Garrosh keeps up the pressure on the same zombie.
Kilarra cleaves into the blue zombie while Hanako's foul mouthed words go wide and Baldhart's short sword fails to cut into the zombie's flesh. Piotr cuts the orange zombie down, but Ann's spectral daggers barely manage to cut into the blue zombie. Garrosh, trying not to hit Piotr, sends the shots too high.
The remain zombie continues to swing at Piotr.
Winter continues to guide Piotr, as she says grimly, "One left."
Kilarra goes for another power attack, confident that they're nearly done.
Hanako shouts at the top of her lungs, “MERRY CRYSTALHUE!”—invoking the zombie-crushing positivity of her goddess’ holiday!
Baldhart flies up the stairs and over and down through the door, her bone jewelry jingle-jangling in her speedy flight. She laughs a raspy “Mrr-hrr-hrrg!” as she stabs the zombie.
Hanako’s biting words are so jolly, the fairy just enjoys the feeling of conking the zombie, even though her attack is harmless.
"Just one..." Piotr agrees, as he triest to make it none.
Kilarra cleaves the blue zombie down making it no more zombies in the hall.
With the dogs now trapped in another room, feasting on frogman-leg, Hanako suggests heading toward the basement steps via the courtyard.
She also says, “Unless we can get a magical short sword in Baldhart’s hands, she is harmless against those zombies. And all I can do is heal with the wand.”
She looks around the courtyard to see if there is anything eye-catching.
Baldhart also searches the area.
Kilarra says "I was trying to help you earlier, but you didn't get what I was saying. I asked you if you'd take vengeance for Winter's mentor's sake." She draws the magical shortsword Red Destiny.
"This weapon belongs to The General of Vengeance. I want someone worthy to carry it. If you can swear to use it as Ragathiel would, I'll loan it to you. It's too small for my tastes."
On each zombie the party finds studded leather armor, a masterwork longsword and a masterwork longbow. Searching the room yields a jug of rancid milk under one of the bunk beds.
Hanako replies to Kilarra, “Oh, yes. Revenge is a just cause in this case—to violate a woman’s body by puppeteering her against her own mentee. And… friend, surely. This goes beyond vengeance. Necromancers should simply not be.
“Having said all that, my new fairy friend has a stronger arm than I. She cannot speak, but I believe she would make this vow herself if she could form the words.”
Baldhart hears Hanako speak of what the fairy would say if she could. But she can’t. Yet, she tries.
She kneels in front of Kilarra. “Mrrrr-r-r-r...” She realizes her voice only makes this silly. So she remains silent…
She rises,
…and steps to Winter’s right. She places her left hand on Winter’s shoulder, then sheathes her useless sword. With her right fist, she pounds herself above the breast once, then steps up to Kilarra. She extends her forearms, palms up…
She waits.
Kilarra hesitates for a moment, but then gives Red Destiny to Baldhart.
"Don't lose this." She says
------------------------
Kilarra suggests it's time to go to the basement... unless everyone is dead or dying.
"Are the dogs fed enough that they won't attack us?" She asks
Baldhart points to the closed door to the room she lured the dogs into. “Ding,” she says, flashing very, very bright green.
"That battle went better. Running around was a good idea." he gives the tiefling an appreciative grin, and then another to Winter. "Thanks for the help"
"Sorry, I can't give much more," Winter gives Piotr a wan smile, "I'm all about tapped out."
Kilarra stands at the doorway with a hand on her hip and her greatsword slung dramatically over her shoulder.
"So, you wanna take a nap, or are you hungry for more?" She grins gleefully
“Oh, it is on like a prom dress.”
Hanako looks ready to finish this, though not as ready as Baldhart who has Kilarra’s Red Destiny in hand!
“Let us do this!”
The party descends the stairways to arrive in front of a door, which Piotr determines is not trapped at opens it.
The walls of this cool and surprisingly dry subterranean room are lined with sturdy shelves laden with chopped wood. A couple of axes sit propped in a corner and a small hatchet is driven into a stump used to split smaller logs and make kindling. Piotr determines that both doors are not locked nor trapped, though he can hear gurgling noises from both doors.
"A... prom dress?"
"Hey, can you scout past the doors?" Kilarra asks while looking at Ann.
