Andrezi coughs, immediately fleeing back from where they came.
The elemental, who is unperturbed by the poison in the air , surges forward to strike at the skeletal figure.
Fírinne hurls herself back and away from the skeletons, landing in a roll that returns her to her feet. Covering her nose and mouth with her free hand, she continues retreating back to the elevator.
Nebbin reluctantly retreat.
"They're going to get away!" he exclaims. "I don't think that was poison. I feel fine!"
HOSPICE OF THE BLESSED MAIDEN (Midland--West Dock; 12 Desnus)
For the most part, the heroes weather the poison storm well; only Andrezi feels like it took a little something out of him. The toxin quickly sinks to the floor, leaving the room probably safe to traverse again.
Meanwhile, the elemental plows into the next hall, its stony fist instantly reducing the nearest skeleton to a pile of shattered bone. Then it's swarmed by the rest of the undead; fortunately, it doesn't seem to take any damage. Indeed, most of the zombies can't quite reach it with their slow, staggering gait.
for
Andrezi says a few words in Terran, communicating with the elemental and calling it back to safety.
To his friends he says, "Hold a moment, please."
He then casts Fireball on all of the zombies and skeletons.
Following the fireball's path, Nebbin rushes back into the room, blade read.
HP 77/81
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (-2 to all when raging), DR 3/-, 1 cold resistance
Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +3 (+2 Will when raging) [Defiant luck]
CMD 23 (25 vs. grapple)
Rage: 2/22; Harrow points: 2/3; Auspicious Mark (1d6+1) 0/1; Defiant Luck: 0/1
Effects: Charging? (if so, -2 to AC)
HOSPICE OF THE BLESSED MAIDEN (Midland--West Dock; 12 Desnus)
As soon as his summoned elemental has sunk into the floor, Andrezi unleashes a fireball that clears the next room of undead, as well as doing some collateral damage to what's in there.
The blast has shattered some of the glass display cases that make up the hallway's walls. Behind thick panes of surviving glass--mostly at the eastern and southern edges of the gallery--fragments and even whole bodies of the living dead line the walls. Their rotting faces sneer and broken fingers claw at each other as the shattered forms twitch in vain, their splintered appendages grasping hopelessly. Yet rather than some massive, nightmarish grave, this horror show seems instead to be a stomach-churning attempt at art. The undead oddities loosed from the displays by Andrezi's fireball seem to be in no condition to offer a threat to anyone.
There are several doors here: two in the north wall, two in the south wall, and a set of double doors further east.
With the gas cleared and the fiery blast over, Emi proceeds on into the room. She meets what she sees in there with a sting of shocked profanity.
She gestures in the direction of the first door on the right.
"Once we're all here and ready, we take the doors as they come?"
Nebbin nods, though glances back through the double doors, since he feels certain that's where Rolth or his accomplices may be. Still, he knows they can't leave people (or monsters!) behind them, or leave anyone to continue to operate this dreadful place.
HOSPICE OF THE BLESSED MAIDEN (Midland--West Dock; 12 Desnus)
Deciding that Emi's plan of attack is sound, your party gathers at the first door to the south. From beyond, you hear the sound of chanting: Andrezi's fireball detonation has seemingly warned some more enemies that battle is imminent, and they're casting spells in advance of a fight!
Eight unpleasant-looking beds stand here. Their sharp iron frames are threaded with worn manacles and stained leather straps. Five are occupied by obviously unwilling patients; all are bound and in various states of consciousness, and their combined moans murmur throughout the room. Between them stand several small tables strewn with gore-soaked pans, flasks of mysterious fluids, and all manner of cruel-looking cutting instruments. A sizable brown-crimson stain covers much of the eastern wall, as if all the blood from a body once held there had exploded forth in a single violent eruption.
Several figures await as well. Foremost are three zombies, former patients/experiment victims judging by the torn skin on their wrists and ankles, no doubt courtesy of the manacles on the beds here. To the horror of Emileva and Nebbin, one of the undead is identifiable as their associate, Tiora, rescued from Rolth's old hideout in the derro laboratory beneath Gray District. Her luck has apparently run out here, however. Behind the zombies are two men wielding scythes and wearing breastplates.
Although your enemies seem to have been expecting you, Emileva gets the jump on them and acts first in combat.
Emi's heart sinks when she recognizes Tiora. For the moment though, the result is greater determination to clean the whole place out completely. The zombies are all too far away for her to reach and strike before they can react, so instead she plays decoy, advancing into the room some.
She expects they will all take the bait and come for her, which will make it easier for her friends to pounce. When she's in place, she uses a spare moment to take the measure of the scythe armed man she's selected as her own special target.
