"We should go and quickly, this fire will attract attention we do not want", Hamar starts to head up the stairs but moves more slowly than normal so that he does not outpace his new comrades.
"Yeah,... Welcome to our lives pretty much every day,..." Justin grumbles half-heartedly, but he smiles at the ladies as he gallantly waves them ahead.
"Ladies first!"
Justin follows the others, mentally reviewing his available spells. He frowns thoughtfully as he recalls how much arcane damage the little laughing pest took before Karrin and Hamar cut him down.
"Hey Ekuur. We may have to re-think our usual game plan. I get the feeling that undead in this world, whether by bad luck or good planning, may be more resistant to our flames than undead from other worlds."
The group ascends quickly through the decaying tiers of benches. The frescos of demons decorating the walls seem to follow them with their eyes as they hurry trough the aisle.
They emerge into the darkness of Ranais. The giant pale skull that serves this realm as a sun/moon shines whitely in the pitch black sky, casting stark shadows among the crumbling colonnades and cyclopean buildings of the city.
A set of wide stairs descends from the front of the theater, terminating in a pale stone plaza. Nothing seems to be moving here, but Hamar knows that there is a pack of ghouls that was following him before he entered the place. They might still be about.
Hamar pauses, "A pack of ghouls sought my flesh to the very gates of this place. Have we a plan to escape this forsaken place or are we wandering until we find an exit?"
;P
"If you have a destination in mind speak, this is the best place I could find to hide in until you all arrived and burned it down. It is just as well, had you not arrived, eventually one of the undead or nature itself would have laid me low".
Justin shrugs.
"We're VERY good at what we do." He smiles disarmingly.
"If we are to be sure of restoring Karrin's lifeforce, we must find a place to rest. Otherwise, the loss of vitality could be permanent."
Hamer nods to the cleric,"Give me some time I will see what else I can find".
Hamer leaves in a blur scouting the surrounding area for a place to rest knowing a group may be able to stay where a lone person could not.
Survival
Hamer nods to the cleric,"Give me some time I will see what else I can find".
Hamer leaves in a blur scouting the surrounding area for a place to rest knowing a group may be able to stay where a lone person could not.
Survival1d20+6
DM DICE
Hamar quietly scouts the area, and finds what looks to be an ancient dry goods store. No undead seem to be about, and it has a solid front door and a back door for a getaway if needed
Hamar quickly hustles back to his companions, "I found what appear to be an ancient dry goods store. No undead seem to be about, and it has a solid front door and a back door for a getaway if needed. I say we stay there and the wizards and clerics rest to regain their strength. Another restless night is no bother for me, especially with the hope of escaping this place so near".
Justin tries to rub some dust out of his eyes, again, to no avail.
"Sounds good to me. Heck ANYthing sounds better than standing out here in this powers-forsaken dust-bowl waiting for waiting for something to find us!" He grumbles.
Apparently the wizard is cranky without his morning Klah. Or a good nights sleeps.
The group advances to the dry goods shop, pausing only briefly when they hear a roar and whoosh of flames behind them. A gout of smoke and fire belches from the open central dome of the immense theater they were just in. It looks as if whatever could burn is burning. Fortunately, it looks as if this section of the city is all brick and stone for the most part.
The three-story dry-goods building still boasts a swinging sign reading Trov's Mercantile . There was once a large glass window fronting the street, but someone broke it, and it was boarded up and never replaced. Inside the ground floor is an open plan, with rows of ancient goods. The perishables are all desiccated to ruin, but the non-organic goods still look relatively good. There is a counter with a selection of hideous demon masks behind it hanging on the wall. Several glass gallon jars sit on the counter, their murky depths concealing small undefinable lumps of matter suspended in liquid. A cash box lies flipped over and smashed on the floor. A gleam of silver winks from among the pieces.
At the back of the store is a stairway leading upwards. A stout bolted door is on the far wall as well
"Rest my new friends, I will sit at the ready". Hamar takes sentry duty for the remainder of the night whether anyone else joins him or not is their decision.
"Should we, you know, check to make sure there isn't anyone else at home?" Justin asks, pointing at the stairway up.
He makes no move towards the stairway himself however,...
Justin unrolls his camp blanket. Again. Pausing only long enough to make certain there is nothing blocking the path between him and the back door Before rolling over and passing out.
Hamar turns to Justin and shakes his head in disagreement, "No we should not. Let whatever sleeps up there continue to sleep. Striking a bees nest will with certainty bring a confrontation with the bees".
Justin looks thoughtful.
Finally he shrugs and says "Can't argue with that logic."
As he drifts into a near-coma state he can be heard muttering something about the inverse ratio of the insect sigil to the ley lines inverted over an isosceles decahedron,...
Ekuur finds a spot near a corner, where he can keep his back to a wall. Not that it matters when so many of the denizens of this realm can pass through walls... he thinks as he falls asleep again.
Thoroughly exhausted, her chest still aching from the long period of enforced laughter, Nari is all too happy to lay down and rest. Just breathing was about all she could manage at this point anyways.
Merle also takes the oppertunity for a catnap.
Karrin leans heavily on her ax as she sits down. She looks weary. Bone weary. The normally talkative tiefling has said little since getting drained. Here, rather then share her opinions she takes the seemingly monumental effort to watch Justin and Hamar's back and forth, turning her head slightly as if at center court in a tennis match, and then, without even a hint of approval or decent with their decisions, curls up with her ax and goes to sleep.
;P
As the group settles into the shop a howl erupts outside. Hamar recognizes it as coming from the ghoul pack he had been dodging when he entered the theater. They must have gotten their scent.
