Gryfford places himself at Arasmes' side and walks alongside him so as to assist if needed.
"What do you see, Arasmes ?" he whispers.
Arasmes stops, holds out a hand to stop the others, and speaks quietly and calmly, as if reciting from a standard list.
"Animated dead. Enfleshed. Mindless. Look to be freshly made. They're not attacking yet - might not have seen us, might be under orders. I suggest we calmly walk backwards, ready for an attack."
Arasmes does not appear at all worried, indeed is in his element.
"Any attacks, limbs only. We need them animate at this point."
"I'll try to take off their limbs only, Arasmes. But I make no promises."
"...No, I've never slashed at undead things before. And are you up to it, Sharpest ?" he adds in a low tone of voice in a peculiar one-sided dialogue.
"I think these were animated by some necromancer. Considering how bad the other options are, lets hope for that, yes? I'd like to confirm this isn't some outbreak of spontaneous reanimation before we have an epidemic that requires us to put the town to the torch."
As if reciting a lecture he has learnt by heart, Arasmes manner of speech changes faintly, as if echoing some long heard quiet, dry, dispassionate voice.
"Animated flesh is very tough. Flesh must be forcibly separated from the main body."
He looks at Yolk's warhammer
"Blunt force trauma is almost useless."
Looking sternly at Yolk he continues in a more normal voice
"If these are controlled, then their controller may well feel their loss. Let's not tip anyone off if we don't have to, alright? Once we're ready, destroying them should be easy."
Taltōsh, still outside the barn, cast a spell.
He stood outside, waiting for something to happen.
"I think these were animated by some necromancer. Considering how bad the other options are, let's hope for that, yes?
What other bad options ? thinks Gryfford.
"I'd like to confirm this isn't some outbreak of spontaneous reanimation before we have an epidemic that requires us to put the town to the torch."
Ha, okay, that is bad.
Then the extent of what Arasmes just suggested fully registers with Gryfford: He's serious ?!He looks at Arasmes. By the Gods, he is !
Gryfford takes a deep breath which he holds a little longer than necessary to calm himself.
Is Arasmes utterly mad ? Or is he a sane... dhampir, in a mad undead-things-related business ?"
Chuckles softly to himself, So, he thinks all I do is swing the warhammer? Bless his ignorance Torag, he is not among the faithful.
"If you can amass them all together, I'd like to try something.." Yolk says, tightening his grip on the warhammer.
Adriel at the back curses his luck. His slumber hex, his main weapin would be useless against undead things which didn't sleep.
He draws his longsword, Hope I don't have to use this.
Taltōsh was still standing at the door to the barn, as the others were inside with the undead.
Noting the zombies' lack of response, Taltōsh said, "I am going to search Bellgrave. Perhaps that will shed some light on this situation."
The sage moved to the unconscious form of the farmer, and took great care not to rouse the man during his search.
Arasmes, assuming everyone has been listening to him, carefully walks backwards until he is out the door.
"Good idea Taltosh. We might be able to talk to Bellgrave now we know what he was hiding."
Jean? yolk shouts!
After discovering that the farmer was awake and moving, Taltōsh quickly said, "Bellgrave is awake and heading for his farmhouse!"
In a behavior that most would consider unusual, the sage did not hesitate to move in an attempt intercept the farmer.
"Stop!" Taltōsh commanded.
When Bellgrave sees you freezes in his tracks. "I'm sorry, please don't hurt me..." He looks very frightened.
The enfleshed are no threat as long as they stay there. The farmer might have the information we need...
Arasmes leaves the barn, sprinting across to the farmer as soon as he is out of the barn.
Adriel was actually quite keen for combat, but he knew he could.do precious little to the undead. I'll have to fix that he remains close to Gryfford, for he had one spell to empower the warrior, if need be.
"I'll stay in the barn for now." says Gryfford to Arasmes, his falchion pointed in the general direction where the undead are supposed to be waiting.
"If you need me outside, shout !... If those dead... whatever... move, "I'll shoot !"
"We are not going to hurt you Bellgrave. It is understandable that when six strange people show up and start asking questions, it can make you nervous," Taltōsh said.
"However, we are attempting to get to the bottom of the strange events that have been occurring." The sage moved back a little to give the farmer some room.
"We have found the zombies in your barn. You need to be honest with us, so that we can help you and all of Sandpoint."
Staying behind with Adriel and Gryfford, Yolk's anticipation rose. Is Bellgrave going to tell us the truth? Where has Jean disappeared to?
"Uh.. guys! Yolk whispers. "Point out these zombies for me!"
Gryfford looks slightly embarassed.
