Feldus grips his rapier tightly as he slithers ever closer to the rest of the zombies. He sends a mental command to the zombie, a simple one as they are basically lumps of flesh.
"Free yourself...and FEED!"
There! That should give them something else to think about! He thinks in satisfaction.
Melo snarls out as he passes thought the trees, attempting to pick up a sign of the men that shot and taunted him.
Flynn's charge ends with another zombie chunked.
Valex and Melo continue moving forward in to the trees, through the gap in the zombie line that Flynn and Lenneth have created, minding their steps as they stumble over the shifting gravel now coating the floor. Looking up and freezing, in front of them they can see two of the men, pointing bows their way. Through the darkness, Flynn spots the men too.
The zombie Feldus speaks to continues to stand in place, futily snapping its jaws as it struggles against a rope tied around its waist. Then suddenly it is free and lurching towards the were-rat... then it abruptly staggers off to the side in search of other prey. Feldus can't spot anyone or anything else right now though.
The other zombies all jump like they've been hit with another of Lenneth's lightning bolts, and begin moving forward. They are able to close the distance quickly enough, but have not yet had time to attack, though their jaws drip with gore in anticipation.
The two men have no such delay, both firing upon Valex and Melo.
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Lilith completes her summoning and a Lantern Archon appears 40' from her. Attack the men in they back. she requests and the ball of light flies 60' through the trees at 10' elevation lefting its Aura of Menace target many of the undead.
The outsider unleashes two blasts of light at the northern most of the men scorching him with its energy attacks.
Lilith then advances, moving 30 forward before blasting one of the undead near Melo with Magic Missiles.
LG Small outsider (archon, extraplanar, good, lawful)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +4 Aura aura of menace (DC 13)
DEFENSE
AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 15 (+4 natural, +1 size; +2 deflect vs. evil)
hp 13 [17] (2d10+2) [2d10+6]
Fort +4 [+6], Ref +3, Will +0; +4 vs. poison, +2 resistance vs. evil
DR 10/evil; Immune electricity, petrification
OFFENSE
Speed fly 60 ft. (perfect)
Ranged 2 light rays +3 ranged touch (1d6)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd):
At Will—aid, continual flame, detect evil, greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only)
STATISTICS
Str 1 [5], Dex 11, Con 12 [16], Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 10
Base Atk +2; CMB -4 [-2]; CMD 6 [8]
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Diplomacy +5, Fly +14, Knowledge (planes) +3, Perception +4, Sense Motive +5
Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal; truespeech
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Gestalt (Su)
Nine lantern archons can fuse together as a full-round action, becoming a single Large entity that is more powerful than the individual archons that make up its parts. Looking like a whirlwind of dancing firefly lights, the gestalt has all the powers and abilities of a Large air elemental plus the following: archon, good, and lawful subtypes; archon traits (aura of menace DC 16); 2 light rays (2d6); DR 5/evil and magic. The archons can remain in this form for 2d4 rounds. When the gestalt separates back into individual lantern archons, its remaining hit points are divided evenly among them; if it had less than 9 hit points, some of the component archons die when the gestalt ends.
Aura of Menace (Su)
Any hostile creature within a 20-foot radius of an archon must succeed on a Will save (DC 13) to resist its effects. The save DC is Charisma-based, and includes a +2 racial bonus. Those who fail take a –2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or until they successfully hit the archon that generated the aura. A creature that has resisted or broken the effect cannot be affected again by the same archon's aura for 24 hours.
Light Ray (Ex)
A lantern archon can fire beams of light to damage foes. These light rays have a maximum range of 30 feet. This attack overcomes damage reduction of any type.
Through the dense trees Flynn can hear his companions engaging with living enemies. But he is wary of being surrounded by the dead and so launches into attacks against the two zombies closing in on him
Feldus pauses for a moment to take stock of the situation here. While he could not see the humans controlling the zombie pack, he could certainly hear them.
