Sykala moves up behind the others, "You no hide from Gozreh. His breath find you." She gathers the constantly swirling breezes around her, focusing them into a tunnel of wind that rolls out from her clearing the fog.
Ixius waits until the mist clears. If he can see Petrune he fires off two arrows at him.
Damage: 1d8+2=10
Damage: 1d8+2=10
Sykala's wind pushes the fog down the tunnel. You can clearly see that there are two zombies remaining in the tunnel. Keliwyn and Fippin find one zombie between them and Petrune.
As the fog clears, the party can clearly see that Petrune is standing, spellbook in hand, casting from the book.* Ixius well-placed arrows interupt whatever spell Petrune was hoping to cast next. You can arcane energies fizzle and pop from the book as Petrune growls in frustration and disgust.
Casting the spell from the book like this, destroys the spell in the same way that reading it from a scroll would. Petrune is obviously desparately unprepared.
The zombies are (annoyingly) ineffective in their attacks on Baas and Keliwyn.
"I offered you gold!" complains Petrune, his growl turning into a whine. "We can work something out. My employers ..."
"I offered you gold!" complains Petrune, his growl turning into a whine. "We can work something out. My employers ..."
"...are dead. Just as you will be soon. Be prepared to join your companions," Baas growls.
He moves towards Petrune, getting ready to smash his overstuffed wizarding brain.
Baas flies into a rage.
Attack & Damage: (1d20+11=18, 2d6+8=15)
"I offered you gold!" complains Petrune, his growl turning into a whine. "We can work something out. My employers ...""...are dead. Just as you will be soon. Be prepared to join your companions," Baas growls.
He moves towards Petrune, getting ready to smash his overstuffed wizarding brain.
Baas flies into a rage.
Attack & Damage: (1d20+11=18, 2d6+8=15)
Baas crushes the second to last zombie that isn't entangled. One more zombie stands between Keliwyn and Petrune.
Keliwyn glances behind him to see Baas crush another zombie, and then eyes the zombie between himself and Petrune, and calls out, "Call off the undead, and I will talk my friends into sparing your life. You can't win this fight, don't be a fool!"
With that, the nimble elf bobs & weaves in an attempt to get around the final zombie.
The zombie swings a heavy fist at Keliwyn warning him back. This somewhat emboldens Petrune who knows things are not going in his favour. "Safe passage," Petrune says quickly. "I want safe passage on The River Queen ... and a share of the gold."
Sykala begins chanting a prayer to Gozreh in answer to Petrune's demand.
Sykala begins chanting a prayer to Gozreh in answer to Petrune's demand.
"...A small share of the gold!" adds Petrune hastily.
"What are you doing here? What are you after?," Keliwyn yells as he stays out of the range of the zombie pawing at him. "Call off your monsters, so we can talk!"
"Stay, my pretty," says Petrune.
If no one attacks him, a sneer slowly spreads across Petrune's face, "You still don't know?"
Fippin moves out of his hiding place in the mist to stand in front of Petrune. He has his sword ready to run him through if he tries to cast a spell or if he tries to sick the zombies on anyone.
"No we don't know. How about you tell us?
Fippin moves out of his hiding place in the mist to stand in front of Petrune. He has his sword ready to run him through if he tries to cast a spell or if he tries to sick the zombies on anyone.
"No we don't know. How about you tell us?
Petrune rolls his eyes at Fippin's obvious idiocy and begins, "Gold. It's about gold. When Gorse was captain of Whitebridge Station, he noticed many of the Ekujae traded gold trinkets. A little charm, a little torture, and he found out where they got it from."
As Petrune talks, he waves to the walls around him. "I don't know how much gold Gorse's Ekujae slaves have pulled out of these walls, but it has made Gorse very popular with Aspis."
The zombie between him and Keliwyn stands completely still, oozing pus.
I see, so where do you fit in? Are you more hired help? By the gods you're a trained wizard, and the best job you could land for yourself is working out here in this heat with all the biting insects. They must be paying you a pretty good salary to make it worth it.
Well friends, what next? Personally, I say we make sure the slaves have been freed, and then we head home. I don't care what you do with this one. It will be a tough journey back down the river, so he may be useful to have along and we could then part ways later. However, if you feel he needs to be punished for his actions that is up to you. I am not a judge, and he hasn't wronged me personally.
I'll go along with what the rest of you decide. I mean he was animating the dead and has been knowingly working with slavers and for that there should probably be some sort of consequence.
Fippin then brandishes his sword towards Petrune in a scolding but not overly threatening manner.
You do know it's evil to animate the dead don't you? I am a priest. I can help you atone for your misdeeds.
"I don't care what happens to him. If he goes downriver on the boat that is fine with me. I won't be on it."
Ixius looks at Sykala to hear her thoughts.
I see, so where do you fit in? Are you more hired help? By the gods you're a trained wizard, and the best job you could land for yourself is working out here in this heat with all the biting insects. They must be paying you a pretty good salary to make it worth it.
"Salary? A few more days and I would have had the station to myself. Gorse was a fool. Kidnapping Ekujae to mine gold? Too much trouble," he says with an arrogant laugh. "Animating the dead to mine gold! It's simpler. They work without complaint or attempt to escape. No need for as many living guards who could reveal the secret."
Petrune is so animated now, he begins to look around and reconsider his position. "Look," he says, "A few more days and I would have taken over the station but you arrived. So, let's make the best of it. You guard the station and I'll give you a share of all the gold mined."
"Salary? A few more days and I would have had the station to myself. Gorse was a fool. Kidnapping Ekujae to mine gold? Too much trouble," he says with an arrogant laugh. "Animating the dead to mine gold! It's simpler. They work without complaint or attempt to escape. No need for as many living guards who could reveal the secret."
