|
Djala crouches by the fence peering at the undead as she agrees with keeping the fence between them and the group. Watching them for a few moments she suggests they are weak to slashing as a group made up of Unholy Zombies.
Squall holds Azarim higher to no avail. He agrees to keep the fence between the zombies and the group.
Tik draws a versatile vial letting the group know he can make six bombs for now.
Djala inquired what range the bombs would be most effective.
The group begins making their way to the right around the outside of the fence getting pretty far before the horde of zombies notice them.
* Squall AC21 (54hp) (light)
* Drake AC19(20) (36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
* Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
* R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
* Djalamora AC20 (54hp) (light)
Zombie horde Red (0= 0hp)
Squawk sheathes Azarim with a mental apology, and pulls out his seldom-used (but newly enchanted) shortbow as the group works their way around the perimeter. Once the zombies notice them, the tengu begins firing arrows into the horde.
◆ Strike: ; (deadly d10, range 60 ft., reload 0)
◆ Strike: ;
◆ Strike: ;
Drake, seeing the hoard begin to turn the groups way, raises his left hand and points at the approaching undead. Three bolts of force shoot out from his hand and shoot into the zombies.
◆◆◆
"This is a little farther away than I prefer, but I've got a pretty good throwing arm."
Tik scuttles forward, staying close to the fence, before preparing his drawn vial and hurling it at the nearest group of undead.
|
|
Djala complains about having to use a sling and it shows when the shot flies between two zombies in the horde just missing. The second shot misses by even more.
Squall sheathes Azarim mentally apologizing as he draws a shortbow and fires a volley of arrows at the zombies. The first arrow drops one of the many creatures making a small dent in the horde. The other two arrows fall short or overshoot the horde.
Azarim sighs, ” It’s alright not every solution calls for a hammer. I think I can hear them now. Sounds like a lot!”
Seeing the horde turn towards him, Drake raises his hand and sends a volley of magic force missiles slamming into the front line of zombies taking down two more of the horde number.
R!Kktik scuttles forward along the fence before prepping a vial and hurling it at the nearest group of undead. The vitality bomb falls short but still splashes on the group causing the dead to hiss and burn where splashed. The vitality burns them especially well causing a lot more damage than just a splash injuring a lot of zombies.
With her sling loaded and ready Marguerite fires a shot at the zombie horde, the first shot hits a zombie in the head taking it out. Quickly reloading she fires a second shot that takes out another zombie.
The horde closes ranks shrinking in size as they step over the dead and shamble towards you the living ” Braaaaannnesss.”
Marguerite
◆ to hit bludgeoning
◆reload
◆ to hit bludgeoning
Zombie horde
◆Stride
◆Stride
* Squall AC21 (54hp) (light)
* Drake AC19(20) (36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
* Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
* R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
* Djalamora AC20 (54hp) (light)
Zombie horde Red (-5-10-7-4-6= -32hp) (reduced 1 block)
Drake, trying to make it a little easier to hit the hoard, moves up near Squall and then snaps his fingers, sending a small immolation of flame into the hoard.
◆Stride
◆◆
The alchemist draws another versatile vial, quickly turns it into another moderate ghost charge bomb, and throws it at the zombies before stepping back.
Squall moves as the team spreads out, then methodically shots more arrows at the approaching horde.
◆ Stride
◆ Strike: ; (deadly d10, range 60 ft., reload 0)
◆ Strike: ;
|
|
Drake moves closer to the horde before sending a bolt of fire into the zombies with a snap of his fingers. The fire hits a critical part of the troop dropping several zombies as they burn to ash, and leave a few more burning.
R!Kktik throws another ghost charge bomb just hitting the crowd of zombies with it. The explosion of vitality energy rips into the horde destroying more zombies. The remaining zombies are reduced in size as their number dwindles.
Squall moves closer following the others and methodically shoots more arrows into the horde. Both arrows hit, but do only minor damage as the zombies continue without pause.
Torn between moving forward to protect her allies or continuing to pelt the foes with stone, Djala reloads once more and flings a stone at the horde only to miss by inches. She moves forward wishing she had time to pull her glaive.
Marguerite remains where she is, loading and firing her sling once more, hitting a zombie dropping one of the wounded undead.
The zombies close rank and stumble forward moaning as they move towards the living. The fire burns the horde once then goes out.
Azarim thoughts sound happy, ”Oh now I can sense them. That’s a lot of zombies, good thing there are not more.”
