Too late Jocasta realizes she moved up and placed herself in mortal danger, as the zombies in Cell 1 rush the bars, eager to get at her.
The first zombie lunges against the barred wall, his arms wildly but failing to gain a grip as she passed. A second zombie at the door, popping it open and together with the door and it's own weight bodily batters her for , the blunt force trauma nearly knocking her off her feet. A third zombie shoves against it's partner, pushing the door opening enough to allow it to stumble and squeeze into the hallway, it's open mouthed grin greeting Braggi.
The zombies in Cell 3 shove open their unlocked door and stumble out into the hallway, swarming forward and creating a massive wall of the sluggish dead, eagerly grasping for any bit of fresh flesh to sate their undying hunger.
The shadowy figures in Cell 2 begin to scream and cry as the zombies' moans and groans rise in volume, the occupants clinging together even tighter, the smallest form buried deep under the pile of bodies.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Toruk drops his bow and pummels the zombie in front of him.
Toruk pummels the zombie but finds his blows to be less effective than if the beings had been alive. While the first punch broke a rib and ruptured some tissues, the zombie ignored the effects and continued to press forward, bony claws extended, worn and rotting teeth bared and gnashing at the air.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Fil, seeing the rush of Zombies, pulls the scroll of Web from his pack. He frowns as he begins to cast this against the farthest pillar, hoping that there isn't a truly thick zombie horde he cannot see past Toruk.
"We need a choke point! Let us make haste to a more defensible position!"
The webbing splatters strong and thick from ceiling to floor, choking the entire area in sticky strands and globules. Many of the zombies catch themselves up in the webbing, pulling rotted bits of themselves free as they struggle against the webs to surge forward and feast upon your companions.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Musami runs at the closest zombie and swings his earthbreaker.
Musami's hammer smashes hard into the zombie who slipped out by Jocasta, a cloud of dust and scabrous tissue choking everyone as part of the creature's shoulder is pulverized down to the collar bone, though the yellowish enamel remains unblemished.
Cedryk moves up to support Jocasta, charging the zombie with Jaroo's rod. is knocked aside by the bar's of the cell, but the druid's weight helps shove the doorway closed once more, with two zombies still clambering inside. Hedge, stay back...
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Feeling cheated by whom he thought were people in need, Braggi's rage runs wild while he swings his sword.
"DIEEEE!!!"
Braggi cleaves the zombie Musami battered completely in half, roaring in rage, and steps over the pieces as they leak black bile and sludge over the floor in a nauseating soup.
Toruk tenses a bit as the raving sailor swings his blade high, nicking the webbing restraining the other zombies from approaching further, freeing the closest zombie. It lashes out at Braggi, him hard, leaning close, gnashing broken, jagged and blackened teeth viciously in his face.
Three other zombies struggle against the webbing, , , , two breaking free and stumbling closer to Toruk and the warm, fleshy meals awaiting them.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Demoralized and facing the reality that the zombies are just going to tear her limb from limb, Jocasta makes a half-hearted dagger slash, but there's really no spirit in it because apparently in spite of having specifically called out that the zombies would likely barge through the gates from the inside and being highly intelligent, she simply walked up to where they could kill her.
The zombies surge and attempt to overwhelm their victims en masse, though the webbing and cell bars serve as real obstacles to their onslaught.
The first zombie lunges through the bars of the cell wall at Cedryk, him with it's arm, the fore bone protruding awkwardly as it does for .
The second attempts to strike at Jocasta , but where Musami shoved the other creature back against the cell door it found it's arm pinned too high to reach the woman.
Some of the zombies plow out of the webs on the far end and close on the dwarf, just as interested in dwarf meat as any other flavor. Others entangled in the webs flail wildly, clumsily, attempting to break free of the mass, , , , one managing to clear enough that it might move again.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Not taking chances, Fil takes a 5' step back and readies the Wand of Magic missiles and use it to fire at the zombie directly to the right of Musami.
"I have slowed them as I can, my friends. We cannot let these monstrosities get to Hommlet! They need not overrun us as well! Let us retreat to the stairs, high enough so that only two can reach us at once!" Fil shouts over the din of battle.
Toruk falls back 5' to prevent himself from being flanked and then he smashes the zombie to his east.
Little by little your group is working back from the horde of zombies, inflicting some damage, but the decaying bodies seem more resilient in death than they would have been in life.
It is now difficult to see what is happening in the cells as you strategically withdraw from the hallway, though none of the other cells have opened to disgorge their occupants.
