"Don't confuse the poor man, I didn't ask him to make the bones come to life - with or without flesh," Melon hollers back down the tunnel, "just whether he has some clericky means to handle the undead. Or at least keep them off us. You should like that, maybe he knows a trick that you can learn and use at the academy. Is that the academy, or the Academy." The last part Melon tries to figure out how to pronounce capitalization.
"Acadamae," Corinna pronounces. "And don't you think if he had a trick like that he'd have used it against the skeletons that just attacked us? Or do you think he's forgotten and needs someone to suggest its use? For Nethys' sake, I don't remind you to hit things. I assume you can figure that part out on your own."
"That's what I said," Melon defenses, "Acadamy! Maybe he was just letting us have fun. See? Even you got to hit one of them in the skull. And you liked it! Don't pretend you didn't. You said you had magic armor, but I didn't see you use it - why should Rajah have used his magic when he was still busy healing us? A-kah-deh-mee" She mouths quietly at the end.
"No need for magic... mage armor when I have five people between me and the nearest danger," she blushes. "That's one of the first things they teach you: never use a spell unless you have to. You might find yourself in greater need later on. You may be able to hit and kick people all day, but my resources are more limited."
"I'm sorry, but is there some particular reason we're standing in a room full of undead skeletons, and choose now to argue about good manners and word pronunciations? Seems to me that we have a few more pressing concerns at the moment."
Gilfroy grabs Melon (by the wrist) and starts dragging her forwards towards danger, giving her a little shove in Malan's direction. "There you go. Skeletons. Go argue with them."
Gilfroy takes her spot in AA16.
"It's no good. She won't hit them first," Corinna sighs.
As Rajah attempts to respond again and again, he gives up and looks for the proper moment to finally be able to.
As things seem to have died down, he moves his eyes back and forth between Melon and Corinna, waiting to see if one or the other is going to continue, then speaks up quickly, "I do not, Melon. My ability is limited to healing only. If they so happen to be caught within the vicinity of healing, then I cannot control how it affects them. In essence, I gave up the ability to deal with undead in such a way, so as to be stronger in the gift of healing. Does that make sense?"
"Seems a reasonable sacrifice to me," Tevyn adds in response to the Rajah's explanation. "Unnatural as the undead may be, they can usually still be destroyed without too great a difficulty using common methods."
"Tevyn's right. They can be dealt with by many other means." Looking towards the skeletons, a thought crosses his mind and he pulls out his club. "Here, Malan, take this. It will serve you better than that rapier. Well, at least against these creatures. Now, either you can use it to smash them, to get them to wake, or, you," he turns to Tevyn, "can fire at them with those bludgeoning arrows of yours. Either should stir them up just fine. At least this way, there's a possibility of one of them being nearly destroyed when they animate. In theory, of course." He smiles.
"Thank you. I had been contemplating how I would be able to better combat these skeletons. This ought to do very nicely." Malan takes the club and gives it a few test swings. "Everyone be alert. I am going to get closer." Malan cautiously advances.
Melon follows closely along with Malan, "In the unlikely event that these too rise, I'll just be ready."
Malan moves cautiously forward. He's only advanced a few feet when the skeletons stir. The two skeletons standing behind the chest jerk their arms slightly, while the seated skeleton's jaw begins to move up and down. A chilling voice emits from the skeleton's mouth despite its lack of vocal cords. "Death to all thieves!" it says.
Order: Tevyn, Blue Rajah, Skeletons #10 & #11, Gilfroy, Malan, Skeleton Leader, Melon, Corinna.
Up First:
"Thieves?" He glances questioningly at the others but shoots his arrow at the skeleton on the chest nonetheless.
Tevyn's arrow thuds into the skeleton's chest. There's a cracking sound from one of the bones beneath the skeleton's armour, but otherwise the skeleton holds together.
Next Up: Skeletons #10 & #11, Gilfroy, Malan, Skeleton Leader, melon, Corinna, Tevyn.
"Well, so much for my theory." Rajah moves so as to keep a better watchful eye on the others.
Rajah hurries into the room and wades out into the water to keep a better eye on everyone. The water is about a foot deep where he is.
The two standing skeletons jerk into motion. They move around the chest and approach Malan.
They swipe at the elf with their sharp boney fingers, but he is able to dodge each one.
