"Lass, I know ye're suited to this in some ways, in terms of undead and all, but I'm pretty well suited to ropes and sneakin', and look what happened to me. You take care, and I'll be at the edge of the hole watching out for ye."
Chloe smiles under the helmet, an invisible gesture though it may be.
"I know, Morin... I know, b-but you just wait and see... Karozekas and I, we'll make short work of these fish...," she murmurs in response, words altered by Tekkis' helmet to sound like they came from canned good. "C-can't let them be, you know. I... think I might just hold a.. a grudge against them, now... what with what they almost did to you, e-even though the poor things don't know any better..."Chloe attempts to move her left arm in the metal suit, grimacing with the effort it takes. Thankfully, channeling wouldn't require much physical activity.
"How do you... manage this everyday, Tekkis?!" the oracle squeaks with admiration.
Tekkis grins, a bit shyly, but doesn't respond to Chole's question.
"We're very exposed up here," whispers Sarusa to Karo. "And we don't know if there are bolt-holes for those beasts elsewhere in the lichyard. Perhaps you could send Corvus aloft to check the place."
She re-loads her dustburst bullet for good measure, looking around the lichyard from their vantage point.
"There is an intelligence behind the Plane of Shadow, or so I hear, Chloe; even if those things' minds are gone, something powers them, and it has consciousness. It rattles the mind at times, being a servant of the Green and a sensitive to these forces, but these are the way of the world. Glad to have you back with us, Morin."
Chloe shudders, a movement that would have been likewise invisible in Tekkis' armor if it hadn't made it rattle slightly.
"I-I don't like it, Sarusa... It makes... sense, but-"
Morin hears Sarusa's comment about being exposed, and also about the intelligence that may be powering the undead creatures that attacked him. As far as he's concerned, the danger to them is down below, in the mausoleum, and he focuses his attention there, looking and listening closely.
After a moment of peering into the dark, he says, "Sarusa, can you cast a few light spells, like you do on your club, on some pebbles or something, and we can toss them down there, to see where the creatures are, and if there's anything else creeping about? We could learn a thing or two from my, uh, mis-steps. If you can have mis-steps while hanging from a rope."
Turning to Chloe, he then asks, "So you're going to do that life energy thing you do, which is the opposite of what these undead things need. If I'm at the edge of the crack here, I might get a bit stronger from it at the same time, right?"
"Only one light spell can be active at a time. I can toss in a pebble just before Chloe does her trapeze act."
Tekk listens to Morin and Sarusa talking about light spells before kneeling down and looking down into the building.
"Morin... I can't do both... I can only emit life to harm... or to heal. Even so, I-I have a few potions in my pack... you're welcome to them, and if you stay close... I can still help you. Though, I can also.. do this before descending-,"
Morin's eyes brighten considerably as Chloe focuses her healing energies on him, and he says "Ah, well, that feels a lot better now. Thank ye, Chloe. And now that my head's a little clearer, you remind me I've got a potion or two around, but down below. Now you go emit some harm to those beasties, and I'll keep a weather eye out."
As he says this, Morin pauses and says "Speakin' of keeping a weather eye out, anybody looked over the taffrail to check on our horses or gear in the last little bit? Perhaps I'll do that." With a good deal more energy than previously, Morin walks over to the edge of the roof and looks down and over at the waiting horses, to be sure they're still there.
Tekkis lowers his head into the mausoleum, his eyes quickly adjusting to the gloomy interior.
The deadhouse stretches to the bounds of his vision, the portions not illuminated by the breach in the roof still visible thanks to his orcish heritage. Two rows of featureless stone sarcophagi, five on a side, lead up to a raised dais which supports another huge block of stone, either another tomb, or perhaps an altar, carved with obscure symbols.
Near to the rear wall, several squares of flagstone have been pulled up, revealing a dark tunnel into the earth below.
He spots two of the rotting, canine corpses lurking, each behind a different sarcophagus in the shadowy gloom, and barely catches a glimpse of a third as it disappears into the tunnel.
Dodi whinnies from below, although the thick fog still obscures the rest of the animals that were left at the gates of the cemetery.
Tekk stands back up and describes the interior to the rest of the party.
"I feel an urge to get in there and deal with those undead dogs, especially after they nearly had Morin for lunch. But before we do that, I think we need to get the horses and our gear up here off the road."
I think Corbyn and I should be able to handle that.
AC:19, +2 saves against evil, AC penalty (5)
"O-okay, then... Um... I feel bad for taking the armor, if it's forcing you to stay still and not wreak vengeance, Tekkis... Not to sound.. too.. um, forthcoming, but you can wear my leather armor, if you want-it's supposed to be one-size-f-fits-most-"
One can imagine Chloe shrinking into the chestpiece inside like a tortoise by the sound.
"But I agree on waiting until we've got.. everything, everyone... together."
Karo says to the group. I think I'll send Corvus down for a quick look while we ready ourselves to climb down. He turns to the everpresent raven on his shoulder. Corvus, be a good bird and go check on the horses. Return immediately if you see something bothering the horses. With that, the bird flaps and takes off into the mist.