HOSPICE OF THE BLESSED MAIDEN (Midland--West Dock; 12 Desnus)
The zombies take Emileva's bait, charging forward to maim the young slayer. One clubbing blow connects . Emi grunts from the heavy blow even as she realizes something horrific: these zombies show the boils and rashes so prevalent with those who have contracted blood veil. Perhaps these are revived corpses of those who perished from the disease?
Catching a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye, Emi realizes too late that the player has been played: a bird-masked Queen's Physician slides from the shadowy corner to flank her, his club grazing the back of her head .
The two cultists cast an additional spell in preparation for the coming fight and then stride forward.
First, I'll need a Fortitude save against the diseased zombie's successful attack. Also, you notice a second Queen's Physician in the corner by the other door. He quietly moves to the door and opens it.
for
for
for
for
Emi calls out a warning when she spies the second physician and his sneaking.
Rushing to Emileva's aid, Fírinne charges her rapier with positive energy and lunges into the melee.
Hissing her righteous fury, Miakoda calls her companions to battle and further steels their resolve.
HOSPICE OF THE BLESSED MAIDEN (Midland--West Dock; 12 Desnus)
Firinne comes to Emi's aid, running her magically powered rapier through Tiora's unbeating heart. She apparently hits a magic spot, for the undead woman shakes for a moment before exploding in a grisly shower of blood, gore, and disease!
"Don't get to far ahead, Nebbin," Andrezi says, taking a step forward before beginning a complex spell.
HP 77/81
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (-2 to all when raging), DR 3/-, 1 cold resistance
Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +3 (+2 Will when raging) [Defiant luck]
CMD 23 (25 vs. grapple)
Rage: 2/22; Harrow points: 2/3; Auspicious Mark (1d6+1) 0/1; Defiant Luck: 0/1
Effects:
Nebbin nods, moving forward enough to bring his sword down on the masked "physician" who just hit Emi.
"Leave her alone!" he orders, though he knows his friend can take care of herself.
Fírinne has just enough warning to shut her eyes and mouth in disgust, sparing herself from the absolute worst.
If finding Tiora as a zombie was a shock, her near disintegration into gore is more than Emi can bear. She takes a step back and begins to weep while swiveling about to confront the physician. He is a blurry figure to Emi as she takes his head off.
HOSPICE OF THE BLESSED MAIDEN (Midland--West Dock; 12 Desnus)
Nebbin's unable to strike the physician trying to flank Emi, but the young slayer, tears in her eyes as Tiora's fate sinks in, swiftly beheads the man with her trusty falchion.
Perhaps the cultists here don't know that Tiora was known to some of the party members, or perhaps they just don't care. Even as one of their number is gruesomely beheaded, they fight on to protect the legacy of whatever sick and twisted thing they're doing here in the heart of Korvosa.
The two scythe-wielding men step forward in an attempt to create a logjam at the doorway, swinging their great blades at Firinne. Fortunately, the dextrous tiefling is able to dodge both attacks. Meanwhile, both remaining blood veil zombies concentrate their attacks on Emi; likewise, their flailing fists fail to land. The remaining physician heads out into the hallway, moving to engage the intruders out there. The elemental is closest, so that's the target the man chooses. He connects, further damaging the summoned outsider. One or two more hits like that will destroy the earth being.
As the heroes prepare to strike back, Nebbin suddenly grows to twice his normal size!
for
for
for
for
for
As the fight becomes a scrum at the doorway, Emi looks for a way to break out. She cuts down the zombie immediately in front of her to make more room, then hops up and over the bed to her right. Now clear, she starts circling around toward the scythe wielder she had marked as her prey earlier.
81
AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 14 (-2 to all when raging), DR 3/-, 1 cold resistance
Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +3 (+2 Will when raging) [Defiant luck]
CMD 23 (25 vs. grapple)
Rage: 2/22; Harrow points: 2/3; Auspicious Mark (1d6+1) 0/1; Defiant Luck: 0/1
Effects: Embiggened! (+1d6 damage die, +1 damage, -2 AC [already added in above], reach 10 feet)
Barely fitting in the room, and assuming Earthy can deal with the creature outside, Nebbin begins chopping at the zombies, hoping to clear room to make his way in and help more.
"We'll avenge her!" he consoles Emi.
HOSPICE OF THE BLESSED MAIDEN (Midland--West Dock; 12 Desnus)
Giant Nebbin's giant sword makes a giant mess when he cuts down both of the remaining zombies; their resultant explosions again cover Emi and Firinne with infectious gore, but the two purple-clad cultists also receive a splash of red blood.
The elemental continues to fight, slamming an earthen fist at the nearest cultist.
The swing goes wide and is easily avoided.
Meanwhile, Andrezi steps up beside Nebbin. He places a hand on the warrior, infusing it with a sliver of transmutation magic.
