GMG's Tears at Bitter Manor

Game Master Magabeus

"They think we are stupid enough to step outside!" one of the zombies tells the other. Both attempt to hit Hurok, but the doorpost gets in their way.

Initiative
+2 AC within 10' for the next 5 rounds (count down after zombies)
Enrithel
Hurok: -4 hp (readied)
Raymond (readied)
Orin

- - -
Blue: -13 hp
Red: dazzled 3 rounds, -13 hp
- - -

Raymond sighs. "These things are smart zombies. Well then. Time to show them something they've not seen the like of before."

Raymond steels himself for a moment, then reaches behind his back and unties the tight pouch that is holding his right arm. His arm rips free, and the group can see that the skin of his right hand is bright red, and almost seems to pulsate. There are wicked claws at the tip of each finger.

"This thing is a nuisance most of the time, but it can come in handy."

He chuckles just a bit at his horrible pun, then promptly punches his hand through the window next to him.
damage to glass, hardness 1, HP1: 1d6 + 0 ⇒ (6) + 0 = 6

The glass shatters, and he quickly slams his wrist downward on a large shard, slicing the hand clean off his wrist. Blood soaks the windowsill, but you can see that his wrist is already knitting together, the red flesh at the end of his wrist growing across the wound incredibly rapidly.

As the hand falls into the house through the shattered window, it begins to pulsate, bright red blisters growing all over it, which burst to form new blisters, and the hand rapidly grows in size, becoming as large as a dog! Its wicked claws extend even further, the one on its middle finger becoming almost a scythe. It stands up on its thumb and other four fingers, aiming the claw of its middle finger at the zombie.

Since growing larger is a supernatural ability, I don't think the zombie gets an AOO against the hand. It has used its Standard Action for the round by growing, though.

Profile for the hand. :)

"After all this time that's still super creepy."

Enrithel conjures a snowball and throws it at the zombie he can see in the doorway.
Ranged touch: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
Cold dmg: 5d6 + 1 ⇒ (6, 4, 1, 1, 6) + 1 = 19
DC 17 fort save if it hits, staggered on fail.

"Ok then, if you just want to stand there..."

Orin takes a step and draws a card. Immediately, he flicks it at the zombie, leaving a thick stream of magical energy trailing behind it where it flies. Instead of hitting her, the card loops around her head and coalesces into a glowing rope of pure magical energy.

touch attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
str penalty: 1d6 ⇒ 5
dex penalty: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Seeing that the party has things handled through ranged and.....other methods, Hurok continues to watch the door to make sure the squishy ones are covered.

Raymond throws his hand inside, which seems to shock even the zombies. Enrithel throws a snowball, which the zombie catches full in the face. As with the electricity attack earlier it does not seem to do any harm... Orin has a more effective approach though as he holds an dark strand of energy in one hand which seems to loop around the head of the blue zombie.

The blue zombie moves further inside to deal with the dog-sized hand, breaking the strands of energy while she moves out of the spell's range. Both then attack Yd, with one zombie managing to hit.

Initiative
+2 AC within 10' for the next 4 rounds (count down after zombies)
Enrithel
Hurok: -4 hp
Raymond
Orin
Yd: -4 hp
- - -
Blue: -13 hp
Red: dazzled 2 rounds, -13 hp
- - -

Seeing his opportunity open, Raymond steps into the shack and stabs the [red] zombie square in her most sensitive spot.

rapier: 1d20 + 9 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 9 + 1 + 2 = 25
damage: 1d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 1 = 7 plus sneak: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 4) = 9

His hand then attempts to grab ahold of the same zombie to keep it from moving away, digging its claws into her as it does so.
claw: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24
damage: 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12 plus sneak: 2d6 ⇒ (2, 5) = 7
grapple: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (8) + 15 = 23

Yay for shared sneak attack! :-D Also the zombie can't speak or use verbal components while grappled by Yd.

Together Raymond and his hand deal with the zombies!

combat over

You search the small cottage and find two coffers. Each contains a few simple changes of clothes, a jar of ointment, and a stamped silver bar worth 10 gp.

"No sign of Flinn... just demons and undead. Doesn't bode well. Should we report back to our employers?"

