Jerukh blinks momentarily;
I was sure I saw a jar of jam...
He snaps out of his daydream at Emi's mention of his name;
"Yes. They might well have some characteristic I could use... Vigny if I may?"
The tall alchemist flashes his awkward smile at Emi's tease before seeking to examine the crystals closer.
"Which one has useful characteristics - the crystals or the women?" There is only a hint of a smile on her face.
Picking up on Reiko's comment, Vigny purrs "Use me for what?" with batting eyelashes.
She hands the crystals over to Jerukh with a very innocent smile.
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"I'm sure the specifics are too graphic for Soli and me, Vigny. It's always the quiet ones that have the most sordid appetites. And Jerukh is very, VERY quiet."
:
Jerukh tries to ignore the bawdy banter, gritting his teeth in embarrassment as he examines the crystals;
"This vater is freezing," Emi declares bouncing up and down and wiggling her hips as if trying to shake some warmth down into her feet, "how much longer vill ve hafe to vade through it?"
They are just ordinary rock crystals, worth about 20 to 30 gold all told.
The chambers that Reiko can see have four skeletons sprawled about the floor and leaning against the walls of the cave. The water isn't as deep, and dry, if water and algae slick rock can be called such, land can be seen to the northeast and the passage to the southeast. The air hear is colder and the chill water is black like a starless night.
"I'm sure the specifics are too graphic for Soli and me, Vigny. It's always the quiet ones that have the most sordid appetites. And Jerukh is very, VERY quiet."
Vigny makes a mock comic gulping sound in response to Reiko's remark, but also gently pats Jerukh's forearm to reassure him.
+++++++
Vigny sloshes along after Reiko. When she spots the skeletons, she comments back to Emi "Less water, more creepiness if that's good news."
Reiko sheathes her katana and draws the wooden replica. She spins it briefly, adjusting to the different balance of the 'blade', before moving forward.
Deep in thought at the nature of the crystals, Jerukh shoots his companions a jaundiced look at their bawdy jibes;
"(Sigh). We need to focus... Those bones might provide fodder to our necromancer yes?"
The half orc draws his club and moves toward the sprawled skeletons with caution...
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The skeleton does not notice Jerukh moving up on it with his club.
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The ronin looks askance at the alchemist. "My focus has been exemplary."
The armor is of Minkaian make.
Oh, and there are two more skeletons in the water near where you came in for a total of six.
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Reiko gives Jerukh a funny look, "There are two more skeletons in the water just there." She points to a spot behind them. She turns serious, "And this one is wearing Minkaian armor. Perhaps he accompanied the chest?"
Jerukh scowls at Reiko's sarcasm;
"We mulled the potential of a necromant being involved yes? I thought to limit the danger of raw materials rising to combat us..."
He shakes his head and adds his own wry comment;
"Far fetched I know... Given how the zburdalnică... "goblins" faced skeletons... and lo! We have found skeletons..."
The alchemist crouches at the first skeleton, attempting to discern what might have killed its wearer;
:
"Be careful, Jerukh," Emi calls out with enough concern that it's obvious she too is worried the skeletons might attack.
a bladed scarf and freezing rays, a fat lot of good I'll be if we have to fight skeletons...
It's not THAT cold, if you invest in quality footwear... I wonder how long I should wait to ask for those crystals back?
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Jerukh easily determines that the rusted short swords, that appear to be in a style similar to Reiko's blade, probably did the deed. Judging by the skeletal hands grasping the hilts, it was a mass suicide.
Reiko looks over the armor, seeing if the suit is salvageable.
"I hafe a bad feeling about this..."
Reiko proffers a small smile, "That's encouraging news."
Jerukh scowls at the bones of the dead;
"Why would they take their lives? Here? In this misbegotten place? Enthrallment of this necromancer perhaps..."
The half orc rises up, a troubled look upon his tattooed features... then addresses Reiko;
"Is this a custom of your people?"
"Suicide?" Reiko returns to look more closely at the body Jerukh stands over. She bows deeply to the corpse she all but ignored before, and then responds to the alchemist. "There are many facets to your question. I am not Minkaian so I don't know many parts of their culture... but we do share a similar martial tradition called bushido. Within that tradition... yes, suicide is permissible, even honorable, depending on the circumstances." She glances at the dank environment and frowns. "If there were time, parchment, and ink - he would have composed his death poem and possibly his will just in case his body was ever found. In this wet place, it would have rotted away. Pity."
