"I don't even recall having a drink. I wanted to, don't get me wrong, but I do not think it got that far. I passed out and work up here."
Adanel would take Sholloch's hand in a firm, but comfortable grip. He knew how to control his strength and tried to make it a point not to use it in inappropriate ways.
After listening to each in turn, Adanel would say, "It would appear quite a few of us have no line of direct connection to this murder. However, the image at the door spoke of paying for our sins..."
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Sir Rekkart looked at Adanel's hand and shook his head.
"No need for thanks, it is my duty. As far as paying for sins, perhaps we are here to smite the spirits of those murders and thieves who died here? Maybe Iomedae wishes for this courthouse to be opened again, and it is our duty to clear it of the evil that lies within?"
Killian laughs as he places his hand upon the shoulders of the Paladin.
"Maybe. Or maybe it's a nasty trick? Maybe this is all smoke and mirrors? I say we take a walk through this old courthouse, and see if we can find a trickster?"
The dwarf nods at this suggestion, while the half-orc shakes his head.
"We should wait till dawn. We should just wait right here,"
Patrissa leans on Adanel and looks at him.
"Well, whatever it is we do, you'll make a good decision, won't you Adanel?"
Sholloch looks at the woman applying her "wares" on the 1/2 orc...and he just shakes his head "Tramp...but sexy...." is his thought.
He voices his opinion: Ummm....maybe we can go through that door? and he points tot he other door leading from the courtroom, since no one replied to his query on where people were executed.
"Well I for one don't want to wait for this trickster to drag another one of us off to a room to be strangled, but if you want to" pointed glance at the half-orc "then be my guest, but don't expect me to mourn you." Turning to Sholloch: "I intend to go through every door in this Apsu-forsaken place, unless something stops me. I will take the lead though if you want to back me up.
Zelladania moves up to Demaiv and Sholloch. "I'd rather keep moving that just stay sitting in one place, so I'm coming with too."
Demaiv smiles at Zella. "Of course, how else would I protect you?" Wink.
Looking to the three who have decided to do something.
"You three are good and honorable. I am happy to lend my aid to you, if you'll have me."
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Tablark points beyond the doors of the hall.
"The way to the gallows is that way, but I'm up for a little adventure! Why, I haven't done this in years!"
This lavish room of cold marble is festooned with a large but mangy polar bear-skin rug and an ornate desk of darkwood carved with an odd motif of cherubs grappling with vipers. Behind the desk in a high-backed leather chair rests a skeleton in judge’s regalia, a long white beard still draped down the front of his robes. A rusted iron spiked chain still dangles from around the neck of the skeleton. Near the desk lays the desiccated skeleton of a large dog, a few of its ribs broken and its skull cracked. You hear an echoing growl, and realize that the skeletal dog has risen, and seems to be defending it's old master!
Snickers at Demaiv's declaration of protection and responds with; "Oh my hero."
"I tend to try and make a habit of making good decisions," he would say as he looked her over again.
Hearing the howl, Adanel's head would turn towards the door as his feet started to move. Quickly he would close the small gap to the door and try to move past Hod...
If allowed through, he would come to a halt right inside the room so that the creature would have no choice but to go through him before getting to the others while allowing for help to enter the room if they chose such an course. Determined not to go down Adanel would take a stance that readied a strike with his claw if the beast closed within range.
If not allowed through, he would wait close by for an opening to move through or help in some manner.
If Zella has enough move, she will lash out at the skeletal dog with her scarf before it can attack them.
If not, she moves up besides Adanel and readies to attack it once it is in range using the roll below.
Sholloch pulls out his dagger and moves cautiously into the room
Watching the woman's blow glance off the creature's bones, Adanel would rethink his course of action and move to Torme who for some reason had seemed to freeze up. "Please allow me to borrow this," he would say as he takes the axe from the large man's hands.
Seeing Zelladania's attack glance off the skeletal dog, Demaiv looks over his arsenal. He might be able to inflict some damage with his spear, but it's not here. Demaiv moves into the room and casts Acid Splash, again holding his medallion like a cleric would their holy symbol.
Seeing his attack about to miss, Demaiv focuses more intently on his medallion, calling for Apsu's guidance.
