"I'm glad you're getting out and meeting new people," Zaine says.
"In the most unlikely of places," Faith admits.
MUMMY ROT
mummy -30
w1 destroyed
w2
w3
w4
g1 -28
g2 -32
g3 -13
g4
g5
g6
g7
g8
You can't really pay attention to any part of the battle but that before you, but you do hear things. The shot of a pistol (not Zaine's), a resounding cheer from a group of Pathfinders whose battle song lightens your heart even from the length of the campsite, the dizzying blast of light around the old cleric as the undead get close to the pirates he stands behind.
Zaine blasts a nearby ghoul and with a muttered command, reloads the gun. The stench that rolls out from the damaged undead proves that the ghouls are actually ghasts. And resilient undead, as the once-charau-ka snaps it's teeth.
Tulip surges forward, her jaws closing over a ghoul. The muffled squawk is indignant enough to indicate that she doesn't enjoy the taste. The once-human ghast's reek rolls out from her mouth, likely making the inedible morsel very tempting to spit out.
"Not food, girl," Zaine says to Tulip.
From her elevated perch Áine snipes away at the sword-wielding wights. While one of her arrows misses its mark, the three she lodges in one brings it to the ground to be trampled by the rest of the horde.
Faith pulls out his new dagger and introduces her to the most dangerous-looking undead. "Her name is Cherish," he says, "and I do."
The hound head gives Faith a look which seems to say less talk and more action, and the humanoid body attacks the same undead. Faith's new blade cuts through the cloth-wrapped undead to the dessicated body beneath. The Hound's weapon does not fair as well.
Back from the press of the fray, you hear a familiar chant, but her spellcasting repretorie is depleated from the foray into the military zone.
Sasha dives into the melee of ghasts, both of her swords soon marred by blood and putricence.
The mummy's slam is barely deflected by the magic Faith imbued in his armor.
The wights' sword attacks against Faith, Sasha, and Zaine are all thwarted by armor.
The ghasts mob Tulip, her armor standing up well to the multitude of attacks. Except from the ghast in her jaws. () Even Zaine's quick reflexes in the saddle can't protect her from that vicious blow.
"I knew a Cherish one time. Nice girl. Good... uh... dancer," Zaine says.
SAVES FOR ZAINE
Will
8 Fort
SAVES FOR TULIP
Will
Ride check from Zaine
8 Fort
Zaine is momentarily paralyzed with fear.
Tulip squawks in obvious displeasure, and shakes the ghast in her jaws.
Final save
Áine targets the mummy or whichever undead is with 30' of her.
"We'll see how mine dances," Faith says.
Faith and the Hound look at each other and gag as the putrescent stench of evil fills their nostrils.
Faith and Cherish dance with the undead.
The Archon swings twice with his sword, then snaps irritably at the undead with his mighty jaws.
MUMMY ROT
mummy -30, -43
w1 destroyed
w2 -18, 32
w3
w4 -5
g1 -28
g2 DESTROYED -32, 59
g3 -13
g4
g5
g6 -5
g7 -10
g8 -5
Áine takes a quick snapping shot at the wight that moved up and attacked Faith.
You hear an impossible roar, donosaur rage but rattling, a broken echo of Tulip's. The silence of sickness held in allows for the distinctive tear of flesh that is the feeding of the undead.
Zaine is momentarily paralyzed with fear.
Tulip squawks in obvious displeasure, and shakes the ghast in her jaws. The undead creatures break and crack until it moves no more.
Only a single one of Áine's arrows hits the mummy.
Faith and the Hound look at each other and gag as the putrescent stench of evil fills their nostrils.
Faith and Cherish dance with the undead. But sickened as they are the mummy's dried leathery skin protects it.
At the back of the group an androgynous figure appears - slender with a elven cast to their ears, the wind blows around it obfuscating it from view. They gesture with their hands and a scouring blast of wind slams through three ghasts and a wight. Only one of the ghasts is truely scoured by the wind fully.
Sasha's blades flash as she moves to put herself between the paralyzed Zaine and the uundead.
