With her great-grandmother's sling, Marguerite casts Needle Darts at the Red Undead.
piercing damage.
Then, she will load her new sling.
Drake raises the wand he pulled out as the zombie hoard approaches and activates it, causing a cone of fire to shoot forth into the wall of bodies. He then quickly moves his fingers through an intricate movement and his shield pops back into existence.
◆◆
◆Shield
Ooh, good thing I didn't stay there. Tik draws a versatile vial, prepares a moderate alchemist's fire from it, and hurls it at the undead before retreating a little more.
|
Djala sighs as the zombies clamber forth once more. "Is there nothing we can do to prevent this onslaught? I do not wish to spend my remaining days destroying the unliving one by one."
She moves up near Squall and slashes at the oncoming horde.
for plus
She glares at the shambling creatures and casts shield
Squall saves his breath to focus his full attention on butchering abominations.
◆ Twin Takedown (if both hit, add damage before applying resistance/weakness)
;
;
◆ Strike: ;
◆ Strike: ;
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Marguerite uses her great-gran’s sling creating a stream of needles that dart at the red horde missing. She needs practice to get the hang of the new weapon.
Drake raises the wand and activates it causing a cone of fire to issue forth into the wall of zombies then shield himself with magic. The horde moves to limit some of the damage, but still they are weak to the area effect of the fire dropping at least two of the zombies.
R!Kktik glad that he moved, draws and throws another vial of fire into the red horde. The fire catches and the zombiles continue to burn even as some fall to the ground. With reduced numbers their size is reduced.
Djala sighs wondering if she is going to spend the rest of her days fighting undead. She moves near Squall and slashes at the horde even with a heroic effort to correct a poor swing it fails to hit. She glares while casting a magic shield.
Squall focuses his full attention on butchering the horde. The first strike misses followed by a critical strike, then a miss and another hit. Slashing weapons caused more damage than expected as Azarim had predicted. A pile of dead zombies lay at Squall’s feet as the horde shrinks to half its initial size. Azarim sends out warm thoughts ” The only good zombie is a double dead one.”
The red horde reforms and closes on Squall and Drake again. The wall of zombies reach out clawing and at anyone in reach. Another zombie falls from the fire and the horde continues to burn.
The blue horde shambles forward slowly as a third green horde digs out of the ground and forms.
Red horde
◆ Stride
◆ bludgeoning any enemy in their squares or within 5ft DC18 basic Reflex save.
Blue horde
◆ Stride
◆ Stride
* Squall AC21 (54-15?/54hp) (light) (? DC18 Reflex vs damage)
* Drake AC19(20) (36-15?/36hp) (light. Mystic Armor) (? DC18 Reflex vs damage)
* R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
Red Shambler troop (-15-7-8-29-15-4= -78hp) (4pts persistent fire)(Reduced 2 block)
Blue Shambler troop (0= 0hp)
Green Shambler troop (0= 0hp)
* Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
* Djalamora AC20 (54hp) (light)
Squall continues to methodically slice apart undead.
◆ Twin Takedown (if both hit, add damage together before applying resistance/weakness):
;
;
◆ Strike: ;
◆ Strike: ;
"Damn, these things just keep coming! When do we run away?" Tik advances along the path, draws a versatile vial, and transforms it to alchemist's fire before throwing it at the blue troop.
Seeing how well the wand worked, Drake focuses his energy and splays out his fingers. Fire erupts from them and roar into the zombies. He then thinks that the better part of valor is to move away from the creatures.
◆◆
◆Stride
With her great-grandmother's sling, Marguerite casts Needle Darts at the Red Undead.
piercing damage.
Then, she will bludgeoning piercing.
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Djala reacts to the horde attacking by blocking some of the damage to Squall and making a retributive strike at the red horde which misses.
Squall heroically defends against the red horde attack taking only some damage which was reduced by Djala’s retributive reaction. Standing his ground Squall strikes with twin shortswords into the red horde critically striking with the first blow followed by another slashing cut. Having cut down all the zombies in the first troop, squall begins to hunt prey on the blue horde of zombies.
