Silvio slips free from the webbing moves toward the wizard. He tries to get close to the wizard to prevent more magics from being unleashed, though he potentially leaves himself open to attack in the process.
He then prepares to attack, should the caster attempt some more magics.
; ;
;
Staryth tries to pace himself behind Krojun despite the Shaonti's greater speed.
"Gaah!" The derro (heretofore known as Vreeg for narrative convenience) screeches as the party easily navigates the web.
He attempts to cast a spell towards Krojun, but Silvio's swings makes him flub it entirely.
"Curses!"
Vreeg looks at the incoming axe with panicked eyes as it comes down... and then with immense relieve as it bounces off an invisible barrier suspended in mid air with a resounding "clang!", sending a wobbling shock of recoil back into the Shoanti's arms.
Silvio steps behind Vreeg, the Derro, and tries another stab! ; But this blow also glances off the invisible barrier.
What in the good lady's name? Staryth wonders...
From behind Krojun, Staryth tries to see if his polearm has any more luck
which it doesn't, but at least it gives him more 'evidence' about the spell
Silvio and Staryth's attacks fare equally as poorly, getting naught but an amused chuckle out of the spellcaster.
Staryth easily puts together the words of Vreeg's spell, as he's been warned of such a spell in the past: The derro attempting to use necromantic magic to render Krojun blind entirely.
Vreeg rips a patch of cloth sewn to his robe out, and throws it on the ground. With a pulse of dark magic, a humanoid skeleton manifests, and proceeds to claw at Krojun with its bony fingers.
"Okay then, Necromancer. There's no mercy for your kind!"
Silvio attempts to move into a flanking position without drawing an attack. .
He then strikes at the caster again, hoping to get by the invisible force barrier! ;
Silvio's attack pierces into the magical barrier, but resistance opposes him. Vreeg focuses strongly on his barrier, hoping to keep the rogue at bay. As Krojun begins to chant, however, Silvio is inspired, and he gives a strong push, driving his sword forward and into the spellcaster's chest.
"Argh!" Vreeg gasps, bleeding. He steps back, and away from the sword's blade; though the wound seems less worse than it should have been.
Staryth cannot place the spells at work, so instead he strikes against Vreeg, hoping to equal his friend's earlier blow.
Still reeling from Silvio's attack, Vreeg attempts to avoid Staryth's blade, but is caught in the shoulder, leaving a noticeable gash.
"Aargh! Gets off! Skeleton! Shields me! Attacks that ones!"
Vreeg shouts and points to Staryth, attempting to force his minion into obeying him.
The undead follows the command, attacking Staryth and putting itself in the line of attack between him and Vreeg.
However, both hits fail to take; Staryth parries the first blow, while the second one fails to penetrate his armor.
"Looks like your skeleton doesn't have much heart. Or other organs. Or skin, for that matter." Silvio pursues the elusive Vreeg, attempting another strike with his sword. ;
Staryth keeps his focus on Vreeg, hoping that taking down the leader first will rob the skeletons of direction.
Krojun's attack outright scatters the skeleton through the room, sending its bones clattering about.
Silvio and Staryth's attacks are both driven away by the magical barrier.
"My skeleton! Why youse!"
Confident that his barrier will shield him from reprisal, Vreeg steps away from Silvio and begins preparing a spell.
Undisturbed when his protection stops the Paladin's opportunistic attack, Vreeg finishes his incantation, takes a very deep breath, and gives a shout so loud as to rattle the cave itself.
Silvio feels the sound rattle his skull, and leans against the wall lest his legs give in.
Aside from a noticeable ringing in their ears, Staryth and Krojun are mostly unscathed.
Silvio is left reeling from the blast!
Staryth's ears ring for a moment, but he rallies and thrusts again
"Argh!" Vreeg snarls, reeling from the blows. "No good! Too many enemies!"
The web vanishes at Vreeg's command, and he springs out of the room, with an agile pirouette that appears to surprise even himself, ducking attempts at keeping him in place.
Krojun's mighty swing cleaves Vreeg across the back, causing the derro to gurgle incoherently and pass out from shock. The spellcaster crumples to the ground, breeding profusely.
The partly-animate torso and arm of Gaekhen continues twitching on the bench.
Looting Vreeg's body returns the following items:
A wand, made of gnarled wood and marked with symbols in Aklo. (Radiates necromantic magic)
Five vials of a faint blue liquid. (No magic)
His robe, adorned by three patches: One resembles a small goblinoid figure, one a more humanoid one, and one canine form. Frayed seams mark the place where the skeleton was previously torn off. (Radiates necromantic magic.)
One masterwork dagger. (No magic)
One ring. (Radiates magic)
-The religious authorities of Korvosa are split on the subject of using seized necromantic items for good purposes. The chuch of Shelyn generally prefers to have such items disenchanted for the good of all, but recognizes that, in times of crisis, it is good to use any resource on hand. Should the party decide to keep the items for later use, it would not reflect badly on you.
-Selling these items would prove problematic. While the authorities might turn a blind eye to their use for the good of Korvosa, the circulation of such items is a different story.
-To compensate for this, the good churches of the city have offered bounties for the surrender of such items. You are confident that the party would be rewarded more than fairly for returning such items.
"Gruesome..." Staryth says with a thoughtful look, "These necromatic items? Do we plan to use them?" He says of the wand and robe, "The Church of Shelyn prefers to disenchant, but I do not pretend I have any greater claim just because of my faith."
"Agreed," He says, helping in the needful gathering, and then walking with Krojun to the barricade.
"Is this necromancer still alive? Would the Sklar-Quah like to deliver justice to him themselves?" Silvio tries to think if he recalls anything pertinent about the Shoanti. . If the party decides to take him alive, Silvio will bind the necromancer.
"Anyway, I agree we'll need to face whatever's behind that door!" Silvio gratefully accepts healing, and goes with the others to the barricade.
According to Staryth, Vreeg has bled out and died.
Furthermore, the necromancers weren't the cause of Gaekhen's death. As Cressida explained, he was killed, and his corpse was later stolen by a corpse peddler and sold to the necromancers.
As Krojun picks up the torso to place it in the bag, its arm lashes out at him.
The corpse's clenched fist strikes him in the nose, leaving him dazed for a moment and causing him to drop it.
Silvio does his best to stifle a chuckle. "Well then - looks like this Vreeg fellow got pretty far along in his necromancy. Are we going to have to stab this body some more?"
"Cursed Necromancer was trying to make undeath... the torso has a glimmer of dark animation within it and..." He says, "Healing magics may render it inert."
The healing magic does its work, and the torso seizes up one last time, before falling inert. By all appearances, it is now as inert as the rest of the body.
"Yup. Time to kick some more butt."
The party comes to the barricaded door, where the pounding is still going on. Listening closely, they hear a guttural, raucous voice screaming incoherently.
"And to think we spent all this time blocking this door." After removing the various barricades, Silvio opens the door!
Staryth readies his weapon and prepares to follow