Double doors in the front of the manse swing open and shut from time to time as foot traffic enters and exits the academy. Deliveries, visitors, this seems like the main point of egress and ingress. There are no observable formalities, everyone who enters just pulls the doors open with a big bar, and those leaving seem to heave the doors open from within. If anything they remind Bez of oversized saloon doors.
Just inside however there is a window to the left with papers hung all around. A gnome with a monocle who occupies a booth behind the window gives off an air that he clearly expects to be interacted with. Just beyond him a pair of sandstone statues resembling androgynous but athletic classical figures wearing togas each bear a polearm which are crossed in a fashion that doesn’t fully obstruct passage down the hall for any but the taller folks who may have to duck a bit, but nonetheless communicates a message not to proceed.
Bez saunters through the double swinging doors, remembering to keep his mix of authority and mild concern on his 'human' features.
He approaches the gnome and pulls out his foil embossed card. "Hello, yes, here to see Magister Rhendlyth," he says, in his best crisp officiousness.
The gnome looks Bez up and down just once and adjusts his monocle. ”Rhendlyth. Yes. He’s not teaching any classes currently so I haven’t got a schedule for him. Nonetheless if you’ll have a seat I’ll inquire as to his whereabouts.”
He gestures towards a marble bench in the hall. From the bench it kind of feels like the statues with the polearms are towering over Bez. A bell rings and after six or seven minutes Bez can plainly hear one side of a conversation the gnome is carrying with someone behind the booth.
”Indeed. The gardening shed. Yes. And then what? Very well.”
Another moment passes and then the gnome summons Bez back to the window.
”It seems Master Rhendlyth was seen entering a supply shed out back behind Prewitt Hall. You may visit him there, it is on a footpath just here.”
He points with a long dowel at a map on the wall.
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Bez bows curtly and is on his way. No tail, no escort--far too easy. They must be scanning me with magic or something.
He keeps an eye out as he walks along the footpath, in any case.
However, it's hard to look around much in his somewhat uncomfortable get-up, speaking of tails, as his is carefully bound under a cloak.
Additionally, as he walks, he realizes he hasn't the foggiest idea of what to ask Rhendlyth. Simply inquire about his brother? Did wizards ask for money for information? Bez silently curses at himself--he's usually three steps ahead in his planning, rather than wandering in the wrong part of the city with a slight headache and a vague non-plan.
"No lad! Do not dive there" - Akkramar shouts out a warning - "That spot is too shallow and rocky - ye'll probably break yer neck! Look over there, t'is a much better spot to dive in" - he points out an area a few meters further downstream, then turns to Faidh.
"Can ye do something to help the lad? Throw a rope or somethin'?"
The fisherman dives in the direction Akkramar indicated but he is out of balance and doesn’t aim well at the deep dark water. He doesn’t directly collide with rock but from where Akkramar stands he can see the mans body go rigid after breaking the surface of the water enough to slow his momentum somewhat but then colliding into the river bed nonetheless.
When Bez makes his way on the footpath to the utility shed he finds the door open. Even from just outside a peculiar scent of ammonia wafts time his nostrils.
Saendithas’s gnome mentor excuses himself with a few best wishes and admonitions to exercise caution and care.
Not long after he has left the two in their familiar quiet secluded little study tucked away in a forgotten back corner of hall, when suddenly the usual deep silence of the place is disturbed .
creeeaaakkkk a bookshelf against one wall swings open and a stench of death and ammonia wafts into the room. A mindless groan and shuffling footsteps can be heard from the secret hallway as something pushes the bookshelf in.
Fiadh rushes over and looks down.
Melira starts to her feet, suddenly afraid. All this time and we never knew there was a secret passage... "W-who goes there?" She asks, her voice faltering.
As she edged past Saendithas, Melira found her courage. I will be brave, for his sake. She feels for the hilt of her sword, drawing it in a smooth motion. Her dagger is already in her other hand. "Saen, the exit, now."
Bez wrinkles his nose a bit. Hmm, but where's Rhendlyth? Do I have one more minute...
Fiadh rushes over and looks down.
