"New store, eh?" Epperson grunts at Menya the Whip. "Gotta keep overhead low at start-up, I'll bet. What's your business plan moving forward?" The heavily-armoured dwarf makes idle chatter with the entrepreneur.
The four Andorans give you a cocky grin. "You could say that. We need something that's worthy of our talents. May I?" The group's leader spins your ancient spear in an elaborate display of skill before handing it back. "It's weighted pretty well."
The armorsmith is as skinny as a rail but shakes your hand with a grip of iron. "Things will be tight for a bit, but I'm hoping to find a few customers who appreciate fine craftsmanship. The only thing I'm missing is something to catch the eye and bring them in. If you're selling a shield or a bit of armor that isn't in the best condition, I'd love to fix it up to really show what I can do."
Smiling as the leader of the Andoran's asked to see the spear, Tribim watched as they spun it around. Nodding as they finally hand it back, Tribim agrees, "Weighted well indeed." Gesturing towards the other 'Shadows' "I should head back to my friends, good luck with the auction."
Quickly moving back towards the others, Tribim smiles, "We may have a bidding war for the spear, how did the rest of you do?"
Mahmoud frowns. "Well, that is good. I don't think I made any difference in the sale price of the scrolls, but then again the sort of people who might buy them likely have a good idea of their value." He shrugs. "I am glad that the Temple will benefit somewhat from the auctioning."
Leaving Epperson to his speechcraft, Aerith gladly wandered around, looking at the items up for auction. Many of them were interesting, but they weren't anything that were worth writing home about. That is, until she came across a pair of sandals. Or more specifically, the Sandals of Polymorphous Alacrity! Her heart ached when she studied the enchantments woven into them. They allowed the wearer to move faster than what should be possible, and it would even work when in her draconic form! Not that she could fly yet. Or could really do much of anything besides look, maybe, kind of...sort of...intimidating. Well, to a commoner, maybe. She frowned, at the knowledge that unlike her older relatives, there was not much of anything she could do in such a noble body. But the sandals? They could prove quite useful, if she could overcome that. But the price? Back home she could have just asked for the coin, but here? She might as well ask for a palace. So, all she could do was 'window shop' and fantasize about having the coin needed.
Nodding in agreement with Mahmoud, Tribim moved around with Aerith looking at the other items that would go up for sale. He noticed her pausing looking at the sandals, "Those are nice." He smiles and nods back towards the armor, "But I'd pay good money to see Epperson in the armor carrying the odd shield."
The auction is busy, and bidding proves to be fierce on quite a few items. Your ancient spear is quite popular, but it ends up being won by the Four Lanterns. The Okhenti heir wins the Dog Soldier's fancy shortsword. You manage to pick up an enchanted shield and set of armor that should fit Epperson, stealing the latter away from Menya at the last second.
As things wind down, and everyone finishes paying for their purchases and gloating over their acquisitions, a frantic pounding suddenly comes from the front door. As servants move to open it, it explodes in a cloud of splinters, and a horde of zombies shamble in, hungry for the blood of the living!
Pleased that they were able to acquire armor for their dwarf Tribim hears the noise behind him. Turning he sees the zombies, as he steps out from the seat behind Aerith into the aisle, he draws a chakram from its pouch. Chuckling to himself, he quips, "Pity we don't have time to wait for Epperson to put on his new armor." as he Tosses the circular weapon at the nearest undead.
”Rude.”
Rising from her chair, Aerith walked forward. Her blade rose into the air, turned to the approaching undead, and sent into flying directly at the closest. The blade hit the creature square in the chest, sending shards of bone in all directions.
Mahmoud leaps up and draws his dagger in a smooth motion. "What is this? Undead bidders?" he cries.
Seeing Aerith strike the first one, Mahmoud aims his blade at the same zombie with the hope of removing it quickly. Then he flings his enchanted dagger again at that creature if it is still standing or at the closest zombie adjacent if it is not.
Epperson's eyes glint with excitement as the horde pours into the auction hall.
"This means something has been CURSED! " He draws his flail and moves to engage, targeting one zombie with his tongue and an adjacent one with his flail.
Reacting quickly to the undead assault, you quickly begin dispatching zombies as they pour in, slaying several. The rest continue shambling forward, though - except for one who's locked in the hold of Epperson's curse. Meanwhile, the two servants continue to bleed out.
Feeling quite confident against the mindless undead, and quite safe with her companions between her and them, Aerith continued her assault. Her blade came in low and rose up, splitting a zombie from groin to neck. The remnants of the corpse fell to the ground, leaving the elf standing there with a smug look on her face.
Surging with his fellow Shadows, Tribim draws his shortswords as he moves towards the zombies. Stopping between two, he feints with his left paw,
then slashes repeatedly at the Zombie nearing Mahmoud. Calling over his shoulder towards the pharasmin priests, "These servants need your help!"
Epperson takes a hit but it only serves to instruct the dwarf's next actions.
He plants his feet firmly in the ground in front of one of the fallen servants and take a combat vigil.
"I'll protect any who wish to help this one!" he calls out, swinging his flail high above his head. The dwarf targets a different nearby zombie with his latest tongue-wag.
Tribim's target ignores the feint attempt , but the agile catfolk is still able to down it with a pair of slashes. Aerith splits another undead down the middle with her floating blade as Epperson readies himself for any enemies that might try to harm the wounded. Emboldened by the dwarf's promise, the priests cautiously move to assist. The zombies surge forward as well.
”Holding fast!” Epperson calls out, swinging wider with his flail.
He targets an as-of-yet addressed zombie.
