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"There's many deep-of-night conversations as to why the undead roam a second time. My Far held to the notion that our spirits hold strong with both hands to our frames all our lives, until death. Some spirits manage to keep a finger on the ledge. All it takes is one last shove, and there's no climbing back up. Some spirits' fingers dig in deeper than others, but you chip at it long enough, it severs just the same."
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Marigold has no idea what's being said, but the conversational tone of it all amazes her.
You'd think we were just having a chat over tea or something!
Reasoning that the battle would benefit more from her helping her friends with their aim than firing bolts willynilly, she hustles up behind Maxim and taps him on the shoulder. When he turns to look she gestures at the oncoming zombies while pointing out what she thinks would be the best angle for his next shot.
__________
Juraan successfully disrupts the leading zombie.
Kikinnin's axe cuts in half the zombie while waiting for more fodder to come closer.
JJ and Ryan hold aware of the next zombie's approach.
The next zombie steps towards JJ and the young man cuts its head, making the undead to fall to the ground.
The one on flames steps around the wall, just enough for Ryan to blast it.
Then another zombie climbs over the stack of bodies in front of the party, while the other zombies start to crowd around in the back of the cavern entrance.
Keeping his station behind the bulwark that is Kikinnin, Maxim once again imbues the combustable flask with arcane essence (Arcane Strike - Swift Action) then lobs the alchemical missile into the amassed undead ;
:
:
With his artillery barrage complete, the dwur retrieves his final missile - a flask of acid from his belt
"Huh. Out o' fire... Reckon it's time fer some acid rain..."
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JJ slashes at the next rotting corpse.
"This is disgusting."
This time his arms start to tire and the blow is nothing like as powerful.
"I might need to buy myself a greatsword for situations like this in the future..." he grumbles.
With an effective bottleneck set up against the zombies, Marigold maintains her position at the back of the pack. Taking inspiration from Maxim, she reaches into her pack and pulls out her last vial of alchemist's fire and then attempts to heave it at the same zombie that Maxim has been targeting.
From the side Ryan watches Kikinnin and JJ as they continue to attack the zombies moving into the bottleneck. Trying to bring down the ones that survive the first hit.
Juraan, seeing the zombies crowded together throws an acid flask in their mids
Ryan posted soon after me, so I hope it's allowed to have us swap spaces.
Juraan had not moved in my original post.
"Juraan, swap spots with me!"
Maxim's alchemical crashes over the zombie in the middle, splashing everywhere.
JJ cuts the first zombie as it attempts to climb over the bodies.
Marigold follows Maxim's example with similar results!
Ryan's disturbing ray absorbs some of the energy of the zombie while Juraan's flask crashes against the wall.
The flask splashes the climbing zombie and everyone around, including JJ and Kikinnin.
The acid finishes the climbing zombie and the previously burning one.
The zombies start to pile and the next one tries to climb over the bodies with success.
With the last of her alchemist's fire gone, Marigold looks at Maxim and shrugs helplessly before pantomiming what she thinks would be another good firing or throwing angle.
_________
Feeling the bile rise in his stomach as burning rotted flesh splats over him, JJ does his best to hold on to his lunch.
lunch? It's not even midday!
He tries to forget the thing in front of him was once a living creature, and hacks at it, pretending it was tree.
Which were also living, but different enough, I guess.
AC = 24, PfE
HP = 48/54
Weapon Equipped = MW Dwarven Greataxe +1 Divine Bond
Condition(s) = Bless, PfE, Divine Bond
Kikinnin maintains his position, and keeps swinging. He keeps looking past the zombies, expecting something bigger, something blacker, to rise up and ready itself for their breaking through.
If he gets another to fall, he waits his blade, and swings only from his position, not trying to get in the others' way.
« ჩაშლას არ მკვდარი »
Juraan shoots another Disrupt Undead at the nearest animated zombie:
Acid flask in hand Maxim once again imbues the alchemical contents with arcane essence then lobs the acidic missile into the amassed undead ;
:
:
The gun-mage mirthlessly retrieves another acid flask from his inventory , noting he only has one other remaining;
"Hell's Teeth. Runnin' low on these... One flask left after this 'un!"
Acid flask in hand Maxim once again imbues the alchemical contents with arcane essence then lobs the acidic bomb into the dwindling ranks of the risen dead ;
:
:
Kikinnin cuts the next zombie depriving it from its needless head. The creature falls over the other zombie bodies.
Maxim baths the next zombie with acid, the alchemical splashing all over the other zombies, while Marigold provides him with extra guidance.
Juraan finishes off the zombie at the corner.
Then, when the last zombie closes by to attack, it is welcomed by JJ's sword and Kikinnin's axe, cutting the undead in four different pieces.
Marigold's bless fades off and finishes.