Djala
◆ reload
◆ to hit bludgeoning
◆ stride
Marguerite
◆ reload
◆ to hit bludgeoning
◆ reload
Zombie horde
◆ Stride
◆ Stride
* Squall AC21 (54hp) (light)
* Drake AC19(20) (36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
* Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
* R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
* Djalamora AC20 (54hp) (light)
Zombie horde Red (-32-20-12-2-4= -70hp) (reduced 2 blocks)
Snapping his fingers at the zombie hoard again, Drake sends forth more fire before slipping back so Djala can get in range with her glaive.
◆◆
◆Stride
"There were twice as many when we started," Squall tells Azarim, as he studies the horde more closely. The tengu fires one more arrow, curses under his breath, then switches from their bow for the talkative rapier.
◆ Hunt Prey on the zombie horde
◆ Strike: ; (deadly d10, range 60 ft., reload 0)
◆ Interact to change weapons
◆ bludgeoning
◆ Reload
◆ bludgeoning
Tik draws another versatile vial and hurls it at the zombies.
|
|
With a snap of his fingers, Drake fires another bolt of fire at the zombies. The fire hits a tombstone missing the horde. The wizard moves behind Djala and her glaive.
Squall reminds Azarim that they have already whittled the number down by half. Take a moment he begins hunting the horde as prey as he sends one final arrow sailing harmlessly over the zombies heads before switching to his talkative rapier.
Azarim's eager thoughts of fighting undead wash over the group.
Marguerite lets loose a sling bullet hitting a zombie square in the head ending him. Another zombie steps forward taking the fallen one's place.
Tik draws and hurls another ghost bomb at the horde. It lands just short of the horde missing, but still splashes the front line of zombies with Vitality charged liquid that burns the undead more than expected. Another zombie falls unmoving.
Djala reloads and fires her sling once more, hitting and killing a zombie with a clean head shot. She then swaps the sling for her beloved glaive.
The horde of zombies shamble forward up against the fence trying to get to the living. The zombie horde pushes against the fence causing it to creak and sway, but the old rusty iron fence holds for now.
Djala
◆ reload
◆ to hit bludgeoning
◆ swap weapon to glaive
Zombie horde
◆ Stride
◆
* Squall AC21 (54hp) (light)
* Drake AC19(20) (36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
* Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
* R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
* Djalamora AC20 (54hp) (light)
Zombie horde Red (-70-2-7-5= -84hp) (reduced 2 blocks)
Drake focuses himself, snaps his fingers at the hoard again, trying again to cause more damage. He then quickly focuses, sending a single bolt of force into the creatures.
◆◆
◆
◆ Reload
◆ bludgeoning.
◆ Reload
|
|
Drake focuses himself and with another snap of his fingers sends more fire into the horde striking the remaining zombies. The remaining zombies are ineffective as a horde and the remaining stragglers are trivial to dispatch.
Marguerite takes out one of the zombie stragglers with a well placed sling bullet.
The group quickly dispatched the remaining stragglers. The sickly yellow glow seen issuing from gaping maws, empty eye sockets, or even flickering within the mortal wounds carried by these unliving foe is gone from the zombie bodies you dispatched but you still feel an uneasiness about the cemetery.
Azarim thoughts echo across the group ”Well done, you handled the shambler troops like pros. Not that it made any difference this time, but I believe slashing weapons would have been more effective. Wonder what caused the dead to become restless and are there going to be more?”
Squall AC21 (54hp) (light)
Drake AC19(20) (36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
Djalamora AC20 (54hp) (light)
"I suppose we should go in there and search." Tik sounds less than thrilled at the idea.
Drake walks over to the tree that Shadow climbed up and retrieves the cat, scratching him behind the ears and then nods toward Tik, "As unpleasant as it is to search around a graveyard, we should make sure it is now safe for Verrin to come back to work. Let me know if anyone sees any strange ritual markings."
Drake then squats down next to Shadow and begins instructing the cat in Fey to look for anything that looks suspicious in the graveyard while staying out of sight.
Squall cleans the gruesome remains from his blades, then sheathes the shortsword he drew to help dispatch the last few zombies. "I want to check out the perimeter first, see if anything sees off outside the fence. They seemed to be trying to break out on the north side. I'm curious why." The tengu suits his actions to his words, and carefully scouts along the fence to the north of the graveyard. He keeps Azarim in hand, in case of any more dangers, and to allow the sword to offer any insights she may have along the way.
|
|
Unenthusiastically, Tik suggests searching the area.
