Putting an end to the goblin rider Euron takes a look at the raging Half Orc in front of him. More survives that can help turn the tide, it's been so long. Before quickly turning back to the fight. Stepping forward he strikes out at the Goblin next to the Half Orc.
Polonius watches as the flesh on the face of the goblin before him blisters and melts away in layers. The stench is awful but it's screams of agony are worse.
It staggers forward, one hand clutching it's ruined face, their other swinging it's wicked blade blindly.
Lenneth steps forward and drives her blade into the creature's throat, ending it's misery.
Before this nightmare, Polonius was a father and husband first, a doctor second and an inventor third. Never was he a fighter. He is not a coward, nor has he ever been, but his gifts with magic and alchemy were intended to cure not to kill.
But none of them were who they were before the Red Harvest and once more his thoughts turn to Benvolio, somewhere out there in this ruined world.
He grits his teeth to suppress the gall rising in his throat and gives Lenneth a look of thanks.
We need to end this.
He steps forward and takes his last remaining bomb from his belt, mixing magnesium and phosphorus with the glycerine in the flask and hurls it into the goblin's midst.
The former academic, enraged at the injury the goblin dealt him, takes a wild swing - well above his short opponent's head...
The dog yelps and whines in pain as Azmerai's blow shears straight through the creature, sending gore and blood fountaining all around.
Raging ball of fire at his back, Euron's quick side-step and swing at the goblin menacing Azmerai is successful, poking a hole in the goblin's big head, it slides off the spear on to the ground, unmoving.
Lilith's blow sends the club smacking in to the goblin's back with a meaty *thwack* almost knocking it over.
There is momentary silence as Polonius' hurled bomb lands nearly at Lilith's feet, but when it detonates the gouts of flame issuing forth unerringly avoid her and incinerate the goblins nearby on the ground in addition to the one she just coshed, who falls to the ground writhing in a futile attempt to stop the burning.
Valex is busy watching the goblin smoulder as his own blow indeed goes wide.
The wailing from the goblin and the crackling of flames subsides, as the burning sphere behind Euron also extinguishes. It becomes eerily quiet.
With the goblins dealt with the two groups become aware that they are now alone, facing each other with weapons drawn.
Polonius, out of bombs and with hardly anything to defend himself realises that the two men in the street could pose a real threat should they choose to turn their weapons on his group.
He holds his alchemist fire to his side and shouts across the field of corpses.
The goblins were the enemy here, not us, thank you for helping with those monsters. We can help with your wounds if you put away your weapons.
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Lilith stands holding a club dripping blood, flanking a now dead goblin with a complete stranger. She is hyperventilating and her heart pounds in her throat. She looks up at Valex and says in a weak voice Please be friendly. I need you to be friendly. She takes a single step back and watches the man.
Looking around and seeing only carnage Azmerai looks at the newcomers... and for one moment he tenses, but than his glazing eyes refocus and he drops to his knees panting. "Peace. Protect... the living... from the ... unliving!"
Before he has even returned to guard from his wild stroke, there were blows struck and flashes of flame, and then...
Quiet.
Valex is still a little wide-eyed, breathing a little hard, as the...gnome?...calls out. He glances at Euron, longsword still dripping goblin blood in the street, and hears the timid voice of the elf beside him.
He reverses his grip on his longsword, and, left hand held high and empty, slowly bends to the nearest goblin corpse for a bit of cloth that is not on fire. With exaggerated, slow motions, he wipes the blade clean, then sheathes it, bringing his right hand as high as his left.
"No enemies here! Thank you, all, for your aid. I am called Valex!"
Euron looks out at the other group scanning each of them, now that the Goblins are all but dead he may face another fight. Locking eye's with the first of the group to talk he tightens his grip on his weapon looking to Valex for a second and then back at the Gnome.
