Harek swings his morningstar at the critter again, favoring a more deliberate attack this time.
to hit, flank damage
Lothalian will shoot another arrow at the creature
and watches as his arrow embeds itself next to Ordrud's stone.
Rask forgets the wounds he is suffering and keeps pounding at the Mephit.
Seeing his chance, Kazmir moves up the stairs quickly, panting with exertion. It had been a long climb into the uppermost reaches of the belltower. When he finally reaches a good spot he casts Create Water at the charred wood below the fiery creature, hoping to stop the dried wood from catching.
11/13
Rask swings and hits the mephit, but his axe does not do enough damage to overcome its resistance. Lothalian shoots an arrow, and it misses. Kazmir moves up and creates water where the wooden tower is starting to smoulder which puts out the fire. Harek swings with his morningstar and damages the creature again. Sirasa uses her last heavenly fire against the mephit and damages it. Ordrud also moves further up the tower and again uses his sling but he misses the creature.
The fire creature angered that the wood is no longer smouldering attempts to hit Rask again, but both claws miss.
With Rask and Harek flanking the creature, Lothalian and Ordrud using their range weapons the final mephit is downed, and the group heads to the top of the tower, to inspect the bells and the wooden structure. The tower and bells all seem to be intact.
"Good work master Harek! We sure teach them what dwarves can do."
He looks from the tower to see how things are below.
Kazimir sighs relief as he sees the fire go out. They had managed to destroy the creatures without any damage to the church. For the first time, the druid wonders how the townsfolk are doing outside.
"Rask, let me heal you. Those claw marks look painful". The druid approaches Rask and casts Cure Light Wounds]. After that he speaks, "What do you think is happening outside, down below?.
Those little creatures were tough, but it looks like we completed the task we were given. I suggest we head downstairs to see if Juriendor needs help recovering the Moonshard or if our services are needed outside. The Elf offers.
Rask thanks the halfling.
"Very considerate from you, my friend... yes, it sting a little."
Ordrud stows his sling and readies his longsword and shield. "With the bell tower secure, let's return to the ground floor. Maybe some far-sighted ones should see if there is a view from the tower top." Ordrud leads the group downstairs.
"An unholy combination of undead skeleton and fire mephit." Ordrud replies with a shrug.
Harek sheathes his morningstar and shield for the moment, climbing up to the top to take a look out and see what is going on outside.
"Very true. Not much kin stan' in da way of a dwarf set on smashin' what for. Good work all 'round, actually!"
Harek beams now that the danger has passed, thrilled to have been in combat once more.
perception
Looking out from the tower to the ground below, Harek and Rask see that there is a battle of some sort going on below. There are many shapes moving around, some slow moving and some not. One group seems to be trying to herd another group into the cathedral, but is not successful as they are being counter attacked.
While they are looking Kazmir heals Rask, while Ordrud and Lothalian get ready to lead the group back down to the main floor now that burning down the tower has been abated.
Both dwarves have to rely on their dark vision as it is moonless and starless.
Kazimir shivers as they look out into the inky darkness. It is almost like a mine...the druid starts and says to the group,"The darkness is not natural. Too dark for cloud and snow...there is something out there causing it! We should hurry."
Lothalian listens to Kazmir as he heads down the stairs. Perhaps Juriendor knows something about the darkness. The Elf tries to think of some religious reason for the darkness but his mind is too addled from the combat with the fire mephitis.
"A battle! Our talents are needed out there! Let's go!"
Harek moves down the stairs as fast as he safely can, jingling and clanging all the way.
Rask runs behind Harek, storing his waraxe and picking up his longbow in the process.
Leading the way downstairs, Ordrud adds to Kazmir's observations, "Many light based ceremonies conclude as dawn is about to break."
When Lothalian hears Ordrud's observation he snaps his fingers. You are correct, Ordrud! I knew something seemed 'off', but I couldn't place my finger on it.
Quickly moving down the tower stairs, you reach the main floor. As you get there you spot two acolytes emerging from the stairs that lead below, the same stairs Juriendor went down earlier. They look battered and bruised and stumble toward you.
One of them says, “The crypt, the dead that dwell there...they have always protected our cathedral. They have been turned, made to rise up against us! Can the gods have forsaken us?” The other man attempts to calm down his brother, speaking in hushed tones. “We became separated from High Priest Juriendor. He pushed ahead, searching for the moonshard. He said that we could all die without it. We were...set upon by the dead of the crypt and now I fear we may never see our Juriendor alive again; he disappeared into darkness. Please, go in search of him! Our healing is spent and I fear all we can do now is pray to our god to save us all from this evil.”