HOSPICE OF THE BLESSED MAIDEN (Midland--West Dock; 12 Desnus)
Emi pivots after Nebbin obliterates the remaining zombies, cutting deeply into her studied target. The man grunts, badly wounded, but like a true fanatic stands his ground, ready to die for his cause.
for
for
for
for
Gagging at the sheer foulness she's covered in, Fírinne nonetheless continues her assault on the cultists, trying to cut a path through them.
Maintaining her inspirational oratory, Miakoda weaves a prayer into the speech and calls forth a starknife, black as midnight and glittering with constellations--like a tiny, very sharp, window to the night sky.
HOSPICE OF THE BLESSED MAIDEN (Midland--West Dock; 12 Desnus)
Firinne, her blade, and her magic brings the fight close to its conclusion. First, she runs through the cultist badly wounded by Emi; then, after parrying an attack from the other cultist, she runs him through as well. This leaves only the physician battling the elemental still standing.
for
for
Nebbin asks, his voice booming from his enlarged frame.
He feels like every door, every delay is another way for Rolth or his companions to escape.
HOSPICE OF THE BLESSED MAIDEN (Midland--West Dock; 12 Desnus)
One of the three men still strapped to the tables seems to be dead; the other two aren't far from death either, in the final throes of the blood veil. Though they groan occasionally, their returns to a semi-conscious state are short-lived and they seem incapable of communicating. One man stares up in horror when the giant bellowing Nebbin hovers over him, but he also shakes his head, possibly in answer to the warrior's second question.
"Andrezi!" Fírinne calls out, shouting past Nebbin's bulk, "Can you handle that last straggler?"
Nebbin squeezes back out, and heads to the door to the north. If Kayleigh were here, maybe she could do something for the poor souls in there, but that's far beyond his abilities.
"I think so, yes," he replies to Fírinne, first watching his elemental work.
And if that's not somehow enough to finish it, the wizard commands the elemental to take a step back as he moves to a better position. He weaves a bit of evocation magic, releasing a pair of scorching rays at the remaining foe.
Emi wipes her face, with a sleeve if she still has one that's clean enough, otherwise maybe with her cloak. She doesn't look around at the room, but proceeds on toward the back where the next set of doors are located.
HOSPICE OF THE BLESSED MAIDEN (Midland--West Dock; 12 Desnus)
The last physician survives the elemental's stony punch, but Andrezi's scorching rays put him down for the count...after much anguished and hysterical screaming. While Emi heads to the iron double doors to the southwest--finding them locked--Nebbin returns to the Hall of Mutant Undead (for lack of a better name) and considers which door to open on the north wall.
Fírinne keeps watch while Emi (presumably) works on the door, blade ready.
Finding the door locked, Emi goes to join the others.
HOSPICE OF THE BLESSED MAIDEN (Midland--West Dock; 12 Desnus)
Black-sheeted cots fill this room; their satin coverings and overstuffed pillows seem more akin to funerary trappings than the resting places of the living. Each bed is unmade, and is some instances the sheets have slid almost to the floor, as if the sleeper had rushed to get out of bed. Under each cot is a large footlocker, each having two padlocks on it.
Numerous skulls are set evenly within the room’s stone walls. Candles inside them cause them to glow like morbid jack-o’-lanterns and cast dim light across the room. There's a single door to the west.
Since he doesn't know how long the magic on him will last, seeing that the room is empty, Nebbin heads to the next door .
HOSPICE OF THE BLESSED MAIDEN (Midland--West Dock; 12 Desnus)
The stinging scent of harsh chemicals chokes this high-ceilinged chamber. Three huge metal vats bubble here, each more than six feet tall. A sturdy series of catwalks ten feet off the ground stretches over and around the vats, allowing those above to attend whatever slurry produces the foul green-brown mist emanating from each gigantic vessel. Circling the upper portion of the room is an elaborate mosaic of white, black, and green stone that depicts a giant half-skeletal woman in black veils dancing among fields of the dead, undead, and dying.
Your arrival seems to have been expected, and here you meet some serious resistance in the form of 6 more scythe-wielding Urgathoans with purple tabards over their breastplate armor, 5 more masked Queen's Physicians, and a pair of evil overlords. These two men stand on the catwalk near the center of the vast chamber. One wears the mask of a physician, but his gear and bearing seems superior to the other alleged doctors you've encountered. The other man, though you've never seen him before, is vaguely familiar to Emi and Nebbin. Appearing as a younger, possibly uglier version of the crime lord Gaedran Lamm, it seems you've finally tracked down his twisted son, Rolth. He leers down at gore-soaked Emi, calling out, "I see your friend Tiora has sent her regards!"