Sykala will pick up a stone from the mine wall, intone a prayer of light, and throw it down the left tunnel to where ever she senses the presence.
Standing silently, unbreathing and undead, a contingent zombies consisting of the corpses of both Nightfall Station guards and Ekujae wait for the signal to attack. At least in death they are on the same side.
Petrune's voice commands, "Kill!" and the zombies lurch forward.
You hear others shuffling towards you from the right.
"Eeeep...." Sykala blanches at the sight.
"Eeeep...." Sykala blanches at the sight.
Petrune's voice came from the right ... far enough away that he must be behind these zombies.
Quickly pointing, "Petrune...that way." She begins to swiftly crawl down the right passage after the others.
Sykala scuttles backward into Ixius, "Need move back. Not get caught in web. Wolf pack not fight well in tunnel. Move back room."
Fippin starts backing down the tunnel.
Sykala scuttles backward into Ixius, "Need move back. Not get caught in web. Wolf pack not fight well in tunnel. Move back room."
"How many zombies are there?"
Being near the rear of the group he would like to know and can't really see for himself.
"How many zombies are there?"
Being near the rear of the group he would like to know and can't really see for himself.
Sykala's light has illuminated six to the left. Light, darkvision, or not, you can't see the ones to the right but they are making enough noise that you can be sure they are just around the bend.
Ixius hangs back with Fippin. "Let me go last. I will burn them."
Keliwyn:
As you rush to the rescue, you turn a bend and see the battered bodies of a few of the slave minders that whipped the Ekujae into shape. The zombies who made them scream now lurch towards you. Petrune is behind them.
___________________________________________________________________
ZOMBIES YOU ---> THIS WAY TO MORE ZOMBIES__________________________________ _____________________________
Sykala almost looks panicked for a moment being surrounded by enemies and earth closing in but closes her eyes for a moment and seems in control of herself.....barely, "We save Keliwyn." The urgency coming through in her voice, "Not good fight this way but save Keliwyn." She reverses her retreat after only two steps and moves after Keliwyn.
Keliwyn abruptly stops short at seeing the zombies, turns and looks back the other way. He's clearly trying to gauge whether he has enough time to rejoin the others. After a moments pause, he makes his decision, and runs for the (relative) safety of the group.
"Pull back to the room!" he yells, "Let them come to us!"
The zombies begin to move forward even before Keliwyn speaks. Although unable to plan an ambush by themselves, Petrune has set you up quite nicely. Keliwn, reversing his course, almost bumps into Sykala and Baas who are coming to aid him.
As Keliwyn comes back into view Sykala looks visibly relieved but still lets out a sigh of exasperation, "Kel! Is good. We fight better room. Come." Having gone a whole lot of nowhere she heads back to the chamber with everyone else.
Ixius remains at the west branch branch of the T. If the zombies come within range he will let loose another burning hands .
"If we fall back Petrune might escape. We should chase him down. Go, Ix and I can by us some time."
Fippin moves to the intersection of the T and casts spiritual weapon in the west passage. A glowing spiritual blade appears in the middle of the tunnel ready to attack any zombie that comes at it.
If the spell goes off:
Noticing the others are not following Keliwyn and her she stops, "If he get away. He not go far. Not hide from Gozreh." She gets her predatory smile back, "He need kill us, not us him."
Ixius' burning hands cause the rags and filth on three of the zombies from the west to ignite. The zombies do not bother trying to put out the flames but continue to lurch towards Ixius. Zombies from the east are also advancing. Petrune may be somewhere behind them but he hasn't made himself known yet.
Fippin can attack with his spiritual weapon before the zombies reach him and Ixius.
Noticing the others are not following Keliwyn and her she stops, "If he get away. He not go far. Not hide from Gozreh." She gets her predatory smile back, "He need kill us, not us him."
Fippin's hovering force blade takes a cut at the shambling undead. He commands it to keep attacking that one, and he moves back towards the defensive location.
