Mugambi tries to follow Eve putting all weight in his good leg, face marked with concern and sweat.
Success is a pleasant surprise.
The walls are covered in carvings of upright serpents... similar to the lizardfolk, but with longer, leaner bodies. A pile of bones spirls up around the south pillar... like a coiled snake.
Truk frowns at the sight, "What the hell kinda place is this?" he says in a low voice.
Crouching, the big orc leads the way north.
Those with darkvision can see the crumbling pillar up north. The ceiling above is partially collapsed, and a few short stalactites pierce through the opening in the rock forty feet above.
Though you have yet to see anything moving, you hear the shuffling and raspy "Huuuuuuuaaaaaauu uueeeaaaaahhh...." also from the north.
You reach a sandy pass crossing your path, that leads gently from level land to shore. There are several shallow ruts in the sand. "Baby turtle enter sea here... we go up and cross here. Gentle with your steps in the sand... baby get stuck in your big footprint."
As you come up to level land, you see a low mountain with an increasingly ruddy red hue toward the top. It is just off to the right of where she leads you.
The trees are relatively sparse here - south of the base of the red mountain. Eve points to the east side of the ominous mountain. "Axe beak caves... you stay away, they stay away. They watch you from the bushes like they think you might be sneaky."
Truk remains silent and gestures to the group - Up ahead.
Remaining as stealthy as a grizzly bear, the hulking brawler advances further.
"Chapel, I'd say," Syndlara replies, pausing to scoop up one of her two glow-rocks. Following after Truk'tosh, she silently wonders where those noises were coming from.
Mugambi advances following Eva's instructions.
You rejoin the path near a "T" intersection, and continue the same heading. The path leading up the mountain is lined with decorated sticks... possibly leftover torches.
"The mountain is covered with red devil bugs... the black beetles we use to clean the shells of turtles eat flesh as these do. They like the mountain, because it is painted the same red."
The path ends at worn steps leading down into a rocky bay. The ground is hard... with bits of stone and shell calcified into the hard terrain.
Using the knotted rope to offer you stability for one hand, she takes the other leading you down the treacherous path.
"I walk the rocky beaches every morning... for urchins and clams... steady feet."
She also offers an anecdote to soften any wounding of your pride for accepting assistance.
Gatherine sighed as she heard the creepy noises grow nearer.She exchanged Twinbellows for Sneezy Dragon and moved alongside Truk,pistol raised.
Iolana follows the group with her blade in its scabbard to cover the light it emits.
"Hmmm....t...trouble...always...t...trouble."
Whispering in response to Garborn:
"Yes, a lot more than i'ld like or was used to.But we are here now and we have to deal with them if we want to leave this temple and more important this island. Now please make silence."
"Ye...yes...of course..
Gorba, Fleek, we're hunting now..."
perception
stealth
Scanning the area,the she dwarf melded into the shadows of the chamber and vanished from sight without nary a sound.
The tribesman looks at the climb with dismay.
Damn this cursed hills. He mumbles in his native tongue while going down.
Syndlara's light fills the north end of the chapel. At the far edge of the illuminated area, you see a huge stone snake head protruding from the north wall. There is a slightly darker stone in the center of the open maw in the shape of a door.
Two blueish hunched undead turn toward the light, and then back toward the entrance. Though similar to the other feral dead, these look bulkier, less hunched, and thin shreds of flesh hang all over their forms like nappy shaggy fur.
You see now to what their attention had been drawn. A third undead... similar to them but is wearing either a buttoned vest, or jacket with torn sleeves. This odd zombie out is perched on top of the stone snake head.
Once the two harassing it turn toward you, the vested zombie begins to crawl up the wall above the serpent head door.
The third undead on the snake head looks like he even has a beard.
As Iolana moves into the room, her attention turns to the sound of bones rustling in the pile to the south.
You see the head and shoulders of another crawling from the pile of bones... it looks different though... mottled grey and bone white instead of the blue shade the others to the north.
Garborn whimpers in fear, he then directs Gorba to follow Truk and Fleek to guard himself.
A spell! Yes a spell....
"More undead!" Syndlara exclaims, tensing in anticipation and bringing her blade up to a guard position.
"Look out, behind us, another undead."
