Faidh began to Wade into the water and then begins to move.
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Fiadh feels herself brush up against one of the leeches, but remembers seeing that Akkramar didn’t seem overly concerned about that being harmful.
Underwater is very clear and she can see up ahead the gleam of light off fish scales and she can even make out the fisherman’s line still connecting him to the salmon.
Then suddenly something moves below. She sees one yellow eye peering out of a black writhing mass. It blinks a few times, obviously observing her. Then a jet stream of inky black liquid envelopes Fiadh.
Losing vision she becomes momentarily disoriented about directions. In the direction that she thinks must be down to the river bed, she starts to see a strange scene. Bony hands break free of the river muck and claw their way out, followed by forearms, all bare bone stripped of flesh, sometimes gauntleted, sometimes holding the haft of a blade. An army of dead in antique armor, clamoring up to free themselves from the algae and mud, they raise their un-breathing skulls, craning towards the surface and the light in a silent submerged shriek, jaw bones rattling, and yellow flame glowing in the sockets of their eyes.
From the shore Akkramar sees Faidh making her way towards the fisherman and gaining on him. Then something goes wrong. A cloud of black ink swells up from below enveloping the fey knight as she swims. Akkramar can see a tentacle loop around Faidh's ankle, a black tentacle lined with suction cups. As it tugs her down, to Akkramar's horror he notes that Faidh is not struggling. Her body goes motionless for a bit and sinks from view. But Akkramar has his sturdy rope in hand, tied to his new companions waist.
Beneath the river Faidh feels herself descending and for as far as she sees more lifeless warriors are clawing their way out of the muck, reaching for her, chattering, stabbing with rusted swords in her direction as she drifts closer and closer to their reach.
Then, a ray of amber light pierces the inky water, and with it clarity dawns in Faidh's mind. How is that she can see these skeletons if she is enveloped in black ink? What was the last thing she saw before this terrifying vision? Oh yes, a tentacled creature with a yellow eye...
Suddenly green leafy vines, tendrils of life and sanctity, burst up from the riverbed and begin pulling the dead back beneath the soil and algae.
Faidh sees the fair face of Arialee, fey green goddess, her patron, shining in her minds eye.
concentrate on your body my knight... what do you feel...
Sensation comes back. What's that? Constricting at the ankle. Yes. A tentacle.
"Close the door!" shouts Bez to the half-elf. "Find something in there to keep them at bay!"
He spins his blades at the advancing zombie.
You're not being a hero, Bez, you're just keeping her alive long enough to help you dispatch these undead things, he reminds himself. My business is Rhendlyth.
Faidh doesn't struggle too much and goes for her great sword if possible. She focuses on her body, trying to not use up to much air yet. The knight concentrates hard her hopes is to draw her blade and free herself from whatever this creature is before her air runs out or she dies.
"What the..?" - Akkramar grumbles when he sees the strange events happening in the river. When the rope starts threatening escaping from his hands, he holds on taut, and begins to pull back.
Aging books go flying as Melira bounces off dusty bookshelves. Bez's words ring in her ears, and for a moment she is able to think. I'm not strong enough to close the door in their faces. My sleep spell won't work. Melira transfers her dagger to her sword hand. She shoves that hand forward, straining to keep the dead at bay. Her other hand begins gesturing energetically, her voice suddenly rising and falling to otherworldly pitches. A moment later, and Melira's spirits soar.
One of the zombies seems to become interested in the magical energies coalescing around Melira. It cocks it’s head to the side as if appraising her, before raising it’s hands high to hammer pallid fists down on her skull and collarbone. Either Melira’s deftness or the newly manifested aura of arcane protection cause the creature to misdirect its blows however.
The other shambles after Saendithas who is fumbling with his magical component pouch as he tries to decide whether to stand with Melira or escape through the door which never got arcane sealed.
The third zombie, wounded by Bez, grabs hold of bunches up fistfuls of his shirt and coat and heaves him side to side crashing him violently against either wall of the narrow passage.
"What the..?" - Akkramar grumbles when he sees the strange events happening in the river. When the rope starts threatening escaping from his hands, he holds on taut, and begins to pull back.
