4697 AR
15th day of Neth
12:45 pm
Click clack! The monotony of the horses' hooves on the wet cobbled stone road...what an odd thing to focus on, you thought. You lift your eyes from the stone, a light drizzle falling on your hooded cloak, on this overcast and chilly autumn afternoon. You look to your sides and see Wiscrani folk, mostly merchants and lower class, all walking in front, along side and behind you, wearing dark garments and hoods. Maybe 400 people in total, all quiet, with grim looks on their faces, be it out of fear or sadness, following the procession of two hearse carriages, leading to the cemetery. You think hard to remember who the deceased in the wooden coffins are, and then your mind wanders to last night...
It was as joyous as the evenings in Westcrown can get at the Crossed Swords tavern in the Rego Scripa or Scribe Sector of the city, which means it wasn't joyous at all. There was much hushed talk of city politics, the escalating murder rate, the evening curfew in effect for more than 30 years now, and the shadow beasts that controlled the night (hence, the reason for the curfew!), when four armed dottari (city guards) burst into the establishment. Their leader, a man named Lars Tannerson, spoke, "By Order of the Lord Mayor Aberian Arvanxi, the following people are required to attend the funeral procession of Armin Velbottis." The guard captain then signaled to six of the tavern's customers, seemingly at random, his finger falling on you last. He then continued, "You six, your appearance is mandatory tomorrow at noon at the Qatada Nessudidia. Failure to appear will have severe consequences, including but not limited to fines, appropriation of any properties and/or business, and/or exile to the Rego Cader ("Dead Sector")." The people present in the tavern gasped in horror at the reference to the fancy term given to the Northern ruins of Westcrown, mostly abandoned by the dottari and now home to cutthroats, barbaric humanoids, goblins, tieflings, and horrific monsters from nightmares. The guard captain finally directed his comments to his men, "Check their papers and get their information." Turning back to the crowd, he said, "Have a good evening" and walked out, crossing a name off a list. The five others selected quickly showed their papers, verifying their biographic information. You hesitated, thought about going for your weapon, but in the end, discretion overcame valor. So you appeared, at the largest temple to Asmodeus in Westcrown, and followed the procession out of the city.
Armin Velbottis, that was the name of the deceased in the wooden coffin in the first horse drawn carriage. After the dottari's "draft" for the funeral procession, rumors spread as to the decedent's identity. He was a minor nobleman, a mage of some renown, who had been killed the night before in a dottari raid, for allegedly consorting with demons! And in the former capital of Cheliax, a country devoted to Asmodeus and the devil-worshiping clergy, consorting with demons was the gravest crime possible! The second hearse carried the body of a guard killed in the raid. So, this "funeral" was not to mourn the the Velbottis nobleman but to make an example of him, even his corpse, and show the public what it meant to consort with demons!
Lost in your thoughts, you do not immediately notice that the procession arrives at the cemetery and the first horse-drawn hearse stops near a stack of oil-soaked wood. A heavy gray fog blankets the graveyard and obscures all but the nearest gravestones. You can hear some faint cries from up front. You assume from the deceased dottari's family. The assembled crowd falls silent, as a priest of Asmodeus begins to address the crowd, as to the evils of the Abyss and demons.
Ugh, not again. I didn't even do anything this time, I don't think...well anything more than usual. Ah, at least its not the Hellknights again is the first thought that goes through the head of the pretty halfling at the bar. She was standing at the bar in her usual postion so she could see most of the goings on, and the identities of who was present. She was doing her very best to blend in and not attract andy undue attention, which Lars helped her achieve the exact opposite goal. She accepts her fate and looks around at the other people selected. She thought she recognized one of the group, but she was in no mood to compare notes so to speak. She wanted to stay outside of the notice of the authorites, something she was failing miserably at.
The next day, she made sure she was seen by Lars and the deputies, and then attempted to blend in wtih the crowd, moving to the right edge of the procession. The front was too obvious, and the back would be the first place the law would look if something happened, so she found a much more comfortable position on that edge. "Consorting with demons? That's certainly not something you hear much about in Westcrown..." she mentions to a random stranger standing next to her.
