Obviously flattered by Torald's words the necromancer shrugs and gets his heavy moneybag out.
Well, I think I have never made such a convenient agreement with any of your kind before. I'll go over to my shop in an instant and search for your Timodeus. Just give me ten minutes in advance and when you follow, I'll have all the necessary information right at hand.
Collecting the money he stroll off, out of the tavern.
[ooc]Time for some group discussion on your further procedure, I'll wait until Alexite and hopefully Randovich and Celina also had their share.[/b]
Whispering to Torald "I hope you'll allow me to split the sum, i wouldn't like to let you pay the total off your pockets alone"
"Give him five minutes only, if he is planning an ambush we catch him short, if he is speaking true we simply annoy him by being early"
With that, Alchering goes back to eating his apple whilst muttering to himself.
The woman looks up and a wide - but partially toothless - grin spreads across her face. She turns around, just to see if you really meant her, then her smile becomes even wider.
Dear sir, I'd recommend the Garrivan 05, the bes' wine we serve. You mus' be new to Ankar Te, Ha'en't seen ye aroun' here.
'Well, good woman,...' Alexite turns at Torald's words and walks away from the bar without a backwards glance.
He watches the scene unfold and when the hideous little man leaves, he approaches the group. 'Well, that seems par for the course. A grotesquery making grotesqueries. I agree with this complete stranger, let's go with the old "my wrist hourglass broke and I thought ten minutes had already passed" routine.' Looking to the elf with the predeliction for felines, Alexite asks, 'Who are you?'
"Who am I...? Truly I have pondered this in my contemplations of the stars and the moon, and where we all truly fit in the great cosmic mystery...oh who amI?
I was at the Shiny Walking Stick, to see what leftovers might be free in their kitchen, or to trade labour for board, but whilst there was a feast to be had there was little spare work...but I have secured a luxurious hay loft as a room in exchange for freshening their food stocks...nature always provides"
"Turns out an Iomedian DID have some work and took me to the Temple to see a Sir Laval, who had a strange tale to tell of a missing person. He said he's sent others, and as I had seen your group leaving as I arrived, I knew who you were"
"So here I am, and there you are".
"A man who digs in filth simply to disturb the natural order of the wheel of life cannot be trusted to be anything other than untrustworthy. He is also smart, he knows his summons would be challenged by two Iomedians, so I'd not be surprised to find that five gold in the hands of hired thugs, thats what I would do."
He takes a fresh bite out of the crisp apple, and continues to regard you.[/i]
"As long as you are here to help, and you aren't something so vicious-looking like the rest of this city you are welcome"
"I too think we should out time him and show ourselves there before time"
As you walk over to the necromancer's shop, you notice that the strange scene on the street has disappeared. The Sczarni bouncers are loudly debating the pro and cons of certain women and of the troll only a quite large puddle of blood is left which is already engrossed by two street dogs.
Entering the Revive for a better life is every inch as morbid as you expected. The air is heavy and scented with exotic, tropical inscences. The place is fully packed with chests and barrels that obviously contain bandages, oils and other things one might need when preparing human bodies.
Opposite of you is a stairwell that leads upstairs and you can see a door at the other side of the room which is still open. Several zombie slaves stand "guard" in the strange saleroom, but the necromancer is nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly one of the zombies grabs a large wooden club that rested at its feet and with a moaning sound staggers towards you - seems like he's the pack leader since the rest follows his example.
"How surprising"
Esfana gathers her spirit and hold thigh on her holy symbol "Iomedae, my Lady, i need your assistance now" she wispers.
I knew he was a rat!
The tall Elf prepares for battle, the cat hisses, flattens back its ears and crouches to engage the Zombies
Alcheringa -
Blaze -
Alcheringa - Attacking G4
Attack - (Power Attack)
Damage -
Blaze - Attacking E5
Attack - Bite
(Trip)- Hits CMD of
Damage
I had to know it, but it was worth a try. Now Iomedaes weather shall chastize him and his breed.
Alexite rolls his eyes at the sight of the advancing zombie. 'Oohh, shocking...'
