Hedran swings a heavy blow at Asar, causing him to nearly buckle under the force of it. For the first time, the skeletal warrior shows a hint of uncertainty of the outcome of the conflict.
Azmythe's hand is still glowing. He shuffles to keep up with the undead and reaches out to touch him again.
Cure Light Wounds: touch, flank, DC 15
to hit to heal [/dice]1d8+1+1[/dice]
Seeing Bear fall again, Ratel punches at the dancing undead.
MW Longbow
Azmythe reaches out one positively glowing hand and touches Asar with it. He utters, "Nooo...it cannot be.....I'm melting...I'm melting...who would have thought a pointy ears like you could destroy such wickedness....", as the Azmythe's positivity begins to melt him down into nothingness, leaving his polished mail and his longsword behind.
The party quickly rushes up to check on Mura and finds her unconscious due the blow to her temple, but stable.
As they approach Mura, a blue ghostly figure that is stout, has neatly trimmed hair and beard and a kindly face rises from the crypt. The party also notices that the crypt's sides are marked with a silver scale. "Finally...it is over. I'm Nessen. Or his ghost." He gives a wry smile. "Thank you for destroying Asar - he's always been THAT green eyed monster. He never understood that having a family was more important then all the wealth in the world..."
Then from the open coffin rise a bag, a shield and an aquamarine. Azmythe realizes that the ghostly figure is using telekinesis. Each party is also given a silver scale, that looks like it could be worn as an amulet.
"The bag is a bag of holding, the shield, the shield a +1 bashing shield, and the gem an elemental gem of water that will call a powerful water elemental to your aid. And you can touch on each scale to call upon my blessing, but it works only oncce. Please take these in thanks for saving Phaendar from Asar's plans. I heard him planning to raise an army of the dead to invade Phaendar." Nessen thanks the party.
"Also, the sacophagi east are those of my loyal retainers that died in the final battle," He adds as an afterthought. "Please don't loot them. "
"And take this woman home to her family." He points at Mura's unconscious form.
"I need help, here!"
Robert doesn't really know how to bandage up a bear, a bear being very different from humans. Bear gives a soft growl at his efforts.
Azmythe identifies Asar's long sword as a +1 longsword, and his chainmail as a +1 chainmail.
There lies a stout man's body. The body looks similar to the blue ghostly figure speaking to the party. His perfectly preserved body is in a splendid full plate and a longsword is clasps in his hands and placed over his body. There are broken links of a chain that lie around his neck, like there was once a medallion but is now missing.
Azmythe realizes that the coffin is under a permanent gentle repose spell.
This crypt contains the resting place for some of the raiders that attacked Phaendar so many ears ago. The central sarcophagus has been disturbed, its lid lying broken on the ground in front of it. The corpse of a masked man lies beside it.
The dead man is wearing gray robes and an iron mask covers his face. The stench of rot lies heavily around him, and it appears he died a month back, from strangulation. On his body is a map leading to the crypt, along with a note that reads, "The amulets are entombed with Nessen and Asar", a wand, a pair of bracers, a horn, and 354 gp in new minted coins. There is a spellbook that contains the following spells: cause fear, enlarge person, expeditious retreat, false life, levitate, mage armor, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement and all the wizard cantrips.
Azmythe identifies the wand as a wand of magic missiles , the bracers as a bracers of armor +1 and the horn as a horn of fog.
Watching the ghost speak and disappear, Ratel says, "Someone collect the stuff and put it in the bag. I need to get Bear to the healing waters we found, I will take the girl with me."
Going and picking up the unconcious girl, he calls Bear, "Come on Bear." then leading his companion to the healing waters. Walks in carrying the girl, letting her float in the water.
Azmythe will give her a cure light wounds, just in case.
"I'll go get Ryan."
We'll all make our way back to Ryan. He sorely wants to see Mura and we need to rest.
Azmythe will see after Mura.
We'll all make our way back to Ryan. He sorely wants to see Mura and we need to rest.
