Aliseya again twists the doll as she chants in dark speech. The troll shudders with pain and steps to the edge of the battlement and begins cartwheeling its arms as it hangs in precarious balance.
Caracotl calls upon the divine power of Desna to again heal the group.
Govannon unleashes his full power on the troll and smites the creature with lethal combinations of steel and magic - killing the brute and sending it plummeting to the hard ground below.
Below you hear the slam of a heavy door and the shout of a deep bass voice.
You hear the sound of baying hound racing towards you up the northeast stairs.
; 1=G, 2=T
Round: 8, Initiative: 12
Weapon Equipped = Scimitar
Conditions = Shield (8/60r), Fly (7/10r), Arcane (+1/flame, 6/10r)
scimitar: Attack: BAB +4, Str +4, Magic +1, Weapon Focus +1, Power Attack -2 Damage: Str +4, Magic +1, Power Attack +4
longbow (19 cold iron): Attack: BAB +4, Dex +1 Damage: Str +4
Arcane Pool (su/swift): (4/6)
Fly Hex (su/std): (5/6m)
You may channel negative energy that deals an amount of damage equal to 1d6 × your character level (5) to a creature touched. This effect heals undead creatures as spells like inflict light wounds. 1/1
Healing Hex (2d8+6): No-one
Spells (Caster Level 6, Concentration +9 (+4 defensively))
At Will (self only): Feather Fall; Once a Day: Levitate
Zero (13): Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost
First (14):
Second (15):
Govannon thanks Zelda for the flank, ”Good to see you up again!” he calls joyfully.
He flies over to the Northeast stairs, lands, and prepares himself for what’s next - sure it’s to be hostile. He readies an attack on anything coming up the stairs that seems hostile.
(arcane, spell)
(arcane, fire)
Caracotl, channels again, careful to remove the enemy from his area of effect. I think this is his last channel.
Wicked Ali peers down over the parapet to take in who or what is below. She then steps up the parapet, and stands rather precariously atop it.
Inches away from falling over the edge of the keep, she takes a moment to glance back at her friends. A wicked smile is on her lips, and her friends get a very bad feeling about her next move...
Quite nonchalantly, the witchy young woman steps off the edge, and falls out of sight!
Did she just jump to her death?!
...
Out of sight of her friends, wicked Ali is actually, somehow, gently descending to the ground below! Her wicked smile broadens as she nears the collection of dead troll bodies.
Nearing the ground, the witchy woman begins to invoke dark incantations. Her hand begins to emanate the dark violet hue of necromantic power. She touches as many of the three dead troll bodies as are within reach of her...
...and with a few bodily twitches, their eyes suddenly fling open. White, soulless pupils stare at their new master after they rise to their dead feet. Ali points at her enemies, the once-allies of her new pets, and the undead trolls charge them...
Aliseya steps off the edge of the battlement and falls to the ground - yet somehow manages to land on her feet relatively unscathed When she whispers her dark incantation two of the dead trolls rise. Aliseya notes that there is a fourth troll in the courtyard staring up the north east stairs with a leather leash in its hand.
On top of the battlement, a large troll hound emerges from the stairwell and manages to strike at Govannon first - its rancid jaws sink into the magus's flesh .
Back in the courtyard, the troll turns to regard Aliseya with a mix of loathing and fear. He bows his head and whispers.
The goblin cowers at the troll's feet and screeches at the troll.
Govannon swings at the Trollhound, but misses.
Caracotl heals the group.
; 1=G, 2=T
Weapon Equipped = Scimitar
Conditions = Shield (8/60r), Fly (7/10r), Arcane (+1/flame, 6/10r)
scimitar: Attack: BAB +4, Str +4, Magic +1, Weapon Focus +1, Power Attack -2 Damage: Str +4, Magic +1, Power Attack +4
longbow (19 cold iron): Attack: BAB +4, Dex +1 Damage: Str +4
Arcane Pool (su/swift): (4/6)
Fly Hex (su/std): (5/6m)
You may channel negative energy that deals an amount of damage equal to 1d6 × your character level (5) to a creature touched. This effect heals undead creatures as spells like inflict light wounds. 1/1
Healing Hex (2d8+6): No-one
Spells (Caster Level 6, Concentration +9 (+4 defensively))
At Will (self only): Feather Fall; Once a Day: Levitate
Zero (13): Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost
First (14):
Second (15):
vs DC 14
Aliseya looks wickedly pleased to have the troll's offer of service. But when the goblin speaks, she casts an annoyed glare at it.
