Kayela turns seeing a zombie mangle Dryden before he repels it with a blast of positive energy weakening all of the undead in the area. She haphazardly moves into position against the nearest zombie leaving the skeletons to Arigoder she lunges running her dagger through the nearest zombies neck.
Hasmir sees that some of his allies seem to be struggling, and his own weapons aren't doing much. He breathes in and takes up another knife, but instead of slashing at a nearby undead he holds it high, his voice booming in challenge COURAGE, FRIENDS! Fates have brought us here from the ends of Golarion, and it's not to be downed by a bunch of half-rotten corpses! We will NOT be denied our destiny. We will NOT fall to a nameless foe. Our cause is right, and tonight we triumph!
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Kayela cuts down the zombie attacking Dryden and thenm the remaining skeletons attack.
Skel vs Kayela
Skel vs Arigoder
Skel vs Akydidya
misfortune reroll on crit chance
The skeleton facing Arigoder lands two blows, but a slip narrowly prevents one of those from being very serious. Akydidya also gets hit once.
damage vs Arigoder
damage vs Akydidya
Hasmir begins chanting an inspiring ballad and Morbury responds by hacking down the zombie facing him.
Akydi reels from the blow, then steps backwards again to fling one of his daggers at the skeleton attacking him.
Arigoder winces as the undead slip past his shield and land their blows, watching their hands come away covered in his blood. The pain of the wounds show clearly on his face for a moment, but then his features shift into a harsh resolve. The Lord of the Vault will not let me die like this... not after bringing me back to life as he did...
He raises his warhammer to strike down the skeleton (), but as he brings the weapon down, a flash of pain from his wounds causes him to turn slightly, shifting the hammer's arc away from the target. He punches out with his shield before he rights himself, once again missing his foe. A sliver of fear begins to reach him as his attacks are once again wasted... Blood of Saints! Have I been cursed?
Seeing Arigoder take a bad hit, Dryden channels again.....
Darcy relaxes her tension on the bow momentarily as her target collapses. , then drawing on a new target she releases.
Shortbow attack
Arrow damage, PBS
Kayela turns her attention to the last abomination. She moves in to strike...
Hasmir snarls at the zombie, his rage and frustration obvious. After the long (under the circumstances) oratory, now he just feels angry. He draws another knife and slashes at the thing furiously. "Will. You. Freaking. Die.Already.You.Half.Rotted.Freak!" he growls, punctuating each hit with a slash.
Morbury moves to help Hasmir, in hopes to help kill it.
Kayela looks disheartened by the fact that Hasmir finished off the last of the foes before stating, "Strange....Strange indeed..." she then turns to Dydren, "How issit dat thase bodies rose from their slumber 'ere among the concencrate ground oh your lady."
she kneels down at near the zombie she felled as she draws her dagger and rips out a small chip of bone before causally knotting it around her hair as she notches a mark with her second dagger into the bone hilt of the blade that laid the creature down.
"ah any of ya wounded oh in need of mah attention as a healer, ahn do ya think we should notify tah fathdar grimburrow of deh hereasy dats taken place among the ground dat is his charge?"
Arigoder nods, "Yes... to both, actually. I think it better we be the ones to deliver the news of this... defiling... than to be blamed for it later.... and I am still wounded."
Kayela nods seeing his wounds and speaks a short incantation in shoanti before caressing Arigoders cheek casting cure light wounds on him, "'ere darlin let me tend tah those wounds ets the least I could do for tha noble gentleman who caim tah ah ladies aid when those foul monsters attacked" she replies sincerity in her voice as his cuts magically heal themselves.
After the fighting as horrifying as it may have been Kayela has a bit of a smile on her face as well as a slight spring in her step. She seems a bit giddy and pleased with the evenings events.
Akydi retrives his dagger and cleans it off "That was rather unpleasant. I mean I'm all for battlings the forces of evil and undeath, but this attack was almost too much for us. Thank the fates and Lady Desna we had Dryden with us." He finishes wiping off his dagger then looks to his companions. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I am so ready for a drink or two after this."
"I am grateful that the Lady's hatred of the undead favored me with such strong energy." Dryden responds.
"I also believe it best to let Father Grimburrow know of this. If you like I will tell him in the morning."
Hasmir exhales noisily, cleans himself up from the scuffle and goes to pick the dagger he threw at one of the undead. "That was definitely one of my less pleasant evenings. Aky, I'd join you for a drink if there's any place open, but I think we may need to settle this first. Dryden, would it be possible to inform the Father now? I think we can be excused bothering him now with such a thing happening, and I'd really not leave open graves and scattered bodies for the early risers to find. At least putting them back in would be nice," he adds, shaking his head. This is really wrong. Do you think this was done by a mage or... er, something else?" Though his face doesn't show it, his tone in the last sentence has a fair bit of apprehension.