Once Nessen sees that the girl is cared for, he fades away,content to know that the girl is in good hands.
The girl wakes up,then winces, rubbing her temple as Azmythe touches her.
"Azmythe! What are you doing here?! We need to get out of here! That horrible skeleton, Asar, grilled me on Phaendar's defenses. We need to get the Chernarsado Rangers to stop him!"
As the party heads up the stairs, the party sees that the bloody skeletons have reformed and they reach for the party with their claws.
Robert moves into the room and shoots at one of the angry bones right in its skull,which dents its skull.
The angry bones seems to pull itself together some,then attacks Robert, managing to claw him on his arm once,his leather armor turning the other blow.
Two angry bones go after Ratel, while the last one goes after Hedran, but they only manage to ineffectually claw at armor.
Nigel, you want to try your UMD mojo on the wand of magic missiles?
Azmythe targets the skeleton with his bow.
Shortbow:
to hit Damage
Azmythe tries to shoot the skeleton, but for fear of hitting Robert, his arrow goes wide.
Seeing Azmythe is healing the girl, Ratel sets her down, just as his mutagen wears off. Shrugging he turns to the others, looking at them, nodding toward the magic shield. "Does anyone mind if I use the shield?" Arming the bashing shield on his right arm, he then begins to head to the room with the healing waters. "Come on Bear, let’s get you healed up." bear chuffs at him then follows along as they enter the room, Bear splashes into the water, Ratel quickly follows. Feeling much better then continue North.
Entering the first portion of the crypt the skeletons swing at him. ”Crap I forgot about these guys, they came back to life Attack that one bear.” Ratel points at the skeleton on the right, slightly behind them. . Then moving forward, a shield on each arm, uses the new shield to attempt to smash the front left skeleton. Bear chuffs, biting at the skeleton, then raising on his rear paws slaps at it.
Ratel shatters a skeleton with a single blow of the shield, while bear shatters a skeleton skull with a single bite as the rest of the skeleton crumbles down.
"The bag is a bag of holding, the shield, the shield a +1 bashing shield, and the gem an elemental gem of water that will call a powerful water elemental to your aid. And you can touch on each scale to call upon my blessing, but it works only oncce. Please take these in thanks for saving Phaendar from Asar's plans. I heard him planning to raise an army of the dead to invade Phaendar." Nessen thanks the party.
"I.. We.." - Hedran stammers for a few moments - he had been expecting something of the sort after all the undead they have seen, but he is still taken by surprise by the apparition - "You are welcome" - the half-orc manages to reply with a nod.
"Azmythe! What are you doing here?! We need to get out of here! That horrible skeleton, Asar, grilled me on Phaendar's defenses. We need to get the Chernarsado Rangers to stop him!"
"Well met - I am Hedran" - he offers a curt bow at the girl - "You do not have to worry - Asar has been put down, hopefully for good" - and with that he ponders his own words for a few seconds, and looks with more attention to their foe's remains.
Once he is certain there are no more threats, he packs everything not taken into the bag of holding. With a smile as he picks up the longsword he decides to belt it, and moves after the others.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hedran swings at the skeleton which attacked him.
Hedran moves up to the nearest skeleton and smashes it to pieces with his Morningstar.
"Well met - I am Hedran" - he offers a curt bow at the girl - "You do not have to worry - Asar has been put down, hopefully for good" - and with that he ponders his own words for a few seconds, and looks with more attention to their foe's remains.
There's nothing left of Asar except his gear, after Azmythe's positivity melted him down into nothingness.
The only magic around is Asar's longsword and polished mail
"Oh Hedran...good thing that villain is gone for good. He's one nasty piece of work. Did you see my brother Ryan, and our friends Victor and Geran?" The girl asks Hedran worriedly.
"Ryan is waiting for us near the entrance. He told us how to find you." Azmythe does not mention the other two.
"Geran and Victor tried to get those angry bones off me and were still fighting angry bones when Asar dragged me away. I hope they're fine." Mura answers anxiously.
