The ghostly weeping grew louder as our heroes drew close to the door, although it was still faint. It seemed to fade in and out, as if the source was moving at a distance, but it was definitely coming from the door that Garland indicated.
The door was locked, the old iron keyhole long since rusted shut, too corroded to peep through. Like most of the doors in this section of the prison the wood was charred and burnt. Age and rot had also taken their toll, and despite the lock it was easy to force the door open.
The room was a workshop. Workbenches were scattered throughout the room and a grindstone stood against the far wall. There were leatherworking and metalworking tools, now rusted and useless, as well as moldering mounds that may have been piles of raw materials. An anvil stood against the far wall near a cask of rusty nails.
A forlorn tangle of fabric was heaped in the center of the room. It was old and faded but ornate, it may once have been a fine dress. And from the center of that pile extended a skeletal arm, slack in death, reaching towards the door as if beseeching it. Even now long, faint scratch marks could be seen on the interior of the door.
As our heroes moved cautiously into the room there was a sudden rushing as of a great wind, although nothing ruffled their cloaks or caught at their clothing. It rushed through the chamber carrying with it the sounds of a woman sobbing. It peaked and then ebbed quickly, fading to nothing.
In the center of the chamber a shimmer appeared in the air, rising from the bundle of cloth on the floor. It wavered and solidified into the ethereal figure of a beautiful woman. Her hair and skin were transparent and tinged blue, as was the tattered dress that drifted around her as if tossed by a great wind. Her face was tear streaked and she wept--great, wracking sobs that shook her frail shoulders with grief.
She had the look of some spirit or apparition, and yet she did not attack the party as such horrors were wont to do.
Instead she peered around, scared, confused, barely seeming to see our heroes. Her hands rose to her face as if trying to ward away something unseen.
"It's...so hot. So much...smoke." Her voice echoed emptily, ghostly and haunting.
At length her eyes seemed to focus, to fix on the adventurers clustered in the doorway.
"Who...are you?"
Explored Rooms:
A1 - Entryway
A2 - Foyer
A3 - Auditorium
A5 - Property Room
A6 - Offices
A7 - Warden's Office
A8 - Chapel
A9 - Stairwell
A10 - Furnace Room
A11 - Induction Chamber
A12 - Workshop - You are here
Unexplored Rooms:
1 - ???
3 - ???
5 - ???
6 - ???