Betzolte grumbles a bit as her magical punches seem to whiff each time, and is about to get her axe out when she hears Grobradon yell in anger. The statement gives her pause.
"My thoughts exactly," she comments. "You dead or alive?" she calls.
There is no answer from the voice, only the moans and growls of zombies.
”Whomever that is, I don’t think they are talking to us. They are commanding the undead to wait intil they can assemble and rush us in force. Looks like we have a tactician on our hands.” Maidie says quietly, putting two and two together.
”That changes the dynamic of the situation. It may be a good time to take the fight to the enemy, but we should move together so none of us get isolated or flanked. Or we could pull back into the chamber with the guardians.”
Right now, they haven’t joined up and the zombies are slow. If we attack now, we might be able to finish the closer ones before the rest arrive. The Leader is on the left… Best to isolate him and stunt that flanking action.
”Fortune favors the bold. Time to pick a fight. Let's move.” Moon stalks into the open ground where the corridors meets, turns sharply to the left, and tries to put a blunt arrow into the skulking skeleton along the wall.
Arrows (20): xxxx
Blunts (18): xxx
CLW (3): xx
Moon shatters another skeleton's skull, but her boldness has a price. A masked and robed undead steps around the corner and sends a pair of sickly green bolts at the ranger. No matter how she tries to twist out of the way, the missiles hit unerringly. Seeing their brave friend get hit, Casina and Meep move up. Casina draws her morningstar with her off-hand and sets her feet to meet the skeleton she can see. It charges the paladin, but before it can claw at Casina, she scatters it across the floor.
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Grobradon races up as he sees Moon hammered, and lays a hand upon her "Nature's balm..." his healing magics flowing to undo the damage she had just now taken.
He mutters after that, "Like what you did with your hair and the flower by the way... now you go back to being an apex predator on these things."
Maidie moves with the rest of the group, again readying a cantrip to hurl at the first undead to move into range.
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Moon lets out a sigh of relief as the dull ache of her combined injuries recedes under Grob’s touch. She is surprised at the off-handed and oddly-timed compliment, unsure which one is more flattering. Her cheeks redden a bit and she has to resist the impulse to touch her hair when he mentions it.
She’d seen girls in town preen when boys complimented them and she always thought it was incomprehensibly stupid… and now she caught herself almost reacting like some eyelash-batting, husband-hunting, ninny. Moon, you idiot!
”Thanks… Right. I’ll… start uh… apexing.” She turns to look for new enemies to target because conversing was more treacherous. I’m so dumb. Sooo dumb.
Arrows (20): xxxx
Blunts (18): xxx
CLW (3): xx
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The zombies move up, slowly.
A little theme music for this battle…
Moon’s bow switches targets as she debates where to shoot… In the end, she decides to go after the biggest threat, confident that Casina and Grob can easily handle the zombies lumbering towards the team. Besides, she wanted to repay him for that last spell and this would give her a chance to test his defenses. She wasn’t a magician like Maidie or Betz but Arnama had told her about the simple spells that could make killing a spellslinger a lot harder.
Decision made, she takes careful aim and fires an arrow expertly beneath the statue’s arm, sending it directly towards the undead’s heart.
Arrows (20): xxxxx
Blunts (18): xxx
CLW (3): xx
Fallen of Razmir: 45/52 HP
Moon's arrow strikes true, but an arcane ward around the undead spellcaster and the resilience of rotting flesh and necromancy blunts the blow.
"Foolish child! I have found true immortality! The very thing that fool Razmir seeks. I shall end your pathetic life here and now," it roars as it sends another spell Moon's way, The ray of life-stealing cold grazes the ranger's shoulder, numbing it and making it feel as if it is aflame all at once.
Meep rolls out from behind the corner, trying to keep out of Moon's line of sight and movement. Her arrow also flies at the mage, but it shatters on the magic surrounding it.
Casina, meanwhile, charges at the closer of the two zombies in an effort to keep them from dividing everyone's attentions. Unfortunately, ill luck intervenes and she slips on the bones of one of the destroyed skeletons. She barely manages to keep her feet, and her clumsiness leaves her exposed.
Moon gets frosted, but Casina is having trouble too. "Time to move the wall a bit more... someone help Casina with her zombie. Gonna see what, if anything I can do about Mister 'moldering is a form of immortality' here." And he arcs, interposing himself between the undead spellcaster and puts his footdown.
Magically and literally... "Gozreh's whisper shakes the earth!" He calls as his foot slams down and thunder seems to move forward towards the foe.
The undead mage sneers at Grobradon, for all of two seconds. Gozreh, it appears, is not amused by this unnatural abomination and the shaking of the earth causes the mage to fall.
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"Servant, maintain your current position." Maidie says as she calmly strides up next to Moon. She points to the prone zombie lord and utters an arcane phrase.
Immediately, a thick sticky substance spreads under him.
"There. Now, will one of you metal-swinging types please go chop his head off? His prattling is starting to give me a headache." she says in her usual dry, deadpan manner.
