Cairn makes his silent way behind Kirk.
-
-
Johenric folllows as good as he can.
Flofer brings up the rear guard, looking behind them before he ducks into the doorway.
Perception:
You squeeze through the slightly opened door, and enter a round courtyard that is surrounded by a roofed archway. The courtyard is empty and the large cracked flagstones have long been conquered by dark moss. A lichen-covered statue stands in the centre of the round - the weather has left its marks and what once was most probably a woman with scythe and scales in her hands now looks like molten wax.
You expect to find several doors leading into the cloister proper in the darkness of the archway.
"So this is the old Cloister." Solaric whispers to himself. "Everyone stay vigilant." he urges quietly as he looks around for any sign of undead.
He then takes a moment to detect evil in the area and see if he can find any evil auras.
Cairn released his Ioun Torch as he stepped into the cloister proper and unslung his musket from his shoulder as he scanned the vicinity,
Solaric is unable to detect any evil auras in the vicinity, but he also feels that this is indeed a place of great evil and that many vile throught and creatures inhabit this place...but there is also something else, an underlying fabric of evil that has soaked the whole place...
With the light of the torch Cairn is able to make out a door to the north, one to the west and one to the east.
"Strengthen your hearts and let us try north. It is the hope that this door will lead us to the heart of the evil and allow us to complete the task before us!"
Johenric casts first message and than dancing lights. He lets them move in a chain with 10 ft. between each light and more than 20' in front of the party. With a whispering voice to the complete party he whispers:
I have positioned the lights more than 20' in front of the party. The party is still shrouded in darkness but can see ahead. Please use remaining lights as additional torchlights that you can group together or move around to increase visible area.
"Thank you, Johenric. I am glad to hav you with us on this excursion! Let me know if you see any evidence that will lead us down to the fountains."
Cairn was thankful as well for any additional light and nodded towards the wizard.
Which door? We have three to choose from.
"I was thinking straight ahead. The symmetry of these places leads me to believe this will take us straight to the heart of the evil."
Flofer casts dancing lights and sends them out to the sides.
The cold illumination of the dancing lights animates a chilling play of shadows on the surrounding walls. Monsters appear and vanish within heartbeats and you don't feel much better even though you can now see much better.
As you have crossed about half of the yard you suddenly hear low singing. It sounds like a choir (Gregorian real world analogy) is reciting religious verse and the sound seems to come from all three doors.
"The sound is holy, but I would exercise caution until we know who it is coming from. I knew this place was one a place of worship, but I did not expect that to still be the case, and I certainly do not expect the walking undead to be chanting like a monk."
Solaric walks up to the central (northern) door and places his hand upon it. He listens at the door for a while and remarks to Kirk.
"This situation is rather unusual. Spearborn, my friend, do you want to check to see if these doors are trapped in any way?"
Flofer concentrates on the doors, trying to figure out what the music is.
Knowledge, Local:
Knowledge, History:
Detect Chaos
Victoria also joins Floffer in trying to ascertain more information on the chanting...
Check
Knowledge (Arcana): 8
Knowledge (History): 8
Knowledge (Local): 5
Knowledge (Nature): 8
Knowledge (Nobility): 5
Knowledge (Planes): 8
Knowledge (Religion): 5
Johenric takes a position in the middle of the group and tries to identify the monsters he sees.
Johenric
Knowledge Religion
Knowledge Arcana
Ivy
Knowledge Religion
Knowledge Arcana
Even though none of you is an expert when it comes to Pharasmian religion, the chanting sounds very similar to that which you all have heard during burial ceremonies before.
You don't recognise the language, it could be a Taldorian dialect.
But there is SOMETHING with that chanting, it could be either very old-fashioned or twisted in some way you can't name.
@ Jo: What monsters??
There are neither signs of magic nor chaos in the vicinity.
"Chants of Evil no doubt, Taldane perhaps. I wish the Evil would reveal itself, for we wish to test its mettle"
"What do you all think? Should we ignore the sound and continue north through the doors?"
Monsters appear and vanish within heartbeats and you don't feel much better even though you can now see much better
But obviously I do not understand :)
Ach so, das war rein figurativ: Die Schatten, die das Licht erzeugt, sehen wie Monster aus :)
"Suppose the chanting might be feeding an Evil force, silencing it is thus desirable"
"Ok, then let's find this chanting and put an end to it. Are there any objections to pulling open this door? Good then let's do it!"
