The clattering grows louder as four humanoid figures shamble into the light... All initiates learn about skeletons in their studies but no amount of reading really prepares a person for coming face to face with them- bleach white bones held in the shape of a person by nothing but shadow and malice, with empty black sockets where eyes should be and jagged finger bones that end in cruel points...
As they enter the room Roakkad's ray strikes the first one in the skull leaving a thin layer of ice but having no other apparent effect.
The creatures move with surprising quickness, the horrid clattering never ceasing. Two of them advance on Sal and try to claw her, while the other two move to the stairs where one stops in front of Kaede and claws at her and the other steps up next to her and claws at Zache...
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Sal manages to evade both of the attacks directed at her. Kaede is struck by a surprisingly accurate but not overly effective attack . Zache, however, lets out a gurgling gasp as the skeleton attacking him sinks its claws into his side, passing between his ribs and puncturing his lung . He collapses.
Kaede gasps at the sudden pain from the claws.
Of course, nothing is living down here.....only the horrible dead. flits through her mind as she deals with the pain. Then the horrible sound of Zache collapsing stirs her into action...
"NO!"Kaede cries as in one fluid motion, she draws her glaive, flips the center of it into her hand, and swings the butt into the skeleton that attacked Zache, leaving the blade pointing squarely at what would be the throat of the one in front of her.
The skeleton facing Kaede clatters to the floor, it's brittle bones chipping and cracking as they scatter.
Hearing the clattering noise of the approaching undead… and responding to the instinctive reaction of his fellow ‘marked’, Kaelaah is growing a ball of flame within his hands even before he sees his foe… the heat coming from the raging orb is near unbearable as he runs down the stairs and, seeing the skeletons, directs an arc of searing fire at the skeleton standing over Zache…
…have these been down here the whole time? The bones of Sandpoint’s ancestors walking in mockery of the living?
Roakkad hurries down the stairs, bringing his light source closer to the others. He instantly regrets this decision, for now undead horrors are rendered in grotesque detail.
Clenching his teeth, he raises his hand and takes aim with another ray of frost.
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1) yes, what is the burn for?
2) even being last in the marching order you were still at the top of the lower stairs (with line of sight/effect to the skeleton) so you could use your move to avoid that burn I believe?
Kael's fiery blast chars the bones of the skeleton standing over Zache and sends them skittering, broken, across the floor. Then he moves forward to the bottom of the stairs. Not to be outdone, brave Roakkad moves past him into the chamber, nearly within arms reach of one of the skeletons attacking Sal, and sends out another ray of frost at it.
The skeleton lurches to one side, dodging the icy ray and Sal thrust both in one unsettling movement. That skeleton turns toward Roakkad and, with one jolting step, closes the distance between them and swipes at him with both its claws. The other remaining skeleton claws at Sal again, this time using both its hands...
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Kaelaah, his face steeling with grim determination, brings an arc of flame down towards the closest of the skeletons... but, seeing Roakkad hurt, he loses his concentration at just the wrong moment... the flames sputter and die...
Kaede glares at the remaining skeletons, as Sal screams commands at them. "The dead do not deserve speech...only the return to final rest ," she states with a sternness in her tone, directed at the dead.
After a quick unintentional flourish, she drops the blade of her glaive in an attempt to smash into the skeleton's collar. This action is quickly followed with a horizonital swing from the butt of the glaive.
Roakkad gasps in pain as the filthy claws tear through his thin robe and tender flesh. He staggers back, reflexively firing another ray of frost.
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In an effort to protect Roakkad, all the marked concentrate their efforts on the skeleton attacking him... Kael's fire fails to properly coalesce, and Kaede swings both ends of her glaive at it but neither connects. Roakkad steps back and blasts it squarely in the skull with a gout of frost, but aside from the layer of rime it leaves behind there seems to be no effect. Finally, Sal steps up and stabs the undead menace. She scores a solid hit but the narrow piercing tip of her blade does far less damage to the mostly empty skeleton than she expected (or hoped for).
The frosty skeleton shambles forward after Roakkad, continuing its assualt...
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While the other one presses its attack on Sal
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With another devastating strike Roakkad's robe runs red and he falls backward on the hard stone floor. Sal's head swim's for a moment as bony claws cut into her once more but the pain quickly returns her to her senses...
A pool of blood begins to form as Roakkad's wounds continue to run.
Panicked as Roakkad goes down, and seeing Sal in dire trouble, Kaelaah lets another wild blast off....
Kaede waffles for a moment before stepping up and standing over Roakkad. she goes to blast the one that down him, but swings wildly with the fear that's starting to course though her.
With fear and cautiousness growing, the remaining marked struggle against the malicious bonemen. With the clattering of bone on stone, and the haunting gaze of empty eye sockets the undead fight on...
