"As soon as we kill them, you can have both" she promises
Angered by their defiance, Ceceka hisses right back at the slender pair.
Without knowing exactly what the undead are, he relies on Telvir for that sort of thing, Caraid leads with his usual technique of tossing magic around and waiting for further developments.
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Caraid blasts the closest creature with divine power. Aily and Humerus move in, but neither one is able to hit!
The wounded creature hisses as its wound from Caraid's spell starts to heal! It claws at Aily, and while she dodges its first attack, it hits with its second attack, grabbing the rogue!
The other creature claws ineffectually at Humerus.
HP 122/122
AC 25 / 27 in Mountain Stance or 29 if use Mountain Stronghold
Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +12 (+1 vs. disease and poison; +2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude DC vs. Grapple and Swallow Whole; +2 circumstance bonus vs. being Shoved or Tripped while in Mountain Stance, +1 vs. fear)
Hero points: 3
Effects:
"Hey, boss, leave her alone!" Humerus calls out. Seeing himself again, he tries to grab the creature holding Aily. Seeing that these things are slipper, he changes tactics and just tries to punch it, his blows landing like falling stone.
Telvir slashes at them with his magic and send in Smoke to attack.
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Aily doesn't like being grabbed. She struggles, kicks, bites, and utterly fails at getting out of the creature's clutches.
Ceceka strikes the creature grabbing Aily, but the thing seems resistant to physical damage, so he doesn't deal as much damage as he'd hoped. Telvir's telekinetic rend proves effective, though Smoke's attack comes up short. So, too, do Humerus' attacks and Aily's efforts to escape. Caraid blasts the undead grabbing Aily with searing light, badly wounding it.
The creatures' injuries continue to heal before your eyes. The one holding Aily maintains its grip as it begins to consume her memories, draining the rogue's thoughts and healing itself in the process!
The other creature attacks Humerus with its claws!
HP 81/122
AC 25 / 27 in Mountain Stance or 29 if use Mountain Stronghold
Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +12 (+1 vs. disease and poison; +2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude DC vs. Grapple and Swallow Whole; +2 circumstance bonus vs. being Shoved or Tripped while in Mountain Stance, +1 vs. fear)
Hero points: 3
Effects:
"Not nice, boss," Humerus says as he grabs the creature holding Aily again. "Let the lady boss go!"
He tries to punch it and toss it away down the hall, but its grip on Aily complicates matters.
Since a. Searing Light seems to work and b. it has Aily, Caraid unleashes his full fury upon the undead!
Aily is released, making her fall to her knees, panting heavily. A dazed look in her eyes trying to remember whatever it took from her but only getting confusion, loss, and a significant amount of seething irritation. Despite the last, the fear of losing more is too great, so she throws her dagger at the nearest thing while moving back away from them.
Telvir tries to remember what he knows of such creatures, considering a way to take advantage of any possible weaknesses.
He seems unfamiliar with this type of vampire, however. He unleashes a blast of flame, hoping it might stop the regeneration.
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Smoke continues to chomp at the creature as well.
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Left with no other option but than to rip and tear, Ceceka continues his assault.
Ceceka slashes the vampire grabbing Aily, then shoves it away from her! Telvir burns the creature, then Humerus grabs it and hurls it even further away. Aily's first hurled dagger misses, but her second one catches the vampire in the throat! It shudders before its body crumbles to ash!
Caraid blasts the other vampire with searing light. It is wounded, but its wounds continue to heal quickly. It attacks Humerus again, but only lands one hit.
HP 67/122
AC 25 / 27 in Mountain Stance or 29 if use Mountain Stronghold
Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +12 (+1 vs. disease and poison; +2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude DC vs. Grapple and Swallow Whole; +2 circumstance bonus vs. being Shoved or Tripped while in Mountain Stance, +1 vs. fear)
Hero points: 3
Effects:
"Cool, boss, I can do that crumbling trick too! Humerus says, wondering if the other vampire will reform as easily as he does. But he doesn't spend a lot of time thinking about it, instead grabbing the vampire and beating it.
Emboldened by the death of the first skeletal whatever it is they're fighting, Ceceka shifts his attention to the remaining foe. Lackadaisically, he unleashes his rage on their foe.
