Leonardo claps a mailed hand on Tybalt's shoulder. "And we will be with you throughout, friend, to bring you courage."
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Leandro chuckles. "It is my duty to my goddess to represent beauty, even if it blinds others! My lady has smiled on me this day. I feel better than yesterday." He greets the men of knowledge and holiness. "Mostly unscathed, as you say. Tybalt has the water as requested."
Leandro falls asleep several times while polishing his armor before retiring. "I need a squire," he mutters, falling into bed. Rising the next day, he relies on cold water to help awaken him. He is ready, having prayed, armored, and armed, by the time everyone is gathering.
The paladin removes his rope from the bell tower after everyone else passes and packs it.
Leandro does not feel much like being hit again, so he activates his divine armour (+1) for the walk back to their beasts.
Leandro sways and shrugs uncomfortably. "By Urguathoa's putrid pelvis, let us leave this place quickly. Remember, hold to the rope in the bell tower, lest you hastily visit the belfry." He makes for the door of the ruined chapel, retracing the way they came in.
Leandro steps towards the Mournful Sister, reaching a glowing hand to touch her.
If he can smite on a LoH attack, he will do so. Damage will increase by 12 pts, and he has +4 bump to AC vs the MS. If the MS is not evil, none of the smite applies.
Leandro steps to where he can best spread Shelyn's grace to his fellows, then follows Res's example.
"Begone, unquiet spirits, and trouble the living no more!"
Leandro scouts around the courtyard looking for a bucket or some other hard-sided fluid receptacle, fearing the waterskin will simply collapse if lowered into water. "See if you can find a bucket. If anyone already has one, we could use it here," he calls to the rest of the party.
"Sir Res, are you well? Can I help you?" Leandro calls to the doughty cleric from his position near Tybalt at the well.
Leandro moves near Dr. Tovanarish, the next victim, and prays to dispel this taint on the monastery. As he moves, he answers Irikar. "This is like the belfry; only divine energy will dispel it. Everyone save your spells and strength."
"Tybalt, if you've consumed something that might attune you to this place, cause it to accept you, maybe you can safely gather the water from the well. I am happy to accompany you for protection," Leandro offers.
Leandro, concerned, claps one mailed hand on Tybalt's shoulder. "Are you feeling well, friend? Your mother should have taught you not to take food and drink from strangers."
Leandro follows Tybalt into the courtyard and looks around.
"I think we should see what's behind all of these doors," he opines. "Shall we check them sunwise or in the wrong direction?"
Leandro looks in annoyance at the char marks on his pretty armor and attempts to scrub some of it off while Res and Volidrian check the door.
Leandro advances towards the rightmost creature, leaving the other for the marksmen. He swings Thorn down and attacks.
Leandro throws an arm across his face reflexively, but the flames still burn exposed areas. He extends his holy symbol towards the undamaged phantom, calling on his goddess to bring the thing more into this world.
"Can we leave it there and anchor it here at the bottom? We may need it again if the poor bell-ringing sister regains her strength," Leandro observes, looking for a sturdy structure to tie the rope around on the ground floor of the tower. "Or we could run one rope between the two doors and hang on when we come back." He winces. "It's a long way... up?"
"I don't mean to complain, but could someone add to the length of the rope and lower me down? I can probably lower myself, but the rope is a little short. We may want to anchor it down there in case of another bell toll, and have a loop we can use."
"Hold tight, friends, I beg you," Leandro calls to Volidrian and Tybalt. "I fear the good sister who rang the bell is not appeased, just quieted for the moment. I do not know how to reassure her of our good intent, nor how to bring peace to her spirit."
Leandro shoots a wry look up at Res, sighs, then crouches to wrap the rope between the bell support timber and the ceiling and ties it around his waist. He holds on to the support frame, whispers a prayer, then invokes his deity to flood the area with a burst of holy energy.
Leandro grabs the rope, ties a knot in it, and hangs on. "Can you pull me down, or do you want me to climb?"
"Don't come iiiiiiiiinnnn" is the fading reply.
"I honor this holy place, good sister," the paladin cries as he is yanked from his feet. He attempts to provide his bona fides to the poor deceased bellringer.
"Indeed..." Leandro peers into the tower, eyes the bell suspiciously and skirts around the wall, clear of where the bell might fall in case it suddenenly develops a notion to do so. He reaches the charred door and examines it, then waves Tybalt forward to double-check before he opens it. "I doubt haunting spirits would set a trap, but there is always the chance more than spirits lurk here."
"Aye, and tying them up is wise so they don't decide to leave us. They won't be happy unable to graze, but that's the price they pay for being horses." The paladin leads his mount to the apparent shelter and looks around a moment before securing his horse's reins to a post.
"Many thanks to you, good Father." Leandro wrings Father Grimsby's hand in an unusual display of appreciation.
Leandro bows to Volidrian and Res. "Many thanks for your aid, good comrades."
"Truly?" Leandro looks up at Irikar with a smile, the sparkle of a boy's delight in his eyes. "An hour or two would serve to bear us most of the way there, if you can manage that. Otherwise, I think we should accept Dr. Savarre's offer to lend us gold, so we arrive at the Abbey with as much daylight remaining as possible."
"It is mercy," Leandro murmurs. "It is what I would have wanted, but it places a terrible burden on the merciful." He shakes himself out of a brown study. "Dr. Savarre, I fear I will have to walk to the Abbey. I must sell a belonging to compensate Father Grimsby as it is, and I have nothing else unnecessary to part with to buy a horse. How long of a walk is it?"
"Our good companions bound us stoutly in a safe place and watched, so we could harm no-one if we changed," Leandro offers, hand still on Tybalt's shoulder. "Nobody was harmed."
Leandro places his hand on the young man's shoulder. "We will stand by you, Tybalt." Looking to Father Grimsby, he asks, "Can you do aught for him?"
"Three of us were bitten," Leandro says softly. "Two of us did not change."
Leandro kicks Tybalt in the ankle.
"Excellent! Sir Res, if you would care to be restored tonight, I must sell something and return tomorrow," Leandro says.
Leandro's eyes widen at the sight of the aged priest's infirmity. Sarenrae, let him live until tomorrow to renew us. But when the priest asks their business, he takes a step forward and bows politely. "Good day, Father Grimsby. We had occasion to fight undead very recently, and the foul things drained our doughty cleric and myself of life energy. We hope you can renew us." He waves to Res in introduction.
"I hope his fees are reasonable, but we do need his help." Leandro pats his anemic money pouch glumly.
"Is there any way to discover the identity of the head of the... family, as it were?" Leandro pursues, determinedly not looking at Tybalt.
Leandro listens carefully to Dr. Savarre, a look of befuddled alarm on his handsome face. "The 'master of that lineage' - do you mean the original were-creature can somehow communicate with everyone who has been turned by him or his creatures? Control them, maybe?"
Leandro frowns. "That would be difficult. I was hoping the good doctor -- or doctors, now that we have two -- might have a less drastic solution."
"The undead shade was more of a problem," Leandro chimes in. "Can anything be done for an afflicted beast-man once the change has happened?"
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