dead men walking (Inactive)

Game Master william Nightmoon

It's been three hours. Waiting for the old crusty hag of a mummy is taking far too long. but to undead, time is irrelevant. You live forever, and there are almost an unlimited supply of living to feed apon...

The room is silent, save for the quiet wind outside.

A portrait hangs on the wall. The painting is old, but is of a ghoul with a pair of jet black eyes. Below it is labeled Rain.

Elric leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, surveying the room before him. He focused all of his will on biting back the hunger that gnawed at him, called to him. He longed for the hot metallic taste of sweet red blood on his tongue. He sighed, though no air actually escaped his lips. "Waiting is such sweet torture for those who worry not about the grave. Most of us could stand here for the rest of time and not worry about wasting away!" He casually started paring his nails with the dagger he pulled from his waist, a habit from his old life.

"As... thrilling, as this all is, I would love a drink. Where is our 'fair' host?"

Carried over from Discussion

Mastigia floats just above the temple floor angrily staring at his fine leather armor hoping that it would some how protect his incorporeal form like it did when he in the flesh. He then draws his rapier and it seems to become corporeal and then incorporeal by each eye twitch Mastigia makes. Mastigia is obviously an apparition of a tall and skinny rotting human male adult. Excluding the rapier he is holding, all of his possessions are currently incorporeal, a pickpocketer's suit, leather armor, leather back pack, a belt pouch, (2) bandoleers, a short bow, and a quiver with 20 arrows.

Mastigia looks at Orym, makes "eerie ghost sounds with sound and air", then places his rapier away. He then takes out his thieves tools and practices materializing and fading it back into incorporeal.

After a moment Mastigia becomes bored with that, he looks towards Orym, and begins to speak in his eerie whispering voice, "Loose any parts today Orym? ... he he he"

Mastigia looks to Elric, "Well, hopefully she'll arrive before I become a fixture and you shrivel up Elric. I maybe an apparition with copious amounts of time on my hands but I really do not want to stay here until the temple erodes away to the winds of time. I need to put an end to the one who changed my life forever or find out if he became one of the walking dead like us."

Dot.

"I must admit Elric, I am glad I no longer need sustenance for I can stay here forever, which I do not prefer, without needing to sleep and feed. Unfortunately for you, you will have to decide to feed and most likely face the wrath of the Puppetmaster or shrivel up and die in this very cold stone room. And like myself, the Puppetmaster does not need to feed and can take her time in arriving."

Elric laughed softly, arching an eyebrow at the ghost. "Mastigia, you poor twisted fool, why ever would you think that is a bad thing? Yes I may have to leave, yes I need to feed, but that is both a curse and a boon. Do you remember the taste of wine on your lips, dear Fur? Do you long for the feel of warmth coursing through your veins?" Elric smiled viciously at the man.

"I feed and I gain a new flush of life, my mind becomes less sluggish and colours become... more. You are doomed to an after life of being little more than a floating vapor cloud!"

Elric sighed dramatically. "Poor sad little Mastigia, may as well be condensation on a window, for all the senses you posses."

Orym continues his vigil, giving passing notice to Mastigia and Elric as they converse. Groaning wordlessly, the former half-orc looks around, intent on guarding the area while the others chat frivolously.

Mastigia smirks and nods, "Yes twisted, but I am not the fool. I kind of like the fact that I am a "floating vapor cloud", it is much better than being a flying rodent diva that melts like ice under the sun. It also makes my profession much easier and I would have much enjoyed my current powers back when I was weak in the flesh ..." Mastigia points his palm up open hand and waves it up and down Elric's body to point out the weak flesh, then continues, "As for my love for warmth, that was snuffed out when these lands went by another name." Mastigia eyes glow brightly with fury but they simmer down as quickly as they had ignited. Mastigia then smirks at Elric with his twisted smile, then looks the direction of Orym, "Orym, I think you dropped one of your male parts on the ground."

Elric laughs softly and pulls a flask of wine from his waist, taking a swallow and sighing a little. 'Alas... bitter once again!' as he thought this, he felt the hunger intensify and press down on him. He shook his head slightly as he ran his hand through his hair.

"'A flying rodent diva'? He grinned, wasting a glance on the ghost. "An interesting take on my current lifestyle... choice." As he spoke he ran a hand over his coat, brushing off some unseen speck of dirt.

"Orym is male? I thought for sure his kind did not have genders, they just were? I'll be damned if I can tell them apart anyway!" He paused for a second before laughing. "'I'll be damned', I slay myself!"

Orym grunts in response to the ghost, unimpressed. At his feet, a misshapen creature that resembles a fox made of bone and hair bounds around in circles yipping at the others waiting. "Kri," Orym speaks, his voice rough and lifeless, and his familiar rushes up the zombie's arm, before melding with its master's shoulder.

Mastigia sighs in an eerie combination of wind and sound, "Sir Ulfenstine, I wonder sometimes if Orym was any different when he was alive and not losing parts?"