This time the mummy's slam manages to beat back Faith's armor both mundane and magical.
The wights are unsuccessful in attacking Faith and Sasha, except that Sasha thurst herself between the sword wielding monster and Zaine.
As Tulip worriedly checks on her still rider, the ghast's attacks scour only her armor.
Zaine fires at the mummy, but apparently he's more rattled than he appeared because the shot goes wide.
Tulip chomps one of the ghasts tormenting her.
grapple
"This suckers hard to hit. Burn it if you can. Take out its head or decrease its mobility if you can't." Áine suggests, pointing at the mummy from her vantage point hovering just above and behind Faith.
Áine fires a single arrow, glowing bluish white to devastating effect. A good sized chunk of mummy neck and shoulder turn to blackened ash.
Faith shrugs. "Hit it hard enough and often enough, it dies again." The Hound Archon may be physically incapable of rolling its eyes, but it is clearly trying.
Faith and the Hound Archon both swing on the mummy, the Archon following up with mighty snap.
MUMMY ROT
mummy -30, -43, -71
w1 destroyed
w2 destroyed -18, 32, 50, -61
w3
w4 -5, -23
g1 destroyed -28
g2 DESTROYED -32, 59
g3 -13
g4
g5
g6 -5, -14
g7 -10, -19
g8 -5, -14
The sounds of the rest of the battle fade, not because it fierce battle has slowed, but just the immediacy of the fight within your own quadrant has taken precedence.
Zaine shakes off the fear, clearly frustrated by his momentary lapse. "You're paying for that," he growls at the mummy.
Zaine fires at the mummy, but apparently he's more rattled than he appeared the shot almost goes wide.
Tulip chomps one of the ghasts tormenting her, killing the one previously injured by Zaine's bullets.
Only a single one of Áine's arrows hits the mummy.
Faith and the Hound Archon both swing on the mummy, the Archon following up with mighty snap. But even with the two holy warriors flanked the undead, neither lands a blow.
The windswept creature summoned by Pakshee's magic, moves to a better angle on the fight, walking on air as easily as the ground. This time they summon lighting which tears through most of the enemy combatants. The electricity proves a better weapon than the blast of violent wind.
Sasha's turns her blades on the wight that drained her, finishing it off after the electrical blast.
Again the mummy manages to slam Faith the blow jarring.
With one of their number falling the wights redouble their efforts, both managing to land a single blow on Sasha and Zaine.
One of the ghouls manages to get a lucky bite in past Tulip's armor.
Zaine takes a deep breath, taking careful aim at the mummy.
confirm crit
Without Master (if necessary) to reroll the confirmation.
Tulip squawks and chomps yet another ghast.
grapple
Ride roll in lieu of Tulip's save.
Áine continues to attack the mummy. (unless it looks like any of the others have been affected by the paralyzing touch, in which case she targets the undead around them).
Áine arrows swarm the mummy like a barrage of angry Hornets. Unfortunately, each one in turn bounces off harmlessly, unable to penetrate its thick mundane and magical protections.
Kassate take Áine's hand, but doesn't actually put any weight on it as she jumps down. A pause, and a wry smirk, "You won't hear this from me often at all, but you can have the lead."
Áine's eyes sparkle an iridescent blue, almost glowing in the dark of the room. "Don't you think stalking through the jungle, should normally be left more to the scouts then the Captain?" she jabs playfully.
Faith squints at the mummy. "Let's try this again," he says.
Faith and the Hound Archon attempt to time their blows better against the mummy.
"A reminder that we are not all terrible beings, cursed at birth with sin," Faith shudders. "That one was never for me."
His smile slowly fades, and he says, "We did have to kill a large monster in the lake because it was too dangerous to let live."
"That was necessary, but it saddened me."
Faith shakes his head. "There is so much random power lying about this place, it's a wonder that it has only attracted most of the opportunistic evil creatures. We have been lucky, and I for one am uncertain...."
