Korriban looks at Teodor. Then he looks at the traps. Then back at Teodor. [smaller]"I'm a bit nervous trying to disarm those things considering what happened last time."
"Yes. Hence my statement."
"Well, you're the only one of us who can even try, Korriban, so either you get to disarming, or we sit here while Rolth Lamm infects the whole of Korvosa, a town that will know it has no heroes. Which'll it be?"
As they began to make their way down to the lower levels again Lantressa cast her regular protection spell again and her body was coated in a brief flash of formfitting armor that faded into nothingness. As they planned what to do she said, "Give me a good line of sight into the room and I'm going to show them just how big of a mistake they made in letting us get out alive last time." It seemed she was rather ticked at these bastards and wasn't going to hold back any longer. None of them had ever seen this side of Lantressa before. Normaly she was a flirt, a tease, and more than a bit of a slut. Now that was gone and her demeanor was one of a being who wanted to destroy anything that crossed her.
As they discussed dealing with the traps again Lantressa felt herself becoming impatient. She gestured them all back, and got out of the room herself, said a few words with gestures and tossed a bead of searing red light into the room at the trapped door.
Korriban listens to Callie's tough love approach. He grumbles. "Okay. You're talking me into it. Still don't like it, though."
Korriban hears Lantressa speaking with an edge to her voice. He turns to her. "Don't worry. We'll get them. We just need to be methodical about this." However, when she decides to throw out a fireball, Korriban's eyes get huge as the explosion ignites. Looking to see the aftermath, Korriban says, "Okay then. Tress, remind me to never break your heart or hurt you at any point."
From the safety of the now vacant guardroom, Lantressa launches a massive fireball into the room. It doesn't incinerate the door, but it does do a pretty good job of scorching it...and the concussive force of the fireball going off blows the double doors wide open, removing the need to actually touch them!
As the brief smoke clears and you start to peer toward the opened doors, you find that you can all hear the faint sound of dragging, and occasionally...clacking?...footsteps. As you peer toward the blasted-open door, you see bodies moving...some with flesh and some without. But it quickly becomes clear what's happened, since several of the shambling corpses are still wearing Physicians' coats. They--and the desiccated skeletons in cultists' robes--shamble toward the open doors!
Korriban and Teodor, used to working together for longer than any of the other party members, respond most quickly to the looming undead threat!
Initiative
Korriban, Teodor<-----
Skeletons, Zombies
Callie, Lantressa, Riceak
Skeletons: HP: 4 each | AC/T/FF: 16/12/14 | Fort +0 Ref +2 Will +2 | CMD: 14 | DR 5/bludgeoning | Immune: cold, undead traits
Zombies: HP: 12 each | AC/T/FF: 12/10/12 | Fort +0 Ref +0 Will +3 | CMD: 14 | DR 5/slashing | Immune: undead traits
[spoiler=GM Screen]
Korriban takes a deep breath and runs out towards the now open doors. With a flourishing swing of the blade, he settles into some semblance of his grandfather's style based on Lialda's stories. He places his feet apart and lifts his left arm, ready to move any strikes from the undead away from him.
Korriban dashes forward and takes up a defensive fighting stance, readied for the undead to swarm him. Teodor, however, walks calmly after him, and turning to face the door, smiles.
"Go back to your ending," the priest growls, hefting his holy symbol. Light flares from it, flooding the next room! It doesn't quite penetrate to the furthest point of the chamber, but three of the skeletons and four of the zombies fall under its radiance, crumbling to dust. Teodor turns to Korriban, still calm.
"You're welcome."
Korriban doesn't have much time to respond, as the zombie damaged by Teodor's positive energy lets out a moan and shambles toward him, arms outstretched! Korriban stabs it through the chest, but it has no apparent effect, and the monstrosity just lunges forward with its fists. Korriban dodges, yanking his sword out as he does so. The three skeletons remaining also close in on the two men; one rakes Korriban across the cheek with its claw, while the other two circle around the sides.
Initiative
Korriban, Teodor
Skeletons, Zombies
Callie, Lantressa, Riceak<-----
Skeletons: HP: 4 each | AC/T/FF: 16/12/14 | Fort +0 Ref +2 Will +2 | CMD: 14 | DR 5/bludgeoning | Immune: cold, undead traits
Zombies: HP: red 6, others 12 each | AC/T/FF: 12/10/12 | Fort +0 Ref +0 Will +3 | CMD: 14 | DR 5/slashing | Immune: undead traits
Callie casts cure light wounds, holds the charge, then dashes out of the guard room and attempts to poke the reddish skeleton in its ribcage.
The life energies infuse the animated creature and decimate it.
Callie then draws her sword (), ready to defend herself.
Riceak quickly closed the gap between himself and the enemy, almost running over Lantressa.