Meanwhile, outside, battle rages against the undead. The village guard seem prepared, forming a circle around the cathedral, but now skeletons have appeared to bolster the attack and occasionally slip through the gaps, they begin to enter the cathedral. The calmer acolyte continues, "My friends, go to Juriendor's aid. We have our maces and have trained in hand-to-hand combat for many months." He twirls his mace skillfully as if to prove he can handle himself. "There are just a couple of undead here, but many more in the crypt below. You'll need all you've got to win through!" As the two acolytes charge toward the staggering skeletons, one fights while the other manages to push the main doors closed, with skeletal arms crushed between them as another creature slips in, joining the fight. You hear, “May the gods give strength to your endeavors!”
Undead!? The Cleric says with a scowl on his face. Let us go down and follow Juriendor's trail and destroy these undead! Lothalian says as he heads to the stairs the acolytes came up.
Before the acolytes charge away, Ordrud asks, "Undead? If there are more skeletons, we could use some heavy maces. Do you have any extra for us? Rask and I could use one."
If the answer is no or there is no answer, Ordrud sheathes his sword and leads the group down the stairs the acolytes came up.
Rask winces...
"More skeletons!"
He stores his bow and retrieves his dwarven Greataxe.
"Want me to go scouting the other stair, under the altar?"
"Might not have time Rask. Juriendor is in danger. I say we follow as fast as we can. Who knows how long he will be able to hold off the undead?"
Rask nods.
"Hard and fast as a sledgehammer."
"Welp, this looks like a time to set the old axe up for the moment. Let's get ta smashin'!"
Harek draws his morningstar and shield, ready to lead the charge against the undead.
This bow and longsword might not be much good for skeletons, but Sarenrae will provide me all I need to destroy them!
"We have no extra but there are several small storage areas that have some weapons below. Take what you need." replies the calmer acolyte as the two of them engage the skeletons that came in the door.
As you head down the spiral staircase, you come to a twenty by twenty-five foot room, with what look to be opened secret doors in the north and south wall. Thru each of the doorways, you see a small, green-skinned creature, clad in an iron breastplate, and it moves towards you, an unpleasant stench following it.
Kazmir UP
Lothalian will step in front of the door and fire an arrow at the creature and watches as the arrow misses.
Ordrud draws his longsword and moves to attack the goblin ghouls. "Be careful, the goblins have been turned into ghouls with paralysis."
"So, axe or morningstar? I'd really like to use me axe if I kin!"
"Axe!"
Rask, dwarven axe in both his hands, will delay to see if Harek or Ordrud need help after the creatures attack them.
Kazmir, seeing undead feels it is better to let Lothalian and the warriors handle this thread so he hangs back to see how the battle develops. Ordrud steps up thru the opened secret door and into the room in front of the ghoulbin. As he enters he feels a wave on negative energy that while it does not damage him, it throws his swing off and he misses the creature. Lothalian steps in front of the southern open secret door and fells the same strange negative energy that Ordrud did, and it throws his aim off and he misses the creature. Rask, holds steady with his axe in hand and waits to see which of his companions might need some backup. Sirasa, uses her last spell to put mage armor up in case she needs to step in and help with her morningstar.
The ghoulbin on Ordrud tries its bite/claw/claw on the half-orc, but all three attacks miss, however the creature in front of Lothalian steps up and his bite and one claw hit the elf.
Harek steps up and moves Lothalian out of the way, feeling the same negative energy affect, and it throws his aim off enough so that he misses the ghoulbin.
Kazmir UP
Ordrud swipes again at the wiley ghoulbin. This time his first crusade longsword connects destroying the undead.
He steps toward the door and opens it.
Rask moves next to Harek and attack the Ghoulbin.
His attack misses the creature for a short distance.
Lothalian, his wounds stinging and feeling a bit sick, let's those better at martial matters remove the remaining ghoulbin.
Kazmir waits a moment, then moves up into the room where Ordrud killed the ghoulbin and watches the warriors back. Ordrud kills the ghoulbin in front of him then takes a step and opens the door and sees a small room that appears to be a living quarters as it has a small bed, dresser and table. There is another door on the other side of the room. Lothalian feels sick after taking a bite and claw from the ghoulbin, but other than the general knowledge that ghouls carry disease, he is not sure which one it is. Rask moves up next to Harek but swinging at the partially covered creature throws off his swing and he misses. Sirasa looks for an opportunity to help, but with Harek and Rask blocking the way, there is no place for her to swing from.
The ghoublin in front of Harek, breaks thru his armor and bites and claws the dwarf, damaging him.
Harek, wounded by the creature returns the effort and kills it so it is dead, again.
Fort (+2 vs poison/disease)
Harek, You look hurt. Let me call upon Sarenrae to heal our wounds.
"I've another door here." Ordrud whispers to Kazmir hoping to keep some element of surprise. The half orc steps to the door and opens it.
Rask advances and opens the door at the end of the secret room...