Felgar works at what he does best and swings away at the lone zombie before him. He manages to hack the thing in two without pause.
--------------------------
Neva let her spiritual weapon continue it's work on the zombie who had chased Rutter, but she herself ran over to help Raliscar.
The magical dagger left only a small cut on the zombie, but the wand released powerful healing on Raliscar.
Vyshael says, "Someone get her. I'll clean up here.", then rushes forward to cut down the remaining zombies, channeling some of his magic into the blade.
for
Neva changes her focus from the enemies, as her dagger of force slashes at one of the remaining zombies, to move over and work on relieving Raliscar of his injuries.
Rutter, hot on the trail of the crazy clown lady, leaps the rail after her, and tries to chase her down. The slow swing of the nearby zombie isn't enough to catch him as he darts off. Getting out the front door he sees no sign of her up or down the street in any direction.
Vyshael follows up after the zombies themselves, swinging hard at one of them. He makes a devastating cut, but it just isn't enough to stop the thing from swinging back.
The two mindless zombies forget all about Rutter and turn to face this new foe. The furthest one swings awkwardly over the corner of the railing to get at Vyshael, while the other one just swings awkwardly in general.
---------------------------
Raliscar nods gratefully to Neva and blurts, "Thanks, lass!" as he dashes past and throws himself over the railing and to the foot of the stairs below. He lands heavily and looses his footing, but shakes it off as he hauls himself back to his feet. "Where'd she go, Rutter?! We can't let 'er get away!"
HP: 36/56 (+16, -2)
AC: 22 (13 T / 19 FF) (includes barkskin)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +8/+9/+4
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): [ ] [ ]
Level 1 spells prepared (1+1): gravity bow [ ] [ ]
Necklace of Fireballs: 6d6 [ ] // 4d6 [X] [ ] // 2d6 [X] [ ]
Silver Blanched Bolts used: 0/20
-Ongoing Effects-
Favored Terrain (underground/dungeon): +2 to Initiative, Perception, Stealth, & Survival for ALL party members
Barkskin (+2 AC): 1/30 minutes, 6/10 rounds
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): Freaky Jester Girl
"Block the doorway! I didn't see her leave, and I don't see her out here. She still may be inside. I'll look out here some more."
Rutter closes the door and starts searching around the front grounds of the mansion for any hiding places that might have been reasonably within range for her.
"You're welcome, dear" Neva said to Raliscar in a winded voice.
She then yelled "No!" in disbelief as he jumped over the railing and fell heavily to the floor below.
These dwarves are crazy!
"Where is she? I can't see her!
Raliscar leaps the rail with a loud thump when he hits, the blood slick floor dropping him hard on the stained yet fancy tiles below. He doesn't let it stop him though.
There is no sign of the clown woman, as she seems to be biding her time silently for once.
--------------------------
"Felgar, do you see her?!"
Felgar searches the room for the enemy.
I be lookin' mi'lady...I be lookin'.
Neva kept swinging her eyes between the upper and lower floors, searching for the elusive Voice, while also trying to assess Vyshael's fight against the remaining zombies.
She flicked her wrist and directed the spiritual dagger towards the more damaged of the two zombies, and then moved back across the upper floor to support the half-elf shape-changer.
This cut was deeper, and she watched the zombie stagger, hoping it would fall.
Frustrated, Vyshael allows some of that anger loose, mentally relaxing the chains that hold his righteous fury in check, allowing the warmth to trickle through his muscles, granting them more power. He pushes his magic into his sword and then swings again, connecting solidly.
Rutter continues to look around outside until he's satisfied that she's still inside or that she's too stealthy to track, then he returns to the foyer. "I didn't see any trace of her outside. She may still be in here."
Felgar examines the are upstairs with his darkvision, but he sees no sign or trace of the fool woman.
Neva, directing her dagger at the zombie closest to Vyshael, lashes out effectively, cutting the thing down to what little was left of it.
This left an opening for Vyshael to follow through with a violent swing into the remaining one, destroying it as well.
Rutter finds no apparent signs that the woman left the house, and returns inside, where she may still remain.
--------------------------
Raliscar tromps forward a few steps, looking around the foyer. He calls out loudly, "Where'd ye scamper off to, lass? I thought you wanted ta dance! Why don't ya come out? You an' me can have a waltz!"
He then intones a spell and his crossbow pulses, a series of larger after-images blooming and trailing from the weapon.
