Daina enjoys her drink silently, trying to take in through the collective as much of the multiple conversations as she can. She enjoys testing her ability to concentrate on multiple scenarios.
The beggar tears into the food Raun offers, grunting apprecitively between bites. He waves vaguely toward the arena.
"Mmm, tunnels er over, mmph, there, open up in the arena, mmm, where the gladiators and such come out," the old man says. "Think you can get in under the barracks, too. Least that's where they take 'em in most times."
As the beggar eats, Raun ambles over to the dead body and nudges away the cloak that was concealing its face. Underneath, Cylus's features are frozen in a grimace of pain, his skin gray and drained.
~~~~~~~~~~~~0~~0~~~~~~~~~~~~
The halfling poisoner cackles when Woki mentions the necromancer.
"Ah, you are hunting the one who drains the land, who smells like rotting meat. I saw her, several suns ago. She came to me, asking about who is best warrior-man in human fighting-hole. Also asking about vee-lee-, villing- ... pale women who hate the males and use the mind-magic. Sent her to talk to slavers for fighters, don't know nothing about pale females. Dark woman bought some sand viper venom and herbs then left. Haven't smelled her scent since then."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~0~~0~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The woman at the gambling table flashes white teeth at Grit as he sits down."The most important rule is you have to wager. As long as you follow that, you'll be a welcome companion," the woman says, dealing out fresh hands to everyone at the table. t's a simple game, as long as you can bluff better than Jezzek, here. After the week we spent in the desert, the brains in these two are too cooked for something that requires counting past their fingers. Me, I know well enough to wear a hat.
The woman flashes another smile at Grit - judging from the way the dirt has cracked on her face, it looks like something she does often.
So tell me, what wind has blown you into Altaruk? Is it trade you're after? I can tell you the culture leaves something to be desired, although the companionship isn't altogether lacking.
Following the game as best he can, Grit places an appropriate coin upon the table and asks to be dealt in. Perhaps I will be able to tell who is bluffing and who is not. That is a hard skill to master, but a valuable one.
After glancing quickly at has cards he watches the other players for tells he responds Why I am here shall remain my own business for now. But I suspect a coin to the guards will get the story from them if you must know, as the demanded it from me as I entered. He consideres the woman again, while never taking his gaze from the other players. Companionship, if its true, is always a valued thing.
Raun finds herself reluctantly wishing for the presence of the kreen in her head, little clue of what she is looking at. It was certainly suspicious enough to mention to the others anyway. She rummages around in her pockets again until she finds a coin, holding the silver bit out to the beggar. "You hear bout anything else come tell me or friends at inn." she rumbles, giving the man a brief description of the others, before wandering off to try and find the entrances to the tunnels.
Gorkhan returns to the tavern after his encounter with the bard and sits down with Daina, ordering his own drink.
The beggar's eyes go wide when he sees the silver Raun offers. He mumbles his thanks without missing a beat chewing the rations she gave him earlier.
Moving away from the old man, Raun walks to the edge of the fighting pit an peers down at the gates at each end of the arena. Each is made from a lattice of thick mekillot bone fastened securely with giant hair rope. Raun thinks she might be able to break one free, but it would take some time and make a lot of noise - the guards would likely come to check. Might be better to ask about the entrance in the barracks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~0~~0~~~~~~~~~~~
Inside the Four Bits, Grit settles into the card game. The two males are too drunk to be able to play well, betting poorly and losing repeatedly. The woman is a more canny player and manages to take most of their money, though they hardly seem to notice. Grit manages to win a few hands, as well, although none are particularly large pots. When he does take a hand, the mul gets the feeling the woman is letting him win.
In the course of playing and the idle conversation that goes with it, Grit learns that the woman - Jholyn - and her two companions are hunters and scouts who make a living providing wild game to local residents or by escorting caravans along the route between Altaruk and Balic. They returned earlier in the day with a group from House Wavir.
"It was a fairly uneventful trip - the giants have been busy harrying North Ledopolus for most of the season, so the trade road was left mostly unmolested," Jholyn says as she deals a new hand. "We happened across one group of raiders south of Grak's Pool who made the mistake of attacking a group of villichi sisters. The pale sisters had finished most of them off when we got there, but we took out a handful of archers that had been hiding in reserve. My crodlu took an arrow in the flank and came up lame a few days later - cost me half of my earnings to replace it, although I took a bronze axe off one of the raiders that almost made up for it."
