Chris walks over to the pile, the flaming celestial blade still present in his hand, "I don't know, maybe she decentigrated him, or turned him into a ghost, or maybe his body formed last or... Hold on... What's this lump here?"the clothes flail a bit in reponse, and a small rodent pops it's head out, desperately holding a tarnished silver locket as best it can.
"... Ok so maybe we got off easy... Um... I'm going to assume you used to be the scared little dude who was traveling with us earlier.... Uh... Can you understand what I'm saying?"
"... Ok so maybe we got off easy... Um... I'm going to assume you used to be the scared little dude who was traveling with us earlier.... Uh... Can you understand what I'm saying?"Chris walks over to the pile, the flaming celestial blade still present in his hand, "I don't know, maybe she decentigrated him, or turned him into a ghost, or maybe his body formed last or... Hold on... What's this lump here?"the clothes flail a bit in reponse, and a small rodent pops it's head out, desperately holding a tarnished silver locket as best it can.
the rodent nods it's head as best it can.
She catches the movement out of the corner of her eye. Suddenly the words stand out more over the screeching, screaming, arguing, and dozens of other sounds of the swamp. She turns towards the source to see a lizardman with her husband's bardiche, singing praises to Sarenrae. Could it be? Is it really him? "Merek? Is that you? What has happened to us?"
the rodent nods it's head as best it can."... Ok so maybe we got off easy... Um... I'm going to assume you used to be the scared little dude who was traveling with us earlier.... Uh... Can you understand what I'm saying?"Chris walks over to the pile, the flaming celestial blade still present in his hand, "I don't know, maybe she decentigrated him, or turned him into a ghost, or maybe his body formed last or... Hold on... What's this lump here?"the clothes flail a bit in reponse, and a small rodent pops it's head out, desperately holding a tarnished silver locket as best it can.
"I don't suppose you can still talk... Can you?"
"Oh Cas, it is you! What is going on? Are we...are we really monsters now?" Sarrissa removes the holy symbol from her corpse and ties it around her neck using her old sling. She picks up her scimitar and slings her pack over her shoulder. She uses her dagger to begin cutting her rope into sections and ties several lengths around her waist as a make-shift belt. She stands, scimitar in one hand, shield in the other, and turns to face whatever comes next. "Which one of you is Merek?" she inquires loudly. "Pethaps if we introduced ourselves...again...I am Sarrissa, daughter of Jorran, priestess of Sarenrae, and soon to be slayer of witches."
"I am Christopher of house Farrell, weilder of the holy sword , Mage third class, and eventual slayer of witches"
the rodent shakes it's head, and reamins on the clothes, avoiding stepping into the muk.
She catches the movement out of the corner of her eye. Suddenly the words stand out more over the screeching, screaming, arguing, and dozens of other sounds of the swamp. She turns towards the source to see a lizardman with her husband's bardiche, singing praises to Sarenrae. Could it be? Is it really him? "Merek? Is that you? What has happened to us?"
Merek holds his Bardiche upright, taking himself out of a combat stance.
He slowly walks past Castell and towards Sarrissa, Yes. It is me. You've changed. Everyone has changed. And I'm starting to suspect that I'm not in armor; my mouth feels... Strange; I'm bigger, bulkier, stronger.
Merek looks back behind him at something dragging on the ground, And, um... Apparently I have a tail now.
Edgar abandons his futile attempt to wear people-armor, and instead throws on what clothes will fit,buckles on his swordbelt, and stuffs his armor into his backpack. He then approaches the group.
"So we're all alive at least."
He looks at the new form of Zveris.
"Teacher, how do you know this... Margaret? And what in the seven hells did you do to piss her off?"
Upon scanning for his horse, Fray notices that the other creatures have stopped fighting, and that there are a lot of undead closing in. Being roughly the same shape and size of his old body, he ponders arming himself with his gear. I could give these new... wings... a try I suppose...
Fray tears holes in his shirt for his new appendages, and arms himself with his bombs, mutagen, and extracts. My armor will need some more serious modification.
