Azmerai steps up to the thrashing groaner, and proves the axe's edge is more than a match for the zombie's scant defences, hacking deep in to its chest and smashing several ribs, caving it in and leaving it destroyed.
Unfortunately Lilith's warning, whilst timely, does nothing to prevent the roof beam creaking and then collapsing under the weight of the half-orc's blow, sending shards of razor sharp tile raining down on the room.
Seeing the fragments of slate crashing mere inches from his toes, Polonius thanks the stars he stepped back when he did.
Once the dust clears you can see most of the room's contents has survived, albeit now covered in bits of roof.
The sheaf of papers appears to be a diary, however it is written in Celestial. Shuffled in amongst the pages is an older looking document, written in fragmented necril. Both of these will take some time to go through to assess their importance, relevance and meaning.
Lastly there is the wooden box, whose lid has now smashed. Inside you can see a folded paper animal, a tiger, though it is now looking crumpled and squashed. Uncannily it seems to be trembling and trying to stand. It resorts to pulling itself along on its front two legs when the others dont work. It is trying to make its way towards the door of the room.
Azmerai rolls back, but to little to late, a beam crashes on his tigh, bruising him very badly. Cursing his luck, he comes back to his feet, rubbing his leg. After coming to his senses, he grabs his backpack and takes the healing extract to cure his auabubu.
As they open the wodden box suddenly he looks at his vestpocket. Something is stirring there.
Fascinating! Polonius says with genuine relish, Azmerais injuries temporarily forgotten. But what is it and what is it doing?
He turns to Lenneth and Lillith, hoping them to provide an answer.
Desna? Polonius says, somewhat surprised. I'm not a deeply religious man but I tip my hat to the Lady of Dreams and she's seen me right so far. How long have you been having hallucinations Lenneth?
The doctor in Polo is immediately running through symptoms in his head; malnutrition? dehydration? Concussion? Infection?
The folded paper animals are like nothing you have seen before, but your training tells you they could be accomplished in several ways. To have them remain animate for a long time, or activated only in a certain way or at a cetain time, might be the answer. You're looking at a divine spell of some sort, low level. But something in your group set them off, either their proximity to one another or to someone in your group or something someone is carrying.
Necril is an ancient language, long fallen out of everyday use, that was originally used by the intelligent undead. You suspect if you spent longer with the documents and had some time to actually sit down and study them properly that you would be able to decipher some of the text.
Staring in to his pocket, Azmerai is slightly surprised to see the folded paper bird wriggle its way out and flop on to the floor. It shakes itself several times, then struts over to its paper-sister the tiger, and helps to nudge it along. They both appear to be making their way, inch by slow inch, towards the other bedroom where the window looking towards the cathedral was. In the fading magic from Lilith's detect magic spell, the little paper things glow a very soft off-white.
Looking out the window you update your mental map of the area.
The tiny paper constructs continue their progress unless stopped, and manage to climb the wall under the window and fling themselves out unless anyone goes to stop one.
Azmerai picks the two gently up, says"We bring you home. and pockets them. Getting out his rope he starts lowering it to the ground. "church or pharmacy first?"
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Still in wonder over the paper constructs, Lilith answers I, don't know. I would see where these tiny creatures would lead us. The are powered by trace amounts of positive energy and obviously strive for the cathedral.[/b[ Then, almost as an afterthought Lilith commands the sword to change to a short sword and then a dagger, showing its powers to her group. [b]This is a Protean blade. The weapon is enchanted to shed light, to hit and damage more effectively, and to bypass the damage reduction some creatures have that requires magic to hurt them. While I am trained to use this weapon in any of its forms I am not really strong enough to employ it well. Who shall carry it? She carefully places the papers in her pack as the group decides.
Azmerai shrugs, and says"I would carry it. It´s a nice blade. Useful. If anyone else... "
Turrey is briefly thunderstruck by Lillith's recounting of her dream. The Song of the Spheres! Is she speaking through Lillith somehow?
The weary halfling feels a great hope welling within him. "Desna truly watches over us still then! I knew it! Lillith, you've been truly blessed and found worthy by the Tender of Dreams. Please, if you have other such dreams I'd very much like to hear them." At the words "found worthy", Turrey's face briefly betrays self-criticism. Of course Desna didn't find me worthy even to continue as her acolyte...why would she? I've only ever really been a thief.
Snapping back to the task at hand, Turrey reminds himself. I do not need to be a worthy vessel to serve; only to strive to do the work of the Song of the Spheres.
