Eugeni maintains his calm, walking forward until he has a clear line on his next target. The zen archer draws in a slow breath, raises the bow and fires an arrow with a single motion. Unfortunately, in his care to avoid Destrina, Eugeni misses completely.
Confident that Zoli and Destrina can handle the final ghoul, Morythine steps back from the fight to stand guard over Darius. With the pesky paladin occupied, he mutters a few lines of The Umbral Leaves, healing some of the damage inflicted by the skaveling’s jaws.
Punishing kick 2/3
Spell cast: detect undead
|
With a shout of pain at the bite, Destrina shakes the ghoul from her arm, then spins, lashing out with the oversized hammer. The silvered head catches the ghoul in the armpit driving it into the wall and shattering its torso. It slumps to the floor, dead once more.
She turns to the group and says, "Anyone notice more of them?"
_____________________________________________________
As the last ghoul they can see thuds to the floor, Zoli cups her hand to her ear to see if anything else seems to be coming their way.
The first sound that catches her ear though is a magical prayer being said by Morythine. She turns to see their pale companion curing himself. Eyes narrowing a bit, she says "Hey Morythine, what was that you just did? That sounded like a divine spell to me--how did you do that? You've never said anything about that before..."
Two of the three dead humans among the skaveling's victims are long-dead with nothing of value on their remains. The third is a well-dressed, well equipped one armed man.
On the bandit's body is a fine pearl ring, a longsword crafted of adamantine, an elaborate hat, and a coin purse of 56 gp.
"Hey, this here's Redshiv Bilger. Becoming a ghoul is nasty business...but if someone's gotta get ghoul fever, I guess it might as well've been him. There's a reward in Magnimar for proof of his demise. This ring oughta cover that. Or--hey, this sword! It's genuine adamantine, I'm sure of it! Look!!
"It's a bit big for me but do any of you fancy carrying an adamantine longsword?"
Turning over the hat, she adds, "Hey Darius, do you know what this hat is? It's magic for sure."
"Oooh, and adamantine blade would certainly be of use in the hands of Destrina. I've heard it can cut through stone like paper!" Eugeni says, staring at the sword with a bit of awe. "Can you try it out, Dest?"
"Hey Morythine, what was that you just did? That sounded like a divine spell to me--how did you do that? You've never said anything about that before..."
“Oh that?” answers Morythine “Just some curses from Galt, back in the day. I came from an odd family. It’s no prayer, I’ve had little time for the gods in my life, and they even less time for me.”
He glances down at his bloodied leg. “That monster got me bad. Any chance Darius’ will be able to get ahold of himself and heal me?”
"Hey Darius, do you know what this hat is? It's magic for sure."
Morythine looks up. “Hats? I like hats . . .”
Punishing kick 2/3
Spell cast: detect undead
Darius will give a tap of the wand to Morythine, and can identify the hat as a hat of disguise.
Zoli shrugs, thinking, Huh, I could've sworn I heard some dark religious phrasing I'd come across before there, but I guess not. Morythine certainly DID come from an odd family...
"OK then, let's get moving!"
|
|
"I will carry the blade. It would be folly not to," Destrina says, having seen adamantine weapons used in her time in Mendev. She draws the blade and rakes it across the wall, leaving a deep score behind on the rough surface. "Excellent," she murmurs, resheathing the blade and attaching the scabbard to her belt. She follows Zoli, staying well back as the halfling scouts forward.
As you try to creep through the caverns, you find that the next widened area is little more than that, a wider portion of the cave. Looking back, you can see that the other paths all appear to have led to this same location, but that the northern most passage is covered by a significantly larger amount of mold than the others.
"I will carry the blade. It would be folly not to,"
“Well, if no-one has any objection I’ll take the hat . . .” says Morythine, fetching the ragged tricorn off his head and replacing it with the elaborate hat.
Pausing a mite to let the magic of Darius’ wand repair his wounded leg and to retrieve his hurled shuriken, Morythine then limps after Zoli, trying to match her stealthy steps.
“The mouldy passage likely contains something horrible.” he observes “So it’s probably where we need to go.”
Punishing kick 2/3
Spell cast: detect undead
Zoli grimmaces. "Maybe...but it looks like it's possible that we just avoided it by going this way. I guess we'll see!"
With that, Zoli continues creeping West (with the rest of the crew immediately behind her).
Eugeni turns to Destrina. "Would you allow me to see that adamantine sword, please?"