Drake goes to collect his familiar cat asking it to search the graveyard to make sure it is safe.
The cat moves with stealth through the iron fence and among the tall grass and headstones.
Squall cleans his weapons as the scouts along the fence. He investigates the fence to the north side. Keeping Azarim in hand.
Djala stands watch over her companions as they investigate the north side of the cemetery.
Over the next ten minutes the group investigates outside the fence looking for the cause of the release dead.
Squall finds nothing unusual about the northern fence. The only thing north of the cemetery is the Ruin Monastery and Droskar’s Crucible dungeon.
Shadow the cat returns near the end of the ten minutes, it jumps up to sit on Drakes shoulders and seems to purr into his ear.
Azarim sends out a mental warning to the group ”Somthing is climbing out of the ground in the graveyard.” Looking you see clawing out of the dirt a single corpse of a decaying humanoid, but with elongated arms, teeth, and bone-like spikes protruding from its upper back.
* Squall AC21 (54hp) (light)
* Drake AC19(20) (36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
* R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
* Djalamora AC20 (54hp) (light)
Undead Red (0= 0hp)
Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
Seeing the ground begin to rip open, Drake raises his hand and wills a shield into existence. He then snaps his fingers and sends a spark of flame at the creature.
◆Shield
◆◆
Squall watches the undead clawing its way out of the ground for just a moment, then murmurs, "You said something about slashing weapons?" He then starts climbing the fence, because he can do significantly more damage up close.
◆ Hunt Prey on Red
◆ Shift Weapon (shift Azarim to shortsword, which is versatile S and agile)
◆ Climb:
|
|
Seeing a new undead threat, Drake shields himself then sends a bolt of fire missing the emerging creature.
Watching the undead dig out of the ground, Squall claims it as his new prey and murmurs about slashing weapons as he successfully climbs over the fence. Azarim morphs from a rapier into a shortsword mentally commenting :: I said the zombie horde was weak to slashing, this thing is a Festrog, a completely different undead when hit with piercing or slashing adjacent creatures get splashed with poison from its diseased Pustules. Best to use bludging.”
Djala also climbs the fence successfully having to take one hand off her glaive to do so. She regrips the weapon and moves next to Squall.
Tik was able to gather components for his bombs during the 10min break. He delays for a moment while considering slipping through the fence or remaining on the safe side.
The Festrog runs on all four limbs up to Squall snapping at him with its extended jaws. Teeth sink into Squall’s flesh even as Djala uses retributive reaction to lessen the damage.
Much to the horror of all, four more of these creatures dig themselves out of the dirt ready to attack!
Red Festrog
to hit; piercing
* Squall AC21 (54-4= 50/54hp) (light)
* Drake AC19(20) (36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
* R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
* Djalamora AC20 (54hp) (light)
Red Festrog (0= 0hp)
Blue Festrog (0= 0hp)
Green Festrog (0= 0hp)
Yellow Festrog (0= 0hp)
Orange Festrog (0= 0hp)
* Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
◆ Marguerite will stride closer to the center of the action.
◆ bludgeoning.
◆ Reload
"Let's avoid that then, shall we?" Squall replies to Azarim, willing the sword to become a light mace instead. They quick draw another mace and swing it in one fluid motion, then attack again with both weapons at once.
◆ Shift Weapon
◆ Quick Draw to draw light mace and Strike (mace gains Azarim's fundamental runes due to doubling rings):
;
◆ Twin Takedown (if both Strikes hit, add damage before applying resistance/weakness):
;
;
|
"These creatures are even more disturbing than the last!" She slashes at the one which leapt at Squall.
for plus
Taking a step back towards the rest of the group, she aims another attack at the red one...
for plus
then casts Shield in preparation for the rest to attack.
↺ Retributive Strike
◆ Step
◆ Attack
◆ Shield
R!Kktik draws a versatile vial, mixes another ghost charge, and throws it at the green enemy.
Drake, seeing Squall engage the first creature, takes his time casting a spell. As he finishes his incantation he points his staff in the direction of the green creature, as three bolts of fire fly from the staff, streaking toward the red, green and yellow creatures.
◆◆◆
|
|
Finding the new undead creatures more disturbing, Djala slashes the red one as it attacks Squall, cutting it deeply. Unfortunately, the slashing damage cuts open diseased pustules on the creature’s body, spraying poison toxin on both Djala and Squall.
Marguerite moves to the center stage of the action and flings a sling stone, hitting the red Festrog. It snarls at the sharp pain.
