Call off your minions, necromancer!
Stirgen has a wide grin of exhultation / relief that his axe proved useful before setting and leering at the surrendee through jutting brow and nascent tusks "Do as the gnome commands"...
Intimidate:
"I...I...don't know...I don't know how," the man says thickly, apparently still under the effects of the mutagen. If there were a way to have his zombie creations stand down, it looks as if he's temporarily forgotten how.
Stirgen remains poised to strike at the surrendee with his bloodied axe...
Lilley's blow flies wide.
Rhen, unwilling to await for the man's memory to return, strikes at Candace with his pick.
for
However, his attack is terribly ineffective - he lands only a glancing blow on the arm of the zombie, which she doesn't even feel.
The larger orc zombie swings its meaty arms at Rhen.
for
for
The blow is devastating. Rhen is knocked from feet. He lay on the floor bleeding and still.
Candace, seeing that her foe is lying on the floor, moves towards Rajah and makes an attack.
for
The blow lands, causing significant damage to the cleric.
Round 4
Updated Map
Kenji, seeing the cleric attacked, aims the ray at the zombie. The impact looks as if it's going to do incredible damage, but the blast is a couple of inches too low - the attack only barely phases the zombie.
Kenji sees his ally fall to the large Orc zombie and while loathe to attract attention to himself, decides he needs line of sight to all his foes. He moves to the southeast corner of the room.
Noticing Rhen fall to the ground in a heap, "No!" he yells as he takes a step back, ignoring the pummeling he just took from the zombie. Calling out to the Dawnflower for her healing power, he hopes there is a bit of life left in the dwarf.
Bastarger clanked awkwardly over to Rajah and his assailant and slashed his heavy blade into the zombie's midriff.
Rajah's wave of energy washes over Rhen. It seems to help - but only barely. The dwarf's breathing is still ragged shallow.
Bastarger's blow lands true, opening a wide gash in the zombie's side.
The man, seeing his creations run amok, says, "Esme. My bride. Esme will know what to do. Please - let me go get her. She will end this."
Stirgen looks to Lilley for guidance as to whether he cedes passage or lets his axe fall...
Stirgen looks to Lilley for guidance as to whether he cedes passage or lets his axe fall...
Lilley growls as she sees the dwarf fall under the barrage of heavy undead muscle. "Waarom veg jy nie iemand om jou eie grootte?" she hisses at the monstrosity, although next to the animated corpse of this full-blooded orc enhanced by the necroalchemist's 'improvements,' even she and Stirgen look undersized. With a quick glance at her surroundings, she suddenly pulls her glaive up vertically and withdraws a few steps down the northern corridor. Wrapping her hand momentarily around the tiny ring dangling from her neck, she murmurs, "Dame van Grafte, ek is in diens van jou kerk. As ek val, oordeel my vinnig hierdie tyd." Returning her grip to her weapon and holding it again ready to strike with a grim resolve, she nods to Stirgen. "Kyk hoe jou rug."
Stirgen looks to Lilley for guidance as to whether he cedes passage or lets his axe fall...
Stirgen turns back to the alche-necro-mancer-ist and shakes his head slowly, before saying a single word "Sit"
Rhen's breathing, while still ragged, doesn't get worse. He is stable.
The monster zombie turns and see that his path is cleared for Stirgen. He shambles towards him to attack.
for
The attack is nearly devastating, but Stirgen's armor protects him from the blow.
Candace sees that the previous, fleshy target has moved, so she turns her attention to the small, metal one.
for
Her attacks are nothing short of ineffective against the gnome.
Round 5
Updated Map
Stirgen weathers the charge of the monster zombie, and attempts to bring his axe down a ruinous path... and verily the stone at his feet is poorer for the action... though unfortunately not the skeleton. Stirgen is beyond cursing and merely whimpers slightly.
As the shambling orc corpse steps into Lilley's view, she darts out with the tip of her glaive, hoping to rip open its undead flesh and spill its entrails.
