"Let's check the whole wall before going into the prison."
iesha
Peredur for undead
Alzano
Talia
Aleksandr
initiative
Between the stairs and the outer wall and around the corner goes the party. A rank scent of ancient filth hits their noses--the prison's old cesspit was here, and the shallow hole still reeks of the waste.
From the back of the building you can see a third balcony twenty feet up. The broken wall makes it reachable, but not easy. the pond reaches around to the back, the right corner of the building slumping toward it.
Suddenly Peredur whirls around, and shouts an alarm: The party turns to see three skeletons, soaked and soggy, lurching toward you from behind the building.
HP: 14/14 AC: 14
Conditions: None Duration: (if applicable) x out of x rounds)
Spells: 0th: 4/4; 1st: domain: 1/1; standard: 3/3
Channel Positive Energy: 4x/day: 1d6
0th: 4: Create Water, Detect Magic, Guidance, Light
1st: 1 domain: Shield; 2 + 1 (wis) standard: Bless, Bless Water, Magic Weapon
Iesha will move to a point where she can include all three skeletons and channel positive energy to harm undead.
Initiative:
Status:
HP: 15/15 AC: 13
Conditions: None Duration: (if applicable) x out of x rounds)
Spells: 0th: 4/4; 1st: 3/3
0th: 4: Dancing Lights, Guidance, Read Magic, Stabilize
1st: 3: Burning Hands, Ear-Piercing Scream, Mage Armor
Talia will move up behind Peredur and cast Guidance
Round 1:
Peredur scrutinizes the approaching skeletons to see if there's anything out of the ordinary about them (apart from the obvious, you know, walking dead thing). "Faugh! Th' walking dead, even here?" He'll then move up, mace in hand, to guard Iesha and attack any that approach.
"Gah! More of these? I need new weapons." Alzano dashes forward and lunges at one of the skeletons with his rapier, hoping his quick response takes the undead creature by surprise.
1d20 + 5
Round 1:
Peredur scrutinizes the approaching skeletons to see if there's anything out of the ordinary about them (apart from the obvious, you know, walking dead thing). "Faugh! Th' walking dead, even here?" He'll then move up, mace in hand, to guard Iesha and attack any that approach.
1d20 + 7 + 2
Aleksandr scowls at the sudden appearance of the undead, but moves quickly by firing a ray of positive energy at the creatures.
Aleksandr is quick to react, moving forward to purge one of the creature's with holy energy, but the burst dissipates against the outer wall. Alzano dashes forward, charging the group of skeletons. The sudden burst of speed gives him a bit of surprise, but ultimately the edged weapon does little damage to the skeleton he attacks.
As they close on their prey, the three skeletons begin to smoke, the filth and water clinging to their bones boils and hisses and the three monsters burst into flame. The sudden burst of heat washes over the party. Unfazed, they surge forward one of them closes on the Varisian rogue, swinging its claws. Alzano goes down with a strangled scream as the skeleton's claw tear at his throat, laying it open and burning his skin. Cauterizing what would otherwise have been a fatal wound
[/ooc]skeleton 3: full attack[/ooc]
attack 1:
attack 2:
The other two move past, closing with Aleksandr and attacking with raised claws. Fortunately he dances away from their attack.
skeleton 1:
skeleton 2:
Iesha moves up, and calling on the aid of Shelyn, attempts to blast the undead with channeled energy. one of the skeletons attacking Aleksandr is shattered by the energy, still detonating in a blast of flame as it is destroyed. The other two skeletons hiss as the holy energy washes over them, but they remain standing. And burning.
s1
s2
s3
Iesha will rush to Alzano and convert her Bless Water to Cure Light Wounds to heal and stabilize him.
Seeing Alzano go down, Talia casts Stabilize on him before moving away from the burning undead and biding her time to move in closer to them.
Aleksandr takes a five foot step away from the skeletons and casts disrupt undead at the most obviously damaged one.
Round 2:
Peredur snarls wordlessly and closes with the nearest skeleton, landing a powerful blow with his mace.
Attempting to step away from the skeleton's burning aura , Aleksandr moves to blast the skeleton assailing him, but his magic is disrupted as he tries to dodge away from the claws.
Peredur steps up into the void Aleksandr left and shatters the creature with a mighty attack. Like the one before, the creature bursts into flames upon destruction, scorching at the ranger.
The skeleton looming over the fallen rogue turns and moves to Peredur, grasping for him with a burning claw, which the ranger easily swats away.
Talia and Iesha channel healing energy to Alzano--his wounds knit, and life returns to his eyes.
Round 3:
Peredur staggers back as the flames burst around him. He blocks the claw hit on reflex alone, but is unable to recover well enough to mount more than a tentative attack, easily avoided by the burning skeleton.
"Be careful! They don't seem to be normal undead. I've never heard of skeletons that explode when they are destroyed."
Iesha studies the buring undead things, to try to understand just what they are.
Alzano winces as he stands up and limps away from the skeletons before another one explodes. "Like I said... need new weapons. Should have just helped one of you guys..."
Iesha will stand and ready her glaive.
"I know this will do less damage to those things but it might keep me out of their explosion range."
Seeing Alzano limping away from the undead creatures, Talia moves to him and lays a hand upon his shoulder. Healing energy flows down her arm and into his body.
She gives him a wry smile before looking at the last skeleton, hoping it doesn't do more damage...or come too close.
Iesha will slash at the remaining skeleton with her glaive.
Iesha brings her glaive down in a vicious arc, utterly destroying the final skeleton.