Squall suggests Azarim change forms in light of the new information. As the shortsword flows into the shape of a light mace, Squall draws another mace, critically hitting the red Festrog, ending its short undead life. Due to a lack of a melee target, Squall forgoes attacking to move in front of Djala.
Djala moves forward, placing herself in a better position to protect the rest of the group and cast a shield cantrip.
R!Kktik draws and throws a ghost charge bomb at the green enemy, missing by a few inches; it splashes the undead with harmful vitality energy. The creature’s skin smokes and melts where splashed, and it howls in pain. Vitality doesn't seem to cause any additional damage.
Seeing Squall take out the first creature, Drake takes his time casting a powerful fire bolt spell, sending three fiery bolts at the blue, green, and yellow Festrogs. Two fire bolts hit the green and yellow Festrogs, causing significant burns across their bodies, but not enough to kill them. The Blue Festrog is critically hit by the fire bolt, resulting in its sudden death as it is reduced to a burnt crisp.
Running forward on all four limbs, Green attacks Djala with its extended jaws, missing twice.
The Orange Festrog follows running on all fours to attack Squall with its jaws extended. The first bite misses, but the second barely hits, and Djala’s quick retributive strike reaction hits the creature and prevents it from doing damage. Unfortunately, her slashing weapon causes a spray of poison as it cuts open diseased pustules covering both of them.
A burnt yellow Festrog still smoking races forward on all fours, trying to bite through the fence’s gaps at Drake. It gets caught by the fence, just missing with the first attack, and just gnawing on iron with the second.
One more Festrog claws its way up out of the ground this round. All the undead show signs of a sickly yellow glow about their bodies.
Green Festrog vs Djala
to hit; piercing
to hit; piercing
Orange Festrog vs Squall
to hit; piercing
to hit; piercing
YellowFestrog vs Drake
to hit with +2ac cover; piercing
to hit with +2ac cover; piercing
* Squall AC21 (50-1?-3?/54hp) (light) (DC 14 basic reflex save vs 1 poison.) (DC 14 basic reflex save vs 3 poison.)
* Drake AC19(20) (36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
* R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
* Djalamora AC20 (54-1?-3?/54hp) (light) (DC 14 basic reflex save vs 1 poison.) (DC 14 basic reflex save vs 3 poison.)
Red Festrog (-20-1-18= -39hp) (dead)
Blue Festrog (-30= -30hp) (crispy dead)
Green Festrog (-2-17= -19hp)
Yellow Festrog (-20= -20hp)
Orange Festrog (0= 0hp)
Purple Festrog (0= 0hp)
* Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
Drake snaps his fingers, causing a spark between them and reaches out to touch the festrog in front of him.
◆◆
Drake then takes a moment, racking his brain to see if he can recall anything about the yellow glow from the creatures bodies.
◆
success vs. 1
fail vs. 3
Squall takes a quick swing with Azarim at the festrog attacking Djalamora, then shifts his full attention to the one that charged him.
◆ Strike vs. Green: ;
◆ Hunt Prey vs. Orange
◆ Twin Takedown vs. Orange:
;
;
|
|
Djala jerks back from the spray of diseased flesh.
If flat of the blade is a possibility, she'll start with Orange, then Green, then Shield
for plus
for plus
If not and Battle Medicine is a possibility, she'll use it on both Orange and Green, then Shield
healing
healing
If neither of those work, she will take a step closer to everyone (so Drake is in reach), slash once at Orange, then Shield.
Tik draws a versatile vial and uses it for a different sort of bomb, throwing it at the yellow festrog next to Drake.
|
|
Squall and Djala have mixed results resisting the toxic poison.
Drake snaps his fingers again sending a gout of flames to engulf the festrog next to him. The creature withers in the fire and crumbles to the ground dead. Taking a few seconds to study the yellow glow, Drake thinks it is some form of residue necromantic energy, after the battle given enough time to study it properly you may be able to learn more about it and where it came from.
Squall swinging Azarim critically strikes the green Festrog, smashing it into pulp with the light mace and ending its threat. He turns to hunt the orange one striking it once in a flurry of attacks. It crumbles under his assault dead.
Djala shields herself and readies an attack if one gets within range.
Tik draws a versatile vial and lobs the bomb at the fresh purple festrog critically hitting it with fire. The creature withers in pain as it is burnt to a crisp dead.
With the death of the purple Festrog the graveyard seems quiet for now, but there are still wisps of yellow glow seeping into the ground.