"The sisters were making for Crossroads, where the trade route meets Balic's Road of Legions, to retrieve a villichi child born among the villagers there. I saw her when we passed through after leaving Balic - a strange child, with that white skin and red hair they have. Her eyes were like the eyes of an old woman, closer to eighty years old than eight."
Seeing the other two men snoring, Jholyn flips over their cards and laughs.
"These two will sleep 'til morning. Guess I'll have to find something else to occupy my time," she says, before looking back at Grit. "What are your plans for the evening?"
<<It is as bad as we feared, if Dote Mal Payne is seeking the villichi and a group is in the area. We must hurry, find out what he was doing in this place and if he has left already>> the Warden says, sending his thoughts into the collective with urgency.
<<But we know so little about this civilization, we hardly know where to begin to search for him.>>
Grit genuinely enjoys the game and the woman's company but tries to keep his guard up. In recognition of his suspicion of her letting him win a few hands he never picks the winnings up from the table, but uses them to buy drinks for the group. As the woman talks he listens intently, trying to pick out any untruths in her words.
When finished with her story Grit adds Who would be so foolish to attack a group of villichi sisters? Perhaps they were ordered to do so? If you still have your lame crodlu I could look at it. I am somewhat skilled with both animals and healing. he offers. When she asks him of his evening plans he is quick to offer I plan to spend them with an enchanting caravan guard I have recently met. She is good at cards and can hold her drink better than some she travels with. I think I would like to know her better.Then his tone gets more serious and lowering his voice he asks If you do not mind mixing some business with pleasure, I'll ask if you and your friends might be available for hire for the next few days. My coin is good and I think you will have a taste for the work.
Nnn'tkklik'l queries the Warden, <<What means Dote Mal Payne and villichi together? Unliving users of The Way?>>
Though he asked specifically to the Warden, he broadcast his query to the minds of the collective.
<<I've sent out some feelers, but who knows how long that may take. Did we still want to meet with the governor? He was offered as a contact, and may have certain resources that could be used to assist.>>
The Warden's response to Daina's question is measured, with the tone of a lecturing mystic rather than a taskmaster. <<Do you need to know the birth rituals of a tribe to track a tembo through its territory? You do not need to know the life cycle of the grass to see when a blade is out of place. Already you have learned much of what has been done. We know the necromancer's servants were seen seeking gladiators and poison. We know they sought the villichi, as well. Now we must find more so we can understand why.>>
The Warden responds to Nnn'tkklik'l's question with a mental shaking of his head. <<I don't think that is his aim. Our order and that of the villichi sisters had dealings in the past ... it is possible Dote Mal Payne seeks to use them against us. We should hurry after them soon, but first we must determine what the necromancer was doing here. Perhaps the governor of this place will have information.>>
~~~~~~~~~~0~~0~~~~~~~~~~~
"The raiders we encountered did not seem particularly well-educated, although even the desert tribes usually avoid the pale sisters. It was strange, yes, but I am rarely surprised by the acts of desperate men," Jholyn says.
She grins ruefully when Grit mentions healing the crodlu.
"If only I'd had you around yesterday. We had to put the animal down a day out of Altaruk. More unfortunate is that we already have a job lined up, escorting some traders to Grak's Pool. We leave in two days - although I have time to spare until then. What exactly did you have in mind?"
We seek a dangerous man and his necromancer woman. Grit provides a description, speaking low. Word is that he is trying to hire gladiators and buy poisons. I suspect he has already left this town, but I would know what all he has been up to here and when he departed. Plus, there are the tunnels that we might need to explore. He might be hiding there. Do you think you could help with any of that?
<<Ah yes; pardon me, I sometimes forget that I must refine my thoughts before presenting them to the collective.>>
<<I wonder if we could pursue those who sell gladiators and poisons, and then get out of them of their previous visitors. There might be a trail there.>>
Raun lumbers back through the tunnel and into the inn a few minutes later. She takes a seat with a mug of water, or some thin ale and peers around. <<Met homeless person near arena. Friend died and he nearly too. Two nights ago feel sucking in chest, heard screams from tunnels under arena. Need talk to guards to get in tunnel so not make lots noise.>>
Jholyn seems a little taken aback by Grit's sudden earnestness, but she makes a sign against dark magic then leans in closer as he continues speaking.
