"Man! I hope you're wrong Aterro. If this is some kind of infection... I wouldn't want to fight a whole village, sounds... I don't know... Wasteful?"
He flips one of the "insects" and looks at it, but not really inspecting it: "You think these things are just bugs? They use the corpse to find food, or new corpses to 'ride?' By Khors, it freezes the blood to think on it!"
Later, he joins the others to get to the mill.
"Has no one of us been bit by one of these things yet? I saw one had a go at Attero, but his armor held up? We should be sure we aren't carrying the disease. And we should think about what is to be done if we become infected. Who is skilled at medicine?"
He looks around, his gaze landing hopefully on Vrindel. But as the group departs he keeps pace.
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"I doubt we'll have to fight the whole village," Aterro answers dourfully, leading the way to the mill. "Some bodies would've been too desiccated to be of use after their murder, some more zombies would've been killed by their fellow villagers as loved ones took up weapons to re-kill the bodies of those that they had trusted and lived with for many years before seeing them turned into mindless servants of these fellow insects.
And then still more would've perished in the fire, either dying naturally in an inferno of the homes they had grown up in, or, after being mounted and re-purposed by the insects, would've wandered about thoughtlesssly, no longer able to recall how to escape a neighborhood that they once called home, all thoughts of their previous happy life shrouded behind a wall of necromancy, and they would've been trapped and burned into cinders.
Oh, and there might even be some survivors in this mill we now visit.
So everyone? Not likely."
Vrindel walks along with the group, saddened at the loss of the village, but knowing how quickly nature would reclaim the ruins were the inhabitants no longer there. He keeps a close eye on the stream to make sure no threats emerge from it.
It is hardly fate that those of us with ties to the Fey are thrown together in this group, though the purpose is still lost. I'll concentrate on the task at hand for now however. That is for brooding at another time.
The fog remains fairly thick as the party walks the narrow track up the valley. It travels between several fields and the creek. The proximity to the flooded stream occasionally causes you to divert around areas of high water, but the detours are short and easy. After a short while the path levels out and the mill house looms out of the fog a short distance away. The building sits on a solid, high stone foundation built to withstand storms, flood, and other potential disasters. Two big water wheels reach out into a set of sluices that run from a small dam that set slightly further upstream. Typically the dam would create the small reservoir to store water during the dry summer months and allow for a more even flow through the sluice. But currently a torrent of water flows over the top of the dam and much of the low, flat area around the mill is flooded.
The path disappears under a good six to twelve inches of water, but likely ends near the north side of the mill where a covered landing and simple block and tackle system is set up for loading or unloading heavier amounts of grain, timber, or whatever the mill is set up to process. A stone staircase leads up to a closed wooden door set on this side of the mill. More disconcerting is body lying, collapsed on the landing at the door, while a couple of corpses are half covered by the flood waters at the base of the staircase.
Trevor signals the others to stop and warns: "There's been a fight here! I thought these were slain villagers, but see there, these are bugs. They were bug-zombies! So perhaps there are survivors... Anyone know what that green symbol on the door means? I mean, it's glowing..."
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"I do not know. It could be a sigil of some sort, but that is beyond my ken.
I am not surprised that this structure was a sight of defense. I also know that I am not prepared to be surprised by a corpse about to animate."
Aterro makes certain that all the bodies are remaining still by hitting each with a Sacred Flame.
Perception
Vrindel makes out the glow of the symbol through the fog, but before he can say anything Trevor brings it to the others attention.
"Strange...Strange".
Intelligence
Aterro's holy flames strike each corpse briefly setting it ablaze before they sputter out. None of the corpses react, but the surrounding air fills with the added smell of burnt flesh and clothing.
Trevor wrinkles his nose and gives an annoyed look at Aterro: "Really?"
The happy gnome follows along the companions without much to contribute. He keeps an eye on the details looking for any piece of information.