Morin comments "Good thinking, crew. I like the idea of getting everything ship-shape before we explore this place any further. And Tekk, I appreciate that at least a part of why you want to go in is to give those devil-dogs a twist of the tail for what they did ta me."
Watching Corvus fly off, Morin grins and adds "Even better than a crow's nest, you've got your very own crow as lookout. Handy that. Now that Chloe's got me all patched up, I'll stay here with her - even though she's all armored up now - and give anything that comes out of that hole a piece of what they gave me."
"Wait, who's holding the rope? Let's not get into another situation before we lower dear Chloe in there. I'll stay up here and hold it, but I need assistance."
Sarusa says this all while wishing there was something to sling a sling bullet at while up on this lovely vantage point.
In less than a minute, Corvus flies out and returns, cawing loudly, his harsh cries breaking the stillness of the fog-shrouded cemetery.
Horses, horses, Plod! Plod in the mist! he screams as he settles back onto Karozekas' shoulder.
Chloe is unable to think of anything regarding undead dogs or wolves, possibly due to the claustrophobic confines of Tekkis' armor.
Corbyn realizes that getting off the roof will not take much effort at all, as long as they use one of the ropes already secured to the crenelation. Corbyn and Karozekas reach the ground without incident.
As Corvus returns, you think you can see a dark shape in the mist to the west, low to the ground, and approaching, perhaps 60' away.
"Something is out there! To the west, low to the ground, coming our way! Ready ranged weapons!" She readies her sling. "Chloe, we might want to delay that trick of yours."
AC 19 +2 saves vs. evil
"Of... of course-but are we sure it's an enemy...? Maybe it's a-a badger! Or Plod!" Chloe responds from inside her new shell.
"Still, I-I see experience in play here... Strike true if you.. choose to strike..."
Dorin looks off to the west, trying to penetrate the fog, while shifting his bow off his back into his hands and knocking an arrow.
"What did ye see, Sarusa? Lots of 'em, one, any idea?"
Tekk curses as Sarusa calls out the enemy. Thinking quickly, "It might be one of those dogs that tried to eat Morin - one of them went down a tunnel inside - there could be an exit out here!"
Throwing caution to the wind, Tekk reaches down to the edge of the roof, swings his legs over, and drops to the ground.
Karo fits an arrow in his bow and moves up next to Corbyn.
Karo looks at Corbyn, eyes wide, shrugs and runs off to find some other cover.
Karo trips over a root, looking for another place to hide.
Morin is also able to spot the shape in the mist to the west, though so far, only he and Sarusa see it.
Tekkis decides to forego the rope allowing easy access to the ground from the roof and gracefully dives face first into the ground twenty feet below, taking falling damage and landing prone.
Corbyn does his best to hide low to the ground along the side of the crypt, a difficult task as he is not sure entirely which direction danger may come from. Karozekas manages to make enough noise that no matter where danger comes from, it should find him easily.
Tekk picks himself up off the ground and pulls out his mattock.
Karo readies his bow to fire at what is coming.
Morin raises his bow, arrow nocked, waiting for the shadow in the mist to become clearer before he fires. He keeps most of his body behind the crenelations surrounding the top of the mausoleum.
GM Screen: no peeking! This includes those playing inquisitive halflings.:
Sarusa also sends her spirit sense mistwards; as they are within 60 ft she should be able to tell what they are.
Chloe makes a slight grunting sound inside of Tekkis' armor.
[dice=Miss chance due to fog, low is bad]1d100
Sarusa's spirit sense shivers her to the bone, and she senses an undead presence moments before a slavering, emaciated, corpse-dog bursts from the fog, the chunks of missing flesh and fur not seeming to slow its charge at all.
Her dust bullet flies but misses the creature in the shifting fog, striking in the path of its charge, although the cloud of choking dust does not seem to deter the abomination in the slightest.
It rushes towards Karozekas, nearly hamstringing the elf, before he nimbly steps back and lets an arrow fly, skewering the creature.
Morin fires true from the top of the crypt, but his arrow does not seem to penetrate very deeply into the shaggy hump of the creature's back.
Despite his training, Corbyn finds himself shocked at the undead wolf's horrific countenance, . Nevertheless, he steels himself and lets fly, punching through the creature's skull and dropping it with a meaty thud.
Tekkis stands and arms himself, while Chloe restores some of her own health.
Chilling howls reverberate through the mist. Whatever this was, there are more of them.
|
Corbyn finds himself shocked at the undead wolf's horrific countenance, [dice=concelament (low is good)]1d100. Nevertheless, he steels himself and lets fly, punching through the creature's skull and dropping it with a meaty thud.
"Why Undead? I hate Undead! No more visiting cemetery's on the way to Ravenmoor, OK guys.
Corbyn readies another arrow and draws his bow line.
Tekkis prepares to charge the first enemy he sees emerging from the fog.
Karo fits another arrow onto his bow and draws back, waiting for something to emerge from the fog.