Looking back at the troll, she now speaks as if with three distinct voices at once. Though using the primitive, harsh language which Stern Aliseya usually uses in lieu of the nightmarish speech, the effect might be even more chilling.
"Þú verð að byrj á komd með mig, sem heit Caromarc. Ef hann er sann leg dauð, þá takt mig í lík mann."
Looking back up at the sounds of battle, she adds, "Og hring af hund num þínm. Samst fsmenn mínr eru gagn leg fyrr mig lif and en dauð."
"And call off your hound. Our companions are more useful to us alive than dead."
The troll shrugs and kicks the goblin aside.
He looks up at the sounds of fighting and smiles.
On top of the battlement, Zelda slashes the troll hound deeply but the beast fights on.
The troll hound turns and snaps at Zelda but the nimble rogue is able to easily dodge the lunging jaws.
; 1=G, 2=T
Round: 9, Initiative: 2
Weapon Equipped = Scimitar
Conditions = Shield (9/60r), Fly (8/10r), Arcane (+1/flame, 7/10r)
scimitar: Attack: BAB +4, Str +4, Magic +1, Weapon Focus +1, Power Attack -2 Damage: Str +4, Magic +1, Power Attack +4
longbow (19 cold iron): Attack: BAB +4, Dex +1 Damage: Str +4
Arcane Pool (su/swift): (4/6)
Fly Hex (su/std): (5/6m)
You may channel negative energy that deals an amount of damage equal to 1d6 × your character level (5) to a creature touched. This effect heals undead creatures as spells like inflict light wounds. 1/1
Healing Hex (2d8+6): No-one
Spells (Caster Level 6, Concentration +9 (+4 defensively))
At Will (self only): Feather Fall; Once a Day: Levitate
Zero (13): Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost
First (14):
Second (15):
Govannon lashes out at the hound, doing what he can to save himself, and Zelda.
(arcane, spell, flank)
(arcane, fire)
vs DC 15
(arcane, spell, flank)
(arcane, fire, Ray of Frost)
His attacks however are feeble and weak.
Caracotl, double moves down the stairs, thinking to help Aliseya as he doesn’t know what’s going on down there.
Wicked Ali smirks as the living troll kicks his goblin friend. Her expression seems pleased as she gazes calmly at the goblin and tells the troll something in the gruff language.
The thought of increasing her undead gathering pleases wicked Ali, though her wicked smile momentarily wrinkles with worry. As she responds to the living troll in the gruff language once more, her blood red eyes flicker and gaze up in the direction of her friends, as they fight for their lives.
A tear rolls down her cheek...
As she responds to the living troll in the gruff language once more, ... "Tell us what you know of this guardian. And of the cultists."
The two dead trolls step up to protectively flank wicked Ali. They unsoulfully glare at their friend in life, and then at the goblin dissenter.
Govannon slays the troll hound with a single fluid swing of his scimitar.
Down in the gate house, the troll steps on the goblin without a second thought and kills it instantly.
He points to the back door of the gate house.
He steps away and allows you to pass through the gate house to the double doors beyond.
Govannon cleans his weapon and flies down to Aliseya to make sure she's OK. When he sees the conversation, he grows uneasy.
"Before we go through those gates, we need to heal. Who has the wand?"
Govannon takes a few charges to heal up.
"Aliseya, what's going on here exactly? I don't speak your new language, it's hard to keep up!" he grins, feeling a little better now that he's healed, though he used far too many spells on that fight.
The remaining live troll runs out of the gatehouse and into the hills at the first opportunity.
The double door at the far end of the gate house reveals a slender stone bridge that arches gracefully over a roaring waterfall - linking the gatehouse to a fortified manor house clinging to the cliff on the far side. The bridge is 10 feet wide and has no guardrail.
A large hound of flesh stands on the center of the bridge watching you with glowing red eyes.