The piles of bones leftover burn away to ash as the unholy flames consume the remains of the walking dead.
"Phew. Those things were - different. If we're going to be facing more of those we'll need more reach weapons. Is anyone else hurt?"
"A minor scratch, nothing else," Aleksandr says, investigating the wound. "Well, it would appear we've found some evidence of strange happenings."
"But a blister or two; 'twas more startlement when th' thing came apart so. It's wondering I am from whence they came."
Peredur can easily follow the dripping muck the skeletons left behind them before their conflagration.
It follows back around the front of the prison, and to the shoreline where Iesha slipped into the water.
The tall half-elf rocks back and forth on his heels, looking down at the trail. "Th' water, does it conceal or generate? Either way, 'twould seem unwise to trouble it further unless our need is dire." He turns away from the dark pond, smiling suddenly as a thought comes to him. "Best we avoid wading in th' cesspit, lest it act in a similar manner. To th' manor house, then?"
Alzano looks himself over, relaxing when he sees his injuries gone. "I'm ok now... thanks, you two," he nods at Iesha and Talia. He then remains silent, a distant look in his eyes. ... didn't ask for this ...
"Any time," Talia says, nodding towards Alzano. "And yes, let's avoid the water if we can. As for the manor itself, we can take a look, though we should keep track of the time in order to get back for the town meeting this evening."
"Yes, let's check out that manorhouse now. Just be careful. It looks like it will fall down if you even sneeze on it."
Peering inside the collapsing ruin shows little. the wood is rotten, the walls that seperated the two or three rooms that comprised the dwelling are largely collapsed, and ivy and other vegetation has begun to cover what is left. There appears to be nothing of value in the small house.
"Now what? Do we want to enter the main building at this time? We might at least get an idea of the damage inside. I don't think it would be as bad as this, the prison itself would have been of more sturdy construction."
Peredur shakes his head. "Mayhap I'm starting at shadows and ancient tales, but I fear once we set foot in yon prison we'll not be able to walk out so easily. Let's to th' town, to see what we can learn of th' warden."
"Perhaps when we get back to town we can talk to Councilman Hearthmount about the name on the monument - Vernon Hearthmount, was it not?"
The wind once more kicks up, and the moaning of the air through the ruined prison fills the party's ears. Thunder peals again from the distance.
"Help me!" - a woman's rasping voice catches your ear, buried somewhere in the wailing of the wind thourgh ruined prison.
"What was that?" Talia says, glancing around her. "Did anyone else hear a woman's voice on the wind? Crying for help?"
Closing her eyes, Talia slowly turns, listening intently to the wind for a sound, a direction from which the voice may have emanated, before giving a soft shudder and bundling further into her clothes against a sudden chill.
"Should we check? We do have time."
"I heard naught, but I'll trust you on this." Peredur likewise listens intently.
Iesha heads to the front entrance of the prison and halts outside to listen intently for any sounds from within.
"Just the sound of the wind. Don't let it get to your head." Despite his skepticism, Alzano can't help but imagine a ghostly woman beckoning them closer with mock cries for help. "Yeah... definitely just the wind..."
Iesha climbs the six stairs that lead to the front door.
The sounds of the outdoors fall away as Iesha reaches the top of the stairs. Silence and an unearthly chill envelop the cleric. The party, though nearby, feels miles away.
Peering in, Iesha sees what was once a wide hall flanked by a pair of waiting rooms. But the foyer to Harrowstone now lies in ruins. With little left to hold up the ceiling, the wooden beams above sag dramatically. The way to the north is blocked by a large pair of oaken doors.
The inert nature of the building changes drastically as Iesha climbs the stairs. It grows potent, menacing, the open front doors seem like jaws ready to swallow the cleric. Talia feel a dark, alien, and hideous glee growing inside her as the half-elf approaches the front door. To her surprise and maybe horror, it slips out in a deep chuckle
Talia starts to chuckle as Iesha approaches the prison, a slow, deep, throaty sound that has no business coming from her mouth.
When the chuckling subsides, Talia coughs loudly, as if trying to rid herself of a frog in her throat, before glancing at the others.
"Uh... she says, "Sorry, I don't know where that came from. I'm beginning to suspect that I really don't like this place." The raven on Talia's shoulder bobs his head as if laughing at her.
Scowling at the bird and taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Talia follows Iesha into the foyer of the prison, attempting to plaster on a brave face...
Iesha looks at Talia in concern.
"Are you sure you're all right?"
Talia returns Iesha's look, her face grim.
"I feel all right. At least, I do now. Were I to hazard a guess, I would say the rumors of this prison being haunted are exceedingly true." Talia looks thoughtful for a moment, then says, "Just the same, if I go crazy or anything, you've my permission to subdue me. I do not wish any malevolent spirits to take control..."
The half-elf casts a somewhat suspicious eye at the witch. Kendra spoke for this Talia, but how much do we really know of her? I'll have to watch this one.
"Um, should we go in?"
Iesha goes to the entry doors and listens for sounds from within the prison.
"I like this not at all. How much more of Shelyn's grace do you have this day, Iesha?"
"I can call on her three more times today. I'm just not sure what to do. No one but Talia heard the voice, but if someone needs help we should try to find them."
"Well, I admit what I heard was on the wind. This place is so creepy, it's possible I was hearing things. Haunted, indeed!
Iesha places her hand on the door for a moment then nods. "Yes, let's return to town for now."
Peredur nods and turns away from the dilapidated prison.