With no objections, Solaric will try to pull open the center (northern) door.
"Guide us, Oh mighty Inheritor, to the heart of the evil and give us the strength to overcome everything that stands in our way!"
Im with you Sir Solaric.
Cairn watched the dancing shadows warily as they moved and tried to ignore the strange chanting.
Solaric pushes the door open and instantly the chanting becomes louder. Before you lies a dark and dusty corridor. Soot has blackened the walls that are now covered by cobwebs.
"Lovely"
"This must be the section where they were sealed in and burned. Remain vigilant! Let us proceed. Master Spearborn, you have the point."
Before proceeding, Solaric peers into the gloom and detects evil.
Kirk pads forward softly, his shield and dagger held at the ready, bestially-Orcish eyes seeing through the darkness. He does his best to ignore the chanting voices.
Stealth
Perception
Like a panther Kirk moves through the dark corridor until he reaches a broad stairwell after about 20m. Ancient charred remains of some piece of furniture lie next to the top of the stairwell.
The air feels wormer and drier here than it did at the beginning of the tunnel.
The channting has meanwhile become a bit louder - you seem to get closer...
Perception
"Do you feel it getting warmer?"
Nah, sure dont. ALthough between the dancing shadows and that infernal chanting its hard to concentrate on the weather M'lady.
Solaric looks around, but is too distracted by the increasing sound to really notice what is happening.
"What is going on?" Solaric whispers urgently. "I do not like the fact that the chanting is getting louder!"
Perception:
Flofer follows along behind, his senses a bit inhibited by his armor...
"Maybe this burnt wood was once a barricade..." Kirk mutters, kicking through the soot and ash. At Victoria's question, he says, "No I don't feel it quite yet, Victoria, but maybe this rubble is a sign of a firey future for us all." Kirk will continue up the stairwell, maintaining his stealth and watchful eye.
"No I don't feel it quite yet, Victoria, but maybe this rubble is a sign of a firey future for us all."
"The fire was in the past, but I certainly do not expect the same fate as those fallen priests who danced with the undead. However, we must remain vigilant for whatever threatens us in this unwelcome place."
Kirk leads the way as you cautiously descend the stairs into the yawning darkness of the cloisters intestinals...
As you reach the foot of the stairwell you all feel that the air is much drier and warm now...it even smells a bit of charred wood.
From here on a tunnel leads further but you all hear shuffling sounds from ahead. Something is moving towards you!
"Johenric, can you shoot those lights out and see what that is?" Kirk has raised his shield and prepared for whatever is coming.
Johenric Perception
Ivy Perception
With a whispering voice Johenric words appear next to Kirks ear.
Yes I can.
With his fingers he directs the dancing lights up to 100 ft. in the directions of the sound. The lights have a distant of 10ft. between each other and form a square.
The shuffling feet gave Cairn the sinking feeling that this place was crawling with undead and that suited him just fine...I'll finally get to lay some to their eternal rest... and he moved towards the front of the group beside Kirk with his pistol and kukri drawn.
Johenric's probing lights cut through the darkness and as they have reached a distance of about 60 ft. suddenly there is an eruption of fire that nearly blinds you. Half a dozen of burning corpses are lumbering in the corridor, slowly advancing towards you!
Johenric identifies the creatures and consults his and Ivy's mind.
Johenric
Knowledge Arcana
Knowledge Religion
Ivy
Knowledge Arcana
Knowledge Religion
"This is more along the lines of what I was expecting. Let us put an end to these wretched undead! Onward, my friends! To Victory and the Heart!"
Solaric grips his longsword tightly and prepares to do battle!
Flofer moves to the front and raises his shield next to Solaric. Let's see if the fire does anything to them by the time they stumble over here...
Cairn held his position despite his selfish desires...Flofer has a valid point...better to let the fire do some damage first...
Vic begins a low chanting of her own.
Actually these creatures move and look like zombies, but the fire does not seem to hurt them. Both of you have heard of flaming skeletons, maybe these zombies are equivalents of those. If so, they will be mostly immune to fire but vulnerable to ice.
The closer the zombies get, the louder the hissing of the flames engulfing them becomes. The chanting is slowly drowned by the moaning and the sound of the flames and as they are only 20ft away, you can start to feel the heat they're emanating...
Their bodies are charred and black but the flames don't consume them further, actually it looks like the flames are a living part of them.