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Holan-Ji smiles back at Hep's precise deadliness. He thinks she's crying at the joy of battle and killin', but he grants himself that with women (and Hep in particular) that one can never truly know.
"Sing us a song o' fire and death, Hep. Wormy don't wanna talk, that's perfect. He won't interfere with you and Hot Shot harmonizin'," he requests as he strides across the stone floor of the Temple of Death. His boots crush and squish through the remains of the ghouls that didn't even slow them down.
Really? Temple of Death? Ain't that a bit redundant here in Geb?
He gets within reach of the Worm, and lashes out with an undead-enhanced claw.
Dismayed that his claws went right thru where he thought the Worm was, he gets a little peeved. Not yet angry, and certainly not yet rip-roaring raging. Though it won't take much more to set him off.
Maria calls out another warning about the magics being employed by Wormy before taking aim with her bow but the Displacement effect completely thwarts her shot.
Zithembe, on the other hand, has no such trouble as he suddenly charges Wormy, invoking the spirits as he manages to drive his blade into Wormy's shoulder! Effie also fares well, firing a shot that punctures the foul thing's chest.
Holan-Ji moves up and tries to get in on the fun as well but finds his claw swipe totally misdirected by the Displacement effect. How rude!
Meanwhile, the Grandfrogger slowly but purposefully hops forward into the temple, preparing to put the evil eye on this upstart Worm.
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Hepsubia
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Worm That Walks
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Zithembe
Maria
Effie
Holan-Ji
Grandfrogger
Active Conditions: Inspire Courage +1
Environmental Conditions:
Hepsubia is UP!
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Hepsubia's mind was gone for some well deserved time off on a sunny beach, it seems, but now she snaps back to reality, unfrozing herself.
You want a song, Tyger? You got one. I'm not that thrilled to be here anyway. That worm can't dance.
She moonwalks closer to the action while singing
It's close to midnight
Something evil's lurking in the dark
Under the moonlight
You see a sight that almost stops your heart
You try to scream
But terror takes the sound before you make it
You start to freeze
As horror looks you right between the eyes
You're paralyzed
'Cause this is thriller, thriller night
And no one's gonna save you
From the beast about to strike
You know it's thriller, thriller night
You're fighting for your life inside a killer
Thriller tonight, yeah
Ooh
Strangegly, your weapons answers to the rythm and music of TTALH.
Hepsubia channels the power of music to bolster everyone's weapons, but Wormy doesn't seem to pay this much attention. Instead, he takes a step away from Zithembe and begins casting again...
Scare
...and both Zithembe and Holan-Ji feel an unnatural fear attempt to take hold of them. You also notice that some of Wormy's wounds seem to be slowly knitting themselves together.
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Hepsubia
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Worm That Walks
==============
Zithembe
Maria
Effie
Holan-Ji
Grandfrogger
Active Conditions: Inspire Courage +1, Weapon Song
Environmental Conditions:
Everyone is UP!
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As the enchantment crashes against the shabti's prodigious will, the faded golden tattoos on his temporary necrotic form flare with light, and he becomes stronger. "No. Not today. Not for a creature such as you," Zithembe says. His blade bursts into flame at Hepsubia's catchy tine. He advances upon the worm-that-walks, the villain's own enchantments apparently failing .
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"Oh, yeah, that's just the thing," Holan-Ji growls as Hep begins her song and his claws glisten with rime frost.
The worm's enchantment tries to wriggle its insidious way into his head.
Fear not, Kitten. This is an ancient evil, but not so ancient as me, the Tiger God reminds him and he shakes off the fear.
Swinging his head to and fro to Hep's song, he advances into the flank with Zithembe just as Effie's shot rings out and chunks of worm explode across the back wall.
"Nice shot!" he calls out as he takes his own swing at the reticent villian.
Zithembe, only slightly shaken by Wormy's magic spell, continues to bring his weapon to bear against the creature and opens up another large wound.
The Grandfrogger attempts to put the evil eye on the worm that walks but finds that the creature's will is surprisingly strong.
But none of his defenses are any match for Effie, who delivers an expert shot directly to the head that sends bits of worms flying in all directions! She feels that if Wormy had been a more typical foe, that her first shot would've had even more devastating results.
