Terin and Seann spend the round carefully regaining their footing and making their way closer to the creature with deliberate steps. Seann pauses just to the other side of the slick area, while Terin forges ahead, preparing to mix it up with the undead.
Tyndal lashes out at the undead, attempting to disrupt the spell, but the zombie’s armored hide repels the blow. Eldritch energy writhes up and down the armored man, but Tyndal shakes off the worst of the effect, refusing to back down .
Swinging his flail oblique around the bugbear’s shield, Tyndal crushes in the creature's right ribcage without breaking the purple skin, and the echoing crepetis forces you to grit your teeth even though you know the creature is already dead.
Eldin attempts to batter the zombie with positive energy a second time, but falters, perhaps disheartened by his previous effort. The weak pulse of deific energy breaks around the expressionless creature without effect, though the zombie remains daunted by Eldin’s earlier chastisement and does not press any attacks against the priest.
Ardan strides through the fatty slick, taking a swift nip at the zombie with his cutlass, but the zombie’s shield turns the blade aside.
Once again, Marius makes sure he has a clear shot and lets fly at the zombie's head. It's difficult to gague how hurt the thing is, what with it already being dead, but he's hopeful that a few more decent hits will see the end of it.
As Marius’ bolt buries itself in the wood paneled door behind the reanimated bugbear, the zombie batters Tyndal with its Morningstar, gore spraying from its wounds as it does so.
Zombie Morningstar attack (1d20+6=19) / Morningstar Damage (1d8+3=8)
The Beast lunges forward to attack but finds his footing still compromised by the slick residue of grease and misses with his claw.
1d20 7=11, 1d6 5=6
Reposting initiative for the new page:
Marius
Zombie
Terin
Tyndal
Seann
Eldin
Ardan
Eldin moves carefully up behind Tyndal and prods him with the healing wand, sending a surge of positive energy into his wounded body.
"Arrgh! Die! Um....again..."
2 pt PA (-2 for shaken) (1d20 2, 1d8 5=[16, 2], [7, 5])
(I think that's supposed to be 18 for 12 pts)
Eldin alleviates the worst of Tyndal’s wounds with a touch of the wand, dark undead ichors streaming out of the cuts as they seal closed, leaving unblemished skin surrounded by dirty rings in their wake.
The door behind the zombie swings open abruptly, revealing the elder trainer you encountered within the exercise room.
“Enough!,” he calls in a clipped tone. The zombie stands down without further ado, slumping its shoulders like a soldier at ease.
“Well done,” the man says, addressing the party. “The mistress will see you now.”
He turns, moving to the side of the frame, and then motions for you to follow.
"You again. Didn't I shoot you?"
The Beast belts out a vicious roar at the interruption that reverberates down the hallway and through the room. Staring into the man's eyes he advances menacingly.
Overlooking Seann’s commentary, the seasoned tutor thwops Terin on the nose with a birch switch.
“That’s enough of that, now. I’m a busy man and it’s impolite to keep the lady waiting.”
Turning again, the elder thief leads the way into the next area.
“We can always use more zombies, if you aren’t interested,” he says without looking back.
You think you hear him mutter something about, "kids," "respect," and "my day."
Eldin nods curtly. “Agreed,” he says, making to follow the man. Before he moves though, he turns and speaks to his companions in a low voice. “Remember, as distasteful as they may be, our main quarrel is not with the rank and file of the Lotus Dragons, or even their mistress, but with Vanthus. We should make tracking him down our first priority, and if it can be done through diplomacy rather than combat … well, let us see…”
He then prepares to follow.
Marius looks distinctly unenthusiastic about the prospect of negotiation. Then again, he would be. At least he's in a better bargaining position this time around.
Making a point to conspicuously reload his crossbow, he falls in with the group, "Good luck with the negotiations," he says quietly, "Just be ready if they turn sour."
The Beast attacks the man with the switch. I assume he is flatfooted as he turned his back on me.
1d20 6=14, 1d6 5=10
He then shifts back to elf form to finish the battle with his scimitar, "you will pay for that, human, then I shall deal with your master."
