John's opponent stayed focused on him even in the middle of the chaotic, crowded melee. While the other two continued to try to kill the deadly shadow looming over the middle of the room.
The mercenary fighting John managed to slip their blade through John's defenses again.
The pair bracing Desdemona's shadow, though, couldn't hurt their slippery target.
"Help me take John aside. We will bottleneck them in the doorway, for the hungry dark to block," Des intoned in a hollow voice.
Reine ground her teeth in frustration, but Desdemona was right. Getting John out of the room was the priority at this point.
She nodded, grabbed his shirt, and started pulling.
One part of Broom gasped in alarm as John fell despite the healing she had given him while the other part noted with satisfaction that he was still alive as was evidenced by his wounds continuing to burn closed.
Still that was little consolation if nothing could be done about the zombies themselves. Dashing back across the door to get a better look at the zombie she remembered having been the most hurt, she took a breath and steeled her resolve as she cupped her hand and let the black liquid pool there once again. Instead of launching it immediately, she waited for a moment or two until Reine bent down to help Des drag him out of the room. It was at that moment that she had what was likely to be the clearest shot she would ever get.
Before she even saw the results of her attempt, she grabbed Des and tried to help pull her and John into the room.
The trio grabbed whatever they could reach and pulled John out of the crowded room, with Desdemona's shadow fighting a holding action as they retreated.
As she pulled, Broom tossed a sizzling handful of burning black goop at the zombie with gaping rents in its neck and chest- wounds that would have at least incapacitated a living soldier but barely seemed to inconvenience the undead mercenary. The acid sizzled and popped as it seeped through armor, dead skin, and dry ligaments, ending with the dead man's body finally, mercifully collapsing to the floor as its arm separated from its chest and its chest collapsed in on itself where the acid still burned.
The remaining two mercenaries closed in carefully, bottlenecked in the doorway just as Des had planned.
Even as the shadow sucked more darkness into itself, like some night-born vortex, the entire room seemed to grow darker, the shadows shifting as they were drawn in, and immediately regrown from whatever dark place they came.
Desdemona, showing none of the fear of her own shadow that she had previously displayed, turned her head to judge John's condition.
The shadow, which had been evasive in its swirling form, congealed into a serpent shape again, and reached out for the zombies before it once more - but more cautiously than before.
This was annoying. Reine looked around herself, then picked up one of the dropped tridents and proceeded to poke and jab with it through the door, trying to knock the undead's weapons offline to give the shadow a better chance to re-kill the target.
Assuming that anything like physical defense even meant anything at this point.
With the situation looking dire, Broom began throwing whatever she could at the zombie in the door while trying to tug John farther back away from the fight.
This time she was not as fortunate however as the corrosive projectile flew wide of its mark.
Broom, Des, and Reine all did what they could to help the shadow serpent fend off the zombies but the skilled mercenary ignored their attempts as it focused on the main threat. On the floor, everyone was treated to the unsettling sight of the zombie's shadow trying to keep the huge serpent from crushing its throat even while the juju zombie continued to swing its sword like nothing was out of the ordinary.
Both zombies kept trying to force the door, one hacking into the doorframe like it was going to chop straight through and the other managing to make contact with the elusive shadow in front of it.
There was little more that Broom thought she could do. There was no use in holding back so she continued to desperately fling corrosive globs at the relentless threats.
Frustrated as much by the lack of impact she was having on the fight as for the collateral damage she was inflicting on the building she desperately tried to think of anything else that she could be doing.
Reine continued to do what she could to keep the zombie off balance with her trident while the Shadow did most of the work.
Desdemona took a page from Reine's book once she was sure John wasn't about to expire, and focused on the fight in the doorway. She continued to draw deep shadows from... somewhere, and sent them to harry the undead.
The greater shadow continued to flicker in the doorway, like some dream turned nightmare, a wisp of dread now, a sinking feeling then, and an icy despair in the end.
Reine and Des both did their best to distract the zombie right in front of the door, making even the undead mercenary flinch away from their attacks. Desdemona's shadow took advantage, getting a good hold on the zombie's shadow and throttling it for all the shadow was worth.
The zombies both slashed through the shadow holding the door but neither could damage the unnatural creature's insubstantial mass.
"Oh!" Broom suddenly exclaimed with excitement as she suddenly remembered the magic healing potion that she had been given. Reaching into her magic backpack her hand closed around the vial, right there on top. She couldn't help but smile a bit, she did so like this magical pack.
Seeing John stir as the worst of his wounds burned shut she hastily uncorked the vial and gently propped up John's head as she carefully administered the magical draft.
Broom momentarily forgot about the desperate fight going on at the door and the horrible wounds that John was suffering as she watched with fascination at the rent's in his flesh quickly mended. She absently traced a finger over one of the recently healed slashes and murmured "Why can't Our magic fix living things? Xander never really gave Us a good explanation and We can't find the answer in other thoughts."