He gives his wings a few flaps, lifting off the ground about a foot before falling.
I could probably manage this if I weren't carrying... my own body, but there's no way I'm leaving it behind. I need to find a way to get back into it. Where in the hells is my horse!?
Fray is visibly upset and confused. He tries again to take off into the air but the weight of his body and unfamiliarity with his wings is preventing him from doing so.
Maybe if I just... leave my body here for a moment... I can fly high enough to locate the horse. Then I can use it to get my body out of here. Not to mention recover my other equipment. Fray smirks, congratulating himself on such a brilliant idea. He gently lies his body down, doing his best to straighten out the broken bones, then prepares for liftoff.
the rodent shakes it's head, and reamins on the clothes, avoiding stepping into the muk.
"ah well, here, if you want you can ride in my satchel, just stay out of the pocket marked with a star, that's where I keep my spell components" dad did always want me to get a familiar
Noticing the commotion going on, Merek says, Sarrissa; looks like others need our help. You got anything that can calm our flyer friend over there? He seems to be having a bit of trouble and is in a bit of a panic. I'm going to check on that man we were helping last night.
Merek heads over to the hobgoblin talking to the little chinchilla, hoping that is presence and aura of courage will calm the little guy down.
Hey there, Merek says to the chinchilla, you may not remember me by my looks, but I'm sure you remember the feelings of reassurance by my presence. We will not harm you, and I shall keep my promise to protect you. Meanwhile, you may find it helpful to stick with our friend here. Merek gestures to the hobgoblin when he says "friend here."
Do you have family? People you want to return home to? Do you want us to try to return your humanity to you?
After a very messy take-off, Fray lands face first in the muck of the swamp, wings pointed straight up in the air.
Whelp, here's where I die. Cut down in the prime of my life. The most beautiful rose has been clipped and thrown in a swap. Goodbye cruel world. Fray doesn't bother to move from his crash site and ponders to himself what the afterlife might be like. Probably something a lot like this, actually.
the chinchilla doesn't seem all that afriad. It might have been awake ever since yesterday. The chinchilla shakes his head to the first two of merek's questions, and nods at the last. It then looks to Chris, and climbs into the sachel if it's offered to him.
After a very messy take-off, Fray lands face first in the muck of the swamp, wings pointed straight up in the air.
Whelp, here's where I die. Cut down in the prime of my life. The most beautiful rose has been clipped and thrown in a swap. Goodbye cruel world. Fray doesn't bother to move from his crash site and ponders to himself what the afterlife might be like. Probably something a lot like this, actually.
Castell see's the other's in the group start to calm down one by one, save for the creature carrying what appears to have been the nobleman. It's probably him, why else would this creature be trying so hard to get a corpse? Hey there. Need a hand? Cas waits for both sarrissa and a response.
Sarrissa walks over to the black-skinned ostrich with its head in the muck while sheathing her scimitar in her new hemp belt. Reaching down she grabs Fray's corpse and slings it over her shoulder. "Can I deliver this somewhere for you kind sir?" She turns and looks at Castell and says "See if you can get him up and moving. We'll need to be on our way soon, before the denizens of this fine location decide to investigate the commotions...although I have no idea where we should go, but anywhere else seems better than here."
almost as if on cue, a zombie stumbles into sight. The noises nearby make it rsther clear thst there's more, lots more, coming.
Spoke too soon, Sarrissa!
Merek hustles back to his "corpse" to grab his red silk Favor and ties it around his left bicep.
the land is sticky, sloppy marsh. The trees start 40 - 100 feet away, depending on drection- the zombie stumbled from the nearest clearing- thst direction is where you came from. From there, the trees spread out a ways, before coming back in- the shape is not too unlike a bell, with you standing in the middle of the top. The trees are partial cover. the marsh gets thicker as you head away from the nearer trees, evnetuslly becoming difficult terrain in the "bottom" of the bell. With the number of zombies you hear and smell, fighting them all may be tough to manage.