An old woman Shel recognizes as the lady who sells the warm bread in the square, whispers, "Keep it down hon. They might hear ya. But you definitely don't consort with dem things, if you wish to live long, dat's for sure." A few seconds later, she add, also in hushed tones, "I'm losin' customers standing here for dis, gonna catch my death in dis rain. They gonna have to get another coffin if dis continues."
When the dottari entered the tavern and singled her out, Tauni was sure it was to arrest her, either for defying curfew in her snooping or some trumped up charge. She hands over her papers with her left hand, keeping her right hand pressed palm down against the bar.
The next day, she shows up on time and joins the growing crowd. She tries to gravitate to the middle or back, hoping to be inconspicuous. However, everyone seems to share that same idea. When she emerges at the front of the procession to make sure the dottari that took her name sees her there, she finds those behind her reluctant to let her fade back in. When they arrive for the service, she is still stuck at the front of the group without any way to blend back in that wouldn’t draw more attention. She keeps her hood up, and is thankful the weather makes wearing gloves appropriate.
Tauni is an attractive woman with fair skin and reddish-brown hair. She wears sturdy clothes, including leather protective elements, including hardened leather. Her eyes regularly scan around her, taking in the scene. She meets the gaze of some of those around her, but seems at a loss for words. Do I express mourning, and if I do will it make me look like a sympathizer? Then she stops herself. No. She says quietly. She looks up, no longer afraid of meeting the gaze of “mourners”, guards or even the priest. She is here to bear witness, but not necessarily in the way they intended.
An unkempt dwarf with a gaunt, scarred face and a bristling`m saltpepper beard arrives late on the scene. Loose overalls over studded leather armour fit rather loosly on his scrawny frame. He carries a patched-up duffle sack and a tool belt with some axes and a hammer. A whif of of sour beer follows him. Sinewy forearms are crudely tatooed. He stands uncomfortablly among the other gatherers. He shifts and sways frequently, muttering a bit. He gazes abgout with his deep set dark eyes. Noticeing Tauni he nods discretely in greeting and grunts.
Fingering the axe blades he visualizes what he needs to do to hack his away out of here. ``Nothing good can come of this" he mutters darkly.
Callandor stands tall at the very front of the crowd. A leather cord holds his hair back at the temples, and he watches the Priest of Asmodeus deliver his malediction with an almost imperceptable smirk on his face. The blind leading the blind. These foul priests of Asmodeus twisting the idea of law to their devices. As if the devils they pay homage to would be any better a master than the demons this poor soul is accused of dealing with. He checks the symbol of Iomedae on it's silken cord, safely tucked into his tunic. This is not yet the time for open war. But soon.
Kaliana was trying to enjoy her ale, which is tough when the mood is always sour. Her companions for the evening had already left, and she was still deciding whether to order another ale or head home, when the guards entered. Kaliana did not immediately notice the Dottari, else she might have tried to slip out the back. Watching the guards draft mourners, Kaliana was surprised and pissed when her name was called. Who in the hells have I angered?
Despite her attitude towards the whole procession, Kaliana arrived early the next morning, checked in with Lars, and then gravitated to the middle of the crowd. As rain continued and the procession started to move, Kaliana drew her cloak tighlty about her. Do the gods weep for those departed souls, or for us commoners
Finaly arriving at the graveyard, she is lost in thought. This is not right. people should not be dragged from their homes and work to bear witness like this. We have done nothing wrong! Yet still the guards harass the good people, perhaps I will check out that rumor of a resistance. The gods know we need something to happen
The Asmodeus priest continues with his sermon: "...And the depravity of consorting with the powers of the Abyss, who have no respect for tradition, loyalty, or order, caring only for the destruction of beauty and life as motivated by their selfish greed and hatred. This cannot be! Let this be a warning to all who live in Westcrown, that such vileness cannot and will not be tolerated in our society! Armin Velbottis was a heathen! And for this, his soul must be punished in this life and the next! This is what awaits you all, should you follow in his footsteps! Prepare for the Marking Ceremony!" The priest then proceeds to show the crowd gathered the implements that will be used: branding irons, inks, religious texts, and various torture implements, that will seemingly be used to remove the corpse's organs. The crowd gasps in horror at the thought of what they are about to presence. As the priest's acolytes begin to draw a crude symbol on the ground, the head priest calls for the body to be brought and four pallbearers begin moving toward the coffin.