It looks like a well executed athletic dive would go safely in but if the dive doesn’t go well a diver could hit at a shallow part and collide with the river bank which is what happened to the fisherman who tried. The surface of the water is about 20 feet down and the water looks 15 feet deep at the deep parts, but in other spots it is shallow and rocky. There are two fishermen in the water now, one with a salmon pulling him by his fishing rod, and the other one looks like he got knocked out.
You can see some blood in the water from where he hit his head. And you can judge by having witnessed his accident about the extent of the danger.
Fiadh takes off her scarf and then begins to strip to save the drowning man.
"Damn this!" - Akkramar roars, and moves to draw the wounded man out of the water, looking over his wounds - "Ye think ye can reach the other one lass?" - blushing slightly even through his tanned skin, the dwarf pointedly looks away from the stripping giant - "Don't break yer neck, or I am not sure I will be able ta drag ye out"
Bez wrinkles his nose a bit. Hmm, but where's Rhendlyth? Do I have one more minute...
Bez notices...
A trace marked in the dust on the floor reveals that one of the tool shelf’s can be swung out to reveal a passage leading into the adjoining hall.
Melira starts to her feet, suddenly afraid. All this time and we never knew there was a secret passage... "W-who goes there?" She asks, her voice faltering.
As she edged past Saendithas, Melira found her courage. I will be brave, for his sake. She feels for the hilt of her sword, drawing it in a smooth motion. Her dagger is already in her other hand. "Saen, the exit, now."
As Saendithas moves to the exit Melira can see a hand reach around the shelf from the secret passage. A human hand but withered and purple gray, lifeless but somehow animated. Whatever it is it is entering the room now. Behind it are others of its kind , you can hear them shuffling and moaning. And still further back in the passage, Melira can hear an incantation being intoned.
Rhendlyth? Sneaking around? What secrets does someone have here?
Bez can't resist a mystery.
One hand on a sword, he follows into the passage.
Fiadh begins to move down as to better get the fishermen.
Akkramar deftly scales the embankment, looking at home on rocky terrain. He gets himself downstream of the injured diver and catches hold of an arm when the current brings him in reach. He easily pulls him to the bank, and is surprised when he touches something slimy. Leeches as big as his fist have attached themselves to several of the divers limbs.
Fiadh makes it down to water level and finds a place to perch, but the other fisherman, the one still attached to a salmon, is being bourn further downstream.
From above on the donkey trail one of the fisherman shouts down. ”Hey there strangers! Save our friend and the fish is yours!”
Rhendlyth? Sneaking around? What secrets does someone have here?
Bez can't resist a mystery.
One hand on a sword, he follows into the passage.
Ahead of Bez he can make out light entering the passage when a similar secret door on the far end seems to be being pushed open.
Bez can see the silhouette of a lithe figure in front of him , and beyond that three lumbering, shuffling bodies.
The sound of a magical formula being incanted can be heard, and the accent sounds familiar, with that hollow eerie throatiness that remind Bez of the dark elf duelist who has afflicted his brother.
Well, well, well, Rhendlyth is engaging in necromancy...I'm fairly certain murder isn't allowed on campus.
He draws his swords and sneaks towards the shamblers, careful to stay out of sight, so that he may apprise the situation further.
By creeping up behind , Bez can see that Rhendlyth is reading from a scroll.
Melira can hear the spell being cast as well.
There is a sense that the dark elf is struggling a bit with the pronunciation of magic that is out of his wheelhouse, either the wrong school or too powerful or both.
The dark elf does not detect Bez behind him.
Round One
"Leeches? And so many of'em so fast?" - Akkramar's eyes go wide at the sight.
"Faidh! Da stream is packed with leeches - be careful girl!" - he shouts a warning.
With Akkramar’s familiarity with priesthood including the arts of divine healing, he is able to recognize some peculiar attributes of these leeches. Although they are unpleasant to behold, they actually seem to have a very sterile and sanitizing secretion.
It appears that if they were removed too hastily they could be dangerous in terms of rapid blood loss if the puncture were not covered hastily. But, on the other hand, Akkramar is able to determine that they can be used to disable poisons and afflictions.
Bez opts to wait, as he cannot tell if Rhendlyth is casting a spell to help or hinder the zombies, and he has no idea who has what motivation. Right now, he won't interfere, but he readies a sneak attack against Rhendlyth to trigger if Rhendy appears to be dastardly.
