Perception
Kirk suddenly draws his dagger and readies his shield. "Something is attacking," he says, pointing toward the Belfurth HQ, "a guard is down." He moves immediately for where he saw the attack take place, moving quietly and checking the ground for signs of where the attacker may have gone.
Stealth
Survival
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I see it also Kirk! A shadow of some sort and moving fast.
The Sczarni takes off after the half orc as fast as he could.
"What's the matter?" Solaric asks as Kirk and Cairn flee through the door. "I better follow!" Solaric remarks as he draws his blade and follows.
Perception
Victoria was clearly too involved in what was going on to notice, but once the group starts running, she starts following fast.
What is it? Flofer draws his sword and crashes off in pursuit of the others.
As the others do move away.
Well if we could identify....
Suddenly Johenric realizes that somehow the others are quite far away from him.
What is up? Anybody so kind to let me know what is going on?
Head shaking Johenric follows the others.
Now I have lost my logical line...
As you reach the front door of the head quarter, the shadow is long gone, but the body of the guard is a gruesome proof of what just happened.
The man's head has been turned around with one violent snap...a half circle 180 degrees...you wonder what kind of nimble humanoid creature does possess such a strength...and while you still look down at the body, suddenly the torches on the walls are being extuinguished...one by one...
Kirk growls softly, unphased as the lights go out -- he only adjusts his Orcish eyes to watch for any movement in the darkness that's swiftly advancing.
"Need to get ahead of whatever is knocking out those torches"
Solaric immediately casts light to illuminate the oncoming darkness. He then grips his sword and prepares for whatever may come.
"Stand firm, my friends. The dark evil the surrounds us does not like our presence."
Solaric then concentrates and tries to detect any evil aura in the surrounding area.
Johenric casts detect magic observes the scene...
Cairn holds his position although he's tempted to rush off into the dark after the shadow. In these close quarters he left his musket slung over his shoulder and drew out his pistol and kukri.
You really think that that thing will return to attack us? There's too many easier targets out here.
Cairn spared another glance to the dead guard and shook his head...at least he didnt feel anything...
"If it truly is an undead creature of the night fuelled by the hatred of the living it woill find Solaric an almost irresistable beacon of interest"
Close to you there are only the magic auras you know (your items etc.)
You suddenly realise that Vicky's familiar emits a weak aura of evil. It hasn't done so in the past...
Alarmed by the sudden assembly in front of the HQ door, the mayor opens the door and peers outside - instantly he realizes that the fires on the walls have disappeared
What happened to the guards on the palisade and...oh god...what happened here?
"You might want to stay inside, Mayor, things might get even uglier than that," Kirk points at the dead guard. "It seems that you've got quite a problem on your hands here."
Solaric, with longsword drawn, speaks aloud in an attempt to converse with the invisible foe. "I Solaric Zekkaran stand here and demand that you show yourself. The light shall be cast upon shadow and the good will prevail. Now show yourself that we may see each other plain!"
Johenric moves into a good protected position.
The mayor looks at the guards and sighs
So they made it inside the palisade? Then doom is nigh!
Solaric's challenge is unanswered for a moment, but then suddenly something heavy smashes into the wall to his left - a head! An extinguished torch is stuffed into its mouth and the neck wound looks like the head was rather torn than cut off.
Damn! the mayor shouts in shock and stumbles back into the former taproom Quick, get in here!
"It's either big or strong, maybe both?" Victoria observes as the head comes flying through.
Aye, its both Vicky and it's goading us. We either follow it or it will keep killing innocents.
Cairn was close to running off into the dark and facing the shadow himself despite how foolhardy that might be.
"Have no fear, Cairn. If there is evil about, you can be sure that we will face it! Let's see what we can do."
Solaric leads the others toward the destruction with his sword drawn and prepares to use it when he gets close enough to face this fiend of destruction.
"Eyes on the flanks, we are probably being drawn into ambush"
Kirk nods and follows behind the group on the edge of Solaric's light spell. His eyes pierce the darkness behind them, following Vicky's advice to watch behind them in case of any ambushes.
Perception
Moving to the palisade you feel like being watched...
From time to time you spot at least one...maybe two shadows that accompany you...they move like a mixture of monkeys and spiders, perfect climbers, jumping from the ground on top of a low house without problems.
As you reach the gate everything is dark and quiet - all guards who were stationed here - one on the gate, one behind it on the ground and two on the palisade, are gone.
Trevor shakes his head and whispers
What is happening here? We should sound the horn to alarm everyone that we are under attack, right?
