Slithering down a nearby tree trunk, a tan elvish lass with a blonde mop of short cropped hair rides her rather large constrictor snake, fitted with saddle bags. Her beautiful visage beams with charm and a contagious smile at the strangers.
"Hiya! I be called Sunny in tha speakin' ov the peoples!"
Along with her choice of mount and her speech pattern, Sunny's attire also competes for the "Most Unusual Thing to Find in Ustalav" award. She seems more appropriately dressed for a tropical island than a cold winter's day in the Shudderwood Forest: much of her flesh shows through the webbed netting wrapped around her lithe tanned frame. Various shells, jewelry, stones, and ivory act as both decoration and fasteners to hold her "dress" in place. About her hips a heshian belt is draped, with small incidentals, odd-looking darts, and a pair of cesti attached. An exotic dagger and long sword are tucked across her lower and upper back, respectively.
Finally, a cloaked man flourishes charmingly as he introduces himself.
"Istivan Langa, at your service."
Istivan has the tell-tale slightly pointed ears of a mixed breed human and elf peeking through his auburn hair. The gaze of his grey eyes are steady set in a tanned face wearing a patient expression. He has a good silken tunic that is of better quality than the rest of his clothing, which is servicable and clean. A scimitar hangs from his belt at a low angle, and a short bow is sheathed next to a quiver of arrows across his back.
A lithe half-orcish woman in black leather sheathes her military bow as she walks up beside Fulk with careful eyes and steps. As introductions are made, her wary eyes brighten.
"Drogeda," she introduces herself with a smile, showing her slight half-orcish fangs.
Nodding to Zelda, "It would seem we're all headed for the same destination then."
Glancing at Fulk and then Brias to see if there is agreement in their eyes, "These are dangerous woods, perhaps we would do best to travel together?"
Glancing around at the newcomers as if just noticing them again, another beautiful young woman, this one with long flowing silvery hair, surprisingly coppery skin considering the region, and an unnerving gaze, both ancient and piercing, steps forward beside the casually dressed woman with the longspear. With her stature and build, slight yet still femininely curvy, she should seem almost harmless, yet there’s an almost imperceptible chill that seems to emanate from her.
”And I’m Rhia, Rhia Van der Geist.” she says with a welcoming smile, the slight inclination of her head drawing attention to the odd pendant around her graceful neck, a heavy iron ring strung on a necklace made from polished bones; in the shadows of the forest and overcast sky, a faint blue light limns her frame.
Fulk nods as the various newcomers (from his POV) introduce themselves, and nods again when Drogeda suggests traveling as a group. "Indeed, numbers would make us all safer in these woods."
And so the two groups of companions came together along the Silent Path. This ancient and rarely used hunting trail is one of the most direct and covert routes through Shudderwood Forest. The trail runs several hundred miles through the boreal forest, from the Dippelmere swamp at its northwestern end, crossing the Beustral and Calscroix rivers, reaching its southeastern end at the town of Chastel.
But today, the companions take the path south to their mutual destination: Ascanor Lodge, smack in the middle of the southern range of the forest. The survivalists among you estimate one more full day of travel lies ahead for you tomorrow.
You traverse the path for the rest of the afternoon into nightfall. The occasional sighting and sounds of a scurrying animal catch your attention as you go, as do the marked places along the trail with strange bone fetishes. With little more to do than ride, walk, and observe the wintry pine trees, the companions have hours to converse and snack.
Aliseya's eyes light up like those of an adorable toddler when she sees Brias's fox. Without asking, she reaches out to pet the fox.
"Omigods you are sooooo cute!! What's this sweet cutie pie's name?!"
Sookie smiles at Aliseya's dramatic antics.
"So," she asks aloud to Brias, Fulk, and Drogeda generally. "Colour me curious: why Ascanor Lodge? If you don't mind me asking, of course."
As the newfound companions get to know each other a bit over the next few hours of remaining daylight, the light through the dense tall pines fades into a stunning deep violet-red, giving the wintry forest an eerie ethereal feel.