"I know Ryan saw the fighting and ran in the direction of the storeroom. Is Ryan all right?" Mura asks Azmythe, concerned for her brother's well-being.
"Geran and Victor tried to get those angry bones off me and were still fighting angry bones when Asar dragged me away. I hope they're fine." Mura answers anxiously.
"I know Ryan saw the fighting and ran in the direction of the storeroom. Is Ryan all right?" Mura asks Azmythe, concerned for her brother's well-being.
"Yes he is fine, do not worry - he seemed unharmed" - Hedran adds - "He asked us to make sure you were fine, and now we will go back to rejoin him" - he reassures.
Robert takes a 5 ft step up, and shoots at the remaining skeleton with a blunt arrow, shattering it to pieces. The party then gets the heck out of there before the skeletons put themselves together, AGAIN.
The party then heads towards the room where Ryan was hiding before, and as they approach the door, they hear his voice. "Who's there?"
"Ryan, it's me, your sister Mura!" Mura yells back. "The adventurers rescued me from the angry bones!"
"Oh...sorry," he replies sheepishly. "I thought it was angry bones out there and nearly shot you. Gimme a moment."There is the sound of crates being moved, then then sound of of the clicking of a lock then the door is opened, and Ryan comes out and gives Mura a bear hug. which she returns. "I'm so glad to see you again!"
"Did you see Victor and Geran?" Mura asks him.
"The angry bones killed them." Ryan answers sadly.
Mura gives a shocked gasp as she turns pale, looking for a moment as if she might faint, then steadies herself against the mouldy wall.
"No....we grew up together...Victor always had great dreams. He wanted to sell his pots to to Tamaran and expand his business. And Geran's wife and children...who's going to support them now?" Mura begins to weep.
Nodding approvingly as Robert finishes the last skeleton, Ratel calls "Bear, come on, I don't want to fight these things again."
Leading Mura back to the room where her brother was at, he smiles as she explains what happened. But his smile faded as she learned what had happened to their friends. Looking from Mura to Ryan, "I am sorry for the loss of your friends. We will help you gather their remains for a proper burial."
Realizing what time it is, he recommends. "We should rest here and return in the morning. We have animals and gear outside the crypt. We can sleep in here or outside whichever you prefer."
"I don't know what we're going to tell Kethry, Geran's wife and their two small children, Ben and Georgia. And Victor's aged mother, Aurelia. We should have left when we found the crypt doors hastily closed, but I persuaded them to investigate to see what broke in.Now they're dead and it's all my fault!" Mura bursts into a fresh storm of tears.
"I don't want to rest in this crypt. I don't think Victor and Geran want to, either."Mura states decisively, through sobs. "Then tomorrow, we can bring them home."
Ryan packs up what's in the store, then the party heads towards the crypt entrance, passing by Victor and Geran's bodies. Ryan helps his sister, Mura pack them into body bags sacks and the party leaves the crypt, with the bodies, returning to their wolves and goats outside.
Helping carry the bodies out of the crypt Ratel gestures toward the cart. "We can place the bodies in the cart, and pack the gear around them, in the morning."
As he helps set up camp, he moves near Nigel whispering, "Do you want to tell the wolves not to eat the remains of their friends?"
"And what happened to our donkeys?" Geran asks the party, while looking at the remains of the donkeys, which have been partially devoured by the wolves. "I liked Grey, Spot, Honkers and Dash."
Azmythe sings a somber hymn for the departed.
Once the bodies have been placed in the cart, he says a few words, "Victor and Geran were, like, good people. They were our friends, ya'know. It's sad they died here. They were here doing their duty to the community and that's, like, cool. Pharasma, we call upon you to, like, look after them. Give them a good afterlife cause they, like, did not deserve this, ya'know. Amen."
'What?' turning to Ryan, Ratel explains, "The donkeys were dead. I believe Nigel gave the wolves permission to eat the dead donkeys instead of killing the live goats. But honestly my Lupis is rusty, so you will have to clarify with Nigel."
