The howls of the ghouls grow louder, steadily growing as they draw closer. As the group braces four ghouls turn the corner into the hall, charging forward with reckless abandon hoping to overwhelm you. They were clearly not expecting a prepared defense.
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'Was that my pinky toe? I think my pinky toe moved. I'm almost there guys. Little bit more and I'll be ready to assist.'
Given the group's planning Eochaidh is ready with his sling as the ghouls round the corner:
Fully expecting the ghouls to charge straight into the party's line, Alden holds his ground and prepares himself to block any incoming strikes with his buckler and sword.
Once the ghouls get close Jaxom throws the flask at the closest one.
Rabbit takes a nervous breath as the sound of the ghouls gets closer. He wants to run the other way, but the rabbit in his satchel is squirming with aggression, as if the beast could go fight the undead on his own. He pats the satchel in a nervous way, partly to reassure the rabbit and partly to check the satchel clasp is secure.
He takes a tentative step closer to have a better line of sight-- and suddenly has an.. image, of sorts-- or a sound, rather, in mind. Tickling at his tongue, begging to be let out--
Blind the hunters! Close their eyes! While predator blunders, rabbit flies!
The words that spill from his mouth aren't Common; he's not precisely sure what they are. But a cloud of twinkling golden dust comes out of nowhere in response to those words. His hitching giggling continues afterwards.
The first ghoul around the corner has the distinct pleasure of taking a sling bullet into the side of his head, denting his skull with a wet splash of black blood. Followed immediately by a flask of alchemist fire!
It screeches and wails, the flames spilling onto the other ghouls and scorching them.
The flaming ghoul and the ghoul behind it to the party's right wave their heads around. The second ghoul confirming it was from Rabbit's spell and not just the fact the first ghoul was on fire.
Alden holds his position, sword and buckler in a defensive stance but turns his head to Jaxom. "The flask on my bandolier is alchemist's fire. Feel free to grab it and throw it while they're distracted." To the group as a whole, he asks, "Should we advance or hold our ground?"
Jaxom snatches the dagger from his belt and throws it at the burning ghoul. ”Let them come to us. Ready attacks!”
Eochaidh hurls another sling bullet at the ghouls:
The party has advance time to prepare themselves and to strike first as well. The group of ghouls assaulted with fire, blinding light, and projectiles. The lead ghoul that caught the word of the alchemist fire continues to burn, wails and thrashes while blind, and takes a knife to it's shoulder. Then, to finally silence it, Eochaidh's slingstone puts a wet sounding thump into it's temple.
The remaining two ghouls who can still see rush the party, closing at last. One confronts Alden and the other targets Jaxom.
Alden is more than prepare for the assault, interposing his shield between himself and the ghoul's surprising speed. Jaxom is not as lucky, getting one of his wrapped forearms up only to have the ghoul's fangs sink through to find flesh below.
The blind ghoul wrings it's clawed hands down the front of it's face and blinks, it's vision returning.
He feels his arm go numb almost immediately, but as he throws the ghoul off he feels the warmth of his own blood and his heart beating in his chest. The paralysis doesn't hold.
The blinded ghoul moves forward awkwardly, covering it's eyes. Meanwhile a fifth ghoul appears around the corner.
Alden changes his stance, and swings his blade at the ghoul with all of his strength.
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From behind the crypt Kevan springs up. "I knew that pinky toe was moving. Did you guys save any for me?" He asks as he hurries around the crypt and sidles past Eochaidh to stand behind Jaxom. "Wow, they smell even worse when they are burning." He says as he pulls a flask from his bandolier.
Initiative Order:
Eochaidh (Current Initiative)
Kevan
Rabbit
Jaxom
Ghouls
Tymos
Alden
Eochaidh drops his sling, draws his scimitar, moves to Alden's left-hand side, and strikes at the ghoul:
Jaxom feels the bite, and numbness from it but shakes whatever poison was in his blood. Just what he needs, dripping an appetizer for the monsters! He punches out trying to hurt the thing....
.
Rabbit edges a little closer to the fight, and reaches out to brush his fingers against Kevan's shoulder before the other halfling runs ahead.
"Good luck!" he gasps, between more giggles.
Initiative Order:
Eochaidh
Kevan
Rabbit
Jaxom
Ghouls
Tymos
Alden (Current Initiative)
The group strikes back at the ghouls. Tymos, Eochaidh, Alden, and Jaxom all aiming to bludgeon or cut the undead down as they pressed.
Tymos starts thins off by hacking into the ghoul before him, and without it even being able to recover Jaxom beats the thing down. First bludgeoning it in the head to force it lower, and then crushing the back of it's skull with an overhand blow.
Things don't go as smoothly on the other side, with the ghoul clinging to Alden's shield for cover from his attack and likewise having the corner help defend from Eochaidh.
Tymos steps in to fill the breach the dead ghoul left as the monsters come in again at the party. The ghoul on Alden continues it's assault, and the other two try to swarm the over eager Tymos.
The two heavily armored men weather the attacks in well trained military fashion, with the dark haired Chell even throwing back his shield arm to jostle the ghoul attacking Alden, preventing what would have otherwise been a painful bite.
Tymos then sweeps his balde back toward the ghoul at his side, trying to free up Alden. "Step up paladin!" Tymos shouts.
His blade bites into the ghouls side.
Alden continues trying to press his attack on the ghoul in front of him, hoping to fell it or drive it back.
