Just saying that if the only thing stopping you from raising undead was the onyx - then I'd 'hand wave' the requirement and let you do it.
"I agree with the walking armory's plan. This town can't be too difficult to sack, but I would rather nobody escapes and warns others of our presence."
"If nobody minds, I'd like to take control of a few of the former guards. Since there is no wall, it's going to be much more difficult to keep stragglers from getting out. I think one of the best things we can do is take care of the horses quietly, and then surround the town and work our way in, slaughtering all the while.
Vesta, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to try and keep any from escaping by floating above the town and impeding movement.
Daemon, I'd like you to try and surround the town with your undead as best you can, and on a signal from Vesta, hopefully in the form of a few orbs of light above town, have them move in and slaughter.
Gathroc, I'd like you to move in quick with your mount and Gabriel and work your way out. I will be doing the same unless some stragglers get out of range of Vesta.
If that happens, Vesta, I'd like you to get within range of me and notify me using a Message. I'll easily be able to catch up with whatever escapes, and return in short order."
"If nobody minds, I'd like to take control of a few of the former guards. Since there is no wall, it's going to be much more difficult to keep stragglers from getting out. I think one of the best things we can do is take care of the horses quietly, and then surround the town and work our way in, slaughtering all the while.
Vesta, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to try and keep any from escaping by floating above the town and impeding movement.
Daemon, I'd like you to try and surround the town with your undead as best you can, and on a signal from Vesta, hopefully in the form of a few orbs of light above town, have them move in and slaughter. In addition, help with any spells you feel appropriate.
Gathroc, I'd like you to come with me and slaughter them as they leave their houses. If any stragglers get out of Vesta's range, we will be leaving the premises to kill them before they get too far.
If that happens, Vesta, I'd like you to get within range of me and notify me using a Message. We'll easily be able to catch up with whoever escapes, and return in short order.
Gabriel, I'd like you to take your hands in first, a minute or two prior to the rest of us, and start from the inside coming out.
All in all, this operation should take a few minutes at the most. The cleanup is the only part that should take a while. Any questions or suggestions?"
Understood. I have no problem with that plan.
Vesta nods her agreement to the plan.
When the time comes she abandons her body to her companions.
She will watch invisibly from above and use message to relay information to her companions. She'll also use combinations Of summon monster III, web, telekinesis, fireball, black tentacles to kill survivors and haste/ddoor to make sure none outrun her or her companions.
The information provided by the captive human proves accurate and the party descends upon the town about an hour afore the dawn brings the sun's flaming orb into the sky. The town is still asleep and there are very few lights to be seen... though the darkness is no impediment to your sight.
Daemon directs his new spawn to surround the town, while Gabriel's servitor hands accompany him inwards to near the church. The town is quiet and still... for now....
Through the telepathic link, Gabriel relays that all are present and ready, and awaits the instruction to unleash the nightmare.
Vesta quietly floats invisibly above the rooftops so she can look for stragglers escaping.
Once the commotion starts she spies a group of 7 or so who seem to be trying to mount some sort of defense. She smiles and calls on the strange creatures of the shadow plane. The men are quickly engulfed in choking darkness which quickly breaks their necks. (Black Tenacles).
She spies a child hiding under a cart as some unintelligent skeletons shamble by. Vesta focuses her anger at the cart which flips revealing the child to the skeletons. They make short work of it. (telekinesis)
In the distance she sees two young lovers holding hands and madly running up a hill toward a distant tree line. She calls upon a diezen of hell which appears by her side. "Kill them." She says pointing to the lovers. The demon's wicked grin shows it's glee in its task.(SUmmon monster III)
When she summons the demon she becomes visible. A crossbow quarrel flies through her form causing her minor pain. She see's the source is a man on a rooftop. She charges him and takes his body as her own. She then steps off the roof in his body, though she quickly gives it back to him after taking a step off the roof.
She spies another group walking through the street with weapons and they seem to know how to use them. With a quick word and a gesture fire erupts around them felling many and wounding the rest. (fireball)
etc etc etc
Once the signal is given, Ignac rides through town, slicing villagers on his way through. As he spies a small, condensed group, they are summarily taken out by Vesta. With a small salute, he returns to his massacre.
As he comes across a family trying to escape, he says, "I don't think you'll be going anywhere." Their hearts stop within seconds as several million volts surge through their bodies.
Ignac continues the bloodshed, piercing one couple at the same time, the man trying to protect his love, and both perishing at the hand of an evil they had never before imagined.
Ignac takes delight in the sheer anguish his aura causes, and proceeds to kill as many villagers as possible.
I send my skeletons and zombies to surround the village making my bloody skeletons focus on the people putting up the greatest fight, I sick my plague zombies on the people that are already wounded or dieing so that more will rise up to join the fight, our numbers swelling as we destroy the town. (Any that are raised that are greater then the number I can control, I will release control of others near someone that can take over their control.) Any that approach me feel my paralyzing touch any skeleton that is critically damaged I touch with my negative energy restoring it to fight again. I laugh as I walk down the center avenue until I reach the church, a frown touches my face "I don't seem to have prepared desecrate this morning. This will have to be remedied."
Gathroc summons his mount, scoops up Gabriel, and rides forth into the heart of the town, where he unleashes his diminutive ally and his tiny army on the unsuspecting sleeping town. He then positions himself near the entrance to the church, and cuts down any who try to seek solace within its hallowed walls.
The group makes short work of the town, neutering any threat that arises with ease. The screams of the villagers echo in your ears as you progress inward towards the church.
Despite Gathroc's nightmarish figure standing sentinel at the entrance to the place of worship there are those within the town who try to reach it's walls for sanctuary. None make it past his eyeless gaze. However it is puzzling that there is no answer from within the church's walls. No signs of life can be felt nor outward signs that there is anyone within.