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*gurgle*
Bleeding.... pain... collapsed friends at her feet.
Kaede has never been in a sitaution like this before and it's terrifying to her.
As the skeleton opens itself up for a new strike, Kaede takes it in desperation, connecting and shattering the undead.
Then, in hopes that she can end this disaster, she steps forward to try to attack the last skeleton.
Seeing her opportunity, Sal deftly stabs the skeleton attacking her, cracking its sternum but once again doing much less damage than she hoped. The skeleton then digs it claws into her once more and her world spins for a moment before going black.
Kaede gets raked again, leaving her feeling a bit woozy too... then that skeleton opens itself up too and she takes advantage, landing a crushing blow that sends broken bones flying across the room. Moving quickly, she steps up and swings at the final skeleton, but in her haste she misjudges the distance and misses again.
The severity of his position suddenly comes into sharp focus... Roaakad and Zache lie bleeding on the floor, Salomae is badly injured and having to fight defensively... it is down to Kaede... and a Shoanti barely in control of his abilities...
...a fury rises... and comes crashing down upon the remaining skeleton...
Kaelaah, through a red mist, hears something approach... he arcs around on his heel and looks back up the stairs...
"Kaede!!! Sal!!! Somethings coming down the stairs!!!"
Driven by desperation, Kaelaah lets go of all his fears and inhibitions and blasts the last remaining skeleton with a gout of flame. It collapses in a heap of smoldering bone. Hearing the footsteps he shouts to Kaede and Sal... when he realizes that Salomae too lies unconscious on cold stone floor he is in a near panic spinning to see what's coming...
A wave of relief washes over him and then Kaede as they see Brother Faustwick and Sister Amet'ra rushing down the stairs. Brother Faustwick looks even more stern than usual but the lovely aging priestess smiles supportively and places her hand on Kael's shoulder as she moves past him. Neither of them speaks right away but Sister Amet'ra raises her holy symbol when she reaches the bottom of the stairs and a wave of soft golden light radiates out from her, healing the wounded combatants.
As everyone begins to awaken, Brother Faustwick nods to the priestess and says, "I'll return to the door; send one of them for me if the need arises, though that seems unlikely." With that he slings his crossbow over his shoulder and trots back up the stairs.
Looking around at the young marked slowly rising to their feet, Sister Amet'ra softly says, "It was very brave of you to fight these skeletons alone. How are you all feeling?"
Kaede releases a breath that she didn't know she was holding. The amount of relief to see the pair of priests coming to back them up almost overwhelms her. "Thank you for coming at an opportune time, Sister, Brother," she sighs out, finally letting her shoulders sag from the tension of the fight.
"It was very brave of you to fight these skeletons alone. How are you all feeling?"
"Overwhelmed... Unprepared.... " Kaede responses with a disgusted tone in her voice. "I feel like I just failed at the first real attempt at what I've been learning to do for most of my life. I have so much to learn and train for."
Roakkad was flying.
His wings spread wide, the hot Varisian sun on his back, he could see for miles around. The Storval Plateau extended as far as his sharp, avian eyes could see. To the west, the Ashwood formed a verdant carpet upon the earth. To the south, the serpentine Yondabakari river wound its way toward Janderhoff. To the east, the Mindspin mountains rose like vicious fangs, threatening the very sky with their maw. And to the north, the burning Cinderlands unfurled its ashen emberclouds. And below him, his home, Kaer Maga, the City of Strangers.
His heart was filled with joy, as he desired nothing more than to return to his people now. Yet as he swooped down to descend toward the city, a great shadow consumed the ground below him. Something much greater than himself, radiating menace and evil, filled the sky above. Panicked, he accelerated, flying faster than an arrow. But the great shadow pursued him. He could feel its breath on his back, its mighty wings around him. He shrieked in terror, calling to children of the Great Sky Spire for aid, but his own voice was drowned out by the terrible roar of the beast above him.
His eyes flutter open. He lays on the cold, stone floor of the mausoleum. Tsharat sits perched on his leg, willing him to wake. She blinks in understanding as he tries to catch his breath. Slowly, their circumstances come back to him, and he clamors to his feet. "Is...Is everyone alright?"
Kaelaah, bowing gently to Sister Amer'ra as she imbues healing upon his stricken friends, offers a hand to Roakkad as he struggles to his feet, "Tell me what you saw when you lay there brother... Did you hear our people?"
...and when his priestess asks how he is feeling, he suddenly feels dizzy... light-headed... the adrenalin that had coursed through his veins no longer present... embarassingly, having offered Roakkad a hand, he now needs to lean upon his friend...
...a painfully small voice, "We almost failed...."
Roakkad clasps Kaelaah's hand firmly, grateful for the support.