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"Yes, really," Aterro states, satisfied with his work. "And had we approached the door withOUT checking, and one of us were slain by a body that only playing possum, you would have said 'O! What a curse it is that the Cleric of War did not have wisdom enough to check that all the bodies were dead! How have we been shackled with someone without the most base of wisdom??'
Their soul is already drinking heady mead with Lord Thor in Valhalla, for they died glorious, in battle. What you see before is but broken shells.
And I have head of runes that contain offensive capability. I would not wish us to be caught on that either."
Aterro takes up the wet, bloated corpse of one of the insects and hurls it at the rune. If it does not explode and simply drops in a wet heap, he will advance and knock on the door.
"I have no idea what you guys are talkie about! What green symbol? And are you sure those are bugs zombies they look like regular burned people to me?
When Finnigan sees Attero actually pick up one of the bugs and throw it he shrugs.
Vrindel suddenly stiffens and hiss for the others to stop for a moment.
"There on the roof. Something was watching us. It looked kind of lizard like, not like the ticks or the zombies... and I swear I heard some clicking, skittering footsteps when I looked up that way. If it hadn't moved I would never have spotted it".
Perhaps we should see what that's all about, before we approach that door. The symbol... or should I say symbols look like symbols of power, perhaps more than one combined... but I cannot determine their purpose".
Vrindel begins to circle the mill seeing if there is another entrance, or if he can get a better view of what might be on the roof.
Perception
While Zove examines the runes from a distance and Trevor and Aterro discuss the merits and morals of burning dead corpses, Vrindel starts to circle around the mill to the north looking for other opening and entrances. Another closed large wooden door is set back beyond the covered area of the big landing. From this angle it is easy to see a few barrels on the landing set back against the wall. Continuing around the building to the east there are no other doors, but a row of windows dot the upper half of the building. One, about two feet wide by three feet high sits open.
The flood waters start to get deeper rather quickly as the trollkin moves about halfway along the sixty or so feet down the east wall to try to circle to the south. After getting about a third of the way, the water reaches knee height and he notices odd patterns in the surface near the southeast corner of the building. It takes a few heartbeats but the druid realizes the patterns would be easily explained by something moving just under the water. Something bigger than just an ordinary pond fish or wandering trout.
At about this same moment on the opposite side of the building, Aterro tosses one of the dead bugs at the rune. The rather ugly projectile hits the door causing the runes to flash brilliantly followed by a quick bang and the already dead bug is essentially incinerated. A startled Zove who was intensely studying the runes is left blinking and rubbing her eyes trying to clear the red glowing image of the symbols from her vision.
"Well, now we know what it does... HEY IN THERE! ANYONE ALIVE?" he shouts.
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"Interesting," Aterro says, confident that Thor smiles upon him this day.
"A lizard thing you say?" he retorts to Vrindel. "That would...be a new monster for us to encounter. Still, that it is not attacking us now means that we have more important matters to attend."
Taking a cue from Trevor, he goes up to a nearby wall and pounds rhythmically upon it. "Are any alive in there!? By THE HAMMER OF THOR YOU SAVED! COME OUT SO WE MAY KNOW PEOPLE STILL LIVE HERE!"
He will keep going around the building performing this, chasing Vrindel and letting anyone inside know that the pounding is not the random acts of the undead.
Vrindel starts back the way he came when he sees the ominous swirl in the water. No need to stir up that pot yet, when there are already several on the fire.
He increases his pace when he hears the explosion and the startled cry of Zove, he then hears pounding like thunder at random intervals from the other side of the building. Gods what is happening. I go away to scout for a bit, and the world turns upside down. I've never heard so much noise in all my life. Hope these zombies are not attracted to sound. If so we'll be run over in no time.
He almost runs into Aterro as he hurries back around to inform the others of the results of his scouting trip.
"What is happening? Is everyone OK? I heard an explosion and pounding sounds...
He then looks up at the open window to see if any changes have occurred there.