Castell stands between the zombie and Fray. If you have any will left, we need your help. He says to the embarrassed strix on the ground. If not, I guess you can live with knowing the small, feeble-looking creature saved your life. He tries to use this last sentence to prod Fray to action.
EDIT:
Bubbles form in the muck around Fray's head as he mumbles a response to Sarrissa's question. He raises his head up, face covered in swamp goo, and sees the bugbear standing before him. In a calm voice he says, "If you're going to eat me, do be a dear and do it quickly..." He then face plants back into the muck.
Merek recognizes the strix back from his campaigns to help eradicate the beasts; back when he was a squire. He knows the hobgoblins from when they assaulted Crossroads a few years back. He's familiar with bugbears from when he went on the hunting party just last summer.
He has no idea what he turned into - some sort of lizard-man hybrid. He thinks the same of the other lizard thing that smells bad, and the small furry talking meerkat.
[dice=know Strix]1d20
[dice=know lizardfolk]1d20
[dice=know hobgoblin]1d20
from his campaigns to help irradiate the beasts;
Castell only seems to recognize the Strix, and Lizardfolk. Both thought eradicated utterly and recently as well. Not extinct anymore, then... Good.
Bubbles form in the muck around Fray's head as he mumbles a response to Sarrissa's question. He raises his head up, face covered in swamp goo, and sees the bugbear standing before him. In a calm voice he says, "If you're going to eat me, do be a dear and do it quickly..." He then face plants back into the muck.
"Mr. Frayed is it? We don't have time for this. You're clearly the brains of this outfit, so you need to pull yourself together, I need that brain of yours to start figuring a way to undo all of this nonsense and only someone of your caliber has any chance of solving this puzzle so get your head out of the muck, swallow that pity of yours, and start getting to work on fixing this here problem or by Sarenrae's light I'm going to make a kite out of your freyed rear end." She then reaches down, grabs him by the back of the neck, and will attempt to sling him over her shoulder along with his corpse.
With Castell's comment, Fray half lifts himself up out of the swamp. He sighs heavily. "Fiiiiine."
Fray pulls himself to his feet, brushing gunk from his clothes. He looks at his "companions". If I have been turned into this beast, it stands to reason that the others shared the same fate. ...Though I certainly was more fortunate than others.
Fray's eyes scan the others,finally falling upon the troglodyte. "Ugh, what's that Gods awful smell?"
With Castell's comment, Fray half lifts himself up out of the swamp. He sighs heavily. "Fiiiiine."
Fray pulls himself to his feet, brushing gunk from his clothes. He looks at his "companions". If I have been turned into this beast, it stands to reason that the others shared the same fate. ...Though I certainly was more fortunate than others.
Fray's eyes scan the others,finally falling upon the troglodyte. "Ugh, what's that Gods awful smell?"
the zombie, all the while, sluggishly walks towards fray.
"The stinky one's a troglodyte, no idea what the rest of 'em are."
Castell initiates part 1 of his master plan.
He tears into the things rotted skull with a ferocity greatly out of character for him previously. Oh. Oh no. It tastes worse than it looks. Oh, dear gods above... *hack* *cough*
Castell finds it rather hard to remove his own teeth, and in pulling back, the zombie's head falls off, a large chunk of it still left in his mouth, partly broken bone... A little bit of gray matter.
Upon seeing that they are surrounded, Merek yells out, I suggest a tactical retreat. Any suggestions as to the direction?
Ugh, it's in my teeth. It's in my teeth! Why did I do that? Castell stumbles back towards Fray and Sarrissa, casting Prestidigitation to clean himself up while he does so. I vote back the way we came! blech. Never doing that again.
"Coming here was your idea. Following that, me smelling like this is your fault. Now, you can never talk about it again, or I can leave you here with those."
At first he points to Fray with a large red gem claw and then to the encroaching undead.
"Everyone not concerned with my scent, follow me. I'm following our tracks out and then to my house. It's outside town and more importantly outside the swamp. I'll explain about Margaret there."