Next Up: Malan, Skeleton Leader, Melon, Corinna, Tevyn, Blue Rajah, Skeletons #10 & #11.
Malan seems to float past the skeletons and strikes at it.
Acrobatics guidance
Club: arcane pool (+1)
to hit damage
[sheepishly]Gilfroy casts bless.[/sheepishly]
Navior, Malan's to hit should be one higher. It seems I forgot that Bless that Gilfroy cast the action before Malan's.
Gilfroy casts a spell, providing additional confidence to the party, including Malan retroactively. :)
Malan flits gracefully past the standing skeletons before they can strike and swings his club at the seated skeleton. He lands a blow on the skeleton's shoulder. There's a cracking sound as bones break, but still the skeleton holds together. It looks at Malan. "By my honour, I will see you dead," it says in its unworldly voice. It stands up and strikes.
The skeleton's blade slices across Malan's chest in one quick, deadly swipe, drawing red, dripping blood with it. More blood spills from the elf's chest as he collapses to the floor.
Next Up: AoO from Melon, Corinna, Tevyn, Blue Rajah, Skeletons #10 & #11, Giflroy, Malan (unconscious), Skeleton Leader.
"Corinna...? Malan's down - and the way the blood is gushing he might be dead. A little help in here. Or run. Run as fast as you can. Either way... time to be a hero." Melon's expression is set in grim determination as she crouches in her fighting stance, arms extended. She grimaces momentarily as the bile in her stomach becomes particular pronounced again, but she attacks.
AoO
Club: arcane pool (+1), bless, sickened
to hit damage
"Corinna...? Malan's down - and the way the blood is gushing he might be dead. A little help in here. Or run. Run as fast as you can. Either way... time to be a hero." Melon's expression is set in grim determination as she crouches in her fighting stance, arms extended. She grimaces momentarily as the bile in her stomach becomes particular pronounced again, but she attacks.
"W..what do you expect me to do?" Corinna stammers back defensively. "I can't heal him. The Rajah and Gilfroy are in there. If they can't help him...." She trails off.
"Stay where you are, Corinna! You're safer there." Tevyn calls through gritted teeth. He quickly draws another arrow, draws and fires.
Malan gets in one last heavy blow before he goes down. Melon steps up to #10 and attacks, but it moves aside and she strikes at air.
Corinna waits where she is.
Tevyn fires off an arrow at the armour skeleton. It rebounds off the skeleton's jaw, doing only minor damage.
Next Up: Skeletons #10 & #11, Gilfroy, Malan (unconscious), Skeleton Leader, Melon, Corinna (subject to delayed action).
"MALAN!" Seeing Malan fall like a rock, Rajah immediately calls upon the healing power of the Dawnflower, if nothing more than to quell the bleeding of the elf.
Light briefly bursts from Rajah's form and spreads around the room. Although Malan is not restored to consciousness, his bleeding does stop. The skeletons are also affected by the light, #11 more so than the others. Small cracks appear in the bones.
The two skeleton servitors then press their attack, #11 moving slightly to the side of Melon .
They both claw at the monk, but she nimbly dodges each attack.
Next Up: Malan (unconscious), Skeleton Leader, Melon, Corinna (subject to delayed action), Tevyn, Blue Rajah, Skeletons #10 & #11.
That's fine. Gilfroy casts cure light wounds, risks the attack of opportunity from skeleton 10 and moves up to touch Malan.
Skeleton #10 slashes at Gilfroy as he slips past, but the gnome's short height makes it easy to duck beneath the sharp boney claw. He touches Malan and healing energy flows into the elf, returning him to consciousness.
Next Up: Skeleton Leader, Melon, Corinna (subject to delayed action), Tevyn, Blue Rajah, Skeletons #10 & #11.
Malan grabs the club and tries to stand while dodging blows.
Acrobatics
The armoured skeleton tilts its head slightly as Malan stands up. "Some people should learn to stay dead," it says without a hint of irony in its voice.
The armour skeleton swipes at Malan, but the elf nimbly steps aside.
Next Up: Corinna (subject to delayed action), Tevyn, Blue Rajah, Skeletons #10 & #11, Gilfroy, Malan, Skeleton Leader
Melon flounders, overcautious, even with the additional martial form she adopts. Her attack is feeble and ineffective as she tries to figure out a way to help Malan without everything going the way of the crimson river.