"if they haven't worked it out already they aren't very good guardsmen. Very well, sound your horn, it might have the benefit of drawing our prey to us, I so tire of having to chase them all the time while they run away from us like scared and startled mice"
"You heard her Grace, Trevor. Go sound the horn and I will do the same with my own. It is time to face this evil and let it know that Belfuth stands strong!" Solaric pulls forth his great Rhemoraz horn and blows it loudly, filling the town with its sweet noble sound. "Let us see if this evil dares show itself now!"
Kirk doesn't make a move as he spots the shadows, but moves up to Victoria and says quietly without facial reaction, "We're being followed by something -- a few somethings, really. Like a spider... monkey... something. Hard to see in the shadows, good climbers, staying well in the darkness."
Cairn scanned the darkness hoping for a better view of these...spider monkey like shadows...as Kirk described them.
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We have to do something. These things are slaughtering everyone.
Johenric positioned in the center of the group casts dancing lights. He forms the four glowing spheres of light into a chain (each 10 feet between each light) and directs the chain into the hidden darkness.
Johenric Perception (Low light Vision)
Ivy Perception (Darkvision)
"Good climbers might turn out to be good jumpers too, being caught in the open is what is getting these people killed... never mind, they will be on us shortly I imagine, prepare what spells and potions you might, and maybe some light sources, they seem to take umbrage to light and wish to extinguish the sources... so lets make some light, and then let them come and take them"
After blowing his horn, Solaric immediately heeds Victoria's advice and begins repeatedly casting Light on various structures around the area including some of the extinguished torches.
"Let the Inheritor bring us light!"
Cairn pulls a small stone from his pouch and releases it in the air. The cut stone begins to float around the man's head shedding light like a torch.
The horn call is only answered twice and Trevor sighs
Should have been at least eight...
The sudden illumination of the area around the gate has a strange effect - from outside the radius of your various lightsources, there is hateful hissing and soon vile words are whispered. Some heartbeats later, on the road that leads to the HQ, a group of figures assembles. Human silhouettes, some wearing rags, others shrouds, still others archaic armours or nothing - all in all at least two dozen of them.
Trevor sharply draws breath and whispers
Pharasma stay with us, these are the undead that killed the monsters outside of Belfurth...bloodsucking monstrosities...
"Pharasma stay with us, these are the undead that killed the monsters outside of Belfurth...bloodsucking monstrosities..."
"So these are the undead that have been harassing the people? Let us start with them!"
Solaric stands up and calls forth to the undead. "I am Solaric Zekkaran, Lord of Sinaria, and in the name of Iomedae, I command you to depart this land. Go to the north and fight the enemy who threatens both the living and the dead. Leave the living people of Sinaria alone and bother them no more. Should you harm the living I will have to avenge you with the Warden!"
At this moment, Solaric draws forth his longsword for all the undead to see. "For this blade was given to me to defend this land from the evil that brings darkness to it! Now be gone and bother the people no more or I shall have to call upon the searing light of the Inheritor and use this blade upon you!"
Flofer casts magical spheres of light out in front of the party to illuminate the path and continues with his sword drawn.
Perception:
With the undead souls walking towards them CAirn was more on edge than ever and he was close to breaking the groups formation and throwing himself into the fray. He tried his hand at goading them.
Come on and find death once more!
Johenric casts a spell and points with his finger to the karcaus chosen as well as to Trevor.
After he has disappeared the karcaus chosen as well as Trevor hear the whispering voice of Johenric.
I am in the center of our formation
"Calm, Cairn. There will be plenty of time for violence when they arrive," Kirk says coolly. "We should stay grouped together... try not to get surrounded. And remember," he says, looking at Trevor, "just because they've broken a few necks doesn't mean a blade won't cut them down. This ends tonight.""[/b]
Even though you know about the air of authority that Solaric names his own, you are perplexed by the undeads' reaction. As soon as Solaric addresses them, they begin to curse and hiss defiantly...nevertheless, they slowly retreat and soon the pack breaks up flees into the darkness again...only five seconds later, the road is empty again and you wonder if that what you have just experienced was just a dream or truely reality...
These creatures were surely chaotic
"Well there we have it. They have fled into the darkness. I'm not sure how long it will last, but let's hope they will give the people a little reprieve for a little while."
Turning to Victoria, Solaric asks, "Your Grace, could you kindly send Naga out to investigate with her scent and keen perception? I want to make sure that the undead have really departed."
