Shel opens the southern door and sees a young man lying on the floor manacled to the wall. He wears the tattered remnants of clothing and his arms and legs show dozens of nicks, cuts, and bruises. Moaning from pain, he tearfully looks up, shielding his eyes from the light and says, "Please, no more torture!"
"We'll be right baack to save you. We have to deal with your captors first," Shel tells the prisoner.
She hurries back to the first door and looks to see if the key might allow them to pass without setting off the trap. If not, she will attempt to disarm the trap after warning the group to get back.
Disable
She disarms the trap and the key fits in the lock. As she opens the door, the first thing she notices is the illumination coming from the candles and brazier to the NE in the room. As she looks to the NE, she sees a body lying on an altar, a pictograph of blood of a bird-like demon drawn on the wall above it. A human woman, black curly hair, in her early 30s and garbed in a black gown and heels stands in front of the altar, wand and dagger in her hands. Pic of Eldara Standing next to her is an undead corpse, which moans as Shel comes in. The woman coldly says, "I am Eldara and I've been expecting you. Your friends will make excellent sacrifices to Pazuzu!"
Shel:
Loco:
Kaliana:
Tauni:
Eldara:
Zombie:
Eldara:
Loco:
Round 1:
Hold on there fella! Don't make a such bleeding racket unless you really love to be tortured. Like the little lady said - we have to take care of business first or it's the meat hook for you. Now - once we're done - I think I can try to open those shcackles for you - unless someone else here is the hoarding the damned key. But no need to worry....if we can't open 'em I've always got my axe. I can promise you a clean cut right through the bone....like butter eh?...hehe"
The prisoner screams, "Oh, Abadar, take me now and get this evil freakin' dwarf away from me!" When he hears Eldara's voice, he yells, "Yes, kill me, dwarf. Forget the bone, put your axe in my neck...that bi&ch is crazy!" He huddles in the corner out of fear.
Shel sees the multiple enemies, noticing the wand especially, and ducks back out the open door. "Um, I think she's ready for us, guys."
You hear Eldara's maniacal laugh...followed by praises to Pazuzu to smite the infidels....followed by spellcasting.
With his jovial introduction to the poor victim interrupted - Loco - greets the evil cultist in turn
"Oho! Well I'll %$!##$ this #24$%%~ up your pazoozoo you raving $%#$!!"
Loco rushes out of the of doorway recklessly and looks for a target to shoot at. The Zombie looms up ahead...blocking his line of fire to the dreaded lady. So Loco settles for the Zombie and flings his axe at it instead.
Actually, when Loco runs into the room, there is no dreaded lady to be seen anywhere and the axe buries itself in the zombie's chest, evoking only a moan of anger.
Tauni will double move to -W10. Can she see anyone else other than the zombie in the lower part of the room from her slightly better vantage point?
Moving into the room, Kaliana readies her blade, anticipating the zombie's advance.
"She's got a wand, beware her spells."
Why can't they fight fair?
The zombie moves up and attacks Loco, its rotting flesh an offensive odor to the dwarf's senses, but its lumbering attack is slow and predictable and Loco easily avoids it!
Callandor double moves.
Where did that syphillitic slattern dissappear to now, eh?
Shel moves back into the room against the far wall behind the rest of the group. She keeps her dagger out waiting for the woman to show herself again.
Enemies' Turn Round 2:
Suddenly, a translucent ghostly bloody hand appears in the air by Kaliana!
Kaliana lets out a gasp, as the ghostly hand appears, I've no idea if your real, but let's see how you like the taste of elven steel.
she slashes out at the hand, hoping there is an invisible asailant attached to it.
Kaliana's blade passes right through the hand and she retreats!
Tauni will step to -W11 and strike at the zombie.
To hit
Damage
Making whirling defensive fencing movements with the rapier, Billo whips out his light hammer and then darts his way to the left in an effort to get around the rotting beast - only he nearly collides with Tauni who already advanced that way.
f%$^!
He makes a hasty reversal by pouncing suddenly to the right with a wicked poke aimed at the zombie's abdomen.
Loco tries to puncture the zombie with his rapier, but the zombie's flesh is thick and tough to penetrate, and in the end, only little pieces of flesh fall off its torso. It tries another lumbering blow at the dwarf, but again, it misses by a mile!
Callandor steps in and swings and misses!
"She has to still be in the room toward the other side. Start pushing yourselves that way," Shel counsels the group as she moves forward to V, 9.
Enemies' Turn Round 3:
Suddenly, particles of sand appear from nothing and land all over the party! Aeronniell relies on her elven reverie to ignore the effects of the spell, while Shel relies on her halfling luck to resist it, but everyone else succumbs and falls asleep, falling prone and dropping their weapons and shield! Eldara appears then out of thin air, smiling and looking at the rotting zombie, she says with such tenderness and love, "Much less resistance, now my baby! Kill them! Kill them all!"