Höd flies into the room and frantically looks around from something bigger than a dagger to attack with.
Zella again attempts to lash out at the skeletal dog.
Now with the large axe in hand, Adanel would slowly walk his way up to the skeletal dog and ready to strike it.
Despite his bravado, Demaiv hadn't done much to prevent Zella being hurt. Well that was about to change. Demaiv positions himself behind the beast and lunged forward, attempting to pin it down.
Demaiv almost stumbles in his attempt, but manages to keep his feet.
Seeing his chance Höd, lashes out with the chair!
Höd is unused to the unwieldy nature of the chair and misjudges his attack, but squares for another try.
Something about this feels wrong to Sholloch.
This is not a normal undead creature. he tells the group. It is protecting his master's body, even into the afterlife and I find it hard to want to destroy this creature. We should leave.
He back up to the door he entered through and waits for mroe of the group to do the same.
"Be gone," Adanel would growl as he swung the mighty ax.
Noticing the ax coming down awkwardly, Adanel would try and correct its course.
Unfortunately his efforts would appear to have been in vain.
Adanel, the dog is only concerned with protecting his Master, back off and there is no conflict. Sholloch explains again.There is a malevent evil at work in the courthose, but these skeletal bodies are more victims of it than co-conspiritors to it.
Backing away a bit and lowering her scarf, Zella remarks: "Well just how the hell are we supposed to know all the evil undead creature around from the not evil ones? Wait until they start striping the flesh from our bones?"
"He's right! I felt a flash of holy insight when it bit me. This creature is not an enemy! We must retreat for now and reconsider our position." Demaiv says while moving away, defending himself as best possible.
Höd, very confused now, steps back 10 feet, sets his chair-sword down and sits in it.
"I wish I was back home where fights make sense..."
Seeing that the 1/2 orc is not listening Sholloch decides to work on the other mindless creature.
Whistles Hey boy. Whistles Sholloch extends his hand in a friendly gesture and moves to try and block out the 1/2 orc. Calm down. We mean no harm. We are lost and are trying to get out. Relax.
Adanel would watch in shock and then anger as the man stepped forth to block him off from his prey just as he had started to lift the mighty axe once again.
Spitting off to the side, he would slowly back away and off to the side so that he once again had a clear path to the skeletal dog. With about ten feet between him and the beast, he would quietly watch the man's attempt at soothing the undead while he tightened the his grip on the massive axe's shaft.
I feel like an idiot doing this. Zella sighs and coos, "Good puppy, good boy, you just stay put while we leave." Zella continues to back out of the room.
Seeing the creature lash out again, Adanel would let out a howl of rage and charge in with the massive axe to bring it down hard upon the now doomed creature.
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The howl reverberates through your head, and suddenly, you are see yourself at the desk. Your hand, big and fat and old, writes a frantic note, when suddenly, something hard and metal and spiky tightens around your neck. It tightens, and you can feel the barbs enter your throat, taking away your breath. Your head is jerked back, and you see the smiling face and glowing red eyes of the Hobgoblin! He is suddenly distracted, and you see out of the corner of your eye your faithful bloodhound, biting him in the leg. He releases you for a moment, but it doesn't give you any respite as you begin to drown in your own blood. You see the hobgoblin kick your dog with a hidden blade in his boot, and the creature crumbles with a yelp. Suddenly, the hobgoblin is back at his task, and his chain crushes your throat, you hear a ghostly rasping, and as the hobgoblin runs off...
you die gurgling.
Suddenly, you are back in the room. The memory won't leave you, and you here a raspy voice echo in your head.
MAKE THEM PAY FOR THEIR SINS! MAKE THEM PAY! MAKE THEM PAY...
One moment Zella is watching Adanel smash the skeletal hound into bits of bone and the next she find herself living the last moments of someone else's life as it is violently taken from them.
When Zella finds herself back in the room, she is still shaking from the memory and is rather surprised to find herself holding onto Demaiv as she hears that raspy voice echoing inside her head. Blushing a bit, she tries to take a step back and takes a deep breath as she also tries to stop shaking. "Uhm, sorry Demaiv." With a glance back over to where the skeleton sits, she asks; "Uhm, did anyone else hear and see that? Please tell me I wasn't the only one.