Elric splutters and arches an eyebrow. "Who says he wasn't losing parts when he was alive? Yes our old melty friend is something of an enigma isn't he? Well... in so far as it is a mystery how he can still swing that bloody weapon without his shoulder popping clear out of its socket!"

"Oh and a detachable fox, how... colourful!" Elric sniffs and sighs, standing away from the wall and strolling over to the portrait, staring up at it and licking his fangs slightly in thought. "Though I will admit it was nice to see something adding itself to his body, rather than watching something fall off of it!"

Attavan listens to the interplay between Von Ulfenstine and the ghost. Thought of crushing his enemies course through his brain. "Well met, my friends. Perhaps we can profit from our ... meeting this way."

Mastigia shrugs since he has not yet learn how to grasp other objects besides his rapier and thieves tools and there is only one other profit he is interested in, and that's vengeance, "What possible profit besides blood are you looking for Attavan?"

Elric laughs sharply and arches an eyebrow, not turning from the portrait. "Well my dear Fur, there is much more than blood to be earned. Land, property, people, gold. We can own things and hold things after all!"

"Yes Attavan, perhaps we shall indeed profit," 'Or at least I will!'

Mastigia sneers at Elric's comment regarding grasping things but smiles and pulls out his rapier to materialize and play with it, "That's right, you vampires need the profit to keep up with your diva clothing and pay your montly Diva Cabal pledges. And please do not forget the cheese to feed the vermin in ya! After all, you need to keep them little flying rat wings strong." Mastigia keeps his smirk waiting for the next round of smearing.

Elric rolls his eyes before sighing and turning his head slightly to stare at the ghost. "You know so very much about our wicked ways dear Fur, one would think you were jealous. What, wish you had been made as a handsome creature of the night, rather than an old twisted specter?" Elric turs, grinning darkly at the Ghost.

"Most of what you said was true my friend, apart from the rat wings part, not all of us have the blood of the bat in our veins," Elrics eyes flash slightly, his pupils dilating before narrowing sharply to mirror that of a predator. "Some of us find our blood boils more with the moon!"

I know Elric doesn't have the Shapechanger ability yet but I am trying to get across the point now that the Wolf is in his blood but not manifested, hope that is okay!

After what seems like eternity, a woman walks into the room. Her body still has the grace it did in life, yet all the beauty was gone, shriveled up with the years. Her face was covered by a golden mask that represented her face in life.
ah! Your still here! she says, then she pauses well, I did ask for you... Now that I'm here, let's get to work!

She moves to the painting Rain and grabs the edge. It slides open revealing a small safe.

any hinting towards future abilities is okay. Just make sure you know not to apply them until you have them

Mastigia thinks of a come back and smirks at the vampire but is interrupted by the Puppetmaster. Since mummies are known to be more distempered than vampires, he dematerializes his rapier and sheathes it. Then pays attention to what the old ha ... I mean Puppetmaster has to say, "Finally, some action!" Then drools at the safe and levitates behind and above her to get a glimpse of it.

She opens the safe. At a glace, you can see a few ceramic jars and a ceremonial dagger. She picks up a small stick. It is unadorned and quite plain. She then closes the safe. this wand will help you. Those humans won't know what hit them! she looks at the stick for a second. Well, they will, but that doesn't matter. You'll kill them and get it done anyways

She turns to you now. the humans are at it again. Trying to raise a church to Hera. She is not allowed here! I called you here so you can deal with it. Kill the priest heading the church and desecrate the remains, this wand will do that. Create a mindless zombie from the corpse. Anyways, get it done! she hands the wand to Orym and bows may your efforts bring pain to the living

The mummy leaves with a flourish

the wand seeks out people of a goodly faith much like a divining rod. The activation word is carved into the base. It says nightshade in draconic.

After seeing the contents and before she turns around, Mastigia floats down since nothing really caught his eye nor can he grasp it at this time in his undeath. "As you wish Mum." Mastigia looks at the wand,"Orym, do you need help with the command word?"

I used Mum because it is the British version of mom, she is after all a Mummy {lol}, and James Bond called M (Judi Dench), Mum.

Elric bowed slightly to the Mummy as she left, before turning to Mastigia and grinning. "Nothing of worth in the safe then? Or did you wise up and realize that it probably isn't the smartest target?"

Gripping the hilt of his blade he walks to the entrance of the Crypt and stares outside, stretching slowly. "Funny that she entrusted the wand that will create a mindless zombie to... Well you see where I am going with this!" He grinned at Orym. "Let us go slaughter some lambs, shall we? Attavan, dinner time!"

Mastigia smiles and tells the partial truth, "I am sure it is valuable but it is nothing interesting and worth the risk yet. There could also be a secret compartment but I am guessing Mum knows me well enough not to hide the really good stuff in this safe. And yeah, it is probably less torturous not to CURRENTLY break into any of her safes"

Mastigia snickers at Elric's zombie comment. "Orym after I tell you the command word to the wand and we find the underground church, I will scout it out first before we go in for the kill and desecration."