Drake fends off part of the horde attack taking only partial damage.
Tik advances along the path and throws another vial this time hitting the blue horde with an alchemist fire. The horde catches fire as the bomb explodes in their mists. They seem weak to splash effects as two zombies burn to a crip.
Drake leans in catching the blue horde of zombies in a breath of fire spell, not expecting it, they stand there taking the full effect and more due to the area effect nature of the spell killing another two zombies. He then backs away for safety.
Marguerite tries again to use her great-grandmother’s sling, but the needle darts fly off in all directions, missing the blue zombie horde. Using a sling stone in the magically charged sling it too misses as the stone flies forth with unexpected force.
Djala steps forward slashing at the blue horde then moving back to guard Squall. Cutting across several zombies in the horde at least three fall to ground. The horde reduced in size fill in the ranks of the fallen.
The blue horde of zombies shamble forward, closing to Squall, but unable to attack. The persistent fire kills one more zombie then goes out.
The green horde stumbles forward following the fellow horde looking for the living.
Djala bot:
for slashing, plus
Blue horde
◆ stride
◆ stride
green horde
◆ stride
◆ stride
* Squall AC21 (54-1= 53/54hp) (light)
* Drake AC19(20) (36-7= 29/36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
* R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
Red Shambler troop (-78-32-15= -125hp) (dead)
Blue Shambler troop (-11-8-15-4= -38hp)
Green Shambler troop (0= 0hp)
* Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
* Djalamora AC20 (54hp) (light)
◆ Twin Takedown (if both hit, add damage together before applying resistance/weakness):
;
;
◆ Strike: ;
◆ Strike: ;
As Squall settles into an effective rhythm with his scything blades, he begins vocalizing a strange avian song that is...surprisingly catchy, despite lacking any of their acquaintance Galesong's training or magic whatsoever.
The alchemist chitters angrily at the undead, striding forward and drawing yet another versatile vial. He transforms it into a moderate ghost charge and throws it at the last of the undead.
Drake moves down the path and then snaps his fingers at the blue hoard, hoping to take out more of them.
◆Stride
◆◆
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Hip deep in corpses, Squall swings his shortswords in a flurry striking three out of four times. The scything blades match a vocalizing rhythm the Tengu makes as he takes out another section of zombies all by himself, but new ones keep stepping up to fill the void.
Worried about further hordes, Djala swings her glaive slashing into the oncoming masses. Her first critical slice takes out the reminder of the blue horde! Her remaining strikes take out remaining stragglers.
Chittering angrily at the undead, the ratfolk alchemist throws another ghost bomb at the green horde. The bomb falls short, but still splashes them with vitality energy causing them to smoke and hiss where it touches. At least two zombies collapse from the attack.
Drake moves down the path, sending a blast of fire into the green horde with a snap of his fingers. The fire burns out two more zombiles.
Repeating her attack, Marguerite invokes the Needle Dart attack from her Great-gran’s sling as she loads another bullet into the well worn sling pouch ready to attack during the next cycle. She is zeroing in on her aim as the needles tear through three green zombies dropping them.
With the blue horde decimated, the green horde shambles up stepping over a mound of dead bodies and enveloping Squall as the loose horde of zombies flow around him.
Azarim shouts a mental warning ”Don’t let them overrun your position!”
BOT Marguerite
◆◆ to hit; piercing.
◆ reload
Green horde
◆ Stride
◆ Stride
Grave Tide
The shambler troop is less organized than most troops. It can move into other creatures' spaces, and other creatures can move into its spaces. Its spaces are difficult terrain to other creatures.
* Squall AC21 (54-1= 53/54hp) (light)
* Drake AC19(20) (36-7= 29/36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
* R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
Red Shambler troop (-78-32-15= -125hp) (dead)
Blue Shambler troop (-38-15-12-16-26= -107hp) (dead)
Green Shambler troop (-7-8= -15hp)
* Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
* Djalamora AC20 (54hp) (light))
Squall studies the new horde before taking a couple swings at its zombies. Not wanting to be surrounded anymore then Azarim wants him to be, the tengu retreats just past Djala. "Are we having fun yet?" he calls to her in a somewhat fey tone.
