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Ingrit shakes her head silently to herself at the interactions. Eianar certainly had a way of putting people off. It wasn't deliberate but even she, who preferred the solitude of the wilderness and nature over people most of the time, had to admit the man was....odd to say the least. It might also be that he had a tendency to speak to everyone who wasn't a druid as if they were a child.
"They died out here in the wilds, let nature have what is hers. If the predators have an easy meal tonight, less we have to worry about when we make camp. Warriors traveling this distance, there's little chance of finding their kin. Dead men need no possessions and were they to rise, I'd rather it be unarmed." she says nocking an arrow to her bow to cover the others as they investigate.
From where she stood she had a good overview of the chaos that must have descended on the caravan.
The bodies mostly lie pierced by tiny needles and shards of ice. They have all been stripped of armor and weapons and carry little of value.
The ice statue turns out to be a dead man encased in a block of ice. For some reason, whether to prevent resurrection or from sheer malice, he has been posthumously savaged, and chunks of him lie at his feet in slowly melting blocks of ice. He's still wearing a breastplate, emblazoned with Taldan heraldry. His severed arm clutches a longsword.
Eianar just nods at Domitian's response, his eyes seeing if the man's actions will match his words and confidence, he tugs at his white beard as his mind processes what has passed.
At Damiano's reposte, the man of the cold north just shrugs, shaking his head from side to side and mutters to himself. "City folks'll need nursing through as we go, tha's as sure as ice melts in tha sun....
And hows that Dryden says he saws a giant white weasel, taint no natural way the thing should be this far south. I hopes he was on the ale, for tis serious such a creature be ere. Taint natural at all!"
He nods as Ingrits speaks, a smile coming to his face, a single word is said "Aye."
Eianar's hot breath seems to freeze and icicles form in his white beard, as the party stay and take the scene of the massacre in. Seeing the warrior encased in the ice, he tugs at his white and ice beard, "Tis more strange and unsettling. 'Spose you city folks don't know what that is painted on 'is breastplate? It sure seems outta place amongst the rest." For the first time Eianar has a face full of worry, wondering what it will all mean and why the winter is here in his forest. Wondering why the man in the ice has be so desecrated by the mutilations, is this just a warning or something worse.
"The armor bears a sigil of Taldane origin, that much I know. As for why they tore him up, that would be anyone's guess. Perhaps he put up the most fight, or struck down some of the attackers, and this was their revenge. It could be any reason at all."
"Damiano, can you detect magic? I can read magical spells, but I did not prepare a detection cantrip today."
Erland continues to investigate the scene, checking the overturned carriage and then the mostly intact one.
"The frozen man likely sports the heraldry of Lady Argentea Malassene," Dom surmises, but he takes a closer look all the same. . Just in case, he also sees if he can recognize the man wearing the armor. . If he thinks the man is of particularly high station, he may want to bury the body.
Finally he checks the longsword to see if it was still usable and to determine what it was made of, fixated on his quest to find more cold iron to fight off these fairy tale creatures.
The man's armor bears the crest of the city of Zimor. He was probably of the city guard rather than a noble. His longsword is masterwork but not cold iron.
The wrecked carriage contains the bodies of Lady Argentea's handmaiden (judging from their age and clothing). Various expensive clothes lie strewn about.
The decorative chasings on the intact and expensive carriage bear the marks of Taldan heraldry, as well as damage from the many arrows fired in the battle that took place here. A spear has been wedged between the handles of the carriage doors to hold them closed.
"Something locked these doors deliberately. It wouldn't be the bandits or their fey allies. Any spoil or captured people would go with them. Be careful, Domitian, I imagine something is trapped inside there, something neither the bandits or fey wanted to deal with."
Erland raises his crossbow and aims towards the spear-barred carriage door, covering Domitian (or whomever would like to open the thing).
"My mistake - the armor of this frozen man bears not the crest of the missing Lady, but rather that of the city of Zimor. He was probably a city guard, perhaps one that fought well and became a target of such foul magics. His sword is of high quality and would be very useful for one who can wield it properly." Glancing at the available people, he quickly dismisses giving the sword to Erland or his friend Damiano. "Ingrit - perhaps you can make use of this as a good backup weapon when the enemy closes in on you." Dom offers the masterwork longsword to Ingrit.
Domitian then heads over to the intact carriage. "Perhaps, Erland, though these creatures might have simply amused themselves by locking a poor victim within. But if you are right, we may be best served by keeping it locked, or even setting it ablaze." Dom listens at the doors and, unless anything gives him pause, knocks loudly on them. "Hello? Who goes there?"
There is no response to Domitian's knock and he hears nothing.
One of Eianar's eyebrows raises at Domitian's in depth knowledge of city things, obviously not such a liability if he has intelligence, likely useful in what will befall. "More city folk" are all the words he speaks, otherwise keeping silent council.
As for the carriage and the locked door, there is little he can help with here, so just goes back to being ready to react, leaving the City Gents to take charge of the activities, until it is time to move on.
