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Hollie thinks a moment. "No. We're going. If Apsu is expecting me to be a leader, then I can't just sit around waiting for permission to do the right thing," she says as she turns and heads towards her room. "I'm going to get my gear and get ready. Can you inform the others that we need to wrap up selling off the loot we found and get ready to ride for Magnimar?"
"Sooooo, Aldern had this?" she asks, a look of concern on her face. "He was such a creeper..."
Once it is clear everyone is safe and healthy, Hollie relaxes and returns home. She cleans her armor and dons it with Draxtherian’s help before heading to find Father Zantus and the Mayor to give them a report on Aldern’s condition, the curse that seemingly rests on the manor itself, and their discoveries within.
Hollie comes running up, not wearing her armor but rather her cropped shirt and skirt. She had a nervous look on her face as she asks ”Is Cator alright? Shae said he was sick?”
”We don’t really have a choice in the matter,” Hollie grumbles as the rain soaks her hair and body. ”Let’s get this over with,” she adds as she draws her rapier wearily.
Hollie heads through the rain to where they had tied off and hobbled their horses. She releases hers and climbs up into the saddle and prepares to head back to town. During the ride, she is quiet and clearly either upset or deep in thought. She doesn’t attempt to shield herself from the rain, and her hair and body is soaked.
Hollie rushes over and yells ”Drax! Hold him down!” The dragon leaps onto Krovek’s chest and neck as Hollie leaps onto Krovek’s back!
”Have we checked and cleared everything?” Hollie asks in exasperation as Draxtherian tries to recover from the disgust of being touched by vermin.
Hollie weathers the wave of rats and slashes out again with her blade!
With little other option against what sounds like a multitude of rodents, Hollie and Drax both brave and ready themselves for the wave, planning to slash and claw as many as they can as they approach.
Hollie stands quietly behind the pair. Draxtherian nuzzles up at her, and she gently runs his neck to calm her nerves from the repeat possessions.
Hollie clutches her head and just nods her head, whatever specter’s emotions still weighing on her as she wearily follows the others out.
"Agreed. Let's finish searching this hell hole and make sure it's threats are dealt with so we can get out of here," Hollie agrees.
”Maybe, but I think this was likely either his father or grandfather’s work,” Hollie muses.
Hollie grasps Krovek by the arm. ”No. Let me. Apsu has blessed me with his protections…so we may as well take advantage…” Then, once everyone else is good and clear, Hollie steps forward and takes the pick…
Hollie takes a couple slices at the thing, but to no avail. Recalling the recent history of how well the rhino had dispatched Aldern, she steps aside and calls out "Krovek! Send Kazaht in!"
Hollie and Draxtherian rush the hideous thing, Hollie on the ground and Draxtherian through the air, hoping to take it out before it can take flight.
Hollie pats her head and runs her hand comfortingly up and down her back. She nods to Cator and says ”Gather anything of importance, and let’s get out of here. We can burn this place to the ground once we have cleared out. Put an end to its curse once and for all.”
Hollie rushes over to Shaedeen and wraps her up in her arms. ”It’s alright. It’s over,” she says reassuringly as she looks back towards Aldern’s body. Draxtherian, meanwhile, proceeds to bury a claw through Aldern’s skull. Just to make sure this non-living abomination stayed dead this time.
Hollie spins around, the divine energy coursing through her now reinforcing her determination further given his evil actions. She replies to him ”I don’t think so!” before slashing at him twice with her blade.
Drax, a bit shook by the things taunting and agility, decides to graciously allow one of the mortals to move up to attack the thing. Especially since he can reach it from here anyway. He snaps at it with his sharp fangs as his long neck snakes past Hollie.
Hollie sees the markings flare to life brightly, but the whole thing has shook her. She doesn’t know the right move anymore. ”Guys…I don’t know what is going on…”
The revenant is focused on him, which they said means he is her killer. And he confessed to the letters, which means he is guilty of those crimes… ”Take him down!” Hollie says as she moves into the room, a protective hand in front of Shaedeen. As she advances, Draxtherian steps around and snaps at Aldern with his jaws!
As she moves closer, though, the tattoos start to fade a bit! Hollie can feel the divine power that fuels her smite slip away, which causes her to second guess every theory she had! ”Wait…something’s not right! Stop!” she says in panicked confusion!
Hollie says to the others ”Surround him. He doesn’t leave this room. His evil ends here, now.” She points her blade at him, and her eyes begin to glow silver. The draconic tattoos appear on her forearms and begin to glow a silver radiance as well, the power crawling it’s way down her weapon until the blade is radiant with silver, divine power. ”Aldern Foxglove, you are to answer for the evils you have done,” she says as she stares at him, Draxtherian snarling at her side.