A wide gash rips across the back of the zombie, spilling both its internal organs and much of the alchemical fluids running through its body. It still moves on, but it's clear that it's barely hanging onto unlife.
Kenji, once again vowing to learn some more effective spells, fires his Ray of frost at the zombie near him and Rajah.
Keep the pressure on, it's nearly over
Unable to do any more for the dwarf at present, Rajah turns to the issue at hand. "Okay, let's try this again." Rajah takes a step forward and swings at the zombie.
Missing horribly again, Rajah cringes as he finds himself nearly striking Bastarger. "Apologies! Apologies, my good gnome! That was a tad too close."
The ice ray hits the weakened zombie. Though the impact isn't significant, it is enough to finish off the foe.
Trusting the surrendered man to play nice and hoping that he might restore some degree of faith in his axework... rather than his companions marking his one mighty stroke as purely a fluke... Stirgen roars and brings his greataxe to bear in a mighty sideways swipe at the last zombie to arrive...
Greataxe: for
...letting cry with a triumphant "Hah!" when his axe does indeed meet the flesh of the zombie... though weakly and without much force.
Bastarger shrugged and jested at Rajah in response-
Its one thing to strike me with your flimsy Qadiran style blade, its another thing entirely to do any harm to me in this metal outfit of mine!
Bastarger shifted position to flank with Stirgen and hacked his falcata across the zombie's back.
Bastarger's blow lands and the large orc-zombie grunts in pain. It falls to its knees at precisely the same moment Stirgen swings. Instead of opening its gut, the blow removes its head.
With the final zombie fallen, the man sits, his hands raised. It is clear that the death of his zombies has angered him, but he says nothing.
Lilley lowers her glaive and breathes heavily for a moment, clutching her ring, then turns her gaze to the oversized man. "How did you gain entrance to this place?" she asks. "And your ... things," her lips curls in distaste as she contemplates the dismembered orc-creature leaking alchemical fluids at her feet, "did you take them from the crypts above?"
Stirgen lets the emotion drain from his body and return to a state of relative calm. As Lilley has started to look to the man who created the abominations, Stirgen looks to confirm that none remain...
Perception:
"There is a stairway near here. Leads to the crypts. Priests don't know about it. Fools. Bodies are there. Easy to grab."
All of the vats - there were only 3 - are destroyed and empty.
Ark.Kay, man is necro..NERCRO.....Is bad man! Must be smited! Yes he should. Smite him, Mr Gnome. Yes, go on. Ark! Youre god will be happy is you do it.
Quiet yoursefl, bird.
Bastarger moved to pet the raven fondly but lowered his sword and sheathed it.
Are we done down here then?
Without warning, the man bellows, His eyes are wide as he looks down the hallway to the north.
There is no response.
Lilley flings the raven a sardonic glance. "Keep your bird from Ankar-Te, wizard," she advises Kenji. "There the necromancers operate in the open as respected businessmen. Smite them, and you will find yourself in custody." When the necroalchemist shouts for help, she tenses up, looking over her shoulder for more attackers, but relaxes when none are immediately forthcoming. "More of his creations, no doubt," she surmises. "The Pharasmins will want them restored to their rest. The dwarf," she asks, nodding to Rhen on the floor, "he will live? The priests above owe him a debt for his service; they can heal him. Have we rope or anything to secure the prisoner? Quiet yourself," she advises him, "and seek the Pharasmins' mercy. When your time is served, you ought to find fine employment in Ankar-Te, with your 'improvements' on the Twice-Born."
Bastarger produced 50 feet of hemp rope from his backpack and paused as he looked up at the towering alchemist.
Erm... Maybe we wait until his potion wears off?
Raising his axe warily and staring at the biggun Stirgen growls "Sit down..." attempting to instill force within his words to make the alchemist acquiesce to his request...