"I don't think its a good idea to simply torch it. And if they locked a prisoner in there to freeze, we'd be villains to simply walk away. Is there any movement from within? Any sounds at all?"
Ingrit silently trains her bow on the door, ready to release an arrow should whatever lay inside pose a threat.
Dom shakes his head. "Don't hear a darn thing. Well, I guess we have no choice. Be ready. Borrowed longsword in hand, he pulls aside the spear and throws open the doors.
As the door opens you find two more dead guards. They seem to have suffered the same fate as the rest of the caravan, but despite their blue, necrotic hue and being stripped of armor and weapons they lumber towards you with a malevolent glare.
-Posted with Wayfinder
The zombies go on 11 so if you beat that you can go ahead and take your action. I don't think we'll need a map for this.
Initiative
Eianar sends a bullet towards the nearest guard from his sling that twirls around in the cold air. A small bullet travels unerringly towards the creatures head, slamming into its eye, that explodes on impact. "Only three more to go, for the dark to descend." the bundle of furs says appreciatively.
"Undead!" cries Dom at the sight of them. He watches the sling bullet crash in and gives a moment for Ingrit to let loose her arrow before he drops his longsword, draws his falcata, and engages the zombies.
; .
On the zombies turn, should a zombie attack Dom, he will attempt to parry and riposte.
;
Though she was ready for an attack, the last thing she truly expected was to see the walking dead when the door was opened, her shock sending the shot way off.
Knowledge Religion
Zombies , I think
Damiano cast Disrupt Undead on a zombie (if possible one already hurt)
As the zombies emerge, Domitian slashes one of them with his falcata. Eianar takes out one of its eyes with a well-placed bullet, but that does not seem to bother it at all. Damiano's spell hurts it only a little more. The zombies both hurl themselves at Dom. He tries to parry but their assault is too powerful and he succumbs to two vile blows, taking 20 points of damage.
You are all up again.
Seeing the city boy fall, Eianar gulps in the cold air, "I'd best try and hold 'em off, poor sod, 'e was almost as good as 'is word." He drops his sling and moves a long gnarly straight wooden branch to his hands, taking up a defensive stance to protect the other city dweller and himself.
"No! Foul creatures, be no more!"
Erland moves closer and touches the zombie which has been hurt more, hexing it with positive energy.
touch attack, for CLW, Will DC 14 for half
Seeing Erland move forward into range of the flesh rotting guards, Eianar too moves to fight the living dead.
Swiftly overcome by heavy blows from the undead, Domitian collapses. . He continues to bleed, though there's still life enough in him, for a little while yet.
DOM! NO!
Damiano nearly panic and then take a deep breath trying to think of what to do . he then extends his arms towards the group and cast
Amid the chaos of Domitian being driven into the ground and the others rushing to his aid, Ingrit's next shot is barely any better than her last. Cursing to herself she aims another, calming her breathing.
Erland's healing magic saps the dark energy of the zombie. It teeters but fights on. As Eianar braces himself to recieve their assault, a magic word from Damiano sends both zombies sprawling, with Ingrit's arrow whizzing by harmlessly.
The zombies spend the round getting up so you are all up again. Erland and Eianar can also take attacks of opportunity. One zombie is badly hurt while the other is wholly unhurt.
Also Domitian needs to make a Fort 10 save or get an interesting scar.
Dagger AoO: to hit.prone zombie for slashing damage.
As the zombies rise, Ingrit fires again, seeking to contribute to the battle.
Damiano rush in to drag Domitian out of the way hoping the zombies will not have the opportunity to strike him being prone
Erland lashes out, seeking to pull the zombie out of position so a stronger fighter could attack.
aid another for attack bonus
"Take down the injured one! I'll get Domitian stable as soon as I can!"
Eianar thrashes down with his staff as the rotting flesh of the guard rises from the ground. Stay down you abomination of the living! You will not take the city folk to your grave! he grumbles.
He immediately takes a defensive stance against the undead, hoping to stop them from moving to the others.
Eianar bashes the rising zombie with his staff and actually manages to knock it out.
Damiano drags Domitian out of reach of the remaining walking dead, as Eianar blocks its pursuit. Ingrit has trouble finding an opening with so many people moving about.
Erland still has an action before the zombie goes again.
Erland slashes at the zombie with his dagger before stepping away from the creature.
to hit; slashing damage.
"By the gods, why won't this thing go down?"
With Domitian out of the way, the monster vents its undying fury on Eianar, but he manages to parry its clumsy blow.
You are all up again.
Eianar hold his staff close, looking straight into the eyes of the unnatural and undead guard, "Yous want my blood, yous gonna have to fight for it." He steps into the zombies path blocking it from getting to his new found friends. He pokes the end of his staff provocatively at his enemy.
Damiano concentrates and his dagger flows from his hand to strike at the zombie and then the dagger comes back to his hand
Ingrit takes another shot, quickly learning that the chaos of battle was very different from hunting.
Both Damiano and Ingrit are having trouble hitting the undead menace without hurting Eianar. Erland left to go, then the zombie.
Erland steps back and uses his healing hex on the fallen warrior.
HP healed