In the blink of an eye Kyrra's hnds seem to bloom weapons, a short srow in one hand and a wickedly curved sickle in the other.
Woah! Jumpy girl. She see somethin'?
Mal's hand moves inside his coat and rests on the grip of his pistol.
At the top of the hill, the group stops suddenly. A large, long, rectangular field of open space is in front of you. The grass is long and unkempt, just above knee level, and swings in the soft wind like a carpet of long, brittle, and frozen fingers that scrape at your legs. Scattered around the field are several large rock cairns, big piles of stones stacked haphazardly and quickly in a seemingly random distribution. What makes you catch your breath, though, is the sight of many figures in the distance, standing in the middle of the field around one extra large rock cairn.
Just as you begin to absorb the scene, however, a rolling mist suddenly pours out of the center of the group of figures, and everything and everyone there is suddenly engulfed in the swirls of a fog cloud.
"Holy! This fog ain't natural! Did everyone see that? The hand comin' out of the cairn? We're about to have trouble, folks."
Suddenly more serious and a little angry, A hand came OUT of the cairn? What do those fools think they are doing?! The dead must be left to rest! I will return this one to its rest.
Gaurm begins striding forward through the fog, his hammer and shield ready.
Guess that's it then. These folks don't wait around. Was I ever that brazen? Probably why I wasn't ever very good at this stuff...
Pulling his weapon and holding it low, Mal tried to keep close to the massive priest.
Weapons out, Kyrra's dash forward begins as Malcom is still speaking, her posture low to the ground as she shifts into a loping run.
The group creeps forward toward the swirling mist. Calon, as he swings wide a bit to approach from behind a cairn, notices that this rock cairn has also been disturbed. What was obviously once a neat and tidy pile of stones has been tossed and turned about, some rocks having been flung ten or twenty paces away.
Gaurm leads the way forward toward the mists, the others close behind, but with still fifty feet to the edge of the foggy swirls some motion from behind the blanket of fog reveals the presence of a dark, robed figure. The robed person has a stooped back and walks slowly in the manner of someone incredibly old, the black folds of their clothing slowly giving their form a broken, crippled shape. Nonetheless, they step towards you out of the fog and, in a stream of hissing words, say evilly, "Ssso the heroes of Bisssston have come to stop me, eh? Ahahaha, you fools!" He raises one hand and points at you with a long, serrated, wicked-looking dagger. "Not one of you can hope to withssstand the wrath of the great Veranisssshka!"
At this last word, more commotion at the edge of the mists reveals a horrifying sight. Eight standing, rotten corpses are moving through the mist toward you. More than that, they're running through the mists with unnatural speed, and break into the clearing in front of you with a sudden, ferocious charge. You spot one more rotten figure step from the mist to stand by Veranishka's side; the creature, a disgusting ghoul, bares its long, sharp teeth in your general direction, a loud hiss filling the evening's air.
Undead's Initiative
Veranishka Initiative
Guards' Initiative
Jannet Initiative
Rouqas Initiative
Garris Initiative
Exploding into a running charge Kyrra launches herself at the first of the approaching zombies as the meet, her sickle wickedly tearing at the corruption of nature.
Veranishka 18
Rouqas 15
Guards 11
Malcom 10
Undead 9
Gaurm 8
Calon 6
Garris 4
Jannet 4
Round 1
Kyrra, with a wild dash, launches first into the open battlefield. She covers the distance quickly and the sudden clash between her and corpse is marked only by the sound of her sickle ripping through old flesh.
Shortly after Kyrra springs forward, Veranishka begins a dark arcane chanting, and with his hissing voice the sound sends shivers down your spine. Another explosion of fog swirls out of just where Kyrra met the zombies, and soon everything is engulfed in a swirling mist, at the edges of which skulls and demonic faces hiss, laugh, and scream as they envelop anyone inside.
Rouqas, with a feline snarl, pushes forward into the mist while drawing the greatsword slung over his back.
All four constables exchange nervous looks and nods, and then follow Kyrra and Rouqas into the mists.
Mal shook his head and moved with the others, drawing a bead on the one who summoned the mist, but the swirling faces and the laughter catch his breath in his chest.
"Ain't real. It ain't." he muttered, trying to steady himself.
Fighting the rising panic, he leveled his weapon again and fired. With a sharp bang it belched smoke, he coughed.