"Heh...no matter," Wormy laughs weakly as he staggers and drops to his knees. "You will perish, just as the Society will perish, when the Great Worm arrives! Listen! It comes..."
The creature then collapses into a pile of individual worms that writhe and wriggle weakly before slowly growing still. An eerie silence falls over the temple...but as you listen, you become aware of a rumbling sound that grows louder and louder...and comes from below the stones beneath your feet.
The tremors grow both more violent and more rapid until suddenly the earth bulges up and explodes in a shower of dust and mud! Rising from the hole is a nightmarish creature made of putrid flesh and noxious fluids. Vaguely wormlike, this huge creature's mouth is made of rows of teeth and retracting mandibles. Unable to sense the one that summoned it, the worm rears back...
"SCREEEEEEEE!"
...and moves to attack!
It's a ghoul worm - definitely an undead creature!
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Huge Worm
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Hepsubia
Zithembe
Maria
Effie
Holan-Ji
Grandfrogger
Active Conditions: Inspire Courage +1, Weapon Song
Environmental Conditions:
Hepsubia, Maria and Holan-Ji are UP!
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"Oh, yeah, that's just the thing," Holan-Ji growls as Hep begins her song and his claws glisten with rime frost.
The worm's enchantment tries to wriggle its insidious way into his head.
Fear not, Kitten. This is an ancient evil, but not so ancient as me, the Tiger God reminds him and he shakes off the fear.
He begins to swing his head to and fro to Hep's song. Just as he starts to advance into the flank with Zithembe, Effie's shot rings out and chunks of worm explode across the back wall.
"Nice shot!" he calls out. Then the floor starts to rumble and something larger then even his own tiger form bursts from the ground. He switches up to rake two claws across the worm's armored belly before moving closer.
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Another unholy thingy! Let's spank it into oblivion! Let's make it pay its incursion on our PLane, and pay it cash!
Hepsubia continues to sing, but this isn't the same upbeat song, this one is somber, slower, but full of grit and determination.
In fact, the usually lithe, nearly scrawny elf seems to get more muscular
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Though startled by this new development, it doesn't seem to throw Holan-Ji or Hepsubia off much; Holan-Ji rips chunks of rotten flesh away from the worm with a swipe of a claw while Hepsubia bulks up and carves another hunk from the creature with her flaming sword!
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Huge Worm
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Hepsubia
Zithembe
Maria
Effie
Holan-Ji
Grandfrogger
Active Conditions: Inspire Courage +1, Weapon Song
Environmental Conditions:
Maria is UP!
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Maria steps back out of reflex, ”Holy shit that is big. I… suppose uh…”
She regains her wits now having a bit of knowledge to share, ”Okay, well that is a ghoul worm. I’ve only ever heard of them before, thank Brigh. The are resistant to… and weak against…”
She loads an arrow and very carefully takes aim at something soft-looking.
For
Maria recalls that like many undead creatures, ghoul worms have a resistance to the channeling of holy energy and no particular weaknesses...though she does find that they're not too difficult to strike as she steps back and sinks an arrow into the beast.
"REEEEEEE!"
The worm angrily snaps at Hepsubia, crunching down hard on the elf and holding her tightly in what passes for a mouth!
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Huge Worm
==============
Hepsubia
Zithembe
Maria
Effie
Holan-Ji
Grandfrogger
Active Conditions: Inspire Courage +1, Weapon Song
Environmental Conditions:
Everyone is UP!
Despite being grappled in the mouth of the beast Hepsubia manages to deliver another blow to the creature with her fire-and-lightning-charged sword!
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Huge Worm
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Hepsubia
Zithembe
Maria
Effie
Holan-Ji
Grandfrogger
Active Conditions: Inspire Courage +1, Weapon Song
Environmental Conditions:
Zithembe, Maria, Effie, Holan-Ji and Grandfrogger are UP!
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"You let the undead-oni roars as he steps up next to where the worm grabbed his friend. So primal is the ending that the last word is barely recognizable as Common. His muscles bulge under his robes, his fangs elongate, and fire both hot and freezing bursts from his claws and teeth.
Do it. Change. Forget the rules, forget the so-called 'mission.' Save Her, Kitten, the Tiger God urges him.