“So much for that,” comments Eldin, closing his eyes briefly and looking heavenwards, as The Beast rushes past him. “Not every path we walk is clear…”
Reacting to the admonishment in anger, the beast lunges at the old man. The unarmored man sidesteps at the last second, Terin’s jaws closing a hair’s breadth shy of the man’s flank. Whirling on the party, he says, “Ignorant children. "I gave you the chance to aid us willingly, but you have elected the way of ... PAIN!!!!!"
The zombie flares to (un)life.
“Now I will teach you to respect your elders.”
Ardan's mouth twitches into a brief smile at the beast's thwopping, but he quickly grows less amused at the instant retaliation. Muttering, "That's got to be about the shortest negotiation on record...", he lashes out at the zombie again. 1d20+1=13 1d6+1=2, 1d20+1=15 1d6=4
Reposting initiative
Marius
Zombie
Terin
Tyndal
Seann
Eldin
Ardan
Sorry guys, but no one 'switches' The Beast.
"Yeah, that was completely your fault. And you get on my case for acting like a fool..."
Seann sighs, then snaps his fingers. Another whirling green disc materializes at his fingertips, spiraling towards the old man.
Sorry guys, but no one 'switches' The Beast.
Truth be told, Marius had not seen that coming. If anybody had been about to break the peace, he would have picked the other side. He had clearly reckoned without Terin's temper.
"Well, that was quick," he says, raising his crossbow again in another effort to hurt the blasted zombie. At least he hadn't reached the patch of grease when it all turned sour.
Tyndal turns his attack from the zombie to the old man. He swings the flail in a low arc, hoping to trip him.
Touch Attack (-2 due to shaken)
Trip Check (1d20 3=15, 1d20 5=6)
Eldin takes his wand in hand and advances on the zombie, attempting to channel a burst of positive energy into the undead thing.
Horrible trip check! Will drop flail if he trips me
Marius fires into the crowd, attempting to pick off the zombie with a lucky shot, but overcompensates, sending the bolt wide and high.
Only imbued with enough sentience to attack whatever happens to be directly before it, the zombie swings its morningstar at Tyndal’s head, but the adroit warrior easily dodges (Zombie Morningstar (1d20+6=7), following up the evasion with a trip attack at the undead’s withered legs.
The creature teeters for a moment, shaken by Eldin’s previous endeavors to compel flight, but recovers, just barely regaining solid footing, though the attack does savage the already moldering legs of the undead. The creature is far too slow to mount an effective counter attack.
Terin shifts in human form in an eyeblink, slashing down at the trainer with his scimitar, but the old man vexes the druid a second time. This geezer is faster than appearances dictate.
Long craving for an opportunity to "one-up" Terin, Seann fires an attack impossible for the man to dodge, a whirling disc of eldritch emerald force which burns a furrow down the right side of the trainer, who grimaces but refuses to give you the satisfaction of crying aloud.
Eldin extends the healing wand at the zombie, firing a blast of positive energy that causes a great slab of putrefied flesh to turn black and slide away from the creature. It looks painful, but it is often difficult to read the slack-jawed expressions of the living dead.
WilL Save (-2 Shaken) (1d20+3=19) for half damage
Hacking away at the zombie, Ardan’s assault is rebuffed by the monster’s shield once, then again. Snarling with frustration, he spits blood at the shield in defiance.
The trainer smiles, mock bows to Terin, then thrusts off the doorframe, launching himself into the air without a word. Upside down, legs whirling like a windmill, the old man’s foot clouts Terin in the skull with the force of a hammer striking an anvil (Stunning Fist, Flurry of Blows) (1d20+2=21, 1d20+2=7) before the trainer lands calmly exactly back in the place where he started.
Your kung fu is weak! I shall skewer you, scum. 1d20 5=21 will save.
Your kung fu is weak!
At his next opportunity, Eldin is going to attempt to strike the zombie with the wand again. If at all possible, he will take a 5 foot step into a location where he is flanking it with Tyndal or one of the others. Also, I’m using an Action Point to improve my attack roll.
Well, it's official - the shoot it with the crossbow approach isn't working. On the other hand, enough hits from that wand and the zombie will no longer be a problem.