"Sorry about that ma'am. Remind me to buy you a drink when this is all over."
Korriban blinks as Teodor takes out most of them. "Oh... Thank you." The undead swarm and rake at him. He feels a claw slash open his cheek. He runs a finger over the leaking blood and smirks. "Not bad. You're pretty good." His smirk turns into a grin. "But, odds are I killed you yesterday. It'll be the same today." He then slashes at the orange skeleton and the red clad zombie.
Lantressa, not about to let the fight last for long moved into the room and got close to her friends then said a few words and sent a volley of missiles out at the undead before them focusing on the zombie in the back of the pack.
As Korriban stabs the skeleton passing him in the head, Callie dusts another skeleton, Riceak charges forward to engage the foe. Lantressa, stepping forward, sends a volley of missiles into the zombie just as Korriban stabs it, and it goes down in a heap!
Initiative
Korriban, Teodor<-----
Skeletons
Callie, Lantressa, Riceak
Skeletons: HP: Orange 2, others 4 each | AC/T/FF: 16/12/14 | Fort +0 Ref +2 Will +2 | CMD: 14 | DR 5/bludgeoning | Immune: cold, undead traits
Korriban smirks at seeing the zombie fall. He flips over the orange skeleton.
He manages to flip over without the skeleton being able to strike him.
"Good, good. Dispatch with the rest, make it quick." Teodor takes a swig from a dirty bottle and stays back.
Korriban flips over the skeleton in front of him as Teodor backs off. The skeleton claws at Korriban, who ducks under its grasp, while the other one that's still moving scrabbles ineffectually at Riceak's armor.
Initiative
Korriban, Teodor
Skeletons
Callie, Lantressa, Riceak<-----
Skeletons: HP: Orange 2, blue 4 | AC/T/FF: 16/12/14 | Fort +0 Ref +2 Will +2 | CMD: 14 | DR 5/bludgeoning | Immune: cold, undead traits
With another few words and gestures Lantressa sent a second volley of missiles out, this time splitting the between the remaining targets. They flew out with unerring accuracyy and a pair slammed into each of the remaining undead.
The threat ended, Callie peers into the room to see what lies beyond.
"This is more like it! Do not fear yesterday's events, we did not end and shall not tonight. They saw us at our weakest. Today the Lord shows He Alone is almighty." Teodor takes another swig and sniffs something off his knuckle.
The room with the undead "artwork" is just as stomach-churning as you remember, and is much as you lett it--save that some of the larger detritus from the battle has been cleared away. The doors at the far end of the room, leading to the vats, have been closed as well. The two doors to the south, on the other hand, stand open. There's no sign of movement within the dark rooms beyond.
Korriban smiles as they all go down. "Wow. Teo's right. That went a lot better than yesterday." Korriban leads the investigation. He checks the closed doors.
Meanwhile, Callie stands just outside the south doors that are open. She pulls out a copper piece, casts light on it, and tosses it through the doorway into the south room to see what is within.
Korriban's investigation reveals little of note: the doors at the eastern end of the room are closed, but don't seem to be locked or trapped. A quick glance into the bedchambers to the north reveals that they're empty and abandoned. There is no sign of the flash powder in this chamber aside from a few smudges; likely it was dispersed and trampled by people (or perhaps zombies) moving through the space.
When Callie tosses her lit coin into the room to the south, it illuminates a grisly scene. Eight unpleasant beds line this chamber, manacles and worn leather straps threaded through their sharp iron frames. Six are occupied by bound patients--but none appear to be breathing. (Or moving in any way, for that matter.) Between the beds stand several tables with gore-soaked pans, flasks of strange fluids, and vicious-looking cutting instruments. A sizable brown-crimson stain covers the eastern wall, as though all the blood in a body suddenly burst forth against it at once.
Just past the light shed by the coin, in the southern end of the room, Callie can dimly make out a pair of heavy-looking iron doors, closed tight.
Korriban frowns at the sight of the trampled flash powder. However, he doesn't bother with that. When the bodies are revealed, Korriban pales. "By the gods..." He then looks over the patients.
Callie involuntarily takes a few steps back. "Sweet Desna, wake me from this nightmare," she mutters. She shakes her head and takes a few breaths.
"We haven't gone that far in. I'm going to go upstairs and see if d'Bear is still here, see if she will see to the dead. We don't need them getting up after their desecration. Then..." She sighs. "While whatever's behind those bars may need to be seen to, they wanted us to see this catastrophe, but took time to close the doors to Lamm's lair. That makes me think we try to get into that room first before heading in the direction they seem to want us to go."
"I'll be right back. I'll cast message so we can communicate." Callie does indeed cast message on the group so they can communicate, and heads briefly upstairs to seek d'Bear. She lets d'Bear know about the dead if she's there, if she's not Callie just returns to the group to engage in whatever they've gotten into by the time she returns.