[dice=Is this Athletics?]d20+3
Akkramar feels the rope for taught, then Faidh’s body stretched. She is not unconscious she is struggling butt something stronger is pulling her away. The rope strains. Akkramar digs in his heals, and finds that he is able to real her in. Her head is coming in and out of the waves, and it appears she can get enough air in between dunks.
As she approaches the shore Akkramar can see the tentacle still wrapped around her leg and a dark mass beneath the surface being towed toward the shore behind her.
"Come on then!" - the sturdy dwarf growls as he sees the dark mass attached to his companion - "Why don'tcha ye come outta the water and try ta have a bite at me?!" - he grunts while continuing to reel Faidh in, bit by bit - "And leave the lass alone!"
Fiadh takes a swing down with her battle axe. It's a desperate attempt but
It seems difficult with the jostling and grappling.
Akkramar manages to drag Fiadh up onto a rocky beach. The knight is hacking away at the tentacle but nonetheless it remains attached. The dark writhing mass that spawned it hovers about 12 feet off sure and 10 or 15 feet deep under the surface.
The panic which had gripped Melira as the fight broke out seems to disappear as magic washed over her. Feeling bold, the bard once again presses the wounded zombie.
"I can't close the door or block their passage, but I'm something to keep them at bay," Melira calls back to Bez.
The zombie lurches and seems to call upon some reserve of necromantic energy to keep itself intact, but Melira’s precise blade strikes get the best of the creature. It collapses, limbs dangling from severed sinew.
Saendithas heads for the door, backing away cautiously from the zombie confronting him, but not cautious enough.
Beziriphas shakes his horns in pain. "It would be embarrassing to be killed by a dead person," he grunts, and stabs at the zombie again. "In case I don't get to thank you later, I'm Bez, here on a fool's errand."
Akkramar keeps his hold on the rope, and continues pulling - "Can ye cut it?" - he shouts at Faidh.
Akkramar lands Faidh on shore on a rocky beach about ten feet downstream from the dwarf. The fisherman with the salmon on the line wash up much further downstream and the other fishermen rush away to work there way down to retrieve him.
Faidh can see her foot looks white and bloodless from the constriction at her ankle but no ill effects can be felt. Maybe a bad case of pins and needles will be coming when the blood rushes back in.
The tentacle is still pulling Faidh’s body taught against the rope but Akkramar clearly has got the best of it. It is keeping tension but mostly ceding to the dwarf, certainly not gaining any ground.
One zombie pursues Saendithas trying to catch hold of him past the doorway where he is making his way out to the empty lecture hall. It is a cramped back hall with some right angle turns with little banks of stairs that drop down just five feet to the pit level of the auditorium, whereas the little study or storage room where the zombies are attacking is approximately at the same height as the stage in the auditorium. So the back halls are not roomy, have sharp 90 degree turns, and shifts in elevation.
Saendithas has been coming and going through here regularly and his body is familiarized with the route, but he has never done it while pursued by a zombie.
Meanwhile Melira has a zombie crumpled at her feet, and can hear the third one struggling against whoever seemed to have said her name moments ago, a little ways down the secret passage.
Melira's spell keeps her clearheaded.
Saen might be able to lose the shambling zombie in the twisty back halls. Or he might trip and get eaten. Melira can hear the sounds of Bez being slammed against the tunnel walls. This Bez has been all bluster, but now he mentions being killed. And I haven't seen Saen take a wound yet...
With a cry, Melira leaps to Bez's aid.
Run through with blades from either direction, the zombie staggers and lurches.
The undead creature looks down at Melira’s blade protruding from it’s chest. Without turning or pivoting, it reaches back with both hands, one over either shoulder, and gropes around to find purchase on the clothes and limbs of its attacker. Once it has a grip, it heaves Melira upwards against the low ceiling.
Bez pauses. You could run, says a small cold voice in his head. You could drag Rhendlyth away.
He dismisses the mental cobwebs, grimaces and limps forward instead, swords in a shaky "Two Hells as One" stance, then lunges at the zombie again.
I'll try again" She states as the Firbolg then groans."I wanted to be shorter, Shorter! Not stretched to become larger!!!"
Faidh swings again hoping to injury whatever this thing is.
The zombie is beginning to resemble a pincushion . In fact, Melira has to be careful as a blade exits the back of the creature not far from her hand and wrist where she has a weapon still thrust into it and protruding out the chest.