Assuming she gives it to him, he uses the blade to hack the opening of the western tunnel large enough for all of them to pass through.
The cramped tunnel opens into a vertiginous gulf here, a cathedral-like cavern with a roof arching thirty feet overhead and dropping into a sloshing pool of foamy seawater fifty feet below. A steep stone ledge winds down to these surging depths, its slope glistening with moisture and mold. A stone door stands in the northwestern wall about halfway down the slope.
The western half of this foul-smelling cavern is heaped with bones, each scarred by the scraping of teeth. Most of the bones have been cracked open for the marrow within.
Zoli approaches the edge of the steeply sloping cavern...and sees what are clearly ghasts looking back at her.
She quickly calls, "Holy Crud, more ghasts--four of them, at least! Destrina! Help me flank the chokepoint!" and then she steps back, hoping that the ghasts will follow...while another part of her just wishes to be very very far away from here.
As Zoli advances down the corridor, she catches a glimpse of movement from the sloped cavern, and spots a goblinoid ghast climbing up the slope towards the group. It snarls at her when it realizes it is spotted, and begins chanting and swaying back and forth in a disturbing dance as it clings to the moldy surface with its claws:
"Flesh for feast
feed the beast!
Peel their skin,
Eat and grin!
Break the bones
Suck them dry
Bleed them out
The Living die!"
And then, the group of them lunge forward!
___________
Gritting her teeth, Zoli prepares to swing at the first ghast to get within arm's length.
__________________
HP 39/39 +10 THP
Luck 4/8
Panache 2/4 (-1 if attacked)
Charmed Life 1/3
Buffs luck (round 1/3): +2 to hit, damage, skill rolls, saving throws
10 THP for 5 hrs
Seeing a ghast bound into view, Eugeni frowns and begins shooting it.
Miss, Hit, Miss
Gripping his quarterstaff two handed, Morythine awaits the advancing undead. He takes a second to adjust his new hat, a finger tracing the silver of its buckle and the long, blue plume of feather.
Punishing kick 2/3
Spell cast: detect undead
"Hold strong." Destrina says as she readies her hammer for another assault of the undead. The paladin looks grim as she waits for the ghouls, she knows the group is nearly out of resources.
Darius quickly moves to get into a position where he can at least see the field of battle so that he can contribute.
Gritting her teeth, Zoli prepares to swing at the first ghast to get within arm's length.
Gripping his quarterstaff two handed, Morythine awaits the advancing undead. He takes a second to adjust his new hat, a finger tracing the silver of its buckle and the long, blue plume of feather.
The first ghast comes clambering up the slope in a rush, just barely making it into view, seeming not to care that it is moving directly into a potential meat grinder. As it gets closer, its terrible stench washes over the group, and instantly Darius begins retching as if he is about to vomit.
Seeing a ghast bound into view, Eugeni frowns and begins shooting it. One of the arrows hits it square in the left shoulder, causing it to reel backward slightly.
The rest of the ghasts all continue to scramble up the slick slope as well, seemingly unphased by the slippery surface. While they cannot quite get into a strong position, the combined strength of their aroma is quite intense, causing the heroes to be unable to smell anything but death, decay, and rot.
Morythine maintains the momentum of his previous attack and swings it back around in an elegant spin, that culminates with the staff creating a sickening thud against the goblin ghast's skull, causing its eyes to roll back and drop lifelessly to the ground at his feet.
__________
Zoli nods at Destrina's counsel and (barely) resists the impulse to launch herself toward the ghasts.
Instead she holds her ground, ready to strike the first ghast to come her way.
____________________
HP 39/39 +10 THP
Luck 4/8
Panache 2/4 (-1 if attacked)
Charmed Life 1/3
Buffs luck (round 2/3): +2 to hit, damage, skill rolls, saving throws
10 THP for 5 hrs
"There's more where that came from," mutters Morythine, and ploughs in once again with his quarterstaff.
Eugeni continues to lay down covering fire for his companions. His feathered shafts hiss loudly in the tight corridors with each pull of the bow.
Destrina slams her hammer into the next ghast, hitting it solidly, but failing to kill it. "Just hold this position, we have the advantage," she says.
Zoli nods at Destrina's counsel and (barely) resists the impulse to launch herself toward the ghasts.
Instead she holds her ground, ready to strike the first ghast to come her way.
"There's more where that came from," mutters Morythine, and ploughs in once again with his quarterstaff.