Telvir continues to fling fire about the room and commands Smoke to attack the remaining vampire.
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Shaking the fog from her head, Aily moves back into battle, ducking under fire, stone fangs, raging arms, and skeletal hands.
Caraid simply flicks another small beam of power around. With only one vampire left and plenty of them it makes more sense to reserve his magic once more.
Caraid hits the vampire with his divine lance and Telvir burns it. Smoke lightly wounds it with his jaws. Neither Aily nor Ceceka manage to land a hit. Humerus grabs it and punches it but fails to throw it away.
Still grabbed by the skeleton, the vampire savagely claws at Humerus!
One miss, two misses, and then a flash of panic dashes across the dhampir's mind, petrified the memories stolen by this THING is her extensive practice in stabbing.
Her blade slides into flesh, followed by a sigh of relief from its owner.
HP 44/122
AC 25 / 27 in Mountain Stance or 29 if use Mountain Stronghold
Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +12 (+1 vs. disease and poison; +2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude DC vs. Grapple and Swallow Whole; +2 circumstance bonus vs. being Shoved or Tripped while in Mountain Stance, +1 vs. fear)
Hero points: 2
Effects:
A couple of Humerus' vertebrae fall to the ground as they're ripped apart by the vampire, but the skeleton doesn't even seem to notice. He continues to pound at the beast, cinching down on his throat before driving his fist into it and tossing it away like a piece of freight he never cared about.
Critical Success The target is enfeebled 2 until the end of its next turn and enfeebled 1 for 1 minute.
Success The target is enfeebled 1 until the end of its next turn.
Telvir orders Smoke to attack and raises a shield of magical force, just in case.
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Humerus flinches as Smoke snaps at the vampire.
Failure seems contagious and with Humerus swinging things all over Caraid is forced to pull his shot.
Annoyed by his own failure, Ceceka's efforts to undo the undead intensify once more.
Humerus punches the vampire once before hurling it away. Aily and Ceceka move in to finish it off, with a pair of critical hits that cause the creature to crumble to dust!
You take some time to explore the remainder of the tunnels, but you don't find any other clues besides the phrases scratched into the walls. You're confident that there are no more psychic vampires lurking about, at least.
The residents of the Hollow Flesh Market are grateful when they learn you have eliminated the threat lurking beneath them. The market vendors are particularly excited about business picking up now that the area is safer to inhabit, so they’re quick to offer thanks and arrange an impromptu celebration in your honor.
Once you report your findings to Seldeg, he opines that the crude carvings were probably not knowledge the vampires gained by talking to Iron Taviah, but were a residual psychic echo from when she created them. He muses that perhaps Iron Taviah is headed south on some similar instinct, imparted by her creator, and something of significance awaits her there.
"The Field of Maidens. You are familiar with it, yes? It is a monument to His Majesty Geb’s wrath. Almost four centuries ago, an army from Holomog, led by an upstart pirate who fancied herself a queen, invaded our border to seize land for themselves. Pure folly from start to finish. Geb petrified the lot, and now a vast field of stone statues stands where the war-maidens marched. The name is quite apt. Occasionally, looters steal a statue and sell it elsewhere as high-priced, morbid art, though this is an exceptionally risky endeavor: sometimes, the statues still move and fight when they’re disturbed. I don’t know of anyone who resides there—a few bandits evading the law or mindless undead who don’t know to avoid it, perhaps. It makes a conveniently vacant buffer with Holomog, and Geb wants to keep it that way.
"Rest up and prepare yourselves. We ride as soon as you are ready."
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Aily sees to it that everyone has rooms to their liking, then instructs Humerus to attend Ceceka and Mr. Stanton while she will see to Caraid. She explains why he was assigned 2 to serve, while she only has 1 "You are simply bigger than me. More mass means more people you can take care of." said with brisk confidence.
Another mildly interesting fact, Ceceka and Mr. Stanton's room are together while Caraid's is on another floor and on the other side of the building.
"I had heard of this Field of Maidens, but never thought to see it. One of the few things that roused our lord Geb from his...contemplation during that time period." Telvir choses a few key items to take on the journey to the south of the country.
