"Just more death... Or undeath as it were..." Ulfric says, advancing behind Campus to cover her.
Cerio winces as the spear ruptures rotted flesh, releasing a foul odor into the air.
Campus stands back to attack the struggling corpse at the end of her reach. She stabs down into the torso, easily piercing it through.
Once Campus slams her spear through the body, it erupts in a fountain of gore. The sickly smell of decay fills the rubble strewn corridor as the corpse's entrails burst out like the whipping tentacles of an angry octopus, grasping out for something living to grab.
Ulfric strides forward, striking at the creature with his longsword.
Cerio dry heaves a bit. Luckily, his magic needs no aim. He blindly conjures two eerie green eyes that crash into the body.
Retching in disgust, Campus only managed a feeble swipe at the fiendish monstrosity. She only hoped she did not contract some foul disease from the decaying flesh spattered on her face and neck.
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T'eron, holding his breath with a sense of urgency, quickly drops his bow, grabs his sword with two hands, and brings it down upon the woman.
As a finely focused killing force, you completely destroy this odd creature. Campus and T'eron stab and slash, and semi-congealed blood and more viscous fluids fly into the air. The attack leaves such a complete mess that Ulfric slips on the fluids and slides to a knee, coming his lower half in the vile substance. His sword slash misses the target completely. Cerio finishes by slamming missiles of energy into the mass, and the thing lets out wet, flatulent sounds as it seems to deflate, then lay flat.
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Winter and her people are former employees and patients constantly under attack from the cultists and ghouls alike. They cannot escape, as outside there is a sickly yellow fog filled with terrors. You've found and killed two creatures that were spewing the fog, and the fog lessened.
Now, as far as you know, there are only two areas unexplored - a courtyard on the east side into which you never entered, and the upstairs level, which you have to walk through the cultists camp to get to. You've done it once already, but if you get upstairs, you'll have all of the cultists right beneath you - behind enemy lines, so to speak.
As for your memories...still a mystery. See the other handout about how a certain Count may have something to do with this...
Welp. We never explored the courtyard. Then we'd better go upstairs, as that is likely where we will find the ultimate answer to our imprisonment.
Sounds like a good plan - you know what to expect there more than I do as well.
You report back (as it's on the way) to Captain York and Winter, letting them know that the way to the north is open and, hopefully, now clear of ghouls.
Then, you proceed back out to the east, past the main entry lobby, and to the door that leads out into the large courtyard. You head out, and see a very large and spacious courtyard garden within the high asylum walls. Only thin breaths of sickly fog seep in from overhead, though beyond it's just as thick as ever. Misty wisps slip between leafless trees and simple benches, giving the impression of silent beasts prowling through the garden.
T'eron, Ulfric....Cerio and I will follow behind you. Campus lifts her long spear, its iron point extending well past T'eron's left shoulder.
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If you remove the bandana from your eyes, you might see better Campus jokes softly.
Campus and T'eron see nothing unusual...relatively speaking. What is "usual" in the asylum strays from the norm.
T'eron turns his head toward Campus with a wry smile. Very funny.
Let's go this way.
As you proceed, you note that what were once sweet shrubs and mimosa trees are now dead, choked, and warped by mist. You can see in front of you nearly twenty feet here, far more than other mist choked areas, but certainly not far enough to provide any comfort.
Strange sounds accompany your stroll through the grounds - the flapping of wings, low growls, and rustling steps. As you are completely on edge, you are only hardly surprised when a figure appears above you. A lanky humanoid with ebony skin and a long, seemingly prehensile tail, the figure flaps about above you on batlike wings for only a moment, before diving at you! As it comes closer, you can see that it has no face...only a greasy black featureless head.
Campus quickly steps forward and thrusts the cold iron spear at the abomination.
But as she prepares to strike the demon she sees that she would never be able to reach it's otherworldly flesh with her spear. Campus prays to Cayden.
The creature seems to drift above almost lazily, moving just above Campus's reach. It moves around the group, seemingly stalking its prey. It ends its drifting flight approximately thirty feet directly above Cerio.
