Round 2
Beorn let's his manyshot hit one and the others to another dripping the two before him.
Koldur does as Eve requests. Likely taking another one down with his axes. Jenna's braced glaive skewers the undead and two hoofs take another one. Loarin takes the hit with his shield and slashes with his scimitar to little effect.
Round 3
Beorn rises 5' and then fires at the beasts about the area. "Thanks Flouncy."
Ghasts exude an overwhelming stink of death and corruption
Round 2
Eve charges forward to aid Koldur, striking and separating the creature's head from its body. The ghast in black rags shouts, "How rude! Our master favored him!"
plus disease and paralysis
plus disease and paralysis
plus disease and paralysis
plus disease and paralysis
plus disease and paralysis
Meanwhile the ghoul in fine livery and leather armor, holds a war razor whip and uses it to deadly effect, keeping Koldur at bay.
Round 3
Beorn rises and takes down two more of the ghasts as Loarin drops to the ground rather rigid.
Eve dashes past Koldur, charging one of the creatures... slicing with her starknife, she draws her whip.
Beorn begins to focus on those near the horse (pink, orange, green) moving up another 5'. "Flouncy, can you help Loarin?"
Round 4
Beorn hits three more ghasts taking them down. Jenna moves around the long way and gets into a flanking position with Sir Creat who finishes it off.
hooves +7
The glaive misses its mark.
Koldur takes his attention off the armored one and hacks apart the black one.
At Eve's failed charge the ghasts war razor whips towards her.
Round 5
"Coming your way Koldur!" Beorn shouts and commands the magic to move him forward. He then fires a shot at the armored undead.
The creature hisses as the arrow digs into its flesh. It decides to disengage.
Eve takes advantage, trying to trip up the ghoul.
Her whip lashes out to gain purchase at creatures legs.
All yours, Koldur!
Flouncy moves forward and invisibly attacks blue.
He is tripped! And Koldur descends upon him.
Blue lights up on fire.
A whip attack and several arrows from Beorn finish off the fight.
Well done, all... does this seem like a coordinated effort? A leader among them? As she speaks, she stows her whip and starknife.
Looking around, Everyone OK? Wagons?
"It definitely seems like we were scouted out. I thought for sure we were far enough away to avoid random forays. We must have been spotted by some intelligent undead who sent these." Beorn says as he checks through the 21 arrows he launched for any that survived unbroken.
Seeing that the wagons are OK, Flouncy thinks.
Hey, Beorn. Remember that freak we fought? It's known as a Joyful Thing, though there's nothing joyful about it. They are servants of evil gods.
Zon-Kuthon was banished, but he came back after the Age of Darkness. As a Shadow. Undead, from the Plane of Shadow.
I think he, or more likely, one of his minions, is behind all this weirdness. You are right, and so is Eve. We're being watched.
Flouncy smiles at the young woman. I'm glad you're here. I hope you'll continue with us. I can't say exactly what we're up against, but there will never be a trade route with all these undead running about. We could do a lot of good here.
Thank you, Flouncy... your words concern me.
But, a trade route sounds like it may do some good for the people, at either end and along the route itself. But, it also sounds profitable.
I'm with you for a while, at any rate. She smiles, happy to not be alone.
She moves to check on her charges, the Halfling merchants.
The halflings are watching from the wagon with crossbows ready. They nod and say, "you kept them back they didn't get near the wagon."
Jenna takes stock of herself then Sir Crete. "I am fine but Sir Crete could use some healing."
---
the rest of the night passes peaceful and uneventful. The next day is overcast like it normally is, even the fall feels like winter.
Flouncy goes with her, eager to talk to other halflings, and a bit worried about their safety.
We need to get my folk out of here, as best we can. They're not safe. I trust your judgement. You know them better than I do.
What about you, Loarin... you were paralyzed by their claw. I can heal some, but I can't banish disease.
Turning to Flouncy, Seems we're in this together. A little risk and danger is good for them, especially if they would profit from any trade route established.
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He groans as the paralysis still is in effect. He eventually lifts himself up and then replies to Eve, "Yeah I should be good we will see when I can start moving again. I can remove disease, I have two charges of it prepared."
Now free he calls upon the power of the dawnflower, "Oh great flame heal me!"
He expends three 1st level spells to heal himself.
He checks his previous wounded spots to see if there is any remnants of disease. "I think it is fine! I don't feel problems but just to be sure, Dawnflower please remove any disease that is upon my body."
Eve checks the defeated undead's gear for anything of use, either practical or... informational.
Nothing that seems informational, on the armored undead that likely was the leader you find:
+1 war razor, ring of jumping, ring of protection +1, stalker’s mask, extravagant noble’s outfit worth 200 gp, cameo worth 100 gp containing tiny portrait of Koldur.
Aura faint illusion; CL 5th; Slot head; Price 3,500 gp; Weight 1 lb.
DESCRIPTION
Preserved sections harvested from several different human faces cover this mask.
When worn, the mask desaturates the wearer’s color, making him appear shadowy and granting a +5 competence bonus on Stealth checks. Once per day as a full-round action, the wearer can cause the mask’s features to take on the appearance of any creature of the wearer’s basic size and shape within 60 feet that he observes, allowing the wearer to adopt that creature’s appearance for 1 hour. This grants him a +10 bonus on Disguise checks made to appear as the creature. The mask also grants the wearer a +1 bonus on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls made against the creature he is disguised as, as the mask builds upon the wearer’s rage and jealousy of the target’s appearance.