Tevyn takes another shot at the speaking skeleton.
Corinna's attention is split nervously between the corridor down which her companions are fighting and the open cavern she is keeping an eye on. The crackling soundss of blows against dry bone echo through the complex unpredicatably and seem to come from everywhere at once, particularly from the scattered bones just beyond the aura of her lights....
Seeing Gilfroy move in the midst of the skeletons, "Careful Gilfroy!"
As the talking skeleton swings again at Malan, Rajah cringes an then relaxes, as this time, it missed. Fearing another hit from the speaking skeleton might kill Malan, Rajah takes no chances and calls upon the Dawnflower's healing energies once more, in hopes to make it to where he can at least withstand another strike.
Melon attempts to attack the skeleton in front of her, but she fumbles and is unable to connect.
Corinna continues to wait.
Tevyn fires off another arrow that slams right into the armoured skeleton's forehead and goes right through. The skeleton's jaw drops open as if in surprise, but then falls off completely. The skeleton falls to the ground, the smashed skull rolling away. A split second later, the other two skeletons fall apart into two piles of bones.
Tevyn waits a moment, watching warily and then lowers his bow. He returns it to its place over his shoulder and calls out to Corinna.
"They're all destroyed! You can come in now."
Once everyone is in the main chamber, he addresses them all as a group. "Would someone mind telling me why the skeleton leader named you as thieves? I thought I was out here to help you return something the goblins stole, not to aid you all in simple thievery as well."
His face is impassive but his eyes seem to hold a hint of anger in them.
"No, the skeletons themselves went and took back what the goblins stole," Corinna points out. "I assume the heavy thing we've been tracking is that chest. I thought we were here to end a threat to Sandpoint's citizenry in the form of skeletons wandering the swamps. Melon seems to think we're here for fun and adventure. We really need a clearer mission statement, don't you think?"
She sighs. "It's my guess the skeletons were given the task to guard this chest against anyone other than the rightful owner. They're not terribly bright. They assumed, when we entered and started attacking, that we were here to steal what it was their responsibility to guard. And are we?" she asks Melon pointedly. "What right do we have to satisfy our curiosity by rooting through someone else's belongings? Why is it thievery when the goblins take it but excusable if we do?"
"The right we have is that we need to ascertain if there's a threat to Sandpoint, and seeing what was left here may be the key. Besides, you saw...now wait, you didn't see, you were in the corridor, that those two skeletons just fell apart when Tevyn shot that one, like they were connected. We're ignoring the possibility that this chest might have belonged to that skeleton, and the chest might contain clues as to his identity. Even if this chest belongs to some local who figured a damp cavern was the best place to hide his goodies and animated a bunch of skeletons to guard it, he sounds like the kind of guy I'd like to see lose his valuables. All good reasons for opening it."
Rajah ponders the situation. "I agree with the both of you. I feel it may be necessary to open the chest. But only to see if we can determine who's belongings they are, if possible. Otherwise, I am at a loss on what to do with it."
"Corinna's right," Tevyn says after thinking for a moment over what she and Gilfroy had said. "None of these skeletons attacked until after we moved forward. The speaking skeleton in here, accused Malan of thievery. Then it said that it would slay him 'on my honor.' That is not the kind of statement one would expect of a force of skeletons placed to guard treasure out of greed."
He shakes his head slowly. "I fear our actions here were not just. All we've accomplished is to rob these spirits of their task and shortly, I suspect, " he said, looking disapprovingly at the gnome, "of whatever it is they were driven to protect."
"I think we should go back to town and tell the Sheriff," Corinna offers after mulling it over a moment. "If anyone has the right to open this chest and return it to its owner or his next of kin, it's a legitimate authority, not a bunch of vigilantes."
Rajah smiles. "That sounds like a fine plan! A fine plan." He gives a nod of encouragment.
"I agree for the most part," Melon nods, glad that the fight is over. "But technically Sandpoint's jurisdiction does not extend to the swamps - the Sheriff wouldn't have legitimate authority here. Additionally, now that the guardians have (right or wrong) ceased guarding... who knows what we may have inadvertently unlocked?" After a moment she adds, "Well, probably not immediately dire - as the goblins did have the chest for a while without some demon crawling out of it. That we know of."