HP: 36/56
AC: 22 (13 T / 19 FF) (includes barkskin)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +8/+9/+4
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): [ ] [ ]
Level 1 spells prepared (1+1): gravity bow [X] [ ]
Necklace of Fireballs: 6d6 [ ] // 4d6 [X] [ ] // 2d6 [X] [ ]
Silver Blanched Bolts used: 0/20
-Ongoing Effects-
Favored Terrain (underground/dungeon): +2 to Initiative, Perception, Stealth, & Survival for ALL party members
Barkskin (+2 AC): 1/30 minutes, 7/10 rounds
Gravity bow: 1/4 minutes, 1/10 rounds
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): Freaky Jester Girl
Felgar is clearly frustrated. He is not used to enemies that run away, but don't really try to escape. He has to be ready to fight, something that doesn't seem to want to come out and fight when they should. He moves back down the stairs, and tries to help find her once again. He thinks he hears something, "Rutter, ye aint in tha room right aside these here stairs again are ya?"
---------------------
Neva heard the others talking downstairs, but nothing else. Wiping a bit of Vyshael's last zombie off her face, she gave his wounds a slight wave from the wand, and then moved down the stairs to find out what was going on. The glowing dagger hovered behind her ear.
Vyshael quickly slips his mental chains over his righteous anger, taking a deep breath to calm himself -- and steady himself as the strength leaves him. He says, "If she didn't leave, she's probably invisible... there are spells that let you see through it, but I don't have one.", then closes his eyes for a moment, trying to turn his keen elven hearing to the task... then points, "Someone was giggling and went that-a-way, through a door.", he says, before realizing noone can see him point. He shakes his head at himself and starts down the stairs, stopping when he reaches his allies and tries pointing again, "There. Ish."
"Neva, bring the light! I hear her through here!"
Rutter opens the door to the room to the side and steps in until he bumps into a table. He then slowly makes his way around the edge of the room, giving Neva time to catch up with her long, or at least medium-length, legs.
Hearing Rutter call out, Raliscar wheels around and dashes through the house. He thinks of cutting off their quarry, but shakes his head at the lingering magical webs between him and the doors across the main foyer. Instead, he hustles past Neva and Vyshael, a grim look in his dark eyes. Slipping past Rutter, the dwarf slams his shoulder into the wall as he stops beside the door. "I'm here with ye, lad. If she's fled through here, we'll catch her."
HP: 36/56
AC: 22 (13 T / 19 FF)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +8/+9/+4
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): [ ] [ ]
Level 1 spells prepared (1+1): gravity bow [X] [ ]
Necklace of Fireballs: 6d6 [ ] // 4d6 [X] [ ] // 2d6 [X] [ ]
Silver Blanched Bolts used: 0/20
-Ongoing Effects-
Favored Terrain (underground/dungeon): +2 to Initiative, Perception, Stealth, & Survival for ALL party members
Barkskin (+2 AC): 1/30 minutes, 8/10 rounds
Gravity bow: 1/4 minutes, 2/10 rounds
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): Freaky Jester Girl
As the group rush toward the room, Felgar also follows suit, going as far as he can in pursuit.
-------------------------------
Neva hustled to keep up with the others, especially Raliscar, who she waved over vigorously with the wand.
"Are we sure she went this way?"
Vyshael nods and points again with his blade, "That's what I heard... "
Rutter moves into the cramped intersection and tries the door to the east.
Neva turned her attention from Raliscar to Rutter.
"Is it locked? Do you see her?"
As Rutter opens the door, the room beyond is dimly lit by half-drawn curtains. The room is large and dominated by a magnificent wooden banquet table and matching chairs. Seated at the table, finely set with fancy tableware, are eight rotting corpses looking at each other blankly. Four of the corpses are zombies who mechanically go through the motions of eating the rotten food on the table before them, spooning it back into their mouths after it dribbles out onto the table from their slack jaws.
As soon as the door is opened, they turn toward the intruder, and begin to try and extricate themselves from their tightly pushed-in chairs. It takes them some effort, but they manage to rise from where they sat.
The voice is present, as she cheerfully adds, "Looks like we have guests.... tee he he he he... for dinner. HE HE. Why don't you share a bite with them? hehehehehe"
Felgar heads into the room, "See, Ah told ya I heard sumthin' roun' this way. Now where is tha loon?" He wades into the room, hacking at one of the newly risen zombies with his axe, and cutting it down quickly.
--------------------------
Vyshael rushes toward the other doors, blade in hand, following the sound of taunting and combat. He throws open the door, and realizing that he's face-to-face with a zombie, he quickly slashes his mother's blade, the sword slashing wide due to the hasty attack.
As the door opens and another mass of zombies are revealed, Raliscar rips another bead from his necklace and tosses it deep into the room before his cousin can charge in. "Dinner? Well I got just the thing fer cookin'!"
---
If the source of the voice is visible, Raliscar takes a shot. If not, he readies a shot for when she does appear, moving into the corner of the macabre dining hall if need be. "I've had enough o' yer twisted lil' party, missy! Ye'll not be dancin' with anybody else when ol' Raliscar's finished with ye."