She considers how much more to say. "It is possible he was compelled to kill himself. But he would have also done so if he had gravely failed in his duty, or if he believed he was about to be captured, or if his liege lord ordered him to."
As the discoveries and conversation turn grimmer Vigny keeps quiet, determined to stay focused on looking about for danger.
Jerukh continues to crouch at the first skeleton wearing a concerned scowl.
The alchemist draws his club, turning to answer the others before continuing his plan to crack the latent bones;
"Mmm. Compelled or otherwise we may never know. I plan to shatter these fallen bones... to stop them being used again..."
He holds his club strike, before asking his companions a final question;
"Unless any of you have issue with me damaging these remains?"
"If his corpse was used for evil, I think his spirit would be pleased that you stopped such an act." Reiko returns to scouting.
"No complaint here. It's really surprising animals haven't done worse to them already. Actually it's kind of worrisome that they're looking so good."
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Jerukh's blow is perfect, save that it never lands. An impossibly strong hand grips the alchemist's wrist as the skeleton he'd been about to cave the skull of in and its fallen brethren rise and pull the rusty blades from their ribs. Blades, now that they are in the open, that appear to have been freshly coated in blood. Their eyes glow red in the shadows of their ruined helms and a raspy chorus of impossible voice come from them.
"You will not steal what is ours to guard, theives!"
The ronin hadn't had much practice in fusing her weapon and open hand combat styles.. and it showed. She lunged at the skeleton rising behind Vigny, leading with a ill-timed bokken strike followed by an off-balance kick.
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"No, no, no..." Emi protests as the skeletons begin to move.
I really am not going to be any help against these at all...
She repositions herself next to Jerukh and Soli to at least help prevent them from being flanked, and she begins shielding herself with her scarf.
The skeletons do not heed Emiliana's protestations. They rattle as they move in a ghastly mockery and press their attack. Thankfully, ruined blades fail to pierce Vigny's armor as four of them swarm her. The one Jerukh had tried to destroy fumbles with his weapon a moment before it plops into the water. Reiko, however, is not so lucky. A deft thrust catches her just below the shoulder to leave a nasty scratch on her arm.
"We failed! We have been dishonored and now you shall join us in our eternal shame!"
The skeleton rising out of the water right beside her startles Vigny, but this turns out to be a good thing. It puts her on her guard before the others, rising and marching toward her, arrive.
She fends off their attacks with sword and tankard, but she also knows she was lucky to do so. Nearly surrounded, she decides she has to to some room to maneuver, a way to keep her back safe while getting her foes all in front of her.The lone skeleton to her right is the big problem in that regard so she lashes out at it with her sword.
Reiko shrugs off the furrow in her arm with a stoic grunt. "Your dishonor is your own, and it will die with you." Then she delivers a sweeping overhand blow with her bokken followed by a stamp kick to the corpse's chest.
As his skeletal foe drops their weapon, Jerukh mirthlessly brings his club to bear;
:
:
Emi moves up next to Reiko and Vigny . Taking a defensive stance, she attempts to distract the skeleton Vigny is attacking in order to open a hole in its defenses...
...but aims so poorly that nobody can even tell what she's attempting.
Soliana, Vigny, and Emiliana all find that blades are poor weapons against bone, and not a one of their strikes even slows the skeletons.
Jerukh, though, caves the head of one of them, robbing it of whatever force had given it life and dropping it back into the pool. Reiko does even better, smashing the skull of one with her bokken before twisting to crush another skull with her elbow.
The remaining three skeletons are seemingly unfazed by the demise of their fellows and drop their blades to tear into Vigny with their claw-like fingers. Most of the strikes fail to land and get past her armor, but the last one snakes in and leaves three minor cuts on her side as the fingers yank on the chain of her armor.
Reiko slides over, giving Vigny an avenue of escape, if needed. Her bokken is a whirlwind of strikes as she tries to penetrate the defenses of the skeletons surrounding them.