◆ Hunt Prey on Green horde
◆ Twin Takedown (if both hit, add damage together before applying resistance/weakness):
;
;
◆ Stride
"I'm with Djala, I really hope there aren't any more of them after this." Drake calls out sounding a bit out of breath. He gathers himself and snaps his fingers in the direction of the zombies, sending out another spark of flame. He then continues moving south down the path.
◆◆
◆Stride
The ratfolk draws one of his last two versatile vials*, then mixes up another moderate ghost charge and throws it at the remaining zombie band* before retreating again*.
|
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Squall begins studying the green horde as he slices and dices more zombies hitting with a critical strike and a regular strike. Still the Zombie horde is redacted in size. He retreats out of the zombie horde asking Azarim if they are having fun yet. The blade mental replay is ecstatic :: I haven’t had this much fun in a hundred years! Hey you missed one to your left!::
Drake voices his hope that there is an end to the zombies as he sparks another gout of flame that critically hits the horde taking out another chuck of zombies.
The ratfolk running low on explosive vials, throws another ghost bomb into the zombie horde causing several undead to dissipate into a cloud of dust.
Getting the hang of Great-gran’s magic sling, Marguerite’s Needle Dart storm takes out the horde's remaining zombies. All that is left is a few undead parts trying to inch their way north, none of them are a threat to heroes of your experience.
The yellow glow has all but faded its necromantic energy exhausted in creating the undead.
Azarim shouts ::We have won this battle, but it is only one of many to come!::
BOT Marguerite
◆◆ to hit; piercing.
◆ reload
Having followed your group from town at a distance, Verrin Tieruk looks at the carnage of bodies laid throughout the graveyard! ” I … I can’t re-bury all those people by myself! What if they won’t stay dead again? “ he begins shaking not knowing what to do.
Squall AC21 (53/54hp) (light)
Drake AC19(20) (29/36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
Djalamora AC20 (54hp) (light)
Tik sighs. "I suppose we should find out how this happened and keep it from happening again." His whiskers twitch, and he bares his teeth in a brief grin. There might be some treasure that I can actually use!
Drake sags back as the hoard is put down. "Give Shadow and I a few minutes to look around and try to find a center of this necromantic energy before it fully dissipates. I'm not sure if we will be able to figure out who or what caused these zombies, but we can try." Drake says as he motions to Shadow to come toward him. Drake begins looking around the graveyard, starting near to where the zombies had come out of the ground, trying to find any indication of a necromantic ritual.
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Sighing, Tik wonders how the undead uprising happened and how to prevent it again. The Ratfolk begin looking around peeking into open graves and examining the dead bodies for useful items.
Drake sags back against a headstone after the battle asking for a few minutes before shadow and he examines the necromantic energy residue.
It takes longer than expected, but Drake and his shadow arrive at some theories. One, that a wave of necromantic energy from the north washed through the cemetery. The wave was attracted to the presence of so many dead bodies. Two, the few undead that did escape headed north into the Darkmoon wood making directly for Drokars Crucible.
Verrin continues to look with disbelief upon the state of the graveyard, ” Grandad never warned me about this. I should have become a woodcutter. It's going to take years to rebury all the bodies. I can’t deal with this!”
Azarim gives a mental yawn ::Well looks like the excitement is over for now. ::
Squall AC21 (53/54hp) (light)
Drake AC19(20) (29/36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
Djalamora AC20 (54hp) (light)
The ratfolk sighs again. "Would you like some help? I'm not very strong, but I'll do what I can." He looks around at the stronger members of the party.
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Djala touches Drake gently on the arm, restoring his health. "Do not worry yourself, friend Verrin. My companions and I will aid you in this endeavor. We should not allow these poor bodies too much time to decay."