Looking at the mourning Mura, Ratel nears Ryan, and whispers, "Shouldn't you be consoling your bereaved sister, instead of worrying about dead donkeys. All this talk of death cannot be making her comfortable, sing her a song or something. But please stop talking about how much you loved the donkeys when her friends are laying still warm in the cart."
Ratel calls to the young woman, "Mura, I will set one of the tents up for your to sleep in." He then moves as far away as can be from Ryan, while still remaining in the camp area, 'Dead donkeys, indeed. they'll be lucky if the wolves don't try and eat their friends.'
Are there any charges left in the wand of CLW? If so, I say we use them to heal up anyone who's still hurt and get some rest.
Were they able to clean the tomb and leave the offerings?
Are there any charges left in the wand of CLW? If so, I say we use them to heal up anyone who's still hurt and get some rest.
Geran dutifully intones after Azmythe. "May Pharasma look upon them kindly."
"Why...Pharasma?! They never deserved this..."Mura wails."It was my mistake. They died trying to save me from the angry bones..."
"I'm not good with words, Ratel. And what she said is true. We NEVER should have entered the crypt after finding it disturbed. I don't blame her for what happened, but I have no words of comfort, especially when I'm still coming to terms with the fact that Geran and Victor won't be going back to Phaendar." Ryan answers despondently. "Besides I'm a dirty coward that ran away."
"Maybe you don't have to, like, say anything, ya'know. Just be there. Hold your sister and mourn with her. And, like, if you really want to be better, then, like, be better. Those men left an ailing mother who needs cared for, ya'know. And a widow with two children could use help keeping food in the house and doing chores and stuff. Be that guy. But right now, your sister, like, needs your shoulder to lean on."
Azmythe goes off to find some grubs or beetles or worms and some kindling to make a small fire. He makes a paste and adds in the ashes from the Scroll of Inflict Light Wounds and feeds it to Enoch, his raven familiar.
"Yeah maybe you're right." Ryan replies, then awkwardly puts his hand around Mura's on her shoulder. "None of us wanted this to happen. None of could have known what was inside. And we still need to be strong to take care of their families." Mura straightens herself up at this words, "Yes, we do." She bites her lip, as if holding back more tears, but allows Ryan to lead her to the tents that Ratel set up for her.
Azmythe manages to dig up a couple of earth worms, which he grinds into a paste and adds the ashes from the scroll of inflict light wounds to Enoch, who happily noms it up.
The night passes uneventfully within the valley, and Robert starts leading the way back to Pharendar. The trip is similarly uneventful, but Ryan and Mura's moods are somber and do not speak much during the journey.
At the end of the day, Mura approaches the party. "We'll leave you once we get Phaendar, and head to Riverwood Shrine with the bodies. I'll report to Father Noelan on what happened in the crypt, so he can prepare for the funeral service, while Ryan will inform their families of the bad news. Thank you for rescuing my brother and I from the crypt."
AS they near Phaendar, Ratel nods, "I will accompany you to Father Noelan. He is the one who asked us to check, It's only right we inform him also."
As Mura goes a little ahead, He turns to the others, smiling. "Are you men going to the shrine as well? Or shall I meet you at the tavern for a drink toasting our success?"
|
Nigel nods, smiling regretfully.
"Ze donkeys vere already dead, killed by ze undead, and it seemed prudent not to vaste ze meat, especially since ve needed to keep ze volves away from ze goats."
He then turns to the wolves.
Upon arriving near the town, when Ratel asks his question, Nigel nods.
"Yes, I vill head to ze Shrine vith you; I vent to ze crypt at ze request of ze priest, after all, so it makes sense zat I report back to him."
"No....we grew up together...Victor always had great dreams. He wanted to sell his pots to to Tamaran and expand his business. And Geran's wife and children...who's going to support them now?" Mura begins to weep.
"I'm sure the village will offer them some support" - Hedran nods - "And if not, I.. Huh... We will assist as we can" - he finds himself blurting out.