HP: 49/56
AC: 22 (13 T / 19 FF)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +8/+9/+4
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): [X] [ ]
Level 1 spells prepared (1+1): gravity bow [X] [ ]
Necklace of Fireballs: 6d6 [ ] // 4d6 [X] [X] // 2d6 [X] [ ]
Silver Blanched Bolts used: 0/20
-Ongoing Effects-
Favored Terrain (underground/dungeon): +2 to Initiative, Perception, Stealth, & Survival for ALL party members
Barkskin (+2 AC): 1/30 minutes, 10/10 rounds
Gravity bow: 1/4 minutes, 4/10 rounds
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): Freaky Jester Girl
Rutter reaches behind his back and pulls out his quickdraw shield as he moves into the room. When he flanks one of the zombies with Felgar, he takes his swing.
Still angry, Neva follow Felgar into the room, letting loose another blast of positive energy on the horrible undead.
As soon as the door is opened, Raliscar fills the place with a blast of fire. The flames cover and immolate all but one of the zombies. The only one left standing was then easily dispatched by Felgar as he rushed into the room.
------------------------
Rutter moves into the room and then listens for the unseen woman.
Neva placed a new light on the doorframe into the dining room, providing an unwelcome view on the scorched, macabre scene.
Neva brings a better light source into the room, illuminating the charred corpses of the dead and recently re-dead. The dining room truly looks like a disaster had struck it.
Rutter moves in, using his powers of detection to try and suss out the whereabouts of the woman. Amidst the carnage and with her once again becoming just a voice, it proves much more difficult.
As Vyshael moves up to gather with the others, Raliscar holds his position and keeps a keen eye through the sights of his crossbow. At the first sign of the woman, he has a bolt ready to fly her way.
Almost on request, she acts, playing her hand. The door across from the group opens to reveal a small alcove with another door, and a set of stairs going down into what is most likely a cellar.
Felgar sees this, and moves straight away for the far door, reaching and flinging it open to reveal a kitchen beyond. Two of the previous occupants stand at the table holding knives in a grim mockery of cutting a large chunk of meat.
--------------------------
Neva moved up behind Rutter, hoping to follow the halfling into the next rooms. She touched him lightly on the shoulder, casting a spell.
,
As Felgar rushes into the kitchen, Rutter mumbles, "I don't think she went through there if the door's not open." More loudly, he offers his read on the situation. "She either went down the stairs or she's still in this room, or hiding through that open doorway. Vyshael, come around the other side of the table, see if you run into her? Raliscar, come cover your cousin's back. I'll check through this doorway."
He mutters his thanks to Neva as she heals the damage he'd taken so far. He keeps an eye on Felgar while Vyshael and Raliscar make their way around and then he heads toward the open doorway north of the alcove, waving his mace through the space in front of him as he goes, feeling for the invisible woman.
Vyshael nods and moves in as directed, trying to cut off the invisible woman's escape, readying to cast a spell as soon as he locates her.
Raliscar nods with a grunt at Rutter's read of the situation and clambers up onto the table, his crossbow moving slowly waiting for the crazy woman to appear again. "Don't go runnin' off too far, cousin! The tart's probably still in here!"
HP: 49/56
AC: 22 (13 T / 19 FF) (includes barkskin)
CMD: 19
F/R/W: +8/+9/+4
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): [X] [ ]
Level 1 spells prepared (1+1): gravity bow [X] [ ]
Necklace of Fireballs: 6d6 [ ] // 4d6 [X] [X] // 2d6 [X] [ ]
Silver Blanched Bolts used: 0/20
-Ongoing Effects-
Favored Terrain (underground/dungeon): +2 to Initiative, Perception, Stealth, & Survival for ALL party members
Barkskin (+2 AC): 2/30 minutes, 1/10 rounds
Gravity bow: 1/4 minutes, 5/10 rounds
Ranger's Focus (+4/+4): Freaky Jester Girl
Deadly Aim: -2/+4
Neva clears up the last of the damage on her allies, while Rutter starts directing the others as to how and where they should look for the woman.
Vyshael prepares to cast a spell on her, and Raliscar is ready to shoot if she should appear again.
The zombies in the room Felgar just opened react to his presence and come for him. Due to the doorway, only one can get close, while the other tries to make its way over to get at him. The first to arrive swings futilely at the dwarf.
There is again no sign of the woman's activity, giving the others little to react to, to bring her down.
Felgar hacks at both zombies at once, trying to chop right through the first, and into the second one. He demolishes both of the undead in a grotesque display of hewing into the flesh of the remains.
----------------------
Rutter moves into the small room off of the dining area, continuing to wave his mace to feel for an invisible enemy as he explores.