Not yet, old man. But I might, Holan-Ji replies to the spirit in him. He seriously does consider abandoning this farce of undeath and letting the tiger come fully out. But only if Hep needs him to, and if so he won't hesitate to do it for her.
But first, he tears into the worm with all his enraged might.
Not about to let Hepsubia become this thing's next meal the rest of you unleash hell on it, with Effie's shot finishing it off. With a mighty screech, the ghoul worm releases Hepsubia and collapses to the ground, its weight shaking the tiny temple to its foundation. Zith, the Grandfrogger, and Holan-Ji continue striking and slashing at the corpse to ensure it won't rise ever again.
Combat Over!
Now that you've got a moment to take a breather, you can finally have a better look around this simple, one-room temple. Where the walking worm last stood you see several items, which fell off as he collapsed: a spellbook, two scrolls, a masterwork quarterstaff, a wand, a flask of liquid, a ring, and a cloak. Also, after searching, you discover a much larger tome under the wreckage of the altar, as well as a headband and a scythe that had been part of the Urgathoa statue on the altar.
Cure Light Wounds
Mage Armor; 32 charges
Ring of Protection +1
Cloak of Resistance +1
Blindness/Deafness
False Life
Phylactery of Negaive Channeling
+1 Keen Scythe
3rd - Displacement, Haste, Lightning Bolt, Vampiric Touch
2nd - Darkness, False Life, Scare, Scorching Ray, Summon Swarm
1st - Magic Missile, Ray of Enfeeblement
More importantly, a quick perusal reveals the larger tome found under the ruined altar to be the tome you've been seeking - The Testament of Geb. You even find a bookmarked page that details the summoning of a ghoulish worm, just like the one you defeated moments ago.
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[ooc]+7+2[/dice]
The scrolls are necromantic: one of blindness and deafness and one of false life," Zithembe explains, his eyes remaining tinged with red as a consequence of relying so heavily on the spirits in the prior battle. "The wand provides an application of force armor, the potion is one of relatively minor healing, the ring provides protection from assault, and the cloak provides protection from magic. The others I cannot tell other than the headband radiates necromantic energy and the scythe, enchantment."
He nods to Effie. "Yes. Let us."
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"A keen edge, this blade has." The Grandfrogger carefully runs one knobbly grey finger down the flat of the scythe's blade. One red eye drifts towards the floor, pausing as a long grey tongue leaps out from under the heavy woolen hood to snatch several small wrigglers from the ground - remnants of the walking worm - and return them to the small figure's maw. An even smaller figure at his feet watches, then dashes out and starts madly shoving whatever "remains" she can get her hands on into her toothy mouth.
"Leave, we should."
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Even as Hep tumbles free and the big worm collapses, Holan-Ji lets his rage run its course. It feels good to just cut loose after all the sneaking around, and when he's done he stands there panting, though not for long.
Recovering his wind, he helps the others gather up the goodies. Not the wriggly goodies that Jobu and his little freaky friend are gathering. That's just too weird even for him. I've eaten worms before, both fried and grilled , but those were kinda sorta part of that guy's body. Yeah, hard pass.
Ooh, ooh, you really oughta try 'em. Bet they're good, yep yep, a new voice - high and reedy with a faint background buzzing - echoes in Holan-Ji's head. But before he recovers his wits to ask who the heck that was, the new voice is gone.
"Maybe I'm goin' crazy. Been hangin' around Hep too much," he mumbles to himself with a chuckle. He doesn't really think she's "crazy." Unique, tetched, and certainly "awesome." But not crazy enough to be hearing voices. Might have to talk to Jobu, see if he knows any cures fer bein' cuckoo.
When Zith and Jobu finish up examining the loot and confirming that they have indeed found the tome, he asks if it's time to use that token to get home and get out of these undead bodies. "It's like wearin' fancy clothes that don't fit. I just wanna change back into my own skin."
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"We should make a fair effort to retrieve our fellow Pathfinder's remains from this forsaken country," Zithembe says and then adds. "Try to remember that you are yourself and immutable, not the physical form that you inhabit, which is mutable. If that gives you any encouragement." This is probably disturbing coming from a ghoulish mockery of the shabti's body.
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Maria stops admiring her claws to answer the cat, ”Oh I don’t know, it isn’t that bad. I’ve always liked pale skin. Anyway, magic items.”
