Studying the lock for a moment Amira shrugs before trying her luck with the balcony door.
After a few minutes of fiddling around, Amira is ready to swear off picking locks once and for all, when she hears a beautiful noise, barely perceptible to her above the quiet rustling of her companions. Click.
"Well done, Amria." Tolenn says, "I will enter first, if any plague victims lay nearby, I will move them to a safer distance. "
Then, waiting for the other's approval, grasps the door and slowly opens....
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Terri watches over the paladin, glaive in hand. You can see the tip of the blade shaking from how hard she is holding it.
Tolenn opens the door, leading the way into the room...
Three obviously animated corpses wearing garish metallic costumes shamble about, mimicking appreciation and criticism of the various artworks collected on the walls. Hampering their way are nearly a dozen bodies, some in the same ridiculous costumes, some in servants' outfits, a few seeming to be musicians, sprawled throughout the chamber, the stench nearly overwhelming.
There is a staircase in the center of the room, and an open section that clearly looks down upon the first level. After Tolenn crosses the threshold, the zombies stop their pitiful attempts at being art critics and come to attack!
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Terri grits her teeth, the grinding audible to anyone near her. Her eyes narrow fury burning in them and white-knuckled hands hold her glaive and her holy symbol. Her voice is taut and quiet as the zombies come.
"By Shelyn's grace may this mockery burn!"
Golden and silver light shine from her glaive and her symbol. Celestial runes glow on her skin and ghostly images of marble inlaid with gold, silver, and stone in the seven colors of the rainbow stretches from where she stands. Golden holy fire flares in her eyes and runs down the seams in the stonework.
The light, the ghostly stonework, and the fire all fade as quickly as they came, but Terri's eyes are emerald windows into a soul possessed by a deep roaring fury. Her brow is furrowed in anger and her teeth are still grinding together hard enough that one of them might crack if she doesn't calm down soon.
"And by Shelyn's grace, I'll see the monster that did this pay," she says quietly as she slowly stalks forward behind Tolenn.
Tolenn's scowl at seeing the mockery of life within, changes to a triumphant grin at manifestation of Terri's faith.
She steps in , opening the door wide, intercepting the closest zombie with her blessed blade....
Stepping into the room after the two Daud just grinned like a fool at seeing the two sweetest women he knew bring hell down upon that which they despised.
Moving up he awaits for one of the corpses to shamble close enough for him to strike one.
As the zombies shamble forward, Terri lets her fury show, calling upon the holy power of Shelyn to put an end to the undead abominations. Multi-colored light spills over the creatures, tearing at the magics that hold them together. One of the creatures drops, but the other two still continue to come forward.
Tolenn advances forward grimly, scimitar flashing. The paladin's strike is guided by her strength and conviction, biting deeply into the zombie's flesh. It joins its counterpart on the ground, the fell arcane strands that hold it together severed.
Wednesday grins at the fury of his two normally level companions before stepping up and driving his own weapon into the remaining zombie, separating its head from its body, ending the fight before it ever really started.
Looking back and forth between the redead Daud will then turn to the others. "So does anyone know what this guy Ruan looks like?"
1) He's Varisian in descent.
2) You know what his sister looks like, and he probably has a resemblance.
Terri carefully looks at the musicians, looking for one of them that looked like Deyanira, or failing that, was holding an ocarina.
"I'm thinking he looks like his sister. Of course, you can see, well. Do you know what an ocarina is," Terri asks Wednesday.
"It's a type of flute, isn't it?" he says unsure, though from the sound of his voice he did seem to put some thought into the answer.
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The companions look around at the bodies littering the floor, having to pull masks off some of the decaying corpses to try to identify them. None of the dead people seems to have been Varisian, and a search of the alcove to the east turns up no ocarina amongst the dead musicians lying beside their chairs, instruments still in most of their hands.
Looking about the chamber, the walls are covered in finely framed art works. This would only be expected in the home of rich, pompous nobles, except that one piece in particular stands out. In the center of the picture is a simple wooden stool with four legs. Perched upon the stool are two familiar figures. The first sits on the stool itself, legs closed tightly together, feet flat upon the ground. Pixie-cut blonde hair does little to hide her comely features that recently were spared an executioner's axe, eyes closed as she tilts her head up slightly, lips parted as if to receive a kiss.
The second figure, slightly smaller than the first, sits in the lap of the first, facing the blonde woman, legs spread to accommodate the others' legs. Her feet are also flat upon the ground, the tone in her right thigh shown as she obviously has to keep a bit of balance to ensure the two don't tumble to the floor. Her right arm wraps around the other woman, her left hand entwined in the blonde hair of the first. Bronze hair frames a very familiar face, pretty green eyes open and looking down at the blonde, an impish smile on her face.