"I'm a simple hunter and caravan guide -- mage-slaying is well outside of my abilities, or desires, to be true. But I do know the guard-captain in charge of the arena. The slavers come and go frequently, but the arena keeps pretty good records/ He'd likely know if any gladiators have been sold recently. We sometimes sell live creatures we trap to him for the games. I can arrange a meeting in the morning if you like."
She thinks for a moment before continuing. "Notifying the guard might be enough, but you should consider sending word to the governor, as well. He makes a show of engaging with people outside of the merchant houses, and I think it's at least partly genuine. I'm sure he'd want to know if a defiler has been skulking in his fortress."
Jholyn shudders, as if shaking off a chill desert wind.
"Now, I'm going to need another drink to try to forget that nasty bed-time story you just shared," she says. "Perhaps we could buy a bottle and find someplace quieter for you to tell me another?"
~~~~~~~~~~0~~0~~~~~~~~~~
<<Perhaps its time to talk to the leader of this trading town to gain access and possible more information about who we seek. >>
<<Agreed. Let's go visit the governor.>>
<<after governer, we must see villichi>>
Raun lets out a grunt as she steadily downs her ale.
You rise early the next morning and meet for a shared breakfast, using the time together to go back over what you learned the day before. It seems clear that Dote Mal Payne's apprentice, if not the necromancer himself, was in Altaruk as little as a week ago, accompanied by a bald, tattooed half-elf that sounds like the same one you met in Tyr in the employ of House Tsalaxa.
It appears that they were after gladiators, among other things, and there may be some connection to the tunnels under the newly-built section of the town housing its arena. You hope Altaruk's governor, Arisphistaneles, will grant you access to the tunnels so you can poke around a bit.
Your meal finished, you pass through the market on your way to the main keep. Traders and locals already are doing a brisk business, taking advantage of the relative cool of the morning before the sweltering heat of the day. The guards at the keep are expecting you and immediately call for the keep's steward, who escorts you to a canopied patio on the roof of the small keep, which seems cobbled together from a partly-ruined keep of the ancients and more recent additions.
Arisphistaneles is finishing a plate of fruit and reading from a long scroll as you arrive. Passing the parchment to a servant, he rises and greets each of you with a handclasp, waving off more formal greetings.
"Please, sit - let us enjoy what little time we have before the stones beneath us begin boiling in the sun. My friends in Tyr said I should expect you," he said, settling into a wicker couch and sending the remaining servants away with a gesture. "Truth be told, I hesitated before notifying them about the reported sighting. Some of my more ... educated ... associates here cast various divinations but found no trace of the deadheart or his defiler associates. But it seemed prudent to let them know, even if it is only a rumor. Although those who wear veils have earned some degree of acceptance here, it is predicated on protecting the residents from more destructive mages."
"Now, tell me what you have learned so far and how I may be of assistance in your search."
"Signs of defiling here and there. This clutch has seen. I treated child's necrotic wound. Giantess spoke to beggar weak from life drain. Beggar's clutchmate dead from life drain. Wails at time of drain. Lines in sand we see, following beast's dragging tail. Poisons and gladiators gathered, maybe villichi sought. Enemy is beneath the shell of the town, ichor stench faint but there."
Daina takes an interest in the half elf, cocking an eyebrow at his familiar voice. <<Does anybody else recognize that?> She shrugs off the question, going and purchasing some sort of sweet fruit to nibble on as they go about the days business.
Daina smiles at Nnn's account of their travels. "Yes, that's the general idea. We're guessing they were after gladiators and we're pursuing that lead, as well as the possibility of a link to the tunnels under the newest town housing in the arena."
Woki sniffs at the left-over bits of juice or fruit left on Arisphistaneles plate, running a small finger over the residue before sampling it. The halfling's lips smack before Woki nods along with Nnn and Däina's assessment, "Killer of land hides among tall-ones huts. Goes to ground like worm. Hunt for this foul tall-one must be seen through."
At Däina's mental query, Woki sends back a memory of the winds roaring across the open desert, devoid of life. Obviously, the halfling has no idea what the half-elf is talking about.
Raun gives the governer a hard examination when they are shown up to him. Her demeanor softens somewhat when he greet them himself with his own hands and she slowly relaxes as the man speaks so candidly.
"Need to enter tunnels under barracks, see what happened there, what left behind..." Raun adds her voice to the others. That was about the extent of her plan, she figured the others would be able to figure out where to go next then.