How badly am I outnumbered? Melira edged forward to try to look past the bookshelf. I think I should flee. Her field of vision narrowed. All she could see was the tip of her blade, within striking distance of her target.
What am I doing?
Melira finds that the half-open bookshelf interferes slightly with her attack. The second thrust of the blade in particular nearly misses because of the awkward attack angle. The creatures, which she can now see for sure are animated cadavers, are very slow to react and both sword thrusts do find their way home into the desiccated flesh. They do not smell rotten though, they seem to have been preserved by chemical means.
"Leeches got it" She said as she works her way to get closer and get to the person floating by.
Saendithas is paying close attention to the sounds from the hall and is able to decipher the spell being cast in spite of his fear.
”Melira, he’s casting an arcane lock to seal us in here with the zombies! Stop him!”
Fiadh can see that the fisherman is downstream from her and moving away. It seems she will not be able to catch him unless she doesn’t mind getting wet. Otherwise he may wash up further down where there are eventually some small beaches. He looks distressed but not panicked, in fact he hasn’t let go of the fish yet.
The other fishermen are looking more concerned about the man with the head injury, but one of them does repeat the offer of a salmon for a rescue.
Fiadh sighs and begins to doff her armor. " Well looks like I'm getting a bath" She says while taking off her armor her big eyebrows and goat like ears as she readies to take a plunge.
Bez appears behind Rhendlyth and stabs at the dark elf's shoulder, attempting to harm the magic user and disrupt his spell at the same time.
"I was going to ask you something, but that's clearly out of the question," he quips at the ebon-skinned wizard.
Bez feels the blade slice through the thin pale pink robe of an academy apprentice. There is no armor beneath the cloth, but something else, a field of energy, causes Bez’s wrist to wobble. Nonetheless he drives the blade deep, and even in the dim light a quickly expanding pool of blood can be seen blotting the cloth.
Rhendlyth stammers and flounders, and there is a tangible release of tension as the building magical energy in the air dissipates. The dark elf drops the scroll and it crumbles into ash midway as it flutters down to the marble tile floor of the congested secret passage.
He pivots back towards Beziriphas and lisps a brief incantation as he reaches over his own shoulder to clasp the tieflings wrist, the blade still buried in sinew.
Electricity crackles around his fingertips and Bez feels the hairs standing on end.
Then the jolt racks his whole body, and he smells burnt skin and feels the pain in his forearm where the touch spell was delivered.
The zombie wounded by Melira pushes it’s way past the bookcase and heaves it’s body into Melira, slamming her brutally against a large globe spinning in a heavy brass stand.
Bez and Melira can go for round two. I will put Saen on withdraw unless anyone wants to check his profile and see if he has a go-to cantrip or description of usual tactics?
Beziriphas grimaces and brings both swords to bear upon Rhendlyth.
"Actually, before you expire, if you could tell me the whereabouts of your brother, and also good day, Melira, is it?" says the tiefling with a casual drawl.
Once he confirms the man is stable, Akkramar follows in the direction where Faidh is about to dive, while removing a rope from his pack - "Here, tie this around your waist afore ye go in"
"Uh sure" She says as she ties it and then heads into the water.
The sound of the dead man slamming into her echoes in Melira's ears. All those lessons with the swordmaster never prepared me for this. Oh gods... Melira watches her weapons move in front of her, only dimly aware of what's going on beyond the immediate combat between her and the foe in front of her.
Did someone say my name?
Rhendlyth swoons from the blood loss and goes limp, falling deeper into the tunnel away from Bez and crashing into the zombie ahead of him. The lumbering undead turns, confused and steps over Rhendlyth’s unmoving form to engage with Beziriphas.
On the other end of the tunnel opening up into the study, the lead zombie takes two sword strikes from Melira that she is certain should have felled an ordinary man, even a combat trained one. It is easy to see that necromantic magic is adding a resilience to these creatures. One limb now dangles crookedly but the monstrosity presses on, trying to push Melira back from the passage opening so the other zombies clambering behind it can squeeze into the room to prey upon her as well.
Melira is pushed from the opening which spells ill for her as now she has to face two creatures at once. The second one shuffles eagerly into the study and raises to hands high in the air bringing them down in a heaving blow with unearthly strength.