"Shel, try to rouse them, I'll handle the mage! "
Moving over the sleeping forms, Kalina rushes to the caster, hoping her blade can end this battle quickly.
In her zeal for the mage's blood, Kaliana ignores the undead zombie, whose fist catches her in the side of the head, breaking her cheekbone and smashing her body against the wall, where it then lands in a heap next to the zombie. "Beautiful, beautiful, my precious! Now kill the little one!" says Eldara, as she blows kisses at the rotting corpse!
The rotting corpse shambles forth, standing over the sleeping Valgrim and swings at the halfling, hitting Shel in the shoulder, nearly dislocating it!
Round 3 is up!
Shel Darts five feet away from the zombie, to w, 8. "Dammit, Kaliana, are you blind or just stupid," she yells to no one in particular. She bends over to wake up Callandor, hoping his blade could help even out the fight somewhat.
Callandor quickly regains consciousness as Shel violently shakes him!
Round 4 Eldara's Turn:
Eldara cries out, "Precious, kill the human...I've got the halfling!" With that, Eldara casts magic and the ghostly hand moves to swipe at Shel, but she deftly dodges it!
The zombie follows his mistress' orders and brings its fist down on the prone Callandor, but the inquisitor by the grace of his goddess spins away just in time, as the blow deflects harmlessly off his armor! Eldara screams out, "C'mon baby, don't miss! If you kill them, I'll let you touch me again." The zombie moans incomprehensibly!
Still groggy from the spell, Callandor takes a quick look around and realizes that the desperate situation calls for desperate moves. He reaches for his sword and presses to his feet, risking a tactical disadvantage in his haste:
Shel moves forward and attacks the zombie,
Arrack
Damage
Callandor gets up but he suffers a devastating blow to the side of his head from the zombie!
Shel stabs the creature and pieces of its flesh fall off but it does not fall!
Round 5 Enemies' Turn:
Eldara looks and sees the newly risen warrior and she sends her ghostly hand after him! Callandor feels the touch of the hand and his mind panics, as his body freezes up and stops moving, like a statue! Eldara laughs maniacally!
The zombie moans and swings at Shel but misses!
Shel goes on the defensive, not attacking this round, as she attempts to wake Tauni. Maybe she can heal us all, or hurt this damn zombie! the little rogue thinks to herself.
Tauni stirs, as Shel wakes her up.
Round 6 Eldara's Turn:
"Damn, annoying halfling, stop waking them up!" She casts magic at her, trying to confuse her, but the little halfling is resilient, and resists!
Tauni wakes, shaking away the groginess from the spell. When the noise of the battle brings her back to where they are and what they are doing, she glances around. Seeing her companions bruised and bleeding, she unleashes a burst of healing energy, willing it to warp away from the wizard.
healing.
She reaches for her nearby morningstar, preparing for the grim end of the battle.
Tauni's wave of energy heals Shel and the party a little.
The zombie, irked by the positive energy in the area, moans and unleashes a mighty blow at Tauni, breaking some of her ribs in the process!
Shel keeps chopping at the undead tree looming in front of her.
Attack
Damage
More pieces of its flesh fall off, but the undead still stands.
Round 7 Eldara's turn:
Eldara casts another spell and the Spectral Hand crackles with electricty, as it tries to touch Shel, but the little halfling dodges out of the way! "Aaaargh, die already!"
zzzzz. wheeze. mumble...never touched her..zzzz..wasn't me...zzzx...accuse...lying sonofab%#@#!...grmble..snort...zzzzz
Kaliana, we need you! she calls out as she reaches across and touches her, flooding her with energy.
Rebuke Death heals
Kaliana wakes up with 1 hp, her face still hurting from the punch, but conscious and she can act now!
Waking slowly, Kaliana reaches out, her hands clasping the familiar grip of her blade. Hoping the corpse has not noticed her, she lashes out from the ground.
"Return to hell..."
Kaliana's swing literally cuts the zombie in two at the waist, as the body crumples and Eldara screams in a mixture of rage and sadness!
She drops her dagger, loads up her sling and fires a bullet at the necromancer.
Attack
Damage
Shel drops her dagger and pulls out her sling. She fires it off at the necromancer. "Give it up now, Eldara. Yu don't have to die here today.
Attack
Damage
Shel's bullet bounces off Eldara before striking her.
Round 8 Eldara's Turn:
"Damn you, halfling! They were done for, all asleep or dying. I could have tortured them at my leisure, sacrificed them to Pazuzu! Why???"
She starts casting magic, intoning arcane words, rhythmically moving her hands.