He didn't really understand the excitement about this . It didn't see that valuable or interesting but she was really really really happy about it. "Uhh sure I'll see if i can find any." seemed an odd place to leave this device but he looked around the stairwell for any signs of the things jamie described.

  While glad he doesn't have to fight the big baby, the lack of any reaction at all is still somewhat concerning.

  "Well, you clearly recognize the thing if you are asking for specific components Jamie.  Probably not a bad thing if you're making Meiou scrounge for things." When close enough for her to be caught in any explosions, that is.

"Not exactly interested in a transcript machine, but maybe if we find the cassette that belonged to this guy, we'll be able to read his final thoughts."

Nathan helps with the search.

"But I can't help but thinking this isn't getting any closer to shutting this place down."

There is a port for batteries, but there are no batteries inside. (And as depicted in the picture, the player has its own speaker) Playing with the crank while the play button is depressed shows that the machine will work while being cranked.

Meiou finds a small box with two holes punched in that look almost like gears. But possibly more interesting is that it is translucent, showing its oddly simple yet complex inner workings.

http://images.wisegeek.com/cassette-tape.jpg
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:00, Wed 06 Sept 2017.

In reply to Igatho (msg # 245):

Jamie figures out what the crank does, first manually and then with her Mage Hand.  "Good thing my Mage Hand doesn't have to deal with muscle fatigue."

When Meiou hands her that smaller box, she puts it in place and turns the crank. "I'm surprised I know how cassettes work.  They were ancient even in my time.  Let's see what this tape says."

the rabbit shrugged at this. not real sure what to say on the matter as he doesn't know what they are. pip always prefered these big round black discs that needed a special thing to play.

  "It has a crank on it, and a hole the same shape for what you put in it.  I'd be more concerned if you didn't figure it out Jamie."

  He looks back over to Nathan, and comments "Finding the notes of previous occupants in abandoned places seems to end up practically a requirement, for some reason."

Nathan shrugs and answers Tark, "I wouldn't know."

He then turns a confused look to Jamie.  "'Ancient even in my time?'  You make it sound like you're making yourself out to be ancient.  Or maybe... a time traveler?!"

He smiles like a kid in a candy store!

The tape plays and through the speaker comes a voice: "Things aren't going well. None of the bodies have turned into dust, so i can't get the souls. I told the families that I would give them the dust back for the funerals. People are starting to ask me what's happening. What do i do?"

A distant moan can be heard along with a quiet, whispering voice saying, "What did you do?"

The man continues, apparently having stopped the recording and continued at a later date, "This isn't working. And I feel so alone. I keep losing people... and yet I feel like I'm being watched now more than ever. I'm so close... but-"

The recording stops there.

Jamie had to glance over at Nathan who was grinning like the proverbial cat who ate the canary.  "I let the cat out of the bag, again, didn't I?" She says.

She then leans back. "You got it right the second time.  Well, I didn't actually travel as much as I tripped into a time rift.  Next thing I knew, I was in the Black Forest.  Good thing the coven there took me in..."

She then heard the recording, and her expression darkened.  "Trapping Souls.  And that voice sounds like a lich to me, I'd wager my hat on it.  I knew I'd find out about one here sooner or later."  She paused.  "Well, I'd always ask for later, of course."

He looked to everyone for then back to Jamie is there an easy way to make it redead?

  Of course she's old, Witch, duh.  Though if time rifts are involved that means by technicality Jamie may be the oldest witch currently alive.

  "I suppose we should be thankful they didn't sound like a particularly successful lich, if that thing is anything to go by".
This message was last edited by the player at 05:45, Mon 23 Oct 2017.

Nathan loses his smile upon hearing the recording.  "So this place is haunted?  Maybe those guys we met back at town were just lunatic ghosts.  In any case, we need to figure out how to break Igatho from her reverie.  And shut this place down for good."

To Jamie he looks concerned.  "Wow.  I hope things turn out OK for you."

To Meiou's question he shrugs. "Sorry.  All I know 'bout liches is that they're zombies who sling spells."

He heads farther down the hall, looking for anything else.  "Wiches rhymes with Liches.  Gotta think of a funny song that'll have me in stitches.