On the bright side though, all these piercings seem to have finally severed the creatures connection to whatever un-life animates it.
It slides sickeneningly along the blades and suddenly the two sword-wielders both feel it’s weight bearing down as gravity pulls the creature toward the floor and it is held up only by the steel blades criss-crossed through its chest cavity.
Down the hall a bit you can hear Saendithas holler for help. From the way his voice echoes you can tell he has made it out to the auditorium, but of course with no lectures being held currently it is bound to be free of faculty or students.
Melira looks up at the armed intruder. "Come on, let's go help Saen with the other Zombie." For a moment, she hesitates, keeping her guard up. She glances at the crumpled figure on the ground which is definitely not a zombie. Then she turns her back and runs after Saen.
"Just a moment..."
Bez takes out rope and quickly ties Rhendlyth's hands together and fastens him to a torch sconce.
He then limps after Melira, cursing his bruised back.
"Keep hacking at it lass!" - Akkramar cheered - "I would help ye, but I don't wanna drop the rope. And not sure me hammer would be any good on that squishy thing"
Faidh doesn’t break the skin of the thing with the first chop, but after getting used to being stretched between a rope and a tentacle, she eventually can line up the right angle to slice into the thing. After all, the creature and it’s potential victims are at an impasse. The creature won’t come to shore, and it can’t outmuscle Akkramar, but it doesn’t want to let go.
When the axe finally starts to slice into the black rubbery skin, a pool of inky substance leaks out. Faidh immediately remembers the experience underwater, and the visions she saw, the confusion she felt, and the divine visitation of her fey patron which helped her get a grip on reality again.
Part of Faidh still shivers at the sight of the water and can’t shake the feeling that an army of bones could march out of there at any moment.
A bit of the black liquid spills on Faidh’s lower calf muscle and there is a strange sensation where it touches the skin but the quantity seems to be too low to induce any further effects.
The severed tentacle withdraws toward the water and it seems the creature will move away.
Bez and Melira catch up, reaching the auditorium on time to see the zombie cornering Saendithas where he tripped and sprained his ankle.
Melira is about 20 feet away emerging in the pit at the foot of the stage, while Saendithas was making his way up the aisle between a sprawl of chairs, climbing up a sloped incline towards an exit.
" I don't think it wants to waste its efforts." Faidh says as she rubs her legs and rests soaking wet in her clothes. The gaint Wincing a bit at the leg and body where the pulling was done. She wasn't bleeding or broken but she would be bruised and sore.
" I really could use that fish about now. And a fire" She states sitting up and putting away her Axe. She wasn't in the greatest of moods. She nearly was some squids dinner, and then the Skeletons . Well if there were skeletons.
Melira lifts a hand as if to whisper, and her words become laced with subtle enchantments.
The creature is about to rend into Saendithas when Melira's whispered words seem to distract it and throw it out of balance.
" I don't think it wants to waste its efforts." Faidh says as she rubs her legs and rests soaking wet in her clothes. The gaint Wincing a bit at the leg and body where the pulling was done. She wasn't bleeding or broken but she would be bruised and sore.
" I really could use that fish about now. And a fire" She states sitting up and putting away her Axe. She wasn't in the greatest of moods. She nearly was some squids dinner, and then the Skeletons . Well if there were skeletons.
One of the fishermen saunters up besides Faidh, pointing downstream to where his freiend finally washed up on a bank.
"You'll have to do without. A deal is a deal! Our friend had to rescue himself and the fish got away." He looks Faidh up and down. "What's sorer? Your bottom have from a squid hug or your top half from this dwarf pulling on a rope?"
With a cry, Melira raises her blades in the air and charges. The creature's back is exposed, surely she can rush in and deliver a quick blow before it notices her.
Why does a rushed blow against an unaware target work less often than a calculated one against someone trying to defend themself?
Bez nimbly dances in at Melira's side, bringing his own blades to bear.
He furrows his brow, concentrating, and gets in one more swipe.
"Are you ok lass..?" - the words died in Akkramar's mouth at the man's comment.
One of the fishermen saunters up besides Faidh, pointing downstream to where his freiend finally washed up on a bank.
"You'll have to do without. A deal is a deal! Our friend had to rescue himself and the fish got away." He looks Faidh up and down. "What's sorer? Your bottom have from a squid hug or your top half from this dwarf pulling on a rope?"