After any reply, he nods and starts whispering a song-like prayer.
Lady Dream-tender, thank you for your aid tonight. May your favor shield us again when darkness surrounds us, and despair nips at our heels, and may your song keep the dead asleep even when evil tries to wake them.
Only then does he notice the spring in Kayela's step. Curious, he thinks. That woman has a lot more life than I thought in her. Perhaps it is a sign that I should not be so glum either?
Kayela spends a moment basking in the afterglow of a good fight as she picks up her morningstar and readjusts her things. "I agree wit tah young elvish travellar dis kind'o desecration should not be left tah rot in tah open air an causally be put off fore tah morrow."
She then pauses for a moment looking slightly annoyed as she motions to the littered remains of the dead strewn about the ground and open graves, "No, No, good fadar grimborrow dost not deserve a good nighs slumber while es own flock shamelessly rots on dah idle ground aftar such heresay, he should be informed well of the failings of es charge."
She smiles as Hasmir speculates on those responsible, "Oh? It not mattars whose or what hand was responsible for dis wickedness fore it is certain deh soon wa know mah wrath"
Kayela will linger for as long as conversation permits and unless plans otherwise change will seek out father grimburrow wherever he may be to inform him of events her intent to make it known to him while advising him to not inform the public at large (aside from the sheriff) and cause a disturbance she also intends to offer her help re-burying the dead before she returns to Kendras for the night as the new found work putting things back in their proper place will likely take a good amount of time.
Arigoder smiles at the healing, "You have a most gentle touch, Lady Kayela."
Watching the discussion, he nods and says, "I think sooner is better than later for informing the good father...." His voice trails off for a moment as a pensive look crosses his face. Finally, he shrugs and says, "I was going to suggest that we stay here and guard the place - to prevent any further harm, or, for that matter, the spread of bad news... but I worry that others finding us standing over defiled graves would be even worse.... I think we should go speak to Father Grimburrow, who, one hopes, will vouch for us if anyone else comes across this.... And, I think we should then do what we can to help clean things up -- under his watchful eye, so we're not accused of hiding evidence."
He pauses for a moment as his voice becomes more gravelly, "I do not like this... we must do what we can to stop it - both for the sake of all that is good, but also to defuse the strange tension that seems to thrive in this place."
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Father Grimburrow is horrified at your tale and immediately rushes out to the scene. He performs some ritual (non-magical) and calls for his acolytes to rebury the bodies.
"Thank you for your help."He says to your group.
"This is very disturbing. I have felt a growing presence from Harrowstone and it looks like whatever is happening there is beginning to influence the town as well. If you need any assistance later, please come to me."
"This afront to Pharasma's rest will be dealt with Father!" Dryden assures the town's priest.
"We could use whatever aid you can give us in our search for records on these five notorious prisoners at Harrowstone."
Hey gang, do we have someone willing to keep an eye on the monument tonight? Hasmir can do it if it's not completely dark and LLV still works, but it means he'll be sleeping late and can't help for any research done in the morning.
Father, did anything pecular happen in the town or at the ruins just before the Professor died? Any newcomers or curious events we may have missed?
Kayela stays relatively quite around father grimburrow her mood turning slightly dour in his presence. She politely will offer/insist in helping re-bury the dead that evening and after the considerable effort is extended in putting the dead in their rightful place she'll return to the Lorrimor estate pour herself a mug of dwarven stout before grabbing a wire-brush, bag of sand, bucket, and bar of soap to take a dust-bath and heading to bed.
Arigoder smiles grimly at the Father's offer, "It may be, Father, that we will need to speak to you about this sense you're getting from Harrowstone."
He turns to his companions and says, "I believe I could use that drink now, to wash this nasty business out of my mouth...." He then glances around and says in a lower voice, "..and to see what we can hear from the common folk about what's going on."
Akydi does what he can to help bury the dead, saying "Fate seems to have brought us to you Father, in your time of need. Please, enlighten us as to these feelings you have been experiencing regarding the prison."
Morbury will also aid the others in re-burying the deceased.
Afterwards, "Arigoder and Akydidyka are right, Father. If there is something we should know about Harrowstone that brings a disturbance within you, it would be most helpful if you would share such with us. Please, good sir."
Kayela finishes with her aid in reburying the dead and watches silently for Grimburrows response, arms crossed and un-trusting.
Hasmir nods when his companions ask the father for any additional information, but for now seems content to help with burying the (twice) dead, listening, and observing. "Well, Ma'am, I didn't expect our second night of acquaintance to involve that kind of late shifts," he jokes to Kayela as he keeps shoveling dirt on one of the respected ex-townsfolk.
