Attacks of Opportunity aren't included there.
Several other things as well, but don't remember them right now.
Futin takes a step back from the skeleton near him and then whips his hand out, gesturing wildly at the undead. He closes his eyes at the last second. Hope this works!
◆Step
◆◆Divine Lance
Ahri tries to pick up any bit of useful information that she can about this odd skeleton, and gets many bits of information that come close, but don't seem to line up exactly with it. The only thing that seems to come close are legends about a fearsome undead being called a Death Knight, with untold power to crush it's enemies. But they are little more than stories, aren't they...?
Regardless, she sends a bullet at the creature with her sling, which just ricochets off it's armor.
Talina attempts to react to the skeleton that runs by her, but just misses the mark.
Despite the disturbing feeling of nails puncturing her skin, Talina is able to shrug off the mental attack of the undead knight. She turns to the other troublemaker and takes another swing with the flat of her shield, this time connecting with a solid hit. The skeleton breaks apart at the impact, turning to a pile scattered on the ground.
Futin steps away from his attack and does his best to retaliate, but the blast of divine goodness just misses it mark.
The remaining skeleton follows after Futin, but turns it's attentions to Talina, seeming to follow the strange orders from the knight.
◆ Step
;
;
The former guard is well used to such tactics, though, and defends against them easily.
Alak finally shakes himself out of his stupor and moves right up to the undead Hellknight. "My apologies, lady Talina. This whole scene was unexpected and caused me to hesitate." To redeem himself, he walks right through the creature's area of influence, provoking an attack from it, then returning the attack with vigor.
;
◆ Stride
◆ Stride
;
The two take equally strong hits, but neither gives ground.
Initiative:
Cicero; -5 HP
Blue Skeleton
Futin; -6 HP
Purple Skeleton
Talina; -9 HP
Ahri
Green Skeleton
Alak; -9 HP
Villar
Skeletal Hellknight; -16 HP
Red Skeleton
Brown Skeleton
Villar quickly moved past Cicero and studied his target as he went. Once he was in place he stabbed out with his rapier whilst the thing was distracted by Talina.
◆ Stride
◆ Devise Strat
◆ Stride Strat Strike
Villar quickly finds a weak point in the skeleton's frame and exploits it with ease, causing the creature to collapse into dust.
The Skeletal knight turns on Alak and returns the attack, slashing at him with it's halbard.
Even in death, the creature can wield the weapon with skill and scores a pair of hits.
Cicero steps to the side for a better angle, then flings another piece of stone at the skeleton.
◆ Step
Again, the shot aims true and causes some damage to the knight.
Initiative:
Cicero; -5 HP
Blue Skeleton
Futin; -6 HP
Purple Skeleton
Talina; -9 HP
Ahri
Green Skeleton
Alak; -28 HP
Villar
Skeletal Hellknight; -22 HP
Red Skeleton
Brown Skeleton
Talina stepped forward to assist Sir Alak.
Ahri dashes into the room hiding behind the strangely cloaked adventurer, reloading her sling, then she fires it at the skeleton knight again.
◆
◆ Reload Sling
◆
Futin looks on in concern as this skeletal knight seems to pack quite the punch. Though he trusts in Sir Alak and Talina, it was getting a bit too close for comfort. Calling upon the power of his faith, he bursts out divine energy around him.
◆◆◆3-action heal to help buddies, hurt bad guys
Between Talina's solid hit and Futin's burst of positive energy, the Skeletal Hellknight explodes into dust and scrap metal.
"Who," Alak asks as he turns around, now that the danger is past, "is this little lady over there? Friend of yours?" He's looking directly at Ahri, not threatening, but definitely on guard.
Moving over and picking up her blade, but not yet sheathing it, "Not that I know of. Perchance she could grace us with her name?"
Futin follows along behind Talina, popping out behind her to wave at Ahri. Hello! I'm Futin!
Ahri, suddenly made aware that she exposed herself just like that, gulps and instinctively takes a step back, looking for the nearest getaway.
Ehm, hello there Futin. What a nice fur you have! You must be grooming it well!.
She nervously looks around.
So my name is Ahri, pleasure to meet you all! I saw you needed a hand with that undead hellknight and thought while i'm already here, why not do the right thing and help you out a bit? Your local hellknight sure took his time there.
She looks at Taline shortly.
Thought you would be a bit more thankful, but alas, nevermind.
Anyways, i'm of course a friend of yours! I missed the call for heroes sadly and ever since was looking for you, which is no easy feature it seems, but now i found you, so i can become a hero as well. Even though the hellknight guy probably will deny it, halflings are very well suited to become heroes. That's why Cheliax supresses us, because they are secretly afraid. I'm very good with a bow or sling and know a lot of stuff.
