You are all fully healed up and recovered from your most recent wounds, thanks to the passage of time and the minstrations of Sasha.
The house looks it's usual abandoned self.
You return to the area where you battled the flying fuzzballs.
The next door off the hall is in the east wall. After listening, you open it.
This is a large bedroom, 20' X 30' (10' south, 30' east, door in north wall, west corner, boarded up window in east wall). This place has already been totally ransacked. All that remains are broken furniture, torn linen, dirt and debris. Guano coats the floor, and upon hearing sounds of movement from above, you note the presence of a half a dozen bats in the ceiling corners. They do not threaten you, so you ignore them.
Searching the room, you find nothing.
You open the north door, to see a large, walk-in closet (10' square, no visible exits).
In here are racks of old, shredded clothes. Searching, you find nothing else.
The next door in the hall is in the west wall. You open it.
A 10' long passage leads into a bedchamber, 20' X 30' (10' south, 30' west, door in east wall, south portion). This room is in much better condition, being luxuriously decorated in in light, airy colours in a most feminine style. In here you see a large, four-poster bed made up with now rotting and mildewed covers, a table with many boxes and jars atop it, several chairs, a divan, and a large chest of drawers.
Pillar goes and sits down on one of the chairs, "Phew. That adventuring can be tiring stuff". Sighing wearily "Chainmail is sooo HEavy". Resting Pillar observes the actions occuring around him with a sly contentment.
Shanaril laughs. "If just looking through one room tired you out, then remind me never to put myself into a position where I need to count on your staying power."
Shanaril shakes his head in disbelief, but then moves to check the drawers.
The drawers contain feminine underclothes.
Shanaril rifles through them. As he does so, a strange look comes over his face.
As if ensnared by a powerful magic, he rapidly strips off his garments and pulls these on.
Then, a strange metamorphosis takes place, as he is transformed into a beautiful young sylan elf maiden.
But this wonderous change is too much for his - er - her delicate constitution, and she suddenly drops dead.
Sasha rushes over to Shanaril and lays hands on him...hoping that he/she is not really dead. She looks up at Pillar and the others, "Quickly...maybe if we carry h..ummm...her to the Temple of Tyr we can save her...."
Her curative spell has no effect on Shanaril.
You hurriedly pick her up, wrap her up in her old cloak, and leave the house.
The streets of Sandas are crowded this morning, and the body has grown cold by the time you reach the church of Tyr.
"There is nothing we can do," says an acolyte, after you enter with the body and show her. "She is a full-blooded elf, and so she has a spirit. Only creatures with souls can be raised or resurrected."
Illyana shakes her head and says, "At least the body is female. We'd never be able to explain how the death occurred, as if we could even now. I don't know anything about elven burials I'm afraid. Can we at least try to disenchant the clothing? Maybe if we removed it the body would revert back to its normal form. I'm not going to touch those things however, I don't feel like becoming someone else. Its too bad we can't tell what is magical by sight to prevent other accidents like this one. I admit though, I have never heard of enchanted undergarments before. I say we find those people and make them tell us what exactly is inside that house because poor Shanadril had almost no chance of surviving what happened to him."
"It's a shame about Shanaril, too bad we can't do anything. I think we should bury her. I'm also getting a strong dislike for this house and if we should continue with it we should be very careful and definetly not sit around dozing on chairs."
Flintheart turns to the elves in the party.
"What would be the appropiate way to bury Shanaril?"
Sasha, expressionless, turns to J'Harast. "Perhaps you can deal with this...we don't wish to offend or do the wrong things..."
She turns back to Illyana, "I can for a short time, detect for enchantments and such. My spell does not last long...but perhaps if Pillar and I both use them...my spell will last for 1 turn (sorry, can't ever remember what that amounts to in real time :). If we feel lucky...I can use three of these spells...but would be unable to do any healing then."
Sasha thinks for a moment and sighs heavily. "We really need more of a plan in going in...the last two times have proved to me that we cannot simply charge in there and expect to have any success."
