Jeji, I'll cover this other room while you search in there.
Kricker steps into the door of the room to the south and peers around warily.
With every step forward, Jeji hesitated just a little bit more. Her eyes darted around the room, never looking in one place for too long, always fearful that something would jump out of the space that she wasn't looking at. She carried her shortsword in one hand while her other hand ran up and down the bandolier strung across her chest. Reaffirming herself that her bombs where ready if she needed them, she slowly continued forward into the room.
The only thing of interest in the ruined room is the glowing residue. Jeji sniffs at it and it has a chemical smell. It is likely left from the strange fluids that sometimes leak from ancient ruins. They have strange effects on those that sample them, but can become addictive.
"Let's gather it up, if we can. Pinkskins might pay for it."
Jeji believes that there is enough residue to reconstitute into three doses.
After gathering up what residue she can, Jeji retreats back away from the melted room.
"Only one way to go now, I think, and I don't like the smells of it. You want me to go first" she asked nervously?
She slipped the ring over her taloned finger and proceeded cautiously towards the last room. Stopping at the doorway, she pulled out her last shield extract and quaffed it, simultaneously hoping that it wouldn't be wasted and that it wouldn't be needed before heading in.
Jeji leads the way through the strange chamber with the metal and glass sarcophagi; three which no longer protect the rotting ancients that spill forward in their tattered bulky armor. Two of the strange crypts remain intact. At the far end of the room, the ceiling of the ship is torn open and metal and rubble fill a small chamber with a closed hatch leading forward.
Cautiously moving towards the intact crypts, Jeji slowly crept forward. With the shortshord out in front of her, she tried hard to keep her fear in check and her hands from shaking. She moved up to the one closest to the door first...
Jeji peers through the scummy glass of the metal sarcophagus and can just make out the hollow black eye holes of a rotting skull staring back.
Should we open that? There might be more good loot in there.
Standing up on her clawed toes, Jeji tried to peer through the dirty glass of the metal tube. She startled and jumped as Kricker spoke behind her, letting out a quiet yelp in the process.
Once her nerves settled slightly, she began to look for a mechanism to open the metal sarcophagus.
Jeji finds a dingy touch plate and fiddles with it a moment and there is a hiss of gas as the angled coffin opens. The stench from the open tomb is unbearable and the dead thing inside lurches forward mirrored by the opposite coffin which suddenly opens releasing it's undead occupant!
Perrik:
Kricker: ;
Drahlneep:
foe:
Perrik doubles over, retching up his last meal.
While foul, the stench does not affect Kricker.
Being right next to the canister when it opened, the stench hit Jeji hard, like a gauntlet to the snout. She double over with one hand going to her mouth and the other to her nose. Still, she could not stop her stomach from churning and scant seconds later she found herself beginning to heave.
Only Kricker manages not to falter before the overwhelming putrid stench as the two wretched forms lunge from their coffins. Clawed hands catch up Jeji before she can retreat and she feels the coldness of the dark airless expanse beyond the sky stiffen her with dread. Similarly, Drahlneep is caught by the dead thing covered in scabbing mummified flesh and a strange puffy suite. He goes rigid in the thing's cruel grasp!
Kricker slashes out at the one on Drahlneep, stepping forward.
Jeji hacked and coughed as she tried to pull a vial out of her bandolier. She didn't even see the clawed hands coming for her, ripping her flesh apart and spilling blood unto the floor. She almost managed to free the flask before her body seized, muscles locking up and freezing her in place.
Kricker steps up and delivers a solid hit on the living dead, but only a moderate wound. Perrik vomits. Jeji and Drahlneep are paralyzed by the unnatural touch of the things. The creatures bow their heads to devour the flesh of their victims! But the dead man on Jeji somehow gets the edge of his bulky suit in his mouth as he opens wide instead of tender kobold flesh. Drahlneep is not so lucky and cannot resist the thing as it tears flesh from his chest.
Kricker keeps pounding on the thing with his greatsword unless he thinks his bludgeoning weapon would do better:
Either:
or
Drop Greatsword and draw crowbar
Kricker's thoughts distract him. These things are some sort of ghast: relatives of the flesh-eating ghouls, but even more powerful and perpetually wrapped in the overwhelming stench of rot. They are harmed by mundane weapons and suffer greatly from holy energy. This one appears particularly starved and remains hovering over its victim while dodging his blade.