Shel stood motionlesas watching the display. Unlike some of the others in the crowd, she had experience watching people who worshiped and cavorted wtih devils...she had been a servant to the same, when she was younger. Without realizing it, she nodded her head, expecting what was to come. It didn't mean she was any less sickened by it, of course. It pleased her that the crowd, at least, wasn't full of bloodlust and were not looking forward to the flaying that was about to occur.
Knowledge Religion
Tauni knows immediately what they are doing, but says nothing.
The bile rises in the back of Callandor's throat as he sees the fiendish ritual begin. He begins to murmur under his breath, to his goddess and himself. "Iomedae forgive me. If you wish it I will slay this priest here and now. If you grant me the patience, great lady, instead I will weather this sickness and fight it from the source with my last dying breath." The knuckles of his fists turn white as he clenches them, forcing himself to endure the sights he is about to see, to reinforce what is he fights against.
The dwarf shuffles around, taps his feet and rolls his eyes impatiently with the pompous proceeding. He reaches in his sack and pulls out a morsel of dry dockey jerkey. He chews on that for a while.
As you and the crowd stand poised to witness the horrific ceremony, suddenly, screams erupt near the pentagram! "Ahhhhhhhh! Get them off of me...." Then more screams of the same...then nothing! The crowd starts to freak out, as the priest yells out in surprise, "What trickery is this?!" The acolytes are stunned as well! The people in front scream and begin to run back, "Spiders!" The threat of a trample is real, as people bump into you! Loco and Shel gracefully avoid the crowd, relying on their tumbling skills!
Then, more screams erupt from the crowd and the neighing of a horse! "Aaagh, run for your lives! The dead walk!"
Callandor:
Kaliana:
Loco:
Shel:
Tauni:
Corpse:
Spiders:
X:
Initiative Order:
Callandor
Corpse
Shel
Kaliana
X
Tauni
Loco
Spiders
Kaliana watched the priest parade the implements of desecration, unable to hide her horror. Looking about she was glad to see most others shared her view, though the halfling on the edge of the crowd was nodding along with the priest. Why would one of the small folk agree with this?
When the screaming starts, Kaliana attempts to lookm through the crowd, but can't see past the throng. At the cry of spiders she shivers involuntarily I hate spiders
As cries of the dead rising fill the air, Kaliana barely avoids being trampled by the crowd. SHe pushes her way forward, drawing her sword onces she breaks free from the crowd.
Acrobatics DC 5 .
Tauni manages to keep her feet beneath her.
Acrobatics
Standard action -> cast Shield of Faith. (updated ac in char description line, +2 to all)
Move action -> Draw longsword.
Five foot step to the southwest (assuming north is up. Toward the spiders).
Shrugging off the bumps of the fleeing citizens, Callandor reaches beneath his tunic and grasps his holy symbol. The ecstasy of Iomedae's power courses through his body like a golden waterfall as he asks the goddess to grant him protection. "Wrap your glory about your servant, that he may earn your pride, great lady!" His longsword slides from it's sheath with a steely rasp and he inches forward, ready to defend himself.