The decision is made to camp just off the path. A small fire is set, dinner is prepared and eaten.
At this point, only the camp fire sheds light. The crackling of the camp fire and the sound of an occasional small scurrying mammal are all you hear after the pots are washed and sleeping bags are opened for the tired party.
When suddenly...
When suddenly, Aliseya swiftly intakes some air. Her eyes widen and light up with enthusiasm.
"Oh!" she suddenly jumps up and announces, "Would anyone like to pick a card?!"
She draws forth a finely crafted deck of cards, sits back down Vudrani-style, and shuffles them expertly in her hands upon a flat rock of a short table. Glancing aside at the satchel she'd left by her sleeping bag ten feet away, she makes a "come here" gesture with a free hand: three small candles levitate out of her satchel, land in a perfect triangle on the rock table and, with a snap of her fingers, they light up. In sharp contrast with her sudden outburst of childlike enthusiasm, she now takes on a more somber, meditative expression.
The deck of cards she holds is of a very fine quality. Made of wood, each card is skillfully and colorfully painted, and highlighted with gold inlays.
When Zelda pulls a card from Ali's deck of cards, a second card somehow slides out along with it.
Sookie smiles at Aliseya's dramatic antics.
"So," she asks aloud to Brias, Fulk, and Drogeda generally. "Colour me curious: why Ascanor Lodge? If you don't mind me asking, of course."
Fulk shrugs. "As for myself, I served as something of a go-between when I lived in Belkzen, and made a few acquaintances out this way. Once it...became necessary to move on, I thought I might make contact with an acquaintance who had told me to drop by the Lodge if I was ever in the area, see if I might find some work that way."
Fulk doesn't know this card game, but he shrugs and reaches for a card.
Aliseya's eyes widen adorably as she gasps at the sight of two cards drawn for Zelda.
"O, zeilor mei! Two cards... you must really be in need of a message!"
Aliseya contemplates each card, then begins with the top card. It depicts an ominous scene: an hand reaches up from what appears to be either a murky pond or quicksand in a dark forest. Three balls of colored light seem to observe nearby: one green, one blue, and one red. A heraldic symbol of a key is depicted on the bottom-right of the card.
"Ew", she scowls. "It's The Demon's Lantern..."
Putting a smile back on her face, she continues. "Actually, it kinda makes sense for you. Like, in a good way... since you're good with traps. So this card is about a man looking for insight who went to see will'o wisps for their advice. But on the way, he was deceived and fell into misfortune. But the card is just warning you that you will face a situation where deceit, trickery, or traps are involved. Normally, it would represent an intractable situation buuuuttt..."
She now turns her attention to the second card: an wounded, bandaged man sits contemplatively. Several apparitions surround the man. They appear to sympathize with the man or his situation. A treasure chest rests at the man's foot, ostensibly retrieved from a dug pit in the ground nearby. A heraldic symbol of a shield is depicted on the top-center of the card.
"...The Demon Lantern here could represent an opportunity to recognize the way, or a guide who will show you the way... because you also picked: The Survivor!"
Here, Ali beams with excitement.
"The figure here represents someone who has been through a great ordeal of some kind. He is surrounded by his fallen comrades. The man represents something or someone thought lost, but found once more. It can also indicate a rebirth or a renewal of your spirit in the days to come."
She then looks away, off into the distance. A pensive look wipes her smile away.
"I... have a feeling..."
Looking back into Zelda's eyes, her smile comes back. "I'm sure you'll be fine. We'll be fine... just... be careful. And be strong."
Turning to Fulk and his card choice now, Aliseya's eyes widen adorably once more.
"Oooh... The Twin!"
You see a card depicting two well dressed figures facing each other. Both are smiling, but one hides a dagger behind his back and has a more sinister smile than the other. A heraldic symbol of a crown is depicted in the center of the card.
"This represents duality or indecision at its core..."
Aliseya grows pensive again as she ponders what this might mean.