"Tell me what you saw when you lay there brother... Did you hear our people?"
Roakkad eyes narrow in confusion. "How did you...?" His question is interrupted as Kaelaah himself nearly falls over, forcing Roakkad to lean heavily on his staff to support them both. He whispers into Kaelaah's ear.
"wehi ahau i tonoa e te Gozreh he whakakitenga, he whakatūpato o te ati rahi i ahau. kite ahau Varisia, Kaer Maga, nga Cinderlands. Na he kino nui. He atarangi pouri..."
"We almost failed...."
Roakkad considers but a moment. He has been desperate to learn why Galjit would send him to Sandpoint--of all places. And now, on a holy day, a goblin raid, desecration of a burial ground, the dead awakening. It cannot be coincidence.
"No!" says Roakkad, grasping Kaelaah firmly and shaking him by the shoulder. He also looks sternly to Kaede and the other marked. "We have NOT failed. Sister, your help was vital. But it is by the grace of our Gods that we live. There is some purpose to this evil and I fear we are about to learn what it is. It is not failure we face, but an answer to our questions, and our prayers."
Sister Amet'Ra cocks an eyebrow as Roakkad speaks to Kael in Shoanti. After his comments in the common tongue she says, "Roakkad is right, you have not failed... you were willing to lay down your lives to protect others and destroy this evil, that is a great victory indeed. And even if Brother Faustwick and I had not come when we did I think you all would have been alright. Kaede could have healed Zache, and Zache could have healed Salomae and Roakkad."
After weighing her words for a moment, she tentatively continues, "It does seem, though, as if the gods' purpose in choosing all of you and bringing you together here may already be slowly coming to light. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves... you were sent to learn what happened here; I am going to go upstairs and begin cleansing this filth, you look around down here and see what you can learn."
With that the priestess turns and begins heading upstairs...
Sister Amet'ra hesitates for a moment when Salomae mentions a reason for coming so soon but quickly resumes heading upstairs.
Roakkad shakes his head to clear the last of the fog that had settled over his senses, then recasts light on his staff, carefully stepping just behind Kaede to cast its light into the darkened chamber beyond.
It's with a groan that Zache comes around, clutching his ribs and wincing as he finds the jagged holes from the claws. "Not again," he mutters, pale with blood loss as he climbs to his feet with great effort. Watching as Sister Amet-Ra leaves, he sighs, scratching at the birthmark on his cheek. The old itch lingers under the skin, maddening. "Well, let's keep going," he sighs.
Kaede pauses for a moment, then shakes the angst loose from her head.
"We didn't fail this... we survived and they didn't. It's just..... I'm supposed to be a guardian, a protector, and watching others fall feels like I wasn't doing my job... I'll learn what I can do to do my job better. Being alive is learning and adapting. In any case, We need to train.... together, so that we can learn to expect what the others are planning on doing. But first, I believe we have a crypt to examine."
At that point, Kaede begins to look around the crypt, looking for whatever was done down her to wake the dead.
The goblins must have exhausted their filth bags coming down the stairs because the lower chambers are mostly clean. The stone table at the far side of the first room is familiar to those who were present for Father Tobyn's interment: it is where mortal bodies are laid to breakdown until the bones are clean enough to be moved to their ossuary (a small decorative box in which bones are placed to be laid to rest). Thrown in a heap behind the table is a human sized black robe with some torn threads hanging loosely off it.
The other chamber is approximately twenty feet square and the each of the walls is covered in short wide niches (twelve on every wall, except the one with the archway which has only nine). There are a number of neatly sealed ossuaries in various niches, each one the remains of a different priest or acolyte. On the floor near the far wall one of the boxes has been smashed open; the placard on it reads "High Priest Ezakien Tobyn, 4653-4702."
Kaelaah had instinctively known this moment was coming, why else would someone - or something - break into a crypt other than to desecrate the resting place of the departed... yet that mental preparation does nothing to alleviate the pain when he sees it...
...why? What reason would anyone have to take the bones of our High Father?
He stands speechless for a short while - seemingly impassive... although the fire he has maintained for illumination - curling and weaving around his forearms - burns ever more crimson by the second...
Roakkad's eyes go wide at Salomae's outburst, though he can certainly empathize. "It is as we feared. The goblins lack all honor." Roakkad pokes around the detritus, being extremely cautious not to further disturb those who dwell here. He comes across the cloak and frowns. He extends his hand toward it, trying to discern its properties.
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Roakkad gasps and steps back as the necromantic aura registers to his senses, nearly colliding with Kaede and Sal. "Careful!" he calls out as he picks the cloak up with the end of his staff. "This is an artifact used by necromancers to call forth the dead. The creatures we encountered likely came from it."