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Drakus chops down two of the zombies, they fall to the floor as dead weights; he takes a 5 ft. step to go back to back with Mai, who misses in her attack against the zombies surrounding her.
Donagar and Gregor can only watch as the elf-girl harlequin drinks a potion and fades out of sight - the last bit of her to vanish is her manically-smiling grin...
Despite being heavily muffled by the outlandish mask he's wearing, enough of Gregor's intentions clearly make themselves known to Donagar, who swoops down at full speed after the now-revealed elf stranger. Despite the speed at which he can fly, somehow she manages to outpace him, although he is closing in: a mere 10 feet now separates them. Gregor is clearly intent on pursuing this wrong-doer, and withdraws from the zombies facing him, running off toward the door.
He runs heedlessly through the melee between Drakus and his zombie foe, drawing an attack from the undead monstrosity:
He is intent on pursuing the madly giggling figure, and runs out the other side of the combat, through the door and round the side of the house after her. Donagar flies past him and is slightly nearer, but both of them end up in clear sight of her. Meanwhile, the zombies that were facing Gregor shamble toward Drakus, with one of them coming round the side of Mai.
Gregor:
You can withdraw as a standard action without provoking an AoO, but that only leaves you a single move action to get to the door - you won't make it this round. (The melee between Drakus and the zombie, through which you have to move, counts as difficult terrain.) A double-move action will get you through the door* but you will provoke more AoO's that way... Also: the floor is slick with blood and gore - remember Donagar (literally!) went flying when he tried to move fast. In answer to your question, it's a front door: it closes automatically once opened, unless held by servants (currently deceased/reanimated), or otherwise wedged open. No one specified that they were wedging it open: therefore it closed behind you, once you entered - and behind her, once she left. *RAW would seem to suggest that opening/closing an unlocked and unbolted door is an action; my house-rule is that moving through such a door can be part of a move action. Obviously, if the door is bolted or secured in some way, that's a different matter. Donagar:
I haven't placed you on the map, but she fired at you with a sneak attack, so you must have been within 30 ft. of her before she started her move. She then ran through the door - but she is much faster than you for reasons I won't go into right now. A double-move flying will get you 80 ft. closer to her - and more importantly, through the door, but with a double-move you can't then attack. You will however get to roll initiative next turn to see whether you can get her before she takes the potion of invisibility. You can't charge as you have to go through a door, which would interrupt your movement - and in any event, a charge action wouldn't get you into combat with her (she's more than 80 ft. away from you). A single move action flying won't get you to the door, so your line of sight would be blocked at the start of next turn. Donagar and Gregor:
Remember that Gregor is wearing his doctor's mask, which severely muffles his speech - I'm not going to rule on this specifically, but anyone more than, say, 15 ft. away from Gregor is going to have real trouble making out the words: all that would come across is a series of annoyed, muffled noises. Think Kenny in South Park... Let me know what actions you want to take this turn and we'll take it from there.
Mai:
You got it right - she is very anxious that her necromancer 'boyfriend' is spending a lot of time away from her; she doesn't know on what but obviously fears he has found someone else. She feels that the Varisian lad that she captured for him ought to score her more points than it probably has. She is running off to find him. She didn't shoot at you because she thinks it's better if her boyfriend's creations take you out - she shot at Donagar because he's flying and therefore can't be hit by the zombies.
Drakus cuts one of the zombies to mush, and seriously injures the other one he is fighting. Mai slashes the velvet smoking jacket (and the zombie wearing it) to ribbons.
The remaining zombie strikes at Drakus:
Another zombie shambles forward to take the place of the one Mai cut down, and strikes at her with its carving knife:
The zombie on her right stumbles past (5 ft step), trying to get round her before attacking her with its rolling pin:
Drakus moves toward the two zombies approaching from the rear and swipes at one of them, causing horrendous gashes to open up but not dropping it. The two zombies then take a 5 ft. step inside his guard and attack him:
The other zombies shamble toward Gregor and Mai, but don't attack this round Mai cuts into one deeply with her blade, leaving a trail of rotting slime, ichor and pus - but the walking corpse doesn't drop; it leers at her, resplendent in its dusk-blue velvet smoking jacket... Gregor does his best to encourage your spirits.
Between you, you chop the last of the dancing zombies down - it comes apart in a welter of limbs and ichor.
