A narrow tunnel stretches east before branching north and south.

"All we want are pretty little homes...Agenda suicide, the drones worked hard before they died...and give us our pretty little homes..."

Chanting.

You can hear an eerie, incessant chant echoing throughout. It’s impossible to gauge where the sound is coming from.

The tunnels are carved out of the earth, no supports made to prevent collapse. You must stoop, these hallways are only 4' high. Some of the rocks in the walls appear to be bone.

Chokahr knows the way. (23 on map) He leads south then west.

Several crypts have been hewn from the earth. Each crypt is sealed with a stone slab, these two say Rosalind and Thornton.

Removing a slab from its fitting requires a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check.
Make 2 checks to open their crypts and place their bones.

He belonged here. He hated it. He felt fear. He felt certitude. He was at peace. He was in danger. He wanted a pretty little home. He was no drone, and obeyed no master. Mumbling to himself, the big man moved forward, cradling the ghost-child in his heavy arms and following a path that was written in his subconscious. Everything was so clear, and so muddy at the same time, as if he was dreaming.

With one hand, Chokahr pushed open the stone slabs on the graves, revealing he children's resting place.
"We are home." His voice was soft and soothing, so different from the growling tone he had been using before. "What now, children?"

19:29, Today: Chokahr rolled 21,25 using d20+5,d20+5.  Athletics twice.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:34, Mon 22 Mar 2021.

Ceila stepped forward.

"I will pray for you, and put you to rest," she said.  "It's time."

“Are you ready to sleep, Thorn?” Jun Jia asked gently, ready to lay the boy’s bones in the crypt. While she awaited an answer, she thought of the doll house upstairs. Jia mused how she & Chokhar seemed much like dolls in a dollhouse at that moment.

Vyktor trusted none of this, and felt as if he was being somehow manipulated, though try as he might, he could not think of a way to avoid marching right into the jaws of hell gaping before them. This exile was both horrifying and incredibly frustrating, and he'd only been here a short time. I might not be able to win the game at present, but nothing's stopping me from trying to change the rules...

"Rose, Thorn," he addressed the bodies of the children, for somehow that felt more appropriate than looking at those carrying them, "I have found a Will that names the two of you as inheritors of this mansion and property. You'll be wanting someone to watch over your slumber will you not? If the two of you would entrust me with that honor, I would simply ask you to relinquish this burden over to me. I was raised in a place called the Rosewylde, I would be a good steward and protector. Will the two of you grant me your stakes and allow my name to take the place of yours on this deed?"
This message was lightly edited by the player at 07:25, Tue 23 Mar 2021.

All is still. There is no reply from either ghost, and Chokahr and Jun feel that they have left. Without even saying thank you.

There is another set of crypts to the east, and tunnels lead north or south.

(Check out the map, it’s totally fine with me that you meta game a bit.)

Chokahr's shoulders sagged. His senses were back, but he felt strangely empty. No anger, no hunger, nothing. He stood there watching the tombs for a moment, then put the lids back in place without saying a word.

Only then did he seem to realize how dark it was. He pulled out a tinderbox and lit a torch, shedding a warm yellow light on the muddy walls, and looked down the corridor in both directions, slightly unsure. FInally, he shrugged and started moving north.

Towards 24, unless someone stops me... Do I still feel the effects of the flaw?
This message was last edited by the player at 08:02, Wed 24 Mar 2021.

you will continue to be flawed until you long rest, but you are no longer possessed

Chokahr leads with purpose and determination

24 (btw the map is stupid bc north is west, so ignore the compass on the map, I'm fixing everything so north is top)
This room you can finally stand in, the ceiling is 7' high. A wooden table and four chairs stand at the east end of this room. To the south are four alcoves containing moldy straw pallets. There's nothing of value or interest here...unless moldy beds are your jam.

A tunnel continues west...

Jun Jia felt relieved when Thorn’s spirit left her. She felt pity for the children having their lives cut short so cruelly, and wished the peace denied them in life. When Chokhar led, she was content to follow.

While they walked, Jia wondered about an earlier event in the crypt. “Can any of you still hear the chanting?” She felt uncertain whether they were ready to face a maniacal cult just yet.

OOC:

13:35, Today: Jun Jia rolled 13 using 1d20+3.  Perception check .


This message was last edited by the player at 17:36, Wed 24 Mar 2021.

Ceila listened carefully.  Perception 13

"Should we see if we can rest before we go further on?" she asked.  "I know Jun needed to regain some of her strength; the resting of the ghosts may make it easier."

Vyktor shook his head. "I'm in no need of rest at the moment." He said, somewhat distracted. Finally, he shook his head as if to clear it, and proceeded westward to have a look while the others decided what they wished to do. "Be right back..."

Finally, a ceiling matching his body height. Chokahr stretched and rolled his shoulders, happy to move around freely. As her companion drew his attention to the voices, the barbarian stopped for a moment to listen to the voices, and shrugged. "Can't hear no chanting. Come on, let's move on. Ghosts are gone, it should be safe now. We'll rest later."

And with those words, he followed Vyktor down the western corridor, not waiting for Celia's or Jun Jia's answer.

25
It is clear now that the room you were in first was for the cult initiates, while this is for the more veteran members. That doesn't mean the furnishings are any nicer though.

A 4-foot-diameter well shaft with a 3-foot-high stone lip descends 30 feet to a water-filled cistern. A wooden bucket hangs from a rope-and-pulley mechanism bolted to the crossbeams above the well.

Five side rooms once served as quarters for senior cultists. Each contains a wood-framed bed with a moldy straw mattress and a wooden chest to hold personal belongings. Each chest is secured with a rusty iron padlock that can be picked with thieves’ tools and a successful DC 15 Dexterity check.

(Make 5 thieve's tools checks if you like. I suggest a trap investigation check as well)