Althera moves into the room as Reed launches a furious attack cutting half of the zombie skull with his handaxe then connecting a second hit with his off-hand that slashes the right leg creating a large unbleeding gash.
Nigel steps closer to the action and throws a holy water flask that splashes on the zombie's breast. As the water drips down the body his skin starts to melt and light steam expands through the chamber. Some drops hit Reed without affecting him in any way.
Eveline moves in front of Nigel drawing her scimitar and slashes over the creature, but the thick skin deflects the blade.
The creature stands, brandishing the morningstar ready to hit Reed.
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Lionel charges the zombie, drawing his hefty walking stick on the way, and swings at it, grabbing it in both hands for a brutal overhead slam.
The skull sends sparks flying as it connects to the ground an inch in front of the zombie's left foot.
After missing the thing completely, he takes a small step in front of Eveline, shouting, "Reed, brotha, let's flank it!"
The gilded skull of the cane bounces off of the zombie's head, and a loud crack is heard.
Lionel charges over the zombie failing his first attack but impaling it with the second. The damages on the undead body are so high that even if Lionel's spear is not quite effective, the hole in the leg is enough to drop the body unlivingly to the floor. The zombie is destroyed.
Once the calm comes back to the chamber and you are able to observe it better, you see on the floor of the east recess, the perfectly preserved body of a young boy lies in a puddle and stares silently upward.
This is the body of Grishan Maldris, the younger brother of Colson Maldris (now the head of the Liberty Edge faction in Absalom).
The door in the south side of the chamber is open ajar.
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Lionel's head stops ringing after cracking the skull of the zombie, and looks into the chamber. "Shame 'bout the kid.", as he approaches the puddle. He takes a look at the kid, trying to recognise any religious symbols on his. If not, he'll just mutter a small and short Pharasman prayer, to let the soul to pass in the next life.
"Well, if ya don't mind, I'll go check out that door ova there, folks. Time fo me to stop slackin'. Everyone alright?", he says, grabbing his spear from the ground and slowly making his way towards the south door.
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Althera's breath catches in her throat as she sees the body of the child for the first time. She chokes back the emotion, and follows after the others, quickly brushing away the single tear on her cheek.
"I am very glad that everyone made it through that OK. The beast didn't manage to injure you, did it Reed?"
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Eveline watches as the undead falls. "One tough cookie," she whispers, putting her longbow away. Cautious of the monster, she steps closer to poke it, making sure it's dead. She turns, about to say something, but Reed's grin confuses her somewhat. "Uh, good axehandling there," Eveline manages to stutter, blushing a tad before turning back to the body, covering her stir.
While nearly everyone else heads to the next door, the halfling woman takes careful steps towards the young boy's body. "Hey, we can't leave this in here. Who knows what undead abomination it might become whilst we have our backs turned! Besides, it doesn't look like it has been here for even a decade..."
Boy they are eager to run through this necropolis. Headlong, even.
Lionel approaches the kid and seeing no religious signs heads towards the southern door. The rest of the party but Eveline follows up. As they reach towards the southern side of the chamber Reeds sees a reflection of the light spell on the rubble washed out by the black waters. He kneels and finds a fine silver ring within.
Eveline approaches the body full of pity. Under a pledge of the uncorrupted clothes she observes a protuberance and a closer look reveals a diary. It belongs to a kid named Grishan Maldris. The last lines details him and some other kids have gone to the basement to play hiding and other creepy games. Within the names of the kids figures Junia and Cassiel.
The ranger follows short the team with the new information. The party is already marching into a new corridor full of stairs and have reach to a bifurcation.
On both sides the corridor opens to funerary chambers, but to the west, you seem to see some movement from an small object or creature.
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"Grishan Maldris... related to Colson Maldris, perhaps?" Eveline inquires as she browses through the diary, "he might be wanting this. Better keep it. And oh, err, Deris, your daughter's name was Cassiel, right? She might be here."