:) Power has been restored - I'll do full update tonight
Grrrr.... Was going to do a proper update this evening (complete with map!) but got home to find the power is out. Typing large amounts of text from my phone is REALLY TEDIOUS so am postponing until tomorrow. Sorry.
Mai takes down the second zombie that was facing her, she survives the splash as it explodes in a shower of gore. Gregor misses with his attack and the two corpses facing him strike back: Attack by red dress zombie
Attack by panther mask zombie
Drakus comes to the assistance of Gregor and slashes at the zombie who has wounded him; his bardiche cuts through red dress and rotting flesh in equal measure, but she stays on her feet. Finally, Donagar gets to swing (fly?) into action...
Right, Summary of Round 2: Donagar channelled energy and damaged zombies Drakus has killed both the zombies facing him and has been splashed - Fort Save required. Gregor has been attacked by both zombies (no Fort Save needed) Mai has killed one of the zombies facing her and has to deal with the other one; she made her Fort Save Round 3 Donagar
Undead Ok. Mai, Gregor, post your actions...
Drakus slices the head from the leering corpse before it can attack him, causing it to collapse as abruptly as a puppet with its strings cut. It was moving toward him when it fell, so the gout of ichor from its opened neck wound splashes Drakus.
DM notes :
A- dead
Drakus' bardiche cuts straight through the nobleman's white linen jacket and deep into the rotten flesh beneath. With a horrible, mushy sound, the corpse collapses in an explosion of necrotic fluids. Thankfully, the bardiche is a reach weapon and Drakus is therefore not splashed. His second attack, against the noblewoman in the blue satin dress, misses completely; leering wordlessly at him, she steps around the polearm and grabs at Drakus If the AoO fails to put it down:
Attack by blue satin dress zombie
Gregor selflessly gave up his attack to offer a morale boost to help out the group, so he takes two for the team as the noblewoman in the red dress lunges at him, together with her panther-masked partner: Attack by red dress zombie
Attack by panther mask zombie
Mai effortlessly deflects the tray fragment wielded by the corpse of the footman, and cuts him down; the luckless servant explodes in a welter of ichor, spattering Mai with foul-smelling, infected plague residue . The lady in the green dress attacks Mai with her bony, claw-like fingertips. Attack by emerald dress zombie
.
Gregor/Mai:
You can tell that her remarks about her 'boyfriend' are true (or at least that she believes the story to be true); also that perhaps she's not so sure of his affections as she would like to be (she is protesting a little too much)...
Donagar's channelled energy washes over the six shambling corpses; they writhe and twist in apparent pain as the dark energy that powers them is partly stripped away, but they keep shambling onwards.
A former nobleman garbed in alabaster-white evening clothes, with a swan-feathered mask, lurches toward Drakus; a single onyx gem is pinned to his lapel. It no longer shines but is somehow corroded and spoilt. The white linen has stained badly with the fluids leaking out from the corpse. His dancing partner, decked out in a blue satin gown, also lunges at Drakus; her mask has been lost somewhere and her face - the muscles slack - gapes eerily at the Sergeant. Open sores and pustules bloom on her cheeks and forehead; most of her hair has fallen from her skull and the tufts that remain do nothing for her appearance. Another couple assails Gregor: a noblewoman in a revealing skin-tight cherry-red silk dress and a devil's mask studded with red gems; her skin has split in several places where the dress is too tight, and there are dark stains oozing across the surface of the fabric. She was dancing with a man in a dusk-blue velvet frock coat - his mask (some sort of panther or other feline) has slipped down from his eyes but remains pinned to his skull by a crossbow bolt. He too reaches out to claw Gregor. The corpse of a lady in an elegant emerald gown (with a white fur stole) stumbles toward Mai; her peacock-feathered mask remains in place, concealing whatever horrors the plague has inflicted on the skin beneath. Her fingernails have rotted away and she lashes out with bony fingertips, something like claws. Mai's other assailant is the rotting corpse of a former footman, in dull grey attire (it wouldn't do for servants to upstage their guests, now); he is holding the remains of a shattered wooden tray, a makeshift bludgeon.