Initiative:
(Also note that Blaze should have only done 5 points on his initial hit, not 6)
In case -
AoO on standing Undead
Damage
Alcheringa and Blaze 25
Zombies 10
Torald 5
Alexite 3
Esfana 1
Nimbly jumping over some crates and barrels Alcheringa sinks his curve blade deep into the zombie's side. Rotten bones break and the sound and emitting smell are most disgusting. Blaze cross sprints behind his master and claws deep in head and chest of a second zombie. The momentum of the attack and the weight of the cat force the zombie to go down in a furry chaos of paws and growls.
As the zombie tries to stand up the cat again paws at its head tearing of a nice chunk of what was once a handsome woman's face.
Staggering the zombie stands up
Alexite immediately reaches for his rapier, but upon realizing these were zombies, he instead draws his dagger. At a thought, the blade seems to come alive with arcane power. He takes a step to the right and swipes at the zombie in front of him, disemboweling the foul creature, it's putrid guts pouring out from the obscene smile sliced into it's abdomen.
'That is how it is done, Iomedite.' Alexite triumphantly crows at Torald.
Knowledge (religion):
Dagger Attack:
Slashing Damage:
Torald immediate Reaches for His Longsword and trys to ready his shield, but a little bit too slow for the Zombie. As the Zombie reaches him, he swipes with his sword at him, leaving a deep cut across the Zombie's chest.
After a crushing swing of one of the zombies which was favored by the distraction of having a second zombie in his back Alcheringa goes down seemingly unconscious. Only seconds later, he is able to regain his senses through the power of Iomedae , but now he is lying to the zombie's feet an easy target...
Meanwhile Torald and Alexite managed to cut down one of the undead abominations with two quick strikes.
The first seconds of combat cost our heroes nearly one of their party members, who is still in mortal danger, on the other hand they destroyed one of the necromancers minions...
Despite being prone, Alcheringa thrusts his sword at the Zombie to his rear (I2) trying to dispatch it - hoping to kill it before attempting to stand up.
Looking like a frenzied housecat, Blaze bites at the same zombie that has already been put down once (E5), before turning and tearing into the back of the other flanked Zombie(G4) with vicious claws...
Bite (E5)
Damage
(Trip)
Claw (G4)
Damage
Claw (G4)
Damage
With a desperate but even more so courageous thrust, Alcheringa dispatches the zombie that towered over him, while his frenzied cat manages to trash one zombie with her claws to tiny bits and biting the other one that just stood up, its head off.
The dust settles and only heavy breathing reminds you that seconds ago your group got nearly anihilated. As the adrenaline slowly stops to pump through your veins you notice the street noises again...still the backdoor is open and nothing is heard from above.
"That was a bit...close"
Alcheringa staggers back to his feet and mutters an incantation over the heavy wound recieved by the Zombie
Cure Light Wounds
Feeling much more refreshed, he regards the devastation around him with a satisfied smile, and gives Blaze a scratch behind the ear.
"A thanks also to Iomedae and her early interventions"
"I would have liked to help more, but thanks to Iomedae it hasn't been necessary""
"But now i think we should better not being caught off-guard again"
Esfana readies shield and sword.
"How are you doing Torald? Do you need more healing?"
That wollt Be nice, Esfana. I'm wonderingwhere He fled. Upstairs or to the backyard.
"If he went out the back he probably kept going, we should search the rats nest first; upstairs is where we should go"
"We should not be surprised, I never believed he would play fairly, his kind never do"
Muttering an incantation, he readies to climb the stairs...
Esfana casts Cure Light Wounds on Torald
F**KF**KF**K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
T_T
Carefully sneaking up the stairs Alcheringa hears a click as one of the stairboards gives way. Three spikes burst through the board and threat to pierce his feet and shanks.
Save -
3 Ref + 1 Resistance.
"More treachery!"
"Such seems to be our friend's way to fight his battle;Iomedae rightfully hates his kind. Are you all right Alcheringa?"
"There was a trap on the stairs, it appears to have missed my foot, but be wary on your climb"
After the vicious trap on the third step of the staircase, the rest of it seems safe or is just too rusted to work properly.