The silence almost takes over him entell Valex speaks. Lets out a deep breath he had been holding almost forgetting to breath with all the tension of finding someone who wasn't just kill or be killed. Friends we have people who can help. Taking up his Guisarme he drives it into the ground almost hesitantly he speaks, not sure what it will sound like. "Friends. We're friendly." Putting his hands in the air for a few seconds more of a sign of friendship than anything else then extends his hand to the Gnome. "My names Euron Velren. I'd like to say sorry and thank you, these Goblins have been hunting me and Valex." He nods over to the Bard. "We were hold up here. I'm glad we've finally found other survivors."
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Do you have a healing kit or any skill in curing disease? Lilith asks hopefully. We have a friend who is sick. she says in an excited voice, but then realizes she may have said too much and quiets down as she backs to the porch of the house. Come onside. its safer to talk off the streets and this house is secure.
As the group moves back in to the house, it is readily apparent that the back door was so successfully hacked to pieces by Azmerai, that there's very little left to board it back up with. For now, there is an open doorway leading in to the building.
The group also notice the absence of both Shomari and Turrey, who you recall were with you moments before the fight, but did not aid you in combat against the goblins. A quick search reveals the boarded up doorway to the front of the shop on the ground floor is still intact, and they are not in the basement. Moving back upstairs, taking things room by room, you finally find Turrey in the bedroom you first climbed up in to.
He's face down in a pool of blood, with one of his own daggers sticking up from a grievous wound in his back. His eyes are glazed over, staring out the window towards the cathedral, towards a world he'll never have the chance to experience again. His holy symbol hangs askew from his neck, saturated in his blood.
Examining him you find his body is still warm, he's not been dead more than a few minutes. You find it unlikely he was felled with one blow, and you find several crushed ribs and a fractured neck. Evidently the dagger was the final wound, inflicted once he had been knocked down. At least he would have gone quickly.
From the scuff marks and lack of blood drops elsewhere, it looks like he was ambushed somewhere else and dragged in here, then stabbed. In one pocket you do manage to find a piece of torn paper, it looks like a folded paper butterfly that has been crushed and torn up.
Aside from the dagger, he appears to be missing his gear, including his distinctive cape with the Hellknight emblem.
You can tell from the dim light coming in through the window that the sun is setting.
"We have to run. First healstuff to lady then home to safe. I will take little with me."Pulling the dagger from turrey, Azmerai will bind his inertia cord arround him and start climbing down the rope.
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I would think as the group goes in the would talk quickly among themselves before going upstairs, even with the ruined door. Lilith introduces herself to the two newcomers and asks for their story.
How? is all Lilith can muster when she sees Turrey. It could not be Shomari, could it? she finally manages. After a moment she turns to Pol. This changes our plan to stay and brew more antiplague, doesn't it?
Euron looks around puzzled by it all, not wanting to step on anyone's toes only just meeting the group he stays back while staying alert. "What is this? more survivors? could a Goblin have gotten back here?" Then knowing he could help he steps forward. "Please if you don't mind, let me take a look i have some skill with medicine."
While checking over the man he questions Lilith. "Whose Shomari? and you were brewing antiplague? here?"
Finishing his investigation Euron turns to the others and let's them know what he found. Then shows them the folded paper butterfly that has been crushed and torn up.
Polonius puts away the alchemist fire into a leather loop on his belt. He looks up at the armored man, still somewhat wary of the long spear-like weapon in his hand.
Well he can't really put that away, I suppose. Safety in numbers and all that...
He holds out his small hand and takes the human's.
Polonius Fynch. he introduces himself to the pair and then turning back to the bigger man; That's a nasty burn you suffered there, let's get off the street and I'll do what I can for it.
He looks around at that moment.
Speaking of safety in numbers, where's Turrey and Shomari?
Moving back into the building he begins to feel a rising sense of panic. With each empty room the feeling intensifies until finally, they find him.
Instinctively his hand rises to his temple, as if struck by a sudden powerful headache.
Turrey...
He rushes to the halfling's side but even before kneels beside his friend he has already confirmed the worst. He then kneels heavily beside the former priest.
