Emma seems to think for a moment before looking up at the others, "Actually, since we tied it off, we're probably gonna have to leave it here, for now at least. We can take the grappling hook with us though. This way, if we have to come back here to leave this place, the rope is already for us, and we'll figure out how to undo it then. If we don't come back this way, we'll just buy some more rope before leaving town. I'm ready to go see where that light is coming from now, are we all ready to move on?" She asks, fetching the grappling hook and taking it over to Aiden, holding it out to him as they get ready to move on.
Stowing the grappling hook with a nod, Aiden takes his bow from across his back after getting Shadow out of the improvised harness, ready to move forward.
Emma stays right behind the others as they head into the unknown. Even though she might not be as perceptive as some when it came to certain things, she still keeps her senses on alert for anything out of the ordinary as they proceed.
However, the strange light is very distracting and Emma has a hard time paying attention to anything but the ground she's walking over.
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The air on this side of gap seems staler, but the oppressive purple glow is gone. The bright light ahead illuminates much of your approach and you see corpses strewn about. Many of them wear clerical vestments. Aiden and Rosie notice that the bodies are in better shape than the skeletons on the other side.
"Something bad definitely happened here, though the bodies are in better shape than the other ones. Looks like clerical clothing on them...anyone recognize anything about what they're wearing?" Aiden asks, his tone of voice and body language returning to its usual quiet confidence.
Brought out of her own thoughts by her husband's words, Emma takes a closer look at the bodies and tries to determine what happened to them, and what diety they might have followed. She really wanted to figure out where the light was coming from.
There is plenty of rubble in this area and the broken remains of some columns, but there seems to be a clear path to the light. Emma cannot sure about how these people had died. It looks like some had tried to protect others from fallen rubble. Rosie and Emma realize that most of the people are wearing Pharasmin clerical garments. Rosie can accurately date the clothing to about two hundred and fifty years ago.
Two hundred and fifty years," Rosie remarks. "It should be troubling that the bodies look like that, right, Miss Emma? Shouldn't they be dust by now?"
Emma nods, "Yeah, this is totally strange. They should be nothing but dusty old bones now, if that even. It must have something to do with that light. Perhaps Pharasma keeps them from decaying somehow? I'm not real sure, but I'm gonna get some answers somehow, and these folks should be put to rest proper." She says, before heading for the path that heads for the light.
As she walks on the path, she uses a spell to see beyond the physical.
Emma does not detect anything magical about the bodies. The only magical energy seems to be coming from the light ahead. As the halfling proceeds, groans echo throughout the cavern and the once-dormant bodies begin to stir. The rubble and columns keep most of them where they are, but two manage to get to their feet and the walking corpses approach the group.
Initiative:
Round 1: Rosie, Shadow, Emma, Aiden, Zombies, Clyde
Rosie wastes no time flinging a stone at one of the creepy undead.
But she misses her target.
Shadow charges forward, tearing savagely into the shuffling corpse in from of him, and trying to pull it to the ground.
Aiden quickly fires an arrow at the other zombie.
Seeing the dead rise, Emma raises her arms in prayer to her Goddess, "Mighty Sarenrae, grant us the strength and wisdom to defeat our enemies, and keep us safe as we return these lost souls to their final resting place."
Shadow tears off a good chunk of rotten flesh and drags the zombie to the ground. Aiden's arrow grazes the zombie's flesh, less effective than it should have been.
The zombie on the ground slowly gets back to its feet.
The other zombie swings at the wolf with its rotten fists.
Round 1: Rosie, Shadow, Emma, Aiden, Zombies, Clyde
Z2 hp: 6
Clyde steps forward and attacks the zombie that Aiden attacked.
;
Rosie sings a rousing tune about brave knights (not this one) to inspire courage in her companions.
As the zombie rises, Shadow tears into the other leg, attempting to pull it down again.
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Rosie sings a rousing tune about brave knights (not this one) to inspire courage in her companions.
Shadow pulls down the zombie again but fails to deal any damage to it.
Round 2: Rosie, Shadow, Emma, Aiden, Zombies, Clyde
Z2 hp: 6
Even though she can't get to a zombie immediately to use her aspergilliam, Emma moves up behind Clyde and sends out a wave of positive energy towards the zombies to damage them.
Shadow continues to attack the downed zombie.
Taking a step forward, Aiden aims over Clyde's shoulder to hit the zombie facing him.
Shadow tears apart the fallen zombie, while Emma's burst of energy turns the remaining one to dust. The trapped zombies' moans cease momentarily as the holy light sears their putrid flesh.
"Let's hurry before any more of these things manage to free themselves," Rosie says, moving ahead and collecting the stone she missed the zombie with.
Clyde sheathes his sword. "I agree."
Emma nods, "Yup, ready to get out of this area." Emma moves as fast as her legs will take her along the more cleared part of the path to get out of this area as quickly as possible.
With a nod, Aiden moves forward, calling Ghost to follow with a quick whistle.
Heading into the room with the light, you feel a sense of peace. Perhaps it is just the altar, adorned with a silver and purple cloth, that gives off an air of sanctity. Since the room is slightly slanted, you notice a pair of silver chalices on the floor that may have been on the altar once upon a time. Further investigation of the room reveals that the light emanates from a silver holy symbol of Pharasma, seemingly adhered to one of the marble walls behind the altar. There is a worn, wooden door off to the right.
Emma goes to pick up the chalices, and put them back on the alter.
Turning to the others, "I think we should check and see what's behind that door."
"I hope it's not locked."
Clyde goes to try the handle.
The door does not budge.
"Of course."
"Can we break it down?"
Emma looks at the door, "I don't know....it's been here for a long time and might be pretty sturdy. Though....if Clyde and Aiden work together they might be able to break it down. I don't really have a way of helping with this though. What do you guys think?"
"Although....maybe we'll go with the most basic approach first? I know it's a longshot, but anything is worth trying once. If this doesn't work, then maybe we try the whole breaking it down thing?"
Emma walks up to the door and simply gives it a few good knocks.
Emma's knocks echo in the room, but nothing else happens.