Eustus pats the skeleton's hand affectionately. "I'll be right along. Thanks. Please see to their comfort until I arrive."
The skeleton leaves with another polite nod to you all.
Eustus Ursuul places his napkin on the table. "Well, it seems work intrudes. Good to meet you all..." to Ushari, he adds, "especially you." He kisses her hand and departs, oblivious to the silence in his wake.
Ushari is so stunned she doesn't have the presence of mind to pull her hand free from his kiss. She sits, goggle-eyed, and what just happened and what happened last night.
The eyes of all three men slowly swivel to regard the mortified girl.
Ushari looks first to Jayse, then to Straehan, and finally to Jofram. Belatedly she realizes the men thought she had been with Levitan...instead of...of Eustus Ursuul!!. As they continue to stare at her, they can see her blush is now quite noticeable.
Finally she squeaks in a voice quite embarrassed, "What? I...I was...uhhh....Levitan said he....well....uhhh, and Eustus was still awake...WHY am I talking about this with you guys?"
The gnome's grin is so huge he could be mistaken for a jack-o-lantern.
"So let me get this straight... you got boned by a necromancer?" He bursts into laughter.
Ushari is still stunned at the revelation of Eustus' profession. "Well...uhhh...he never really talked....that is not about..." her voice trails off. She rubs the spot on her hand where he had kisseed her. And to think I was worried about him being hostile to us...
As Straehan laughter rings out, she finds heself bursting into laughter as well. "Well, if you are gonna get boned by someone, best to have an expert do it!"
And he CERTAINLY was!!
Straehan slaps the table in mirth, "So I guess stiffness wasn't a problem, eh?"
"Is that why that skeleton was staring at us with that ruby gaze all night? Scouting out for tourists he could bed?"
Looking around at the tavern, Jofram leans back in his chair, absorbing whatever comfort the worn wood can lend. "I'll be the first to admit it; I could do with a few more days in this place. Food and ale, fighting and dancing, pretty lasses to bed, and coin to be made on the side..." His glare in Jayse's direction suggests that he won't soon forget that all-too-close wager. He raises his bare hand, bringing two fingers to his temple. "However, I am also all too aware of my missing memories, and I find myself drawn to seek them out directly. Perhaps Na... ...perhaps Noria will see her way fit to guide us back to this place in due time, but I think we really should be on our way, soon."
Still trying to wrap his mind around Ushari's choice in bed-mates, he laughs as he follows Jofram's change of subject, "I'm with Jofram. This place is a fine joint to lay low in and relax, but I can't quite shake the uneasiness with all the holes in my memory. I don't know that i'll be able to completely relax until I can find a few more answers. That said, I'd be happy to take one more day to relax and recuperate before getting back on the Mako. Might be nice to see if Shiv has any choices items for us."
"I agree. Another day here would be nice; I've got no objection to staying. But the answers we're looking for are waiting in some dusty library in Orfallen or parts beyond."
"Do we have supplies enough for the trip, or should we stop by some of the vendors to replenish our stores?"
"Our supplies should be fine but since we're sitting here, let's run through what we want to learn in Orfallen."
The gnome borrows a sheet of parchment, quill, and ink from Salli and then begins to write.
He spins the document towards them for review, "Have I missed anything?"
Straehan slaps the table in mirth, "So I guess stiffness wasn't a problem, eh?"
"No, I made sure of that!"
He spins the document towards them for review, "Have I missed anything?"
"This list looks correct, and I would not mind spending another night here as well..." Her tone leaves little doubt as to who she wants to have for company.
You spend the day pursuing your own interests...
Straehan, seeing an opportunity to chat with a necromancer (a notoriously anti-social lot), roams down to the victorian house... only to return a half hour later, clearly dissatisfied. He hrumphs to whoever will listen. "Apparently, Eustus' guests have spirited him away to do something mysterious. No one knows when he'll be back. What an opportunity lost!"
If one were to follow Jayse around, at the midday chime, they'd find him behind the Slattern amongst the wagons. Weaving in and out of the obstacle course of tack, gear, and transportation, he spars with the massive Vessa-Valdek. It is clear, Ves is a master of his martial style. One arm slides forward to attack while the other, held at a curious angle, is used to ward off Jayse's strikes almost as if it were a shield. For his size, Ves is nimble, thick-skinned, and not an easy target to strike... particularly with his reach and the uncanny defensive posture of his martial style.
More concerning for Jayse is the penalty for any misplaced blow. When Jayse's strikes go awry, Ves' free hand grabs the smaller monk in a brutal grapple. Jayse avoids it a time or two, but Ves' accuracy is high and more often then not, he taps Jayse on a shoulder. For his part, Jayse is the more experienced martial artist. He strikes far more often and with greater precision.
