Corentin stomps down on one of the last rats which makes a satisfying crunching sound bneath his boot. Even with the horror of the swarm dissipated he can still feel the foul effects of their bites lingering.
"I have a few, let's hope they aren't needed though." the Cavalier says giving Johan and Gizsmith each a flask of alchemist fire.
Sheathing his morning star he picks up his axe and looks ahead.
"What is that?" he says in a mix of curiosity and awe.
Jaghal drops the link to check the wounded and see how they are doing before selecting their best healing option. "Yes, in this case I also do, but it won't be enough to kill these creatures..." He shakes his head, disappointed by having no options to heal the wounded in these case, aside from the bites. He sounds sad when he talks about the creatures. "These were shadow rats. Shadow rats are essentially undead rats that can assume an incorporeal form. They drain your strength along with your blood, and can deliver diseases, which will take some time to set in. If we're alive after this venture I'll take a look to check if any of you was infected with anything, so we can treat it fast."
"Get close. Healing Wave!"
"I was thinking, maybe those rats were the ones responsible for the unconscious guy outside? I mean, if they sapped his strength he would be just like that, wouldn't he?"
"That was Silvermane, he's the keeper of the Hopespring. It may be as you said though from the rumors I've heard he's a druid of some power. I am surprised to find such creatures here though. He's tended to the place for longer than anyone can remember. Do you know much about them? Could they have been summoned by our quarry?" Corentin asks as he gazes at the towering bones.
Jaghal thinks for a bit before answering. "As far as I recall those creatures are almost like mundane rats. They gather together to survive, forming swarms, but as they are undead I would say there's a chance they have been summoned here, yes."
Dark water, thick mud, and silt cover the floor of this cavern, separated from the rest of the cave by steep cliffs and muddy escarpments. A trickle of water can be heard from the east. As you follow the natural bridge up, you come to a wide ramp that slopes down to the floor at the western end of this cavern. Half a dozen huge humanoid skeletons, each ten feet tall or more, line the walls of the cavern, standing in silent vigil. At the feet of one of the skeletons is the prone form of a troll, similar to the kind you encountered in the Plague House. Its body is torn and shredded, bites and claw marks covering most of its skin.
Corentin points at the fallen troll. Keeping his axe at the ready he advances down the ramp.
Jaghal finishes healing himself, before he forgets, and reactivates his Life Link with Sasha, Szacha and Corentin.
"Funny thing. I heard trolls regenerate... That swarm must have been devouring it pretty fast to be able to kill it.... Can you imagine if they were clever enough to have endless food?" He approaches the troll, checking if the wounds match the attacks of the rat swarm.
Moving down the slope, the party comes to an intersection, one path heading north along the wall and over a running stream which disappears under the rock, while another path heads east, through the depression where the huge skeletons line the walls. As the group approaches the corpse, hoping to get a better look at the body as well as investigate it for possible plunder, one of the skeletons tears itself from the wall, grasping an old broken spear in its bony hands. The creature's hollow eye sockets reflect no emotion, but its jaw hangs open in what could only be perceived as a scream of rage at your intrusion into this hallowed place.
The giant skeleton shambles towards the group, its spear held out before it. It closes the distance quickly, stabbing the weapon at Corentin once it gets within range. The attack, no matter how powerful, is delivered poorly, and the cavalier quickly blocks the otherwise devestating blow with his shield, a loud crash and ringing sound echoing through the cavern as metal on metal collides.
Feeling less than helpful in direct melee, Sasha elects to use her staff, instead.
Once again Corentin let's his axe fall to the ground and draws his morning star, the heft of the Everbloom's chosen weapon feeling right in his hand. Stepping forward he engages the undead horror.
"Huh, guys, I think we chose the wrong direction..." He points at something coming from the shadows, but it was already too late... The monster was already there, and it was huge! They would certainly have a problem against such creature...
Nevertheless the brave gnome races around the undead thing, trying to to put it to rest for good!
"Hey big dumb skeleton! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" He tries to call the attention of the thing.
"Wow! That's a big skeleton! Let's get a look at it."
