Harakhty looks over the vial, it does register as evil, but not good, lawful or chaotic. He recalls the last time he saw something like this. It was when he and the others bartered for passage back to the land of the living after falling to Ixen's minions. This is a fragment of a soul, a particularly evil one.
"Ugh...I take that back. Super gross."
Arista makes a face as they talk about the degree to which things can be gross.
"Let's just find whatever it is that's doing it then, and kill it so we can get outta here. I think we should burn it out, or something. Maybe even block off the entrance once we get back outside. Flesh eating nasty's are just...icky."
Cyna rounds the corner beyond the door. It leads into another large chamber, this one also containing niches. Within, the skeletal remains are wearing ancient armor. The ceiling is low, merely inches away from Arista's head, and the musty smell still wafts from the hallway at the end of the room.
"There are things that live from eating poo, this is nothing compared to that stank." Cyna remarks dryly.
"I don't know if starting a fire is such a good idea. Doing any damage to these catacombs could cause them to collapse. So let's see what we're dealing with before we decide on what to do."
Arista nods her head at Cyna.
"Gotcha, no fire."
Elena pulls back from Drago. "You can't let your emotions master you. You have been through a lot, Drago. If it helps to think of me to calm you, then do so."
Not wanting to be in anyone's way, Arista steps to the right of Cyna.
Cyna slowly skirts around the room, putting as much distance between her and the remains as possable.
Drago wasn't sure where Elena was going with this. "Is that what the darkness in my vision was? Uncontrolled emotion?"
"So it seems," Elena answers. "I think it represents how you perceive yourself. You don't see the goodness in you, but think of yourself as cursed."
Ylrhea moves forward and takes a look at the room.
Cyna notices that several of the bones look too neatly arranged at the end of this room.
Harakhty hands the vial back to Corda, stepping away from it. "It is a piece of one's spirit - a vile one." The vanara shudders a touch, the thought unnerving. "Its wickedness must have been potent for me to discern its nature. What is it doing here?"
Arista steps behind Cyna and places a hand on her shoulder.
"May Sarenrae protect you from the evil in this place."
"Keep an eye on that pile there." Cyna points out with a whisper as she makes her way further into the room.
"More magical b%%%#~$%", Skaar growls. "What did he want you to do with it?"
Corda appeared to shrink as she looked into his eyes, "He wanted me to give it to you."
Arista having recognized the armor and finally remembering where it came from, visibly shudders.
Pointing at the armor Arista tells the others, "That is armor that was worn by the soldiers of the mad wizard known as Arroken. I would be very cautious."
"Born to a heartless undead b&@!~, with a thirst for the blood of Elves and Humans, and the fact that dead family members seem to invade my mind at will? What else would you call it?" Drago replied.
As soon as Cyna steps further, four skeletons roll out of the niches. Their eyes blaze blue, quite unusual to Cyna.
Initiative:
The skeletons quickly close in, attacking with their scimitars.
Round 1: Skeletons, Arista, Ylrhea, Sienna, Cyna
Curious. "It should be no harm on its own - but the person giving it to you could be another story." His tail twitches a moment, then Harakhty extrapolated. "In a place where necromancers are plenty, dark souls would make me uneasy."
Arista raises her readied weapon and attacks the Skeleton in front of her.
Skaar hesitates a bit but takes it from Harakhty. "He just wanted you to give it to me? What's his game?"
The big orc holds the vial gingerly, as if he were holding some kind of live explosive. "Nicatha, what do your spirits know about this thing?"
"I will need more time to mediate on the matter, but my assumption is that it is a tool for corruption or perhaps possession."
Cyna takes a step back quickly grabing her mace and swinging at the warrior near Ylrhea.
"Don't use your blade, smash them." Cyna calls out to Arista.
At the mention of possession Skaar becomes even more leery of the vial. "Uh, go ahead and mediate."
"Sorry..but this is all I got. No worries." Arista keeps her eyes on the one in front of her, while watching the others as well.
Arista lands a glancing blow on the skeleton, notching its rib slightly.
It takes a retributive attack against the aasimar.
;
Arista laughs at the skeleton.
"I think you might have been more formidable in life friend."
Ylrhea swings at the skeleton who attacked her with her light mace.
;
The skeleton counters with its own attack.
;
Sienna takes a step back and casts mage armor on herself.
Cyna smashes the skeleton with a resounding blow.
MS3 hp: 10
The skeletons attack again, the furthest rushing at Arista.
; ;
Round 2: Skeletons, Arista, Ylrhea, Sienna, Cyna
Ylrhea swings again. "Ugh, they're cramping us and they stink."
;
Sienna raises her hand and fires off three bolts of force at the skeleton attacking Cyna. "Hey! Get off the captain!"
"I'm gonna have to get another bath before I can even pick any flowers for tonight."
Reaching out a hand, Arista touches Ylrhea's arm.
"May the light of Sarenrae surround you and keep you safe."
The skeletons swing at Arista as she casts.
The skeleton in front of the gnome counterattacks.
;
MS3 hp: 10
Sienna spell batters the skeleton that struck Cyna, who attacks with her mace.
;
The tiefling destroys the weakened one, as the others attack.
;
Round 3: Skeletons, Arista, Ylrhea, Sienna, Cyna