Anody and Creik climb up to the ridgeline carefully and quietly, and peer over to see the skeleton.
It is oblivious to your presence. But then a voice loudly echos over you
Sharee What can you see up there? What's making that awful colour?
The Skeleton turns and faces the ridge, standing at the ready looking for the source of the noise.
Still it fails to spy the diminutive pair.
Meanwhile down below
Criek, let's go back down, the skeleton down below is coming towards us while this one isn't. Anody whispers.
Criek makes to scramble down the ridge.
Waiting at the bottom of the ridge, Sharae is somewhat surprised to see Criek and the Professor starting to come back towards her, ”What did you see? Can we not get around this way?”
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Criek, let's go back down, the skeleton down below is coming towards us while this one isn't. Anody whispers.
Transfixed by the skeleton ahead, Criek whispers back, Wh-what do you mean? Pausing indecisively, Er, yes it is, now? And...there are two more? He stays where he is, attempting to shrink into an outcropping of rock.
Back down Anody says to the rest These skeletons are unnatural... uh.. that is to say.. they are even less natural than skeletons usually are. They are being controlled by something.. and that something sees us! There are three skeletons coming from the other side of the ridge! I think we should kill the one here and try to get away! Criek! Where are you?
Anody casts Detect Magic to see if he can identify where the skeletons are being controlled from.
At the Professor's warning that more undead are on their way, Sharae pulls the Starknife from her belt and, whispering a prayer to Desna, beseeches her goddess to guide Valia's hand.
"How far away is the closest one? I see nothing."
"I'd have to agree, Anody.
As must of the undead I know of, don't have multiple arms."
As valia says that, the climbing skeleton crests the ridge, bathing you in a spooky green glow. A raspy, dry voice issues out.
Intruderssss! Wait for me and my children. I weary of the chassse. Sssstop and i will be merciful and quick.
The skeleton halts, only its head showing, as the malice in its eyes watch you.
I'm.. I don't think I'm fast enough to outrun these things! Anody says in a panicky voice.
Whatever is controlling these things is coming here! I think the skeletons won't attack until it's here. M.. maybe we should talk?
Valia looks like he is ready to engage. He steps between the monster and the party.
The skeleton continues to wait, staring eerily at you.
Sssoon, sssoon. Be patient. I approach.
"The something or someone that is controlling these... It sounds like it may be approaching? A necromancer do you think? Should we try to communicate with these creatures do you think?"
Throwing caution to the wind, the Desnan calls out to the skeleton on the ridge, "We mean you no harm...we merely seek passage through this place in search of a friend"
"We've got another skeleton."
Valia moves closer to the skeletons, closing the gap by about 20ft at a slow pace. His weapon is drawn.
At sharees words the voice makes a dry hacking noise. After a second you realize it is laughter.
Trussst me, deformed one, you ssshall not harm meee.
Another two heads appear on the ridge line, then another. The skeletons then stand on top of the ridge, and are joined by another four armed figure. It is not a skeleton, but a more fleshed out creature, obviously undead.
ssso, we have you now. You ssshall pay for your crimesss againssst the people. Peaceful huntersss we were until the god appeared in the sky. Then came the deformed onesss. Wanted to learn of ussss they said. Then we woke here, in a shrunken world. Ssstill, we found food and watersss, so i counssseled caution to the people. But then came the great ssshaking, worssse then the worssse quake, and the sssun and wind ssspiritsss left usss.
While speaking the creature and the skeletons make their way down the rocks.
Only the cold and dark was left to usss, and my magic failed. And the ssspiritsss of cold and dark cursssed usss, and we continued. Denied the great hunt, denied the welcome of our ancestors, we cursssed the deformed onesss and were cursssed in turn. Even if ssslain, we return to this dark world. We will ssslay you, and maybe your blood will free usss. For sssee the creature having reached the ridge bottom pulls out a greatsword from a sheaf on its back. But it was strange. The edges of the sword moved, as if circling the sword's blade, and a low buzzing noise can be heard.
though I have lost my magics, I have ssstolen yoursss deformed onesss. By this you will be sssacrificed, and your pet will be the firssst we cook and eat on our releassse
Even as the new arrival proclaims it's intentions, Sharae evaluates the threat and, seeing something new, tells her friends, "This one seems different somehow...it's not skeletal for a start - maybe it was animated before it's body had decayed? You'll have to use another tactic....smashing it won't...oh?...oh no?!?!..." - Sharae's train of thought is curtailed by the doom laden words of the zombified creature...
initiative
Sorted
Boss 25
Sharee 22
R6 19
Valia 17
Creik 16
anody 15
skeletons 12
Ayla 3
Shaken for the first three rounds, Valia nonetheless moves to close with them at a point about fifty feet ahead of the party.
"I awoke this morning in a world of pleasure, of stars before the birth of a new sun. You are lost, dead one. Your people are-are for-forgotten memories." ... one day we too will live to forget you. he says to the opponents before closing.
+1 to Valia's AC this round
Sharae calls to her friends, "Try and draw them close - let Desna's light guide them on a journey away from undeath". She then retreats away from the zombified creature staying alongside Valia as much as she can.
With a raspy scream, the creature attacks r6
you! Slave of the deformed ones. Die!
R6 falls without a sound.
It's a Juju! Anody yelps in terror as the terrifying monster rushes them. They're very resistant to a many kinds of attacks and are intelligent! Maybe if we kill it the skeletons will stop?
Anody casts Grease at the feet of the creature, trying to aim it so that the 10 foot square blocks the juju's approach to the rest of the group.
Sharae gasps as she sees Ardash fall...
...the violence with which the creature swung it's sword is abominable to her and it is all she can do to hold back the nausea...
Quivering at the zombie's threats -- pet? cook? eat? what are these things? Criek attempts to bomb it without breaking what cover he has.
Creik's bomb strikes the boss, causing it to hiss in pain. With a flick of its head two skeletons move to end the ratty threat. Another two advance past the downed android to strike at anody and sharee
The skeletons advance!
Two advance on the quaking rodent and strike!
Both blows strike
creik gasps in pain as the blow strike home. Will the bold Ratfolk evade the insidious skeletons?
The next two strike anody and sharee
but both avoid their blows
The last two skeletons advance towards the party, moving 50 feet. Valia strikes at one smashing it to the ground in one powerful smite.
Ayla is up
Eeeeee! squealing in pain, Criek staggers back a few steps from the skeletons and pulls an extract from his bandolier, his fur shimmering slightly as he drinks it.
should have stayed hidden, shouldn't have drawn attention!
Valia attempts to take out his remaining opponent.
Alya moves into a good spot and attacks with her Nodachi.
Round 2
With a dry scream of malicious triumph, the boss zombie thrusts his sword into r6's helpless body. It strikes with a sickening noise as the spinning blade chews through him.
So perish slave! Can your masters be far behind
Ayla has an attack of opportunity then
Everyone except ayla is up
Then skeletons
Then ayla
Another attempt to wreck his sparring partner.
Ayla strikes the boss zombie while he is distracted.
Sharae suppresses a scream of despair as she sees Ardash slain by the creature...composing herself, she raises her divine symbol aloft – iridescent paint on the wings of a painted butterfly glinting – and calls down Desna’s judgement.