As Drake investigates, she begins to dig. However, when he mentions that there were 1) some who escaped and 2) where they were headed, she looks torn. "Perhaps we might lay the bodies straight under canvas while we deal with the cause of the incident? I do not wish to distress friend Verrin; however, I also do not wish to be forced to protect myself against further advances from the unliving. What are your thoughts, companions?"
Tik stifles a yawn. "Remember, we were eating dinner when Verrin came in. I don't know about you, but marching off into the night after some fleeing undead doesn't seem prudent. Let's put the bodies back on the right side of the ground (for them), get a good night's sleep, and go north in the morning."
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R!Kktik asks Verrin if he would like some help.
Verrin immediately looks relieved, ” Yes, I have some extra shoves and picks. Looks like most of the dead came from the mass grave dug during the hobgoblin strife of 4679 ar.”
Djala heals Drake’s wounds with her lay on hands gift. She too offers the group’s help in reburying the dead bodies. She is concerned about any undead that escaped and where they are heading.
Azarim mentally shrugs as she turns into a pick :: Never been afraid of a little hard work. What do you say Squall?::
With everyone pitching in it only takes about four hours to dig a new mass grave where the previous one was freshly turned up by the previous occupants. By midnight the group had completed the endeavor. Everyone has discovered sore muscles they didn’t know they had, and blistered hands.
Verrin looks almost happy, ” You lot are doing a world of good for Falcon Hollow! I don’t know why, but I’m glad you are. Thanks!”
Being late the group heads back to town to get cleaned up and rested.
Squall AC21 (53/54hp) (light)
Drake AC19(20) (36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
Djalamora AC20 (54hp) (light)
Squall emits a long, low whistle when he's finally able to look at the full extent of the carnage instead of just focusing on mowing down the undead closest to him.
The tengu cleans his weapons carefully, sheathing his cold iron blade when he's finished, but politely keeps Azarim drawn as the group discusses their plans. Judging the direction the escaped undead must have headed, he says, "Looks like they're going to the same place we intend to. I agree with Tik, we can hunt them down tomorrow."
When Azarim changes into a pick, Squall nods. "Yes, let's make this place presentable again, before anyone else from town has to see the horrors. And it never hurts to curry a little favor with the Lady of Graves, does it?"
After the gruesome task is finally complete, Squall declares that he is eager to make a prayer or two to Cayden Cailean, then sleep as long as his aching body will allow him to.
After resting, R!Kktik makes sure the rations in his adventurer's pack are still edible before the party sets out.
Drake wipes away sweat from his brow as the group finishes the gristly task of reburying the bodies. "I'm ready for a good nights sleep. Let's head back to town and figure out what to investigate in the morning. I'd like to look a little further into this necromantic energy, but it seems that all the events are coming from a similar direction." Drake reaches down and absently pets Shadow between the ears before slowly turning and heading back to town.
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The group makes it back to town and turns in for the evening. Early the next day the group finalizes any adventuring preparation and sets out for the trek back to Droskar’s Crucible.
Along the way you run across a few undead animals and a rotted corpse or two. All heading in the same direction as you and easily dispatched by your crew.
Upon reaching the ruined monastery, you find a few more zombie kobolds and zombie wolves having awoken since you left. They offer a minor challenge, but still well within your abilities to dispatch without too much blood shed on your part.
The living kobolds were good at their word and left. There were no signs of any living kobolds in the first two levels of Droskar’s Crucible.
In the second level near the old Kobold warrens you find the forsaken tunnel. A cave-in partially blocks this tunnel, but excavations from months ago have cleared much of the rubble to allow access to a yawning pit just beyond the ancient rockfall. Near the edge of the pit sits what appears to be bits and pieces of discarded climbing gear. This shaft is where the kobolds told you that King Merlokrep and a small group of minions fled down to the lower levels.
Azarim mentally tells the group :: In my day an iron flight of circular stairs once descended this shaft, but it looks like those stairs have collapsed since then. ::
Investigating the shaft, you find the entrance consists of a 40-foot-deep pit, the walls of which quickly change to worked stone after a drop of 10 feet. This circular shaft drops into the center of a circular stagnant pool chamber in the Upper Vault.