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JJ peers into the gloomy corpse ridden room that the zombie horde emerged from.
"Helloo... room service?" he calls out.
"Looking to sell some dead bodies. Going real cheap..."
"Really?" Marigold groans, not because of JJ's comment being in poor taste but rather from the ridiculousness of it. "Wh-who'd want a bunch of t-twice-used b-bodies? I don't think even a necrom-mancer could d-do his foul work (again) w-with b-bodies in that shape..."
________
________
"And h-hold on a s-second, let m-me p-patch up the d-damage before you g-go adding more," she adds as she produces the borrowed healing wand and tends to JJ and Kikinnin's wounds.
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Maxim flashes a grim smile and nods at the rest of the group in turn;
"Well fought friends... We all played our part in that dance, but I reckon the shindig ain't o'er yet..."
The gun-mage also produces a magical wand;
"Mage Armour... Iffen anyone is in need o' it?"
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Swapping positions with Juraan, Ryan begins a petition to Abadar but stops as the horde of zombies plays itself out against JJ and Kikinnin's steel wall. "Could have swore the were more of them..."
As the companions sort themselves out a grim chuckle escapes him as JJ flippantly ask for room service. "Beware what you wish for around here good master Surabar. It just might come calling."
"I still have one of those wands of my own, Maxim."
"But since I'm the only one who seems to need it, much."
Juraan uses his own wand of Mage Armour on himself.
And there are 14 charges left in that wand.
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As soon as it looks like everyone is healed, Kikinnin checks the glow of his weapon, then bulls forward, not interested in losing more of their magical strength before meeting up with more intense undead fellows.
"Alright, folks. Tuck your chins, and check your grips. We've got more cave ahead."
The black-beard shuffles forward, trying to make room for the others to get through the next chokepoint, before being confronted by the next denizen of these ruins.
Juraan will follow Kikinnin in and cast Detect Magic to scan the room
Kikinnin and Juraan push into the deep cavern.
This cavern has seen better days. It was probably once a fairly well-appointed room, complete with carpets, a laboratory, a small altar, and a bed, but some recent terrific explosion has scattered the furnishings of the room into piles of twisted rubble along the edges of the cave.
At the other side of the cavern, next to a destroyed desk, there is a gnoll, or better said what should had been a gnoll in the past, the one Skaven cited as Tarkilar in his diary without doubt.
Tarkilar is an intimidating sight: an undead gnoll with a suit of chainmail and a spiked chain wired directly onto his rotting flesh. He's nearly skeletal, and his dry skin is stretched tight over his bones. Clumps of his fur have torn free, leaving several bald patches in his once-thick pelt. His eyes glow with a nasty yellow light, as does his saliva. His fangs are jagged, sharp, and broken.
As you enter, you do hear a voice from the end of the room "I failed to become a vampire, and now the rest of the cult comes to me to destroy me for my failure. They will destroy me with ease as I am a loser"
The gnoll starts to shout then frantically holding his head with both hands "No, no, no! They not, they cannot destroy me! I am Tarkilar! They are the losers! I will kill them!" then you hear the voice "They will kill me" then the gnoll keeps shouting "No! I kill them!"
Before you can get out of the surprise, the gnoll says some words while pointing at Kikinnin.
"Hell's Teeth! Caught with my pistol holstered and powder dry!"
As Juraan and Kikinnin make contact with the fell Tarkilar, the gun-mage draws his pistol and loads with powder and bullet.
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AC = 24, PfE?
HP = 54/54
Weapon Equipped = +1 Dwarven Greataxe, Smite Evil
Condition(s) = PfE, Divine Bond
Kikinnin shakes his head, then looks at the floor again, expecting to see another glyph blasting up at him, trying to rob his sight, again. When nothing appears at his feet, he looks back up at the not-gnoll, and extrapolates. "Seems a fair ploy, trying to snick my sight, seeing as how you're greatly outnumbered. Finally get to meet you, Tarkilar. My name's Kikinnin, these are my friends, and we're about to have this out." The black-beard points his axe at the not-gnoll, bringing Abadar's Affront to the nature of the obviously undead creature standing not too far away.
Kikinnin charges, a low whooping sound which shakes on each stomp of the dwarf's feet.
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JJ changes back to his standard weapons for the moment, hoping there is enough flesh remaining on the horrible creature to stick them into.
The young man dashes across the room "Hold up Kikinnin, I'm here to help if you give me space."
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Round 1
Ryan moves forward as the undead schizophrenic gnoll talks to both himself and Kikinnin.
Reaching into his pouch, Ryan draws forth the stones he'd gathered earlier. With a prayer to Abadar "Guide these stones as you guide us to send this abomination back to the judgement it so richly deserves." the stones glowing softly as his prayer finishes.
cast magic stone
"This takes the biscuit! A loopy undead gnoll!" Juraan thinks.