She slams back an elixir and with bright red glowing eyes inspects the headband.
”Oh, well that would have been useful. If we let the ghouls live. But then again it also would have healed us.” she looks around and speaks slowly, ”It makes evil priests stronger at channelling their god’s power, which heals undead.”
She slips it on under her hat, ”But it is a good look. Let’s go dig up some bodies!”
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Hepsuia stops hacking the worm into small pieces.
Oh. The fight has ended? Why no one told me?
She smiles at her BFT
You see? We won.
The power of lighting slowly fades away from the sky of her eyes, and her blade isn't ablazed anymore. Hearing Maria, she turns toward her fellow elf as she urges the pathfinders to dig somebody. Or multiple somebody.
Needing a midnight snack after the fight too?
Though you've essentially succeeded in your mission to finish what Joktan Heth began, the group agrees that the least you can do for your fallen allies is bring their remains home for a proper burial. And so you leave the temple of Urgathoa behind - after adding a few holes to the roof and whatever other destruction you might choose to engage in - and backtrack along the swamp trail to the lonely cairn on the hill.
As before, the silence here is downright oppressive but you don't see any signs of recent passage through the area - besides yourselves, of course.
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Knowing he's the muscle that's gonna have to do the digging - and honestly totally okay with that cause that's the role he has in this team - Holan-Ji grabs a shovel from the graveyard of the Temple of Urgathoa. He slings it over one shoulder and shambles back to the spooky swamp.
Just like before, the hairs on his neck and tail stand on end, and he can't shake the feeling that something bad is gonna happen.
But he trusts Z, and he knows he's got a job to do, so he follows the paladin to the cairn.
"Somebody, uh, gonna say some words or somethin' before I get to diggin' 'em up?" he asks those on his team more inclined to that sort of thing.
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"Somebody, uh, gonna say some words or somethin' before I get to diggin' 'em up?"
The Grandfrogger nods, taking a few steps forward. Red eyes dimly glow, grey hand stretches wide , walking stick thumps the ground, grey hand pulls a wayfinder from beneath heavy woolen robes, sibilant words hang like fog in the air.
"Come to bring home members of my tribe, I have."
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Maria pulls out her almost magical every-tool and flips out the shovel attachment before starting to dig up the loose soil indicative of a recent grave. She pauses as the superstitious members of the group do things and say words.
"Honestly though, they just recently died and were consecrated even. I'm sure they aren't zombies yet."
She resumes digging, enjoying the bigger muscles and endurance from her magical undead change.
+1 vs. traps, +2 H.A.?
+4 H.A.?
Though uneasy, the group slowly begins to approach the cairn, shovels and other digging tools in hand. Effie attempts to scan the cairn and immediate area for any evil auras but doesn't notice anything unusual.
As the group nears the cairn, Hepsubia becomes aware of the sound of religious chanting and the sound of footsteps frantically sloshing through the swamp.
Yet there's no one to be seen.
It suddenly hits you - the area around Joktan's grave must be haunted! You know that a haunt manifestation may be circumvented by the use of positive energy, though it often takes specific actions - each haunting is different - to cleanse a haunt for good.
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Grandfrogger
Zithembe
Hepsubia
Effie
Holan-Ji
Maria
==============
?????
Active Conditions: None
Environmental Conditions: None
Hepsubia is UP!
Several of you, Hepsubia included, suddenly realize that the cairn and area around it are haunted in spite of the Pharasmins' best efforts to prevent such a thing. All of you can hear it now, the sounds of frantic footsteps and religious chanting. Suddenly, there's a horrendous scream of agony as the area immediately around the grave erupts in a blast of positive energy! Maria, standing the closest, feels the energy burn her undead form!
And then, just as quickly as it started, the haunting sounds cease and the area grows quiet once more. But the oppressive atmosphere here does not dissipate; you expect that given enough time, the haunt will manifest itself again.
Unless of course you cleanse it for good.
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"Is that it? Is it over?" Holan-Ji asks as the sounds fade away.
"We get these guys dug up, we go home right? Cause if we wanna dig faster I can get into my tiger form. Might be able to dig better with my paws and claws, and someone else can use this," he waves the purloined shovel between scoops.
"But I think Maria said if I do that, I can't go back to playin' undead. So we'd hav' to know that we're going home straight away."