"Did you find anything? I have had it shown to me that I can summon a companion to aid me. I intended to do this upon arrival at Varnhold. It would seem I could use this promised friend but I will need time. I need a day. Do you think we could back off for a few miles while I call this creature?" Beorn asks of all those assembled.
Eve shares what she's found.
It's a good thought, but waiting presumes time is not of the essence. Do we know that with any certainty?
Folks could be in need, and although we can't be everywhere all at once... if we move with urgency, there may be those we could help.
I'd kinda like to see what you can summon. We could use all the help we can get.
Sounds good to me.
"So be it. Hopefully you can garner some good intel. I shall prepare." Beorn says and goes to make whatever spiritual preparations are necessary before going away from the wagons and finding a quiet space in a meadow. There, he sits and closing his eyes he begins to reach out to the power of nature about him and to call upon his spirit beast. (Roc if you please)
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He takes Eve over away from the camp and calls down his pegasus. He bows to it and offers it an apple. He hands her one to greet the creature as well. You see the horse bows in response to Loarin. He then asks, "Would you please bring the one who has had the halfing as a guest, Eve here would like to meet and be a new guest."
The pegasus goes and finds its sibling and comes back down, nuzzling Loarin for another treat. Which he produces a carrot. Then the other pegasus comes down and looks at Eve with some interest.
she follows the diplomacy that Loarin used with the pegasus, bowing and offering a treat. Soon enough the two of you are on the sky looking for what you may see. You see a wave of skeletons seemingly come from the fort to the town, surrounding a building. Two large corpse lords follow the skeletons and seem to be waiting for something. More undead wanderer in packs as more corpse lords are stationed around the fort, you count 8 of them. There is also piles of bodies and zombies infrequently moving about.
Flouncy goes with Beorn. He wants to see what happens, and also keep an eye on his friend.
Once Beorn is settled, Flouncy hides in some bushes or whatever, a good distance away (30') and watches invisibly once he sees what's summoned.
Renia will drop Mirror Image and Magic Fang on himself and his doggo and Bull's Strength on doggo, then Haste on all 3 of them right before they start combat.
It appears as the golems are not paying attention to you, you circle around the big guys and get to where you are in flanking position.
Though as you get into position you find that they have a horrible stench!
The golem's readied actions as they do know you are there activate as you attack.
Vs. Renia
plus disease)
plus disease)
nit +1; Senses blindsense 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +0
Aura foul stench (DC 19, 10 rounds)
Defense
AC 23, touch 11, flat-footed 22 (+1 Dex, +12 natural)
hp 62 (7d10+20)
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +3
DR 5/slashing; Immune construct traits, magic
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee 2 slams +10-1 (1d8+6+2 plus disease)
Special Attacks plague carrier
Plague Carrier (Ex) When a carrion golem is created, its creator infects it with a specific disease. The carrion golem can then infect those it strikes with its slams with this disease—most carrion golems inflict filth fever. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.
Filth Fever: Slam—injury; save Fortitude DC 14; onset 1d3 days; frequency 1/day; effect 1d3 Dex damage and 1d3 Con damage; cure 2 consecutive saves.
Round 1
One slam hits Renia, Rouqar slams the adamantine rapier into the golem three times obviously hitting something vital. It just falls to the ground in a pile if Rougar is not nautious from the stench.
The wave of skeletons seemingly ignore those leaving the building. The few getting shoved out of the way attack with their weapons but don't seem to see the group of similar adventurers coming out through them. The two large corpse lords just stand there as the adventurers arrive behind them, though there only appears to be three of them now. Then they begin to attack, the golems respond in kind, though likely not for long.
Renia spins to attack the other corpselord, arms and elbow blades moving so fast it almost seems like he has 4 arms.
His poor dog, though, just throws up its dinner from last night.
With a flurry of attacks both of the golems drop, blood and body parts all over the place.
The skeletons mostly just stand there... if left alone for a minute or more...
The other corpselords and other abominations are near the fort. Far enough away that you can see them coming. They do not appear to be coming.
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Atop of a pegasus beside Eve he shouts out, "Let's move down and see if they are... 'cooperative'." He takes a moment to use the right word as he watches the two figures cut down the large undead and now move to mow down the skeletons.
---
He pushes his pegasus forward and reminds it, "Stay at least 20 feet up, otherwise we might draw the attention of the undead."
---
You see two pegasus riders come down from the sky and the man states in a friendly manner, "Greetings fellow living! I am Loarin and this is Eve. We are apart of an adventuring troupe for the Arcane Dutchy, I sure hope you are interested... no that isn't the right word. Anyways hopefully friends not enemies?!"
Stay close, but don't come down.
Eve throws her starknife at a walking dead and jumps from the saddle, landing not too far from the two strangers.
Her knife strikes, dissipates... and rematerializes at her waist.
Rouqar continues chopping through the mass of skeletons. He kind of wishes he had studied the technique for spinning through masses like this, hacking at every enemy in reach.
"As long as you are living I count you as a potential friend. These, undead slaves.... and whatever or whoever is animating them and sending them out are my enemy!"
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Well, I did get a 1. Two actually. :-(