It was slow, but seemingly effective. So, Reine continued poking at the zombie with her borrowed trident for now, doing her best to keep it off-balance and vulnerable to the Shadow's predations.
"Uhhhh....wha' happen'?" John slurs as he comes back to consciousness.
Desdemona's shadow continued to try to hold back the undead soldiers.
With Des and Reine's distracting assistance, the shadow managed to do some damage to the zombie in front of the door.
The zombies had less success as they hacked at the shadow, perhaps beginning to run out of steam as they took more and more damage.
Seemingly tireless, Des continued to draw darkness from the corners and cracks of the room, sending them to harry the zombies as the shadow wound round and round their shadows, trying to find purchase.
John staggers to his feet unsteadily and picks up his longsword.
Broom put her arm around John and helped him to his feet. "Here, let Us help you. " She reached out a hand and with a strange word and odd thoughts motioned to where Red Destiny had fallen.
The short sword gently drifted through the air and hovered next to John's empty hand.
"We think you have another healing potion. If you need it We can get it out of your pack." she offered helpfully.
Glancing over at the raggedy shadow for a moment and then back to her wand Broom asked with much trepidation in her voice "Should We use the healing wand on the shadow?"
Reine looked over her shoulder and saw John back on his feet - if somewhat unsteadily.
If he could get back into the fight, they could probably turn this around and finish off the two remaining opponents. But if anyone else came along... Reine's eyes narrowed in calculation. The needed to get out, and through these things was the only sure way. She grimaced, and set her attention to messing with the zombie again.
"We need to take these two down and get the hells out of here," she said to the others.
Unfortunately, in taking time to calculate their options, Reine had mistimed one of her jabs, and her borrowed trident, deflected by the doorway, flailed ineffectually past her target without connecting at all.
The zombies teamed up to launch a pair of deadly strikes at Desdemona's shadow, and whether it was luck or skill the two dead soldiers both managed to rip through the shade's black... substance and tear ragged cuts through it.
John stabs at the zombie in the doorway.
(1 handed, power attack, 2 weapon)
(1 handed, power attack, 2 weapon)
and he heals 1hp from Infernal Healing.
Wand of death knell (18), Wand of infernal healing (23), Wand of bless (17)
Now that she was thinking of all the stuff in her pack, Broom remembered another wand that had been found at Briarstone.
She eagerly reached into the pack and once again was thrilled to found that the wand she wanted was right on top, ready to be picked up just like she knew it would be.
There were symbols and pictures carved into the length of wood depicting iconography related to Sarenrae she seemed to remember someone saying. Despite the battle going on, she held up the wand and cast her mind out to see if she could find out enough about Sarenrae to coax the magic from the implement.
The thoughts came effortlessly, so many minds in unison as if they had just been waiting to share themselves. Each one the warm image of a single brilliant sunrise that rose above a landscape that varied according to the mind. Glorious above the horizon the golden light banished the darkness. With this image in their thought she watched as one mind raised a curved sword that burst into brilliant flame, sending insubstantial shadows shrieking back into the darkness, another mind raised a holy symbol and she felt the power flood through them, a hoard of skeletons erupting silently in divine flame as their charred bones clattered to the ground.
"Take heart child, though you are not of my flock I lend my aid against any who would push against the darkness and bring light to the world" The words were distant and faint and did not seem to be thoughts she was sharing, but felt as if they were being whispered to her specifically.
"The Dawnflower is with us. Praise the sun!" She called out the words and the wand flared to life bathing the party in a golden glow that bolstered mind and soul.
John grimaces and thinks to himself:
Desdemona looked on without emotion as the zombies tore the shadow to tatters again. She simply ripped more shadows loose from their moorings, and sent them to be consumed, to bolster it.
Emboldened, the serpent-shadow twined among the zombies, striking at them, but to no avail.
"Perhaps someone could provide a diversion, to lure the zombies outside. Then we could regroup after having shut them out." Desdemona's voice held no emotion, other than perhaps a touch of irritation at the distraction these dead men provided when the group had things to do.
The zombies kept at it but had no success as they tried to rip through Desdemona's shadow.
John attacks the zombie in the doorway with both swords.
(1 handed, power attack, 2 weapon, bless)
(1 handed, power attack, 2 weapon, bless)
and he heals 1hp from Infernal Healing.
After the flood of warmth from the wand and the joyous thoughts from the minds she had touched, Broom felt energized. However there did not seem to be much more she could do at the moment.
She fidgeted about for a moment and glanced all over the room while trying to remember what else she had in her pack. Her thoughts suddenly strayed to a scroll she had that would summon creatures to her aid for a short period of time.
Again she delved into her pack finding the scroll tube right there on top. She pulled the inscribed vellum from the magical pack and made ready to attempt to cast it. As she steeled herself to attempt the difficult and complex magic she flicked a little bit of black liquid at the zombie.