Eveline is starting to feel uneasy. When Deris is not within hearing distance, she gathers the party close. "Deris has been waiting for "Cassiel" to come back, saying she is his daughter. But at no point did he say Cassiel was in fact human, or any humanoid. Seeing that a bugbear zombie had been roaming the necropolis it would be entirely possible Cassiel has turned undead too. Or worse, Deris is under the influence of this Cassiel. Or anything. Main thing, what precautions?" She makes constant glances at the mad man, wary of his movements. Eveline keeps the bow drawn at all times. Her knowledge of undead creatures—although somewhat limited—reveals that they can be intelligent and cunning in addition to being effectively immortal.
"And Junia... wasn't that the kid lady Dacilane talked about?"
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I think Junia was the name of that girl that snobby woman was talking about. Anyway I say we head east, away from whatever just moved. Nigel replies.
Nigel whispers to Eveline, You know that Deris knows his way around magic, that's how he gets the classroom to move, through tricky prestiditigation. If he makes any hostile moves. I'll try to cast my own magic on him, or light him up if need be.
Nigel pulls out a bottle of alchemists fire in his other hand in case of danger. (the other hand is holding a lantern)
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"You're right Nigel. Junia was Lady Darcilena's daughter. This seems more mysterious."
Speaking more quietly: "Maybe it's Deris who is not all he seems. Time can do strange things when powerful magic is involved, and he may not be as well and truly alive as it looks."
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Reed looks at the ring closely, trying to see if there is a mark or insignia that would identify who owned it. After this, he slips in a pocket, to be pooled with everything later when done.
Reed looks warily around as the others discuss their findings and the nature of their 'host' Deris. Seeing that things were settled for the moment, he decides to investigate the western phenomenon once he gets the attention of those around him to hopefully join him.
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"What was 'at?", says Lionel, gripping the spear tighter, seeing the thing move to the west. Turning to the others, he says, "I'd ratha check the west out first, don't wanna be surprised by somethin' nasty, ya know."
Damnit, Lionel, you go too hasty these days.
Reaching to Deris with a friendly tone, he asks, "So, Deris. Ya knew that Maldris kid? He pals with Cassiel?", wanting to see the man talking. If you're talking, you're not doing crazy stuff.
Reed examines the ring observing it is extremely finely crafted with a feather pattern on its edge. No other nobility signs or writings are there found to identify it.
As Lionel talks to Marlinchen he approaches to the group in the advance to the tunnel "Yes... Cassiel sometimes tells me about a boy of that name. They often play together. I wonder why he decided to sleep in such a terrible place." the man though looks a bit worried and follows you closer than before.
On the western chamber, water drips from the double-vaulted ceiling and trickles down the walls to pool on the floor. Bone shards of a hundred skulls litter the room like shattered seashells.
Wide stairs climb to the east from where you have come. Narrow stairs dive to the north. On the south wall, an open doorway gapes, a carved relief depicting a massive battle filling the archway over the door. The rest of the walls are filled floor to ceiling with nooks that house ancient, but drenched, skeletal remains.
In the center of the room sit twelve school children in a circle on the floor. One child seems to be silently telling a story, her arms moving rapidly as she makes scary faces.
As he sees them, Deris Marlinchen starts shouting "See! Alive! I knew it!" pointing towards the girl telling the story. He runs hastily over the girl and tries to give her a hug "Cassiel!" he cries but almost fell down when his arms go through the girl's body. "Cassiel! I have missed you so much! Why have you waited so long to go out visit your daddy!" the man almost collapses to the floor heartbroken.
You hear some noise approaching through the north passage.
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Eveline's eyes widen as she observes the display. Not only does Deris ignore his surroundings—namely the bone shatter covered floor—but seems even more oblivious to the physical world.
"If he's happy here for now, we better just leave him over here," the halfling whispers to his colleagues, "we have our own mission to do for now. And this place gives me the creeps."
Eveline tries her darnest to determine what the girls in the circle are, but is interrupted as she hears noise coming from the corridor to the north. She jerks Reed's leg to points at the northern passage. "Noise coming from there. Could be anything. Ready yourselves."
Eveline gives the alarm to the rest of the party. Something is coming from the northern corridor!
There is no more than 6 seconds to act!
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Reed's eyes widen as the halfling tugs on his leg, finally hearing what her keen ears have already determined. He shakes his head at his cluelessness, then positions himself on the opposite side of the door, motioning Eve back silently, making a gesture with his hand.