"Anyone know what Finn looks like? Are we sure he wasn't one of those zombies?"

A fine painting of Flinn and his four adventuring friends hangs on the eastern wall, behind which a wooden staircase rises to the second floor.

zombies don’t show any resemblance. Also note their clothes (see map)

Enrithel takes a closer look at the undead. Does it look like they had been housekeepers/staff here at Flinn's house?
Perc: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
Ugh. Open your eyes, Enrithel.

Their clothing does seem that way, but what does an elf know about human clothing?

Is there anything I can determine about how they came to be undead?
Kn. Religion: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23

Orin pulls out a coin and flips it in the air a few times, practicing a new trick.

"It's a bit crowded in there. Anything interesting?

He keeps an eye out for anyone coming to investigate the fighting.

Perception take 10 = 9.

Enrithel knows that most zombies are created using the spell animate dead. That implies that the zombie must have been dead, but these show no signs of dying a violent death beforehand.

Almost as an afterthought, Raymond walks over to the big, red hand. It's twitching, like it doesn't know what to do now that the enemies are all down. "Alright, get back on, ya bugger." The hand visibly shudders, as if the idea of reattaching to Raymond is repulsive to it, but it shrinks back down to normal size, and Raymond picks it up and presses it against his stump of an arm. Within seconds, it has reattached to his arm.

"Damn thing is useful, but people don't generally like it. Plus those claws get in the way when you're trying to do normal things. Can you imagine feeling up a wench with this thing? Trust me, you don't want to."

Heal: 1d20 ⇒ 10
No luck.

"Great. Now I've got that mental image to deal with. Thanks, Ray.

These undead seem unusually... whole. Maybe we should check with the neighbors to see if they recognize these people."

FYI: it is in the evening, after dusk. Let's say approximately 9:30 PM

I'll rephrase then.

"Maybe we should check with the neighbors in the morning to see if they recognize these people."

"Speaking of wenches, I think its time we retire for the evening. Regroup in the morning, shall we?"

He starts to turn to walk away, then remembers the bodies.

"uh, should we do something about the dead-undead-dead again bodies?"

"At the very least I think we should cover them up and close this building up so that they aren't disturbed overnight. I could put an arcane lock on the door, but with all these windows I don't think it would do much good."

Orin will drag a body outside and remove the head.

"Grab the other one will ya? I want to get this over with. They smell bad enough without being on fire. Hide the heads somewhere in case we need to ID them later."

"Fine, fine." Raymond helps Orin drag the bodies out into the open and remove their heads.

Once the bodies are piled, Orin will use spark a few times to get the fire started.

While waiting for the bodies to burn, he will look over the items found in the house.

Detect magic + Kn. Arcana to Identify:
Arcana: potion 1: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (7) + 13 = 20
Arcana: potion 2: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (7) + 13 = 20
Arcana: ointment 1: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (11) + 13 = 24
Arcana: ointment 2: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18

Enrithel will use Prestidigitation to clean up any mess made.

Orin, which potions?

The pathfinders take some wood from the wood pile behind the house and make a pyre on which they burn the undead. Meanwhile Orin identifies both ointments as unguents of timelessness

After the bodies have burned down to ashes Enrithel cleans everything as best as he can using a cantrip and the heroes go back to their inn.

I assume you have a beer, nothing weird happens during the night. It is up to you what to do in the morning

Orin takes some time in the evening to identify the potions. They are both potions of lesser age resistance.

The next morning, Raymond awakens and stretches, his red hand temporarily freed and seemingly sniffing around for something to attack. "Quit, you. We've got work to do. Where are we off to?" he grunts at Orin.

"Before we go too far we should probably report back to our clients."

"Agreed, they might have some idea of whats going on. Also, if we see a place to buy a scroll on the way, I need to make a purchase."

You make your way over to the Sword Point Inn where the elderly couple is sitting in the sun, enjoying a cup of tea. When they see you they eagerly ask "That is quicker than expected! Any news?"

"All we found were traps and dead things... and things that didn't want to stay dead." Raymond says.

