At the whiff of death Lia mutters to herself, "This place should have been named the Devil's A!$@$!#~." She decides to help look around. The quicker we find what we've come for, the sooner we can go home. As she wanders off she realizes she doesn't rightly know where that would be anymore.
Sam, ain't none of us normal here thats for sure. Brenin is good folk, so if I were you, i would stick with him. I send a nice elbow her way. He seems to have a thing for you. We crack up and then I urge her on so we can catch up with Lia. That is some serious funk in the air. I think we better find somewhere we can call home tonight before it gets too dark. Lets see what the men folk think.
Gabbro shrugs. "Never was much for camping out. Not a back alley in this whole place. I'd go there, first," he says, pointing to the tower. "So clearly, you should ask someone else."
"I agree with Gabbro. Let's make a quick check of this town and then take a look at that tower. I'd rather not be out here in the open come nightfall."
Wow this is good, I thought for sure that the forest guys would want to sleep out here.
You can't even tell what these buildings were, but you can tell others have been through them recently. Some have been used as outhouses or middens. As you get closer to the tower you see signs of a recent fight. As Brenin cautiously passes another ramshackle he gets a very strong smell of decay on the air.
Lia and Brenin both track a flash of motion on the roof of a ruin further down the path . The creature standing there looks like some lion out of a child's nightmare. Its mane writhes like tentacles and its eyes glow brilliant gold, then deep orange. It's coat is a shimmering blue. It obviously sees you.
A picture of the kitty is here.
"This place is just loaded with suprises."
The odd beast leaps off the roof and disappears behind the building just in front of you.
Gabbro: Divine Favor, Bless
Sam: Mage Armor, Diviner's touch 1/7
Rees: Mage armor, Ray of Enfeeblement, Shocking Grasp
What the he%% is that? Did we enter some kind of fanatasy world.
"Does everyone see the sparkly lights, or did I get into some funky island weed? If it's coming from the cat thing, there's more in the trees over there," she muses as she moves forward with her rapier to intercept the monster. "Anyone care to join me? And does anyone have any clue as to what the heck in the world these things are?" She continues down the path.
Kwava calls out. "Here they come! Three of them!".
Brenin's horrified to find that his dash has taken him right between two rising corpses. The first is covered in rubble and struggles to rise under it. The second is now 'behind' him. It rises in the doorway of the building he just passed.
Lia sees the monsters and turns to intercept.
"We got more freaks over here and someone is up in that tower."
Lia scratches the beast as it comes barreling into combat. It wheels to face her.
The animated corpse registers the impact of the Brenin's arrow but it was still standing the ranger moved and blocked the line of sight.
Samaritha steps up and impacts Diviner's Fortune on Gabbro.
Lia's going to need some help.
As my eyes take on their familiar glow, I run toward her and stare down the kitten trying to hurt her. Fall down you little basta34!
The monster nearest Lia slides to a halt, rolls over, and dives into a deep slumber.
Kwava balances two arrows at once, firing them both at the second charging lion. One of the two arrows goes home.
Feeling the rush of force in him, and not wanting to waste it, Gabbro charges straight for one of the beasts to see just how many tentacles he can remove in one swipe.
Gabbro's attack lands sending a mass of sheared tentacles and part of a forelimb flying. The monster collapses only to act as a springboard for its mate. The third beats jumps up on its back and bites at Gabbro. The monster takes hold of the half-orc's meaty arm and gnashes its teeth on the thick armor.
The two zombies move with uncanny speed, closing with Brenin and attacking with their claws. Neither is able to hit the dancing ranger.
Lia moves forward a step (21,34)and attacks the monster in front of her.
Brenin takes a 5' step back to somewhere he won't incur and AoO and fires at the same zombie again.
"I'm starting to really dislike these things."
Lia's move takes he behind the building, allowing her to see another of the frightening zombies getting up. She stabs at the cat monster and draws blood.
Brenin's arrow transfixes the zombie's head, including its tongue. It falls back on its back in the road and twitches.
Samaritha steps up and grants the diviner's bonus to Kwava.
Go to sleep little kitty....I stand at 23,34 an send it my best slumber vibes.
Those vibes are enough to fell the second monster. It loses consciousness in mid jump and for a moment it seems that the impact might rouse it, but it collapses a second later at Gabbro's feet.
Kwava pivots and fires two more arrows at the zombie chasing Brenin. He nicks the monster with one of the shots.
Gabbro watches carefully as his latest attacker drops. He stands firm, and stomps the ground. It somehow reverberates outward, a slight rumble becoming a faint roar, as if somehow, something deep starts cheering him and his team on.
"Come now," he calls quietly. He looks at the monsters beside him. "Wake up, and meet your doom..."
The vibration has exactly that effect on the slumbering creatures, causing them both to waken and rise.
Seriously Gabbro you had to wake them, you couldn't have just cut their heads off? Well take them down, we still have zombies to deal with.
Gabbro blithely ignores Rees' tone as he slashes out at the fresh target . "You mean like this?"
Nicely done.
Gabbro rips his opponent in half. Lia slashes at the lion in between everyone and lands a blow but doesn't kill the beast. It rolls out of the scrum.
Zombies close in from several directions at once. Brenin's is a zombie dwarf that charges in like it might have in life. It lands a blow with its clawed fist. .
The monster charging in on Lia's flank is a human zombie missing most of the top of its head. Its eyestalks waver there above the tongue on slender optical nerves. Lia's so disgusted by the wretched thing that it manages to land two blows, momentarily grasping her and lashing out with its tongue. With a twist she narrowly evades the hideous appendage.
Another zombie comes charging around the corner of the building nearest Brenin.
Lia is frozen with fear as she is grabbed by the zombie. She stands immobile as forgotten sensations from childhood flood her mind. "No!" she screams as the vile tongue lashes out at her. She breaks the hold of her captor and swiftly moves aside. "I'll not allow it!" she shrieks, as she slashes at the zombie with her rapier. Her heart swells with joy and she lets out a triumphant bellow as the rapier finds its mark and meaty pieces fly. "Lay down and die you wretched beast!"
Brenin grunts at the pain and curses, "Gabbro! If you get her killed..."
Brenin's voice trails off as he sees another of the freaks appear. He backpeddles to 24,33 and fires another round at the same one.
Lia hacks into the zombie. The corpse registers the damage but the foul thing keeps its feet.
Brenin's rushed shot streaks by the ear of his target and hits the shack further down the road.
Sam shrieks and rushes in to stand between Rees and Brenin. She reaches out and touches Rees on the back, delivering the Diviner's foresight to Rees.
Muttering and leering at Gabbro I think to myself, "I guess it would be a waste to use my hold person spell here". Instead I take a long hard look at the zombie next to Lia and wish he would go up in flames.
Gabbro watches as Lia gets surrounded. That's loud enough to wake the dead, he thinks as the chthonic cheering continues. I guess that's the point.
He channels the underground spirit as he steps up to destroy the cat-thing on Lia.