring party before you… or, if you somehow manage to drive the spirits out, you’ll have done him and his tribe a great service. After dealing with you, they will have a much better place to hide from the hated sun...