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Terri is able to determine the nature of the suits of armor, but the robe remains obscure.
The wine bottles are widely distributed about the footlockers. Apparently, it's a popular vintage and not the collection of a lone wino.
"As much as I hate it, you have a point. We're no help to the city infected." Amira says reluctantly picking up one of the masks. "Everybody ready?"
"Yeah." Wednesday says while donning a mask.
"But there are four masks, and five of us. How do we decide who's going in without that protection," Terri asks.
Pausing Amira thinks for a moment before tossing the mask in her hand to Cassandra. "I'll go without. I'm pretty lucky, I can delay the onset of a disease even on the off chance that I were to catch it, and besides....the city'll protect me."
"Can you delay it in others?" Wednesday says as he goes to remove his mask.
"Just keep the mask on. We don't have time for that nonsense now." Amira mutters dismissively.
Wednesday just shrugs before handing the mask off to Park.
"Oh I'm certain of it," Terri agrees with Victor, "probably so much so that we'd best make sure he has room for some humble pie. After seeing what you're capable of, I don't think that will be as difficult as I had imagined. Have you ever considered working the stage, Victor?"
"I watch plays every now and then, used to watch a lot as a brat...never considered joining. Doubt I'd get along with those that work there" Victor rapped his knuckles on the breastplate they've removed from the corpse "Why? You like the show I put up for the Grey Maidens?"
"There are some more masks in the first area where we fought the first group of Grey Maidens and physicians...I can go and grab them if you'll wait" The sorcerer turned towards the door they came from but otherwise remained in place.
Cassandra picks up the robe and examines it, curiously.
"This sort of looks like it could suit you, Ami! All mysterious and broody."
Cassandra flips the robe on and crouches, covering her face with part of it.
"I am the city's fist! I am JUSTICE!"
Amira manages to hold her serious expression for all of 5 seconds before she cracks, the smile spreading across her face as she shakes her head in amusement. "You've got the scowl all wrong." she says laughing.
"Should it look more like mine or Victor's?" Daud asks without thinking, almost non-sequiturly.
"I guess we'll have to compare when he gets back," Terri says with a grin, "but Cassandra doesn't seem to be the type who can keep a straight face."
Cassandra flips the robe on and crouches, covering her face with part of it."I am the city's fist! I am JUSTICE!"
Aside from being a very nice fit, Cassandra notices it changes once she's wearing it - at least to her eyes.
Cassandra draws off the robe and considers it.
"Wow. So, who wants a bunch of temporary undead minions? 'Cause I've got zombies AND skeletons of multiple species that can be summoned form this bad boy."
The shadows by the entrance grow slightly darker and deeper as familiar footsteps to the party drew closer. Victor entered the area at a non-hurried pace. His left hand was in his pocket and his right held all the masks they've found in their first battle since they came here. On his faced was his usual frown "These along with the ones here should be enough for all of us" The shadow mage began handing out the masks to the party and finally placed one on his face, he craned his neck to the left slightly then tapped the mask with a finger "Will take some getting used to"
"Well I am Ustalav..." Wednesday says half-heartedly while holding out his hand. While he personally had never really had a problem with the unliving due to his upbringing he was interested in seeing Tolenn's reaction.
Terri shudders when Cassandra mentions what the robe's magic can do.
"Please, please tell me you're joking," she says as visions of Carowyn Manor as a charnel house come back to mind.
"Why would anyone want to treat the bodies of the dead that way is something I never will understand."
Victor's masked face turned in Terri direction "What are ya talking about?" He asked his voice sounding somewhat confused.
"She is talking about using that cloak's majicks to create a legion of undead minions. " Tolenn answers Victor's question.
Turning her gaze upon Cassandra, "Cassandra, everyone, that cloak should be destroyed, it's evil magic expunged from the world. " her voice calm and level, but her gaze intense with feeling.
"Is it evil in and of itself or just Necromancy?" Daud asks, again, not really caring one way or the other.
"I'd understand if it was just necromantic blasts or some other spells, but making corpses fight for ya?" Victor Turns his head towards their destination "That leaves a bad taste in my mouth" The sorcerer placed his hand on the back of his neck and started massaging it "If ya want it made into ashes I'll be happy to be yer torch"
"The raising of the dead is an evil act, Wednesday." Tolenn says simply.
She nods to Victor, then looks to Cassandra.
"I was under the impression the robe created them, rather than actually raising-" he stops mid sentence as he turns to look at Tolenn. "All raising of the dead?"
"None of the corpses are human." Cassandra says as she tosses the robe to Tolenn. "Or elven or dwarven or anything like that. There are goblins, orcs, dogs, horses... I don't think it is evil, maybe, but I've got no problem with destroying it."
The materials used isn't the problem, Daud wanted to say, but was too focused on what Tolenn would or wouldn't say in response to his question to actually speak his mind.