The bits and pieces of climbing gear appear to be the destroyed remains of a rope-and-pulley system several smashed by kobolds many months ago.
Squall AC21 (54hp) (light)
Drake AC19(20) (36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
Djalamora AC20 (54hp) (light)
The ratfolk opens his pack and pulls out a coil of rope. "I think we need another 50 feet for a chair sling."
"I've got another 50 feet here Tik. I can give you a hand in crafting the chair sling if you need help with it." Drake says as he pulls his bundle of rope from the side of his pack.
Squall keeps watch while Drake and Tik work on rigging an elevator. Once they're nearly finished, the tengu quietly suggests, "I think either Djala or I should go down first, just in case something down there notices and we need to cover someone's descent." He peers dubiously at the hole below them. "At least I don't need a free hand to fight, if it comes to that," he adds, tapping his sharp beak.
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Djala starts to offer a hand, but Drake and Tik have the swing well in hand. "Agreed, friend Squall. Perhaps you would be best? I am quite strong and might be better served up here, where my armor does not announce our arrival to all and sundry." That might almost have been a joke.
She peers down the hole rather dubiously, then lays her glaive down where it is easy to retrieve and grabs hold of the rope, looping it several times around her waist. She nods to show she's ready.
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Surveying the pit, R!Kktik quickly pulls out 50ft of rope asking for another coil of rope.
Drake provides the second bundle of rope and assists in the crafting of the chair sling.
The ratfolk and wizard begin working quickly on the chair sling completing it in half the time.
Drake admires the pair's handy work.
Keeping watch while the two work on rigging a personal elevator he suggests that Djala or himself should be the first down the pit just in case.
Djala agrees with Squall offering to do the heavy rope work while Squall is lowered down.
Looking at the hole below with dubious feelings, Djala begins lowering Squall down the pit in the newly crafted chair sling.
Azarim mentally communicates with the group :: Don’t worry I’ll have Squall’s back!::
As Squall descends, the light spell is the only thing providing illumination in the dark. He sees the walls of the pit change from rough cut stone to worked stone after the first 10ft, after 30ft the walls of the pit open up revealing a circular dome like room that has a pool of water below. This large, circular room smells strongly of old earth and faintly of rot. Slime coats the walls, and old pieces of wood and patches of congealed muck float on the surface of the still, dark water that covers all sight of the floor below, making it difficult to determine the water’s depth. A large hallway leads south, its floor a foot above the surface of the water. In the middle of the ceiling ten feet above, a ten-foot-diameter hole opens to a shaft.
A few moments after Squall is lowered into the room suspended 5ft above the water, the slime clinging to the walls slithers and congeals, running together along the cracks in the stonework to solidify into the shapes of dozens of disembodied human eyes that peer and watch from the walls. If this manifestation wasn’t unsettling enough, Squall spots three small patches of rotten fur moving in the water and is hit by a malodorous smell that reeks of food that is simultaneously burned and spoiled!
Squall AC21 (54hp) (light)
Drake AC19(20) (36hp) (light. Mystic Armor)
R!Kktik AC20 (38hp)
Marguerite AC19 (36hp) (light)
Djalamora AC20 (54hp) (light)
"Squall what's going on down there? I see something moving!" Drake sends down after casting Message down as Djala brings the seat back up.
Drake turns to the group, "If Squall needs help I can get one of us down there safely. You'll have to trust me, but if you just jump down the hole, I have a spell that will safely slow your fall!" Drake takes a moment waiting for the group to decide what to do and casts Mystic Armor on himself.
Squall signals to Djala to stop lowering him just before he reaches the water, and replies quietly to Drake, "Water of unknown depth, with three things I can't see clearly moving in it. And weird eyeballs all over the walls."
"If you get back up here, I can throw bombs down onto whatever is in the water!"
Marguerite casts a glowing light down in the pit, and moves it to just right above the water.