Faith licks his finger and sticks it into the air. "Our luck will hold," he concludes the sentence.
g1 destroyed -28
g2 DESTROYED -32, 59
g3 -13, -16
g4
g5 -11
g6 -5, -14, -27
g7 DESTROYED -10, -19, -44
g8 -5, -14, -27
A roar from the far side of camp, maybe a cheer.
Zaine takes a deep breath, taking careful aim at the mummy. The bullet slams into the dried body, there is a poomf. There is a puff of powdery something from the hole and the undead falls onto the ground.
Tulip squawks and chomps yet another ghast. Already blasted by the bralani's electricty, Tulip spits it out after it stops moving.
With the mummy destroyed, Áine's arrows swarm into the wights like a barrage of angry Hornets. One of the wights falls, destroyed, and the final one has an arrow sticking out.
Faith squints at the mummy, down on the ground. "Let's try this again," he says, indicating the final wight. Faith and the Hound Archon attempt to time their blows better against the wight. The pair, working together, utterly destroys the final wight.
Another blast of electrity from the outsider, the energy engulfing three of the remaining ghasts.
Sasha's goes back to hacking at the ghats around Tulip.
After again being unable to get to the large meal represented by dinosaur's bulk, they turn hungry glares onto Sasha, Zaine and Faith to a lesser degree.
Áine's arrows begin tearing through the remaining undead.
"Well sorted," Faith says, turning toward the ghasts.
Faith and the Hound Archon continue to work on their Synchronized Beatings routine, with mixed success.
Tulip drops her prey and grabs another ghast.
grapple
The battle all around you in the night rises in cacophony, the fires flaring up to balance the advantage of the dead. A shatter of bones, a pained scream.
Zaine turns his attention on the ghasts, firing at one of the undead. He destroys one that has been made extra crispy by lightning.
Tulip drops her prey and grabs another ghast. This one squishes with a nauseating bile that breaks free when Tulip rends into flesh. She drops him, destroyed.
Áine's arrows begin tearing through the remaining undead. Two more of the ghasts fall to the onslaught.
Faith and the Hound Archon continue to work on their Synchronized Beatings routine, with mixed success, but enough to destroy the final ghast.
Looking around the camp you see dead and injured. The few remaining undead are being surrounded and destroyed. Most of the still bodies had started this night as undead, but there are a few dead from amid the living.
Sasha slumps against Tulip in the lull, her sun touched white skin pallid, her breathing heavier than fighting would normally account for. The outsider summoned by Pakshee moves avid the injured, laying a healing hand on each. [Ooc]If you are injured you heal 3d8+7 [/dice]
Across the stained courtyard, you see Kassata and Aerys move from fighting back to back to help dispatch the final undead. Jask, his old skin still lit from the energy he channeled for most of the flight, moves amid the injured, he uses mundane means to patch most, reserving the few healing spells for those more greviously injured. Glaur moves from undead to undead, making sure they will stay down, getting the living to help.
Zaine accepts a heal for
Zaine is similarly drained, slumping a bit in the saddle as he reloads the musket.
Áine surveys the injured, directing or helping anyone in immediate need up to the healers. She drops off her emergency potion satchel with Faith, Jask and Kassata. "It has 3 Cure Lights, 4 Lesser Restoration and 1 Remove Disease left for whomever you think needs it most." she pauses, "I'm going to look around and see if I can find out a little more about what was behind those things attacking us. I'll be back." she says as she fades into the night.
Faith assist and the Hound Archon assist Glaur in finishing off the undread, until the Archon vanishes as silently as he appeared.
Faith then accepts healing .
He looks a bit pallid himself.
He takes a moment to survey the wounded.
He shakes his head slowly. "Are we up for a while? I think I will pray for a bit."
He shakes his head slowly. "Are we up for a while? I think I will pray for a bit."
"Oh, I'm much too keyed up to sleep," Zaine says with false bravado. "Hey, Pepper, is there something we could roast over the fire while we wait?"
Kassata eventually makes her way over to the undead bodies on your side of the battle. Her white sailors shirt is missing a sleeve, the left side dark with blood. She lets loose a low whistle while examining the remains, she carefully moves the pile of bandages with the toe of her boot. "Damn glad this thing didn't get closer to the center of the camp, we could have been overrun with the ice in your blood stillness it inflicts."