The first thing you notice of the first floor is the strange stench: It reminds you of rotten meat and indeed, the room is completely full of large tables on which body parts lie.
The room is only illuminated by 3 strange lanterns that emit green flickering light.
There are tables on which arms, legs, torsos etc. lie neatly arranged and one especially large table is reserved for "spare parts" . Dark stains everywhere on the wooden floor and even on the walls augur badly.
The walls are lined with shelves of books and documents and open crates and barrels which contain the same strange tools of trade as the barrels downstairs.
The necromancer is nowhere to be seen and there aren't any more "intact" zombies, or more precisely: Nothing except you seems to be "alive".
Noteworthy is also a large table in the back of the room on which the upper half of a ogre-sized body lies. Arms and patches of skin have been stitched to the body and a human head of a blonde, bearded man.
Arms and patches of skin have been stitched to the body and a human head of a blonde, bearded man.
"This place is an affront to the natural order"
noting the body...
"Hmm what did the missing one look like? Wasn't blonde and bearded eh?"
Hm, I don't know, but let's see, what we can find in his books
"Or maybe if there is some symbol, or pieces of armor with carvings, that give us some clues whether he is Timodeus or not"
Skimming through the documents and books in the bookshelves Torald discovers quite alot of Volumes he can't decipher, though the illustrations inside, body parts and arcane symbols, hint at what they are about.
But there is one shlef that contains a large collection of business journals. Esulan has neatly written down which bodies he obtained when and what happened to them. Entrie look like that:
Falon Waverley Downmarket Zombie worker sold 75 GP 4. Calistril
The shelf seems to be some sort of Archive since the latest volume is already half a year old.
Alcheringa starts looking for a piece of the Necromancers clothing or similar to give Blaze a scent for tracking,then, Alcheringa pauses to utter an incantation and starts scanning the room.
There are lots of things that bear the scent of the necromancer and blaze sniffs attentively at at a patch of black fabric.
You're sure the cat can follow the necromancer's trail now as long as its "undisguised" by other scents.
Minor magical auras can be found here and there on the bodies coming from oils of resistance to save the bodies from natural abrasion.
Just as you finished checking the room via the means of magic you hear someone calling from downstairs:
Ho! Mr. Worsh, sir? Are you here?
After you've finished your investigations a halfling enters the shop. His face is full of smut and he carries a box with tool in his left hand. His clothes are ragged and of poor quality.
Naybe I can help you searching for anything which points to Timodeus. The journals here end a year ago. There must be the actual journal somewhere.
Even though your search was a really profound one, the latest journal ain't here. Maybe it's somewhere else.
Hearing this newcomer from dowstairs, Esfana freezes, doubtful on what to do. For now she just stands still, trying to make as little noises as possible
Alexite looks to the diminuitive halfling with a bemused expression. 'You there. Are you Worsh's body servant? Worsh came to me highly recommended but judging by the slovenly state of his shop and wares, I begin to believe that I have been misled. The least you could do is offer me refreshment while I wait in this pigsty.'
"The latest journal is probably keeping your five pieces of gold company"
Hearing the voice come from downstairs, Alcheringa signals to his cat and they creep to the top of the staircase to ready an attack if Alexite gets into trouble...
The small and dirty figure tries to sweep some smut off his face and peeks around, obviously looking for Worsh.
I'm Bobo, servant of the Great Animater and sir I have to correct you, this shop is very well led and... His gaze freezes as he sees the pile of broken zombie bodies Alcheringa and Blaze left.
Oh my, oh my, Pharasma forbid, what happened here?
Pointing to Alexite
When did you arrive here? Have you seen what happened?
'Are you pointing your finger at me, slip? I'll have it cut off, you impertinent catamite!' Alexite removes his whip from its place on his belt and takes a step towards the halfling. 'You dare to put on airs and attempt to question your betters? This is how Worsh has trained his slaves to speak to potential customers? Come hither and explain yourself boy or I'll take those answers along with strips of flesh from your backside.'