Finnigan winces with empathy seeing Zove effected so strongly by the flash of light, but he doesn't offer any words of consolidation. She'd probably think I was hitting on her...
Seeing Aterro's decisive action he can't help but feel admiration. "Am I the only one here who's never been in this situation before? Bloody hell, when did you lot have a chance to read the practical guide to disabling glowing rune traps using only the carcasses of necrotic parasites?"
He follows Vrindel at a distance keepin his crossbow trained near the trollkin to offer covering fire if he comes under attack. Once Vrindel make sure his way back, Finnigan trains his sites on that upper window....
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"I have spent my most recent days in the armed camps of resistance fighters trying to re-take their country from a conquering nation of vampires. You...hear stories," Aterro answers Finnigan somewhat sheepishly.
"Confound, what is taking these people so long to open the door? You'd think that they didn't know that a plate gauntlet banging ceaselessly on their door was a sign of salvation," he muses without irony as he completes his circuit.
Aterro stalks through the low water around the building pounding on the walls and comes to about the same point on the east side as Vrindel did where the flood water becomes much deeper. The cleric's pounding and Trevor's shouts from the other side echo through the fog, but there is no response from inside.
On the west side of the building, Zove's light sensitive eyes slowly recover and she can see again, although dancing colorful images of the runes still float in her vision. Vrindel circles back around to the north side of the building, boots sloshing through the foot deep water near the covered landing, while Ibrox stands next to Trevor quietly watching, that same odd inquisitive or appraising look on his gnomish face.
Although he is mostly focused on the open east-side window, Finnigan's sharp eyes notice an odd rippling in the water near the southeast corner of the building. When Aterro starts his next round of pounding from about halfway along the east side of the mill, Finnigan spots the ripples in the water rapidly moving in the cleric's direction. At least two more sets of 'ripples' follow closely behind.
Trevor waits, but keeps looking at the door, hoping someone 'normal enough' will open it. No way he's going to wade into deeper water. He finally managed to feel somewhat dry.
"May be no one's there, but then why the blowing rune?" he asks to no one in particular.
Vrindel decides to jump up and investigate the door on the north side. First he throws a piece of debris or something at it to see if it is warded as well. If nothing happens he steps up to it and examines it.
Perception
Investigation
Nothing happens as the wood block bounces off of the door. When Vrindel tries to pull it open, he finds the doors rather loose as they jiggle a bit but they are latched closed. Unfortunately it is too dim under the cover for him to really see whether it is barred, locked, or simply latched somehow on the inside.
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By this time Aterro has tired of yelling and banging on things and not getting results. He comes around to Vrindel and watches how his investigation of the door goes. "I am of a mind to see how that door handles a solid blow of my sacred maul. Does anyone have a better idea? Mind you, I shall hate to leave the first building we visit no less a mystery than when we first arrived."
Finnigan nods at Zove's clear thinking.
"Lads, have you not spotted this here, something is moving in the water... it was stalking after Vrindel, now I make out there are maybe three of them. I can see the movement from the ripples."
He keeps his crossbow up ready to fire at anything that jumps out at Zove or Vrindel, but he keeps a sidelong glance on the water.
By this time Aterro has tired of yelling and banging on things and not getting results. He comes around to Vrindel and watches how his investigation of the door goes. "I am of a mind to see how that door handles a solid blow of my sacred maul. Does anyone have a better idea? Mind you, I shall hate to leave the first building we visit no less a mystery than when we first arrived."
Vrindel places a firm hand on Brother Aterro's armored shoulder. "I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunity for your warhammer to dance this day, but for now let us allow Zove to perhaps give us insight as to what awaits us".
Vrindel walks back to the window, and leads Brother Aterro (If he's willing) to where Zove awaits.
"Don't get too far ahead of yourself up there. Just tie things off so others can join you, and maybe get a peak at what's inside. Remember I detected some type of being up on the roof, so he might be lurking inside the window".
Perhaps we should ready some missile weapons in case there is trouble before we get up there".
