Noticing that Merelda is not following behind her Innis stops at the stairs. "She not coming! Nicais you must slay it, can you slay it with a potion!" She looks back frantically on the edge of hysteria.
Merelda races into the secret room and as she does she glimpses the surprised look on Him's burn-scarred face. His body no longer able to withstand the heat from the fire with one last effort he tries to run to the others but his strength gives out and he collapses to the ground his body still burning.
As Him crashes to the ground the creature heads into the secret room looking for its next victim. Seeing the inquisitor he easily rakes her body.
Screaming with pain and rage Merelda will back 5 feet into the room further to try and finish her gambit!
"Come on firey-FOOL! Try and get me!"
Stepping back deeper into the small room you quickly put out the fire before it can do anymore damage to you. The creature looms in ready to add another to it list of victims. The creature slashes you against your leg as you try to move out of the way.
"By the grace of the Triple Sting!"
Merelda eyes the creature she can feel death is imminent but is unwilling to die and she rushes forward to try to get past the creature. Spirited forward by her devotion she screams calling upon Calistria even as the creature moves to blocks the doorway.
The heat is intense and she feels herself slipping away as she charges right into the waiting creature. The creature raises its arm and swipes at Merelda but the elf uncannily twists her lithe form and tumbles under the incoming death only to bowl right into the undead creature, but instead of stopping she passes right through it. Merelda feels true pain at this moment almost as if her body was being ripped apart from within. Her body aflame she hits the floor with such impact that the floor beneath comes apart and she falls to the floor below with a crash and blacks out.
Merelda blinks and experiences an odd feeling as if this had just happened. She eyes the creature and now trapped in the room she can feel death is imminent. Unwilling to die and she rushes forward to try to get past the creature. Spirited forward by her devotion she screams calling upon Calistria even as the creature moves to blocks the doorway.
The heat is intense and she feels herself slipping away as she charges right into the waiting creature. The creature raises its arm and swipes at Merelda but the elf uncannily twists her lithe form and tumbles under the incoming death and just as she is about to fall into certain death of she instinctively calls upon one last trick and vanishes in one dark flash only to appear right behind the burning undead creature. Not waiting to see the creature's reaction she instinctively slams brick and begins to close the door to the secret room. Turning to race away from the room and the creature she watches as a flaming arm already begins to phase through the wall.
With the door closed and the creature already emerging through it Merelda moves to race towards the stairs. She cannot help but look at the burning corpse of her fallen ally, Him, and think just how close she was to joining him there. Making it to the stairs the others are waiting as she collapses at the top of the stairs no longer able to push her body beyond all that has happened today.
Lililinda is quick to douse the flames and the others drag her down the stairs. As you do so you watch and see the creature staring at you from the top of the stairs. It pauses there for a moment and then returns you assume back to its room.
Merelda lies there, scorched and unconscious with the pallor of death on her, her breathing ragged.
"Wha...whA..FIRE! Goddess! Nooo! Him...is he?"
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"I saw him, but ...I think he was dead. There was another undead there. It was the one making the crying sounds."
Nicias pauses a moment, his face clouding over with emotion, then he shakes his head,
"He must be dead. That undead...thing wouldn't have let him live. I'm just sorry I didn't get his body."
Lililinda stands at the bottom of the stairs, motionless except for her hands, which shake slightly. Her once-glorious gown is turn and scorched, stained with soot. She seems to be staring blankly at something very far away.
You quickly turn attention as you hear the creaking of some floor boards. Standing at the doorway from the kitchen you see two of the four children who you offered to help standing there. "Diid you find Nat? Was he up there? We heard a lot of noises. Was it him?"
Innis address' the children. "No your Nat is not in here. He must have escaped through a window or some such; spooked as we were looking for him. Doubtless he waiting for you at your 'usual place' or lost in the city after he was given a fright. Now excuse us as we must make our own way, I suggest you lot scatter as well this is not a safe place."
Hearing Innis and seeing the conflict on Kirzon's face, Merelda will grab his hand with a single tear running down her soot-streaked face and whisper to him as he kneels over her.
"Greater good old man. Greater good."
You recall there are some temples by the Castle Grayguard area that you could visit.
Trusting in the Old Dwarf's knowledge of the city Innis will motion for him to lead the way.
Merelda will stumble to her feet, put away her Rapier finally, and with a walk somewhere between a zombie and an one-legged fisherman, begins to follow the group as best she can. Heavy sweat and an almost continual coughing fit will accompany her the entire way.
Lililinda follows along sullenly, her arms wrapped around herself, eyes scanning up and down the streets. "We ought to have gone to a temple in the first place, when we found out about cultists spreading disease, instead of haring off on our own. Maybe... maybe then we'd all still be..." she trails off, voice cracking.
With the crisis over the state of Innis' body catches up with her; muscle aches and an unpleasant metallic taste in her mouth, no doubt the effects of the disease making it's presence known.
She retrieves her harp and her fingers gently glide over the familiar strings. She kisses it before she begins to play in earnest to soothe her frayed nerves as the group searches for sanctuary.
She looks at the broken-man and the nearly broken Merelda and wonders what inspires such foolish heroism as she plays. Her skill and lucky intuition brings to life a quiet impromptu melody.
Your walk is a somber one as you carry Him's unconscious body towards Castle Grayguard. His breath is shallow and his body looks burnt beyond recognition. Every few feet you hear him moan in pain. You can only look on with great worry that he might not make it.
Passing over sunken streets of wet mud, rotting vegetation,
and murky pools of water you notice that while it is well past mid morning the streets seem sparse and what few people you do see are quick to hurry to wherever their destination is. None even seem to give you more than a cursory glance.
Kirzon remarks that something is definitely wrong as this district is home to many of the city's craftsmen, dock workers, and lower class citizens and many more people should be about.
You have traveled about two thirds of the way through the Admiral's Fen when you watch as a man steps out of one the many alleys that line this district. He is dressed in simple garb – commoner pants, a leather vest and a beat up short-brimmed sailor's hat. The man is short and pudgy in stature and is followed by two other men. Each of the men are dressed in similar garb but neither wear a hat. Right away you can tell this is not going to go well. You see the two men are armed with a pair of hand axes while the shorter fellow has a sheathed sword at his belt.
The short man steps forward and mockingly bows in your direction. "Morning to youse. A fine day fer a stroll wouldn't ya say? What brings such a colourful group of visitors down the Row?"
Sensing the in hospitable attitude of these men Innis will cast charm person on the spokesman in hopes of disarming any potential hostility. She takes a look around to see if there is anyone else who is part of the gang that might be lurking nearby.
Innis you quickly scan the area and see no one else around. Doing your best to use the others as cover you start to start cast your spell when a you hear SCHHWAFF SCHHWAFF and you watch as two quarrels hit muddied streets. Looking up as you continue to cast your spell you see another two of these thugs looking out the window loading another bolt. Uttering the last syllable of your spell you catch the leader of these thugs unaware and he turns and smiles at you opening his arms as a friend.
While he does this the other two thugs behind him look unsure what to do at their leader's surprising reaction.
"You've a poor sense of humor to greet pleasant company in such a manner." She chastises him jokingly as if the armed men and loosed crossbows were nothing but a silly joke.
Innis approaches fearlessly and embraces the charmed man. "Be a dear and call of your men there are much more entertaining ways to get the blood up" she purrs.