Before the undead mage can reorient itself and stand, its glued fast to the ground.
"On it!" Betzolte says, as she is now technically one of said metal-swinging types. She begins tromping over to the monster Maidie indicated.
"S'cuse me, Grobradon," she says as she squeezes past him to get to her foe.
Once she reaches it, she hacks at it with her axe!
"Maidie, that was brilliant!" He gushes.
Then Betzolte shoves by and he tries to stay out of her way.
Fallen of Razmir: 41/52 HP
Casina: 17/22 HP
Casina grunts as the zombie she missed strikes back. The blow numbs her arm as it slams into her shoulder, but she manages to avoid a much nastier injury than a bruised shoulder despite her recklessness. The last remaining zombie shuffles towards the paladin as its master struggles against the glue. Betzolte, axe in hand, chops down at the undead masked mage, but doesn't get as good of a piece of it as she was aiming for due to his squirming about.
"Lord Asar shall feast on your bones," he screams after the dwarven axe bites into his flesh.
”HEY! Casina could use some help.” Moon shoulders her bow and draws her sword as she closes in on the zombie lord from another direction. She plans to make this fight particularly unsporting by flanking the prone, glued, and self-proclaimed immortal spellslinger. "Lord Asar's fortunes will be no better than your own."
Arrows (20): xxxxx
Blunts (18): xxx
CLW (3): xx
Fallen of Razmir: 32/52 HP
Pink Zombie: 2/12 HP
Casina: 17/22 HP
the undead mage slips free of the glue, leaving behind scraps of his tattered robe as he stands and moves.
Moon's strike misses, the elf still a little unsteady on her feet after the beating she's taken so far. Betzolte's strike proves more accurate, and the dwarf once again slices into undead flesh.
"You will all die by my hand," the mage bellows as he steps back from the dwarven wizardess.
Meanwhile, Casina resets her stance and takes another swing at the zombie that had just battered her.
She cuts deep into the thing's chest, but she doesn't destroy it. realizing that she could easily be surrounded if she stays where she is, she backs away, the zombie too slow and clumsy to take advantage of her retreat.
Meep looks back and forth between the zombies Casina is facing and the undead mage the others face. She realizes that her arrows are doing nothing against the undead's flesh, but she can't reach the zombies before they would swarm Casina. Besides, the masked one seems far more dangerous.
She drops her bow and draws the shortsword she was given as she runs around Moon and goes after the undead mage.
It is a small cut, all things considered, but it was still the first time Meep had managed to damage the thing. The undead mage howls in anger as it realizes that a goblin of all things has harmed it.
Grobradon walks up towards the wretched leader of this batch of undead, "Get ready, Betzolte." Instead of a sickle, he goes in bare handed, but those hands shift to oak, with small spikes out of them...
and he punches... but not to hit, but rather feint and give his dwarven ally a better chance to hit
With four of her companions chasing after the spellcaster, Maidie turns her attention to helping Casina fend off the lesser zombies.
Moving to stand next to Casina, she lets a glob of acid fly at the most injured of the two, but her aim is off.
Maidie's spell flies wide of the mark, splashing onto the floor several feet behind her target.
Betzolte nods at Grobradon's words and runs around Meep and Moon to flank the undead creature, striking at him the moment he responds to Grobradon's fake-out.
"Nowhere to run NOW, ya mouthy bone-head!" she crows.
Fallen of Razmir: 22/52 HP
Pink Zombie: 2/12 HP
Casina: 17/22 HP
The undead mage howls in rage as Betzolte tears into his back. The zombies shuffle up to Maidie and Casina, snarling and groaning as they seek to sate their hunger.
With so many allies trying to bring down the zombie lord, Moon hesitates when picking an opportunity to strike. The monster easily avoids her blow.
Arrows (20): xxxxx
Blunts (18): xxx
CLW (3): xx
Fallen of Razmir: 5/52 HP
Pink Zombie: 2/12 HP
Casina: 17/22 HP
Meep: 9/19 HP
The undead mage pushes his way out of the encirclement, managing to avoid being hit by Betzolte and Grobradon, but not Meep and Moon, who land telling blows. Driven by fury more than sense, he pulls out a wand and aims it at the group, enveloping Betzolte, Meep, and Moon in a frigid cone of ice. Meep, unfortunately, isn't nearly quick enough and takes the full brunt of the blast.
Despite her fear and the freezing burns she's taken, Meep moves to cut off the undead's escape, ducking behind Betzolte and around to avoid any potentially nasty surprise the undead mage may have. She slashes at him as she cuts him off, hoping to damage it enough for the others to be able to take it down, unfortunately, the wards around it turn her blade.
"Not good," she squeaks as it looks down at her with baleful, hate-filled eyes.
Meanwhile, Casina continues to struggle against the zombie she faces. After clumsily missing it, she falls back.
"Maidie! Get behind me," she calls out.
