Rocco and Kurglunn simply nod. That will be enough for them...for now.
Valrani sits and thinks for a bit.
"I think if we ask around it is probably best. No sense in diving into a bears lair when you can lay a trap for him on your own ground."
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They knew she was "middle management" in the local church of Asmodeus, what they didn't know was that she had made a name for herself as a master torturer and as an overachiever, raising from humble origins to her current position in just a few years. Also they learnt she had her quarters inside Asmodeus' Cathedral, but she didn't spend much time there of recent, having visited briefly just a couple of times in the last 3 weeks. Digging deeper allowed the Silver Ravens to discover another piece of the puzzle: apparently Aula Tanessen had been assigned to take care of Old Kintargo Cemetery, in Old Kintargo...
A shiny silver here, a whispered word there and finally a meeting in a shady tavern later, it is clear, the cemetary is their next target.
Scratching his clean shaved shin, Morricone looks at the others. "Cemetary. Not the place where I usually do my thing. I heard the inhabitants are dead to humor!"
Rocco rolls his eyes at Morricone's pun, but ultimately agrees on his central point. "Yeah, sounds like the hag's been hanging around the cemetery a lot lately. Could be that's where she's keeping Lucca and any other's she's abducted to help her achieve her ambitions. I say we take a piece of that particular glass ceiling and run it through her black heart."
"I know of the cemetery. Never been inside myself. Respect be for the dead. But if that's where we'll find your friend..."
the Hound looks to the moonlit sky. "No time to waste."
Oren agreed with the Hound. "I prefer to let the spirits remain undisturbed. If we are respectful to the deceased and simply rescue your friend, I believe that would be acceptable to soothe my own soul.". She nodded and was ready to leave as soon as the group agreed.
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You discretely but quickly move towards Old Kintargo Cemetery. Your trip is uneventful and you soon reach it. As you approach you notice no one seems to be around...
Know. Local
Perception
Survival
"Actually, not much undead should trouble us. I forgot that the priests of Asmodeous have kept them mostly in check. And the place looks to be deserted, even better. Look at these tracks leading to that big mausoleum over there! I bet that's where we need to go," Oren points excitedly.
"Stop! I appreciate your enthusiasm my dear Oren, but before we go further, we need to 'Mask' up my pets. No arguments."
Grabbing some clean rags she had gathered from the coffee shop earlier, she hands them out to everyone but the Hound.
She ties one of the improvised masks to her own face easily enough. However, she quickly found her first breath
bursting with the aromas of lye and coffee...enough to widen her eyes and keep her awake for a while.
"Ok...unpleasant...but eye-opening my pretties!"
"What makes you think they have not solved any undead problem with... slavery. It would seem to be a very Asmodean thing after all."
The Hound draws his pistol and cocks it when the tracks are spotted. "Be aware of lookouts."
Looking askance at the Hound, he quickly realizes even behind her mask Lirotha can look daggers.
"This isn't our first dance Mr. Hound. Come my pretties! Let us show the Hound what Ravens can do!"
As the Ravens approach the cemetery, Rocco once again casts a spell on himself and sets his eyes to glowing. Kurglunn shambles along behind the halfling, his alarming appearance covered with a large cloak.
"Hmmm...yeah. Seems the Asmodeans have done at least one good thing for the city. Guess we'll have to break their streak of keeping the dead down, eh Kurglunn?"
Rocco pulls his mask down over his face at Lirotha's prompting and follows her lead of moving stealthily through the cemetery, following the tracks the others had spotted.
Kurlgunn creeps along behind Rocco, doing his best to stay quiet.
The Hound smiles beneath his mask. Then becomes one with the shadows and moves along the cemetery with the Ravens.
Oren takes the crude mask and places it over her face. She follows quietly with the group.
Stealth
Valrani, amazed as always at the stealth of the group, tries not to make too much noise.
She keeps glancing around, waiting for the undead to come pouring out of the ground.
Binding a shawl across his face Morricone follows.
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Only Oren notices the tracks leading to the mausoleum. After Lirotha hands out her mekeshift disguises, the Tien woman guides the others towards it.
The trip doesn't prove particularly stealthy but apparently no one is present to notice the group anyway and in a matter of minutes the Silver ravens reach a huge gothic mausoleum, bearing the half faded insignia of House Sarini.
The party moves near, cautiously. Nothing seems to be out of place but the Silver Ravens notice the gates of the inner chamber don't seem to be locked. It seems the place could not be as deserted as it seems...
Know local
"This mausoleum belongs to the 'Fools of Thrune. They are the jesters and fools you'd see at many macabre events."
Oren moves to about 35' and starts looking more closely.
Perception
Valrani peers over the shoulders of the others.
"Well, we were hoping to find her, weren't we?" she whispers quietly.
The Hound moves silently. He's heard of the House Sarini and their debasement. Their macabre jests at the cost of the unfortunates during public executions.
He moves ever closer to the mausoleum and halts in the shadows of it merely 20ft away when he notices Oren has already stopped.
Seeing her crouch and start looking around he thinks perhaps she has found something and he too takes a closer look at his surroundings.
Staying to the rear of their little group, Lirotha let's the bigger guys take the lead in this little adventure.
"Let us pray to Desna that we encounter no undead here please! Asmodeans and their lackeys are bad enough."
"'Fools of Thrune' is a bit redundant, I'd say. I personally like the 'Lapdogs of Hell' better. Still, one way or the other, the Sarini's are Thrune's for sure. Better believe they're not our friends." Rocco approaches the entrance, Kurglunn at his side. He moves a bit further than the others, allowing Kurglunn to serve as a bit of a distraction, so he can watch out for any changes.