The ranger readies an action, should whatever it is make itself known to be hostile.
Demario hides in the shadows of the room, within one small nook. Reed proceed to the other side of the door, while the others draw their weapons and load them if required.
Suddenly a humanoid creature with long, sharp teeth, and pallid flesh stretched tightly over its starved frame, steps out of the corridor into the room.
These are undead creatures. They are harmed by negative energy.
The creatures are ghouls. They do not have damage reduction but they can paralize the creatures they touch. Elfs are immune to their paralizing effect.
Reed deduces by their look they are not coming to greet the party and slashes with her handaxe but only hitting air. The other creatures move behind the first one.
Reed, flanking with Lionel's spear, chops down the first ghoul crossing his axes at waist height, one from the back and the other from the front. The beast fells to the floor without live as he turns to look at Reed's eyes in a final evil intend to scare him. The ranger stays stout without caring much and ready to chop more undead creatures.
Then, Althera pronounces an arcane word and a sphere of semitranslucent light darts from her hand to the creature in green rags. It explodes in the undead breast stepping back just a second, but it continues advancing upstairs.
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Nigel sees the creatures, drops in lantern in fear and is caught speechless. He looks around and sees Deris not reacting, so moves behind Deris figuring he's basically a human shield.
He then begins casting Enlarge person targeting Reed.
free action: drop lantern to provide light to the humans.
move action: get behind Deris.
standard action: start casting Enlarge person on Reed.
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Positioned well for flanking, Eveline forgoes her bow and instead pulls out her trusty scimitar and slices the undead being.
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Unfortunately she just clings the scimitar against the stone wall. Already mortified by the shattered foes covering the floors she gazes upward towards the undead, trying her best not to get hit by its deadly claws.
"Ghouls!" she shrieks.
Demario shots and tries to hide without success, his bolt hitting the walls.
Nigel let's his lamp go to the floor.
The flame tilts a bit but does not turn off. And then the gnome starts casting a spell.
Lionel's spear though hits the front line ghoul, whom already hit by Althera's missile collapses to the floor reverting to ashes.
Eveline tries to hit the last ghoul but it is to far and she only hits the wall.
The remaining ghoul steps over the ash remains of its companion and attacks with everything, bite and claws at Eveline covered behind the wall.
But she manages to profit the cover of the wall to great effect avoiding the dangerous limbs.
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Eveline figures the fight's a little too crowded for comfort, especially with Reed's head hitting the ceiling. Regardless, she sees her chance around the corner and tries to subdue the ghoul with her scimitar.
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She curses in halfling and makes a careful retreat, having the intention to fire arrows the following spots. I wasn't meant to be a swordswoman anyways.
As Nigel ends his spell, Reed enlarges in size. He blocks the corridor with his large body now. With his large handaxes he attacks the ghoul but both are easily dodged by the creature.
Lionel and Eveline both attack the ghoul landing their spear and scimitar on the wall behind which the undead is lurking.
Demario's bolt fails between Reed's legs.
The ghoul goes over Reed trying to tear him down with bites and claws.
The ranger dodges most of the attacks, but one claw reaches him in the shoulder opening a large gash with a cold contact. Reed feels his limbs freezing, but his strength overcomes the cold and manages to continue moving normally.
Lionel sends forth his spear but it hits the wall corner to no effect.
Meanwhile Reed attacks with both axes again, the second easily landing on the creature left leg practically destroying it and sending it to the floor.
The ghoul seems to maintain himself up just by a thin layer of bone.
Eveline finds a spot in between Reed's large legs and shots an arrow that hits the precarious leg of the ghoul, this one collapsing to the floor and turning to ashes.
A calmer check of the chamber reveals the relief on the south wall depicts Taldor’s frst victory over the Chelish rebels.
To the West, the door is ajar and you can see a large chamber which seems empty other than some stairs, but you will need the light source to properly see inside. There are no sounds.
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Althera breathes a sigh of relief and makes sure the light spell on Reed's axe is still active.
"I'm afraid I'm mich more at home in more social settings. Navigating tombs is still quite foreign to me. I am willing to follow your lead, I hope we can soon resolve things here and leave this depressing place."
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