Kayela's eyebrow arches at Hasmir's joke as she wipes the sweat of her brow and with a sly grin she replies. "I ah found et tah be vhery exhilarating tah be perfectly honest....was it as good fah you as it was fah me?" as she shovels her last batch of grave dirt.
Like a proper lady Kayela spits (noticeably in the direction of father grimburrow) tossing aside her shovel. "Well dis evening has proved eventful, but ets getting late I've got more grave dirt on mah body dan I expected to aquire dis nigh and much more dan I care for...."
She then pulls out a clay jug out of her pack and rips the cork out with her teeth before spitting it onto the freshly re-packed grave. "....and ah am most thirsty"
She takes a swig of dwarven stout from the bottle before she gets a look of embarrassment on her face as she turns to the rest of the group. "Wah are mah manners yah all aided puttin dose foul beasts back in der place might I offer yah a bit of ale ta quench yah thirst an dull yah sensibilities on mah way back tah the Lorrimors?"
She shares her bottle passing it off to whoever might take it and casts light on her morning star as it radiates a pale white light to guide her path in the night as makes her way eager to get back to the estate to clean up and lay herself down to sleep hopefully with a stomach half full of bitter foamy ale and a dulled mind.
Arigoder smiles at the offer, but shakes his head, "To be honest, lady, I was more interested in the rumours than the drink. Listening to the gossip and complaints in dark taverns at night was one of the first lessons they taught me when I was with the Band, to keep a pulse on the town that we were guarding... and while we're not actually on guard here, there are dark currents that worry me..."
He rubs his shoulders slightly, taking up his weapons, Unless you're carrying a bath or a bed, I think we'd best return to the house...
"I am glad you found it so fulfilling" Hasmir says cheerily, as if they were talking about anything but the rekilling and burial. "Though the, hmm, ambience could use a little work. I hope you agree?"
Once he's done, he leaves the shovel to the side and gratefully accepts the jug. "Much obliged, ma'am, you're a lifesaver. Ah, now this is how it should be done. To victory, and long life!" he says, performing a mock toast, then drinks. "Pff, good stuff. Dwarven, I reckon. Well, that almost makes it all worthwhile."
He returns the jug and nods at Arigoder. "We've already asked around, I think, but you are right - you never quite know what we missed. It's not even the talk itself, sometimes you can learn a lot just watching and listening over a good brew. Or a bad one, really.
Arigoder nods, "It wasn't so much about asking around -- I was thinking, more, of trying to keep an eye on the currents, as it were.... Still, we are far too filthy to do much of anything tonight, other than bathe and sleep... I just think keeping a finger on the pulse of the town would be in everyone's best interests... especially with the distrust that seems to be thrown in the direction of the professor's house."
His voice cracks as he finishes and turns to Kayela, his voice even more gravelly than usual, "Perhaps I will take a pull from that after all, if you're still offering."
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Research at the Temple:
Hasmir
Dryden
Morbury
Akydidya
Father Charlatan (Sefick Corvin): Of the five notorious prisoners, only Father Charlatan was not technically a murderer, yet his crimes were so blasphemous that several churches demanded he be punished to the full extent of Ustalavic law. Although he claimed to be an ordained priest of any number of faiths, Father Corvin was in fact a traveling con artist who used faith as a mask and a means to bilk the faithful out of money in payment for false miracles or cures. He became known as Father Charlatan after his scheme was exposed and his Sczarni accomplices murdered a half-dozen city guards in an attempt to make good the group’s escape.
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Meanwhile, the other group heads for the Unfurled Scroll. As you arrive, you see a group of five little Varisian girls dressed in shawls and dresses are playing a skipping rope game at the side of the road. Each of the girls takes turns jumping in the rope while singing two lines of a rather disturbing song, then skips out of the rope to let the next girl take up the next two lines. The way in which the girls switch from skipping to passing the ends of the rope to each other to keep the whole thing going is strikingly well timed and well choreographed—and the verse itself, which the girls sing in Varisian, is rather disturbing. The five repeating verses are as follows:
Put her body on the bed.
Take a knife and lop her head.
Watch the blood come out the pipe.
Feeds the stirge, so nice and ripe.
Drops of red so sparkly bright.
Splatters spell her name just right.
With a hammer killed his wife.
Now he wants to claim your life.
Tricksy father tells a lie.
Listen close or you will die.
"Great character, really. It almost makes one feel good about the kind of death he got," Hasmir mumbles as he pores over an old letter, part of the correspondence between a Pharasmin temple and the authorities.