Petrune is so animated now, he begins to look around and reconsider his position. "Look," he says, "A few more days and I would have taken over the station but you arrived. So, let's make the best of it. You guard the station and I'll give you a share of all the gold mined."
Sykala releases her held summoning spell making a crocodile appear behind Petrune, "You leave jungle. Not come back. You not go, you die." The crocodile hisses menacingly.
So creating a small army of zombie miners isn't a problem for you? It doesn't keep you up at night? That's terrible. You should really be ashamed of yourself. What would your mother think if she knew?
So creating a small army of zombie miners isn't a problem for you? It doesn't keep you up at night? That's terrible. You should really be ashamed of yourself. What would your mother think if she knew?
Petrune doesn't seem to understand. He stares at Fippin in confusion and then looks at Sykala and nods.
"Out of here. Got it," he backs away slowly down the tunnel.
Sykala frowns but says, "Good. Now, you give book. Get back Bloodcove."
Ixius draws his bow aiming it at Petrune's face.
"Give us the spellbook."
Fippin moves with Petrune keeping his sword ready to thrust if the mage tries anything.
Friends, let's escort this souless sorcerer out of these tunnels. Then we can worry about any literature you want from him. The zombie behind me is particularly smelly, and I'd prefer not to have to worry about it trying to eat my brains.
As I was saying Petrune, I'm a priest, so I'm familiar with matters of the soul. Are you aware of how the gods punish those who animate the dead in the afterlife? It's not pretty. Okay, so maybe you don't worship one of the more traditional gods. Maybe your religious practices are a little darker. I wouldn't be surprised, but what can you really expect from one of those dark gods? Sure they won't care about you animating the dead, but do you really think they'll be all that nice to you when your soul arrives on their doorstep?
You should really consider trying to change your ways. What your doing isn't worth it. Yes, you might be able to acquire enough wealth to live well in this world for a few years, but that time is just a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of time you'll be spending in the afterlife. This world is just a testing ground son. A testing ground to determine what sort of fate your soul deserves, and right now you aren't doing well at the one test that actually really matters.
[b] Friends, let's escort this souless sorcerer out of these tunnels. Then we can worry about any literature you want from him. The zombie behind me is particularly smelly, and I'd prefer not to have to worry about it trying to eat my brains.
Obviously eager to be free of the tunnels, you can see the tension leave Sykala's shoulders as she nods to Fippen.
Fippin moves with Petrune keeping his sword ready to thrust if the mage tries anything.
Friends, let's escort this souless sorcerer out of these tunnels. Then we can worry about any literature you want from him. The zombie behind me is particularly smelly, and I'd prefer not to have to worry about it trying to eat my brains.
As I was saying Petrune, I'm a priest, so I'm familiar with matters of the soul. Are you aware of how the gods punish those who animate the dead in the afterlife? It's not pretty. Okay, so maybe you don't worship one of the more traditional gods. Maybe your religious practices are a little darker. I wouldn't be surprised, but what can you really expect from one of those dark gods? Sure they won't care about you animating the dead, but do you really think they'll be all that nice to you when your soul arrives on their doorstep?
You should really consider trying to change your ways. What your doing isn't worth it. Yes, you might be able to acquire enough wealth to live well in this world for a few years, but that time is just a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of time you'll be spending in the afterlife. This world is just a testing ground son. A testing ground to determine what sort of fate your soul deserves, and right now you aren't doing well at the one test that actually really matters.
Petrune rolls his eyes at Fippin, turns to Ixius and, attempting to turn enemies into friends says, "Couldn't you just kill me now?"
Petrune will exit with the party if that is what is agreed upon.
Then we start leading him out of the tunnels. Fippin walks behind him with his sword still ready.
Keep your hands still and don't talk. If I see you do make any movements that look like spell casting then I'm going to to stick this sword in your spine.
I guess there is still a crocodile nearby to intimidate him as well.
Sykala sees if any of the zombies are made from the bodies of the missing Ekujae and will help destroy the still animate ones remaining (including Petrune's guard). She will ask Baas to carry out one of the Ekujae corpses to the edge of the jungle. She breathes deeply upon getting out of the tunnels.
Sykala sees if any of the zombies are made from the bodies of the missing Ekujae and will help destroy the still animate ones remaining (including Petrune's guard). She will ask Baas to carry out one of the Ekujae corpses to the edge of the jungle. She breathes deeply upon getting out of the tunnels.
Several of the zombies are animated corpses of Ekujae. Just as many were human. Even in death, all of the once-human zombies have the rough, muscular look of warriors. The Ekujae-turned-zombies, however, were formed from the corpses of both adults and children -- some quite young.
With a grim look, she herself will take the youngest of the Ekujae corpses out. She will place both bodies at the edge of the jungle and then go looking for the Ekujae. She explains to Baas and Ixius what she is doing.
As the party plus Petrune exits the tunnels and into the clearing, the light of day, though beginning to fade, is still bright enough to hurt your eyes. Hurg, Esteban, and Carlus greet you soon later. They tell you that some of the guards who abandoned the Keep attempted to return but they fended them off.
Esteban seems quite happy about the turn of events. Neither Hurg nor Carlus cares much one way or the other. Carlus reminds you that 'payday' is two days from now but then realizes it isn't the right time to be discussing his wage.
When Sykala and Baas reach the edge of the clearing with the Ekujae corpses, they pass the still twitching severed heads of some slain Ekujae on posts.
Petrune has not relinquished his spellbook.
The River Queen is still being repaired.
Keliwyn is unusually silent, and seems to be contemplating what has transpired.
Ixius lets Petrune keep his spellbook for now and helps Sykala carry the corpses out to the jungle.
Sykala makes her way out to where she thinks the Ekujae are and then waits for them to contact her.