Broom splashed one of the zombies with black, sizzling goo but it barely flinched, the undead soldier feeling no pain.
Unfortunately, she was the only one to connect, as neither John nor Desdemona's shadow could find a way through the soldiers' well honed defenses.
They doggedly continued the assault, undead resilience combining with inhuman patience to continue a fight mortal opponents might have given up.
One of the zombies connected, gouging a tear out of the shadow's black substance.
"'What temperance doth the dark possess? None, for it is nothing, will be nothing,'" Desdemona murmured to herself, quoting who-knew-what. But when she turned to the others, she seemed collected.
"The shadow will fall, soon. We should go, find some place to gather our strength, before the remaining dead fall upon us."
Broom unrolled the scroll and stared blankly at the arcane symbols and formulae. Part of her had a vague idea of what the writings meant, but the arcane concepts held within were just a little more advanced than she was able to grasp.
Regardless of the risks involved, she began reciting the words as best she could while at the same time sending out her mind again trying to fill in the gaps in her understanding of what she was reading.
The zombie soldiers continue to hammer away at Desdemona's shadow but blessedly can't connect. Unfortunately, neither can the shadow.
John stabs again, but can't connect.
(1 handed, power attack, 2 weapon, bless)
(1 handed, power attack, 2 weapon, bless)
Wand of death knell (18), Wand of infernal healing (23), Wand of bless (17)
The chanting continued for what seemed like ages, but while she chanted the other part of her gently bounced off other minds looking for those new symbols and words that she was unfamiliar with.
It was tough, and she almost faltered once or twice but she muddled through it but was rewarded with a flaring of the words on the scrolls and a glowing portal briefly manifested in the air.
Broom grinned with delight before looking confused as more thoughts were touched on "Wait, We were supposed to choose what to summon?" she asked herself aloud.
Broom's face lit up as the strange creature answered the magical calling. It was beautiful! A large cat with burnished yellow fur along its back fading to a pure white on its belly. The most remarkable thing about it was that it was covered all over in black spots.
The celestial leopard snarled at the undead and instinctively attacked the unnatural abominations. Its eyes lite up with a golden light as it channeled its divine essence into its assault on the first zombie.
As the magnificent cat attempted to maul the zombie Broom stashed the burned scroll to be discarded later. Once again she was left at a loss as to what to do so she simply flicked some more acid at the opponents.
Broom's magically summoned ally tore into one of the zombies, shredding its back so badly it loses the use of its arms and legs. The celestial leopard turned from that first zombie to the next with barely a pause, ripping into that one's flank and tearing out a gore-free chunk of undead flesh.
The zombie soldier turned to attack this new threat, its longsword much more dangerous against an opponent made of flesh and blood.
Desdemona's shadow slithered into the room to take the fight to the last eternal soldier, Des continuing to assault the undead mercenary with distracting shadows to protect the shadow as it continued the fight. Perhaps motivated by its recent poor showing, the shadow nearly choked the life out of the remaining zombie in two quick movements. Nearly dead had little meaning to a zombie, though, and it continued to fight on in spite of its rough handling.
John steps up into the doorway and stabs past the shadow into the zombie with both of his weapon.
(1 handed, power attack, 2 weapon, bless)
(1 handed, power attack, 2 weapon, bless)
and he heals 1hp from Infernal Healing.
John chopped down the last of the zombies, leaving one last body among the piles of corpses the group left in the two rooms.
John sits down hard, gasping for breath.
His weapons clatter as he releases them.
His wounds slowly bond as the Infernal Healing knits them closed.
Broom, forgetting the dire circumstances she was just in rushes over to the celestial cat and happily begins petting it.
The leopard shied away from her like most animals did and growled, its tail lashing back and forth and its fur rising. Despite its obvious displeasure though, the summoning magics kept it at bay and Broom stroked its soft coat.
The beast's suffering only lasted mere moments however as the magic that brought it there quickly dissipated after just shy of a minute and it faded away in a brief cloud of gold sparkles and silver mist.
Her spirits bouyed Broom drew out the healing wand "John, your healing has stopped." she said with concern as tapped him with the wand once more to renew the healing process.
Broom frowned, perplexed by the failures "This was so easy a moment ago." She continued to tap him with the wand, uttering variations of the strange infernal language as her mind found them in other thoughts related to wands such as this.
The wand spluttered to life once and then went completely dormant afterwards. No amount of coaxing would bring life back to the wand and searching other thoughts simply revealed that she had disrupted its magic and that it would need time to realign itself properly, whatever that meant.
"We are sorry, We think that was the last use of the healing wand for today."
Broom sighed as she looked around the room, her mercurial emotions shifting from elation to melancholy in a moment. "It looks like everyone here is dead, but where did these fish guys come from, and where did the lady at the door go? We are kind of tired and John is still hurt. Do you think we should continue looking around, or get some rest and report our findings? There doesn't seem to be anyone that would need to be rescued any more."