On the far side, pirates being to burn undead bodies.
"Do you think they were just let loose or set on us in particular?" Glaur asks when he gets closer, his face a mask of blood from a gash on his scalp.
"I hope Áine will be able to find answers to those questions," Faith says. "How many diseased do we think we have? I may not be good for much magic tomorrow, but I can probably cure a few."
"I hope Áine will be able to find answers to those questions," Faith says. "How many diseased do we think we have? I may not be good for much magic tomorrow, but I can probably cure a few."
"A day of maintenance, healing, and recon isn't a bad idea," Zaine says. "We've been going at a breakneck pace."
There is a noticeably heavy guard that night, in addition to those bitten by ghouls or wights being cared for by Jask and orderlies. Armed orderlies. The dead are burned, the bodies of the few of your own allies burned separately from the undead.
The remainder of the night passes without much in the way of interruption, a single warning call that is abruptly turned to an 'all clear' when the young pirate was found to be jumping at shadows. The tense wariness carries into the next day, but doesn't stop the Pathfinders from their exploration, nor their pirate guards. Leaving you alone at the strange tower with just a minimum guard at the perimeter.
In addition to those that died the previous night, there is one missing. A younger Pathfinder named Chev.
Aerys counts off on her fingers, "The thing with the abattoir on the island," a pause, "which is still at large, right?"
A second finger, "The colony of vegepygmies, which seem... tribal but not absolutely hostile."
Third finger, "The black-haired woman in the overgrown manor."
A shrug, "Not a horrible list of what might still prove dangerous."
A huff of air, "Not sure if the woman or the monster would be more of a test of faith."
Zaine's going to ask around and find out where young Chev was when he went missing.
Faith keeps an eye on those who are injured or ... mysteriously ill.
Faith looks startled at the last comment and turns a high-contrast shade of red. "The woman with the garden?"
Faith starts to say something, and pauses. Thinks for a minute. "I do intend on going back, primarily to see if there is a real curse that can be broken."
His color starts to go back to normal. "Not a crisis of faith," he says. "Unless I misunderstood you."
He pauses again. "Which is entirely possible."
He shrugs. "Never a dull day when exploring an ancient mythic city. Although if there was, I would enjoy it as well."
"Yes," the Captain parries deftly, "Ideally scouts and magically observation, so that when they all die you know what you need to bring with you to get the loot."
Áine smirks, "So do you think someone will be watching us then?" The smirk turns into a grin. "Do you need anything before we go?"
Áine will aid in the missing Pathfinder investigation.
Áine was gone for the remainder of the undead attack night (as it will be recorded in the annals of the camp, as kept by Aerys). As she slipped slightly out into the dark, by herself, there was a bit of concern that she had disappeared during the attack. Then, when that was disputed by someone who had clearly seen her after the combat, that her solo exploration had proved hazardous and she met a foul end at the pointy end of whatever force commanded the undead to attack.
Instead, just a slip past dawn, Áine returns to camp. The undead horde came from the south, well into or perhaps past the human encampment which had been aerially scouted by Zephyr. While the lithe archer hadn't actually followed the trail to the source, she did backtrack the undead to where they emerged from the water - and where they proceeded to split into three groups. The largest group converged on your tower camp, the other two headed past and towards other targets. Likely, from other scouting done, the encampments of the Red Mantis Assassins and the Aspis Consortium, respectively.
About a third of the Pathfinders and a sixth of the Pirates are showing early signs of infection. The limited magical healing to purge disease is focused on the worst cases, the less affected being treated with mundane means and lower level magics to keep them healthy enough until they get a chance to be healed.
Many go to great pains to be as not-undead like as possible when observed by the warpriest.
Although Chev's absence was noted in the aftermath of the battle, none of the trackers can find signs of where he may have been dragged or carried from the camp. Which leads to a concerned, then upset, then pissed Glaur talking to each one of his subordinates. It is only in the wee hours of the morning that Glaur comes to the conclusion that Chev was missing well before the undead attack night, instead his absence having not been recorded by the team leader the day before when they left the island to return to camp.