Eugeni continues to lay down covering fire for his companions. His feathered shafts hiss loudly in the tight corridors with each pull of the bow. One of the arrows manages to fell the one Destrina had previously injured.
Darius removes a scroll from his side and reads the magic from its surface, and a faint shimmering disc appears in front of him briefly before fading from sight.
The next ghastly goblin lunges forward, seemingly intent on killing Morythine...until Zoli stabs it in the throat. It attempts to retaliate against her, but she quickly removes the blade from the thing's neck, causing its head to roll back down the slope.
The last one, however, refuses to be deterred. It launches itself at Morythine, and rakes its fangs across the mans left forearm. It doesn't seem to do much damage, but it does cause Morythine to become frozen in terror from the thing's ferocity.
__________
"Gnnghfff!" says Morythine.
Zoli feels a wave of nausea that almost knocks her backward, but she still manages to connect with her trusty scimitar, spilling fettid ghast guts into the sand...leaving it severely weakened but still standing and glaring at her.
_____________________
HP 39/39 +10 THP
Luck 4/8
Panache 3/4 (-1 if attacked)
Charmed Life 1/3
Buffs luck (round 3/3): +2 to hit, damage, skill rolls, saving throws
10 THP for 5 hrs
|
|
Destrina finishes the work Zoli started, driving the undead horror back down the slope with an upward arcing strike. After the creatures body lands, the paladin says, "Well done. That went far better than the last one." She continues to peer down below, asking Ragathiel for the sight to find evil.
______________________________________________
The final goblin ghast falls, leaving the entire group feeling nauseous, aside from Eugeni. Looking down over the pool, it is a wonder that they managed to climb so nimbly up the slick, steep slope with such ease. Near the bottom, in the northwestern wall, is a stone door.
Zoli breathes a sigh of relief and then goes over to Morythine, holding him until the paralysis wears off.
When he's better she suggests "We're going to have to open that door down there...but before we do lets see if there's anything else sneaking up behind us!"
With that Zoli stealthily checks out the area behind her and Darius (together with anyone else who wants to take a peek).
____________________
Within the humble circle of Zoli’s small embrace, Morythine feels movement return to his limbs and the roiling of his stomach settle. He’s comforted that, despite her earlier suspicions, his halfling friend is willing to hold him. But few have ever held Morythine, and as soon as he regains control of his tongue he jests “Well, I guess it was the moment for a little time out. Everyone else has had some, after all.”
Scrambling back to his feet and pushing Zoli gently aside, he carefully skirts the slick stones beside the pool and approaches the stone door, looking for some sign as to how it opens from a safe distance of a few feet away. He also peers into the pool in case some treasure might be found in its depths.
Punishing kick 2/3
Spell cast: detect undead
"Psst, anyone know how to pick a lock?" Morythine hazards.
Zoli chuckles as she scampers down the steep slope. "Why do you ask?"
She listens herself at the door and then--if she doesn't hear anything, and if no one needs healing first, or a hand down the slope--she begins to fiddle with the lock.
After a few moments of fiddling with the lock, Zoli finally manages to get the tumblers to fall into proper alignment and open the door. The air in this damp cavern reeks of a horrific stench - a foul combination of decay, brine, and mold. The cave contains a rickety table, its damp surface cluttered with all manner of what appears to be garbage: empty bottles, bits of clothing, crumpled bits of paper, and more, lying in neatly organized rows. A painting leans against the far side of the table, facing a large leather chair that sits nearby. This chair's high back and cushion are horribly stained by smears of rotten meat and its arms are sticky with blood. A smaller table sits against the southern wall, its surface heaped with plates and platters of rotten, maggot-infested meat.
The horrific stench of the room seems strongest to the west, where the cave's wall has been overtaken by a horrific growth of dark green mold and dripping fungi. At the center, a patch of black tumescent fungus grows, its horny ridges and tumorlike bulbs forming what could almost be taken to be a humanoid outline. What appears to have once been an exquisite puzzle box the size of a man's fist lies smashed on the ground at the fungoid shape's feet.
A high pitched, quick speaking voice can be heard as the door opens, "Yes, yes, whatever His Lordship desires. But what about...what about the Hurter? What if he returns?"
"Of course, your Lordship. Oh, I believe guests have arrived for His Lordship..."