Perhaps she was overconfident. Perhaps the zombies surging together made it hard to move her blade around. Perhaps
She was showing mental fatigue. Whatever the reason, her next attack was quite sloppy.
Mahmoud flicks his dagger at the nearest zombie.
As the zombie falls, Tribim realizes the feint didn't work. Relieved to see the priests were working their way towards the wound, he dodges the zombies attack and slashes repeatedly at the next zombie in the pack.
Despite your fatigue, you finish off the undead, clearing the way for people to exit the building. Unfortunately, the scaffolding by the entrance has been damaged, and as the first civilians run out, it collapses, trapping them under hundreds of pounds of rubble.
Epperson moves out of combat action and into emergency assistance.
"Dwarves and stones - it's a good mix for all!" Epperson calls out, pulling rocks and rubble free from the trapped citizens.
Relieved to see the last zombie fall, Tribim turns towards the doors, just in time to see the scaffolding fall on the two women. Seeing Epperson surging that direction Tribim does the same. Sheathing his blades he moves near the dwarf, intent on aiding. "Hold on Dowager, we're coming to help."
Being completely useless in terms of physical strength, Aerith let her blade rest against the wall and turned her telekinesis towards the task of freeing the trapped civilians.
Seeing that the others have the stones near the exit well in hand, Mahmoud casually examines the two servants that fell in the initial attack. If they are not breathing, he will say a brief prayer to Pharasma for each of them.
The closer servant has been stabilized by the priests, but they haven't had time to tend to the other. As long as they're kept safe, they should be able to stabilize him shortly.
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As you move to assist the trapped civilians, the severed thieves' hands hung from the market's Pillar of Second Thoughts as a shoplifting deterrent burst free of their bonds and scuttle toward the auction house.
Seeing the half-decayed hands crawling towards the building, Tribim redoubles his effort to move the broken-down scaffolding. Hoping to save the dowager and her granddaughter before the undead crawlers arrive, he calls out to the others, "We have a problem out here!"
Aerith moved to the door, willing her blade to float by her side. She looked around, trying to find any sign of a necromancer.
Epperson continues to shield the triaging priests, but fixes his gaze at the crawling hands.
"Holding patrol!"
Mahmoud joins the others at the scaffolding, ready to support and/or fight for them when he sees what they are facing. "That is quite the show of hands," he intones, deadpan.
Aerith sees no signs of a necromancer as Epperson guards the priests and Tribim begins moving rubble. Mahmoud is pretty sure that the crawling hands are undead. They're extremely fast, as it turns out, and appear to be heading for whoever's closest - except for two (a left and a right hand) that are making a beeline toward Menya the Whip, who just exited the auction house intending to help shift rubble.
Mahmoud tosses his dagger in an attempt to skewer the closest hands.
Realizing they weren't going to be able to free the two women from the rubble before the dead crawling hands go to them, Tribim steps forwards through the rubble, drawing his blades as he moves. Bending he slashes repeatedly at the creepy hand in front of him.
Aerith flinched as the hands crawled in a horde towards them. They were just so disgusting! Hurriedly she sent her blade out, sweeping it at them so as to keep them at a distance.
You begin dispatching the hands as Epperson works to continue clearing the rubble. The remaining hands take advantage of their numbers to attack!
As this happens, one of the storage room doors behind you crashes open. It seems one of the sarcophagi up for auction contained a mummy!
Barely registering the mummy rising from the tomb, she continued concentrating on cutting the hands down.
"Blast!" Cursing as the undead hand injures his leg, Tribim continues slashing at the creepy-crawly things. Telling the women, "Ladies, Epperson get you out of here, keep trying to push the beams off."
Mahmoud frowns, seeing the mummy emerge behind them. He notes that Aerith seems unaffected, though Epperson has grown worryingly silent. He tries to finish off the attacking hands quickly. "Let us hope these handy foes cannot also take up arms!" he mutters.
You destroy more hands as Epperson continues doggedly clearing away the rubble . With your focus there, it's easy for the mummy to lurch close enough to attack Aerith!
Crying out in surprise and pain, Aerith stumbled backward and willed her blade to come to her aid. It shot through the air, plunging itself deep into the side of the mummy.
"Blast!" Cursing again as the undead hand injures his other leg, Tribim considers wearing 'greaves' over his sandals. Hearing combat within, he tells the others, "I'll deal with the last two hands, help with whatever it is inside." Bending over slightly he continues slashing at the creepy-crawly things, hoping to finish them quickly.
Mahmoud shrugs and turns to attack the mummy behind them.
Only a single hand remains as you turn your attention to the incoming mummy. While Aerith and Mahmoud manage to inflict some damage, it continues following after Aerith.
Crying out in pain, Aerith doubled over. Clutching her abdomen, she fell to the ground and rolled away, managing to just barely shout out words of power. The air around her collapsed as she vanished, only to appear at a safe distance.
Drawing his gladius from the redeaded undead hand, Tribim turns his attention to the last creepy crawling severed hand. Shifting his weight, he bends, slashing at it with both blades.
Mahmoud checks that the hands have been dispatched, and moves to place himself between the mummy and Aerith. He continues throwing his dagger at it, while grunting unintelligibly.
As Tribim dispatches the final crawling hand and Aerith teleports to safety, Mahmoud draws the attention of the mummy.
Grimacing in pain and anger, Aerith willed her blade to slash itself across the back of the mummy.
Smiling as the last undead hand stops moving, Tribim turns his attention to the mummy. Visibly flinching as the undead thing slams into Mahmoud. Frowning at the wound, Tribim tells his friend, "Mahmoud, you wounded, step back let me in the doorway."
Mahmoud steps back from the mummy to give Tribim room and throws another volley of dagger strikes.