Beyond the above, the day passes without note or trouble.
A smirk, "I hope you are a better scout than that."
"Going after the red-headed snake b$!+~ who may be the one pulling the strings behind the scenes here is probably the best option for us. And probably the quicker, the better." Âine pauses, "Unless you want to try to track down Chev first. You said he disappeared on the island right? Might be the reverse thumbed godling that got away resurfacing again." her expression hardens and she glances toward the garden manor as if to say or even the one one who never leaves her house... though less likely.
Kassata's hands do a quick check at her waist and vest, lingering momentarily over her sword, the butt of the pistol, the pouches of ammo, and she shakes her head. "Not unless you plan on getting us lost and I need rations and rum."
A smirk, "I hope you are a better scout than that."
Áine snorts, "Only reason we'll be lost is if we want to be lost for some reason." her eyes twinkle, "though enough rum might likely do the trick as well." she worries her lower lip, lost in thought for a moment. Her face suddenly reddens and she looks just about as far away from Kassata as is possible in the confines of the existing area. She stammers out "erm, Shall we be going?" as if to cut off and cover whatever thought crossed her mind, but is about as adept at doing so as a fresh faced school girl.
"Do you know where she is?" Zaine asks. "I figure if you want to poke around, see if you can find her, that makes sense. Maybe we can send Zephyr out as well. But in the meantime, it seems like heading over to the human encampment is a good next step right now. Hell, it might be where she's hiding out, and we can save you the scouting entirely." He shrugs, looking around at the rest of the group.
Faith does not let on the extent to which he can see through those pretending not to have symptoms. He makes mental notes as to who probably has what, and passes those on to Glaur and Kassata separately.
"I agree with both of you," Faith says. "The red-headed snake woman is a high priority -- but I don't think we know where she is. The reverse-thumbed godling is also a priority. I am concerned about Chev, but we know that we need to investigate the human encampment."
Faith thinks for a moment. "I am also willing to visit the Red Mantis and Aspis encampments to offer to kill any of their people who have become undead. When we run out of other things to do."
"But there are so many ways an unescorted visit to the woman in the garden could go awry."
Faith shakes his head. "I would not go alone. To..."
He drops his chin onto his chest. "The garden metaphors are terrible."
Heading south, you pass through parts of the 'uninhabited' district between your encampment and the human enclave. The district has a mercantile feel, with a number of foundries, shops and warehouses. Many buildings, some cracked open long ago, some left open intentionally have the mark of Abadar. Everywhere you go, you feel eyes on you, the shadows deep in the alleyways move unnaturally.
As you veer west to travel through the jungle cliffs that ring the south-western side of the lake, you catch sight of the one-hundred-foot-high ziggurat capped by the district's spear of stone. The sides of the ziggurat are carved with images of treasure, mounds of trade goods, and merchants in all manner of daily life. Even from the jungle circling high above you catch the reek of guano when the wind shifts, and see the sinkhole on your side of the structure, an sixty-foot wide opening to the blackness below.
As you look down, the air is shuttered by the roar of a lion, the atavistic primate terror momentarily freezing you, even when your forebrain knows the creature is not in striking distance.
To the south, in the human district, you can see a wide roadway that leads up from the lake's edge, turning into stairs that pass through immaculately tended garden terraces.
Áine stares for a moment, blinks. "You are right, I don't know for sure. I've been assuming she is normally among the humans, but I have not verified that yet."
Faith thinks for a moment. "I am also willing to visit the Red Mantis and Aspis encampments to offer to kill any of their people who have become undead. When we run out of other things to do."
Áine's left eyebrow twitches, "and I will be happy to assist."
...Even from the jungle circling high above you catch the reek of guano when the wind shifts, and see the sinkhole on your side of the structure, an sixty-foot wide opening to the blackness below.
Áine glances into the sinkhole as the pass by, "and yet one more thing we should look into, I think." she comments.
Faith peers out at the ziggurat, and says, probably to himself, "Have to go inside sooner or later."