The corpse moans something incomprehensible, barely audible above the screams of the crowd, and then charges Callandor, its limping form closing the space between them in seconds! Callandor raises his sword to defend himself but is too late, the undead creature upon him too quickly to react, and he braces himself for the impact of the creature's closed fist on his face. It hits him, the impact spinning him around, temporarily confusing the inquisitor. But as he regains his senses, oddly he feels no pain and when he reaches for his jaw, feels no warmth of blood on his face nor bruise. Then, he realizes that the might of his goddess flowing through him harmlessly deflected the blow at the last possible second! However, before he can celebrate his divine might, some of the greenish vapors on the corpse dislodged during the attack and upon inhaling them, Callandor feels nausea at the foul rotting odor, causing his eyes to to immediately tear up and his arms to feel weak. He fights his gag reflex to vomit, causing his body to ache from the pain. The corpse bares its rotten teeth at the inquisitor, grinding them, making a horrible noise.
Shel moves 20' closer to the spiders, dodging the crowd and draws an alchemical flask from her belt pouch.
Kaliana double moves 40', drawing her sword in the process.
Suddenly, two figures, dressed in black leathers come out of the fog bank, bolts flying from their crossbows, one hitting the dottari on horseback, piercing his jugular, causing instant death, the other hitting the dottari tossed by the horse, wounding him. From the trees to the west, more bolts fly at the other dottari, sticking into but not penetrating his armor!
Tauni slides her shield from her shoulder, gripping it with her left hand. She holds out her right hand and murmurs Milani, cast your blessing upon those who would help your servant in these dark moments. Seeing the corpse fall upon a bystander, Tauni starts pushing her way through the crowd toward him to help.
Move: ready shield. Standard: cast bless. Five foot step to Q13.
"Ha ha! Whats this?", cackles Loco Billo, as masticated donkey meat flies from his mouth.
He surveys the action around him and decides to stay put, while drawing and loading his crossbow to cover Tauni's advance.
The hundreds of spider legs and mandibles leave the dead acolyte on the pentagram and move forward, swarming over Tauni. She futilely tries to bash them with her shield, but they're too many, and they begin to crawl up her body, biting her viciously! She screams from the pain, as her arms feel weak, the poison coursing through her bloodstream. She feels sick but manages to avoid vomiting, as she sees the horror of spiders around her!
The Rest:
The crowd by now has a turned into a full panicked mob, especially, after the bolts started flying, fleeing in all directions, overwhelming the dottari horsemen, who were unprepared for the rush! They futilely call, "Order, order, out of the way!" The dottari guard tossed by the horse stands, wounded by a bolt in his arm, and makes his way toward the crossbowmen, sword in hand. The Asmodeus priest and his acolytes, terrified by what they've seen, run for it. Some family members rush over to the second hearse carrying the dead dottari to make sure the body is safe. The first hearse's driver spurs on the horse to action, as he turns the carriage to the right in a U-turn and begins to head out of the cemetery.
Round 2!
"Are you daft, girl? Get your ass out of there!" Billo hollers at Tauni.
He looks around for torches, lanterns, any kind of fire that he might use to chase off the spiders, when - eyes narrowing in suspicion - he notices something near the trees. Then - eyes widening - he notices the pile of oil-soaked wood near where the first hearse was standing.
Perception .
Uncertain if the spiders will stay with live prey, Tauni moves away as quickly as she can,hoping to draw the spiders away from the crowd.
Double move to I15. She is now at medium encumbrance, so that is a full double move.
Perception
swift action to start destruction judgment (with judgment surge) - +2 damage
standard action attack "corpse" -> crit threat!
confirmation doubtful.
damage (doubled if by some chance the 7 confirms)
If opponent falls move to close with Dottari at P17
Callandor looks wistfully out of the corner of his eye at the retreating Priest of Asmodeus and the lost opportunity. Focusing instead on the foul creature in front of him, he is filled with Iomedae's wrath at the abomination. His sword, leadened by his fear but lightened by the power of the two goddesses coursing through his body, cuts a vicious downward arc toward the head of the decaying monster and slices deeply into its neck, black ichor from the wound spurting over the blade!
[ooc]Slam: ..miss!