Then she just stands there - dangling her sling - and looks at you with cute large eyes, waiting.
With the fighting over Villar turned his gaze on the newcomer. He'd noticed her entry into the fray and she did help them. He may be from Chelliax but he had no particular problem with halflings, maybe that was because he was a tiefling, who knows?
"The little miss did do some damage to the armored one, a rather good shot too," he said in his quiet voice, "most of her other shots missed but at least may have distracted the thing." His gaze, or at least it seemed his gaze, turned to Ahri and he said, "I have to admit that you being here isn't the best reason to trust you. You could be one of those we are after trying to get in close to us and stab us in the back."
Villar hesitated a moment and then he began to move around her, and watching her reaction, "Of course it does help your story that we've dealt with all the nasties to this point so a lone halfling could sneak in on us in relative safety."
After a second more of standing there with his rapier in hand Villar deftly sheathed it and pulled out one of his business cards which read Vilalr Shadowsun, Umbral Investigations. "Villar," he held out his gloved hand.
Talina sheathed her weapon, "Don't get me wrong Ahri, I appreciate the assistance, but someone new appearing as well-timed as you does make me a bit wary. Still, though, a pleasure to meet you." There was a small part of her town watch training that made her really wish to keep a closer eye on the halfling, simply because of Chelaxian laws that were enforced in Crescent Hold.
So my name is Ahri, pleasure to meet you all! I saw you needed a hand with that undead hellknight and thought while i'm already here, why not do the right thing and help you out a bit? Your local hellknight sure took his time there.
Alak looks abashed at Ahri's words. He puts away his own weapon before bowing to Ahri in a formal manner. "You are not wrong. My hesitation was inexcusable. I may not yet have the title of Hellknight, but these were my brethren all the same, and seeing them in this state caught me off guard. I owe you my thanks, Lady Ahri. Your action was what broke my paralysis."
The Armiger looks pensive for a moment before he speaks again. "I had only ever heard tales about such practices, but never thought that I'd see them with my own eyes."
Futin beams. Why, thank you...I do try to, though I find that without the right shampoos over the last few day, I feel as if I'm starting to get ripe.
Why, Alak, don't be hard on yourself, buddy, you did great. I think we all did! Now, who needs me to look at their wounds...considering we can take a few minutes here.
You consider my appearance well timed? Ahri looks at Talina. Seems i did good then to catch up with you right in time. I was around a bit longer actually, but i did not want to disturb you while you were in conversation with that goblin before. I think i saw her before in Breachhill, but i don't really know who they are. Would i have wanted to stab you in the back, i would have done so already without you ever seeing me. You didn't see me so far... she adds with a glance to Villar.
Then she smiles at Futin.
Back in the day when i...worked...in Kintargo, i used to groom and take care of the manors cats. Perhaps i could groom you a bit later as well.
And you, sir not yet hellknight, are welcome. It seems you're at least a little better than many of your brethren, who would already throw a fit. As long as you can accept that i'm a free person with rights and treat me well we will get along.
Now anyways, can i join you to become a hero? I'm sure you won't regret it. And i usualy hit most of my targets...
Villar withdrew the hand that was not taken and tucked the card away. He wasn't always accepted by others but he figured a halfling would not have spurned his offered hand. He didn't take offense, or at least not much, and instead drifted over to the path ahead and looked to see what was through the next door after checking it for traps.
Just as Villar withdrew his hand, Ahri became aware of it.
Oh did you actually want to shake hands with me? My apologies, i'm somehow not used to that. If you want to we can do it, would be my pleasure.
She holds out her hand a bit awkwardly to Villar and you can tell this is new to her.
Then she suddenly blushes and starts to giggle.
Or if you want to go with the lady theme, you could give me a handkiss hihihi. That would be truly hilarious. The hellknight just called me a lady after all!
Villar reproduced the card to hand to Ahri and shook her hand.
Ahri shakes the hand, still blushed.
Then she looks at the card with curiosity.
What's this card?
And you, sir not yet hellknight, are welcome. It seems you're at least a little better than many of your brethren, who would already throw a fit. As long as you can accept that i'm a free person with rights and treat me well we will get along.
Alak bows again in acceptance of the compliment. "I hope that you'll see that not all off my brethren are the same. And many things have changed over the years." His eyes scan over the room once more as he says these last words. Despite his armor, you can almost see a visible shiver go up his spine.
Umbral investigation...interesting. I'll keep it, thank you.
She pockets the card.
Is this what you're doing here? Umbral investigations? I never heard of something like that before.
Then she bows back to Alak.
You're welcome. I had some bad experiences in the past, but i'm willing to leave them behind. Like Kintargo is leaving it's past behind. People can change, but they need to prove it.