As the group gets closer to the human district, Faith asks, "Do we want to recon the area first, or just walk up to the garden terraces and look for someone to tell hello?"
Faith looks over at Áine, and also at Sasha. "I am not equipped for sneaky recon," he shrugs.
As the group gets closer to the human district, Faith asks, "Do we want to recon the area first, or just walk up to the garden terraces and look for someone to tell hello?"
Faith looks over at Áine, and also at Sasha. "I am not equipped for sneaky recon," he shrugs.
"Good thing you brought me then," Zaine says from astride his t-rex. He manages to keep a straight face.
"Good thing you brought me then," Zaine says from astride his t-rex. He manages to keep a straight face.
Faith looks at Zaine and shrugs. "Tulip blends in. You're a little too clean."
Faith looks over at Áine, and also at Sasha. "I am not equipped for sneaky recon," he shrugs.
Áine nods, and merges with the shadows.
Faith looks over at Áine, and also at Sasha. "I am not equipped for sneaky recon," he shrugs.Áine nods, and merges with the shadows.
Zaine leans back in the saddle, settling in for a wait. "One of us should really pick up a deck of cards."
You are able to move closer to the path without a problem. From your new angle you are able to see the entirety of the daised path which is decorated by human sculptures for the entirety of the length. You just barely make out sets of golden pillars far deeper in the district because they glint in the sun. As Aine is about to head back, the slightest movement catches her eye. Although the vast majority of the statues are stone, there are a few human guards, disguised as stone watching the path.
Assuming Áine doesn't detour, the pair is able to make good time towards the area of the jungle above the city where the Mantis are lairing. From much further away than Áine's previous scouting she sees minor signs of their presence. The most worrisome for the pair scouting is the sign of warning alarms and possible deadly traps.
She smirks over at Faith, "And," motioning at the obvious sign of faith on his cheek, "you could well stand the pricks of the flowers."
"Plus the only price would be if you or Tulip or Zephyr were threatened. They can't pay me with you if they want me to kill you. If it were Tulip or Zephyr, then you'd help me save them and woe be to the stupid people trying to use them as pawns." She nods, blinks, takes a bite of her stew.
A pause, "I'm not really good at the teasing part of this, am I?"
Áine returns from her scouting foray and draws a rough map. "The path seems mostly clear, but there are some human guards, maybe 6 within sight of each other, disguised as statues watching the path here." she marks there location on the map. "Do you want us to try removing them from action quietly?" a quick glance towards the red head, "just go up and say 'hi', or a combination of the two?"
Kassata motions to the city for Áine to lead the way. "Unless," Kassata's voice utterly serious, "you want to get the rum first."
Áine's eyes flash back to meet the older brunette's, almost like a deer in headlights, clearly startled. She holds for a second, searching, before her expression softens. Still, she gives the smallest head shake of negation even as her lips twist up in the smallest appreciative smile.
Assuming Áine doesn't detour, the pair is able to make good time towards the area of the jungle above the city where the Mantis are lairing. From much further away than Áine's previous scouting she sees minor signs of their presence. The most worrisome for the pair scouting is the sign of warning alarms and possible deadly traps.
Áine looks for a good vantage point overlooking their encampment and pulls out the spyglass to see what she can observe. A glance at her companion, "Holding up okay? I know it's a lot different then the Hurrah" she says, offering water and a pouch of mixed berries and nuts.
Áine returns from her scouting foray and draws a rough map. "The path seems mostly clear, but there are some human guards, maybe 6 within sight of each other, disguised as statues watching the path here." she marks there location on the map. "Do you want us to try removing them from action quietly?" a quick glance towards the red head, "just go up and say 'hi', or a combination of the two?"
"Why don't you two get into position first. Then have Zephyr signal Faith, Pakshee, and me, and we'll advance as noisily as we usually do."
"K. Sounds like we'll try to take out the farthest ones first then?" she points towards the two farthest back. "Take 'em out one at a time and then collapse inwards in a pincer movement as we are discovered or full-on hostilities commence?"