Both figures do not have on a bit of clothing, the painting showing a side view of both, and only well-placed arms and hands keep the picture mildly inappropriate, as opposed to pornographic in nature. The picture itself is labeled Desire.
"Now that's art!" Daud exclaims while letting his eyes drift over the sensual painting, his exclamation earnest rather than lascivious.
Amira can't help the grin that crosses her face as she remembers Teri and Trinia's conversation. "Uhm... I don't think they'll be needing to keep this one do you Teri?"
Daud's eyes light up as he turns his head to the Sheylnite. "Would it be okay if we took it back to Zellara's?"
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"Oh no," Terri says as she spots the painting far too late to keep anyone from seeing it. Pale skin turns brilliant red as she looks down at the floor. Amira's question suddenly forgotten as the memories of one drunken session in a small studio come flooding back.
"Oh gods, we thought that had been shipped elsewhere. What is it doing here?! Never drinking again! How did..."
The priestess mutters as she moves around looking for anyone that might need aid, or have been returned to a mockery of life.
"If anything you should drink more, if this is the end result." Daud muses as the embarrassed Terri fidgets about before turning to look back at the painting. "Though I think Trust would have served as a better title."
Terri's face burns crimson.
"Ok Wednesday, lay off." Amira mutters.
Daud actually chuckles, though he was trying to spare the priestess. "Besides the obvious allure of two beautiful women entwined in each other there's much more to this this painting that I like. You're both naked, true. And you're straddling each other in a very intimate way, there's no denying that. But I doubt you would do that with just anyone, drunk or not.
Look at Trinia. She's leaning to kiss you, but her eyes are already closed. She's wanting and yearning, but she also trusts you, letting herself bared and being completely at your mercy while you sit atop her.
And then there's you, confidently straddling her while wearing a pleasing grin that also teases. Confident in your position of power, but also with your partner. There's a mutual trust here, a beautiful intimacy that goes beyond the simply sensual and carnal.
It's a rather warm feeling."
Tolenn regards the risque painting objectively, "It's quite beautiful, Terri." she says honestly, then seconds Amira , "Indeed, Wednesday, lay off" she says good naturedly.
Turning back to the bodies, she walks among them, seeing if any died of Blood Veil.
Terri chuckles, feeling a little less embarrassed.
"I would have never imagined that a budding art critic was hiding in you, Wednesday Daud. Perhaps we should find the artist and have her paint you," she says, a wicked gleam in her emerald eyes.
Funny how I don't want to break down and cry now. I wonder if he did that on purpose.
"Only if she can capture all my scars," he quips back with a grin.
"And I used to be an art dealer before I moved to Korvosa." Stopping he shakes his head. "No, that's overselling it. In Kaer Maga I dealt in antiquities and oddities, which is to say weird people paid me a lot to go and fetch or otherwise part with weird and often times beautiful works of art."
Turning back to the bodies after offering her artistic opinion, Tolenn inspects them for cause of death. Most seem to have suffered something similar to Blood Veil, but far worse. Ugly red wounds fester all over the bodies, the skin having flaked off in places. Huge sacks of skin under the armpits that could only have been huge, fluid-filled blisters adorn each corpse. Some of the bodies also bear small, piercing wounds as well, as if from a dart or crossbow bolt.
At that point, a disembodied voice asks, "Do you like my handiwork? They were having such a terribly fine time, it seemed a shame to me to not let them continue! Hehehehe!" The voice is feminine in nature, the little titter at the end giving the group concerns about the sanity of the person in question.
"Who are you and why did you do this," Terri asks the voice, trying to keep it level, but even with the cloth covering her face, it's obvious she is snarling under it.
Quickly uttering a mystic phrase that brings a flickering shiles up before her, Amira searches the surrounding area for the source of the voice.
"Just a lady who enjoys a bit of entertainment. Why don't you come and see the rest?"
Amira believes the woman, if it is indeed a woman, is at the top of the stairs, but as she talks she can hear the woman descending.
Tolenn allows the others to interrogate their 'host', her eyes narrowing upon the signs of Blood Veil on the bodies.
From where she crouches, she turns and focuses her holy vision on the top of the stairs, trying to guage the strength of the evil they face.
Tolenn is able to detect the presence of evil, but the evil presence moves down the stairs before she can further focus on it.
"Oh, I would very much like to see them. Could you gather all of your works at the bottom of the stairs so we can appreciate the craftsmanship as we come down," Terri says in a saccharine sweet voice. White-knuckled hands grip her glaive and her holy symbol, the edges of which cut into her fingers and her palm, drawing blood that drips onto the floor as she walks to the stairs.
"Yes, why don't we all dance the macabre, neh?" Daud says alongside a chuckle as he moves with Terri towards the stairs.
Tolenn joins the others at the top of the stairs, saying softly "Ware the bodies...they died from Blood Veil, at least partially."
