Lorena once again takes the full force of the negative energy, but that doesn't stop her from noticing the strange happenings. "What was that? Did you see that?" Lorena searches her memory for any hints while stabbing away at the enemy.
Lorena recalls that these are a lesser demon who in habit the bodies of the dead.
Terry's arrow connect solidly with the reaming thing, ripping away chunks of flesh. Lorena rocked by the negative energy is unable to bring her long spear to bear in an effective way to damage the creature
”Just die already!” Without the curse sapping his strength, Khaz fought his mace above his head ready to bring it down with all of his might.
Firinn continues to shoot at speed, but as he pulls the second time his bow string snaps! Cursing the archer whips a second one out and begins restringing the bow, but his shot was hopelessly wild.
Since her foe (Red) has vanished underground, Jocasta moves around Khaz to engage the other one.
Khaz moves a head his weapon smashes in on the remaining meat bag, the vicious blow tears a large rend in the skin. A similar worm creature falls out, Firinn seizes his chance and put an arrow right into the creature.
The now Demonic worm movs over to bite at Lorena.
THe Red hued worm bursts from the ground near Terry, as it does waves of sickening miasma flow out into the group again.
”Oi! I said die!” He bashed the creature once more with the holy weapon, which was now covered in the blood of the impure.
"Disgusting, these demons." Lorena srikes out as the second worm closes in on her, but then she's hit with the energy again, forcing her to step back and heal to keep in the fight.
Khaz ends the green hued demon by the doors, squishing the worm flat. Lorena turns and pierces the other demon, her Cold Iron long Spear parting the flesh of the demon easily. Silence falls as the Grey Garrison looms before you.
The skin of the slain Lord Hulrun and the other man lay where they were discarded by the demons
Khaz, with the battle won, went down on one knee and prayed. A ripple of energy went across the field, healing the wounds of his comrades.
Jocasta wipes down her sword and says, "Thank you, Khaz."
Regarding the discarded skin-husk she says, "Lord Hulrun... deserved better. Nobody deserves this." She bows her head briefly and murmurs, "Iomedae, see these two through to their just reward, having died in the face of this holy crusade."
"We should bury these bodies. I know it will take a little time but they deserve better, and besides, it's practical - bodies left in the open spread disease and attract more demons and vermin."
Khaz looked at the bodies critically. ”Traitors don’t deserve it.” He signed. ”Unless the demons just wore their skins...” He trailed off. ”Aye. Do it quick. A cairn, we don’t have time nor the tools for digging. We will secure the area while ye do it. We’ll take this methodically. No rushing into ambushes.”
Jocasta sheathes her sword and does her best to drag the bodies to one side and stack stones and rubble over them, then cleans her hands on a rag and says a short benediction for the two.
"I don't know about anybody else, but those things nearly put me down with their dark energies. I've been hoarding something that we might need to use today." He pulls a wand from out of his pack. "I can make it work every now and again, if I need to, but I bet you, Lorena, can use it much easier. Maybe Khaz, too. Not sure. One of you want to try to help us prepare for whatever's next?"
He won't say anything, but he'll help Jocasta cover the skins.
Then he'll turn to look at the doors, and up at the window. "We can go either way, assuming one of us can get the grapple through that window. Which would you rather?"
The young man shrugs as he sets his pack on the ground next to the door. "More full frontal assault. I really don't understand the attraction . . .," he almost mumbles to himself as he starts investigating the door.
Firinn helps with the cairn as Rio flies passes over the building, stretching her divinely boosted senses to locate anything inside.
"I can use the wand in a pinch." Firinn offers when Terry produces it.
Rio flies around, the top of the building is slate tiles on the roof to keep them from catching on fire, looking in the small hole Rio doesn't see anything worth reporting back.
The cairns are built and the bodies should be fine till you have cleared out the area and can return them for a proper burial.
”In we go then.” Khaz took point, trusting his armor to keep him safe from any sudden assault.
"Thanks, Terry," says Jocasta with a tired smile. She wipes the sweat from her brow as she finishes piling stones for the temporary cairns, then draws her blade again.
"All right. I'm ready. Let's crack this nut."
Terry takes the time required to work through the lock, confident that he is continuing to demonstrate why nobody on the team should be trusting him . . ..
"There. That should have it. They'll know we're here, though."
"Wouldn't be any fun if they didn't." Firinn deadpans. Behind him Rio hovers in the air, her wings sending tiny breezes through the dust on the floor.
A door to the left is closed and there is a hall way to the right.
Lorena steps carefully behind the front line, eyes and ears mostly open. Kneeling down to look at the ground, she observes, "That blood - recently shed. Be careful."
"Closed door or open hall? I vote left unless there's an obvious reason otherwise, so I think I would rather try the door than the hall, for now."
Firinn nods to Terry's suggestion, but stays facing the open hallway with a cold iron arrow on the string, guarding the group's rear.
Terry finds the door is locked, after a few quick seconds with his picks Terry pops the door. To his Surprise the door slides open and a knife stabs out at him.
Jocasta advances beside Terry and takes a wild swing around the corner of the doorway.
Shuffling can be heard in the room, grunts that sound like orders or quick communication.
"Hey! That was uncalled for!" As he pulls his rapier and feigns shock, without rising form his kneeling position, Terry tries to stab the man who just stabbed him . . ..
With a soft incantation, Lorena moves up and taps Terry on the shoulder, sending a warm, tingly wave of positive energy through him. Wordlessly, she regrasps her spear and prepares for the inevitable stabbing to come.
Lorena heals Terry's wounds as Terry's blade sticks into the Tiefling. Grunting with the impact, the Tiefling backs out away from Terry
Khaz moves in interjecting himself into the door way.
Khaz bats the Teifling down in 1 solid blow.
Firinn turns and fires two arrows through the doorway.
One of Firinn's arrows strikes the Tiefling who retreated to the rear of the room, Khaz stands Firm in the door way like a unmoveable boulder.
The Purple cloaked Tiefling moves into postion and Stabs Khaz between some of his armored plates.
Jocasta waits for an opportunity to get back into the fray.
Yellow dives up pasts Khazs defense, striking out at him. The blow fails to penetrate the armored Dwarf.
Lorena also holds behind Khaz, ready to heal him if the need arises.
Terry mumbles "Pardon me" to Khaz as he tumbles over the dwarf and past the two obstacles on either side of the door, swinging around away form the third man in the room before stopping to try an attack . . ..
Terry tumbles into the room, right past both of the Teifling who look a bit shocked that he was able to pull of such a maneauver. Terry's Rapier slides under the arm of the Tiefling drawing a deep wound.
Khaz Turns on the Purple Hued Teifling swinging his weapon at it.
Khaz's blow misses the mark, his mind not quite in this battle.
Firinn continues shooting - aiming for the tiefling that Terry has so rashly attacked.
Moving up to the doorway, Lorena tries to strike at the first enemy she sees , but it's difficult to maneuver her unwieldy weapon in such a tight space.
Firinn's shots just miss their mark because of the wall, Lorenea fares the same as she cannot bring her long weapon to bear around the corner.
Bringing her sword up in a defensive position, Jocasta bulls her way into the room between the two attackers!