"I'm also glad I'm on Kikinnin's side, seeing that hit!"
« צעשטערן ניט-טויט »
Juraan then shoots a Disrupt Undead bolt at Tarkilar:
"ದೇವರು ನನ್ನ ಓಹ್...ಇದು ಭೀಕರ ಇಲ್ಲಿದೆ..." Marigold breathes as she moves up and finally gets a proper look at Tarkilar. With Kikinnin and the others seeming to have things well in-hand for the moment, she hangs back and once more asks for Sarenrae's blessing on herself and her friends.
"Oh my god...it's hideous..."
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Abadar's divine protection takes the curse far from Kikinnin's eyes while he charges in. When he is close to swing his axe on Tarkilar, the undead quickly moves his arms, making the chains attached to spin and whirl around over the approaching dwarf. It seems the chains at the end of the arms have some extra unexpected reach!
The chains open a deep gash on the surprised dwarf chest, but the inertia of his charge helps him end with a terrible clash that opens the ungnoll's chest up down!
Observing the new foe, Maxim readies his pistol.
JJ darts into the cavern, observing the chains attack, he holds a bit his movement, just to make sure he is out of a quick reach attack on his approach.
Ryan moves inside too, calling for Abadar's blessings on a group of small stones.
Juraan attempts a ray shot, but the presence of Tarkilar makes his aim to fail this time.
Marigold is the last one to follow, calling to Serenrae for a blessing that quickly embraces the group as a whole.
"They got me! This is your end Tarkilar!" you do hear a happy voice from the back of the cavern "They are going to steal my treasure, if I was just not that stupid to fail my ritual to become a vampire I would be able to escape now. Oh! I Tarkilar I am so stupid, and dumb! Such a loser commander!"
Tarkilar steps back, placing his hands on his ears "No! Get out of my head!"
And observing the group's approach he points to JJ and says some divine words "You! You will be the first one then!".
You do understand the undead Tarkilar became is a huecuva. This is what happens to evil clerics when they become undead. Huecuva's retain most of their divine clerical powers and add DR 10/silver and undead traits defences. Their bad save is Reflex.
The chains seem a strange particularity of Tarkilar.
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AC = 24, PfE
HP = 39/54
Weapon Equipped = +1 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = Bless, PfE, Divine Bond
Why'd you go and announce yourself like that? Sure, it talks, but it's the Undead. You don't enter conversation with the damned thing, you end it. Kikinnin grunts to himself, before mumbling something, to someone, somewhere. "Seemed like the honorable thing to do, seeing how it seems to still have its mind."
The black-beard bellows as the spiked chain is pulled back and out of his side. He leans into the wall to steady himself, creeping closer to the not-gnoll, wary of a second swing of the chain. He pays little attention to the happy voice, as it has no place in the current scuffle. The axe seeks out the force animating the abomination, and finds it a second time in as many swings.
"Well done, old man. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes..."
You can trust that as long as Abadar grants me my visits, you'll see plenty of sparks from stone, if I had it my way. Now focus, and stop wagging your tongue.
"Uh, JJ. I tried to make room. You give it a whack."
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With a second mighty swing Kikinnin finishes Tarkilar disjointing his chained arm from the base body!
+1 spiked chain (wired directly to his arms-removal takes 10 minutes and Tarkilar cannot be disarmed)
+ 1 breastplate (wired directly to his flesh and bones-removing it takes 1 hour of work)
wand of inflict moderate wounds (35 charges)
garnet-studded gold holy symbol of Norgorber (425 gp)
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Kikinnin turns back to Tarkilar, having welcomed the boy into the fight, slowly realizing that the not-gnoll wasn't moving. His eyebrows raise in brief approval, before he sneaks a foot under the body, around its shoulder, and nudges it. "Look there, JJ. It's still twitching. Make sure it's dead, would you?"
The body's actually quite dead. The dwarf has his foot underneath the corpse, and is trying to make it look as if Tarkilar still stirs. Doesn't want the boy to be disappointed his blade didn't get wet.
"Well done! Now all we have to do is find the last wand or two and we're out of here!"
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JJ stands very still, unable to move as the body seems to grab hold of Kikinnin's feet.
He struggles mightily to throw off the magical bonds. "Look out Kikinnin, he's going for your foot!"
JJ slashes the dead leg off.
"Nice work with the axe." he complements the dwarf before starting work looking around the area.
"Anyone see the wands?"
A second prayer on his lips dies as the undead gnol becomes truely dead, with a shot laugh Ryan addresses Kikinnin. "Well placed Kikinnin, I believe you might have need of this, Handing over a CMW potion "and I'll just have to find something else to throw these at. Marigold might you stI'll have your sling handy, these would work well I think."