"I would suggest the following strategies:
"Caution in opening doors - be ready to slam them shut and wedge them if need be. This would limit our chances of searching - but even closing the door for some moments will give us time to create a strategy to deal with the creatures...though to be honest - I have never seen most of the things we have encountered before...
"Always look up upon entering a room.
"Pillar, myself, and anyone else capable of it will cast detect magic spells after the physical dangers have been assessed. Only after the spell has been cast shall we attempt to touch anything - and even then, perhaps we should be sure to sheild ourselves and not touch things directly. Ummm....what else...I guess we should stay in a group - a person alone would likely not survive...can anyone else think of anything. I want to finish this house and begin training...it will take two weeks of dedicated time...and I don't know how long the cleric I met will be here..." Sasha sighs again.
"It doesn't really matter if you bury him or not he has left this plane of exicitance(sp). His body is empty, if you think that he needs to be buried then bury him. By Kodian that is 2 members in less than 2 weeks."
Athmyr sighs.
"We must finish this house so some of us can finish are promise to some other people."
"As for tactics I don't think that wasteing spells on detects are necissary, just don't touch anything but coins and things you have seen other people using."
Sasha's mouth drops open in shock! "What??? Just touch things that we have seen people use!!! So we don't touch the underwear and shove the body under the rug? And when the next person touches something...shove their body under the rug and don't touch what they just touched? Oh, what a fine plan! And don't *waste* spells!!! Is a spell wasted if it saves someones life??? By the power of Isis, I am able to help those that need it, heal, discover, protect, whatever...it would be a crime *not* to use my god given spells to prevent a death or injury...what can you be thinking?" Sasha shouts, her face red and her voice shaking in anger and amazement.
Roused now, Sasha catches her breath and continues, "Athmyr! Do you only care about coin then? What of the other things we might find - and I don't mean other treasure...but clues...other items, I don't know...but your attitude just amazes me...I thought I had an open mind...and acceptance of ways different is part of our teachings...but it seems so heartless...you don't seem to care about anything...I must say I do not understand your attitude..." Sasha finishes, a little helplessly. Sasha turns away, rubbing her eyes wearily and looking a little haggard not to mention looking more than slightly haunted too.
"Hey settle people. Athmyr has a valid point... If not somewhat callous and bloodthirsty. Hmm and spells are useless on the dead Athmyr. Things happen one way or another lets not find too many ways to invite death upon us"
Grinning Pillar begins to fiddle with his flail.
J'Harast, bemused by all the bickering, speaks.
"Ok, we have one vote for using magic, one for not. I vote we use magic. At the present time, I think that we need to discuss, in greater detail, what our general plans should be as we explore.
"I am trained as a fighter and as a scout. I can, and would like to, lead our scouting of unknown areas, checking for traps and the like. Further, because of my small skills with weapons, I can serve as rear guard, if the time comes to it. I have no skills in magical arts or religious orders, and thus, can not help in that respect.
"It seems to me that the other elf, whatever his name was, was not hardy enough to survive the change that overcome him. However, he did not look for traps, and I will admit I was remiss in examining the room. I will not let that happen again.
Who comes next?"
Flintheart speaks up.
"I also vote for magic, but we should still have a few other spells left for healing and such. And I agree with Illyana it was a big suprised with magical underwear."
More abrupt than any have ever seen her, Sasha speaks. "Okay, so we will have Athmyr and J'Harast in the lead - disarming traps and dealing with direct opponents. I think myself and Pillar should then check magically as we can. And Illyana and Flintheart will be the rear guard? Does this sound reasonalable?"
Sasha paces and suddenly throws her hands up and all but shouts, "I just want to get this house over with...Jarimar is waiting...my training is waiting...we must do this in an orderly way. Lets just start out tomorrow and *carefully* go through the house...I am embaressed that it has already taken this much time...what must Verona think of us???"
Immediately, Sasha is contrite, "Look, I'm sorry...we are doing our best...just so much has happnened...I don't feel good about this...damn...let's just go tomorrow and try to be careful..."