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As the doors opened, a fresh breeze blew across the character's faces. The courtyard, bathed in moonlight, lay before them. From between their legs rushed the halfling.
"Ha ha! I'm out of here!"
She ran through the doorway...
only to pop back into the room a second latter. She was shaking, and was as white as a ghost, as she slumped down to the floor.
The Dwarf backed away from the doorway.
"W--what happened?"
She slowly turned her head, tears running down her face.
"It...it was awful. It seems like all the souls of the dead grabbed me, and whispered horrible things in my ear. They...they threw me back. They won't let me leave! They won't let any of us leave! They say we're going to die! We're all going to die!"
With that, the moon seemed to move in the night sky, as the pointers on the clock turned rapidly to 7pm. The clock chimed with seven horrible screams, and an evil laugh could be heard...coming from the courthouse's entrance, as an evil, demon face appeared.
"YOU WILL ALL BE PUNISHED FOR YOUR SIN! YOU WILL ALL DIE! STARTING...WITH THE STRANGLER!
Suddenly, an angry cry came from the Hobgoblin. He was being lifted into the air, and fighting off an invisible force.
"Get off me! Let me go! Let me go!"
He was pulled into another room, and suddenly, a harsh staccato whisper builds to the rasping croak of a strangled man that echoes through the entire courthouse. The hobgoblin screams frantically over the horrid sound.
“No! Get away from me! You’re dead! I saw you swing! No!”
The jangling of a chain and wet gurgling follow.
Then all goes silent.
Watching the scene onfold, Adanel's eyes would widen.
What is going on here?
Sins?
What sins?
Who is this strangler?
Would flash through is mind before the screams of the captured hobgoblin would bring his mind back into focus.
His head would turn as he watched the hobgoblin dragged into another room mere moments before more screams with gurgling erupted forth to their ears.
This was no time for thinking, but time for action. A life was on the line, but he only hoped he was not too late as he rushed to the doorway through which the hobgoblin had disappeared, claws bared and eyes searching.
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Adanel entered the room. Much of the furniture in this old courtroom has been splintered into kindling. It looks like someone has ruthlessly smashed almost everything in the room. Beyond the carnage, the bench
has been overturned and the jurors’ box is in shambles. The windows here are crisscrossed with heavy boards. Where the nails breach the plaster around the windows, rust stains seep like bloody wounds in the courthouse walls.
You hear a drip.
"Drip"
"Drip"
Following the sound, you see something dripping from the ceiling, gathering in a pool.
"Drip"
"Drip"
You slowly look up...
And find the hobgoblin hanging from the rafters by a spiked chain, quite dead, his blood pooling on the
floor far beneath his swinging boots.
And as you look upwards...
A thousand red eyes suddenly look back at you!
Everything has happened so quickly Sholloch has barely had time to have it register...hee follows the group in a daze...and grows sickened at teh sight...carnage and eyes everywhere...
Zella will look for cover since she has no way of doing anything to a swarm.
Sholloch finds as safe a place as possible to watch the unliving crow swarm and search his memory on tactics to try and defeat them.
He preceded to inform the group on what he knows.
Demaiv follow Adanel into the room, and sees the murder attacking him! Demaiv is unsure if he can fire a spell into combat that will be effect that won't have a chance of hitting Adanel. Tapping into his father's heritage, Demaiv focuses and causes his hands to grow claw-like. Demaiv moves in next to the swarm and attacks twice with his claws.
;
;
Adanel would feel bile starting to rise in his throat...
With a surge of strength Adanel would force the bile down and instead of opening his mouth to let the foul ichor out, he would bite and claw at the attacking crows.
-Attack Roll
-Damage Roll
-Attack Roll
-Damage Roll
-Attack Roll
-Damage Roll
With a surge of rage from the pain, Adanel would bite out with greater fury than what it had first seemed.
-Action Point 5 - 1 = 4
-Modified Attack Roll
Finally, attempting to keep some sense about him, he would move a short distance back through the doorway in an attempt to break free of the swarm's hold.