Callandor's strike is true, but the corpse just grunts and grinds its teeth, oblivious to the ichor and most likely, no longer feeling pain in its undead state. It retaliates with a closed fist to the inquisitor's ribs, reverberating against the metal armor and while Callandor is sure to have a bruise there tomorrow, again his goddess' might deflects the blow before any real damage can be done to his ribcage.
Shel moves up and surprised to see her acquaintance there, yells "Tauni, run! Get away from the spiders!"
Tauni grips the flask, since the swarm is a little too far, and heaves it at the swarm of spiders! Unfortunately, she miscalculates the trajectory and the flask strikes the pentagram, but otherwise leaving the swarm unharmed!
As the crowd clear out, Kaliana is able to quickly survey the scene of chaos unfolding. Seeing a young man facing off against an undead corpse alone, she mutters a prayer under her breath. "Goddess pharasma take these abominations" Quickly she moves along side The priest, bringing her magnificant curved blade forward in a wide slashing arc towards the creatures neck. Unfortunately, the black ichor from the creatures previous woudns causes a misstep and her swing sails high.
The crossbowmen in the front are taken aback by the fiery flask thrown by the pretty little halfling. They reload their crossbows, their hearts racing and sweat beginning to accumulate on their foreheads, and aim them at the approaching dottari, but in their haste, they fire high, missing by a mile!
The two men by the trees are more experienced, however, and they reload their bolts with calm and ease and shoot, their aim perfect, as two bolts hit the dottari on foot, both in the heart, as he falls dead to the floor, a blood pool immediately forming!
Looking this way...then that...Loco ponders his next move.
The crossbowmen firing at the Dottari...bah! Let them shoot eachother!
He raises his crossbow to get a bead on the monster - but two idiots are playing the hero and getting in the way!
The Rabbit is on her feet and bolting to safety.
The spiders are damn close to him now!
"What a big f~~& up this is!" he mutters. Then he runs, following the line of fleeing spectators - and makes for the pile of wood.
Tauni runs out of the swarm in terror, in desperation moving as far away as possible. When she reaches 40', she can no longer contain the pains in her stomach and vomits, relieving herself of her morning breakfast, as well as some black ichor. As she stands there, panting, she realizes, she has brushed off most of the spiders off her body.
The hundreds of spiders hungrily look for another target and rush the inquisitor, crawling up his body! His chain shirt makes it difficult for the spiders to find flesh although they do bite and inject their poison. Callandor focuses on the might of his deity and resists the bile, spitting out black ichor. He also fights off the pangs of nausea building within him. Yet despite his initial resistance, he still finds himself covered in spiders with hundreds more by his feet!
The Rest:
The mob and priests continue to rush away from the scene. The two dottari to the west (W line) are still ineffective with so many people in the way. The nearest dottari on horseback sees his friend's death and spurs on his mount toward the crossbowmen in the trees, drawing his sword in the process, taking a swipe at one of them, but his swing is high and misses.
The other dottari notices his friend's attack and rides toward the crossbow men as well. However, as he passes the horse carriage with Verbottis' body, the driver pulls out a crossbow and shoots the passing dottari in the neck! The guard instinctively grabs for his neck, choking on his blood, and falls off the horse, dying in the process!
Round 3 is up!
Seeing the Dottari fall out of the corner of her eye, Kalian can't help but smirk just a little Figures the guards can't handle a real fight
AS the swarm overtakes the priest, Kaliana has to fight the urge to run.
I can't just leave him to be devored, but what good is my blade against things that small, and so many fo them!
"Priest, stay strong, once this corpse returns to the grave, I will find a way to help you" she calls out, though clearly her conviction represents her doubts
With a strangled cry, Callandor flings back his arm for another swing at the undead creature, dozens of spiders flying in every direction as he brings his sword down in another fierce chop.
damage
again, if undead drops, move to attack dattori to the southwest
Callandor's blow slices the corpse's left arm off, but the creature still moans and continues to advance, despite the fact that spiders now cover its body as well. It swings its remaining lumbering arm once, twice, three times at the inquisitor, pounding Callandor's armor but with no real effect!