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At Tolenn's warning Daud nods in agreement, keeping an eye for any more corpses.
Wicked cackling and tittering responds to Terri's words, the footsteps continuing to pitter patter down the stairs. As the group gets to the head of the stairs, they look down into the gruesome scene in the home great hall turned dance area. Three couples twist and turn, hands interlocked, bodies shuffling along in a cruel mockery of a dance. All of the zombies are well-dressed and costumed.
With a growl of anger Amira's hand flashes forward, a jet black kunai planting itself in the eye of the zoblie in the middle of the cluster.
"@#$% this $#!+"
"Agreed," Terri growls as she walks down the stairs. Once all of the zombies are within twenty feet, she stops and holds her symbol aloft.
"Burn in holy fire this mockery of life and beauty," she whispers through clenched teeth.
Gold and silver light shines from her glaive and her holy symbol. White fire burns in her eyes as another ghostly image appears, this time of a flowing stream over time worn rock. Trees limned in golden light seem to tower through the ceiling. Flowers in bloom grow in cascades down the hillside. Holy fire spreads from where Terri stands, flowing along the path of the stream and the roots of the trees.
All the while, blood runs down the priestess' upheld arm. The scene fades almost as quickly as the last one, but white fire still burns in her eyes and through her hair. Golden runes and flowing marks glow on her skin.
"Apologies, but I've never been a fan of the farce," she calls out in a sickening sweet voice that fools no one.
Tolenn moves to stand beside Terri, a grim smile on her face at the beautiful display of Shelyn's power. Raising her scimitar in the air, she cries "By Sarenae's grace, let this blasphemy be burned away!". Streams of light, as if the sun was peeking through a bank of clouds, bursts from the runed blade, bathing the 'dancers' below in bright, burning sunlight.
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Daud has to squint somewhat as the two radiant displays play out before him, strolling along with the undead hating women.
Tolenn and Terri descend the steps, unleashing the holy powers of their respective deities on the faux-dancing zombies. Three of the six fall from the multi-colored onslaught, while three remain upright, copious amounts of smoke rising from their undead flesh as they start to shamble towards the group.
Amira thins the ranks to two as she throws her weapon at one of the remaining creatures, the kunai burying deep into the zombie's eye socket, dropping the creature in its place as its link to unlife is broken.
Wednesday brings up the rear, confident that the priestess and paladin can handle everything.
The remaining two zombies shuffle forward, one attacking Tolenn, the other Terri.
A figure reveals itself as it fires a crossbow at Terri, the bolt letting out a horrendous screech in its path before thudding deep into the priestess, the pain intense as the missile thuds into her stomach.
The woman appears to be a fairly attractive elf, though it is difficult to tell with the ridiculous motley outfit she has on. She laughs crazily, turning about and disappearing down the southern passage to the party's east. "You shouldn't ruin my dancing nobles!"
Summary:
Zombie 1 - 8 damage
Zombie 2 - 8 damage
Terri - 24 damage, shaken
Terri pulls the bolt out and breathes heavily as blood seeps out of the seam in her armor.
"Get her," she screams, her voice cracking in pain.
"A mockery. This is a mockery that should burn," she grates as she raises her holy symbol. Golden ghosts dance as a bell rings clear and bright. Holy fire traces the path they take. Gold and silver light shines from her glaive and her holy symbol.
Cursing his own reticence at joining the fight till now Daud does as Terri commands and chases after the woman.
There is a snarl of anger as Terri is hit followed by a rustle of movement as Amira descends a few steps before leaping into the air, literally jumping and sailing over her companion's heads to land at the bottom of the stairs, starknife in hand, running after the fleeing woman.
"You're going to pay for that b*%~+!
Tolenn crouches down next to Terri, gripping her about the shoulders, "Come, Terri, we must expunge this evil creature from the world."
A warm sensation comes from Tolenn's hands , giving Terri energy and vitality...
Terri calls upon Shelyn's divine might to eradicate the remaining zombies assaulting the group after taking devastating wounds.
Tolenn grips Terri's shoulders, healing energy closing some of the woman's worst wounds and taking away the woman's slightly frightened condition.
Wednesday and Amira dart off in chase, the slayer hopping over the others and quickly darting through the home, the ranger in her wake. As Amira turns south, she sees a large kitchen with two corpses sitting at a prep table, carving at a nude human corpse with an apple stuffed in its mouth.
Amira sees the long-legged elf dart through an opening to the west and follows, right on the woman's heels. The lunatic looks back and laughs, obviously thrilled to be chased.
"What!? You don't want a slice of the roast? Tehehehe!"
The woman takes a step away, potion in her hand. She then drinks it, her form fading once again. The zombies shuffle forward from the table, swinging their weapons at the ranger. Wednesday ducks under the first attack, but isn't able to avoid the second.
Summary:
Terri - 20 damage
Wednesday - 6 damage