“Why, yes,” Hanako replies. “It is a special dress for a coming of age dancing ritual. Miss Mizzola has so many! I recall trying them on…”
Hanako is obviously very excited by this topic. While reminiscing, she can’t recall which dress she settled on. She distinctly remembers choosing the vermilion qipao. Then, thinking more, she definitely chose the lavender kimono. Replaying the memory again, she is absolutely certain she wore the teal evening gown. The daring mini with jewelry to match the shimmering gold. The elegant silver and bronze maxi…
“Oh. We should talk about dresses later! Ah, but a simile cannot distract us from our mission. Perhaps a metaphorical call to action is more appropriate, such as—let us rock!”
Noting the suggested course of action to Ann, Hanako quietly acknowledges, “After scouting. Then, we shall rock.”
Ann rolls her eyes, looks at her brother, who concentrates for a moment, then Ann pokes her head through the door.
The many wooden shelves in this room are stacked with wooden crates, paper-wrapped packets, and small clay jars sealed with wax. Smoked trout and other dried fish hang from metal hooks fixed to the ceiling. A number of boxes and containers have been emptied and smashed, and now lie in pieces on the floor, along with discarded fish bones and other refuse.
Three hungry frogmen currently rummage through this pantry looking for something interesting to eat. One tears into the side of a large smoked trout, while another is using a small pry bar to open a crate of dried figs. On seeing Ann, they turn on her but their tridents pass harmlessly through her.
Ann rasberries the ineffectual frogmen then pulls her head back out. "Frogmen, three of them." if they haven't burst in the room and everyone seems to be ready, Piotr will open the door.
Kilarra moves closer to the door. "I wanna go in first." She growls
Baldhart stands by the door, ready for a frogman to open it first.
The door opens, and a frogman armed with a trident can be seen at the doorway with another frogman on each side.
Garrosh studies the creatures movements for a split second, then lets an arrow fly.
Garrosh's arrow bounces off the wall. The 3 frogmen attempt to stab Kilarra with their tridents, clanking off her armor.
Winter casts guidance on Kilarra. "How did these even get here?"
"No clue, but I know how they leave!" Kilarra growls. She stamps her hooves, and charges straight through the middle frogman.
Hanako positions herself to heal any friend in reach.
Baldhart flies into a striking position.
Unfortunately, by flying so that Piotr or Ann can slip underneath, the warrior-fairy hits nothing but door!
Ann follows Kilarra into the frogman fray, but is as imaginable as can be. Piotr steps to the doorway and hacks at the frogman in the way.
The frogman that is being charged at takes a stab at Kilarra as she pushes through him, but he does not manage to strike a telling blow.
Piotr beheads the frogman in the doorway with one swift deadly strike of his longsword as Ann moves through them.
Garrosh steps back and releases two arrows in quick succession.
One of the arrows hits the doorway but the other strikes the yellow frogman in the chest. The frogmen move to attack Kilarra in the room.
Kilarra is bitten in the arm but is otherwise unscathed and Winter casts guidance on Piotr.
Baldhart tumbles to the far opponent and strikes!
Piotr steps into the room to give Garrosh a clear shot.
Anne attempts to antagonize the frogman away from attacking her brother, though she doesn't know if they speak her language.
Kilarra steps aside to flank with Baldhart, and strikes from behind with a devastating drawcut to the neck.
Baldhart manages to stab one of the frogmen in the armpit while Kilarra takes opportunity of the distraction to behead it.
The frogman dodges out of the way of Piotr's strike and does not seem to understand whatever Ann is yelling at him.
Garrosh fires another two shots at the one fighting Piotr.
Garrosh hits the yellow frogman on its shoulder though the second arrow is dodged.
The last frogman makes a futile stab against Piotr and tries to bite him.
Winter casts guidance on Piotr.
Baldhart stays put, knowing Kilarra is the strongest of the giants.
Hanako dances past Piotr, and stands at her fairy’s side. Her wand will heal anyone who the frog can actually hit.
“That was a rather solid strike, Baldy. Perhaps I can wield your other sword.”
Bladhart hands off her sword to Hanako, but it shrinks to the size of a sewing needle.
“♥️Awwww!♥️”
"Baldy?" asks Ann, suddenly distracted from the frogman to see if the fiary has suddenly lost her hair.
Piotr remains focused though, with a focused cleave guided by Winter's magic.
Kilarra steps in and tries to steal the kill from Piotr.
Piotr slashes a deep line in the frogman's stomach, while Kilarra cuts the frogman down. On each of the frogmen is a trident. On a corridor to the left is a cellar containing a dozen wooden kegs, several demijohns, and dozens of empty bottles standing along the shelves of the walls. There is also a blob of transparent jelly in the room blending into the floor but it seems to be doing nothing for now.