"That's Desna's hand, calling the animals. The medicine...every minute matters...but perhaps...let's follow them at least as far as we know they aren't diverting us away from the apothecary. If a time comes when they seem ready to diverge...I'm inclined to follow them whereever they lead, but we made a promise to Lady Meiko. If they start to lead away from the apothecary we should beg the Song of the Spheres' forgiveness and delay their progress for a little while, while we get the medicine." She's forgiven me so many things, and I know She wants us to keep our word to save someone in need.
Listen, these things are fascinating - a gift from the gods even, if they are still out there of course.
He gives a small shrug.
I haven't seen any evidence of it over the last few months and in that time I've learnt to really hold on to things I know to be true and concrete and things I can affect.
I know that woman has a terrible illness and only we can help her. I also know it's true that she knows this town better than any of us and can be a great help. We are the only ones that can have an affect on her life - either to save it or end it through inaction.
I say we go after the medicine - deal with things we understand for a change.
"Your right. We shudd move on to the herbshop"
As everyone seems to be agreed to focus on the herb shop, despite the ambulatory paper feline and avian, you progress westwards following the road deeper in to town. As you pass the gates of the cathedral, you can see past the low stone wall that the main doors are open a crack. Turrey remembers the familiar signs, recollections from his past, that there are no pennants flying nor torches lit to indicate a priest is in residence. He does however note that despite the late season, butterflies dance like fireflies all across the graveyard surrounding the building, and there is a slight sense of peace, a lifting of spirits as you watch the flying insects meander through the air.
As you continue past, the air gets more acrid and hot as smoke from the fire drifts across the street, getting thicker as you continue, eyes peeled for the apothecary's sign on a shop front.
Polonius makes good use of the smoke to cover his passage across the street and his small stature means he is able to see below the level of the smoke to assess threats.
ShomariBot
TurreyBot
You trudge along the road, frowning in concentration and scouring your surroundings for the apothecary's sign. As you walk along for a few minutes, past derelict houses and looted shops, the smoke gets thicker and you cover your mouths to avoid breathing too much of the foul smelling air.
At last, as the swirling smoke ebbs and flows in the eddies of the wind, you glance across the way and see a wooden board hanging by one blackened chain, with an alchemist's flask and bundle of herbs emblazoned on the wood. This must be it!
However, your relief is short lived...the smoke gusts around you with renewed vigor, and for a moment the street is slightly clearer than it has been, revealing to you the two undead monstrosities that are lurking there. These lumbering giant's backs are bent, the knuckles of their deformed arms nearly reaching the floor. They drag weapons behind them, and retain their piecemeal armor where chunks of their bodies have not rotted away. Foul eyes devoid of any life focus on you, and dark ichor spills from between broken teeth, drooling down their faces as they open their mouths to roar in challenge and attack!
The undead humanoids swing their weapons thoughtlessly with no finesse, but terrible power, Azmerai and Lilith face their onslaught.
swing at Azmerai
Azmerai gives profuse thanks to the strange leather armor they found in the shop, as the wooden cudgel smacks in to it and glances off the shoulder, leaving him no worse for wear.
swing at Lilith
The curved blade bypasses both Lilith's attempt to dodge and her arcane protections, slicing its way across her midriff in a nasty looking gash that immediately begins to bleed.
Azmerai thanks the leather armor found on an soldier quite some time ago and just gives himself to rage.
This thing is in my way, it tried to hit me, like father, like his be.... using the new sword
Seeing Lilith take a savage cut, Turrey reaches deep to find his courage and determines to tumble around the sickle-wielder, hoping to get into better position to stab it from.
Polonius sees the massive zombies as dark shadows through the smoke but not in enough time to warn Azmerai and Lenneth.
Instinctively he backs off until he is pressed against the wall of the opposite building.
As Turrey attempts to cartwheel around him, the rotting abomination swings its notched and rusty blade around in a wide arc, catching the unfortunate halfling and leaving a deep wound in his side.
Azmerai still hit and hit deeply!
"Kill one, then next!"
Turrey lets out a high pitched yelp as the blade cuts deep into his side. He manages to stay standing...but only barely. He looks down at the gaping wound in his abdomen, then up at the enormous rotting ogre in front of him -- so close he has to fight off gagging -- and does his best not to let his lip quiver.
Please, if this is the end, may my soul make it to Desna, and may she find me worthy despite my failings and misdeeds...and please may my companions have the time to behead me before I raise as one of these abominations!
Initiative order
Group A: Azmerai, Polonius, Shomari
ZombOgres
Group B: Lenneth, Lilith, Turrey
Azmerai's blow hacks a large hole in the shoulder of Mr Club. Mr Club snarls and roars at the half-orc, decaying spittle flying everywhere.