Shel, still wanting to do something about those blasted spiders, moves to E13, trying to get closer to procure some source of fire that will hopefully cause them to disperse.
Despite her former resolve to aid him, Kaliana still moves away from Callandor and the spiders. Not completely abandoning the priest, she steps alongside the corpse bringing her sword upward in a vicious slice. "Will you just die already!.....AGAIN!"
Kaliana's swing cuts the corpse's other arm off and it falls to the ground, squishing some spiders in the process, twitches, and then stops moving completely.
Crossbowmen:
The two to the south see Loco running and think the worst. They quickly reload their crossbows and fire at the dwarf! The first bolt zooms past the dwarf's head, as he traces its origin, only for the second to embed itself in the studs of Loco's armor, thankfully not piercing the skin! Loco makes a mental note to thank the dwarven crafter for a job well done.
The two crossbowmen to the west step back, reload, and shoot at the dottari on horseback, but their aim is off as well, and both bolts miss their target.
Tauni moves I11 and casts Cure Light Wounds on herself.
Loco lifts his hands up innocently, crossbow pointed to the sky and yells back before he ducks behind the cover of the woodpile.
"What the hell are you shootin' at ME for , you friggen morons!"
He slides in behind the cover of the wood pile and sets the crossbow down by his side. He takes a quick look to see what's going on around as he works. With deft fingers he reaches into the pocket of his overalls and pulls out a little bundle of flint and tinder.
"Billo my lad, you're a dimwit if you think this ain't a complete waste of time." he mutters as he hastily sets to lighting up the wood.
The spiders continue to swarm over Callandor and bite him, but again he spits out their poison and resists the nausea. As they start to cover his entire body, even under his armor, suddenly, they start to glimmer for a few seconds...and then they're all gone, vanished!
Rest:
More panic ensues! The people continue to flee, so do the priests, and the hearse carriage driver spurs on the horse out of the cemetery. The dottari on horseback takes another swing, decapitating one of the crossbowmen to the west! The other dottari on horseback extricates himself from the crowd and rides toward his friend.
Damage:
Callandor nods thanks to Kaliana and relaxes the tension in his muscles ever so tightly. Checking his wounds, his eyes glow golden as he redirects the power of his goddess to mend the myriad spiderbites that populate his body. I have no great love for the Dottari, but they are not all corrupted by Asmodeus. I'll not attack them until I know better what is going on here. There is one thing he knows he is fully opposed to; he moves quickly to the Pentagram and drags his boots through the crudely drawn lines of the foul symbol. He looks to the crossbowmen, seeing if he can identify them as friend or foe.
Move - move to Pentagram, dragging boots to mess up the symbol
standard - perception check to look for badges or distinctive symbols on crossbowmen
The two crossbowmen look around and see the five party members. "Not worth it, we did our job. Let's get outta here!" They run south. After 50', you lose them in the fog.
The crossbowman to the west, steps back and reloads his crossbow and shoots the dottari but misses!
Shel moves 20' due west, and pulls her sling. "Stop that man with the crossbow," she exlaims, hoping that the lone remaiing attacker might be able to shed some light on the situation, and the strange attack.
Tauni steps to I11 and tells the dwarf Good thinking! She grabs the end of a stick that she expects shortly will be ablaze.
Move action to ready a log that she believes she can use as a torch once it is ignited.
Loco - his eyes shining in the growing flames - looks at Tauni and smiles.
"I don't think you have to worry any more, those critters just poofed and gone .... But hey! You got any weenies?"
Rest:
With the zombie and swarm disposed of and no more bolts flying, the crowd calms and begins to return to the scene of the crime, albeit confused. The wails of the dottari's family huddled near his coffin rise above the whispers.
The remaining dottari engaged with the crossbowman, slashes him across the shoulder, but his assailant manages to evade most of the blow. The other dottari continues to race on his horse toward the fight.
Damage: [/ooc]