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Wicked Ali wickedly contemplates the troll's words to her. But as she contemplates, her gaze loses focus. She begins to stare off, blankly, as her hazel eye returns to its normal greenish hue.
The living troll flees when it sees Aliseya falter. And Ali, in her haze between personalities, does nothing to stop it.
As her friends come down and worry about her, her gaze begins to focus once more. With a sudden inhale, her body jerks back into movement. Her eyes blink a few times, and gypsy Ali apparently comes back to herself...
...for as she's contemplating what Govannon's just asked her, her mouth merely opens without a sound. Her brows furrow, and she slowly turns her head to see one of the troll zombies. Its blank gaze meets hers expectantly.
Silently, her head slowly turns to look to her other side. Govannon and Zelda easily make out a look of horror upon her face now. Her gaze then meets the other troll zombie, who likewise stares blankly back at her, waiting for orders.
"Ohmygods..." she whispers faintly to herself. Her eyes roll up, and she faints to the ground.
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After a few minutes, Aliseya begins to stir. As she opens her eyes, she spots her friends and smiles...
"Ew!"
And then she spots the zombie trolls' faces, hovering higher up over her.
"Oh... no. It really was real." she sighs. At first she doesn't seem to want to get up. As if staying in place and closing her eyes once more will magically make the trolls and the other horrors since this inner witch-hag-whatever has begun to take hold of her go away.
With a frown, she resists this fanciful temptation. Facing reality, she gets back up on her feet.
At last, she answers Gov's questions.
"It's hard for me to keep up, too. Believe me."
Sternly now, she continues. "It's the Whispering Way. They've taken Schloss Caromarc." She points to the keep beyond the bridge with the red-eyed hound. "That dog, or whatever, is one of Caromarc's creations. Just like Mr. Golem."
When her friends' gazes shift to the trolls, she sighs. "Maybe they will stay here if we leave them?" she whispers. Rubbing her head warily, "Yeah. Them. My, um, alter ego seems to have a power over... like... dead bodies? Ew!" She shudders, trying not to look at her two new bodyguards.
"Maybe if we ignore them they'll leave us alone?" she whispers again. Ali takes several steps forward, desperate hope in her eyes...
The two zombies take a few steps, following Aliseya.
Her hope dashed, Ali sighs.
Govannon watches, a step too far, as Aliseya slips to the floor in a dead feint. He tries to revive her with a little brandy from his hip flask.
He watches as she very nearly feints again. "I think you're stuck with 'em. Why don't you send them against that hound up there. Maybe buy us a little in the fight." he suggests quietly.
When she and the others are ready, Govannon will charge into battle, assuming the dog cannot be reasoned with.
Ali shrugs to Gov. "I... I guess I could."
Too exhausted to come up with a more clever phrase, "May as well make zombie-ade out of zombies, I guess. That sounds totally gross."
She hesitates. "Um, maybe the dog is friendly though? Mr. Golem is, after all. And they had the same creator, so..."
The flesh golem hound charges before you can react. The beast lunges at Govannon and sinks it's monstrous jaws into his leg .
Round: 1, Initiative: 12
Weapon Equipped = Scimitar
Conditions = Arcane (+2 scimitar 1/10r)
scimitar: Attack: BAB +4, Str +4, Magic +1, Weapon Focus +1, Power Attack -2 Damage: Str +4, Magic +1, Power Attack +4
longbow (19 cold iron): Attack: BAB +4, Dex +1 Damage: Str +4
wand of cure light wounds (27/50)
Arcane Pool (su/swift): (3/6)
Fly Hex (su/std): (5/6m)
You may channel negative energy that deals an amount of damage equal to 1d6 × your character level (5) to a creature touched. This effect heals undead creatures as spells like inflict light wounds. 1/1
Healing Hex (2d8+6): No-one
Spells (Caster Level 6, Concentration +9 (+4 defensively))
At Will (self only): Feather Fall; Once a Day: Levitate
Zero (13): Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost
First (14):
Second (15):
Govannon nearly buckles at the onslaught, and struggles to remain standing after the assault. He counters by using his arcane pool to enhance his scimitar (swift) and fights back after a 5’ step to better ground!