Smoke gusts across the street...
AC 20 (Touch AC 8)
CMD 19
Condition (Mr Club): Looks damaged but still unhindered by injury
Condition (Mr Sickle): Looks disgusting, but unharmed thus far
Doing a 5footer to G4,to offer the hobgoblin a chance to flank, Azmerai hacks again at the brute (Raging)
Polonius turns toward the huge creature with the club.
Oh god I hope I remembered that pinch of sulphur, please say I remembered..
He mixes chemicals in one of his vials with lightning speed and then cries out in triumph as it starts to fizz in his hands. He hurls it toward where he last saw the massive zombie through the smoke.
Shomari raises his halberd and strikes at the clubby zombogrie. He takes a step south.
The smoke proves tricky to maneuver in, both Azmerai and Shomari's solid seeming blows are led astray.
Mr Club turns to , lifting the small tree-trunk sized club high in the air and bringing it down...
*CRASH* right in to the cobbles on the street right next to him...
Mr Sickle glares at the tiny things surrounding him and bellows again, arm moving back then around, using the sickle like a scythe and aiming to harvest
*SWISH* the ragged blade passes within an inch of her face...
Smoke gusts across the street...
AC 20 (Touch AC 8)
CMD 19
Condition (Mr Club): Looks damaged but still unhindered by injury
Condition (Mr Sickle): Looks disgusting, but unharmed thus far
Moving to E4 Azmerai again slashes at the zombie (Raging)
Polonius watches as his bomb sails over the zombie's shoulder and explodes against the wall of the apothecary.
Dammit, Polo! If we can just take one of these things down we might have a chance against the other...
He squints into the smoke and tries to account for it as he aims his next bomb.
Seeing the smoke roll in, feeling it burn his eyes, he realizes that any hope he'd had of striking precisely from behind is gone. Thinking on his feet he says, "Friends, they can't hit us easily in this smoke either -- perhaps this is a gift from the Gods, a chance to run past them. Let's get into the apothecary!"
With that, Turrey hustles straight for the shop door, opening it and going inside if able.
Shomari hates these things.
Azmerai's weapon sends curls of smoke dancing in the air as it slams in to the undead ogre's face with a meaty *thwack* the ogre is caught with club upraised, and it tries to bring it down at Azmerai in revenge as he moves, however the smoke makes this impossible and the club simply lashes out at thin air.
The smoke parts for a brief moment as Polonius is mixing his fizzing catalyst, ready to throw, and he sees Azmerai's mighty blow strike the giant groaner. Lobbing the bomb he hears a smash followed by a *whoosh* and the smoke again parts just long enough for him to see Mr Club covered in flames and collapsing on to the street in front of Shomari and Azmerai.
With no-one nearby left to play with, Mr Sickle strides forward towards where he last saw his dinner, Lenneth's hex making his movements even slower than usual, and preventing him from just lashing out blindly after taking a step. He finally barges through the effects of the magic and staggers towards Polonius and Lenneth, hunger in his eyes.
Turrey tries the handle of the shop, but the door does not move for him. As the smoke clears more he is able to determine the door has been nailed shut from the other side, you'll need a battering ram (or friendly half-goblinoid) to get through that. Alternatively there might be another way, you can see an open window upstairs with smashed panes of stained glass that you could get through as long as you could get up there.
Smoke gusts across the street...
AC 20 (Touch AC 8)
CMD 19
Condition (Mr Club): A blackened, stinking pile of rotted burned flesh on the floor. Unmoving.
Condition (Mr Sickle): Looks disgusting, but still unharmed thus far. Does not appear unduly moved by his companion's demise.
With fury in his eyes, Azmerai charges the last groaner. Field E something, so that he can flank with the witch.
Polonius retreats back from the creature and casts an instinctive spell.
Great job Azmerai! He calls as he sees the snarling half orc charge the zombie. Take it down!
His hand now aflame, Polo throws a small ball of fire at the remaining threat.
Shomari snarls and steps towards the remaining ogre, swinging the halberd at its head. He seems to be getting the hang of the big weapon now.
Turrey squints back into the smoke, and looks down again at the gash in his abdomen. The sight of a bit of his own intestines bulging out makes him slightly queazy. Do I charge back at that groaner, like Azmerai did?
Shaking his head, he realizes that getting the door open faster is more important than the impact he'd have over there, especially in this damned smoke. Flexing his fingers and his hairy toes, Turrey attempts to climb up to the window.