"You will find yourself tested. You'll need to make a decision, but it won't be an easy one. All paths might be difficult or challenging in some way or another. You might find yourself indecisive, as either your group or you yourself might waver between different options. Or, the card could signify a duality of purpose, or a duality of identity: either your own, or of another. Whatever the difficult choice ahead manifests as, you will need to use both your head and your heart to weigh your options, and then decide."
Listening with intrigue as Aliseya interprets the cards, Rhia reaches for a pair of cards, which float to her outstretched hand.
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"The Mute Hag? Ew." Aliseya eloquently remarks at the sight of a card depicting a hideous crone creature, whom Zelda, Aliseya, and Naught are all too familiar with. The hag holds an upright palm facing the viewer. An eyeball, clutched in the hag's mouth, stares back at you, probingly. The artwork on this fine deck is so well done, you feel a shiver run up and down your spine.
"Not her again..." she seems to recall to mind an unfortunate encounter from her own not-too-distant past.
"Well!" she brightens up with a smile, perhaps a bit forcefully to not let Rhia feel terrified about her fate, "So this card represents insight, seeing into the hearts of others. It, uh, kinda can involve blood pacts, poisonous secrets, family infighting, and bad performances," she says these negatives more quickly as if to gloss over them. "Buuuut! Since you drew it upside down, it signifies unshakable loyalty, and clarity in communication!"
Aliseya's eyes drift towards Sookie. Then they smile back at Rhia.
Aliseya reads some more harrow cards for the other companions, her charms overcoming any reservations some may have. Though some are left pondering the possible deeper meanings, implications, and foreboding concerns in what Ali told them, other cards bring about some laughter and lighter fun.
After the intrigue of Aliseya's readings settles down, the companions settle in for the night. Istivan offers to take first watch.
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The companions settle in for the evening as Istivan takes first watch.
Something troubles Rhia as she struggles to fall asleep... something she can't quite place. Nearby Sookie tries to help her, but Rhia's unease is not fully abated, and Sookie is sound asleep soon after. Eventually, Rhia drifts off into slumber as well.
...
"WAKE UP! DANGER!"
Fulk, Rhia, Christoph, and Sunny awaken first to what sounds like the loud, sourceless, booming voice of Istivan warning them of danger. Looking in his direction reveals the faint trace of arcane effervescence from his fingertips, as usually happens after he casts a spell. He does so while struggling with what appear to be a pair of large hands wrapped around his neck, strangling him. The hands... have no body.
Before any of you can stand or react, you then notice your own more immediate troubles.
A shimmering figure materializes from out of thin air before Fulk. A wretched pair of clawed hands from a grotesque rotting human are wrapped around Fulk's neck as it materializes, choking the fiery half-orc.
Kneeling beside Rhia and Sookie, a pair of rotting figures materialize over each of them. The one over Sookie tries to strangle her in her sleep. But the tweed-clad lady grabs the form's dark wrist as its clawlike fingertips seem to scrape against some unseen metallic surface at Sookie's neck. She opens her eyes in alarm and glances over at Rhia.
Another rotting figure likewise is kneeling down to Rhia with an outstretched, clawlike hand. As it attempts to rip flesh from her beautiful face, Rhia feels the protection of her ancestors repel the claw from touching her.
Sunny wakes up with, of course, a bright beaming smile as she swiftly dodges the looming animated rotting corpse reaching down to grab and strangle her.
As Drogeda jumps up, another grotesque humanoid of some unknown kind (too decrepit to easily tell) begins to materialize in front of her. As she stands with bow in hand, its mouth unnaturally opens too wide with an unnerving bone-crackling sound. A dark fume jets forth, engulfing her body. Drogeda convulses in agony and drops to the ground.
Brias as well is beset by yet another animated corpse of particularly decrepit condition. Before he can stand, he is also engulfed in a dark fume, and likewise convulses in great pain.
Christoph adeptly dodges the rancid-fleshed grip of yet another undead assailant with a swift roll out of his sleeping bag, immediately grabbing for his weapons.
Zelda is also assailed in her sleep by another creeping zombie materializing from thin air. The limber blonde kicks up and out of the way of her assailant's loose-fleshed hands.