(arcane, spell)
(arcane)
vs DC 15
(arcane, spell)
(arcane, Ray of Frost)
Caracotl gets an AoO as the creature closes (longspear reach). He then steps back 5’ and attacks again, doing what he can to whittle the creature down.
"Yeah... so much for that theory."
As the hound moves in for Gov, Ali regrets not moving the trolls up first. She looks up at them, trying to figure out how to make them do something. Unsure of how to get them to do things, she waves her hands and moves her body, rather comically, trying to motion to them what to do, in case they can't understand her.
"Um. Go? Um, move? Walk? Yeah and, um, get rid of that, um, dog-hound-thingy? Like, so we can pass?"
Whipping out her healing wand in preparation, Ali winces as first blood is drawn. But she reaches to touch Govannon on the shoulder. She mutters a prayer to Desna about strength and courage. A green effervescence enlivens him, and his body feels significantly... mightier. His muscles expand, making his clothing seem smaller, while his blade feels lighter in his hand.
One of the trolls steps up. Instead of attacking the hound, it tries to grab it with its long arms...
If successful, it moves up to the middle of the bridge and throws the hound into the deep currents below. It's soulless eyes then turn to look back at Ali, expectantly.
Govannon and Caracotl both counter attack against the hound but are unable to penetrate it's thick skin hide.
The troll zombie shuffles in to grapple, but as he does so the hound rips into its dead flesh . The troll successfully grapples the flesh golem .
Zelda hits the hound once but finds that her steel blade barely is able to cut through the golem's flesh.
The grappled flesh golem continues to chew on the zombie troll . You notice that the flesh golem seems to go berserk with a frenzied rage.
; AoO
Round: 2, Initiative: 12
Weapon Equipped = Scimitar
Conditions = Arcane (+2 scimitar 2/10r)
scimitar: Attack: BAB +4, Str +4, Magic +1, Weapon Focus +1, Power Attack -2 Damage: Str +4, Magic +1, Power Attack +4
longbow (19 cold iron): Attack: BAB +4, Dex +1 Damage: Str +4
wand of cure light wounds (27/50)
Arcane Pool (su/swift): (3/6)
Fly Hex (su/std): (5/6m)
You may channel negative energy that deals an amount of damage equal to 1d6 × your character level (5) to a creature touched. This effect heals undead creatures as spells like inflict light wounds. 1/1
Healing Hex (2d8+6): No-one
Spells (Caster Level 6, Concentration +9 (+4 defensively))
At Will (self only): Feather Fall; Once a Day: Levitate
Zero (13): Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost
First (14):
Second (15):
Govannon takes the final 5’ step putting him in flank with Zelda and Caracotl. He lashes out, doing what he can against the superior foe. He only hopes the troll will be successful or the combat could turn very ugly indeed.
(arcane, spell, flank)
(arcane)
(arcane, spell, flank)
(arcane)
vs DC 15
(arcane, spell, flank)
(arcane, Ray of Frost)
Caracotl digs in with his longspear, doing what he can to try and keep the creature off balance.
(flank, cover)
What are your plans with him?
- - -
Chunks of dead flesh are ripped away from the zombie troll as it raises the hound up overhead, and then tosses the beast into the rushing waters below...
The other troll waits, as there is naught for it to do at present.
Aliseya then moves in to touch Govannon's wound with her healing wand. Green effervescence seals up the gash left by hound's long teeth.
Govannon hits the golem with both his blade and magic, but he finds that his blade his less then fully effective cutting through the thick hide.
Aliseya attempts to throw the hound over the bridge but the beast hunkers down and is able to resist.
Aliseya cures Govannon.
Zelda flanks the flesh golem and hits it with two strikes, but she finds that her steel barely scratches the hound.