Callie involuntarily takes a few steps back. "Sweet Desna, wake me from this nightmare," she mutters. She shakes her head and takes a few breaths.
Korriban looks at Callie. "Yeah. I mean, look at this! This just took a serious f*****g turn."
"We haven't gone that far in. I'm going to go upstairs and see if d'Bear is still here, see if she will see to the dead. We don't need them getting up after their desecration. Then..." She sighs. "While whatever's behind those bars may need to be seen to, they wanted us to see this catastrophe, but took time to close the doors to Lamm's lair. That makes me think we try to get into that room first before heading in the direction they seem to want us to go."
Korriban looks at Callie. "So, they're basically shepherding us? Great. Just great. You may have a point, Blue. We need to take out Rolth first. Then, we finish exploring the place."
"I'll be right back. I'll cast message so we can communicate." Callie does indeed cast message on the group so they can communicate, and heads briefly upstairs to seek d'Bear. She lets d'Bear know about the dead if she's there, if she's not Callie just returns to the group to engage in whatever they've gotten into by the time she returns.
Korriban watches Callie leave. "Please come back soon, Blue. This place is seriously giving me the creeps."
Korriban carefully checks all of the doors.
Callie's message spell holds when she ascends to look for d'Bear. The Bishop herself has decamped, but there are several Pharasmin priests remaining, tending to the sick. One of them, a redheaded woman named Phaedra, volunteers to come with you. She and Callie descend the elevator, and she follows her into the inner chambers.
When the two women enter the room with the grotesque, macabre "art," Phaedra blanches. "By the Boneyard," she curses. "This is...this is sickening. Worse. This is blasphemous! I should have known Urgathoans would make a mockery of these men and women's sacred rest, but still...this is so much worse than I expected. There is some mighty servant of the Harlot of Undeath down here."
After quick introductions to the rest of you, the gray-robed priestess steps into the abattoir that Callie uncovered to examine the bodies. "Pharasma, grant me the power to know whether these forlorn souls desire to take yet more with them before their time..." She makes a gesture, touching her eyes, and then starts backward. "Don't touch the bodies! It looks like the beasts killed most of them, but they were all infected with blood veil, and they are still highly contagious..." She frowns. "And their blood veil is...different...from what I've seen so far. Stay well back."
As Phaedra steps back and forth, examining each body in turn, Korriban examines the set of iron double doors. They do not appear to be trapped, but they are securely locked. Otherwise, they offer no further information.
Callie thanks Phaedra profusely, and promises when they are done, she will donate whatever she can to the Pharasmans.
When the mention the changes in the blood veil, Callie raises her eyebrows. "'Different'? So they were trying to, what--make the disease worse?" Callie pales. "Maybe we better wear those plague masks as we go through the area."
She dons hers. "So Korriban, you picking the locks, or is Riceak going to use his head to bust the doors open?" She winks at the warrior.
"Burn them. Now. Necromancy is afoot."
After quick introductions to the rest of you, the gray-robed priestess steps into the abattoir that Callie uncovered to examine the bodies.
Korriban looks at the priestess before introducing himself, deciding that now isn't the best time for flirting.
"Pharasma, grant me the power to know whether these forlorn souls desire to take yet more with them before their time..." She makes a gesture, touching her eyes, and then starts backward. "Don't touch the bodies! It looks like the beasts killed most of them, but they were all infected with blood veil, and they are still highly contagious..." She frowns. "And their blood veil is...different...from what I've seen so far. Stay well back."
When the mention the changes in the blood veil, Callie raises her eyebrows. "'Different'? So they were trying to, what--make the disease worse?" Callie pales. "Maybe we better wear those plague masks as we go through the area."
Korriban pales at the mention of this. "Stronger blood veil?! What the hell is wrong with these guys?! Are they all insane?!" He shakes his head. "You know what? Forget it. I forgot who we were dealing with here. But this is still really not good!"
"Burn them. Now. Necromancy is afoot."
Korriban looks at Teodor. "That could be the best option... wait. Are any these corpses that Ruan guy?"
As Phaedra steps back and forth, examining each body in turn, Korriban examines the set of iron double doors. They do not appear to be trapped, but they are securely locked. Otherwise, they offer no further information.
Korriban sighs in relief and informs the others.
Callie thanks Phaedra profusely, and promises when they are done, she will donate whatever she can to the Pharasmans.
Korriban nods in thanks and also promises to donate something to the church as well.
She dons hers. "So Korriban, you picking the locks, or is Riceak going to use his head to bust the doors open?" She winks at the warrior.
Korriban looks at the ominous iron doors. "Every fiber of my being is telling me otherwise. But... f**k it. I'm opening it." He slips on his mask and turns to Phaedra. "Get back to safety. We don't know what we're opening here." When she gets back to safety, Korriban pulls out his masterwork thieves tools and begins to pick the lock.