Damn. I think the bullet splintered in the barrel. Shoulda replaced my ammo. Crap. Too late now.
The bullet flies through the mists at where Malcom guesses the necromancer was standing, passing through the gaping mouth of one laughing skull directly in front of Malcom. No audible reaction after the bullet's firing hints that nothing and nobody was hit.
Those of you in the mists suddenly spot darker shapes taking form around you and, with horror, you realize that the zombies are upon you!
A swift, vicious claw slashes at Kyrra's face, catching her completely off guard. The swirling mists, though, seem to have luckily confused the zombie, and only one claw manages to scratch her face, a tiny drop of blood trickling down where what should have been a brutal blow!
A yelp and snarl from somewhere in the mists tells you that Rouqas has been hit at least once. Also, two different men grunt and groan after the sounds of claws scraping flesh -- two Biston constables have surely been wounded.
Malcom, also in the mists, sees the form of a zombie materialize in front of him. Its rotten, muscular arm swings high and he manages to duck under the blow.
Gaurm wades into the mists heading for where he last saw the necromancer, Torag, guide my arm and make my courage strong!
Paying no mind to the screaming skulls, Gaurm moves forward until he finds a zombie to smash.
The swirling mists and cackling skulls only seem to make Kyrra angrier, the stink of undead vile to one so accustomed to the smells of the Ashwood.
As the zombie's attack grazes off of her she swings, a backhanded slash with her sword across the creature's face, her momenumt taking her into a complete turn, dropping into a crouch as she doew to bring her sickle tearing through the walking corpse's legs.
Short sword
Sickle
"Gha!" Mal grunts, ducking away and fumbling a bit as he reloaded. Been too damn long. Shoulda practiced.
Stepping back and snapping the breach closed he leveled his weapon again and fired at the monster in front of him.
Guarm wades into the mist with his giant hammer. After several steps the forms of Malcom and a zombie come into view. With a fierce swing of the hammer, he smashes the ribcage of the zombie and deals a powerful blow, but the creature still stands.
Calon begins dashing around the fog in search of Veranishka, but it is soon clear that the necromancer has summoned the fog to immerse himself as well. With a deep breath, Calon steps into the mist, his nerves running very high.
Garris follows the others into the mists, moving toward the fight. He appears next to Gaurm and Malcom, and his shortsword flashes out, cutting through the zombie's already damaged chest and the monstrosity falls to the ground, unmoving.
Jannet, swallowing her fear, pushes forward as well with a farming sickle in her trembling hand, looking for wounded allies to aid. She passes by Gaurm, Malcom, and Garris and moves further in toward the sounds of Kyrra, Rouqas, and the Biston guards.
Round 2
Veranishka 18
Rouqas 15
Guards 11
Malcom 10
Undead 9
Gaurm 8
Calon 6
Garris 4
Jannet 4
Kyrra's shortsword and sickle cut through the zombie in front of her and it falls to the ground at her feet in several pieces.
Veranishka's dark chanting continues from somewhere inside the fog, his voice a sort of cackling hiss as he delights in the sounds of violence.
Rouqas' roaring snarl can be heard throughout the battlefield as he bursts into a barbaric rage.
More sounds of battle between guards and zombies clashing reach your ears, along with a few cries of victory as the guards land hits on their opponents.
More grunts and moans from constables as they are clearly beaten and slashed by the zombies. An extra severe yelp, whimper, and then silence in the feline voice of Rouqas leaves your spine trembling.
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Calon sees shapes in the mist, unnatural shadows that seem to loom over him ready to tear him to pieces. His Rapier quivers in his hand, and he stops. He takes a moment to compose himself, raises his sword up and chants મેજીક બખ્તરની. A softly glowing image of a suit of chain mail fades in around him, then just as quickly vanishes.
Mal huffs and stumbles away from the twitching corpse as it dies for the second time.
"Thanks." he says with a nod.
Looking around and listening for the necromancer, he tries to move thorugh the fog and zero in on him, knowing he is the most dangerous threat.
With a nod to Malcom, Gaurm again heads in the last known direction of the necromancer. He will stop to attack any undead he finds.
Malcom thanks his allies and presses deeper into the fog, moving blindly but heading toward where he last knew the necromancer was. He nearly walks into a Biston guard as they get slammed by one of the zombies. He levels his gun and fires, the bullet ripping a small chunk of skin and sinew off the corpse's shoulder.