The flesh golem rips into the troll and tears away chunks of dead flesh
Round: 3, Initiative: 12
Weapon Equipped = Scimitar
Conditions = Arcane (+2 scimitar 2/10r)
scimitar: Attack: BAB +4, Str +4, Magic +1, Weapon Focus +1, Power Attack -2 Damage: Str +4, Magic +1, Power Attack +4
longbow (19 cold iron): Attack: BAB +4, Dex +1 Damage: Str +4
wand of cure light wounds (27/50)
Arcane Pool (su/swift): (3/6)
Fly Hex (su/std): (5/6m)
You may channel negative energy that deals an amount of damage equal to 1d6 × your character level (5) to a creature touched. This effect heals undead creatures as spells like inflict light wounds. 1/1
Healing Hex (2d8+6): No-one
Spells (Caster Level 6, Concentration +9 (+4 defensively))
At Will (self only): Feather Fall; Once a Day: Levitate
Zero (13): Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost
First (14):
Second (15):
Govanon continues to fight, though he’s wary of the beast and what it can do. Flinging it into the chasm might not kill it, but it would be a good start. ”Keep it up Aliseya, maybe just have the troll jump with him in his arms next time!”
(arcane, spell, flank)
(arcane)
vs DC 15
Alas, Govannon flubs it, and fails to cast his spell defensively and his second swing never materializes.
- - -
The hound tears too far this time, and the one zombie collapses to the ground.
Jowl open, the other zombie rushes forward and, for a change, takes a bite out of the flesh hound.
Ali half-smiles at Govannon's suggestion. But as the first zombie goes down and the other rushes forward, her feeble attempt at directing zombies (a skill she has neither had the time, nor desire, to quite develop yet) sorta fails as it charges and bites at the hound.
It then suddenly occurs to her that she hasn't passed out or turned into one of her counterparts from the stress of battle yet. Stunned, she replies to Govannon, with a big smile, but... in the dark speech of nightmares. Apparently though, judging by her expression, she's entirely unaware that she is not speaking in the common tongue.
She cautiously steps back from the hound and the zombie troll as she speaks, and begins to search her satchel. Perhaps to the wonderment of her friends, she retrieves... her hand mirror? And begins to check herself out with it?
But then, after muttering some strange syllables in the dark speech, Ali's body momentarily lights up with a bright effervescence. When it subsides, she seems, somehow, even more stunningly beautiful than before. Something about her now seems to almost compel others to please her...
Govannon connects with his steel but not his spell, this time. Again, he notices that his blade hardly cuts through the thick flesh.
Zelda flanks and manages to nick the golem with her short sword.
As one zombie falls, the other steps up and ineffectively attempts to bite the hound.
Aliseya summons the divine energy within her to enhance her spells.
The flesh golem hound turns and snaps at Govannon - tearing a chunk of flesh off of his sword arm
Round: 4, Initiative: 12
Weapon Equipped = Scimitar
Conditions = Arcane (+2 scimitar 3/10r)
scimitar: Attack: BAB +4, Str +4, Magic +1, Weapon Focus +1, Power Attack -2 Damage: Str +4, Magic +1, Power Attack +4
longbow (19 cold iron): Attack: BAB +4, Dex +1 Damage: Str +4
wand of cure light wounds (27/50)
Arcane Pool (su/swift): (3/6)
Fly Hex (su/std): (5/6m)
You may channel negative energy that deals an amount of damage equal to 1d6 × your character level (5) to a creature touched. This effect heals undead creatures as spells like inflict light wounds. 1/1
Healing Hex (2d8+6): No-one
Spells (Caster Level 6, Concentration +9 (+4 defensively))
At Will (self only): Feather Fall; Once a Day: Levitate
Zero (13): Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost
First (14):
Second (15):
He’s frustrated that his blade is like a dagger in his hands as he chisels away at the creature, taking slight cuts while it response with deep ones. He tries to connect with his spell this time…
(arcane, spell, flank)
(arcane)
vs DC 15
(arcane, spell, flank)
(arcane, Ray of Frost)
Govannon swears and wishes he had a smoke to console himself. He grinds his teeth instead to keep from biting his tongue.
As if from nowhere, a frighteningly pale man steps up to ram a glowing silver dagger into the beast.
Spotting a familiar pale face, Aliseya beams at the sight of Aleks. Her words fail to convey the pleasant greeting in her face, however, for they are spoken in the dark speech of nightmares. And she seems oblivious to this fact.
Wincing as the bestial creature draws more blood from poor Govannon, Ali touches him with her healing wand once more.