"Hey! Hey!" - he grunts, poking a finger in the man's chest - "Now take it easy, will ye? None of this is our fault! We were tryin' ta help" - the dwarf grumbled - "And we can still do just that, and help getting yer friends back on their feet. But ye need ta change yer attitude"
Saendithas kneels trembling before the walking cadaver, eyes closed, hands over his head. Suddenly a symphony of blades seem to be makOmg short work of the creature. It’s abdomen splits wide and a tide of viscera surges against the cowering elf’s face, shoulders and chest.
But somehow the disemboweled zombie remains animated.
[/ooc]miss[/ooc]
Saen fumbles for his spell component pouch
A shard of arcane ice bursts through the eye socket of the creature and it finally crumples to the ground.
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Melira hefts her sword, hacking at the corpse. She pants softly, sweat dripping down her forehead. "We should go back and make sure the other ones are really dead." She starts running back towards them, then stops.
Her hands are steady, for the moment, but only because of the magic. "Nice job Saen," she says offhandedly, moving hesitantly back towards him.
"Who are you?" She asks, still looking at Saen. A moment later she glances up at the Tiefling rogue.
"Bez will do for now, and I have business with Rhendlyth. See to your comrade and meet me back there, yes?"
Beziriphas sprints back to where he tied up the dark elf arcane fellow.
Bez finds Rhendlyth still secured by rope in the secret passage. He appears to be knocked out still.
"Hey! Hey!" - he grunts, poking a finger in the man's chest - "Now take it easy, will ye? None of this is our fault! We were tryin' ta help" - the dwarf grumbled - "And we can still do just that, and help getting yer friends back on their feet. But ye need ta change yer attitude"
The fisherman is wearing a simple sarong wrapped around his waist. He looks like he is about to get offended, standing up tall and firm at Akkramar’s poking. But then his manner changes a bit as he looks the dwarf and the giantess over.
”You... you serve the Gods? You have healing arts?”
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"Ok Bez, we'll catch up." Melira offers a hand to Saen.
"Are you hurt? Do you need healing?" I've never really been in a fight like that, despite all my training. She misses her sheath three times before managing to put her dagger away, then feels at her head. Her hand comes away wet. Gods, I hope I'm not hurt.
"Come on," she says abruptly, "let's go see what Bez is doing with the live one."
Melira follows after Bez.
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Bez arches an eyebrow at Melira and Saen. "Do you have any idea why this charming elf would have sent zombies at you and tried to seal a door? I have some questions for him, and he undoubtedly doesn't want the Academy to know about his wrongdoings around here. We could trade him questions for his silence, but I have a better idea."
He drags Rhendlyth back into his study, motioning the others to follow.
He puts pen in the dark elf's hand and grabs some foolscap and guides the unconscious drow's hand with a legible, but truly messy scrawl:
I, RHENDLYTH, TRIED TO KILL SEVERAL CITIZENS WITH NECROMANCY. THE EVIDENCE IS IN MY STUDY.
He pockets the note after the ink dries, being sure to dab the drow's index and thumb print on the paper as well.
He then drags a zombie in to the study and blindfolds the drow securely.
"Now we question him, and then lock him in here. I'll drop this note on the way out," says the disguised tiefling with a smile.
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" Calm yourselves, He is safe from whatever that was." Faidh says as she stands up and looks at the Fisherman. She was still angry. She would have had the man if it weren't for that thing. She was about to suggest to the Fishermen to love along up stream to less tentacle Undead infested waters but Akkramar interjected.
The Firbolg was hungry, but also now just wanted to be dry and away from here. She wasn't one for people. Many thought her a monster,others gawked at her. It was uncomfortable. It's why she wore a disguise or hid behind her clothes. Still, she also wanted to be with people. It was conflicting, but the large woman missed her tribe. She wanted to go back so bad,but.No she was exiled for now, she would return someday.
Those thoughts led her to absent reach over her shoulder as to try and scratch the scar. It was an absent gesture designed from her years shouldering the symbol while young to now wanting to just touch one of the last connection to her people.It was Faidhs badge of responsibilities, Shame, duty, loss and heartbreak. Still she wished to never have be given the tattoo, yet at the same time her life would not be the same.