Round 2 Donagar
Undead Ok, Donagar - post your action for this round
Round 1 - Summary Donagar - ran in to the hall (move action), slipped, cast Fly (standard action) - probably the running is a double move so the Fly should be next round, but I'll let it pass Drakus - marched in, didn't slip, readied weapons Mai - followed Drakus Gregor - followed Drakus and Mai, couldn't remember anything useful Mystery voice - mysterious actions 6 Undead - ceased dancing, became aware of intruders (that's you, that is) On to Round 2....
OK, I'm going to wait for the others to post before we do the next round.
Donagar rushes into the hall - and skids to a halt. The great hall is slick with blood. A massacre took place here.
Upon the marble floor, and heaped in the corners, lie more than a dozen corpses, each clad in garish oufits: purple sequinned velvet robes; revealing skin-tight turquoise silk dress; colourful feathers - an assault to the senses. Masks of all shapes and sizes - gods, animals, magical creatures - adorn the dead, each competing with their neighbour in terms of elaborateness. In several instances, though, these fanciful, vain fripperies have fallen away, revealing withered, rotting flesh and nauseating open sores. Most horrifying of all, upon the blood-slick marble at the room's centre sway three couples, shuffling and jerking like hellish dancers, all obviously dead. The garishly-clad dancers slow to a halt as they become aware of Donagar's clattering entrance...
Mai:
As Mai opens the northern door fully, it becomes clear - even in the half-light streaming in from the hall - that the lady seated in the chair and the man lying on the couch are both dead.
Their fine clothing is stained; their skin is blotchy with the signs of the blood veil; even the gems they wear are marred and shattered, the silver and precious metal settings tarnished. The door to the hall is open and Mai can step easily out into the well-lit hall. An assortment of fine furs and expensive woven cloth coats are hanging from hooks on either side of the main entrance; but Mai's attention is on the doors. There is a simple latch on this side; it is well-maintained and opens easily - you may wonder what Gregor was fussing about... Everyone else:
You watch as Mai fleet-footedly and confidently steps toward the fence and nimbly jumps over it. 30 seconds pass: half a minute. Then one minute. Then another 30 seconds. Finally, after two full anxious minutes - the main doors in front of you open and Mai reveals herself. Re-united again, and the front door open, what will you do next?
Mai:
As Mai opens the door, she hears the clinking of cutlery striking china plates.
Mai can just make out part of a long table covered in a (badly stained) white linen cloth; directly in front of her is a high, carved chair of fine hardwood, its occupant facing away from her. Light shines down from a magically-lit crystal chandelier. The sitting diner is dressing in a long, scarlet silk gown and her blonde tresses are piled in an exquisitely complex knot upon her head; the knot has slipped badly, however. She is stabbing with a spoon into the plate in front of her - the rhythm is off somehow; mechanical, almost. Mai can see nothing of the other diners, or the rest of the room unless she opens the door.
New map here - if any of the rest of you have moved in the last couple of rounds, let me know and I will alter it accordingly. Mai: Mai opens the outside door easily, but it squeaks as she slips in. Slowly opening the north door a fraction, she looks into the room. It is lit only by the light streaming in from the open door beyond - at a guess, that is the main hall. In the half-light, Mai glimpses a flash of green satin - the gown of a richly-dressed lady sitting in a lavishly upholstered chair. The chair is facing away from the door so Mai is not at risk of being seen by her. Beyond the chair, Mai catches sight of a sofa, on which is lying the figure of a man in full evening dress; wearing a jewelled mask in the form of an owl, his eyes are staring directly at the door Mai just opened...
Fine, I need a Disable Device roll for the door and a Stealth roll, please...
Mai: The curtains of the dining room are closed, so you see nothing. You can see into the servants' lodge, but it is deserted and absolutely silent. No lamps have even been lit.
New map here Mai easily climbs over the hedge and drops lightly into the grounds beyond. She is completely hidden from the view of the rest of the party. Mai: You are at the point marked "M" on the map To your left you can see a door right next to the hedge that would give entry to the manor house. You can also see a large, protruding bay window (curtains drawn). To your right, there is a door to the servants' lodge. Some 50 feet in front of you is a large, ornamental lake; you are on a path that leads to the lake, before curving around the side of the house and disappearing from view.
Looking up, Drakus and Donagar fail to spot any open window . However, they do both see the gleam of polished brass - a balcony some 15 feet above the front door. From the balcony, there's probably a less sturdy door (or at least, with a simpler lock) that would give access to the upper floor of the house... It would be a simple matter for Donagar to fly up, attach a rope and let everyone climb (DC 10 climb check). Alternatively, there are windows on the ground floor either side of the main entrance, and a green hedge that could - one imagines - be climbed over to give access to the garden. Decisions, decisions...