"Firebomb inbound!" Kevan yells and tosses an alchemist's fire onto the ghoul in the middle.
Alden's attacks cores a solid hit this time, cutting down through the ghoul's collar deep enough to fell it. A moment later Kevan's firebomb comes streaking in between the two frontliners to catch the ghoul straight in the chest.
The ghoul howls and catches fire, and the splatter of flames scorches the other remaining ghoul. As well as Tymos, who curses less from the pain and more from it's source.
Jaxom takes a step forward and tries to finish the ghoul.
Jaxom takes a step forward and tries to finish the ghoul.
[dice=Attack 1 Flurry]1d20 + 10 - 2
[dice=Damage]1d6 + 2[dice=Attack 2 Flurry]1d20 + 10 - 2
[dice=Damage]1d6 + 2
Which ghoul are you targeting?
Rabbit steps slightly closer to the others so that he will be well centered in case of anyone needing healing. He continues to giggle.
Initiative Order:
Eochaidh
Kevan -10
Rabbit
Jaxom -3
Ghoul -1
Tymos -10
Alden (Current Initiative)
Jaxom follows the firebomb with a double strike into the ghoul directly before him as he steps into the space. Both strikes drive into the sternum of the thing, and there is a sickening crunch that follows the second strike. The ghoul's chest turned dark black in the center as it slumped and collapsed. It would seem the undead thing needed at least some of it's organs intact even if just to support the necromancy that sustained it.
The remaining ghoul clearly considers fleeing as it looks back, but some kind of compulsion seems to twist it's thoughts back around to combat. Perhaps the ghoulish hunger these creatures endured every moment of their existence. It tried to press itself against Tymos to claw and bite.
Tymos has to leverage his shield under the jaw of the thing to keep it from biting him. One claw sinks deeply into his arm as it does.
Tymos holds out against the pain, but then the other claw finds his side and digs in at his unprotected hip.
The claws find good purchase and Tymos winces, jaw clenching as he stops moving. The ghoul smirks evilly before Rabbit steps up and heals the same man who once abused him as a slave.
The bleeding slows, though Tymos continues to remain paralyzed. For the moment...
Alden steps over the prone form of Tymos and swings his blade at the remaining ghoul.
Initiative Order:
Eochaidh (Current Initiative)
Kevan -10
Rabbit
Jaxom -3
Ghoul -10
Tymos -10
Alden
Alden's diagonal slice comes down into the collar of the ghoul where the fire had scorched it. The blade sinks deep, and when Alden draws it back there is greasy charred skin along the edge of the blade. The ghoul slumps, arm limp and shoulder partly separated. Despite the horrific injury carved clear down into it's torso the thing still lurches about.
"One left!"
All it takes is a clear strike from Jaxom to the battered ghoul's head to finish the job and leave it inert. As it falls the crypt, so full of clatter and shrieks just a moment before, went quiet.
After a few moments of stillness Tymos gives an audible groan and works his body to clear himself fully from the paralysis. "First time I've seen those things paralyze someone and not tear them apart." he says as he looks back to Kevan. He still seemed angry, likely due to his own injuries and the firebomb that included him before.
"Do you have healing?" he asked after some hesitation.
Alden places a hand on Tymos' shoulder. "Erastil honors your courage."
"Yeah, those things have a nasty scratch, I tell ya." Kevan says looking over his own clothes. "Can you believe what they did to my shirt? I'm never going to get the bloodstains out either. I need to develop iron skin or something. Do you think that's possible?"
"Wow," Kevan says as the healing power flows into him. "That was amazing. maybe even better than iron skin. Thank you."
Eochaidh retrieves a scroll from his bandolier and casts the spell from it on Tymos:
"Who else is hurt?"
Eochaidh extends his senses to search for more ghouls.
Alden places a hand on Tymos' shoulder. "Erastil honors your courage."
[dice=Lay on Hands, 2 uses]2d6
He's a baaaaaaad man.
”Everybody ready? I can go see if I can find some more.” Kevan asks wuite energized despite the recent harrowing experience.
Healing Tymos was not on his bucket list when waking up for the day, one might say, but Rabbit is conscious that whatever the man's deeds, he is currently... vitally... a body between monsters and Rabbit himself. The healing touch that he delivers in combat is as quick and fleeting as it can be, and he does not volunteer more healing to the man after the ghouls are dropped, furtively watching to see if the others do. They do. He's not sure if he's disappointed or relieved.
The giggling that has taken him like a fit eases, leaving him a bit breathless and wiping his forehead. That was new. He's not sure what to make of it. As he often does, he reaches into his satchel to reassure himself by touching Mr. Whisper's soft fur.
"I... I can't make anyone else lucky today... except for Mr. Cooperson. And... and Mr. Tymos, if we run into more fights. But yes, I guess we can go on. Hang on a moment though... these... these used to be-- you know-- people."
Rabbit tries to arrange the bodies of the ghouls into slightly more peaceful positions, rather than leaving them as they were, hacked and battered. Conscious that some probably don't care about this, he tries to hurry as he bends the now-grotesque limbs into position, arms crossed over chests, eyes closed, mouths closed too to hide the hideous fangs that are stained with human blood.
"Pharasma please guide the souls of the people they once were," he whispers in a little blurt, then nods his readiness to continue.
"May their bodies return to the earth and nourish it. May their patrons accept the petitions of their souls," Alden adds softly, once Rabbit has completed his prayer.
He then turns to the group and asks, "Are we all fit to press on?"