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Before anyone enters the mausoleum Oren and the Hound notice something near the entrance. Closer inspection shows an almost invisible string placed at ankle height. In order to enter the group would need to disarm it or to avoid it.
Once inside the group faces a stone staircase leading into the bowels of the cemetery. Fortunately a few torches lit the passage making the descent easy enough, although it takes a little more than a minute to reach the bottom of the stair and the chamber below. What the would be rebels see see sends chills them. The whole floor is littered with human bones, while a ominous statue depicting some strange skeletal creature...
A shiver goes up the spine of Valrani as she joins the Ravens entering the old building. "So many bad things have happened here..." she whispers "You can almost feel them."
Oren moves slowly over the tripwire. . She drinks her mutagen down, her arms briefly rippling and her eyes bulging. Oren takes a spot st the front of the group, carefully looking around.
Perception .
Lirotha gestures to the statue as she passes it.
"Well, if that's an undead of some sort, that's pretty disgusting."
The Hound takes it slow and easy over the trip wire and defends the stairs. He notices Oren drink something then takes a step back as her frame ripples with power then move to the front of the group. He in turn moves behind her pistol at the ready to give her back up if need be.
Thanking the others for poiting the trap out the young aristocrat carefully steps over the trap.
Rocco and Kurglunn both carefully step over the tripwire. "Better watch this thing on the way back out. Especially if we need to make a quick exit." They enter the mausoleum and take in the macabre surroundings.
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The Silver Ravens easily avoid triggering the trap, enter the mausoleum, descend the stairs and reach the chamber below. Most of them don't notice anything out of the ordinary, possibly expecting a crypt being full of bones. Lirotha knows better though and she can only look in horror as 3 pile of bones suddenly coalesce into fully formed skeleyton. Two armed with bows and wearing a semblance of leather armor and the other, bigger than the rest, wearing heavy armor and brandishing sword and shield!
With an high pitched scream similar to the chattering sound made by spiders the big skeleton roars to life and attacks!
Surprise Round (1 move or standard action) - Bold may act
Piles of bones
Big pile of bones
Lirotha
The skeletal creatures armed with bows take aim at the party while the armored one marches towards it, with sword and shield gleaming in the torches' light...
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Round 1 - Bold may act
Valrani
Rocco
Piles of bones
Kurglunn
Morricone
Big pile of bones
Lirotha
Talon
Oren
Narrowing her gaze at the enemy, Lirotha quickly whispers her Mage Armor spell and shields herself against attack, then hisses at the others who may not be paying attention.
"Ware! Skeletons!"
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Taking advantage of surprise the bluish skeleton archer grievously wounds Valrani unlike its companion whose arrow flies above Kurglunn's head.
Almost at the same time Lirotha reacts casting magic on herself and shouting a warning to his friends as the huge armored skeleton advances on them!
Round 1 - Bold may act
Valrani -8hp
Rocco
Piles of bones
Kurglunn
Morricone
Big pile of bones
Lirotha
Talon
Oren
Rocco pokes his head around from behind Kurglunn's legs and spots the skeletons lining up to continue their assault. Not wanting to get in the middle of the crowd, he unfurls his sling from its place on his belt and loads a bullet.
Gasping in pain Valrani grasps her staff in both hands and charges the red pile of bones!
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While Rocco prepares himself to shoot back Valrani reacts charging at the fartest skeleton once again reducing it to a lifeless pile of bones with a swift stroke of her staff. An action the remaining undead archer tries to make her pay dearly for...
->
... and suceeds sticking Valrani with yet another shaft!
Round 1 - Bold may act
Valrani -13hp
Rocco
Pile of bones (blue)
Kurglunn
Morricone
Big pile of bones
Lirotha
Talon
Oren
Kurglunn watches as the second arrow hits home and a spray of blood erupts from Valrani. In complete terror, he rushes forward to stand between Valrani and the skeletons. He reaches out to either side, effectively making himself a barrier against any attackers. "You no hurt Kurglunn friend anymore!"
Taking a deep breath Morricone starts an epic tale of fight and love in Westcrown, of might heroes and evil fiends
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Seeing Valrani precarious position, Kurglunn's ghostly form coalesces near her interposing itself between the druid and the armored skeleton. At the same time Morricone starts chanting to improve his companion's morale.
The skeleton makes a rasping sound as he advances towards Kurglunn. The ghost promptly tries to smash it but the undead monster shrugs the attack off without apparent effort. Then a voice sounding like a thousand needles stabbing together resonates into the room:"Move aside brother! Let my blade once again taste the blood of the living!" a split second later the creature rises its blade and strikes at Kurglunn!
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The blade cuts Kurglunn's form in half sending the phantasm back to its otherworldly abode in one fell stroke!
Round 1 - Bold may act
Valrani -13hp
Rocco
Pile of bones (blue)
Kurglunn Destroyed
Morricone
Big pile of bones
Lirotha
Talon
Oren
"Gaaaaaahhh!!!" Rocco's cry echoes throughout the mausoleum, his empty hand rising to his head. He doubles over with the pain of his companion being ripped from this plane of existence, and tears begin to streak down his face, though they are hidden by the mask he had donned at Lirotha's suggestion.
"Get down!" The Hound yells walks forward and with a loud crack lets off a shot at the large skeleton heading towards Valrani.
Stepping forward to get a clear shot, Lirotha charges a Harrow card and launches it dramatically at the huge skeletal monster!
Seeing an open charge lane in front of her, Oren charges the undead straight ahead of her and swings a fist at it.
Charging Inspired Mutagen attack
Inspired Mutagen damage