Seeing Jakti and his bodyguards join the fray, the Pathfinders immediately respond. Methodios, Sun, and Arthrax try to push their way through the sea of undead on the staircase,, only to encounter tougher resistance than they thought. Tiberius and Z'hor'll wisely juke left and right, throwing the lumbering undead humans off balance before defending into relative safety.
Pushing forward, the Pathfinders reach the hallway where they can see undead pouring in from the open windows. The same open windows the Pathfinders had the servants open. Methodios, Arthrax, and Z'hor'll all draw weapons, but Sun is the one to clear a path with a little help. Tiberius sends in a stream of magic missiles, but not enough to defeat the mass of rotting flesh before them.
Escaping the mess in the Hallway, which has taken a considerable amount of time, they see a tanglefoot bag in front of them. Z'hor'll takes the lead, and deftly avoids the trap. Wisely, the other Pathfinders mimic his route and emerge safely before Metella's door.
Once there, the Undine dissolves into a pool of water and rushes under the door only to emerge fully formed on the other side . Unlocking the catch, and pushing the door wide, so they may rush in to save Metella.
Instead, the Pathfinders witness a chaotic melee where a human is attacking Metella. As they enter, his dagger pierces her side and she howls in pain, red blossoming on her clothing. She tries to move away and flee to safer. On the other side of the room two zombies begin to lumber towards the nearest warm body uttering the horrid phrase, "FFLLLEEESSHHH. MMMMMM."
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Methodios looks around and decides that helping Metalla out is the most prudent course of action. He studies her Kelleshi opponent for a while, checking out the way he moves and attacks. Finding some weaknesses in his defense, Methodios charges in, drawing his great-axe as he goes and slicing down upon the merchant's attacker .
The magical bolts cash into the human, who bears a striking resemblance to a certain someone, and knocks him prone.
Prone: The character is lying on the ground. A prone attacker has a –4 penalty on melee attack rolls and cannot use a ranged weapon (except for a crossbow). A prone defender gains a +4 bonus to Armor Class against ranged attacks, but takes a –4 penalty to AC against melee attacks.
The magical bolts also crash into the undead mass of rotting flesh, but it just burns right through it. The smell of charred bacon fills the air.
After the indignation of getting knocked on his butt, the human takes an axe to the gut, blood and entrails spilling out like pink knotted sausages. The horrible stench of a man's bowls mixed in with the charred, rotting flesh makes for a miasma of horridness.
He still struggles to rise again, though his life's-blood is pooling beneath him like the Undine door-opener.
Divine lightning, and arcane force bolts are too much for Ally the Zombie, and she dies for the second time, never realizing her full potential. Arthrax moves forward and cuts Austin into two pieces. Its undead forms slumping to each side leaving a bloody pool underneath him.
Metella, still reeling from the stab earlier, withdraws from combat and rushes toward the Pathfinders she hopes can save her.
Lying prone on the floor, knowing he has moments left before death, the strikes out hoping to cut his way back to the merchant.
Using his taught skills, he again strikes at the human who has cut him like a slaughtered pig.
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Methodios thinks he has this Kelleshi's number, "I would ask you to surrender, but we both know how that will pan out. Besides, after you cut me, I have absolutely no desire to hear the drivel you will spew."
Methodios strikes the man where he lies, causing his wounds to seep more blood. The Chelaxian grits his teeth through the pain.
Methodios swings his axe with wrathful vengeance. The axe cuts through the mans chest and lodges in the floor beneath him. It takes a few pulls, and Methodios standing on his chest to free the partially wedged axe.
Searching the man, the Pathfinders find a potion of cure light wounds, silver holy symbol of Sarenrae, and 51 gp. Metella hugs each Pathfinder in turn, uttering her eternal gratitude for saving her life.
Metella comes over to look at her would be assassin, and notices that the coins he carries were minted in Durma.
"That f#%#ing a%&~+%@. I am going to kill him." She storms off to find Passad.
Now that the clatter of battle has subsided, they notice that sounds of others attacking has also died down. The Pathfinders quickly follow her. Emerging in the Hall, the see her stride up to Passad and deliver him a blow across the face staggering him backwards two full paces.
Passad, clearly furious, scrams back, "You think I did this. When would I used undead to kill my rivals? Believe me you hairy b#~@#, when I want you dead you will never know it before your heart stops forever." Rubbing his cheek, he glares at his rival.
Jakti and Aaqir sand in the middle and try to mitigate the ire between the two. Eventually everyone calms down enough to carry on a conversation.
Pulling the Pathfinders aside, aaquir confides, "Honestly this has me baffled. Who has unleashed the undead, and who tried to kill Metella? It makes no sense. We need to end this immediately. Can I one again call on your assistance?
To make matters worse, no one has seen or heard from Umut. The undead seem to have come from the east, where the graveyard is. She is still out there. How about you go check on here while I get this mess cleaned up and keep these three from killing each other before I can acquire all their riches. What day you?"