Hearing the howls, Justin sighs heavily where he lays under his blanket, not even opening his eyes.
"Really?!?" He grumbles peevishly.
Silently Justin makes sure he can still feel the dwindling energy of his Mystic Armor spell. Yes it's still up and active, although not for too much longer. He mentally reviews his dwindling stock of prepared spells. He's not desperate, yet. But decides that he would happy to avoid any prolonged battles if at all possible.
He also decides that if he has to cast his Flaming Blade spell in the middle of a world of undead, his day is well and truly screwed.
"Hey Ekuur." Justin calls, still not moving or opening his eyes.
"I don't suppose that you have any prayers prepared for preventing or curing paralysis?"
Hearing the howls, Justin sighs heavily where he lays under his blanket, not even opening his eyes.
"Really?!?" He grumbles peevishly.
Silently Justin makes sure he can still feel the dwindling energy of his Mystic Armor spell. Yes it's still up and active, although not for too much longer. He mentally reviews his dwindling stock of prepared spells. He's not desperate, yet. But decides that he would happy to avoid any prolonged battles if at all possible.
He also decides that if he has to cast his Flaming Blade spell in the middle of a world of undead, his day is well and truly screwed.
"Hey Ekuur." Justin calls, still not moving or opening his eyes.
"I don't suppose that you have any prayers prepared for preventing or curing paralysis?"
Ekuur rouses himself ... again ... and groans. "I have but one prayer which may be useful. It is one I have used before which renders all impediments to movement ineffective. It would be better if we could avoid having to use it altogether. Is there any method we could bottle them up? Perhaps open the front door and try to take one at a time?
As he gets up, he puts his armor back on, and then intones a short prayer and his bronze flesh grows thicker and more bark-like.
Hamar smiles, "Watch me from the doorway, if I falter assist me. There are only eight in this pack. By myself I would not challenge them for obvious reasons even to one as dim a myself, with you all on hand to assist me though I shall see what I can do to handle them all."
That said Hamar sneaks out the back door.
"Well. THAT wasn't the plan I had in mind. But lets see if we can't get the ghouls to cooperate with it shall we?" Justin says, finally tossing back his covers and getting up.
"I'm fairly certain that I can make a tempting looking target. If you all could make sure they don't actually get to reach me, that would be great!" The wizard says as he pulls back his rumpled hair and rummages through his coat pockets for spell components.
Finally satisfied that he has prepared as best he can with what he has, he takes up a position in front of the front door. (Standing back a few feet, so they they have to actually enter to reach him.)
"OK then guys and gals. You know the drill. The shiny wizard is the bait. Take your positions, and lets play whack-a-ghoul!"
Hamar smiles, "Watch me from the doorway, if I falter assist me. There are only eight in this pack. By myself I would not challenge them for obvious reasons even to one as dim a myself, with you all on hand to assist me though I shall see what I can do to handle them all."
That said Hamar sneaks out the back door.
Before Hamar sneaks out the back door, Ekuur will use freedom of movement on him. "This will protect you from their paralysis for the duration," he warns him.
Hamar slips out the back door. There is a small courtyard with several dead trees and three alleys attached. One heading out to a street behind the next set of buildings and one each on the sides of the shop. The alleys are choked with piles of rubble and ancient garbage, but passable
The spell of Ekuur washes over Hamar making him tingle but having little other noticeable effect. Hamar shrugs draws his weapons heading out the "back" door. He passes through the alleyways to sneak behind the ghoul pack.
Stealth
Ekuur uses the remaining time to cast a few other spells - he will first use communal protection from evil on himself, Karrin, and Rhiannon, giving each 3 minutes with a +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 resistance bonus on saves. Then, once he takes position outside, he ignites his trikal and casts divine power (9 rounds).
AC 27, touch 12, flat footed 27 (+11 armor, +4 natural, +2 deflection)
HP 122 (9 temporary)
Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +16
Melee +14/+14/+9 (+1 trikal) 1d10+10+1d6 fire 20/x3
Karrin groans as she pulls herself to her feet. She says nothing but clearly she's wondering if this night will ever end.
Justin readies a few items, waiting until the last possible moment before casting his magical speed and defensive spells on the others, due to their short durations.
"Where are you you stanky carrion-munchers,...?" He mutters aloud, eyes peeled out the doorway where he stands in plain sight. (10' back from the doorway, close enough to be tempting to hungry ghouls, but not so close they can reach me before the others get to play whack-a-ghoul!) ;)
The spell of Ekuur washes over Hamar making him tingle but having little other noticeable effect. Hamar shrugs draws his weapons heading out the "back" door. He passes through the alleyways to sneak behind the ghoul pack.
Stealth 1d20+15
Hamar picks his way through the stark moonlit (skull lit?) courtyard behind the old store. Silently he ghosts towards the front. A pack of ragged ghouls throng the plaza in front, led by a plate-clad ghoul directing them
The party hears a deep bellow
"Mangy corpse gummers! At the door cravens!"
Justin sees the milling pack of raggedly-dressed ghouls being ordered by a much more cleanly looking (and armor plated) ghoul. He points a large war hammer at Justin
"fresh meat, you puling cadavers! But mind your teeth! I want at least one alive to tell me where the portal they came through is!"
Ekuur still casts the spells listed above, and ignites his trikal just before combat to avoid shedding extra light.
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Justin gulps at the sight of the hungry corpses outside. Then he raises his voice, and a scroll, in defiance.
"Come and get it you sorry excuse for an animated garbage disposal!" He cries.
"Yeah. They're coming." He adds sotto voice to the others as the ghouls begin their charge.
He unrolls his last scroll of Fireball, and times it to go off as they close in on the door, in order to catch as many as possible.