Wading in to melee with the giant skeleton, Corentin raises his shield as he advances, ready to meet the challenge head on, morning star in hand. The strike hammers against the cavalier's shield, sending a numbing shock through his shield arm with the force of the blow, but his defenses hold strong, and the attack fails to cause any real injury. Szacha strides forward, bringing his bardiche down with a hard chop against the thing's arm, the weapon barely striking the creature and sending only small shards of bone flying away from the limb. From the rear, Sasha loads and fires her sling-staff at the skeleton, but the attack flies wide and misses the undead monstrosity completely. Johan leaps into combat, morning star heavy in his hands as he sweeps at the skeleton, striking it hard and breaking off bits of bone in the process. Jaghal maneuvers around the giant, sending his spear deep into the ribcage of the titan and splintering bone with the powerful strike. Gizsmith conjures several glowing lights, sending them flickering about the creature's body, illuminating it in the darkness.
Mouth open in a silent roar of challenge, the creature lashes out with several attacks. Seeking the source of the attacks that injured it, the giant thrusts its spear at Jaghal before reversing the strike with uncommon skill and sending the butt end of the weapon backards towards the morning star wielding ranger. The initial strike is clumsy, digging a deep furrow into the ground as the much larger creature tries to hit the tiny gnome. The reverse strike, however, is far more effective, catching the ranger in the face with the wooden haft of the ancient weapon, and knocking him silly.
Sasha flings another stone at the towering skeleton.
Jaghal sees his previous attack doing some actual damage, and although he saw Johan was hurt, it would be best to keep striking at the creature. He just took a step to the side to spread its focus even more, and then attacked!
The ache in his shoulder from the skeletons blow causes the cavalier to wince. When it turns it's attention to his companions however he tries to take advantage of it's split focus and aims a strike at it's leg.
"There's no flesh for your blade to cut Szacha. Your flail will serve you better." Corentin calls out to his friend.
Sasha launches another stone at the creature, the flying projectile hitting it in the skull and dislodging an ancient looking tooth as the stone lands with a loud crack. Jaghal connects again, but the weapon seems ineffective against the bony monstrosity. Corentin and Johan press the attack from the front, the cavalier failing to connect but the ranger managing to land another solid blow with his morning star. Szacha, flummoxed at the creature's ability to resist damage, still manages to land a strike, which does minor damage. Gizsmith, low on magic and unable to muster up a spell to strike the creature down, fails back to his trusty crossbow, hoping to find a weakness in the creature's defenses. The bolt lands, and what looks to be a solid hit is foiled by the thing's hard skeleton, failing to damage the creature.
Continuing to press the attack, the giant undead thing switches focus, thrusting his spear at Szacha before aiming a follow up attack at the ranger with the painful weapon. The attack against the skald is precise and nearly catastrophic, the huge weapon spearing the man in the chest and driving through his armor. The follow up attack is off, and Johan easily avoids the blow.
"Hold strong! Together we will see this monstrosity to the ground!" Corentin calls out to the party.
Jaghal transfer some life force to Szacha who had just been wounded, and the small guy keep distracting the creature by attacking it. At least he does not lose his sense of humor. "Don't worry, it's dead already!"
Sasha launches another projectile at the skeleton.
"Go get him team!!"
Szacha brings down the flail with ruthless effectiveness, bashing the creature severely and sending bits of bone flying in all directions with his attack. Johan and Jaghal follow up with attacks of their own, crushing and piercing the creature and driving it down to a knee as Corentin lines up a swing, only to miss the giant undead monstrosity. From behind the ranks, a single stone sails through the air, connecting with the beast's skull and knocking it from the thing's spinal column. The bones fall to the ground, inert.
"Well done!" Corentin calls to the group. When he reaches down for his battle axe his muscles make their displeasure at their recent rough treatment known. Flexing his shoulder a bit to get regular feeling back into it after the giants blow, he reflects on how much they had all been through in such a short time.
"What time is it I wonder. Has an hour past? Two? It seems as if the dawn should be upon us." He puts such thoughts to the side with a slight shake of his head.
Axe in hand he walks to the troll while keeping a wary eye towards the other great skeletons ringing the area.
The axe rises and falls swiftly sinking deeply into the prone form.
"Let's search this area quickly, burn the body and move on. Are there signs as to where our the humanoids and wolves went?"
"Jaghals, that was close!" The gnome watches as Johan walks in a weird way, clearly hurt, so for the moment he changes his Life Link, targeting Johan instead of Sasha, but keeping Corentin and Szasha. This last one heals a little bit more, as Jaghal transfers some vitality to him, and Johan recovers from the wound, not completely, but enought to be able to take one or two more of those.
"Is anyone else hurt?"
Jaghal, the god, even gets the one thousandth post. "Yes, yes, I know. The enemies have no chance if we get the 1000th post...."