Phaedra frowns. "I'd rather not burn them, thanks--both because it would involve touching them, which is a bad idea, and because there's nowhere for the smoke to go. But yes, it looks like they were trying to make the blood veil stronger." When Korriban urges her to step back, she looks puzzled but does so, backing out of the room.
Picking the lock is tricky, and takes Korriban several minutes--but after a few minutes there's a sudden click, and one of the doors groans gently open. When Korriban pulls it more fully open and holds up the light, he sees a small chamber beyond. Iron doors with slotted windows, much as one would find in a prison or asylum, line the walls of this room. Faint bloodstains fleck the straw-strewn flagstones. As the light enters the room, you can hear a faint rustle from a couple of the doors, as though someone beyond had shifted position in response to the light.
"I trust the Pharasman to know what to do with the dead."
Callie does the lighted coin trick on another copper, and again chucks it into the room.
Lantressa was disturbed at what she saw in the room beyond and she felt herself growing nauseous. "And people say my kind are monsters,: she said, "they obviously don't understand what a true monster is." As the Pharasman spoke of touching the bodies to light them on fire the tiefling harlot shook her head, "No, you don't need to light them physically, I can do that from all the way over here. A better reason is that this might be useful in finding a cure for the plague and burning it would defeat that purpose."
Korriban silently curses as he hears the rustling. He explains to the others what's in there. He also says, "There's also something shifting in there. Could be bad guys. Get ready." He watches as Callie tosses in the coin.
"That may be, too," Phaedra says with a nod to Lantressa.
After Callie tosses the coin in, there's a brief moment of stillness. Then, a feeble male voice calls from behind one of the doors: "H-hello? What is this? Is someone there?"
Korriban uses Callie's message spell to whisper to her. "What should we do?" He tries to detect how sincere this mysterious voice is or if it's a trap.
Because the slots in the doors are relatively small, it's impossible to see into the spaces behind them; the coin lights up the surrounding wall of doors, but that's all. None of you recognize the voice that speaks, though its got a clear Varisian accent.
The voice continues: "Is this some kind of trick? Or game? I warn you, you'll get no sick amusement from me, Rolth!"
A voice hisses from another cell--female, and also Varisian: "Shut up, fool! Don't annoy them!"
Callie stands in the doorway and calls in. "This is Callie Cobalt, here with Korriban, Lantressa, and Teodor Priest of Groetus, freelancers who serve on behalf of the Field Marshal Kroft of the Korvosan Guard. We have with us here Priestess Phaedra of Pharasma and her associates, here to tend the dead and treat the ill. Please state your names. If you are truly prisoners, we are here to help. If you're more Urgathoans, we'll send you to the same hell we've sent the rest of your comrades."
Korriban peers into the room. "Yeah! Like she said! So, who are you guys?"
"You're with the Guard?! Please, help us!" the first man cries. A hand reaches out through the slot in one of the doors on the right side of the room. "My name is Kostin, Kostin Vishki. I don't know anything about this weird cult--some of those Physicians came and told me they needed me to come here to examine me for symptoms, even though I felt fine, and then they clubbed me and dragged me down here! There are six--no, five, now--of us in here. That's Gianya over there, and then Shalaye, Temetem, and Sandu." His hands grip the rim of the slot as though trying to open it wider. "Please! Let us out!"
Sounds too good to be true. Teodor is wary.
Lantressa gave a huff of annoyance and said a few words, vanishing from sight, as she said, "I'll go look for trouble." She entered the room silently and looked for hidden enemies before heading towards the "cells".
When she reached the cells, still invisible, Lantressa peaked in to see who was inside as best she could. Of particular import was any sign these people had contracted the plague that was becoming such a problem.
Korriban hears Lantressa say she'll go investigate and decides to follow her.
When he reaches the cells, he whispers out, "Hey, how's it going? Don't worry. We're here to help. You said there was six of you here. Where's the sixth person?"
Callie tries to buy the others some time. "I know it's hard but be patient. We need to be sure your cells aren't trapped. That could hurt you as well as us."
She takes one step in and casts detect magic, focusing on the cells and the hand jutting out and anything she can see of the occupants.
Lantressa sneaks in first, invisible, to peer into the cells. She sees only what one might expect from the situation: a ragged-looking Varisian man or woman in five of the eight cells, usually curled in one corner so as to lean against the walls. None of them appear to have contracted blood veil.
When Korriban and Callie keep speaking to the group, Kostin Vishki stretches his hand toward Korriban. "They took Vili the day before yesterday--they must have taken him out into that horrible room where they cut us up! Please, please hurry!"
Callie doesn't detect any magic on the room, or coming from Kostin's hand.