Azarim’s thoughts echo out to the group, ”Nicely done! But don’t let your guard down; those things always come in groups of three! “
Squall AC21 (50-1-3=46/54hp) (light)
Drake AC19(20) (36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
Djalamora AC20 (54-1-1=52/54hp) (light)
Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
Tik hefts one of his remaining versatile vials. "I don't know anything about undead, or whatever that glow is. Drake, Marguerite, or Djala, do any of you know whether vital energy would disperse it?"
"I think the glow is some sort of necromantic residue. Give me some time to look at it and I'll see what I can figure out." Drake says to Tik.
"Better you and me than anyone else here," Squall replies to Djala. They heft Azarim with some obvious satisfaction. "But eliminating threats faster certainly helps reduce our pain."
|
|
Tik asks the group if anyone knows what the glow is, and wonders if it can be dispersed.
Drake talks about it being a sort of necromantic residue, but needs time to study it properly.
Djala uses her battle medicine to quickly heal Squalls and her wounds, commenting about best way not to be hit.
Squall agrees, points out that they are better at taking punches. He seems satisfied with Azarim’s help in eliminating threats.
Azarim sends warm thoughts to the group ” Glad I could help!”
Over the next ten minutes the group studies the residue yellow glow. It seems to be soaking into the graveyard soil as it is drawn to dead bodies buried there. Drake and Djala determine that the wave of necromantic energy washed through the cemetery as if attracted by the presence of so many dead bodies, but offers no obvious explanation for the event.
Marguerite finds a grave stone of her great-grand mother Margo Ruysch. There is a relief carved into the stone of a glowing halo and a much more recent addition of a crudely made wreath a weathered note attached reads ”What once was borrowed is now returned. Old friend.” Looking more closely at the wreath you see it is tied together using a well used sling, but this one has a +1 rune and affixed is a perfectly octahedral magnetite crystal covered in a hair-like layer of iron sand that always finds its way back to the shape if wiped away.
Tik gathers reagents for this alchemistry during the short 10min respite.
While investigating the glow, an unsettling tremor shakes the entire cemetery. The cause of this eerie tremor soon becomes apparent, as the last of the necromantic energy is seeping into the ground above an area of a mass grave dug during the hobgoblin strife of 4679, The dead are stirring to unlife in the grave dirt below and they are clambering to to the surface as one. The area within the emanation continues to shake softly and turns into difficult terrain as another shambler troop scrambles from the ground.
Azarim thoughts alert the group ” More zombies !”
* Squall AC21 (54hp) (light)
* Drake AC19(20) (36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
* R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
Red Shambler troop (0= 0hp)
Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
Djalamora AC20 (54hp) (light)
Squall studies the emerging undead, and recalls what Azarim said earlier about the best way to attack the first zombie horde. He wills the sentient weapon to become a shortsword, and swaps his mace for his cold iron sword.
◆ Hunt Prey on red troop
◆ Shift Weapon to shortsword
◆ Interact to swap light mace for +1 cold iron shortsword
Drake will stride forward next to Squall, pull out a wand and bring up his magical shield.
◆Stride
◆Interact to pull out the Wand of Fire Breath
◆Shield
I don't want to get that close to this lot. Instead of using a versatile vial, the ratfolk scuttles forward to near the fountain, draws and throws a prepared ghost charge bomb at the oncoming undead, and retreats.
|
|
Squall studies the emerging undead and having learned from the past he begins hunting the horde, wills Azarim to take the form of a shortsword and swaps his off hand weapon to a shortsword.
Drake strides up to Squall, draws a wand and casts a protective shield.
R!Kktik scuttles forward to the fountain and tosses a ghost charge bomb before retreating. Tik’s bomb hits several zombies in the horde killing at least three as the liquid does more damage than normal.
The zombie horde shambles towards the nearest life force moving slowly through the tall grass and uneven ground of the graveyard until they are nose to nose with Squall and Drake.
No sooner than the first horde moves forward then more zombies and skeletons dig to the surface forming another horde of shambling undead!
Azarim mentally chuckles, ”One of those zombies look like auntie Gertrude, only it moves with more liveliness."
Red horde
◆Stride
◆Stride
Blue horde
emerges
* Squall AC21 (54hp) (light)
* Drake AC19(20) (36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
* R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
Red Shambler troop (-15= -15hp)
Blue Shambler troop (0= 0hp)
* Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
* Djalamora AC20 (54hp) (light)