He shifts into bull form, growing horns on the sides of his head, more downward like tusks following his pointed muzzle and bulking up with more muscle. Previously he had grown more hair, but it would appear his new form lacks the capability of hair.
He follows their tracks they left, bludgeoning his way through zombies as needed.
Good idea! Everyone, follow Zveris! Anyone particularly attached to their body besides the self obsessed one, talk to Sarrissa or the other large lizard over there.
If anyone has any stuff they want, Merek says as he picks up his backpack - empty except for some rope - and slings it across one shoulder, i may be able to throw in in my bag before we head out.
"Coming here was your idea. Following that, me smelling like this is your fault. Now, you can never talk about it again, or I can leave you here with those."
At first he points to Fray with a large red gem claw and then to the encroaching undead.
"Everyone not concerned with my scent, follow me. I'm following our tracks out and then to my house. It's outside town and more importantly outside the swamp. I'll explain about Margaret there."
”Maybe have a bath there as well, he isn't wrong teacher.” Edgar muses with a slight chuckle.
He takes one last glance at his former body, then follows in Zveris' tracks.
Good idea! Everyone, follow Zveris! Anyone particularly attached to their body besides the self obsessed one, talk to Sarrissa or the other large lizard over there.
If anyone has any stuff they want, Merek says as he picks up his backpack - empty except for some rope - and slings it across one shoulder, i may be able to throw in in my bag before we head out.
Alright, running then! Castell rushes to follow Zveris, grabbing his armor as he passes and holding it somewhat awkwardly off to the side of his chest. At least I'm kind of covered now. And I'll need some soap after seeing Sarrissa naked.
"Agreed. Zveris's place is not here, which qualifies as being anywhere else but here. I'm not normally one for rash decisions, but given the current situation, I'll make an exception. We need to get out of here, Zveris has good instincts out here, and he's the best guide we have available. We can discuss our next move once we're out of this blasted swamp. Besides, if the witch follows us somehow, or scries on us, I'd rather she track us to his place and not mine. I happen to like my place, even if I never see it again. Maybe afterwards, we can locate an old lizardman colony, hopefully it wasn't burned to the ground. Now let's MOVE!"
"Someone's touchy." Fray comments as he collects himself.
He turns to Sarrissa, "...and yes, of course. My apologies, I should have realized no one else here has the... wherewithal... to come up with a good solution to this mess. Though you must admit, none of us are quite at our best at the moment.[/b]" Fray begins following the bull lizard.
"I believe it best to withdraw for now. I'd like to avoid /further/ dirtying myself by combating these wretched flesh puppets."
Fray runs forward, flapping his wings to assist his stride and get used to the feeling of his wings.
zevris's ideas, and words, are rather well reinforced by at least 30 zombies coming into sight.
"Agreed. Zveris's place is not here, which qualifies as being anywhere else but here. I'm not normally one for rash decisions, but given the current situation, I'll make an exception. We need to get out of here, Zveris has good instincts out here, and he's the best guide we have available. We can discuss our next move once we're out of this blasted swamp. Besides, if the witch follows us somehow, or scries on us, I'd rather she track us to his place and not mine. I happen to like my place, even if I never see it again. Maybe afterwards, we can locate an old lizardman colony, hopefully it wasn't burned to the ground. Now let's MOVE!"
fleeing the undead, everyone ends up getting hit. There were more then you could've guessed- the sheer number of undead is ubsurd, and these were only the ones that came to the sound of your panic. Just how many were there?
Over majestic peaks, we hail the fallen kings!
Celestial blazing wind, burning the mighty hordes!
As he runs, Fray remembers his horse and all the valuables in the pack saddle. He tries to remember which one of these creatures used to be the man who was talking to his horse. After a moment, he decides that he'll just ask the bugbear. He flaps his wings to catch up with Sarrissa.
"Excuse me. I carry a bit of soap on my horse. If you would be so kind as to help me retrieve it, I'm certain I could..." Fray gags a little as he tries to force the words from his lips. "Share... a bit with you."