Shifting focus, Marius advances slightly and turns his attention to Mara, attempting to slow him down for a few critical moments.
Mara
On the other hand, enough hits from that wand and the zombie will no longer be a problem.
Marius (casting)
Zombie (zombiing)
Terin (saved, pending)
Tyndal (pending)
Seann (pending)
Eldin (wanding)
Ardan (pending)
Trainer (dazed, missing this round)
Ardan snarls and renews his assault on the festering corpse. "How many can you block, Pus-bag?!"
1d20+1=18, 1d6+1=2; 1d20+1=11...yeah.
"How many can you block, Pus-bag?!"
Terin, Tyndal and Seann yet to act in this round.
1d20 4=15 to hit, 1d6 4=6 damage.
Terin aims a slash at the instructor, then shifts back to the Beast.
"Uh, aim for the head in case it's a zombie. Yeah, it's a zombie, so..."
Seann takes relatively careful aim, then drives his spear into the zombie's head.
2pt PA, Shaken
Unable to get a clear shot around his companions, Marius drops the crossbow and changes tactics. Picking a bit of wool from the lining of his boots, he flips it in the direction of the trainer while mumbling a bit of arcane chicanery.
Golden butterflies surround the elder’s face, and despite his discipline prove so annoying he can do naught for the moment but attempt to swat them away.
Held in place by the heavy damage to its lower limbs, the zombie does something rather unexpected, raising its shield before Tyndal can react and slamming him in the nose. With a wet “pop!,” bright red blood sprays out from Tyndal’s face (Zombie Attack (1d20+6=20) / Shield Bash (1d6+3=4).
Terin shakes off the incredible strike, wobbling a bit on unsteady feet but still finding the strength of will to aim a second downward chop at the aged coach. His reaction time proves a bit off, but still he manages to cut a deep line down the trainer’s arm thanks to Marius’ distracting enchantment. As natural as scratching an itch, Terin morphs away from human shape once more.
Recovered in full from the effects of the zombies stifling hex, Tyndal bashes the mobile remains of Zhanther, breaking its right shoulder and rendering that limb useless. Droplets of blood continue to trail from his nose, running down his cheeks in scarlet rivulets.
Falling back on old wives’ tales to carry the day, Seann plunges the head of his spear towards the zombie’s temple. The creature bats the weapon aside with its morningstar, but Seann perseveres, leaping into the air and driving the spike downward with the full weight of his body. The weapon lances the undead’s cranium, and you hear a distinct “crack!” come from the interior of the skull. Black energy leaks from around the wound, snaking up the spear with outstretched tendrils.
Taking advantage of the torrent of negative energy pouring from the creature after Seann’s desperate attack, Eldin slips around the combatants, aiming the wand directly into the opening in the zombie’s skull. Discharging positive energy into the wound, the inverse forces prove too much and the creature loses cohesion, exploding into a shower of putrid organs, congealed blood, and tainted bone.
Shaking the foul muck from his off hand, Ardan leaps onto the remains of the unclean thing and swipes at the sidetracked trainer, scoring a shallow cut in his side.
I actually imagine Terin's Beast-form to be catlike and more like this but with my Beast Avatar's face. Very Panther-ish and graceful rather than canine.
Falling back on old wives’ tales to carry the day, Seann plunges the head of his spear towards the zombie’s temple. The creature bats the weapon aside with its morningstar, but Seann perseveres, leaping into the air and driving the spike downward with the full weight of his body. The weapon lances the undead’s cranium, and you hear a distinct “crack!” come from the interior of the skull. Black energy leaks from around the wound, snaking up the spear with outstretched tendrils.
Taking advantage of the torrent of negative energy pouring from the creature after Seann’s desperate attack, Eldin slips around the combatants, aiming the wand directly into the opening in the zombie’s skull. Discharging positive energy into the wound, the inverse forces prove too much and the creature loses cohesion, exploding into a shower of putrid organs, congealed blood, and tainted bone.
"Oh, THAT was just TOO BLOODY MUCH!"
Seann is pretty close to one of his famously epic panic attacks.