After the slaughter is complete, the party re-groups at the steps to the church.
Vesta floats down to the assembled group
She'll arbitrarily studies the church. (detect magic) Holy Ground makes her uncomfortable.
"Any issues with razing this place?" She asks to no one in particular.
** spoiler omitted **
Once Gabriel and his minions are deposited in the center of town, they begin systematically causing as much chaos as possible.
Kill everyone. Have fun, kids.
His Hands immediately start scurrying in all directions, the occasional choked scream the only evidence of their passage...
...Gabriel himself stalks around, looking for anyone who might be trying to hide, or rally a credible defense.
These are probably only mortal farmers, but it is worth not taking risks...
He spots a blacksmith leaving his forge, a hefty hammer clasped in both hands, and determination in his eyes as head for a knot of Daemon's skeletons.
We can't have that...
Gabriel takes the man completely unawares, strangling him before he has had a chance to drop his hammer, and reach for his throat.
Later on, he comes across a building that appears to have been a school. His interest piqued, Gabriel enters, and to his delight, discovers a bevy of terrified children, hiding behind the aprons of a handful of terrified mothers.
Well, well. Don't worry, it will all be over soon...
The screams of terror from the living, and the choked cries of fear from the dying echo from the small building, before Gabriel emerges, completely unscathed, and wanders off to look for more victims, a spring in his step.
-----------------------------
When Gabriel rejoins the others at the steps of the Church, he asks:
"Is there any reason we have not razed this building, yet?"
When Gabriel rejoins the others at the steps of the Church, he asks: "Is there any reason we have not razed this building, yet?"
"Churches are places of power, They can be dangerous and I did not prepare Desecrate this morning not knowing that we would be attacking an enemy church today. We need to do this cautiously."
I radiate desecration, so any holiness radiating from this place should be at least supressed by me.
I radiate desecration, so any holiness radiating from this place should be at least supressed by me.
"Excellent" spoken "mr burns" style
I, too, have a similar aura.
"Ignac, carry Gabriel in with you, along with his crawling hands and some of the skeletons and investigate. If there appears to be need for the rest of us, Gabriel can summon us via his telepathy."
The entrance to the church is a pair of double oak doors without any external adornment. There is a common iron wrought ring handle in the center of each door that could be used to gain entry.
Ignac will pull open the doors and walk in.
As Ignac pulls the doors open, you can see the interior of the church. It is adorned simply enough, wooden pews line the hall and there is a heightened area with an altar for sermonising. The back wall has a clear window set into it that provides some interior light.
There is a man in simple brown woolen robes facing the altar with his back to you, kneeling and holding his hands aloft. His head is down, and you can hear him mumbling in prayer. He does not react to your entrance.
I draw my bow.
Perception
Knowledge Religion
There is no visible iconography, which is odd. You are fairly sure that this is not a place of worship for a single god, but more a polytheistic site.
Ignac nocks an arrow, draws, and fires.
The arrow flies true, sinking to the fletching in the man's back near his spine. He utters a cry of pain and slumps momentarily to the side. You hear his breathing become wet and labored as he forces himself back onto his knees and resumes his prayer in-between hacking coughs.
Ignac calls to those outside."You guys might want to see this."
The arrow flies true, sinking to the fletching in the man's back near his spine. He utters a cry of pain and slumps momentarily to the side. You hear his breathing become wet and labored as he forces himself back onto his knees and resumes his prayer in-between hacking coughs.
"Interesting." Vesta chuckles at the man.
Gathroc dons the mask and assumes the guise of a handsome, regal looking elf, then walks over to the priest. "I say man, are you ok? There appears to be an arrow sticking out of your back. What's with all this babbling your doing? Shouldn't you get that taken out?"
The man at prayer does not answer Gathroc, but continues his sermon.
The man at prayer does not answer Gathroc, but continues his sermon.
"Just kill him and be done with it." Vesta chides
"Very well."
Ignac will put away his bow, take out his polearm, and attack him.
"This comin from the girl who likes to posses her victims and play with them before they die." He says with a fiery chuckle. He then taps the priest on the shoulder "I really do think that needs to come up, but your to stubborn to listen so allow me" With that, Gathroc pulls the arrow out, jams it back in, and then pulls it out once more.
"This comin from the girl who likes to posses her victims and play with them before they die." He says with a fiery chuckle. He then taps the priest on the shoulder "I really do think that needs to come up, but your to stubborn to listen so allow me" With that, Gathroc pulls the arrow out, jams it back in, and then pulls it out once more.
"Touche."
The man continues to drone his prayer until Gathroc forcibly removes the arrow. With that the pain grows too much and he cries out collapsing on his side. He takes shallow breaths unable to muster any more strength before put out of his misery by Gathroc and Ignac's strike.
As he rolls over, dead, you see that his eyes remain open and the eyes within have glazed over and appear to have been rendered unusable by cataracts.
"Well if we leave the building up tonight I could desecrate this ground and turn it into a temple of Urgathoa since it is not actually dedicated to any one deity. It's up you you guys though if you want to let it stand that long."
"Well if we leave the building up tonight I could desecrate this ground and turn it into a temple of Urgathoa since it is not actually dedicated to any one deity. It's up you you guys though if you want to let it stand that long."
"I don't care." vesta says in a bored tone.
"In war, the use of fear against ones enemies is often the strongest and only weapon one need use. Establishing a church to your dark mistress is a sound tactic. We can even turn this town into an outpost of Geb."
As you see fit. I have no problem with waiting. Whilst we do so, I will take 'inventory' of our new supplies, and liberate my new Children.