After biting down on a crow as the swarm came in, Adanel would spit it free and lurch out again in hopes of more prey.
-Attack Roll
-Damage Roll
Höd peeks in through door way briefly. No need to be hasty Höd. Process the problem: find the solution.
Höd flexes his wrist and a dagger slides into his hand. He steps into the room shutting the door behind him to prevent to beasts from escaping and doing further damage.
Zella moves up to the murder of undead crows and lashes out with her scarf.
Seeing their numbers deminished and their escape route sealed, Höd rushes in and lashes out with his dagger.
Once again Adanel could feel the bile rise in his throat as he moved about in the dizzying and sickening swarm...
And once again Adanel would push the bile back as the continued assault fueled his rage. For each peck against him, he planned to bite and claw back.
-Attack Roll
-Damage Roll
-Attack Roll
-Damage Roll
-Attack Roll
-Damage Roll
Seeming more primal now, Adanel would merely stand his ground as each of his attacks seemed to hit home.
Demaiv maintained his focus to keep his claws out, taking a step to the left, but continueing his attack.
Attack: ;
Attack: ;
Demaiv felt his claw rip through bird flesh with a disgusting tearing noise. No escape now. Kill or be killed.
As Adanel watched the remaining crows fly off out of his reach, a growl would erupt from his lips between his heavy breathing. He was not in immediate danger of losing his life yet, but he had sustained heavy damage. Gritting his teeth through the pain, he would squeeze his hands shut to realize he still held one of his victims.
Seeing the half-orc injured, Demaiv approaches him, his claws sliding back into his hands and disappearing. "Well that was certainly surprising. Are you alright friend? Perhaps one of our allies is a cleric. I fear these wretched birds are only one of our troubles." Demaiv looks up at the hobgoblin, and shudders. "Apsu guide me." he whispers.
Adanel's head would jerk to the side at the sudden noise before a wince of pain shot across his face. Seeing the man seemingly unarmed, he would attempt to calm himself with a few deep breaths before speaking.
"They got me good, but I can still move. Just unfortunate I can not say the same for the goblin. We might find we could have used him before the end of this night."
His part said, he would chuck the motionless bird to the side as he cautiously moves back into the room to search for further danger.
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There was nothing of note to be seen in the room, although...
The hobgoblin's body was gone!
The doors to this room open, and in walks Sir Rekkart, cautiously. The half-orc behind him was shaking his head.
"Don't do it. Don't do it. They're dead,"
The dwarf strode past the half-orc.
"Shut up Halgark! You frekin' orc coward, I'm surprised you even found the voice to talk. Hee. An orc talk. That'd be a trick,"
Rekkart shoots the dwarf a nasty look, but keeps his mouth shut. He looks about the room.
"What happened in here?"
"Those of us with honor did our duty and put down the threat. That's what happened here."
Höd says with a sneer.
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The Rekkart nods his head.
"Indeed. Let us keep these good people safe while we get to the bottom of this mystery,"
Halgark shakes his head.
"That won't happen. We'll just die. We should just stay right here in the main hall. Look! Doors are open! You can see outside! Someone will come by and rescue us!"
The woman in the red dress shakes her head.
"No one comes here anymore. No one. Everyone knows it's haunted,"
She walks up to Adanel.
"You seem to be quite a warrior, and so strong! I'm Patrissa. You'll protect me, won't you?"
Zella steps back away from the corpses of the crows and flicks some stray feathers off of her bladed scarf. "What kind of cursed place is this?"
After the others enter and have their say, she looks over at Patrissa. Disgust for the woman's words clearly written on her face. "Why don't you just offer to spread your legs for him while you are at it?" Simpering little harlot probably never touched a blade in her life.
Demaiv snorts, holding back laughter at Zella's comment. There's a little bit of desperation in the laugh, trying to get rid of the darkness seemly clouding his mind. Deciding to tease her to keep the mood light, Demaiv steps over and mock flexes: "Ms. Zelladania, you wouldn't be jealous would you? Fear not, I shall protect you from the spookies!" A sly wink tells Zella that Demaiv isn't being too serious.