The wand leads you to the living district. The poor fed apon humans look at you with fear. Some come to you, want in their eyes, almost begging you to feed apon them. The wand brings you to a butchery. Outside is a chain of garlic above the door. A sign says Wilson meats

A dog barks somewhere inside.

so there are three obvious violations of laws. 1) the garlic chain, 2) a Dog is on the property, 3) a living Owns a company that is actively avoiding undead, this gives you full rights to kill anyone inside without warning.

Mastigia looks at Elric and Attavan, "How fitting, they hate flying rodents and dim witted blood sucking mutts. Shall I see if they planned for floating vapor clouds?" Mastigia snickers and looks for traps on the walls, doors, and windows.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18

LOL

the wall is only 3 inches of wood. a human sharpening a knife stands behind a counter. the dog is nowhere in sight.

Mastigia floats up to the roof and looks at the roof for undead traps.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32

the roof is unguarded.

Elric grits his teeth and draws his blade, unslinging the heavy steel shield from his back. Gripping the hilt of the bastard sword tightly he stares at the string of garlic above the door.

"Let us be about business. They have practically put up a welcome sign above the door!" He growls sharply. "I will dine well this night!"

Going stealth, Mastigia peaks down through the roof checking out the layout of the house and who's inside besides the human he already saw.

Stealth (Hide-only): 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (12) + 16 = 28
Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20

The butcher is the only one. He is almost stupidly unaware of you. There are three rooms upstairs, one of which has a dog barking out the window.

In one room is a table with an alter and some holy water.

Is there a room on the other side or not facing the street where the rest of the group is? And if you use untrained skill rolls.

Untrained Religion Check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

yes, it is a kitchen filled with meat and dead animals. The back door has garlic as well, but is locked from the inside.you can unlock it with a open lock check

This man is in no way a priest, even an uneducated man can tell. This must be a follower, a prominent one if the wand led you here.

In terms of the garlic, can I physically not touch it or am I just repelled by it?

Mastigia flies to the kitchen area to see if anything/one is in there. If it is empty, he makes a settle noise that maybe the dog would hear and when he hears the dog running. He knocks over the meat with his rapier to make a mess to distract both the dog in the form of food and the human in the form of the dog near the food and the mess he has to clean up. After he causes this distraction, Mastigia will dematerialize the rapier float or merge in the wall to proceed to the front door, checks to see if the human took the distraction, and will check the front door for traps.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

In terms of the garlic, can I physically not touch it or am I just repelled by it?

repelled, you may touch it by you become sickened for 1d8 rounds even though you are immune to such effect

The human turns to the sound and begins shouting loudly at the dog, moving away from the counter.

Other than the garlic, there are no traps. The man left the knife on the counter.

So then can I attack it with my sword and not touch it physically, to get it out of my way and allow me to pass over?

So then can I attack it with my sword and not touch it physically, to get it out of my way and allow me to pass over?

yes, it counts as hemp rope for hardness and such, try to post questions like this in discussion

Mastigia ignores the knife since he really can not do much with it unless he can hook it with his rapier. So instead, he looks at the door to see if it is locked. If so, unlocks the door while listening for someone/thing approaching from the distraction.

Disable Lock if required: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20
Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31

The door is unlocked, which is quite stupid for a man in his situation.

Mastigia floats through the door to the party, draws his rapier, and removes the garlic, and whispers, ::"The door is unlocked, there are no traps that have seen thus far, it is a human man armed with a silver knife, a mutt soulmate for Elric, and a shrine to Hera. The Human is an acolyte or follower but not the priest. He is or was distracted by a distraction I caused in the kitchen and he left his silver knife behind on the counter but there wasn't anything I can do with it without making a noise or something. There maybe a secret door that I did not find? In my opinion, this is either a test or there is something here that hasn't yet been revealed?"::

Elric looks at the ghost for a second, frowning, taking in all the information and thinking furiously. They were in the right to do as they wished here, but they had to be smart. "What do you think Fur? My heart, were it beating, would tell me to charge in there and knock the man out, torture him for information when he wakes up and drain him dry for supper. But that may not be the right course. What say you?"

Mastigia shrugs, "I am 90% positive you can go in there and do just that but of course there is always the unknown or something I didn't catch? But I am not sure what the amulet does. It may just be a holy symbol of Hera?"

Behind the door you hear a sniffing from the dog. what is it you mange ridden mutt!? Says the man inside.

The dog begins growling and the man audibly complains about some other person.

Mastigia flies up to tap on the windows on the second story to get the dog out of the way.

"Guess that solves that..." Elric shoulder charges the door open.

Bullrush1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

The man stumbles back and exclaims loudly. The dog, not distracted at all growls loudly. Getting a look at it, it seems to be glowing slightly.

roll initiative then state your action

Initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

Mastigia moves in through the second story, quickly flies silently down the stairs, and dematerializes behind the dog and human.

Basically round 1 for Mastigia