After 30 seconds of sustained kicking, the doors are scuffed and visibly damaged, but still intact (7 HP damage). The noise of armoured boot against the mahogany is impressive... And no doubt the repeated impact is bruising. Gregor fiddles with the lock, but it's far beyond his skill (DC 30). Evidently the nobility know how to protect what is theirs!
The handle turns under Drakus' firm grip but the mahogany doors are locked.
You see the stately, gabled manor that is the town residence of the Carowyns. Directly in front of you is the main entrance to the house; made of sturdy mahogany, the double doors are dark and forbidding. The hedging continues to the right, where it meets the wall of the smaller servants' residenc. Behind you is the main gate. The limestone facade of the house is festooned with garlands and the ground is illuminated with many-coloured everburning torches; a merry scene. Yet something is definitely wrong. All is quiet and still; deathly silent, in fact. How will you proceed? As well as the main doors in front of you, there are a number of windows both to your left and to your right; the drapes are closed so you can see nothing of the rooms inside.
Understood, thanks - I might bring it back in at some point then.
Mai's quick-thinking diplomacy does the trick; Deyanira still looks hurt but agrees to wait for you back at the tavern. As you open the gate, you see a wide path leading towards the front door. The grand house is silent, although the glow of lights behind the curtains can be clearly seen. Perception check DC 17:
As you approach, you can clearly smell something over the usual scents of incense and perfumed flowers; something sickly-sweet - the smell of decay.
Sorry, don't know nuthin about no pseudodragon - problem with taking over a campaign is that some of the details get lost....
"I do hope none of you were about to make a bad decision with that ladder?" The foreman of the group looks at Gregor in surprise: "No, sir - more'n my life's worth to trespass on that ground! Ladder's for getting the bunting down. Still, if you're guard an' all, then you're welcome to it - we'll wait 'ere and see if you get any answer." Mai finds that the gate is locked, but that the key is on the other side: it's just a simple matter of reaching through the bars and turning the key to unlock the gate...
Gregor - the Carowyns are human nobility so you get the info.
As you follow Deyanira through the city of Korvosa towards the South Shore, the streets become progressively wider, giving way first to tree-lined avenues and then broad, open plazas. Truly, the nobility can afford space in abundance; even in a crowded city. Eventually, you arrive at a walled semi-palace, hidden behind thick, verdant green hedging. At one side is large set of barred gates; currently shut.
Loitering outside the gate, clearly uneasy, are a number of workmen in smocks; one of them is carrying a ladder. Their foreman addresses you as you arrive: "'Allo, you lot come to collect what you're owed as well?" He gestures past the gates toward the grounds, where you can see an abundance of bunting and a number of still-burning torches in a variety of colours. "Look at that - bloody nobs, no consideration! Those everburning torches was only 'ired for 3 days and they've 'ad 'em nearly a week already - I've got to get 'em back tonight as we need to put 'em up at the palace tomorrow, but do they answer? Do they 'eck." He points toward a prominent bell-pull by the side of the gateway. "Go ahead, ring as much as you like - that lot must still be sleepin' off their 'angovers. Some party it musta been!" He spits on the ground, derisively. Knowledge (nobility) DC 18:
There's no way the nobility would answer the gates; that's what servants are for. It's unlikely that even the Carowyns - eccentric as they are - would invite their servants to join the party. If no one is answering it's because they won't - or can't. One of his mates, spotting Deyanira, laughs. "Come to collect? Come to hand over that thief, more like!" He leers at the Varisian girl: "Don't tell me - them valuables just some'ow found their way into your bags and you got no idea 'ow they ended up there. Or, no - don't tell me - they's yours and your granny give 'em to you on 'er deathbed. 'Ad 'em forever, you 'ave, ain't ya?" He smirks at you, as the others join in with his laughter. "Done well, you lot 'ave - them Carowyns is rich and generous; bet they'll give you a reward an' a half for gettin' their stuff back!"