Turning to Demaiv she remarks with a signifgant glance back to Patrissa: "Nothing like a tense situation to bring out ones claws, hmmm?" Zella snickers a bit and says under her breath: Meow.
Adanel's would glance over the women before rolling his eyes. "I will do what I can for each. There is something going on here that I do not understand, but I warn that I have no plan of leaving this place till I reclaim what is mine. All I might suggest is that we stay close and be quick on our toes so that we might be able to prevent anyone from suffering the fate the goblin did."
"Well, since we can't seem to leave, shall we start a room by room search of this place? Maybe we can at least find our stuff."
"I agree."
Looking to the woman and the cowardly orc, "I protect those who help themselves. Do not beg to me."
Höd will take point and ask Zelladania to come with him.
"You be my eyes will you? We need to find our things. I am worried about Fenrir."
Adanel would merely shake his head as he pushed his anger back. It was going to be a long night and the bickering was only going to make it longer.
After giving the room a final glance, he would start after the high and mighty.
Zella moves up beside Hod to take point with him as they begin to search.
Most of my belongings are missing also. I had a crossbow and a backpack with my personal effects. Strange that I was left with candles and flint. quietly says Sholloch from the back of the group.
He then meanders to where the Justice would sit during trials, and studies the room.
Demaiv nodded to Sholloch. "I experienced something similar. Though my backpack and spear are gone, I found my writing tools and notebook at my feet when I awoke. It is awfully strange that someone would steal our belongings and do us the kindness of leaving us certain things. Demaiv looked at Sir Rekkart. "Don't let your pride get the best of you. Let us young men handle the fighting. If you are in the service of Iomedae, then are you a paladin? If so, I think the half-orc could use your healing blessing. Demaiv then runs to catch up to Zelladania and Hod, falling in step on the opposite side from Zella, so that Hod is flanked.
Zella looks thoughtful at Sholloch's and Demaiv's comments. "At first I was just thinking someone wanted to take away our gear to leave us vulnerable and play a game of cat and mouse with us. But if so, why go to the bother of looking through our backpacks and taking a random item out and leave it with us?"
"So far we have not found a way out. Neither have we discovered the whereabouts of our missing belongings. I say we move about this place and tear it apart. Hopefully, we will find our things or a way out: both would be best."
Adanel would turn his eyes towards each as they spoke before speaking up himself, "I was left with what I have on me. I am missing both weapons and supplies."
Then, as Sir Rekkart approached him and offered his assistance, Adanel would look over his wounds. "Healing would be helpful and could help keep me from hindering the party if we face battle again so I would be most grateful for any help you are willing to give," he would say in his rough voice as he raised his head to look at Rekkart.
Sholloch sees that the 1/2orc is still seriously wounded and comes over to help attend him.
I am not a skilled practitioner but I was taught a spell to help with light wounds. With that he casts a spell on the thick man.
Adanel's face would crinkle up in confusion as Sir Rekkart attempted to heal him. "Thank you," he would say after watching one of the many gashes upon him close up.
Then, as Sholloch came up and cast a spell on him, Adanel would flinch and ready himself at the sudden movement. However, upon seeing a good number of his wounds close and feeling energy swell within his body, he would ease up and say, "Thank you, I almost feel back up to my prime."
With that done, he would offer his hand to both in a gesture of gratitude.
Solloch looks at the beefy hand presented before him for a brief second before placing his own with in it. Worried that the handshake will crush his knuckles he clamps his mouth tight in a prepared grimace.
Welcome is all Sholloch replies.
After which he looks at the others and says: If a convicted murder is back from the dead and wants to exact revenge I assume that the place of his final moments might be a place to head. Does anyone know how to get to where he would have been terminated? Though I must admit, I am confused as to why I am here. I had nothing to do with either the murders, the trial or the execution.
"You're not the only one confused. Last thing I remembered was going into a tavern for a drink, hoping to find a place to perform and then I wake up here, where I've never been before. I don't even recall hearing of this man or of his crime before now."