Hollie proceeds to try and catch up to the revenant, even as Drax lands and follows it through the opening.
Hollie tries to ignore the damage and continues her attack against the ghoul, trusting that Shae and the others can handle the one moving past her. Meanwhile, Draxtherian grows tired of this nonsense as both Hollie and their apparent key through the door are under attack and in danger. He proceeds to lash out with powerful, targeted strikes at the one near him.
Hollie and Drax each continue to slash, thrust, claw, and bite at the undead fiends before them.
Hollie continues to thrust her blade at the ghoul while Drax descends to try and rip this smelly one apart!
Hollie rushes forward and thrusts her rapier at the ghoul on the ramp down. Meanwhile, Draxtherian takes to the air, flying down and above the goblin ghouls around their "friend undead" and snaps at the one nearest him from above.
Drax, free from the paralysis, snaps again at the ghoul and rips it's throat severely! He then moves up and spots the large number of ghouls ahead. "Quite a few more up here, some of them goblins. I count six," he calls out. Hollie steps up and heals him as well, making room on his flank for others to advance.
Draxtherian eagerly leaps into the fray, launching his fury at the closest ghoul before turning his attention to one after another should his targets fall. Hollie rushes up to join the fight as well, thrusting her blade at the closest one she can get to.
”Shae!” Hollie cries out at the sight! She rushes forward and wraps the rogue up protectively in her arms as she slumps to the floor. Hollie’s forearms display the glowing silver tattoos that appear when she uses her magic, and healing energy flows into the teen. Hollie brushes Shaedeen’s hair out of her face and anxiously asks ”Are you alright?”
Hollie takes a breath before hopping down into the hole! There is a slight clatter and from below you hear an embarrassed ”Ow…” Draxtherian spreads his wings and easily glides down into the pit after her.
”Theres a stair…” Hollie says as she draws her blade and begins leading the way down behind the revenant.
”Ummm…” Hollie starts, confused. ”Do we…show her the stairs down? Or let her dig her way down? Think that might be a secret trap door or something?” she asked.
Hollie darts out of the way, wrapping her arms around Draxtherian’s neck and pushing him aside as Shaedeen comes up alongside her.
Break her fixation on the mirror without attacking her…yeah…this is a great idea… Hollie proceeds to creep towards the undead, her stomach trembling with anxiety and just the thought of what she was doing. Had she thought two months ago that she would be doing this, she’d have laughed herself into the sanitarium herself. But, if anyone is going to be putting themselves at risk, it was going to be her. Hollie couldn’t bear the thought of one of her friends being attacked by this thing out in the open. So, she slipped as calmly as she could over to the mirror and then, if it doesn’t bother her, adjusted its angle so that it was pointing away from the creature as well as the doorway, making sure to stay out of its path to the door.
Hollie sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. ”Okay…so, IF you are certain this Revenant thing will either fight to the death versus its creator, who we are hoping is the one responsible for all this, or succeed at killing them and then die itself, then I agree that we should release it. It sounds like it can only help us.”
Hollie hands the scrolls off to Lunal and adds ”Was an old painting in there. It’s lucky it hasn’t fallen apart already. But otherwise nothing more of immediate use.” She pauses and sighs. ”Lunal…these Revenants…what happens to them once they have dispatched their target?”
”Wait!” Hollie intervenes as she had been totally flummoxed at the idea being discussed. ”Are we seriously about to release an undead monster in the faint hope it goes after Lord Foxglove? What if it succeeds and kills him? What if it fails? Who else could be hurt by this thing?”
Hollie hangs her head at this news. ”I wonder who killed her. Whoever is responsible for this whole mess, I’d wager.” She gives the door a sorrowful look before saying ”Alright then. Let’s head down,” and turning for the stairs.
Hollie takes a moment to settle her impulse to help, and memories of her previous attempt to be heroic come rushing in. ”Okay…yeah. Maybe you are right. It’s just…hard to keep track of what is and isn’t real in this place.” She lowers her blade and turns to him and asks ”What do you suggest?”
Level is done. Have 0 intention of sleeping in this house.
Hollie and Drax also jump, Hollie in a start and Drax into a crouch braced to attack. As realization sets in as to what she heard, Hollie rushes straight for the door and throws it open, hoping to save whoever was being hurt beyond!
Hollie looks him over and says "I don't see anything, Drax. Must be another effect of this place messing with us." At Krovek's statement, she nods and says "Yeah, looks like it's time to head up," before leading the way up the stairs.
Hollie returns from the rooms. ”Didn’t see anything off. Just a stain on a desk.”
Hollie approaches the desk to try to see what the stain is.
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