Intimidate:
Lacking the trained eye of the Duskwarden, Lilley hesitantly makes her way to a point where she can see what is in the room to the north.
Looking down the hallway, you see what looks like to be a bedroom at the end. However, there is a 10' square pit blocking your way to the bedroom. There does appear to be a small lip that you could shimmy across, but it is incredibly narrow and would require incredible dexterity.
Lilley comes back, shaking her head. "There's a pit in the floor. No way across." She looks back at the necroalchemist. "Where is this stairway? If we take your way up, we can let the priests know about it. The more helpful you are, the more mercy you can expect the Pharasmins to show."
The man looks dejected at the lack of response. He does flit his eyes to a number of planks when Lilley mentions the pit, but tries to quickly look away.
"The stairs are to the south. But the Pharasmins will show no mercy to me. The small-minded, fools. The Chymists are the future. I am the future." The man looks almost defiant for a moment, but then he sees Stirgen's angry gaze and his head falls. "I was the future."
A flicker of hope reappears on his face. "You," he says, pointing to Kenji, "On the shelf there, find the stack of books and notes on the top shelf. Those are the words of the Chymists of Life in Death - they will guide you to the truth. My work must not die with me."
The man looks dejected at the lack of response. He does flit his eyes to a number of planks when Lilley mentions the pit, but tries to quickly look away.
Lilley looks uncomfortable at the necroalchemist's mention of his death. "Graverobbing is not a capital offense, is it? In a place where the undead carry palanquins and sweep floors? He surrendered rather than fighting to the death. He didn't ... commit murder." She gives a fruitless glance at the unconscious Duskwarden, the most likely candidate to be familiar with the judicial system of Kaer Maga.
Kenji Notices the planks and points them out. Those may provide a way across. As for your books, I'll study them in exchange for you giving me your Book of Alchemist Formulae (spellbook) as well. Knowledge should never be lost but I do not promise to continue your work.
"Ha! You think that I will be treated fairly by the Pharasmins? They won't view me as a robber but as a heretic." His face lights up. "A martyr."
At precisely that moment, he begins to shrink and returns to his normal size.
He winces when Kenji mentions the planks, but recovers quickly at the mention of his Formulae Book. "Yes. You must take it, too. Learn from it. Let it guide you to the truth. May I retrieve it from my bedroom?" He looks to Stirgen for permission to stand.
Kenji answers. No. You may not. Thankyou for telling me where it is. Now cease talking.
Kenji levels his quarterstaff at the alchemist as he speaks. He looks at Barstarger and motions to the planks. Up for it?
To the alchemist's request to stand, Stirgen turns his gaze upon him and growls, jutting out his bottom jaw and furrowing his brow. He shakes his head slowly and deliberately. He remains at guard, leaving the investigation and equipment reclamation to the others... when a thought crosses his mind. "Empty your pockets.... slowly" he requests of his captive.
"I say, you might want to do as he says. And I mention this for your own good, sir. Mainly because if you don't, you might make her mad." He warns as he points out Lilley.
Lilley retrieves the sword she dropped in the battle and wipes the decomposed flesh and alchemical goo from its blade before resheathing it. She looks a little startled at the Blue Rajah's statement, then gives a short, humorless laugh. "He's right," she tells the necroalchemist. "You never know what something like me might do when it's angry."
Bastarger tied the man up- and kept the ropes extremely tight, not trusting him one little bit.
"Yes." He affirms. "I daresay, you wouldn't like her when she's angry." As the man cringes a bit from the tightness of the ropes, "Apologies for any discomfort you may feel, good sir, but I'm sure you understand it's what we must do. After all, you are the one down here desecrating those that should be at rest. That's just not proper." He says as a matter of fact. "Now, do you know that Lilley only speaks in orc when her blood pressure rises? It's quite fascinating really. The language that is and how she only speaks it during such times. Well, okay, her name is equally fascinating. Intriguing, if you will. Don't you think?" He speaks to the necroalchemist as if he's a friend.