"We have our own threads of information we're pulling together. It is a pity that the diviners couldn't pick something up. Still, some of the information we have received seems, as the others have said, to indicate something going on in the tunnels. Thus we will need permission to access them to follow that particular thread."
"In conclusion sir, we want your permission to pursue this lead. We would be acting within your jurisdiction, of course." Daina puts a light emphasis on how important the man is.
Arisphistaneles listens with interest as you describe your findings. He frowns when you mention the apparent activity in the tunnels. A moment later, the color drains from his face.
"Dragon's mercy. How could we have overlooked that ...," he stammers, before taking a deep breath. "Pardon me. I was just reminded, rather distressingly, that the tunnels you speak of once served as a meeting place for the Veiled Alliance here. Altaruk was not so accepting of preservers then, so the chambers were warded against various divinations and detection spells. We uncovered the old tunnels when building the arena a few months ago and I had them incorporated into the construction, figuring we could use them for storage or as a secure location in case of an attack. It didn't occur to me until now that some of the old wards could still be active."
"If they are, it could explain why our diviners found no trace of Dote Mal Payne when they searched. The necromancer and his minions could have been here the whole time, working who knows what dark magic. Could still be here."
"Here, take this badge - it shows you have permission to act on my authority. Make haste to the barracks and the tunnels below and I will see if I can't rally a few of the alliance members to provide support."
Arisphistaneles rises, handing you a bronze disk etched with the sigils of Altaruk's ruling merchant houses. Calling for his servants, he rushes down the stairs into the keep to make preparations.
"Thank you sir, we appreciate your help."
Jholyn seems a little taken aback by Grit's sudden earnestness, but she makes a sign against dark magic then leans in closer as he continues speaking.
"I'm a simple hunter and caravan guide -- mage-slaying is well outside of my abilities, or desires, to be true. But I do know the guard-captain in charge of the arena. The slavers come and go frequently, but the arena keeps pretty good records/ He'd likely know if any gladiators have been sold recently. We sometimes sell live creatures we trap to him for the games. I can arrange a meeting in the morning if you like."
She thinks for a moment before continuing. "Notifying the guard might be enough, but you should consider sending word to the governor, as well. He makes a show of engaging with people outside of the merchant houses, and I think it's at least partly genuine. I'm sure he'd want to know if a defiler has been skulking in his fortress."
Jholyn shudders, as if shaking off a chill desert wind.
"Now, I'm going to need another drink to try to forget that nasty bed-time story you just shared," she says. "Perhaps we could buy a bottle and find someplace quieter for you to tell me another?"
~~~~~~~~~~0~~0~~~~~~~~~~
Grit thanks the woman for her information and her candor. I Understand that this is not your fight. Its something to know you have not been approached by those I seek and will not stand with them. He orders a bottle to go as he says Yes I will take you up on that introduction to the arena guard captain in the morning. And on the bedtime story as well.
You rise early the next morning and meet for a shared breakfast, using the time together to go back over what you learned the day before. It seems clear that Dote Mal Payne's apprentice, if not the necromancer himself, was in Altaruk as little as a week ago, accompanied by a bald, tattooed half-elf that sounds like the same one you met in Tyr in the employ of House Tsalaxa.
It appears that they were after gladiators, among other things, and there may be some connection to the tunnels under the newly-built section of the town housing its arena. You hope Altaruk's governor, Arisphistaneles, will grant you access to the tunnels so you can poke around a bit.
Your meal finished, you pass through the market on your way to the main keep. Traders and locals already are doing a brisk business, taking advantage of the relative cool of the morning before the sweltering heat of the day. The guards at the keep are expecting you and immediately call for the keep's steward, who escorts you to a canopied patio on the roof of the small keep, which seems cobbled together from a partly-ruined keep of the ancients and more recent additions.
Arisphistaneles is finishing a plate of fruit and reading from a long scroll as you arrive. Passing the parchment to a servant, he rises and greets each of you with a handclasp, waving off more formal...
Grit adds that they should speak to the Arena master to see which if any gladiators were recently sold. We may have to fight these gladiators, either in the tunnels or out in the open desert. We should learn what we can.
Grit will ask the governor We do know that the necromancer or her servants were purchasing poisons here in the town. Would you have some type of antitoxin that we could purchase so that we are better prepared for traps or ambush in the tunnels?