As Toruk smashes the wrist and forearm of his latest foe he notices something, the dead man wears the livery matching that of the man rescued from the ambushed caravan.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Braggi sees how his companions retreat, and he does as well when he understands. His fury, though, compells him to continue the killing even while he steps back.
Braggi slashes down hard with his sword, rending the arm and the side flesh from another zombie with a solid thwack, rage roaring in his ears, raw hatred for things well beyond the zombies filling his mind. Vaguely he realizes the line is falling back and he does so, glancing to and fro for another foe to destroy.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Following Fil's advice Musami withdraws a little and heads for the stairs.
One of the zombies gives chase to Musami, nearly catching up with Hedgewyk when it lost sight of the dwarf, but it failed to reach the small plant before it skittered away, following the general commands of it's master.
Another zombie surged forward and tried to Toruk but the agile priest easily sidestepped the blow. Throughout the hallway the zombies take up a wailing moaning, again echoing the previous cry, Brraaaiiiinnnnnssssss, sorrowful and full of angst at the fear of losing both their prey and the meals they represent.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Jocasta does her best to withdraw back in an orderly fashion.
She even manages to avoid the reaching arms of the zombie to one side.
As she goes she fumbles in her pack for one of her tiny elixir bottles.
Jocasta slips past the zombies and moves behind the line forming up near the stairs. Before Cedryk can do likewise the zombies trapped within the cell lash out at him, each attempting to and him, one smashing hard into his shoulder with it's decaying left limb.
Another pair of zombies likewise attempts to batter Toruk down, though neither nor succeeds in beating the warpriest's armor and finesse, while another zombie stumbles past, focusing on Cedryk nearby.
A last zombie tugs and jerks, tearing itself free of the webbing even as it leaves small chunks of it's own flesh and bone behind in the tattered mass of sticky fibers.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Toruk backs up 5’ and then pounds the zombie to the east.
Fil will yet use another shot from the wand of Magic Missile to the zombie nearest Cedryk that he can see. He will then move to climb the stairs after Hedgewyk to hopefully have a better view.
"Hurry Toruk, Braggi, and Cedryk, before those things tear you apart!"
Toruk continues to batter at the zombies as he slowly retreats, his blows barely registering on the dead menaces, their flesh hardly bruising from the blunt blows of his fists.
Filnefillan barely connects his wand shot on the ankle of the zombie before mounting the fist stair landing, no longer in view of the enemy, risen above the ceiling level of the cellar. The elf glances over his shoulder, so near escaping to the ground floor and freedom.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Braggi retreats a bit more, though his eagerness for battle makes him stop again to chop at one of the zombies.
Musami holds his earthbreaker in 1 hand as he draws a smaller hammer from his belt. He throws this smaller hammer at the zombie directly in front of him
He then regrips his earthbreaker and stands ready to defend those who move toward the stairs and guard their backs.
Cedryk moves away from the cell bars, warning Braggi, That door's not locked indicating the door beside him, and swings Jaroo's rod at the wounded zombie beside Toruk, the missing wide as the creature stumbles against the fallen remains of it's companion.
Another zombie at Toruk but the warpriest readily counters the creature back to his right.
The zombie Musami smacked with his hammer rushes at him, it's arms like flails but never connecting a solid blow against the dwarf's armor.
Another continues to struggle against the webbing, , managing to rip enough free to move once more.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Jocasta downs her healing tonic and stuffs the vial back in her belt as she shuffles back away from the zombies and toward the stairs.
The zombies in Cell 1 reach through the bars and attempt to clobber Braggi clumsily, the bars forcing them to paw at him from odd angles. One the former sailor for with the other weakly, missing entirely.
One wounded zombie at Cedryk, landing a painful blow to his ribs for while his companion attempts in vain to Toruk, neither bringing down their quarry.
A stuck zombie continues struggling amongst the webbing but only serves to catch itself further up into the sticky mass of fibers and bits of freed zombie guts.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Seeing Jocasta make it to the base of the stairs, Fil will be a bit relieved. He steps down enough to gain vantage, firing at a zombie to free up his friends.
Toruk backs up 5' and then attacks the zombie to his south.
Filnefillan squats down a step or two and takes aim at one of the zombies, barely nicking it as his companions continue to move in ways blocking his effective line of sight.
Toruk then steps aside, blocking the blows of the zombies but failing to score any strikes himself, backing himself up to a column, the intense cold and numbing blackness momentarily shocking his system as he feels it sapping at his life force. The zombies nearest to him seem oppositely affected, almost enjoying the sensations, if indeed the dead can experience such things.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Musami swings his earthbreaker at the zombie attacking him.