Ves laughs, trying to keep up with the smaller and faster monk who seems to land blows at will. They choose to end their bout with a bit of wrestling, as Jayse is curious to see how difficult it would be to grapple the larger man. It proves a seriously daunting task. Ves is simply too big and too strong to make grappling reliable.
How do you trip a damn mountain?
The lazy day dissolves into evening as our heroes pursue their interests - whether those are shopping, eating, sparring or just sitting on the beach. Evening finds you all at the Slattern, considering what the night might bring... but it is something that you would never expect.
A strangled scream sounds from the promenade and your eyes are drawn to the Slattern's large entrance. A figure in a dress stumbles in. Immediately you think it is another of Ursuul's skeletal servants. The truth is less pleasant. The skeletized face seems to be trying to scream and stares at the blackening flesh on its arm. Only the brown skirt tells you this was once a woman. The figure falls to her knees. Something black, eats through the flesh and clothes. The body melts slowly - turning black and then the blackened bits puff away and vanish in a black mist almost like a fleeting shadow. The woman collapses as even her skull blackens and is blasted away. In a few moments, nothing is left to mark the woman's passing but the echoes of her scream and the shocked stares on your faces.
Another distressed yell comes from outside the door.
ORDER:
Straehan curses, "Bloody hell! This isn't good." He jumps up from the table and casts a spell upon himself.
ORDER:
As Jofram stands, he heaves the table away from them, knocking it over in the process. The air around his gauntlet shimmers and coalesces into a bow.
Knowing Ushari's propensity for rushing in to help the wounded, he warns her, "Don't touch them - we don't know what did this, and we can't afford to lose you, too!"
Jofram launches up and over-turns your shared table.
Jayse is only a second behind, blue blade springing to his hand as he takes a defensive posture, "What the hell was that?!"
He scans the area, looking for the source of the new scream as well as any other threats.
Our heroes hear screams and yells for help (in a variety of different voices) issuing through the Slattern's doorway. The cries seem to be coming from the promenade or possibly the beach, beyond the tavern. There are no obvious threats inside the bar or coming through the door.
You hear Billu yell, "Get away from her, you slitherin' bastar...AAHHHHEEEEHHH!!!!"
Ushari leaps to her feet and draws her rapier in one fluid motion. She is horrified by the sudden death of the as yet un-named woman, although she is not sure whether is is because Eustus is IN trouble, or whether it is because Eustus IS the trouble. She quickly chants a protective prayer, while analyzing what may have happened to the unfortunate victim.
Aside from seeing that the woman was devoured by acid followed by some atypical misty after-effect, Ushari doesn't learn anything substantive about what is slaying locals on the promenade. She knows of no undead that launches such an unusual attack.
The Slattern shakes rhythmically - presumably from the massive footfalls of Vessa-Valdek coming from the livery and circling around the upturned ship to see what is the matter.
Men and women shout orders over the general din and wailing.
"To arms! To arms!"
"Bill is still alive! Pull him back!"
You hear the weak voice of Bill respond, "BUGGER THAT! Ring the damn bell!"
"What the hell are those things?!?!"
A bell, Shiv's warning bell, starts to clang. The scarred Bouncer/Guard from the penthouse leaps down the final flight of steps and sprints through the doorway, knocking patrons aside. Winsom pulls an axe from beneath the bar and lopes heavily towards the door.
Visitors mill around in the tavern and move away from the door, opting to stay out of trouble.
ORDER:
Over the din screams and warning bells, Jofram calls out to his crew, "Make for the ship!"
"How about we see what we're dealing with before we do that." You can tell Jayse isn't keen on running if he can help.
Ushari's eyes flash at the thought of running away. "Besides we need to see if Eustus is...related to this attack in some way."
"No, we don’t - something is vaporizing people out there. If you know how to defend against that, I’d love to hear it." Jofram points to the empty place on the floor, where the woman’s body had been moments before.
Straehan casts a sidelong glance at the blonde trying to fathom her thoughts. His question is rhetorical, "Do you always elect to bed men for whom you have such an active distrust?"
More screams of pain and despair are heard from the promenade along with a deep rasping sound of something hard and fibrous rubbing against wood. A flicker of something pale and bulbous flashes past one of the tavern's window. More screams ensue.
A growing fondness for this strange village as well as foolish curiosity propels Straehan to the doorway after the rotund barkeep. He slaps himself against the wall near the doorframe and peeks out.
His look is a mixture of disgust, revulsion, and surprise. He immediately begins a set of arcane gestures that culminate in a small ribbon of dancing fire arcing through the doorway.
"I can only see two of them from here, but there've got to be more. They look like human-sized... uh... hard-shelled worms. We've got several people down. Most of them... can't be helped."
ORDER:
Running to the right side of the doorway, Jofram nocks an arrow, looking for the creatures Strae described.