Before entering the tunnels he will cast a handful of longer buffs, including:
greater magic fang -Tigone
resinous skin - Grit
barkskin - Grit
resist energy (fire)
frostbite both Grit and Tigone
longstrider - Grit
Raun furrows her brow in anger as the man admits his negligence, but holds off on voicing her annoyance. She takes the badge, peering at it, and then the others. "Let's go." she says, turning and leading the way, badge ready to be thrust in front of her like a legal battering ram should anyone get in their way.
Gorkhan nods and prepares himself for the foray into the tunnels with the others.
Woki holds aloft the bone-laden spear and shakes it in preparation as the little halfling calls on the spirits to aid their hunt, "Land-killers be hunted now."
Arisphistaneles pauses a moment as Grit asks about antitoxin.
"Whoever sold the toxin is likely to have the most effective antivenom, or be able to manufacture one. But I know the barracks commanders keep a supply of a more general antitoxin to send with the scouts on patrol. Feel free to requisition what you need."
After he departs you waste no time before leaving the keep and heading the barracks, where the bronze badge stops any questions from the guards before they are asked. At a word, a sergeant opens the doors to the compound and leads you inside, pointing to a heavy wooden door when asked about the tunnels leading to the arena.
Lighting a torch, the sergeant unlocks the door and heads below, into a series of rooms that have been outfitted as overflow barracks. The dust is thick but has been disturbed by the recent passage of several people - a half dozen or more, at a guess.
The sergeant unlocks a series of heavy bone gates that grant entrance to a small mess hall . Again, tracks lead to the south, but a disused kitchen to the east appears to be empty. Another locked door - also bearing signs of recent use - leads to a steep stairway barred on the southern end by another wooden portal.
As you ease it open, torchlight falls on a grisly scene. The room beyond is decorated with crumbling statues and a rough altar or workbench that appears to be of more recent construction. The floor appears to have been painted in blood, wide swathes of it slopped on the stones in a pattern of triangles and circles. At each point where the triangle meets the circle, the dead, muscled form of a gladiator lies sprawled on the ground. An obsidian spike protrudes from each man's chest.
"That's Grim Torvald - he won last week," the sergeant says, nudging the nearest corpse with his boot.
As he does, the obsidian spike impaling the corpse flashes and you feel a sucking, tearing emptiness pull at your chest. Gasping, the sergeant falls to his knees before pitching over face first, his skin visible withering before your eyes.
The obsidian spikes glow dark energy and the corpses begin to move.
Fort saves vs. life siphon attack (recharge in rounds)
and sickened for rounds
Daina sees the site and goes pale. What is wrong with these people. As the evil magic pulls away at them she gasps, falling to her knee before seeing the corpses rise up. No! She quickly weaves her time magic, speeding up the frontliners.
Gorkhan shudders, almost stumbling to one knee before righting himself, pale from the ordeal. Witnessing the animating corpses, he acts, despite the encroaching nausea. He races towards one of the rearmost ones, drawing the Seeker's Blade as he moves. The blade flashes out as he rushes by and then up the wall.
Raun swiftly recognizes the sensation the beggar had described, but is only able to flail helplessly as the obsidian spike sucks the life from her to animate the surrounding corpses. The bronze badge clatter to the ground, slightly bent from where she has squeezed it during the attack.
She wastes no more time, lurching into motion, but findsher hands empty of their usual weapon. Growling in frustration as the corpses begin to stir she raises her hands a look of concentration on her features as a moment later bright flashes of light burst from each palm, flying towards the body of Grim Torvald.
With the things still rising to their feet Raun reaches behind her to drag free her favoured weapon, her features becoming indistinct as the presence of the champion settles around her. With a yell she brings her weapon to bear against the former champion, lashing out with speed enhanced by Daina' magic.
As Woki feels life energy wrestled away to feed the hungry dark shards of fire-stone in the chests of the dead, the little halfling holds aloft the spear and starts to chant to the spirits, calling for them to flood the room in healing energies.
The mul does indeed grab enough antitoxin for both himself and his animal companion while in the barracks. He administers it before casting his buff spells. After casting his spells and seeing the width of the tunnels he shape shifts himself in to the familiar cat form that is his chosen combat form.
The Tigone responds to Grit's command and attacks, using its enchanted natural attacks.
Grit also attacks the undead.