Then Hedran assists Ratel with the grim task of carrying the bodies of the fallen villagers outside, and placing them in the cart.
At the end of the day, Mura approaches the party. "We'll leave you once we get Phaendar, and head to Riverwood Shrine with the bodies. I'll report to Father Noelan on what happened in the crypt, so he can prepare for the funeral service, while Ryan will inform their families of the bad news. Thank you for rescuing my brother and I from the crypt."
AS they near Phaendar, Ratel nods, "I will accompany you to Father Noelan. He is the one who asked us to check, It's only right we inform him also."
As Mura goes a little ahead, He turns to the others, smiling. "Are you men going to the shrine as well? Or shall I meet you at the tavern for a drink toasting our success?"
"Yes, I will go to the shrine also" - the half-orc replies - "Report back and all that" - he seems to be slightly absent minded.
"Ryan, will you wait until after we go to the Shrine? I am no good with words but would like to be there when you talk to the families" - he grunts in half-whispered tones.
The first morning:
"Ok, Nigel, I have that harsh spell memorized, ya'know? And I can, like, use it against you, but are you SURE you don't want to be healed instead? I mean, like, really really really REALLY sure?"
Azmythe casts Inflict Light Wounds on Nigel
About going to the shrine, Azmythe just nods and follows the rest to the shrine.
|
|
Nigel shakes his head vehemently.
"I am positive zat I do not vant you to use positivity to heal me. I need negativity, although I need more zan someone simply harshing my vibes..."
When the crackling black energy settles into him, and his wounds start healing over, he finally starts to relax, and nods his thanks to Azmythe.
"I think you're right. They'll help out as much as they can. Still...losing family is never easy." Mura replies.
"If you want to come with us to Father Noelan, that'll be fine." Mura answers. "And I'm very thankful that Father Noelan sent you to check on us, else I don't think we'd have gotten out of there alive. And Phaendar would be in danger."
Ryan sighs, "That's true, I suppose."
The wolves bark at Nigel.
Okay. Will there be better food to eat there?
"If you want to come with me to speak to their families, you can. Hopefully they're not going to murder me with a witness present." Ryan says morosely.
The following night passes uneventfully, though there is a light drizzle at dawn, making the morning cold and dreary, and the forest trail generally mucky. The weather clears up later in the morning. At the edge of town, Mura and Ryan, with the goat cart in tow, accompanied by the party head towards Riverwood shrine.
There are shocked gasps as the townsfolk take in the disheveled and unkempt state of Mura and Ryan. "Hey...where's Geran and Victor?" Ryan mutely points at the sacks containing their bodies on the goat cart. "We're bringing the bodies to Father Noelan."
The party heads towards Riverwood shrine, finding the archery yard empty.
Entering the wooden doors they see the familiar wooden statues of both Erastil and Desna stand in their own alcoves in the north west end of the shrine, while alcoves on either side serve as general shrines to the variety of other gods and spirits worshiped by the locals (like Cayden Caliean, Shelyn, Gozreh, Abadar, Calistra, Torag, Iomedae, Irori, Nethys, Sarenrae, Pharasma). Rhyna is cleaning the shrine of Erastil.
Father Noelan greets the party, with a smile on his face, "Geran and Mura, good to see both of you back."Then he turns to face the party. "Thank you so much for bringing them back safely." He hands a bag of coins to Ratel. "But where are Geran and Victor?" Father Noelan asks.
'Why do I have to be the one to speak?' Accepting the bag of coins, Ratel lowers his head at the Priests question. He looks up first at his companions, then the brother and sister. He nods his head toward the door and whispers, waiving his arm at the priest to follow. "It didn't seem right to leave them there without a proper service."
Going outside, he lifts one corner of the blanket, so the priest can see the bodies. Asking softly, "does the town have the money to resurrect them? I understand the one has little kids. You can keep my share if it will help."
Hedran says nothing, only nodding in agreement with Ratel.