A horrid old crone with green warted flesh and a black hooded robe hovers inches over the still sleeping Aliseya and Naught. It speaks to Aliseya in an old, darkly whispered tongue. The very sound of it sends shivers up your spines.
"BRZUL, E'NDJZ. AJ NYH'ZULDIKCH."
Aliseya blinks twice, looks around wide-eyed as she stands, faces the hideous hag, and responds... in the same, deeply-unsettling language.
"NYGH! Y'GLASKJH NASH! W'ZHK NAZGSH! HRUV Q'KHOT!"
Naught wakes up now, and facepalms at the sight of the hag. Apparently it is a familiar sight to her... and she speaks in the dark tongue as well.
"NASH GHTZ RJED..."
Naught grabs her axe as she grimly glances around at the situation.
"BRZUL, E'NDJZ. AJ NYH'ZULDIKCH." = "Come, my daughter. It is time."
"NYGH! Y'GLASKJH NASH! W'ZHK NAZGSH! HRUV Q'KHOT!" = "No! I will not! You gross, hideous thing! Leave us alone!"
"NASH GHTZ RJED..." = "Not this again..."
NPC init rolls in alphabetical order: Aliseya, Brias, Christoph, Drogeda, Istivan, Naught, Sookie, Sunny.
NPC perception rolls in same order.
Enemy group initiative.
Zombie attacks Fulk.
Zombie attacks Sookie.
Zombie attacks Rhia.
Zombie attacks Sunny.
Spellgorged Zombie's Ray of Enfeeblement vs Drogeda.
Drogeda's Fort save.
Spellgorged Zombie's Ray of Enfeeblement vs Brias.
Brias's Fort save.
Zombie attacks Christoph.
Zombie attacks Zelda.
Hag casts charm on Aliseya, Ali's Will save.
Ali's special Will save vs DC 15.
Istivan's been taking damage for 3 rounds, kept silent by being strangled.
As the hands around Istivan's neck continue to choke him to death, his eyes begin to close... suddenly, he swiftly twirls in an impressive, acrobatic dance and the two large hands fling off of him in two different directions. Taking a second to cough and catch his breath, he kicks up from prone to a standing defensive stance, and scans the party to see who needs the most help. He can reach nearby Zelda this turn, and moves in to flank her zombie with her.
The ever cheerful Sunny is quick to slash at her zombie, gashing it across its upper chest. Chauncy slithers in, enveloping the zombie's head in it mouth and lifts it up. Shaking it violently, its headless body is catapulted into the bushes as its deplorable head is spit out to the ground. Though the bodyless head continues to helplessly and mindlessly moan its bitter complaint, Sunny leaps with a bright smile onto her serpent mount's back and look around to see who needs the most help.
Istivan casts liberating command, kicks-up and moves to flank a zombie with Zelda:
Sunny attacks, then leaps to ride Chauncy; Chauncy attacks the same zombie.
Just when Istivan thought he'd evaded them, the two large disembodied hands rain down on him, their speed belying their apparent means of locomotion. But the agile half-elf swiftly dodges them both.
As Sunny mounts her serpentine companion, a levitating shadowy figure materializes from behind her. Donning an eerie metallic mask and black velvet robes, the shadowy figure places a hand upon her shoulder and another hand upon Chauncy's side before either can react.
"BUUBHOSH BRZ'ASH G'MBUUK," it eerily whispers.
And Sunny, her large snake Chauncy, and the dark masked figure all fade and disappear.
The zombie on Fulk grumbles as it slams the half-orc again before he can react, slashing his cheek and drawing blood.
Drogeda, kneeling weakly after the foul cloud of death assaulted her, is beset again by a sickly blackish-green fume jet forth from the very old zombie upon her. Her body enveloped by the dark fume, she convulses to the ground, motionless. A foul, blackish green fog then begins to rise from her body...
Brias, also looking weak and barely able to stand, is also beset by a foul blackish-green fume from the very old zombie before him. Grimacing and using his inner reserves of strength, he manages to resist the sickness that overcame Drogeda.