Gaurm wades forward and also encounters a guard who, heavily wounded, is battling with a zombie. He swings his huge hammer as he steps up next to the guard, and the zombie is pulverized to the ground, crumpled and unmoving.
Calon, trying to clear his head, backs up and casts a spell.
Garris follows Guarm and Malcom forward, encountering yet another zombie, and he slashes out with short sword again. A ripping sound of flesh and the blow strikes true.
Jannet cries "Rouqas," and dashes into the fog to her wounded friend, but, next to Gaurm, is repelled by yet another zombie that lurches out of the fog. Her sickle flashes through the air, but misses.
Round 3
Kyrra 19
Veranishka 18
Rouqas 15
Guards 11
Malcom 10
Undead 9
Gaurm 8
Calon 6
Garris 4
Jannet 4
"Dammit!" Mal growls, reloading and firing again. "Die already!"
@Kyrra
Nothing in immediate view, but you know the necromancer and the ghoul should be somewhere in front of you and to the right, and zombies are definitely battling your allies directly right of you and behind you.
buuuuuuump
Gaurm moves towards the necromancer again. As much of a threat as these undead are, the evil starts with this necromancer.
Kyrra, knowing fully well that the necromancer is by the far the biggest threat, pushes on toward his last known location. The necromancer is still cloaked in fog, however, but she does find the snarling ghoul in its place, and slashes out with her sickle. The monster hisses in pain at the blow.
Suddenly, from directly behind the ghoul, Veranishka materializes to the Ghoul's right, and he lashes out wickedly with the dagger in his hand. "Aaaiieeeeeheeehee," he cackles gleefully as the dagger slashes across Kyrra's stomach -- the wound feels like just barely a scratch, but suddenly blood gushes out and begins running freely down her front. This close, it is easy to see that Veranishka under his robes is an incredibly decrepit Elf twisted and gnarled by his evil and many, many long years.
The constable in front of Malcom heaves a heavy swing with his longsword and slices open the zombies chest cavity. It slumps to the ground and the guard cries out with joy. Nearby, another powerful sword blow is heard and a zombie's head rolls through the grass.
Knowing that the necromancer must be somewhere ahead, Malcom presses on. He stops suddenly at a truly disturbing sight. A zombie is hunched over something on the ground, it's head making ripping and chewing motions. As Malcom levels his gun to blast it away, the thing looks up and Malcom realizes that it is hunched over one of their companions, Rouqas the Catfolk, who lies dead on the ground. Malcom fires, the bullet plants itself in the zombie's gut.
Sounds of zombies claws and fleshy slams come from all around. The zombie in front of Malcom stands and rushes him, one claw connecting heavily with the side of his head, making him see stars -- blood splashes down onto his shoulder. More slashing and a body, maybe two, hit the ground. The Ghoul in front of Kyrra snaps at her with its sharp long teeth, but she steps back easily.
Guarm wades on and finds a badly wounded Malcom, a zombie shot in the stomach, and the stiff corpse of Rouqas the Catfolk between them. Grimacing at the sight of death and blood, he steels himself and smashes the zombie back, crushing its face into its skull and finishing it off for good.
Calon presses into the fog, still shaky but determined to find the source of Veranishka's laughter. He is rewarded suddenly and by stumbling upon the melee between Kyrra, the Ghoul, and Veranishka himself. Moving to the side so that the Ghoul is between him and the necromancer, but they are both in blasting range of his spell, Calon unleashes an explosion of fire. The flames engulf them both, the Ghoul screeching at its burns and crumpling to the ground before Kyrra and Calon. Veranishka hisses and slaps at his robes -- he stops laughing and a new fury in his eye glares across the smoldering corpse of his strongest minion.
The rush of flames also created enough updraft of rising, heated air, that the fog around Calon has begun to lift slightly. Behind them, where the guards still battle zombies and where Malcom and Gaurm stand over Rouqas' corpse, it is just as thick as before.
Round 4!!!
Badly wanting to stop the source of the evil, but faced with a badly wounded ally, Gaurm glances towards teh sounds of fighting where he thinks the necromancer is likely to be, then turns to Malcom and places a hand over the worst of the damage, "Hold still for a moment." Gaurm brings the head of his hammer near his face, "Mighty Forgefather, restore the integrity and strength to this man that he may strike down the vile corruption infesting these lands."