Where's Shomari? he asks quietly. His ribs are broken as is his neck. But it was the knife that finished him. Shomari certainly has the strength and skill to do this... but so did that masked bastard. he says quietly. Drawing his own dagger, he hovers over the body and pauses, feeling the weight of everyone's glare on the back of his head.
This has to be done. It's grim but necessary. Not all of you will have seen this, but the dead will rise again. It's one of the first things I discovered when studying the disease - you don't need to have been bitten to become one of those things. And Turrey doesn't deserve that. he punctuates the last point by swiftly pushing the blade into the base of Turrey's skull. It takes but a moment. But it is a moment that will stay with him for a long time. Azmerai, perhaps you can do the same for the goblins outside? I'd rather not encounter them again on the way back to the smithy.
The grisly business distracts him from any of the finer details but he looks up at Lilith with drawn, tired eyes.
In a way, this changes nothing. We have to find food and we have to get some antiplague. But we can't stay here, with the door gone we're sitting ducks. Besides, I want to get back to Kaiya. I say we take what we can from the goblins out there and get back to Ameiko. We don't know where Shomari is and we aren't in any fit state to search for him. Does anyone object?
"Object later, now hurry"
Polo stands and takes Lilith's hands.
You have time. She doesn't. I swear, I will do everything in my power to get you the medicine you need. But for now, we have to run. he turns to the half-orc. Azmerai, see if the goblins have anything useful.
Finally, he turns to the two newcomers.
Honestly, I don't know if we can trust you. So we'll be keeping a close eye. Don't take offence at that, it's just the world isn't the way it used to be. Having said that, my boy is out there somewhere, and if he were in your position I'd want him to join up with others and find safety. So you're welcome to join us if you'd like to.
We weren't brewing antiplague here, but we need to if we can. The gnome that lived here started work on a cure for this whole mess and I'm anxious to get back here and compare notes. I just hope I get the chance.
@The street
Euron had forgotten about the pain tell it was pointed out by the Gnome.
"Thank you, I had forgotten about it with the fight. It's good to finally meet other survivors please lead the way." Picking up his weapon he follows the other making sure to check his back and keep an eye on Valex. I can't let my guard down
@inside
Looking lost as the group talk about things he has no idea about, Euron steps forward wanting to help."I can see why you've lived so long, we should be weary of each other but you are the first survives we've seen in weeks and its a welcome sight we wont slow you down, just tell us what to do and where to go we will prove ourselves. Just let us get our feet and we'll be a welcome help."
He then looks over to the lab. "An antiplague? does it work? this is amazing I'm clearly in the right place to help."
I've no idea if it will work or not. This alchemist never finished his work. It appears I have some ideas he did not explore and it is clear he has many that did not even occur to me. It is a shame to leave something so valuable as this knowledge behind. But still, let us talk of this in safety.
He follows after Azmerai into the streets and encourages everyone to search the goblins for anything of value before beginning to head back the way they came.
"There's some interesting stuff happening in this town, we should talk more on this later." He nods at Polonius, then stands up and turns to the woman with long black hair he hands her the paper butterfly carefully.
"Of course I hope you can make use of the paper butterfly. Nice to meet you i'm Euron, and this." He points at the bard. "Is Valex. There's not a lot that could alarm me anymore." He then looks at her puzzled. She still cries for the dead, im glad someone can. "I'm sorry for your friend, former priest you don't see many of them anymore..." Realising what he was implying he quickly looks towards the window. "Yes there will be time to talk later we should move."
Getting back downstairs Euron helps the best he can searching the dead and carrying anything of value with him.
Your quick search of the impromptu battlefield area reveals a number of useless items including rusty and notched dogslicers, ripped fetid scraps of armor, and several other rancid items best left well alone if you want to avoid disease. Moving as fast as possible, you are able to salvage:
1 shortbow (cracked, requires repair)
5 arrows
the strange-looking black stick
a sheet of hide upon which a crude map is scrawled
chalk (white)
two waterskins (full)
For those searching outside only:
By the time you finish, the sun has set, it's another overcast night with no moonlight.