Sitting in the high-backed chair, is a figure dressed in fine but ruined clothing, clearly tailored for the wearer. The blue coat of his outfit drapes down over the cushion and nearly to the floor. He leans his left elbow on the armrest, resting his head in the hand of that arm, while the right hand deftly flips and spins an oversized razor.
As the group cautiously enter, he eyes them warily, finally seeming to recognize Zoli as she steps in. He speaks up then, his voice quick and with a nervous twitch, "Oh heavens! Splendid! Splendid! I'm so glad you are here! I've been so worried that..." he stops the moment Eugeni steps into the room, at which point he staggers to his feet. His voice grows deep and steady, as he yells out, "NO! You were supposed to die! You still live!"
He lunges forward, a spiteful look in his eye, as his deep voice continues to speak, "And you will all die for siding with him! You will all die and join the Pack!" He steps forward and lashes out at Destrina, opening up a deep cut on her left arm with the razor, then sinking his teeth down into her right forearm. The effects of his undead form overwhelm the paladin, and freezes her in place!
__________
Zoli cocks her head curiously at the man's ravings. "Hold on now, buster, what's this you're going on about? What's your beef with Eugeni?"
Seeing him lunge at Destrina, she hollers "Aaargh! You know it's not polite to start eating before proper introductions, don't you?"
Not waiting for an answer, she circles around the room (trying to stay out of his reach) and then swings at him.
____________________
HP 39/39 +10 THP
Luck 3/8
Panache 3/4 (-1 if attacked)
Charmed Life 1/3
Buffs luck (round 1/3): +2 to hit, damage, skill rolls, saving throws
10 THP for 5 hrs
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The moment Zoli's blade slices his flesh, the man that was once Aldern falls to his knees. "Please! Mercy please! I beg of you! Don't let the Hurter come back!" his voice once again high pitched and anxious.
"I...I didn't want any of this...any of this to happen. I just wanted to reclaim my families holdings...restore Foxglove Manor to its former glory. But nobody was willing to take the job. And the cellars were infested with rats...so many rats...and the fungus...fungus everywhere. And then I met her. My lovely Iesha," he looks longingly towards the painting on the floor across from the chair. The woman depicted there is clearly the same as the one in the previous painting upstairs, and is a remarkable resemblance to the creature in the attic. However, it has been altered by someone to more closely resemble Eugeni than its original depiction.
He grits his teeth as he continues, "But...but then I found her with that damned carpenter in the library. I knew what they were up to, and in my rage, I killed them both. I didn't know what to do, so I fled to Magnimar where they helped me. They told me what to do. And all she wanted was for me to bring her one of these accursed rats. But I couldn't bring myself to come straight back here, so I went to the Swallowtail Festival, where I met you! The Heroes of Sandpoint!"
He looks directly at Eugeni, "Your courage inspired me. It gave me hope that I could finally payoff my debt to the Seven. But...the damned rat bit me. Made me sick. She...she helped me with my transformation. Taught me the ritual. Ordered me to return here and raise the Pack, so that the Brotherhood..."
Aldern suddenly breaks into an unnaturally wide grin, stand slowly, and bows before the group. His voice is now calm, steady, and eerily confident. "I wonder how your deaths at the hands of the Skinsaw Man shall affect your friends. What things might you have done that will go unfinished? What will those broken promises spawn? How will your murders shape the world?" As he speaks, he reaches behind him and reveals a strange mask that appears to be made up of several human faces, and as he puts it on, his body changes...changes into an exact replica of Eugeni!
Darius begins gagging at the overwhelming stench of death radiating from The Skinsaw Man, who charges at Eugeni wholeheartedly.
__________
"Oh sweet Gods!" Zoli gasps. "Aldern is still in there, somewhere.
"Morythene, if you strike to subdue perhaps we can capture rather than kill--but this 'Skinsaw Man' is clearly deadly and I'm going to use everything I've got to stop him!"
Taking a step in toward him, Zoli swings but her blade only hits Aldren's stained and tattered coat.
________________
HP 39/39 +10 THP
Luck 2/8
Panache 3/4 (-1 if attacked)
Charmed Life 1/3
Buffs luck (round 1/3): +2 to hit, damage, skill rolls, saving throws
10 THP for 5 hrs
"Get outta my skin, freak!" Eugeni shouts at his insane undead doppelganger. He uses his incredible skill with the bow to fire off three arrows at once point blank into the ghast's face. Unfortunately the short draw doesn't give the arrows enough umpf to penetrate the Skinsaw Man's unnaturally hardened hide. F@+%!