Str 12/Dex 13/Con 13/Int 17/Wis 12/Cha 14
HP 27/27
AC (lamellar armor) [Tot 16] [Touch 12] [FF 14] Dodge feat already included
CMB:+4 (+3BaB +1strength)
CMD:15 (+3BaB +1strength +1dexterity +10)
Fortitude save +5 (+4base +1con)
Reflex save +2 (+1base +1dex)
Will save +5 (+4base +1wis)
BaB+3
Initiative+1
Perception +7
Caster level check +11
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(armor check pen. not included)
Climb +6 //Intimidate +7 //Knowledge Arcana +10 //Profession(Sailor) +5
Spellcraft +10 //Swim +7 //Sense Motive +4 //Survival +9
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Speed 30ft/9mtr
+1 Scimitar [att+5 dam1d6+2 18-20/x2 type S]
Shortbow [att+4 dam1d6 x3 60ft type P] 17 arrows
Prepared Spells :Level 0(cantrips):Daze(will DC13);Acid Splash(1d3 acid);Light;Detect Magic
Level 1:Shocking Grasp x2 (4d6 elect); Magic Missile (2 bolts 1d4+1 each); Shield (+4 AC)
Level 2:Web (reflex DC15); Bull's Strength (+4 str)
Arcane Pool(1/2 magus level+int mod)[5]
Carrying 40lbs/light emcumbrance/check penalty -1
used the pearl of power for the day
As the vested zombie crawls up the north wall above the serpents skull door - and out of the dim light of the hurled magicked stone, you hear him... a weak raspy voice speaking rhythmically in monotone. Apart from the "k" in jerk, his consonants are barely audible.
"My love she hath flew... She did me dirt...
I did not know she was a jer.. k..
So learn from me... lest I forbid..
Or you be done...
Like I been did..."
Roll d20 please
The steps lead down to a ledge. Eve runs back up to retrieve the lashed rope. She returns and shows you the partially hidden cave mouth - which actually looks like an open mouth; turned down on either end as if frozen in a cry of anguish.
Inside there is a 40 foot circular chamber. In the center is a pit. Hanging over the pit is a statue protruding from the back wall. A woman with serpentine features facing upward with her mouth open in the same shape as the cave mouth. A rope is tied around her neck and leads down.
Eve takes a deep breath "Dey are here."
The voice continues in the darkness to the north, while to the south you see the similar, but greyish creature emerging from the pile of bone.
As the voice continues to the north... the undead wading in bone, smashes a skull against the stone pillar behind which he lurks.
"Ruined and bleak...
I hid it, her key...
A chamber too dark.. for eyes to see...
She done blackened my soul...
and clawed at her slate...
But man's lifes his own..
It were my life to take.. "
d20?
Perceived
Initiative
Truk pulls a spike and hurls it at the closest undead.
"We got trouble!"
Syndlara quickly closes the distance between herself and the nearest undead creature to the north, slashing at the creature with her bared blade.
Poliglot
Thank you Miss Eve. Mugambi says switching his tribal mask for the skull one. You go back now and... take care.
Choose a good path for yourself to walk. He says with a smile before turning and going into the cave. Without looking back for worry the girl would see the fear in his eyes, he grabs the rope and climbs down.
Truk's spike thunks into the bluish creature's chest and clangs to the ground. It recovers as Syndlara reaches it, and moves out of the arc of her swing.
The boiled sock and rotting meat stench is nearly overwhelming...
and it seems to flow out from the iron spike's wound in concentrated pungency straight to Syndlara's delicate elven nose.
Garborn finishes casting his spell, as the last word fades; an ugly little blue creature takes place in front of the southern undead.
"Gorba! Crush!"
Gorba follows Syndlara, but more carefully, the attack however is much more forceful than normal.
Fleek stays by his master’s side, guarding in case the undead attacks.
Gatherine attacked the pale undead clinging to the pillar with a gout of flame.Fire dmg
The bone-wading undead to the south casually leans behind the stone pillar as the Gatherine's flame torches the area around it. He remerges from his cover with the right side of has body charred dark like a shadow against its mottled grey and bone white skin.
The front blue-tinged undead's torso torques with Gorba's lovetap to the shoulder. It recovers... shoulders back and gunny-sacked it leans in to chomp Syndlara. It then brings both clawed hands forward in a pair of quick swipes.
The one behind launches at Gorba, and brings both claws down in one raking attack.
You see the vested zombie crawl high on the wall to the northeast.. heading south. He stops when near the broken pillar, and leaps onto it.