"Someone also summoned cacodaemons and left them for us. We've only been to Flinn's house so far, we haven't visited Hope's Hollow yet. Considering the situation at Flinn's we figured we ought to let you know sooner rather than later."

"So you did not find Flinn, but found other things. Any idea what this might mean?"

"We were hoping you could tell us. Is he the sort to leave traps around his house that could involve demons or undead? If not then he may be mixed up in something dangerous that either forced him to flee or be captured."

"Flinn is a seasoned adventurer, so the traps could be his doing. But demons and undead? That does not sound like our friend. I think your assessment is correct and hope you will find out where he is."

"Well in that case, let's go to Hope's Hollow and try to sort the rest of this mess out."

Raymond is ready to go.

"Agreed."

Orin finds his way back to an inn and finds some people to gamble with. He buys a room then spends the night gambling and drinking away all of his winnings.

Prof Gambler: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
2g. 1s. 4c. Earned and spent...

He then stumbles upstairs and passes out.

The next morning, he is down early for a hearty meal and heads out.

If there is a shop where he could buy Molten Orb he would buy a scroll, learn it, and prepare it in the morning

After Orin has done his purchases you head out to the town of Hope's Hollow. In the distance you see the town when a dark-skinned young woman approaches, never breaking her stride or stare. As she nears, she appears to step through a fence as if it weren’t there. Her face is tear-stained and intensely sorrowful. She moves directly towards Raymond...

Initiative
Green area is difficult terrain, road normal. Squares that are both use the dominant terrain to determine this. Knowledge (Religion) to identify
Enrithel
Hurok
Orin
Raymond
- - -
GM

Kn. Religion: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28

Orin would have also sold the silver bars when he purchased the scroll. Everyone gets 5g. Orin's spells are up to date now on the google sheet.

Orin will then cast mage armor.

"Raymond, is this one of yours? I told you that 'what happens in Absalom, stays in Absalom' is not actually a thing..."

"Don't recognize her. Don't mean she wasn't one o' mine, I s'pose. Did I just see her walk through metal? That ain't normal," he grunts. He pulls out his rapier, for all the good it'll do him.

Miserable remnants of souls who died in despair, ephemeral echoes are restless spirits who felt powerless or heartbroken at the moment of their death. They roam the Material Plane, lingering near a fetter they recognize as meaningful to them in life or death. Ephemeral echoes
gain power and become corporeal as they sap the strength of personality from their victims, until their incorporeal menace becomes a dangerously tangible threat.

Ephemeral echoes exhibit a combination of jealousy and hatred for the living, whom they see as unfairly blessed with the continuation of their lives and potential. They generally attack those who demonstrate a particularly vibrant personality. Upon borrowing their victims’ will to take material shape, ephemeral echoes savagely attack the living in a flurry of brutal blows and violent sobs.

"I'd recommend staying back... I don't think even you would enjoy her touch, Raymond."

Enrithel gives Raymond Protection from Evil for the next 5 minutes, and moves back next to Orin.

"#*@$, where's a cleric when you need one?"

Raymond and Hurok seem uncertain what to do while Enrithel and Orin cast spells for their own or other's protection.

Initiative
Green area is difficult terrain, road normal. Squares that are both use the dominant terrain to determine this. Knowledge (Religion) to identify
Hurok
Raymond (Protection from Evil)
- - -
GM
- - -
Enrithel
Orin (Mage Armor)

Hurok seems uncertain what to do while Enrithel and Orin cast spells for their own or someone else's protection. Raymond draws his rapier and stands ready for a duel.

Initiative
Green area is difficult terrain, road normal. Squares that are both use the dominant terrain to determine this. Knowledge (Religion) to identify
Hurok
- - -
GM
- - -
Enrithel
Orin (Mage Armor)
Raymond (Protection from Evil)

Despite momentarily succumbing to his natural fear of undead, Hurok snaps out of his daze as his eyes turn red with rage.

He runs through the thick vegetation beside the road, and brings down his axe with extra tenacity, as if to compensate for his moment of weakness.

Raging Power Attack: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (19) + 16 = 35
damage: 3d6 + 15 ⇒ (6, 4, 5) + 15 = 30