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Methodios walks grimly out of the room, his axe dripping blood, pieces of shattered rib cage and a chunk of lung. He pulls it out at and studies Passad in readiness for combat as Metalla smashes into him. As the situation calms, however, Methodios contents himself to 'accidentally' splash gore onto Passad's fine silk clothing as he whips the enormous greataxe around to holster it, still bloody, on his back.
Methodios grins at the outraged Passad and pats the hilt of his axe menacingly.
"So, looks like Umut did it then," says Methodios once he and his companions clear the crowd. Leaping to conclusions isn't usually his style but the frustrations of the day are making the usually calculating killer impatient, "I have to say that I am eager to end this and return to Absalom. The heat, I can stand. These stuck up fücking pompous nobles, though, are more stifling than the Mwangi jungles in Summer time."
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Methodios unceremoniously grabs the healing potion, uncorks it with his teeth, spits the cork in Passad's general direction and downs it in one gulp.
He also implores Sun to touch him up a little with the wand.
"Strange thing for an assassin to carry, that holy symbol of Sarenrae," says Methodios, as though noticing it for the first time, "Not exactly the right god (or goddess) for a murderer, is it?"
As Z'hor'll twists and turns the holy symbol, something long forgotten in the back of his mind triggers a faint memory. Noticing the variations in the symbol of Sarenrae, he sees that this holy symbol is sometimes used by the Cult of the Dawnflower.
Vowing to solve this mystery, the Pathfinders leave the manor and head toward the graveyards. They follow a winding gravel path for about 10 minutes before arriving at their destination.
The graveyard used by the Bahjari family is one they share with several other wealthy families in Katheer. Small crypts and mausoleums containing the matriarchs and patriarchs dot the fenced-in burial ground, and freestanding gravestones mark where less influential family members are interred.
Many graves have been disturbed, and the doors of several mausoleums hang open. To the south lies the Bahjari family mausoleum. A woman clad in black robes lies prone near its door.
You all see a bruised and battered woman in black robes moaning softly on the ground. She does not respond to Methodios' query.
The woman begins to stir. Looking up, the Pathfinders can see the entent of the beating that she has taken. THe bleeds from many superficial wounds, and purple splotches mar her bared flesh. The lower half of her robes are torn. It is hard to believe that this was the strong, well-spoken cleric that moments earlier was presiding over the funeral.
As the Pathfindes approach, she stumbles to her feet, resting against the crypt entrance. In a low, pained voice, "As I came to prepare the grave site, one of dead rose to life again. It released a powerful wave of necromantic energy that animated the bodies of the buried nobles. I battled them as best she could but was only able to fend off the creatures that tried to shamble out of the crypt. I fear there are more inside. Can you help me defeat these evil foes?"
She shakes her head, "I can manage just fine, though I thank you for the assistance. I fear that I will do the best I can, but you seem quite capable. I do not know what lies in the crypt."
The Pathfinders make their way to the door,and cautiously enter the crypt. The walls are lined with the interred bodies of many generations of the Bahjari family, tracing back all the way to era of the first Qadiran satraps. A dying torch dimly illuminates the room. As the Pathfinders enter, four skeletal bodies burst from the walls. One in particular is especially hideous, being covered in blood. The Pathfinders can see him holding a shield, the same shield that they have brought as a parting gift for Zarmina. Behind them, the cleric Umut retrieves her scythe and attacks from behind.
Umat closes her eyes, a smile spreading on her face. "Urgathoa, dear goddess, strike these unbelievers down."
Behind Tiberius, a blue wavy image of a scythe appears. It lashes out at the wizard.
The Skeletons rush the Pathfinders.
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Tiberius takes a harsh slash from the scythe, falls to the ground, bleeding.
One skeleton finds a weak spot in Arthrax's armor, as well as a Methodios taking a vicious slash.
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Dodging out of the way from the slow to hit Skeleton, Sun takes a quick step back and shoots a small ball of lightning at it, aiming for the rib cage.
"Take that you load of bones! Have some respect! I would say to your elders, but you might actually be older than I am." Sun yells at the skeleton, mumbling the last part more to himself.
I will clean up the maps and resolve the attacks shortly. Use the map on the campaign tabs not my signature.
Arthrax swings his axe in a mighty arc, slicing through Kendall trough her pelvis. As he finishes tthe axe sweep, the skeleton falls in a clatter of bones.
Sun steps away from the skeleton that is trying to gouge out his eyes and unleashes a bolt of lightning knocking through the undead.
Methodios shifts and swings at Paige but misses as Arthrax's axe comes dangerously close to him.
Arthrax swings at Paige, knocking blood and bones all over the crypt.
Methodios steps on the bloody bones of Paige and swings. His hammer strikes the head off Mia, and bounces to the back of the crypt.