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Aterro nods sagely at Vrindel. "Aye, you have the right of it. As she has such craft, I'll leave be so Zove can ply her trade. For the now I'll see what Finnigan is on about."
His maul riding easily in his grib, Aterro glides over to where Fin stands watch over the water. "Eh? What's this now? Did you actually see some monster, or are we reduced to jumping at fish now?"
Taking his cue from Vrindel, Finnigan makes sure his crossbow is cocked and loaded, and hovering near Zove.
"Aterro, a fish it may be but If I didn't know better I'd think you were making excuses! You aren't afraid of drowning are you? Well, I guess that's understandable in all that armor. Maybe someone else can investigate the pool so you won't have to put yourself in danger..."
I imagine that should do the trick!
"Why not check the double doors on the other side? I mean Finn says there might be predators on your side. So either we fish them up first, then Zove climbs, or we all move to drier land and check out those barn doors. I'm just saying..." and he adds a shrug, but stays where he is and waits for the situation to clear up.
Trevor, hearing the others continuing their work, curses to himself and walks cautiously, trying to avoid getting water inside his boots, and rejoins near the window: "Ok, point me those fish and if they come near, may be we can cook them later tonight."
The majority of the party disappear around to the inland side of the building, intent on entering through the open window. Suddenly finding himself alone in the fog with no one but the nearly always smiling gnome at his side, Trevor decides to risk wet feet and joins the rest of the group with Ibrox happily following.
It is easy enough for Zove to 'step' up and through the window, and she does so. Finnigan encourages Aterro to head into deeper water. But all of the movement and sloshing around has definitely drawn the attention of...something and there is no need for the cleric to seek it out. The ripples spotted earlier by Vrindel and Finnigan rush toward the waiting party just seconds after Zove disappears into the building and Trevor rounds the corner. Vrindel and the young knight are the first to react to the danger, although Trevor's initial wild slash at the water does little other than splash Ibrox with cold flood water.
"Ssss....Who?....Not dead....but no know you...Ssss....Must protect.....you leave...Ssssss...."
"Oh sh!te! These fish have wings, scorpion stingers and a frog face full of teeth! "
Finnigan pops a bolt at one of the amphibians, timing his shot for the moment when they break the surface so the water doesn't impede the attack.
He also keeps his dagger out.
"Zove I don't have my eye on you to cover you so you're on your own! Don't turn your back to that window if you can help it!"
Perception
"Gather together, then let's do a fighting retreat up to the building, so that it's at our back, and they can't get behind us".
Vindrel grimaces as the creatures rise from the water. Why couldn't they just leave us alone. We weren't bothering them.
His wooden staff instantly becomes a weapon of destruction, and he wields it against the first creature to appear...
Knowledge check to determine what out enemy is.
Shillelagh
Welcome to the bash zone
But the wet conditions cause the Trollkin's hands to slip on his enchanted staff.
"Ssss....Master left....must guard.....Ssssleeping little ones....you follow." It says turning toward a skinny staircase to the right that leads down into the main floor of the mill. At the same moment several shouts erupt from down below followed by much splashing and then more shouting.
The first creature leaps from the water, gliding forward on its membranous wings, its toothy grin heading straight for Aterro. But it is immediately punctured by Finnigan's crossbow bolt and a blast from Ibrox. Both blows knock it aside at the last moment and it lands with a splash back into the shallow water. However, these must be fairly tough creatures as it quickly rights itself and starts swimming toward another potential meal.
The second creature comes streaking through the water and leaps at Vrindel whose readied strike misses. Unfortunately for the druid, the creature's aim is true and it sinks two rows of sharp teeth into the trollkin's arm and instantly the tail winds itself around his arm and body trying to hinder his movements further.
The final leaper sails toward Finnigan, but he easily ducks away. It lets out a sharp, almost hawk-like screech of frustration and then glides back into the water with a light splash.
Trevor shuts up and tries not to scream. He stays near Finn and readies his axe for the next jump.