The sight of the lantern archon causes him to utter a sharp hiss, as he remember those foul light-bringers wrecking havoc on his clan, so long ago. He glares briefly at them before movement to the side catches his eye.
Those zombies...and that fool woman is standing out in the open! Has she gone mad?
He sends his mental control out to ensnare the closer zombie, filling it with an overwhelming urge to feed...
Valex lashes out at the groaner to the south of him:
Melo continues to be enraged, snarling out at the undead as he charges forward at the men with bows. "You're worse than the undead!"
He rips into the arm of the man in front oh him shrugging off everything else as he lets his animal side take over attempting to rip the man's arm off.
32/43
The Lantern Archon bursts in to existence in a flash of dazzling light, immediately soaring through the air and engaging the party's foes, one light beam blasting one of the bowmen.
Lilith's force missiles spin around the forest, the bolts of energy first blowing one zombie arm off, then a leg, then the last one lodges in its chest causing its head to glow an unearthly blue white before finally crumpling inwards and collapsing to the ground.
Skyfall and Flynn's concentrted assault completely destroys the undead presence near them.
Feldus squares off against a zombie, using his arcane power to make it comply... it pauses for a moment, before continuing to slaver and moan, intent on a fresh meal.
Lenneth's spell causes gloopy strands of spider webbing to spring in to existence between the trees, almost blocking the zombies and men from sight.
Melo's savage assault shreds the zombie next to him in under a second.
The two groaners near to Feldus advance menacingly, jaws opening and closing in anticipation. The other next to Valex raises its arms and slams them down on the bard, feeling like an anvil dropping from the sky .
The two men seem to have disappeared from sight, occluded by the trees, lack of light and Lenneth's webbing, though all is quiet now, surely they can't have gone far...
"Go after them," Valex says to Melo, jerking his head toward where the archers were, "I'll mop up here""
FLinching from where the graoner's arm had come down, the bard redoubles his efforts to attack.
Flynn turns back and Takes Skyfall to flight, barely inches above the ground but high enough that she is not affected by Lenneth's swampy ground.
He then slams his lance into the back of one of the zombie's attacking Feldus.
Melo, if you can track them I'll be right behind you
Feldus sees the zombies closing in on him and wonders briefly whether to change his form, risking discovery. The decision is taken out of his hands as Flynn and Lenneth come to his aid. Scrambling backwards he moves towards the female casters. Once in position he sends a ray of energy at the remaining zombie.
Melo casts light on his collar and then looks around attempting to pick up their scent. "They can't have gotten far, and there's no chance they will hide from me."
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Moving forward another 30' (and south slightly) Lilith will use Disrupt Undead on the the same undead that Feldus hit but her shot goes wide.
The archon buzzes to the far side of the webbs looking for targets and firing at the humans if it seems them. It will go so far as to enter the webbing to look for a target if it fails to see one.
Valex's blade leaves a glowing trail as it slashes through the upraised arm of the zombie in front of him.
Lenneth's powers cause the muddy ground beneath the zombie's feet to become almost impassable.
Flynn moves swiftly on Skyfall and they destroy another of the undead menacing Feldus.
Feldus himself is caught a glancing blow as he moves away from the remaining zombie . His blast of energy crackles over the culprit, and it seems barely able to maintin its animation now.
Lilith's archon moves deeper in to the woods and she hears/senses it firing its rays once more.
Melo is able to smell the living men even over the close stench of death, the stink of adrenaline and fear wafts from deeper in the forest, beyond Lenneth's magical webbing.
The two remaining zombies lurch awkwardly towards Valex and Flynn, striking with heavy blows.
Valex continues to hack away at the zombie.
Melo spots Valex fighting unable to get a clear swipe at the undead he instead moves forward around the web looking for the men. "I'm going for them." He continues to track them. "You picked the wrong day!" Shouting out with all his anger, as it bellows out. While moving forward he casts a quick healing spell.