He then yells If you are going, go now. I will cover your backs but I cannot hold out all day
Musami crushes the zombie beside him to the ground, it's spine shattered from the force of his overhanded chop.
Cedryk realizes his staff is doing little to no damage to the zombies and instead draws the sickle from his belt. He swings the at the battered zombie before Toruk, cutting a deep gash across it's belly for . The blow topples the already beaten zombie, spilling it's entrails across the floor and the boots of those around him.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Braggi keeps on stepping back and swinging at the zombies.
Braggi cuts down hard across the chest of a nearby zombie, adding it's vitals to the growing mess across the floor, then steps back freeing the unlocked door holding back the zombies in cell 1.
A wounded zombie charges Cedryk, it's mangled coming down across his left, nearly spraining his elbow and wrist from the jarring impact.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
The zombie closest to Braggi again attempts to reach him through the bars, it's own arm feebly against the tight bars while the other moves through the unlocked door and approaches from the south, successfully the sailor for .
A wounded zombie moves up, at Cedryk, catching the druid in the head, cracking his skull wide open and dropping the lad immediately to the floor. The other zombies seem instantly agitated and interested in the open sourced sweet meats spilling out above the youth's oddly grimaced face, legs twitching, arm outstretched, fingers spasming but no longer grasping the staff laying beside Toruk's leg.
A relatively fresh (combat-wise, the body actually reeks of death and rot) moves against Toruk at the warpriest to get past him and to Cedryk's fallen form, failing to move the priest aside. The pair bump forcibly against the pillar, a cold electric shock passing through them both, chilling Toruk and invigorating the dead warrior.
Elsewhere the last trapped zombie continues to struggle against the webbing, , bursting the bounds with a hoarse cry of BBRRAAIINNSSS.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Toruk withdraws away from the zombies to the stairs while he holds his hands to his head. "Get out of my head! Do you hear me? By the divine power of Fharlanghn I will destroy you foul demon!"
Fil, looks over at his friend, concerned at his behavior, but has their overall safety to be worried about.
He fires the magic missile into the zombies yet again.
"Braggi, if you can get away, do so. Drag Cedryk." He looks to Toruk. "Musami, guide Toruk up the stairs! He's been enchanted by the look of it!"
Filnefillan's shot catches a zombie in the forehead as it dropped to it's knees, focused intently on scooping some of the druid's head matter from his cracked shell, the shot knocking the dead thing back and away from his friend's body.
Braggi glances down at Cedryk, the youth's body still twitching, though less so than before, fleeting synaptic energy fading from his muscles. The sailor fears the life has already left him, his rage warring within himself, try and recover Cedryk, avenge him, or save himself...
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Braggi suddenly drops out of the trance. Everything seems to move differently now, and he realises his fallen comrade and the terrible situation they're in.
He carefully tries to step back, at the same time grabbing Cedryk's shirt neck and pulling him out of danger.
"He's beyond hope for now! Are we trying to regain ground now, or are we coming back later?"
"Back later!"
Hearing Jocasta's answer, Braggi tries to holster his weapon and drag Cedryk as good and in the safer way as he can. Even if he's dead, Braggi doesn't want to leave his corpse to feed the hungry dead.
As Braggi attempts to pull Cedryk from the battlefront one of the zombies lashes out at him, , but fails to connect as it focuses more on the brain matter smearing across the stone floor, blood and pinkish bits of matter spurting and bumping and splattering over the sailor's boots.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Hedgewyk, Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
Musami reaches down and grabs Cedryk undr the arms. He drags him further toward the stairs.
Musami moves past Braggi and tugs Cedryk's body further to the base of the stairs, his hands finding slick grips on the boy's blood drenched shoulders.
The zombies seem to react to this attempt to recover the body, an almost feral look taking over their glassy eyes as they rush forward, one landing hold of the youth's leg, his jaw dripping greenish black slime as he bites into Cedryk's lower calf, ignorant of the leather and cloth covering the flesh.
Jocasta barely registers as Hedgewyk falters and begins to fall apart next to her, the small construct's life essence returning to the natural world, the twigs, leaves and seed pods making up his form crumbling to soil and sawdust beside her.
Wait, don't leave us, PLEEAASSEEE comes a scared female voice from inside the still locked cell containing bodies huddled tightly in the back corner, out of reach of the zombies.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Cell 2, Filnefillan, Toruk and Cell 5
Second Group: Braggi, Musami, and Cell 4
Third Group: Jocasta, Cell 1, and Cell 3
"S#%@! We must go back!"