Seeing where Wednesday was going, Tolenn eyes soften and she says, "No, Wednesday ,not all raising of the dead. I misspoke. The evil intent comes from the transformation of a deceased creature into an undead monster, intelligent or otherwise. The calling back of an individual from Pharasma's gentle grasp is another matter entirely."
She turns to Cassandra, "The nature of the corpse is irrelevant. The natural order is displaced by such magic. "
"Okay, thank you... for reaffirming that." he says softly.
Tolenn allows the tossed robe to strike her and fall to the ground in a pile.
She looks down at the robe then back up at Cassandra, smiles, then says "We can leave the disposal of this...garment..until we've finished our work here."
She looks to her friends for their reaction to her suggestion.
Wednesday will nod back to her.
In silence Victor moved to the center of the formation and there he waited for the group to continue into the depths of the supposed hospice.
"Works for me, as does any available fire source along the way I suppose." Amira says with a smirk and she twirls one of her starknives. "Ok, lets do this!"
Cassandra slips on the very stupid looking mask.
"All set."
Through the door is a peculiar sight. At first, it gives you the impression of a room full of the living dead, rotting faces sneering and broken fingers clawing at each other. Rotting bodies line the floor, shattered forms twitching with bones and splintered appendages grasping. Then you realize that much of that is behind a clear layer of what appears to be glass and that it serves as an art piece - the mangled living dead trapped behind walls and beneath a floor of glass.
There are also, however, real threats in the room as well. Four intact zombies shuffle about the room, their heads turning when the door opens.
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Cassandra slithers around Amira and peers into the room.
"Let me soften them up for you." the teleporting mage announces cheerfully.
"Sim sim salabim!" Cassandra's voice thunders as she mimes tossing a stone into the room.
Stones appear in the air - rocks and pebbles. They fly and bounce everywhere, pinging off walls and ceiling, floor and zombies. When the dust clears... literally... the entire floor is covered in rubble. It looks like there's been a landslide in there.
Cassandra's Spell List for today
4th (2/day) - Dimension Door, Secure Shelter
3rd (4/day) - Force Anchor, Mad Monkeys, Returning Weapon (Communal), Storm Step
2nd (5/day) - Dimension Hop, Shunt, Stone Call, Returning Weapon, Web Shelter
1st (6/day) - Stumble Gap, Summon Weapon, Mage Armor, Grease, Abundant Ammunition, Pearl of Brilliance, Torchbearer, Unseen Servant
Terri moves towards the other door and touches Wednesday on the shoulder along the way.
"Shelyn, I ask that you grant us a little of your divine grace."
Wednesday cranes his neck ever so slightly but when he doesn't feel that all too familiar and pleasant warmth wash over him he simply sighs and slumps his shoulders in a shrug.
The crashing rocks batter the zombies, a treatment they stoically endure even as small bits of dead flesh are scraped away. Their movement is, however, hampered by the debris as they stumble forward. They press forward to cluster at the open door, though none moves there quickly enough to have time to attack Cassandra.
Striding through the other entranceway Wednesday trudges up just barely to the zombies in time to hack at one.
Victor could be heard taking a deep breath. The sorcerer walked wordlessly and halted once he was behind Amira, he leveled his gaze in the direction of the walking corpses and focused on the stream of eldritch of power that ran through him. He directed his magic through his shadow as he had done numerous times and watched elongate but still roughly keep his shape with a grunt he raised a fist in front of his face and his shadow which was now under the zombie that confronted Cassandra did the same. Except for the fact that the fist rose from the ground and took on substance and form.
Without hesitation Victor snapped his fingers and the newly risen hand did the same causing a spark to appear. That spark quickly grew into a ball of flame.
Round 1
Tolenn moves up to stand beside Amira, able to see the zombies milling in the room beyond.
"I thought the plan was for me to go through first." she grumbles good naturedly to Amira.
She then grasps her holy symbol and holding it forth, exclaims "Be blessed by Saranae's glory!"
A pulse of soft dawn-like light surges from her in all directions...
"It was." Amira replies with a shrug tapping Cassandra on the shoulder and signaling that they should probably fall back to let the heavy hitters through the door. "Now that they're lined up so nicely.." she says stepping back to stand beside Victor, trying not to take notice of the stink of burning zombie.
Wednesday's sword blow lays one zombie low, its toughened hide no match for a slashing blade.
Black smoke billows from the zombie at the door as it too collapses in a heap, the sudden appearance of the flaming sphere being altogether too much for its decaying form.
The remaining two zombies are both bathed in the radiant power of the Dawnflower and though both are badly scorched, neither falls. The glass lining the walls and floor seems to protect the animated parts on the other side thus the necromantic art installation survives to offend aesthetic sensitivities some more.