Moon weathers the blast of cold. One more like that and she may not be conscious. Nevertheless, she presses the attack. ”Good work, Meep! Pen him in!” Moon flanks the sorcerer and delivers a slash across his spine.
Arrows (20): xxxxx
Blunts (18): xxx
CLW (3): xx
Moon's blade bites deep, deeper than she anticipated. The undead mage howls again, fear and anger in his voice.
"No! No! You can't! You can't," he protests as his legs fall one way and the rest of him falls the other. The light fades from his eyes as his voice grows weaker.
"You... can't..."
Grobradon grins with a mouthful of teeth, with some very pronounced canines, "Still think your immortality is secure? Heh." Then to Moon he says "Beautiful shot. Pardon me. We got zombies left over."
And he races to the other side of the room to aid Casina and Maidie, alas, little else he can do.
Moon nods at Grob's observation. As soon as he leaves, she leans against the defaced statue for support, offering the goblin a bone-weary smile. "That was very brave, Meep. You have a future as a hero."
Arrows (20): xxxxx
Blunts (18): xxx
CLW (3): xx
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Maidie calmly retreats to stay shoulder to shoulder with Casina, all while she continues to shower the zombies with acid.
The zombie giving Casina so much trouble gurgles as acid dissolves it's torso. A few moments later, the last of the undead is beaten and scattered across the floor. Searching the remains reveals nothing of note. Meep, however, does find something of note about the mage.
"That's the masked one," she says as she gets a good look at the mask in question. Anyone casting detection spells on it finds that there is an enchantment on it, as well as the wand he holds.
Mithral Dagger
Magical mask
Wand
Maidie gathers the masked zombie’s items and examines them carefully using detect magic to determine their magic properties.
Maidie spends a few moments studying the items. The dagger isn't magical, but the mask and wand are. After pondering over them for a few moments, she recognizes the wand as a wand of burning hands with a full 50 charges. The mask is more unusual. It allows the wearer to cast a spell to instill fear in others and a spell to mend injuries and wounds. It also grants increased competency with the arts of healing and intimidation, but only if one worships Razmir.
Wand of Burning Hands 50 charges
Holy Mask of the Living God, Cast Cause Fear 1/day and Cure Light Wounds 1/day.
Razmir is the so-called Living God. He claims to have passed the Test of the Starstone in far off Absolom. His clergy are infamous for their pursuit of wealth at any cost. The cult has been spreading their influence across Lake Encarthan over the past few years.
The Cult of Razmir acts more like a gang than any religion. The priests claim that Razmir is more discerning in who he grants spells to, but some suspect that Razmir may not in act be a god, but a powerful mage and a charlatan, which would explain the lack of divine casting among his followers.
Maidie shares the info from the spoilers.
Moon swirls her last healing potion and considers the evidence. ”It looks like Razmir’s followers were the ones who raided the tomb. Maybe they awoke Asar, maybe not. But this one,” she glances at the Fallen, ”either knowing or unwilling got altered by Asar and then turned his back on Razmir. Right? So, what is Razmir’s interest in Kassen’s tomb in the first place?” She ponders the angles as she drinks the potion greedily, trying to get every last dram of healing from the bottle.
Arrows (20): xxxxx
Blunts (18): xxx
CLW (3): xxx
Grobradon listens to Maidie's insights, and scowls, "They're intruding on OUR town's sacred spaces? These Razmirans are asking for pain." he nods at Moon's question, "Razmir wants gold it seems, but is this place really full of treasures? Seems to me there must be targets that would pay off more."
He pulls out a potion seeing Moon try to get the last drop from hers, "Need one more? I haven't exactly been front lining this. Though I am out of all spells but another entangle."
Meep rubs her arms in an effort to chase the last of the chill from them.
"Maybe think scary place good place for treasure," she muses.
Betzolte shrugs.
"You're not wrong, Meep. But I don't know any treasure the Crypt might have that'd lead Razmir worshipers to come here. I mean, the Crypt has significance to US here in Kassen, sure, but I doubt there are people even in Tamran who'd have heard of it, much less from all the way across Lake Encarthan."
She starts cleaning off her axe.
"I think there must be something specific here they were after. Something maybe the town doesn't know about...or maybe there's more secrets to the Crypt than what Gerol and Vark already fessed up to us. These creeps would have had to have done some kind of research to know Kassen even exists, let alone where it is in Nirmathas, a land that's mostly woods that doesn't really have much in the way of professionally-made maps, or that there's a crypt nearby. Besides, what does a god need gold for?"
"His priests want money but 'Chatty' here said that Razmir is seeking immortality. Perhaps he thought something in the crypt could provide a clue."
Moon accepts Grob's potion. "Thanks. I'll try not to need it."
Grobradon listens to them, "I agree, Betz. Not impressed by the 'Living Greed..' pardon Living God. That faith sure won't catch on in Kassen after this."
Moon accepts Grob's potion. "Thanks. I'll try not to need it."
"I've noticed you give at least as good as you get in a fight." He admits.