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"Sure, Lady Boss," Humerus says genially. "Just tell me what I should do. I'll just do whatever you do with him, right, boss, and it'll be like you're there with them too."
Aily actually smiles... a rather disconcerting sight, potentially startling a passerby to the point of spillage. "You do whatever your lords need of you, as I will do of mine. Good luck and a pleasant evening." she says, ushering Caraid on quickly before she discovers she might actually not hate this skeletal lump.
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The next morning, you ride south along a little-used road. The blasted moor eventually gives way to a lowland populated by barren, thorny shrubs and twisted husks of weeds that rattle as they roll along the old dirt road. The sky is streaked with translucent cirrus clouds, and the ghost of the moon makes a slow ascent above the flat landscape.
After several days, the arduous trek finally ends at the lip of a wide ridge offering a breathtaking but macabre view. In the patchy field below, hundreds of stone statues contort in eerily lifelike poses. One raises a shield above her head, her mouth frozen in a primal scream. Another was captured in the act of drawing back her bow to loose an arrow. Still more charge forth, weapons raised, or are displayed in the act of unsheathing blades. Two expressions repeat on their faces: rage and terror. The wind howls through the field, carrying the ghostly echoes of the warriors’ cries.
This is the Field of Maidens...
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About 10-15 minutes after Aily enters her room to do whatever her lord needs of her, there's a scratching at the door. "Hey, lady boss? Are you busy? How do I know which one's my lord? Is it the big grave knight? Because I don't know where he is. The other two don't talk that much, right, boss? And the dog's scary. Are you busy, lady boss?"
The next day, Humerus lopes along merrily with the others, chattering away in a fashion that makes it seem like there's probably not that much in his skull. But he is amiable, at least.
"Huh, boss," he observes to the others. "I wouldn't have thought their weapons and clothes would turn to stone. That's some good magic."
Aily answers, her maid uniform undone in the back to her slim waist, while being held to her front with one hand. Her raven hair freed to spill down her naked back.
"You abandoned your charges?" Her voice is as cold as the deepest grave. The very fires of hell burning in her red eyes. After several moments of contemplating violence, Aily explains, Slowly "Your lords are Mr. Stanton and Ceceka, and their rooms are adjuning... are next to each other... there is a door between them, so guard that door as the doorman you claim to excel at being." words like whips against bone. "And Humerus, consent to this spell." she orders, waits until he agrees, and then casts Silence on him. "Now go away and do not disappoint me again." the maid finishes and closes the door with a sharp crack.
In the morning, she is back to her vigilance. "Travelling through them without disturbing Any... will be difficult."
"Maybe use that spell from last night again, boss? Not the one that was making boss man groan so loudly, the one you cast on me. It made things much quieter," Humerus suggests.
Ignoring the banter among the help, Telvir admires the closest statue.
"Strange magic. Simple, but so powerful. They must have been caught mid-stride."
Looking up from the statue, the elf tilts his head to listen to the groans on the wind.
"Wasteful, though, to let their spirits linger here."
Seldeg realizes searching the Field of Maidens for hints of Iron Taviah’s presence is likely to be time consuming. He recommends establishing a base camp in the badlands. He spots a few suitable places from the ridge but asks you which you prefer.
BELOW THE RIDGE: Beneath the ridge you are standing on is a flat, sheltered site large enough to set up a camp. Easy access to the ridge approach gives a wide field of view, allowing someone there to keep watch effectively. The site is protected from the weather and is defensible.
STATUARY CIRCLE: In the central part of the Field of Maidens is a semicircular clearing created by shady groups removing and transporting the statues away, most likely for sale as questionable art to well-funded foreign clients. The statuary circle is centrally located in the Field of Maidens, making a comprehensive exploration faster. The stone sisters surrounding the site also provide some cover.
ABANDONED PILLAGER CAMP: This camp was abandoned long ago by explorers who likely met an untimely end in the Field of Maidens. Two weathered but intact four-person tents stand amid rubble. A toppled pavilion tent is easy to put back up. The raked over firepit and ragged state of the tents suggests nobody has used the site for months. This ready-made campsite requires no setting up and contains a variety of useful equipment, including the three tents, five bedrolls, a barrel full of fresh water half-buried in the ground to keep it protected and cool, and two weeks of stale rations.
