Obsidilan holds out his hand crossbow. "I need to get close. 10 feet."
Giradan casts a sketchy eye at Obsidilan's offering and says "Maybe you can lift?
"I can shoot at it with a magic missile maybe, or be the one to give the signal. The Elder can lift me or one of you." Thraag says as he stays down and waits to see what the group wants to do.
"I don't feel very heard here. Human mind, animal mind, or bug?"
"I don't feel very heard here. Human mind, animal mind, or bug?"
"No mind. Dead but walking."
"It's Eshki, right? I'm no expert on the dead but it seems like a zombie picket of sorts. Shouldn't be a problem."
Clambering slowly and quietly back up the barricade, Caolaide plants his feet in a braced, squatting position to free his hands for the bow. Nocking an arrow, the mercenary waits for the count-off so he and whomever else was ambushing could strike simultaneously.
As Caolaidhe has climbed the barricade by himself, Giradan will form a stirrup with his hands, this time for Eshki so it's easy for her to get up enough to have line of sight for her magic missiles...
vs DC 10
+3 str -2 acp
"Oi! Watch your hands mister!" She's far lighter than she should be, the shield doesn't way anywhere near as much as it should.
Caolaidhe's shot, coupled with all the others attacking, is enough to drop the undead, whose candles quickly go out. With the way clear, it's not far to the breach in Heibarr's wall.
The breach, it turns out, is almost ten feet wide, and consists of a dozen of the palisade wall's beams, which were near-cleanly ripped from the earth and thrown into the town. Beyond the wall is a maze of what was once fields and farmhouses, but that seems to have been overtaken by the Sellen's waters long ago, leaving swamplands in roughly-square patterns instead. A road travels north, the fog wall neatly hemming in the fields as it travels up the banks of the river.
The field that borders the road has a few small islands, each about eight feet tall and half as wide. There are similar islands in the northeast, pressed against the fog wall and the bank of the Sellen. All told, there are probably a half dozen of these islands.
3 rank +3 trained +2 wis
"Hsst! Those islands are critters! Although the ones to the northwest look to be fakes made with stones, canvas and sticks."
As the party observes the islands in the swamp, a half dozen crows fly overhead, cawing as they flap toward the north, out of Heibarr. As the moon peeks over the top of the fog wall, the town behind you erupts in the sounds of violence. Steel on steel, shouts and screams, and the roar of fire fills your ears - yet, from just outside the wall, the town is as dead as it was by daylight.
[dice=Knowledge Local]1d20+7[/dic]
As the strange figures are discreetly pointed out, Caolaidhe marks the nearest well and finds a patch of shadow to sit in while he tries to puzzle out the details. He relays anything he recalls to his companions.
When the phantom screams and clangor of battle rises the half-elf starts visibly, staring grimly at the ruined village all around him. ”We cannot stay here!” he hisses, his alarm clear even as he tries to be quiet.
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As the party eyes the island-creatures with apprehension, another crow follows the murder that left Heibarr. This one, though, is different. Its feathers are tattered and the flesh below them seems to be rotting. At a seven foot wingspan and nearly four foot body, it's also much larger than the crows it was following. It circles the party, obviously looking for an opening, then swoops, flying down toward them, rheumy eyes seeming to search for a weakness. It lets out a rattling, gurgling Cawww as it swoops. None of the islands move, save one, whose head tilts slightly to take in the hideous crow.
3 rank +3 trained
"Cayden preserve us!" exclaims Giradan, and his words carry the blessing of his god. He continues, "Feather the dammed crow first. Let the swamp beasts come to us." He takes a step back between between Eski and Sizy, where he can cover both of them against a swooping attacker with his spear...
With combat reflexes and 14 dex, I can take up to 3 AoO's... I assume I am using the longspear, but I also have a spiked gauntlet if something draws an AoO inside the donut (but the damage will need to be re-rolled).
2 Bab +3 str +1 morale (bless)
+4 1.5*str
Thraag moves towards the strange crow and readies to send acid at it if it gets nearer.
The Elder moves to place himself between Thraag and the weird crow. He readies to swat the crow down if it comes near.
"He's right--mages and fliers die first." Stepping back from the thawn and sticking his axe into the dirt handle-up, Caolaide draws his bow and nocks an arrow in one smooth motion. Narrowing his eyes at the crow's clearly supernatural nature, the scarred elf fires.
"IS it another situation like the candle-creature, or does this one have a mind?"
The thawn do, indeed, seem to be waiting to see what the party makes of the murder crow (as Obsilidan correctly identifies it). There does seem to be a bit of bellowing back and forth in what can only be assumed to be Giant. Even through the bellowing, though, one of the island-looking hulks does stand to its 9-foot height, flexing its arms and stepping just a touch closer to the impending fight.
As for the crow, it swoops in closer, weaving around Caolaidhe's arrow as it zips by harmlessly. It seems to be looking for a window to get in close without putting itself at risk. It gathers a bit of altitude, clearly getting ready to dive on...someone.
[dice=Knowledge religion Butterfly]d20
"IS it another situation like the candle-creature, or does this one have a mind?"
"Might have a mind, is definitely undead" is the answer Eshki gets from Giradan...
Eshki readies to jolt the creature as it swoops.
Sizy also readies an attack for when the bird swoops again. In fact, it looks to be wheeling and waiting for another opportunity even as the party gets ready for its approach!
Scowling as the shot goes wide, flying off into the darkness, Caolaidhe grits his teeth and nocks a new arrow. Forcing himself to move deliberately, he watches the crow carefully for an ideal moment to strike.
Giradan rushes forward to lunge upwards with his longspear ...
2 Bab +3 str +1 bless
+4 1.5*str
Thraag shoots another bolt of acid at the creature. He calls out, "Be wary, this creature seems cunning!"
The Elder stands ready to strike if the creature comes near his charge.