Tigone: Greater Magic Fang (7 hours), Frostbite, Antitoxin (1 hour), Haste 7 rounds
Grit: Resinous Skin (7 hours), Bakrskin (70 minutes), Resist Energy (fire), (70 minutes), Longstrider (7 hours), Frostbite, Antitoxin (1 hour), Haste 7 rounds
Dire Tiger
Init +3; Senses low light vision, Scent; Perception +13
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Defense
--------------------
AC 25/26 Haste, touch 13/14, flat-footed 20 (+7 armor, +2 Dex, +6 natural, +1 Deflect, -1 Size )
hp 69 (6d8+18)
Fort +9, Ref +6/+7, Will +9; +2 vs. Poison and Disease
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Offense
--------------------
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 Claws +15 (2d4+9) + Grab, +15 Bite (2d6+9) + Grab
Pounce, Rake for 2 Claws +15 (2d4+9)
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Statistics
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Str 28, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 12
Base Atk +5; CMB +15; CMD 31
Animal Companion
Tigone
N Large Animal
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +9
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Defense
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AC 25, touch 12, flat-footed 22 (+3 Dex, +9 natural, +4 Armor, -1 size)
hp 55/55 (+24)
Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +5 (+4 morale bonus vs. Enchantment spells and effects)
Defensive Abilities evasion
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Offense
--------------------
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +9 (1d8+6 plus grab) and
2 claws +9 (1d6+6 plus grab)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks pounce, rake (2 claws +9, 1d6+6 plus grab)
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Statistics
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Str 23, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10
Base Atk +4; CMB +11 (+15 grapple); CMD 24 (28 vs. trip)
Feats Armor Proficiency (light), Improved Natural Armor, Weapon Finesse
Tricks Air Walk, Attack, Attack, Attack Any Target, Defend, Down, Fighting, Guard, Seek, Stay, Track
Skills Acrobatics +7, Climb +10, Perception +9, Stealth +3, Swim +10
SQ air walk, attack any target, defend, devotion, fighting, guard, seek, track
Other Gear +1 studded leather, battle fetish - +1 NA, +1 resistance, +2 perception
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Special Abilities
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Air Walk [Trick] The animal can be ridden through the air when affected by spells.
Attack Any Target [Trick] The animal will attack any creature on command.
Defend [Trick] The animal will defend you.
Devotion +4 (Ex) +4 morale bonus on Will Saves vs. Enchantments.
Evasion (Ex) No damage on successful reflex save.
Fighting [Trick] The animal has been trained to fight.
Grab: Bite (Large) (Ex) You can start a grapple as a free action if you hit with the designated weapon.
Grab: Claw (Large) (Ex) You can start a grapple as a free action if you hit with the designated weapon.
Guard [Trick] The animal stays in place and prevents others from approaching.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Pounce (Ex) You can make a full attack as part of a charge.
Scent (Ex) Detect opponents within 15+ feet by sense of smell.
Seek [Trick] The animal moves into an area and looks around for anything that is obviously alive or animate.
Track [Trick] The animal will track a scent.
Raun blasts the nearest corpse with psychic fire as it and the other two withered gladiators rise from the ground, their flesh crackling with lines of dark energy.
Moving with surprising grace, the northernmost undead slashes at Raun with a claw. The thing's crooked talons sink deep into the half-giant's flesh but it is unable to establish a hold as Raun wrenches away and draws her hammer.
Behind it, the corpse that had been at the southeast corner of the arcane triangle stands and lurches toward Grit and his tigone. The one on the southwest stands, as well, and moves toward Gorkhan.
The bard doesn't stand still long enough to become a target. Enhanced by Daina's spell, he tumbles to the south, slashing wildly as he passes but failing to connect.
Raun's swings also go wild, and Woki's attempt to channel life force into the group is disappointing, with a negligible effect on the dead.
Grit and his tigone companion have more luck. His tigone begins to move around the undead creature, landing several blows and managing, barely, to latch onto the corpse and grapple with it.
Attacking in tiger form, Grit does even more damage, although he notices that his piercing fangs have less effect than his slashing claws against the thing's unnatural hide.
Retaliating, the grappled corpse slashes wildly at the druid and his companion, but its claws can't quite connect with their hasted forms.
The one attacking Raun also fails to connect with its grasping claws.
Rather than chasing the Gorkhan, the third corpse lets out a low moan. The obsidian spike in its chest glows and you again feel your life force being sucked away even as some of the wounds on the corpses seem to close.
Fort saves vs. life siphon attack (recharge in rounds)
and sickened for rounds