"Oh...th-that was f-fast..." Marigold gapes as Tarkilar is laid out on the ground lightning-fast by Kikinnin...and finished off by JJ. "Um, n-nice work...b-both of you..." she adds, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly. "W-well! Let's s-see wh-what sort of c-creature Tarkilar r-really was," she adds, quickly kneeling down to take a better look at the corpse and to hide the smile creeping across her face.
Heh...always knew Kikinnin was a good sport.
"N-no...I c-can't figure out wh-what he was t-trying to turn himself into," she sighs after a few moments. "B-but whatever it w-was, it c-couldn't have b-been good."
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"I was right!" says JJ, his voice triumphant.
"He was trying to turn himself into a vampire. He said so himself. Why would anyone want to be a vampire though.? Maybe unless you were a mosquito. They suck blood anyway. I wonder if he had made a deal with that other vampire we met."
The youth shudders.
"There is something rotten in town when vampires, or wana-be vampires keep turning up."
Suddenly tired JJ sits down as the events of the day come tumbling back past him. The traps. Triel. The undead, and yet more undead. And then once again Triel, her lovely form dead at his feet.
A tear runs down his face, perhaps an odd effect in a room with an undead gnoll who had been a priest of a foul and evil god. With the tension of the moment gone, the rest of them come quickly and he just sits on the ground and sobs.
Kikinnin accepts the priest's potion, uncorking it with the same gloved hand as he uses to down it. "Much obliged, Ryan."
He turns to watch Marigold begin the search of the not-gnoll's body, hoping she quickly turns up the remaining wands. He takes a moment to look about the room, his axe still glowing amber. You smell anything more? Don't have much time left today. Can feel myself gettin' dimmer.
Kikinnin looks about, almost with a look of hope, should there still be work afoot. When it doesn't seem as likely, the black-beard shakes his head, and his axe's light fades away. He pats the flat of the axe, the look of hope behind his eyes slipping into a moment's sadness.
He breathes deeply, then sits down next to JJ. He places his axe on the floor, to the side, before placing a large, gloved hand on the boy's shoulder, leaving it there for as long as it's welcome.
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"Why us Kikinnin? All I wanted to do when I was little was grow up and be a Surabar. I've found magic...albeit not the sort I was looking for. But... it hasn't made the world a better place. This lot, here, sitting right underneath Cauldron!"
He looks up.
"The vampire was under as well. And that gnomish city and the creatures that had taken your Machalite fortress. This whole mountain is riddled with evil creatures. What can we do against them? Three orphans, a priest and a rat catcher?" His eyes land on Maxim for a moment.
"Well, a dwarf mage. I guess Maxim counts as hero material. I just want to go lie down and have a bath..."
His words break up again when he says the word "bath".
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Juraan will help Marigold search what's left of Tarkilar for wands or anything else of value.
"Life is full of surprises, JJ. Some horrid, as we all now know."
"On the other hand, things would be worse if we hadn't done our bit."
"There's consolation and satisfaction in that."
"Even better than hilarious childhood pranks like turning someone's hair bright green for several days."
At which point Juraan starts whistling and humming in unconvincing mock innocence.
"I wonder if he ever did figure out I did that all those years ago?"
"Anyway, hope a bit of a giggle will get his mind off Triel … "
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"I don't know JJ, I'd say we're doing pretty well going by your list of evil things there, and the world has to be a better place for not having their corruption in it now.
There will always be evil in the world, your magic allows you to combat it and protect those you love and those unable to do so themselves.
Take your time..."
Ryan joins MG with her inspection of the creature.
Explaining what Tarlilar was.
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For a moment, Marigold isn't sure what to say or how to react. It'd always been JJ comforting her when they were little and even as recently as a few weeks ago when she had still trembled in fear every time weapons had to be drawn.
"It's...it's us b-because we've been willing do s-something about all this m-mess in Cauldron," she replies quietly once JJ's tears began to subside somewhat. "And we've c-come farther than anyone would've dreamed...than those St-Stormblades would've dreamed. We've not b-been able to save everyone..." she sighs, thinking of the Lucky Monkey, "...b-but we've s-saved a lot of p-people! Like our b-brothers and sisters at the orphanage. We've m-made a difference to them...even if no one else g-gave a rat's arse about us, I know they d-do."
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Maxim nods in appreciation of the righteous deeds wrought as he holsters his pistol;
"By the Gods! Good work. Quick work. The best damned work..."
When JJ calls him a potential hero, the dwur flashes a sympathetic smile but waves off the suggestion;
"Not me Surabar. I ain't no hero... might be all dressed in finery an' such, but my hands ain't clean, so don't paint me as a hero..."
As more words are spoken Maxim tips the nod toward JJ, then the others;
"Lad. The mountains high, the caverns deep, hell even the damned weather is opposing us... but we endure and we continue to o'ercome. That makes us all damned heroes in my book..."