If Victoria, complies, Solaric, takes her aside and speaks with her in private.
Johenric whispers to the group
I presume the undead are somehow connected to the country Sinaria or they still obey orders from the lord.
Johenric Knowledge Religion
Ivy Knowledge Religion
Johenric Knowledge History
Ivy Knowledge History
"Dear Solaric, you know well of my true heritage, it is plain for all to see. For many years I knew only my father, and knew only of the life of duty and service to society that I would be required to perform, understanding the value of law and order in keeping a civil and productive society, however it is the gifts of my mother that gave me the ability to be of such service to Ustalav."
"As time moves on and my studies of magic become more informed, my relationship with Mother is slowly starting to form, I have the power now o reach out to her, and she to reach back to me... that we may finally speak to one another across the rift between this plane and hers. Naga is part of her will sent to me to assist my learning and development, and Naga similarly has grown in power and strength as the bond developed... the evil Naga generates is thus a side effect of the energy that fuels her and her connection to the Abyss, just as I am connected, the blood of a Succubus".
"Law and order will be preserved, Naga will not compromise that, nor will she move against the interests of Ustalav, for she too understands her place"
"Dear Solaric, you know well of my true heritage, it is plain for all to see. For many years I knew only my father, and knew only of the life of duty and service to society that I would be required to perform, understanding the value of law and order in keeping a civil and productive society, however it is the gifts of my mother that gave me the ability to be of such service to Ustalav."
"I have grown to trust you completely, Victoria. You have been truthful and up front in all our interactions and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the advice you have given me over the months we have come to know each other. I admit that this has not been easy for me to trust someone with a heritage such as yours. However, it is my own heritage of a dark and villainous race that reminds me that we do not always follow the calling of our ancestors. This has been a lesson well learned."
"I'm glad to hear that the evil aura that I see in Naga is only a side effect and not her actual intentions. The spectrum of auras within the alignments has never been any easy thing for me to read, and when I saw it, I feared that she was becoming possessed by the enemy and that she would hold malice toward all that we find good and pure. But tell me, Victoria, as you and Naga each grow in power, will you be able to resist the power and dark evil of your mother? I mean, I can tolerate your sisters, but I would have trouble if you were to succumb to the darkness. Is there anything that I need to aware of that will let me know if you have gone too far?"
"For us to achieve true balance in this land we will need a healthy dose of good, and you have dedicated your life to such an end... however that same good means you will never be able to walk in the shadows and understand what lurks within them and how to deal with it, they see you coming like a lantern being carried down a road and they disappear before you arrive... it is my job to walk in the darkness, my job to sniff them out and wheel and deal with the flint hearted, and I must understand their hearts, Naga helps me understand the dark coal in the chest of such men"
"I believe, however, that some of the Darkness is about to join us in the Light"
".. it is my job to walk in the darkness, my job to sniff them out and wheel and deal with the flint hearted, and I must understand their hearts, Naga helps me understand the dark coal in the chest of such men."
"You certainly walk a path that I myself could never tread. Perhaps I would find the temptation far too great. I admire you for being able to permit such darkness in your life, but I must keep the light burning brightly in my life for it is the only way I know."
"I believe, however, that some of the Darkness is about to join us in the Light"
"Oh really?" Replies Solaric with a questioning glance. "This has a marvelous sound to it, but what, your Grace, are you possibly referring to? Most certainly not the undead that I have driven away."
”"Ever the optimist. I suspect those undead are more likely rallying, no doubt they expect to find you a delicious delicacy, I suspect they will soon find out how misinformed they are"
"I suppose I cannot permit negative thoughts to enter my head, lest I open a door for such things to happen. But yes, I suppose if they do return thinking that I am an easy target, they will find themselves facing their demise. Well, thank you for this little talk, your Grace. I always feel better after having spoke to you. Well, let’s return to the others and see what needs to be done next. I am eager to make our way to the cloister of Pharasma. Thank you, again!”
Solaric returns to the others and declares, ”Are we prepared to venture onward to the Cloister of Pharasma? We need to find the holy water found within.”
”Are we prepared to venture onward to the Cloister of Pharasma? We need to find the holy water found within.”
Johenric still being invisible whispers.
Solaric, we have an appointment with the guy who is called Graveknocker. Trevor, please lead us to the follower of Pharasma.
Your question is not precise enough to give a clear answer to that.
You don't know of any ruler here in the region of Belfurth who controlled any larger group of undead...besides Alexandru Jarovich maybe.