"Hey ghosts!  You tired of being stuck here?  How 'bout offering a helping hand?"

Igatho wakes up and looks at Darcy. "...momma?" she blinks a few times and rubs at her eyes with her fists. "I had a neat-o dream! ...where'd everyone go?"

Nathan finds the hallway has multiple doors, each with a room inside. Some rooms have a skeleton inside. All of them look like this place used to be a place people resided and did things. What they did is mysterious, outside the recording, of course.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:54, Tue 24 Oct 2017.

Jamie's seemed to melt a bit by the age remarks.  Meiou can see her crying rivers.  "Just because I'm a witch doesn't mean I'm an old hag," she mutters.

---

Darcy sighed in relief as Igatho comes to.  "Oh thank the Gods. I thought that music will make you sleep forever."  She then tilted her head.  "The others pressed on ahead, and found a clue or two."

The rabbit cringed at Jamies crying. You dont look a day over eighteen to me. n.n;;

  Tark didn't make such comments out loud for a reason. See also, not joking about being as big a crybaby as Igatho.

  "Nathan, please don't run off alone in the cave of questionable standards." Oh good, just skeletons... Speaking of standards, being an adventurer does strange thing to them.

"Sorry.  Just getting impatient with this place.  As if I wasn't before we even got here."

He figures Jamie is responding to some ghost sound only she can hear and nods in agreement with Meiou.  "Meiou's right.  You look plenty nice, Jamie!  And remember to be on guard against anything from this place.  Even if they seem nice."

He turns around and heads back since this is apparently a dead end.

Igatho yells, "ECHO!" and listens for an echo with her hand to her ear and a open-mouth smile on her face.

The others can hear Igatho yelling Echo and when they exit the hall, they can see Igatho awake, hugging Darcy, and toddling towards the group. "Hello!" she squeals. "I had a neat-o dream!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:07, Tue 24 Oct 2017.

"Oh Thank You!" Jamie said as she grabs Meiou and hugs her.  "I couldn't ask for a better familiar!"

---

"What was the dream about, may I ask?" Darcy said.

the rabbit gasped as he was grabbed and squeezed. Jamie was surprisingly stronger than she seemed as she squeezed the air out of him. ja........mi...e.. a...i....r he manages to gasp out

  "Well, try to at least stay in sight of someone, Nathan."

  Alas poor Meiou, he was slapsticked to death. Or so their eventual tombstone shall read most likely.

  "Igatho, I hope you are okay." She seems okay.  Because enthusiasm was distinctly missing from the cursed emo crowd.

"Oh Tay!" Nathan answers Tark.

He's so proud of his team.  Tark looking out for everyone's wellbeing.  Igatho for shrugging off mental manipulation that has pushed grown men over the edge.  And testing acoustics!  Very important.  Darc for asking the question Nathan was thinking before it even reached his lips.  meiou for complimenting Jamie.  And Jamie for giving him a WWE bone-crusher bear hug!

Nathan bursts into singing about friendship while he continues to search for clues within view of the others.

"Oh I get by with a little help from my friends!"

Igatho says, "I'm OK!" in response to Tark's comment. She then looks at Darcy, "I dreamed I was in a biiiiiig place with echoes like this place! Then I heard music everywhere and it was very good! Then there were glowing eyes staring at me from all over the place. So I said hi! Out came grumpy monsters made of shadow that had sharp teeth! They jumped at me and I got to smash them to bits!"

She seems WAY more happy about smashing things and not in the least bit frightened by what should have been terrifying to normal toddlers. But then, Igatho isn't what one would call a normal toddler. "Then some angry man walked over to me and said I was supposed to be scared! So I smashed him too! He told me to stop and that my friends were going to hurt me, but I heard Tark say he wasn't gonna hurt me, and I felt Nathan kiss me and say he'd get me out without hurting me! So I smashed the mean man more until I woke up! I love dreams where I get to smash meanies!"

Meanwhile, Nathan finds a different door, this one less hidden and surrounded in magic runes.

Darcy couldn't help but laugh at Igatho's retelling of her dream.  "I guess that that curse thought it could deal with you, but it has no match against a child's imagination."  She then hugged Igatho on the side.

---

"OOOPS!"  Jamie said as she lets go of Meiou!