The greyish par-baked undead slips out of the spiraling pile of bone, and approaches... Fleek snorts and make sneeze-like expulsion of air through the nostrils as the creature draws nearer.
Then the stench starts to reach Garborn, Gatherine, and Iolana.
Once it is just ankle-deep in debris, it charges at Gatherine. She is enveloped in the overwhelming odor as it thrusts its dead taloned hand at her. It snatches the air in front of the flame-fisted dwarf maid's face with a scissoring sound.
Eve looks conflicted between fear, and wanting to help as much as she can.
She ties and lowers the rope... it seems easy at first with the walls of the short shaft down to help when you feel unbalanced. Once it opens up into a chamber, you realize how much you were using those walls. You lose your balance of weight, and fall on your back. Eve immediately drops down to check on you.
Once she sees you are just a little banged up, she seems to realize... "Two chambers down.. is where dey try to change me." She dusts off your back after having helped you to your feet. "We go..."
There is one tunnel leading out of this 40' circular chamber.
Fort Save
Gatherine gagged violently at the nauseating stench that emanated from the creature that reeked of stale rancid meat and spoiled potatoes.Unable to hold back the bile rushing up her throat,barely managing to weave out of the way of its scissoring claws,the dwarf maid vomited. Right into the face of her attacker.
BLERGH!!
Iolana and Gatherine start to feel sick as the particulate from the creature's palpable stench hits the back of their throats. The urge to rinse out their mouths clouds their thoughts which hamper their clarity in battle.
After clawing in front of Gatherine's face, the foul-scented undead looks down at its other hand, and then to the "lizard chicken" spitting out a grey taloned finger.
Truk rushes north to aid Syndlara. As he closes, he pulls the staff from his back.
With a roar, he takes a mighty swing.
Str 12/Dex 13/Con 13/Int 17/Wis 12/Cha 14
HP 27/27
AC (lamellar armor) [Tot 16] [Touch 12] [FF 14] Dodge feat already included
CMB:+4 (+3BaB +1strength)
CMD:15 (+3BaB +1strength +1dexterity +10)
Fortitude save +5 (+4base +1con)
Reflex save +2 (+1base +1dex)
Will save +5 (+4base +1wis)
BaB+3
Initiative+1
Perception +7
Caster level check +11
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(armor check pen. not included)
Climb +6 //Intimidate +7 //Knowledge Arcana +10 //Profession(Sailor) +5
Spellcraft +10 //Swim +7 //Sense Motive +4 //Survival +9
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Speed 30ft/9mtr
+1 Scimitar [att+5 dam1d6+2 18-20/x2 type S]
Shortbow [att+4 dam1d6 x3 60ft type P] 17 arrows
Prepared Spells :Level 0(cantrips):Daze(will DC13);Acid Splash(1d3 acid);Light;Detect Magic
Level 1:Shocking Grasp x2 (4d6 elect); Shield (+4 AC)
Level 2:Web (reflex DC15); Bull's Strength (+4 str)
Arcane Pool(1/2 magus level+int mod)[5]
Carrying 40lbs/light emcumbrance/check penalty -1
used the pearl of power for the day
conditions: Sickened -2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks
Iolana flees from the stench spitting on the ground,but a few steps back she counterattacks with some energy bolts.
Truk's staff clonks against the shrink-wrapped skull of the blue-tinged ghoul. It falls on its back unmoving.
The pair of arcane bolts from Iolana's hand smack into the grey-skinned creature. It drops with a quack-like exclamatory sound. It lies motionless.. but still stinky.
Not in the focused state of blade-dance, Syndlara is slightly too slow to react to the ghoul's raking claws. Her footwork fouled up by the ghoul's claws, she rotates her torso and right leg forward in a 360 degree rotation () and nearly falls on her face.
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Coughing to clear her burning throat and nose,spitting off to the side in an attempt to rid her mouth of the taste of a wasted meal,the she dwarf waddled away from the rancid corpse cheese and switched firearms.She strode up to the pillar where the other undead clung ro it like a disturbing insect.
Chubby face screwed up in a disgusted scowl,the she dwarf raised Twinbellows and aimed for its leering,unliving waxy face.The double barreled pistol thundered twice simultaneously,the sound echoing sharply off the chamber walls. Even the scattered bones trembled on the ground beneath her boots.
Git your stank self dead,you abomination before the goodly gods!
10ft+Deadly Aim
Both barrels
WHY DO YOU REEK SO MUCH?!