Gregor - the Carowyns are well-known local nobility; if Lord Ausio Carowyn's grandfather had been the elder brother rather than the younger, the Carowyn family would have a serious claim to the throne of Korvosa. As it is, he and his wife Olauren content themselves with being first in the limelight, regardless of circumstances. Notable recent instances include contributing thousands in gold to the upcoming season at the Kendall Amphitheatre and having box seats for the entire year at the Marbledome, in between giving garish parties at their South Shore estate. The Carowyns and their circle are known to be no friends of the current royalty; their feud with the late, murdered, king has shown no sign of abating with his death. The exact causes of disagreement are a mystery.
At Mai's haranguing, the patrons of the tavern suddenly take an extreme interest in their drinks and the chatter ceases altogether. After a suitably embarrassed silence, conversation slowly resumes; in a couple of minutes, things are back to normal again, although there is a slightly forced air to the joviality. Notably, anyone ordering drinks off the serving girls is doing so with rather more politeness than normal...
"Looks like we're going to the Dragon's Horder tonight."
That evening, you attend the tavern, hoping to meet with your Whom will you know by her appearance? And how? Does that discount the locals who always attend? Who here is a local, anyway - can you remember exactly?
You gather to discuss your findings. As you talk, and share what you have discovered, and speculate, you become aware that you have been joined in the room by another. One who feels so familiar (even to those of you perhaps that have not yet met her) that you cannot quite recall exactly when she showed up or when you became aware of her presence. Until, that is, she acts; cutting across your chatter and commanding your attention.
Gregor works the lock a while with his The top of the skull-encrusted box immediately springs loose, releasing an almost un-noticeable red vapour. This has no effect on Gregor, since he is (sensibly) wearing the mask. Inside the box is a dead - a very dead - rat and 50 silver pieces.
Gregor pulls out the tools he uses for lawful searches and seizures, which sadly are the same type burglar's use for theft.
OK, Mai found it in her belongings shortly after Marra left...
BTW, which of you is holding onto the Haunted Harrow Deck?
Donagar:
Looking into options for dealing with Wraiths, a Knowledge(religion) roll DC 15 will tell you that there are few options for preventing their ability drain (Death Ward[i] - a level 4 spell - will guard against negative energy but not ability drain) but that [i]Lesser Restoration will heal that damage. Such scrolls are available, but are going rapidly as they also help with the ability damage caused by the blood veil. As you can imagine, demand is high - scrolls of Lesser Restoration cost +20% of their normal price. As to overcoming the fact that they are incorporeal, you can obtain ghost salt (20 gp per dose): this can be rubbed into your weapon and then placed over a hot flame for a full round. Your first successful hit on an incorporeal will then do full damage (instead of half damage). Donagar and Gregor:
Your investigations of the mask reveal it has two faint auras: primarily conjuration (healing), but also illusion. It appears to grant complete immunity to blood veil and resistance against other diseases (+2 bonus to fortitude saves). However, oddly, it also conceals the wearer's alignment, making them register as Neutral to alignment-detecting effects. The box is a coffer engraved with numerous skulls. It has an aura of necromancy and general evil. It is surprisingly sturdy and will require a Disable Device DC 20 to unlock. The captain's log box is engraved with the name of the ship (the Direption). It does not contain the log-book - a notable omission - but it does contain a number of ledgers and invoices for a cargo (referred to as "specimens") from an entity referenced only as B7 and directed to a "R. Davaulus". The title deed to the ship is also present in the box and discloses that the ship is owned by the same "R. Davaulus". Mai:
You learn - unsurprisingly - that the Grey Maidens are thoroughly disliked. They are thought of as overbearing and tyrannical, reacting violently against what they see as any disorder. They cannot be reasoned with and once they have identified someone as in the wrong their "justice" is lacking the quality of mercy. The Queen's Doctors are thought of as a mystery: people approve of them in some general way - but no one has ever seen one in the streets, or attending to the sick. No one has apparently thought of this as odd, since it is generally assumed that they are doing some sort of unspecific good somewhere to make the city better. Everyone who has encountered Dr Davaulus (the leader) or heard him speak tells you that he is extremely approachable and very charming and compassionate. When you describe the mask you found, you are told that it looks exactly the same as the one worn by the Queen's Doctors. The box with engraved skulls is apparently the same sort of thing as the boxes that washed up on the shore, full of coins. Drakus: You gain gold pieces for your work, a thorough and satisfying workout that removes all the kinks and knots from your back and arms; and the intangible reward of finding that your father and relatives are - thus far - unscathed by the blood veil. |