In the street:
"I'm sorry, I can help with injuries, but not so much with disease."
With Turrey:
"I'm sorry about your friend. Of course, Polonius, do what must be done. I'll help...Azmeri, was it?..with the goblins outside. I want to make sure that no more of the dead have followed the sounds of the horns, anyway."
He makes his way outside with Azmeri, punching the point of his longsowrd through the skulls of the fallen goblins and searching them for useful scraps.
Back in the house:
"Don't trust us? I think I should think a little less of you if you did, right off. I'm willing to take my time and earn that, if the gods grant us time. For now, how can we help? What can we carry, and where are we going?"
Valex's manner is that of nervous relief, tempered with...not wanting to hope too much.
I think only Azmerai and I can see clearly at night. I suggest we move quickly back the way we came with Azmerai leading and myself at the back. That way we can ensure noone takes the wrong turning. I'd advise against light unless absolutely necessary - we don't know how many that horn could have attracted.
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I can summon a light as small as a candle light, if need be, Lilith states. And I have this glowring. I know it can make a light, but little else do I know about it. But the light will a full brightness light spell. she holds up her hand showing a ring is carved from a single piece of solid blue glass.
"No big talk we have to walk fast!"
Searching through the remains Euron is ignorant to what stalks the streets heading towards them.
"I have to agree with we move at night it will be safer to use no light it will just be a beacon for everything out there but let's just take it slow." Grabbing all he can he then places a hand on Lilith shoulder and followes the group.
Exiting out the bedroom window and down the rope at the front of the alchemist's shop, the party manages to climb down and assemble before hearing the telltale moans of the risen dead from both ways along the street. As if the darkness and the presence of groaners wasn't enough, the volume of smoke this side of the building has nigh doubled in the hours since you were here facing off against the undead ogres.
Stifling coughs and trying to be as stealthy as possible, you proceed back along the street to the east, towards the cathedral. As you move it occurs that you may actually be in with a chance as the increased smoke could well serve to hide you from the creatures in search of the living...
Finally down on the street, the darkness surrounds Euron it almost over takes him if not for the person he's holding on to in front of him. Fighting the urge to turn on his light he grips his weapon tightly ready to strike out while slowly trying to Stealth through the smoke.
Vaelx burrows his face into his collar against the smoke and follows along, hand on Euron's shoulder, into the night.
"Euron...keep your left arm in tight against your gear, keep it from rattling," Valex whispers to his travelling companion, and roll...
Unfortunately, the lungful of smoke the chelaxian has taken in to give his advice causes him to break out in a few thunderous coughs, and his stealthy footsteps falter into loud, clumsy clops for a few steps.
Polo treads softly along on the balls of his feet, wincing at every clank and clang of armour from the bigger folk.
Polo shakes his head and hisses very quietly to himself;
Big folk and their big damned feet...
***
It becomes apparent very quickly that even with the smoke acting as a cover, without being able to see where you're going you're making too much noise to remain concealed for long.
You've been walking for only a few minutes when the smoke parts for a moment, and you catch sight of a dozen or so groaners in the middle of the street. Despite fervent hope that the smoke might return in time to block them seeing you, it stubbornly remains away, and the undead look up and see the party. Almost as one they screech and moan loudly, the customary reaction when they have spotted prey. It will not be long before that noise in turn attracts more to the area.
Glancing quickly about looking for alternatives to simply standing and fighting, you note few options.
There may be other options, but whatever you do, you had better do it quickly before the horde descends...
Damn it! We're going to get cornered here. We can't get past them all. Back. Everyone get back! Let's get to the Cathedral, it's the best place to defend!
But I wish we knew just what was waiting for us there...!
Azmerai nods and ushers the other forward going rearguard.
"Lead on!" Valex coughs.