But when the sickly fumes from nearby Drogeda's body reach his nostrils, he vomits some of his dinner and becomes sickened.
The zombies kneeling over prone Sookie and Rhia both attack each again. Again, the decrepit figure over Sookie is blocked by an unseen metallic barrier, judging by the noise. And again, the ethereal presence of Rhia's ancestors blocks the creature from clawing her face, too.
Christoph dodges another slam from the zombie on him with a somersault. When he stands, he grimly scans the scene and readies his bow in hand, reaching for arrows.
Zelda easily dodges the zombie's slashing claws and swing wide over her head as she draws her weapons.
The old crone looks disappointed at Aliseya's apparent defiance. Lifting her hands and rising five feet higher into the air, the creature mutters more dark syllables, she suddenly reaches one of her greenish clawed hands forth, close-fisted. Slowly, she opens her palm whilst chanting some dark verse in the disheartening tongue.
"NXI Y'ZMAR! FND LTAM!"
Tensing her whole body, Aliseya tries with all her will to resist the dark power of the levitating crone creature. Growling with force and anger, her eyes both begin to glow a deep, blood red...
When this happens, every single zombie pauses and turns its head to glance in the direction of Aliseya and the levitating crone.
"Y'B'TOK!" Ali screams back, flexing every muscle in her body, and her one eye returns to its normal hazel hue.
The zombies turn back to what they were doing.
Giant crawling hands both attack Istivan:
Cultist casts a spell on Sunny and her companion. It first must succeed on touch attacks to both, then they must each make will saves.
Zombie attacks Fulk.
Zombie attacks Sookie.
Zombie attacks Rhia.
Spellgorged Zombie's Ghoul Touch vs Drogeda.
Drogeda's Fort save.
Spellgorged Zombie's Ghoul Touch vs Brias.
Brias's Fort save vs ghoul touch and vs the stench.
Zombie attacks Christoph.
Zombie attacks Zelda.
Hag casts a spell on Ali.
Fulk unleashes the dracionic power that flows in his veins, his teeth and claws lengthening as they charge with power. He roars in pain from the zombie's attack, and strikes back!
Eyes aglow with supernatural energy, Rhia lets out a scream as she tears a brief opening in the veil, her ghostly ancestors storming through like an avenging army, lasting wast to enemies around her.
Clutching her walking staff tightly, Aliseya takes a moment to close her eyes and speak an incantation in the dark speech:
"KGLK H'NFHR RL'ETOSH."
Aliseya's friends, new and old, feel a little inspired and more motivated now.
A prayer to Desna, "Guide our hearts with the stars."
With one swift motion, Christoph takes a step back, calls for the Lady of Graves to enact her swift justice, and fires three arrows in rapid succession.
The first pierces the skull of the zombie on him. It falls to the ground.
The second and third pierce the skulls of the two spellcasting zombies on Drogeda and Brias, one each...
And as he shoots, he quickly states his knowledge aloud, "Slashing zombies is better; spellgorged zombies could have more spells from their master; crawling hands will explode pus and hurt you when destroyed; green hag, dangerous claws that weaken, spell resistant... and this one's a powerful caster."
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Zelda shish kebab's her zombie's head with her rapier, then slices its head off with her offhand sword. The head stops moving, and the body drops to the ground.
Fulk smashes and rips his zombie to shreds, leaving a pile of broken bones and desiccated pulp on the ground.
The two zombies trying to choke or bite Rhia and Sookie's necks are suddenly battered and blasted apart by Rhia's ethereal ancestral warriors. The specters from her past make both zombies' reanimation a thing of the past as well.
Christoph's zombie's brains are splattered by the impact of his first arrow, causing it to fall to the ground motionless.
His next two arrows indeed pierce the skulls of the two spellcasting zombies. Unfortunately, they both remain standing.
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"Thanks love," Sookie says to Rhia on seeing her ancestors finish off the two zombies on them.