"If we're going to sleep below the ridge, boss, want me to go get those tends?" Humerus asks.
Aily sees no reason they can't simply move the supplies, so agrees with Humerus."Bring them to the ridge, unless one of our lords disagrees and wishes to use another location??" she changes her tone into a question at the end, while turning her eyes on each of them in turn.
"Whatever you like is fine." Telvir gestures at a large rock and a spray of pebbles and sand blow off of it. He takes a seat and begins drawing a map of the Field of Maidens in the dirt with the end of his staff.
Humerus heads out to fetch the supplies from the abandoned camp and bring them back to the spot beneath the ridge. You spend the remainder of the day setting up your base of operations for your exploration of the Field of Maidens.
As you are establishing the camp, you spot faint smoke rising from a ridge about 10 miles to the west. It would seem that another group is likely camped there.
Soon after your camp is established, Seldeg gets a distant look in his eyes. A few moments later, he blinks and sighs. "I have received a sending from Mechitar. I am called away again." He waves his hands, conjuring his skeletal mount. "The investigation is yours now. I don’t know how long this business will keep me out of the field. Find out who else is here, and whether they might be allies or enemies. Most importantly, find out what brought Iron Taviah here. I expect a full report when we rendezvous."
He plants a booted foot in the stirrup and pulls himself into the saddle. "I fear that—never mind. I won’t infect you with my suspicions. Remain cautious and think before you act. Without a solid strategic plan, you have nothing." The unliving horse doesn’t so much as twitch its ragged mane when Seldeg flicks the reins in a silent command. The graveknight rides off, leaving you on your own.
"Sure, boss," Humerus says genially.
He looks at the others. "Want me to go see who's in that other camp, boss? That's what the big boss wanted, right?"
Aily glared at the death knight, leaving Again. She is getting the impression he sees them as servants more than anything else. While Aily was a servant, the notion of her charges, mainly one, being treated as one did not set well with her.
"Since we are hear to find someone, not following the clues toward a presence would be counterproductive." she arches a brow at the silent lords. "If the day has proven too taxing, we..." indicating herself and the skeleton "... could investigate on her own." Aily felt confident in her own ability to remain quiet and unseen. With Humerous there, she also had a sacrifice to slow down anything's pursuit.
"Better that we all go. This area is likely dangerous for small parties." Telvir is wary of the spirits that have been howling in the distance as they set up their camp.
Once your camp is set up, you begin to make your way towards the camp on the ridge. You pick your way across the badlands as the sun sets, wending your way through the scattered statues of the women warriors.
The statuary ripples as if affected by a sudden wind. Slowly, the statues’ fingers begin to twitch and tighten the grip on their weapons. Their arms move as they roll their shoulders as if easing a persistent stiffness of the muscles. Suddenly, a life-sized, animated statue of a fierce warrior with the sheen of dark stone bars the way forward. Her eyes snap open and she regards her opponents. Her face scrunches into a grimace as she throws her head back, letting out an ear-shattering scream that seems to shake the earth around her. As though hearing her cries, three more join the fray.
The warrior can't help but wonder how much the rich Gebites would pay for some of these statues. It's while pondering this, and whether it's worth the effort to drag one of the statues with them back home, that the wind rises and breathes life into stone!
Ceceka is unsure about the qualities of these strange undead statues. As he enters a rage, the statues converge on him, slashing with their scimitars. The fighter takes two hits.
HP 136/136
AC 25/ 28 in Mountain Stance or 30 if use Mountain Stronghold
Resistance 2 to cold, electricity, fire, piercing, and slashing damage
Fort +16, Ref +16, Will +13 (+1 vs. disease and poison; +2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude DC vs. Grapple and Swallow Whole; +2 circumstance bonus vs. being Shoved or Tripped while in Mountain Stance, +1 vs. fear)
Hero points: 3
Effects:
Falling into his usual fighting stance, Humerus moves in to grab one of the statues. He drives his fist into it with a blow as hard as stone as he gets ready to toss it aside in about six seconds.
Caraid moves calmly in behind Ceceka and stabs the angry warrior with a needle, filling his body with a potent numbing agent.
Telvir calls upon the restless spirits of the area, raising a ghul and binding it to his service.
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