Villar was looking for the next door moving a short distance down the passageway to the east checking it for traps as he went and shook his head when he had a moment, "I guess you could say it is what I am doing here. It was my business back before and during the uprising in Kintargo." He moved far enough down to see that there was a door at the end and said, "I found another door down this way. Di we go to it or backtrack tot eh main hall and the last of those side passages? I think there is a section through that opening to the south as well."
Villar goes to work as he talks with the newcomer, scanning the area for anything that stands out. At first glance, he notices that the opened tombs in the floor all seemed to have been opened from the inside. Whatever happened here, there was no obvious sign of someone prying the headstones in the floor open from the outside.
The long hall seems to be fairly unobtrusive, and the door at the end of the hall is closed. There is a side room to this one, with the entrance immediately to the southwest.
Villar also notices a strange rune etched into the halberd of the undead hellknight that they just destroyed.
Talina looked at her shield and had an idea. Replaying the fight in her head, she didn't recall any of the skeletons using mace-like weapons. She turned to the knight, "Sir Alak, would you happen to think if a mace may be interred with one of your brethren here? I only ask because if we are going to be fighting more of these creature, I'll need something that packs a little more punch than the edge of my shield. I only wish to borrow such a weapon, I'll put it back when we are done here."
She didn't like the idea of taking something from a dead man's grave, but if there were more walking bones around here, she needed a more effective weapon.
Futin works on Alak while the others talk amongst themselves. Cursing himself for his lack of abilities, he just puts his hands on Alak's arm and hits him with some healing energy.
Villar noted the various things he spotted and said, "These were all opened from the inside. Looks like somebody or something made them all rise." His head lifted and shifted around as she looked for more undead but seeing none said, "The question is where did they go?"
He began to look over the remains of the undead knight and he noticed something interesting on the halberd. "I've got something here. Looks like there's a rune on this halberd. Anyone able to determine what it does?"
Alak shakes his head at Talina. "The rank and file would not have been buried with anything of importance. The only ones would would have been left with anything are the officers." he points over at the sepulcher, in the adjoining room through the archway to the west. "Much as it pains me to disturb these tombs, I understand that any treasures you find here will help your cause. Just, please, don't desecrate the bodies."
The knight cries out suddenly, as Futin accidentally wounds him while trying to patch him up.
Looking a Futin, a little bit paler in the face, "Please be more careful."
Villar noted the various things he spotted and said, "These were all opened from the inside. Looks like somebody or something made them all rise." His head lifted and shifted around as she looked for more undead but seeing none said, "The question is where did they go?"
AFter a quick mental count Vilalr said, "Oh, looks like my count was off, only the ones we just destroyed had risen. The rest are still in their crypts."
Talina nodded her head, "I fully intend to not desecrate them in any way."
Moving over to the sepulcher indicated, she turned and asked, "Someone want to help me with this?" She then set down her shield, removed her pack and pulled out a crowbar.
Talina examines the stone coffin and notes that it has been sealed. Using a crowbar will definitely be necessary, but it's going to take some muscle.
Putting a little effort seems to go a long ways. Talina is able to break the seal and open the coffin to reveal the resting corpse of one who is identified as Mistress of Blades Xera Delphine. While she doesn't see any weapon, there is a pair well made bracers that are laid on a velvet pillow beside the body.
Who would desecrate corpses?
Ahri shakes her head.
Anyways, we can take a look what they were buried with, either way it's interesting, perhaps useful, who knows. I could also take a look at that rune, perhaps i read about it before.
Ahri would take a look in the already opened sarcophagi as well.
You think only those have risen? What if the others have risen as well, but are trapped in their tombs? Because they are locked?
Not seeing any weapons, Talina moved on to the next one.
Ahri recognizes the rune as one that improves a weapon's performance in battle.
Talina tries to work her way into another coffin and winds up getting a little cocky about it. Rather than prying it open, she seems to jam whatever the sealant is tighter, making it harder to open.
Undeterred, Talina tried again.
While it hasn't gotten any worse, the stubborn lid just doesn't want to budge.
Oh, this is interesting. Sir Alak you said only the officers would have better gear? Then i guess the one in the armor was one. This rune is magical and helps you to hit better. Should we bring it along? It's a bit too unwieldy for me.
Ahri then walks over to the sarcophagus Talina just opened and looks into it.
This is thrilling already. Feels like real archeological work! Who knows how old this crypt is and what secrets lie hidden here.
I'm probably not much of a help in opening or moving those stone lids, they look rather heavy. I can try though.
She tries to attend Talina on her next try.
With the newcomer's help, Talina tried once more.
Even between the two of them, this tomb seems to be stuck fast.
Futin will try and help out...at least with checking out the bracers. The lid? No thanks...if Talina couldn't move it, it was immovable.