Rolling out of her bedroll and standing up, she assesses the situation. She spots the two zombies and the floating hag remaining. Considering how well Ali seems to be doing, she opts to take out the nearby zombies first with one new friend down and another not looking so hot.
With spear in one hand, she holds up her jade crescent moon symbol. Closing her eyes for a moment, she focuses on a prayer in a language unknown to the others.
"Shindara ikiru koto ni shūchaku shinai."
Hearing Christoph's insights, Istivan frowns at the two large disembodied hands that have taken a liking to him.
He nonetheless slices twice at the hands, slicing one of them. As the Speaker had predicted, a burst of puss jets from the hand's wound, though Istivan easily dodges it.
"I usually appreciate when I'm lent a hand, but this is ridiculous."
"Leave. Her. Alone!"
Naught's had just about enough of Ali's evil mother. Always showing up, hurting her friends, and trying to turn her daughter into a hideous creature just like her.
With uncharacteristic rage, Naught leaps straight up into the air... disappearing and reappearing instantly 15 feet from the ground. She takes a swipe at the green hag with her large axe.
With Sookie's prayer, the two "spellgorged" zombies as Christoph called them begin to shudder. What's left of their extremities disintegrates into a black mist as the radiant light from her crescent moon symbol assaults them.
However, they both remain standing.
Istivan indeed wounds one of the disembodied hands attacking him, though it remains animated.
Though Naught's leaping attack is impressive, the hag creature manages to dodge out of her axe's way, just barely.
...
The grim robed hag's expression grows ever more dour with Naught's defiance.
"T'NLSQI DLHC!" the hag berates Naught.
"H'GZE!"
The robed hag suddenly descends towards Aliseya. With clawed hands outstretched, it swiftly grabs her in its clutches, drawing blood as its claws sink into her upper arms' flesh maybe half an inch deep. Canting some dark syllables under its breath as Aliseya cries out in pain, Naught from midair drops swiftly back down onto the hag's back, digging into the hag with her own sharp claws in turn!
But the robed hag remains intently focused. And the hag, Aliseya, and Naught all wink out of sight.
"Enough!"
...
A moment later, as Drogeda lies motionless on the ground and Brias is on his knees beside her, the healer begins to attempt to save his new friend's life. Alas, the two spellgorged zombies close in to flank them and, with one last twitch of their bony jowls, they both erupt in two great explosions! Balls of fire envelop both the two half-orcs and the two zombies.
Several seconds later, the flames die down. Four charred bodies now lie on the ground, embers continuing to burn what remains of them.
...
Istivan's slight smile at his own joke turns to a slight frown as the hag disappears with Naught and Aliseya, and to a deeper frown as he shields his eyes from the fierce explosions.
Looking to nearby Zelda, he's about to say something to her when, suddenly, a curved blade erupts from his chest! A dark figure, clad in black velvet robes and donning a metallic face mask, materializes behind the bard, uttering dark syllables that send a chill up your spines.
"BUUBHOSH BRZ'ASH G'MBUUK."
Istivan's face reveals shock as he looks down to see the blade. The dark figure withdraws its curved sword, and Istivan drops to his knees... then falls forward to the ground.
And the dark figure, satisfied with the dark deeds of this night, vanishes before your eyes.
...
The two disembodied hands remain. One moves to attack Fulk, the other Zelda...
A crawling disembodied hand leaps at Fulk from a low tree branch. It claws at his thigh, drawing blood, and landing on the ground nearby.
The other crawling hand leaps at Zelda from the ground. It claws at her thigh, but misses, landing on the ground nearby.
"You want to arm wrestle? I've got more arm than you." Fulk says, before grabbing the hand that attacked him in both of his and trying to rip it apart.
If it's still moving, he bites it.
Rhia's mind rapidly tries to process everything happening around her, the sudden disappearance of her companions, dark words uttered and eldritch flashes amid the chaos.
Rising to her feet, the Ghost5 Whisperer calls her ancestral weapon to hand, the wellcrafted spear materializing in her grasp, etched with mystic symbols that softly pulse with magic.