"Matilda! Malik gives a shout, as a chain unfurls from his arm, darting towards the haunt, glowing briefly. Moments too slow to help deflect the assault on her.
to hit.
Bruce notices the effective positive energy attacks by his allies. "Ou, ou, I can do that, too." His fingers glows brightly and he obviously activates some sort of Cure spell.
Bruce tries to reach the haunt, but doesn't want to expose himself, too much.
To ask about the person or the work to be finished? Lie eyes the wild ghost rider, flexing his hands, and reaches out once more, lunging out over the scythe and trying to grasp the rider's arm as positive energy once again flares in his hand.
He was not used to fighting without a blade, but he was determined to bring this restless spirit down.
"What must be finished?" he cries.
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Lie you managed to jam your hand not just through his arm, but right into the rider's chest. His laughter is cut off, and everything falls silent before the horse rears back. It begins to fade from the hoves up, the horseman letting out a final wail as it tosses the jack-o-lantern into the air. Right as it reaches the height of its throw the pumpkin bursts in a small blast of fire. Everyone but Griswald is splattered by pumpkin guts. More disturbing, blood is mixed into the plant matter as well.
The only noise on the wind is the creak of the gate to the graveyard as it slowly opens itself.
Bruce was stunned. He had seen a few things in his live, but the sudden appearance And disappearance of this haunt was of a new level. It took him a few moments to get his composure back.
With a fake smile and faked confidence he shouted towards Griswald.
Then he turned to the others. "May I see this strange wound, Matilda?
"We should join Griswald promptly. I do not know how long it will take for the haunt to regenerate and return." Lie looks at the seeds, flesh, and pulp that now cover him with no small amount of disgust but wonders if they have been affected by something.
Lie rolls the stuff over, trying to make sure that it doesn't get into his nose or mouth.
Rather than raise on possible concerns with the others, Lie draws his sword once more. "Come on. Let's at least get to the gate. Even if that's what whoever raised the spirit wants us to do, it's what we came to do as well."
Lie begins moving implacably towards the gate.
"Yeah, we need to move forward. Matilda, let me suture you quickly." Malik offers as well, "It will not cost me much power to do so, Its how I practied my ability." Having said as much, he doesn't let Lie get too far before ushering them together.
Looking back while pocketing his potion, the halfling pulls up his hood and mask as the others begin to catch up. "I 'ate 'aunts wit' a passion. Glad som' o' ye ca' 'andle the'. I ten' ta keep the' away, by runnin'." Securing his hood and mask, with a quick motion, he brings out a kukri with a blade as dark as the night sky. "I'll be runnin' a 'ead ta see if the' be any trouble a'ead."
"If you can, I'd welcome it. I have some skill at mending wounds, but it drains my magic, and is not exactly the fastest of medicines."
[i]HP Right now: 36/51[i/]
Matilda clutches the strange wound, trying to ignore the strange draining pain of the horseman's attack.
"Be my guest." Bruce declares and lets Malik treat Matilda's wounds.
Taking a moment in stride, the cord he used previously wrapped around his arm seems to fade a moment, the tip twirling into a finer cord, into a thin thread. using his hands to push Matilda's cut together. Holding it steady the thread weaves in on its own accord threading through , yet showing no harm nor cut into the flesh. As it weaves through and pulls taught, the edges sinking into Matilda herself. As the wound seems to fade into her normal skin-leaving only a slight scratch along where the wound was.
Lie watches Malik's healing with dedicated focus. At the end, he looks at him. "Is that positive energy that you conjured?" he asks. Being a scholar, the inquiry strikes Malik as scholarly and curious.
For Lie, it is another recognition of his status as other in this group. That was two of them who relied on positive energy. He would have to remind them not to use such methods on him should he fall.
As Griswald runs ahead, Lie follows at a slower but still steady pace.
"Matilda," he says once they reach the gate. "You mentioned a spell that you might use to seek out threats from afar. Now might be a reasonable time to try that."
The dhampir sets up a watch, first scanning the graveyard from the gate and then maintaining his focus back from the direction that the group came. Just in case the haunt remanifested, there was no reason to be unprepared.
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Sticking close to the gate, you see the graveyard itself is old. The large Mausoleum is closed, the stone door having a large handle used to pull it open. Above, a large sculpture of a skull glare’s down. With your perception check, you also notice a small mechanical device hidden in the mouth. From what you can guess, it’s set to go off when the door is opened.
In addition, towards the back of the graveyard one of the cob web coated tomb stones catches your eyes. It’s one of the dirt graves. You can’t make out the writing on it, but you can see a single name, written in your homes tongue. “Yau Lie”
Lie stares enraptured at what he sees within the graveyard. That tombstone must be a trick of the mind. No one in this country could know he was coming. His breathing slows and shallows. He gestures towards Griswald and directs his vision to the skull. "Something for your nimble fingers to take care of, if you please." He then points his hand out towards the tombstones in the back. "What do you see there?"
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Griswald you see the tombstone he is referring to. While you see the foreign language, you can’t read it due to being unfamiliar. Lie if you walk him through it, he can confirm it’s the spelling of your name.
Bugger me, they even have the spelling right. Seems like some other lines are written. Will keep a note and check that out later.
Steadying his breath, the halfling continues on his prowl, darting from cover to cover, attempting to be as quiet and stealthy as possible. A search of the perimeter, and spiraling towards the middle was a favored tactic of his, as it has saved him from ambushers and wandering dolts alike.
As the halfing scurries off, alone,Malik draws his bow once again and nocks an arrow, "Something seem odd?" he asks mostly everyone at once, and then tries to be prepared.