Ushari follows along behind Jofram, and when told of the Worms attacking the townspeople, she can only shrug helplessly. She does get a small chuckle out of Straehan's comment though. Aye, my luck with matters of the heart have NOT been all that impressive so far...
She gives Straehan a grim look, "We have to try to help these people!" She then holds her hand out and calls on her deity to bless the group.
Jayse, drawn by Bill's yells, is right on Straehan's heels. He heads towards the door, trying to get a better look without stepping blindly into anything. "Anyone know what these things are? Any tips as to how to kill them or… ya know… not die?" He tries to locate Bill, as well, hoping to be able to help the guy out if possible.
Jofram slams against the right-hand doorframe, drawing his eldritch bow. He sees a half dozen townsfolk being hunted by at least four of the beasts. They are strange creatures to be sure. Each one is perhaps 7' long. The worm-like body is carried by dozens of clawed legs. The chitinous body segments are pale, almost white. Long black hairs bristle between each segment. A ruff of them guards the armored head of the beast which is also protected by a ferocious set of quadruple mandibles.
The ranger fires an arrow past Winsom's ear. It strikes the worm's head but skitters off the thick carapace.
Jayse rolls through the doorway and looks for Bill, trusting in the three compatriots on his flank to cover him. He spies two of the creatures moving in on the wounded sailor and a downed local near him. With a deft few steps, the monk closes on the nearest worm and slashes into the shell with his blue blade. Despite the devastating blow, the worm barely slows down. Jayse feels a prick in his chest and belatedly realises he's been stabbed by a wickedly sharp guard-hair. The numbing around the wound warns Jayse that a poison is working through his system. Fortunately, his unusual constitution shrugs off the effects of the toxin.
Ushari back her friends and her blessing manages to catch a few of the locals in addition to her team.
REFLEX v DC18:
DAM: + Poison
-- Poison --
FORT v DC22:
ORDER:
The burning embers of the skeleton's eyes are visible as it sprints down the promenade. It covers terrain as fast as Jayse and slides into a sharp-handed martial style as it stabs a bony hand into the skull of one of the maggot-like invaders. The crunch of skeletal hand on carapace is loud but the worm shrugs it off.
Vessa clears the back-side of the ship and charges at the nearest worm. His blow, electricity glowing off his massive fist, shatters a post but misses the creature.
Winsom and the Bouncer team up to strike at the worm bearing a slight burn mark from Straehan's spell. Only the bartender's axe manages to connect.
From across the water, the ballista crews wheel their weapons about and fire. Six massive bolts strike across the dock but none hit their targets.
ORDER:
Hand v AC25 - HIT: DAM:
Hand v AC25 - HIT: DAM:
Winsom Axe (20/x3) v AC25 - HIT: DAM:
Guard Sword (19+/x2) v AC25 - HIT: DAM:
Ballista (19+/x2) v AC25 - HIT: DAM:
Ballista (19+/x2) v AC25 - HIT: DAM:
Ballista (19+/x2) v AC25 - HIT: DAM:
FIRE-TEAM 2
Ballista (19+/x2) v AC25 - HIT: DAM:
Ballista (19+/x2) v AC25 - HIT: DAM:
Ballista (19+/x2) v AC25 - HIT: DAM:
The local men learn how treacherous striking the creatures is, as the worms twist trying to bury their bristles into their attackers. Alerted by what happened to Jayse, they all manage to avoid the poisoned spines.
Vessa REFLEX v DC18:
Winsom REFLEX v DC18:
Bouncer REFLEX v DC18:
The worms lash out - grey mandibles snap shut. Jayse slaps the jaws aside while Vessa merely notes their inability to lock onto his tree-sized forearm.
Repaying Bones' blow, the armored maggot locks mandibles around the skeleton's ribs. Acid spews across it, etching the bones and scouring away any meat that may have been left.
The locals fair far worse. The Bouncer is helpless as the mandibles lock on his head and a gallon of acid is vomited up from the creature's maw - bathing the poor man's face and neck. He doesn't even have time to scream as the upper half of his body melts, becomes shadow and is sucked into the mouth of the beast. Even as his essence is absorbed, the black bristles lengthen and sharpen - slivers of shadow and death.
The seamstress tries to flee across the sand. A quick acid-slathered bite from the worm drops her to the sand... well on her way to death and ghastly absorption as a black fog.
ORDER:
MAP: Shiv
HIT v Vessa AC22: (20/x2)
HIT v Bones AC24: (20/x2) | DAM:
HIT v Bouncer AC14: (20/x2) | CONFIRM: Yes
DAM:
HIT v Woman AC12: (20/x2) | DAM:
As Jayse tests the creatures defenses with a series of slices and unarmed strikes, he calls out to Ushari, "Their quills are poisonous! You got anything to help me with that?"