"Err... I haven't seen them myself. But I trust Arasmes in the matter: he "felt" them." He points to a dark corner of the barn: "They should be just there."
Perhaps that means the things haven't seen us either? I would expect we'd be gettingbattacked otherwise.
"Yes, that makes sense" but what do I know about zombies ?
To Yolk, tongue-in-cheek:"You seem awfully eager to meet those zombies, Yolk. Is that a priest-of-Torag thing ?"
Attack with Dagger,
Shakes his head at Gryfford, chuckling. "Thought I were left out o' the fun! More a dwarven thing than a godly thing me bets! Too much of me life spent in the temple, there'll be no more missin' things, good, bad, or buggered to all git, I kin tell ye that!"
Yolk then proceeds to rummage in his pack for a second, locating a crossbow bolt he takes it out and casts light on the bolt, after the area is filled with light, he tosses the bolt to Gryfford.
Bellgrave stutters for a moment and then falls to his knees..."He said he'd kill me... He has Mary..." He bursts into tears and covers his face. Then suddenly as if realizing something, " Please don't hurt them, you don't understand!"
"What don't we understand?" asked Arasmes compassionately.
No one could see Taltōsh's eyes widen beneath his hood. "Those things in the barn--are they still alive somehow? Are they loved ones?"
"And someone has Mary. Your wife?"
Indicating Arasmes, "Please tell Arasmes here what you can, so that we can help you."
Turning, Taltōsh added, "I'm returning to the barn to insure our companions do nothing hasty."
Taltōsh strode back to the barn. Addressing the others, he said, "There's something truly strange happening. Do not attack or disturb what is in the barn. Arasmes is talking with Bellgrave to uncover what he can."
As long as we're safe, I can hold off, but where is our Death worshipper?
"Thanks for the light, Yolk ! says Gryfford as he advances into the barn to check it out, his falchion held in his right hand and the illuminating bolt in the other.
"Gryfford, please hold back," Taltōsh said.
Turing to Adriel, he added, "Are you referring to Jean? If so, I do not know the answer to that."
Addressing Gryfford and Yolk, Taltōsh asked, "Have either of you seen him?"
Gryfford stops advancing.
"Not now, Sharpest !" he whispers harshly.
And then he says in a clear voice: "Taltōsh, I haven't the faintest idea where Jean is. But he's not in the barn."
"I've been calling out fer him, to no avail..
Adrien stumbles over his words, "He...he... called himself Nikolai. He killed Mal, Jen, and my workers and turned them into...those things." he points in the direction of the barn.
He blows his nose in a handkerchief, then continues, " It was horrible. And he took my daughter Mary! He said he was looking for something... told me if I didn't help him he'd kill her." He openly begins sobbing again.
-----------------------------------------------------
Angus(who's been very quiet up til now) suddenly comes rushing around the end of the house toward the barn. "I've found Jean, he's in some sort of cellar! And one of the zombies is attacking him!"
Arasmes does his best to keep Adrien talking and not distracted by Angus.
"Bellgrave. Belgrave. Look at me. This man Nikolai needs to be stopped. We will do our best to return your daughter to you alive - but the more you can tell us the more chance we can do that. Start at the start and tell me exactly what happened."
Oblivious for now of what's happening outside, Gryfford remains concentrated on the task at hand, waiting for any threatening move from the zombies inside the barn.
Show us Angus, I'll follow...
"Yolk, Gryfford," Taltōsh said. "Angus has found Jean! He's in a cellar being attacked! Come on!"
Taltōsh rushed to catch up to Adriel and Angus. As he neared the dwarven paladin, the sage said, "Bellgrave said that the zombies were his family and workers. A person named Nikolai did this. He has Bellgrave's daughter, Mary, as a hostage to insure that farmer cooperates while this Nikolai searches for something."
Whatever this Nikolai is searching for, he must think it's nearby.
Despite Arasmes warnings the elder Bellgrave rushes with the others around the back of the house. He dashes down the stairs and tries to step between Jean and the zombie. "Jen, NO!" He shouts. You see the younger man from earlier rush to the top of the cellar stairs as well. As each of you rounds the corner you see the scene laid out in front of you. Jean is standing just to the right of a large wooden table with a map spread out on it. The zombie is a pace away from him to the right and Adrien is trying to squeeze between them.
"What in the world..?" Yolk trails off. Saying a small prayer, Yolk tenses and readies his warhammer.
Arasmes bolts in, swearing under his breath.
Gryfford rushes to the scene as fast as possible.
Adriel sees the site before him and holds, unable to effect the farmer a second time with his slumber hex and heading the mans words he waits. (Holding his action)