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Griswald as you explore you notice two things in particular. The first is much of the ground seems recently disturbed for such a old graveyard, including some of the graves. Second, their is a tombstone for every member of your party. Let me know if you get close enough to read the fine details on any of them.
Before Griswald rushes off too far, Lie looks at him gravely. "Beware reading: some mages hide traps in the written word." He keeps his blade poised at the ready and looks over expectantly at Matilda for her own potential spellcasting.
At Malik's question, the dhampir points out what he already saw. "Tombstones: one for each of us. As though someone has prepared for our demise." He eyes the spiritualist. "I wonder if our predecessors in the Pathfinder Society and the Prince's previous guard encountered the same thing."
"That is very disturbing. I don't like Divination magic. Especially when used against me. I'm a heavy magic user myself, but don't you feel cheated, if someone else knows more than he should about you?" Bruce reflects the situation.
"It... is rather unsettling. I generally try to perform under stage names, rather than my own... to get even my last name... that's not good."
Matilda focuses for a moment, chanting something in an odd tongue as the nearby shadows seem to stretch toward her, weaving together like a wavering web, before beginning to skitter about like a swarm of half-seen spiders.
"This magic should find any unseen 'friends' around here, at least. Let me know if you wish for the shadows to seek anything more precise."
Casting Searching Shadows, selecting to have them look for other creatures. It's a 10ft radius, but I can move it up to 30ft/round, with a Concentration duration.
"Divination is not a school of magic that I have studied," Lie admits, leaving out the fact that his psychic attunement enables him some limited divinatory prowess. "But it seems useful overall. If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle." Lie takes a breath as he watches Matilda and Griswald work separately. Fascinating. "We know little of our enemy and are still learning each other's capabilities. By contrast, our enemy is aware of us. If we aim to survive, our knowledge must grow. We know that the enemy uses divination. This is useful knowledge. If we have not wards to protect ourselves from these efforts, then we should employ other countermeasures. And we should not be afraid to use our own divinations."
Nothing like a discussion of tactics early in the morning.
Malik shrugs, "We aren't exactly traveling in secret. Missives were sent, we had a meeting, we aren't even the first. Considering what happened until the point where we became involved. It isn't hard to guess that they have been using counter intellegence."
Taking the advice, Malik does a rapid scan around them using Detect Undead. while maintaining his readiness with his bow and awareness.
"Don't ask me for much divination, nor warding them. We simply need to act expecting they know. Either they continue to watch and drain their resources, or we gain advantage of action." he finishes while waiting for the scouting foray's results.
Making his way to the central structure, Griswald keeps an eye out for any traps or triggers for alarms before crossing them.
"Tha's why I trus' me wits an' eyes. Magic's useful, bu' ca' be a crutch."
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As the party begins to investigate the graveyard further, they become aware that many corpses are buried shallowly in the dirt. Not all of them are human either, the remains of animals and even vermin poking out from the misty ground.
Malik, with detect undead you begin to become aware that their is a undead creature inside of the main mausoleum with a HD of 11.
Griswald, As Lie saw as well, the door into the mausoleum is trapped to release some sort of gas from the mouth of the skull statue on top of the building.
Lie looks around from the gate. Whether these bodies were dug up or more recently interred, it was not a good sign. "If we know that something awaits us within the mausoleum, then let us prepare. We know there is already some manner of trap, but the creature beyond may itself be a trap. Remain vigilant."
Making his way to the trap, the halfling pulls out his tools, and begins to work on the device. With deft fingers and practiced movements, the halfling's tools seem almost as an extension of him.
As they prpare, Malike takes a moment to center himself. Listning to the whispers from within he answers back. From the cordage around his arm, it seems to extend and bolster his armour from under.
Temp HP
Raising his hand un after putting away his tools, Griswald gives a thumbs up before pulling out his black bladed kukri. "Loo's li'e tha trick wa' solved. Stay cautious though, sin'e we dinnae know wha's in there".
"Good job, Griswald.", Bruce sincerely complements the other halfling. I do not want to know, where he learned that.
On Malik's notice of a very strong undead presence behind the door, Bruce shudders. "Well, let's get prepared then. "
He smiles at Malik, as he notices the Spiritualist casting the same necromancy spell as he did earlier. "Fighting fire with fire, aren't we?" Bruce himself adds a simple Protection from Evil to his magical shielding.
He also draws a strange wooden rod from under his coat and readies it in the hand protected by his buckler.
Not knowing anything further about what might be lying in wait inside, nor the layout of the mausoleum, Lie chooses a relatively conservative tactic: only one spell. He envisions his blade as being denser, its cold iron core compressed together. The accompanying emotion is not one of rage, but of dedication to his cause. Within his hands, the blade feels altogether heavier, though Lie knows that the increased weight will not affect the speed with which he is able to swing. If anything, he might be even faster.
"Ready," he says, taking position but waiting for someone else to open the door.
Matilda pauses, shaking off her lingering doubts and fears before nodding.
"Ready as I can be. Let's go.
Will use Mage Hand to open the door, or at least attempt to
Malik is settled in for this as well, nodding to the others.
Unfurling his spectral links, reaching out to pull the door open when all are in position.
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Malik using the whip pulls the stone door slowly open. The light slowly illuminated the darkness inside, revealing a large shadowy figure. A towering woman with a scythe in place of her hand scowls as she appears in the light. "You shall never enter the tomb!" She cries as a sudden burst of purple energy emanates from the stone.
The ground outside shakes as a mass of grave dirt and bones rises from the ground, and a spidery monstrosity begins to claw its way out from below the mausoleum.
Sighing at the sight of the female figure, Griswald smiles a bit while muttering the words, "An' thus, mistakes are made..." before rushing in, swiping a black blade at the large, ghastly woman!