43/43
Having caught the oncoming zombie on the end of his lance, Flynn unceremoniously boots him from the end of it before wheeling on the next and driving the point through it's skull.
Feldus nods in thanks as Flynn dispatches the final zombie, thankful the necromatic spell absorbed the blow. "Thanks for the help!" He glances back at the ladies before turning his attention to the true enemies. Moving as close as he can to the layer of webbed trees, he peers ahead for any sign of the bow-wielding humans.
The zombie facing Valex falls following his last decisive blow.
Flynn's lance stabs through the zombie moving towards him before it even manages to close the distance.
You can hear the sizzling burn of the archon's rays being fired somewhere deeper in the trees, but nothing is within range to see.
Cut and run again. Well they ain't getting away this time. Flynn growls before hurrying forward to help Melo in tracking the enemy down.
Feldus sees Flynn and Melo move off in one direction and, not wanting to see them get away, angles around the battlefield attempting to pick up their scent.
Melo sniffs the air, continuing the hunt losing himself in it.
Valex breathes a long, contented sigh as Lenneth's healing sweeps through him.
"Again, I say if they have fled, let them. I think that the circle should be our first priority, then returning and thinking out our long-term plan.We can set traps and watches against their return."
The Circle is our priority Valex, bit u less we put an end to this now they will hound us every day we spend here.
I say we press on. The Circle will be there when we come back.... but they won't be.
Whether it's the constant rain dampening the smell, Lilith's summoned stones making the ground hard to find tracks on, or simply good woodcraft, it proves impossible for the party trackers to establish a firm direction that the humans might have fled towards.
"We let them get away before! And it came down to this, they wont leave us alone." He move around looking for anything they might have left or some hidden hole.
"Could they have hidden!?" He rages out unable to find them, the situation finally sinking in as the adrenaline leaves him he slumps forward. Cyn is dead...
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As the men retreat through the woods the glowing archow weaves through the trees both in pursuit and even fly in front of them, firing as it may. It seems to these men that the relentless pursuit will never end but the creature's tenure on the prime material is limited and after a mere two more rounds it winks out of existence.
Despite her lack of training, somehow Lenneth manages to see the barely visible bootprints in the fresh mud, and is reasonably sure she knows which way the men fled, looks like four or five all told.
Melo's grief blinds his normally astute senses, and he is unable to discern anything about the men and where they're headed.
Flynn's investigation reveals that they must have been hiding here a while, perhaps since they ran off from Whitecliff, maybe they were even planning this ambush all that time given the time they woudl have needed to set up the zombie chain.
Lilith's hears the sound of her summoned archon as it recedes in to the distance somewhere to the west, the sizzling noise of its ray attacks punctuating the occasion cries of pain, before she senses her hold upon it slip away, and it returns whence it came.
Feldus responds in a cold voice, "I say we go after 'em and finish them off. The circle is not goin' anywhere and they are. Easy choice in my mind."
Melo claws the ground the anger draining from him replaced with guilt and despair. "I can't I have to go back to Cyn... I can't leave her here."
He turns heading slowly back. "Maybe Flyn can follow them, but I need look after Cyn one last time. Maybe her death will be the turning point for this area and we can finally let the nature take hold again."
Flynn disappears off in to the woods
As the rest of you return to the broken stone circle, the body of Cyn lies upon the parched soil, the wind causing her wet fur to dance around like the dead grass surrounding the clifftop.
Flynn is determined to track these cowards down and, despite his better judgement, ploughs on into the woods.
As some of the group begin seeing to making some sort of burial place for Cyn, Lilith turns her attention to the stone circle and begins to examine the area more thoroughly...
Feldus turns back towards the circle reluctantly. Those m****f***ers will be back, sure as sewage backs up a clogged drain!
Knowing his arcane knowledge is meager, he decides to stay out of Lilith's way and guard against the return of the humans who set the ambush.