Gaurm makes sure that Malcom is in no danger of dying at the moment, then moves again towards the necromancer.
Mal grunts as his vision goes white and his ears ring from the force of the blow. His hands dizzily go to his head, coming away red. He stumbled back, fumbling with his weapon, unable to think clearly or even cry out. He was going to die.
Then, somehow the massive man Gaurm was with him and a feeling like being in front of a warm fire washed over him. The world rushed back to full speed and he could hear again. The round that his hands slammed into the chamber of his gun was covered in his own blood. He stepped back and fired slowly and carefully.
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Calon smiles with satisfaction as the hideous ghoul falls. As the mist and his spirits start to rise, he lunges forwards at Veranishka seeking to bury his blade in the foul necromancer's throat and silence his laughter for good. Unfortunately, the mist has left the ground quite damp, and he slips causing his blade to miss its target by a wide margin.
As the flames wash over her enemies, the ghould falling to the ground burning, Kyrra steps in her sword leading, only to be evaded by the vile wizard as he flails at the fire on his cloak, she ducks low returning the slash across her stomach with one of her own as her sickle traces a wiced arc in the air.
Short sword
Sickle
Kyrra 19
Veranishka 18
Rouqas 15
Guards 11
Malcom 10
Undead 9
Gaurm 8
Calon 6
Garris 4
Jannet 4
Round 4
Kyrra's sickle slashes through the necromancer's robes and into his thin, bony stomach. He screeches in pain but his giggles continue to fitfully pierce the air as he watches blood continuing to gush from Kyrra's wound, as if being magically pumped out of her.
You can see hesitation in Veranishka's eyes at the sight of his downed ghoul and separation from his zombies. He steps back from Kyrra and Calon, away from the battle, and is once more chanting a spell.
Swords swish through the air and the brave Biston constables continue fighting, but their grunts begin to sound more strained, weakened, wounded.
Malcom, still bleeding from the side of his head but much more stable than before, reloads his gun. He steps toward the blurry shape of one comrade, and a zombie on his other side comes into focus. Malcom fires and the bullet explodes into the zombie's chest. Now that he's here, he sees that Jannet, the young witch girl is standing next to the guard.
The zombie Mal has shot stubbornly continues its assault, though, and claws out with supernatural speed. It swings three times at the constable, and with each blow a new bloody mess appears -- by the third swing, the man is knocked to the ground and doesn't move. Someone else was also hit hard, based on his nearby gasps and moans.
Guarm, having swiftly healed his ally and returned him to the fight, presses on toward Veranishka's faint chanting. The air grows warmer and the mists begin to clear, and he sees Kyrra and Calon, and on the other side of them Veranishka himself. There is blood soaking the ground here, much of which seems to be pouring down Kyrra's front.
Calon lunges for Veranishka but slips on the wet grass and his attack is far wide.
Somewhere in the fog a sickle swishes through air and then flesh -- Garris is still fighting.
Jannet, trembling at the sight of the downed constable in front of her, steels herself and draws a wand from her belt. Instead of bending to help the fallen man, however, she springs forward lightly with the wand and blasts at the zombie with positive energy. The spell hits, but not at its full potential, but the creature recoils and snarls at the young girl.
"Dammit!" Mal barks as the guardsman falls. He quickly reloaded and fired again.
"We got another man down over here!"
buump, will DMPC Kyrra if we get nothing by the end of the day.
Round 5
Kyrra charges madly forward at Veranishka, swinging her sword high over the necromancer's head as she slips in the wet grass. Another spout of blood pours from Kyrra's front, the amount in the grass around her now a sickening pool of crimson.
Attack
With a sneer and a laugh, Veranishka turns on his heel and runs with sudden, supernatural speed, speeding away and laughing like a madman over his shoulder. "We'll meet again, Bissssston foolsss! Thisssss isn't over! You musssst be punished for your passsst, eeeheeeheeee!"
Malcom's last bullet explodes through the front of his target's skull, and the zombie collapses in a heap before him and Jannet.
A zombie's swift flurry of clawing attacks rings loudly off a guard's shield and armor, and a body thuds dully to the ground from the direction of the last constable standing.
With a snarl of irritation at his foe's escape, Gaurm turns his attention back to his injured allies, releasing Torag's power in a healing burst around him.