Perrik bolsters the party with a bless!
Kricker feels a burst of courage from Perrik's spell, but it may be too late. The ghast on Drahlneep attempts to take another bite, but is foiled by the paralyzed kobold's armor. The other ghast tears the inhibiting neck from its tattered suit and baring its fangs lunges at Jeji's throat, but strangely collapses unmoving atop her. Whiskifiss' crossbow bolt juts from its eye. The ratfolk rogue has appeared just in time!
Kricker swings again at the thing on Drahlneep.
Kricker's next swings brings out everything the Kobold can muster, slashing deeply into the monster attacking his friend.
Kricker hacks the second ghast through from shoulder to emaciated belly. It tumbles to the floor in a spray of black blood.
Kricker stands over the paralyzed kobolds until they start stirring.
Once they are up...
Gorum give my people the strength to continue on in your service!
Jeji, why don't you search these guys and then lets get out of here.
The stench fades quickly to Whiskifiss' relief. Kricker pulls the dead things off his companions and rubs their limbs until they start to stir. Eventually they site up and the iron priest channels strength to their sore and weary bodies. The ancient dead have nothing but their tattered suites; however, a gray door card is found in a pocket on each suite. Beyond the rubble to the front of the chamber is a wall with another door.
"Let's keep moving while my blessing is still active."
It is likely that the gray card once caused the battered doors to open, but there is no longer any power aboard the wrecked ship. Fortunately, the doors eventually give way to Kricker's wrecking bar. At least enough to allow a kobold to enter more easily. The stink of rot and stale air leak out of the space beyond. Whiskifiss hangs back, nervously tk-ing.
Beyond, a massive window, spiderwebbed with hundreds of cracks, graces the western wall of this chamber, half-buried under rubble and twisted metal. The might mists obscure the view outside. Curved consoles of strange controls line the walls, with three chairs made of an unidentifiable off white material facing them. A figure dressed in red vest of an unusually fine weave sits slumped over the console in the westernmost chair. His skull is as cracked as the window and lolls back with the jaw dangling down in the posture of maddened shriek.
First her eyes started blinking again. Then her fingers started curling. Finally the rest of her body started moving as the paralysis finally wore off. It always seemed like it took hours, even when it was only a few minutes.
Eventually you stood up. Nodding in agreement with Kricker, she moved to retrieve the cards from the bodies, albeit hesitantly. She slipped one into her own pouch and passed the others to the rest.
Finding her strength once again she crept forward ahead of the others. She was almost beginning to hate being the first one in. She certainly didn't live for the excitement or the danger. She'd rather be curled up in a den somewhere reading. Still, she took comfort knowing that while she was the bait, the others always came to her rescue. Her role was necessary and spared the others at times from undue misfortune. She gritted her teeth, snorted, and pushed forward.
Another body she thought. What dangers will this one hold she wondered to herself.
She moved closer to inspect the remains and more importantly, the rest vest.
As the air turned colder she froze for an instant. Then she dashed forward to take cover behind the occupied chair.
Sensing something amiss Drahlneep hunches into a ready stance and sticks his back to a wall.
Perrik burps quietly as he enters the ruined control chamber, and pauses to consider whether he's completely recovered from the appalling stench of the undead.
Kricker senses the drop in temperature and shouts out a warning.
Probably more undead, be very careful! And know your exit route!
Jeji:
Perrik:
Kricker: ;
Drahlneep:
foe:
Only Perrik seems oblivious to the unseen menace that accompanies the dropping temperature. The Mist outside begins to seep in through the cracks and emanates from the dead form in the chair. Jeji ducks behind the chair, Drahlneep looks for something tangible to hit!
Kricker casts Shield of Faith on himself.
The mist spreads and thickens with unnatural speed until the chamber is filled and nothing can be seen beyond claw's reach. Which may be a good thing as threatening shapes seem to congeal and then disappear filling the kobolds with dread. A voice is heard from the chair where Jeji has taken cover. It speaks the ancient tongue between sobs and hysterical shouts.
With her knees shaking and her arms trembling, Jeji dashed back towards the door they had entered from, her fear almost too much for her to bare.
Knowing it was coming helps Kricker resist the haunt.
Jeji, may have the right idea! We should consider retreating. That sounds like another undead. A very old one!
"Go!" Drahlneep growls through his fury as the claw takes shape.