"Well I don't like this one bit..." Ulfric says as he moves to stand beside Cerio. "What is your purpose, creature? We are merely here trying to find our way out!"
No mouth, no mouth T'eron whispers back, eyes transfixed above.
"Eat dirt!" Cerio growls, unleashing a ray of green energy directly at the critter.
He then runs out from under the beastie. Hope I'm not its breakfast.
Ulfric holds his attack, even as T'eron fires off a shot from his bow. The arrow flies wide of its mark, and whistles off into the mist. Cerio, though, does not miss - his missiles slam into the creature, shimmering across its glossy black skin. A strange, breathy whine comes from the creature, as it refocuses and seems to angle towards the troublesome caster.
Campus takes steps over, her long stride sending her over the low brush of the courtyard. She takes a swipe at the creature, but as it is at the complete extent of her range, the tip misses its mark.
Now set, the creature dives! Claws out in front of it, it rushes at Cerio. Ulfric attacks as it does, but misses. The creature continues its flight, to swipe at Cerio with a black claw. It swipes a claw across, cutting a deep gash in Cerio's shoulder.
Campus, still sleepy she guesses, misses a third time.
"Yeeeeeee!!!" Cerio shrieks, high-tailing back and away from the monster, leaving a trail of his own blood.
T'eron takes a deep breath to steady himself and fires two more arrows at the monstrosity.
Campus misses with her stab, and T'eron's two arrows fly by the creature with no effect.
Ulfric draws back his blade, preparing to strike. "Die foul beast!" Ulfric cries and he smites the creatures.
The flying creature seems to turn slightly to watch its delightfully squishy quarry rush away. It then turns back to Ulfric, the closest target, and rushes in to enact its vengeance upon a fleshy meal.
Ulfric nearly laughs to himself...were he not so stern...as he swats the pathetic attacks aside.
Cerio stops screaming, gathering the shreds of his sanity into a brief moment of clarity. He spins around, unleashing another magical attack at the creature.
Campus spins again, making herself dizzy.
More missiles slam into the creature, causing it to hiss once again. The arcane might of Cerio seems to be wearing it down, however. Campus misses once again, the mist seeming to get in her eyes.
Ulfric grits his teeth, happy his companions haven't been further hurt, annoyed that he can't seem to do anything about it.
Ulfric bears down with his longsword and attacks again.
"Alright, Plan B it is..." T'eron mumbles to himself, joining Ulfric by the creature with a sword attack of his own.
As the creature remains hovering just by Ulfric so it can bring its full attacks to bear, it leaves itself within reach of some potent attacks. Cerio slams his missiles into the beast, once again causing it to hiss. Then, Ulfric slices off a full batlike wing before T'eron manages to skewer it through. The creature falls to the ground, quite dead it seems.
"Is everyone okay?" Ulfric says. Looking himself over, he's pretty sure all the gore on him comes from the creature he fought."Anyone know what it is?"
Campus shrugs. Let's look at that little building over yonder.
"Fine here, thankya...though not so sure about our green-magic-wielding friend over there. No idea what it was - let's hope there aren't any more."
T'eron turns his head to Cerio and says "You gonna make it?"
You move through the courtyard without further mishap, though the sickly yellow fog forces itself in closer, seeming to sense drawn blood. You reach a sturdy wooden shed leading against the courtyard wall. The door is unlocked and partially ajar, and inside you see a few gardening tools Inside, stairs descend into darkness.
Of course it couldn't *just* be a garden shed. Not here.
Cerio jumps, startled when T'eron looks at him. "I reckon?" He pats the claw wound delicately, casting prestidigitation to clean it. "Hard t'say..."
"A mausoleum? 'N what're we supposed to do down there?" Although he sounds apprehensive, his whole body is briefly ensconced in a glowing, pale green corona. A shadow of himself, lacking defining features but glowing softly, peels away from him and steps closer to the shed.
Cerio follows, casting detect magic against the contents of this upper level of the shed.
Campus whispers a prayer and touches Cerio's forehead.