Ixius moves with back with Fippin, staying in front of him.
The zombies, wounded but undetered, begin to congregate at the intersection of the shafts. They seem willing to shamble forward one at a time and take whatever you throw at them.
From somewhere to the east, you hear Petrune's voice, "We needn't fight. Take what you want and leave. Nightfall is mine."
The zombies, wounded but undetered, begin to congregate at the intersection of the shafts. They seem willing to shamble forward one at a time and take whatever you throw at them.
From somewhere to the east, you hear Petrune's voice, "We needn't fight. Take what you want and leave. Nightfall is mine."
"Alot of good men have died here," Keliwyn shouts as he watches the zombies close on Ixius and Fippin, "We would like to know why!"
Baas moves to the front of the group. "Truly, you are a fool if you think you can hold Nightfall by yourself. With Aspis gone and an army of elves at your doorstep, I cannot imagine you holding these buildings for more than a week." Baas chuckles. "Of course, what else could be expected from a mage such as yourself."
The last line is spoken with utter derision.
Fippin slides to the back of the line and lets his spirit weapon keep hacking at the zombie that it first attacked.
Baas moves to the front of the group. "Truly, you are a fool if you think you can hold Nightfall by yourself. With Aspis gone and an army of elves at your doorstep, I cannot imagine you holding these buildings for more than a week." Baas chuckles. "Of course, what else could be expected from a mage such as yourself."
The last line is spoken with utter derision.
"I don't need to hold the buildings," laughs Petrune derisively. "Take what you need from them and then give me back my base! Everything was coming along nicely until you arrived."
Fippin's spiritual weapon is batted aside by a slightly annoyed zombie.
"Is it the slaves you care about? ... Freeing the Ekujae? ... I don't need them. We can work that out."
"What do you want then?" Fippin shouts
"There's a reason why you've got people tunneling away down here. What are you looking for?"
"What do you want then?" Fippin shouts
"There's a reason why you've got people tunneling away down here. What are you looking for?"
Petrune laughs, "You don't know? That's not your concern though. I'll trade you the Ekujae slaves for your departure. You can take anything you find above ground. I'll rule below."
Baas turns to the group. "Can someone present to me a compelling reason why we should not simply pack up and leave? I am entirely willing to leave this Gods-forsaken jungle once and for all."
His voice lowers to whisper as he continues. "Of course, I am entirely willing to introduce a large, blunt object to Petrune's face as well..."
Petrune is far enough away that it is unlikely he will hear you over the moaning of the zombies. He has been calling out loud enough for you to hear but it is unlikely that he can hear Baas' whisper.
"I say we leave him to his tunnels."
"I say we leave him to his tunnels."
A fleeting look of hope about leaving the tunnels crosses her face, "No! Not natural." Pointing to the advancing undead, "This make jungle sick. Kill Petrune. Gozreh say."
"I say we leave him to his tunnels."A fleeting look of hope about leaving the tunnels crosses her face, "No! Not natural." Pointing to the advancing undead, "This make jungle sick. Kill Petrune. Gozreh say."
Baas looks deep into Sykala's eyes. The eyes that seemed so familiar. The eyes that have been haunting his dreams for the weeks since leaving Bloodcove. He smiles. One of the few truly earnest smiles he's made since the death of Amiri. He nods at Sykala, releasing all his frustration and his anguish for the first time in years. Catharsis.
Baas charges, earthbreaker held high; he would be the pride of any Shoanti brave, but most importantly, he is the pride of his sister, Amiri.
Keliwyn shakes his head, content to leave Petrune to the jungle, but knowing that Sykala won't leave him.
"Fipp," Keliwyn says quietly, although not quite at a whisper, "Sykala, Baas and Ixius can hold their own from this position. What do you say we try the other tunnel you found, and see if it connects in behind Petrune? Maybe we can bring this to a quick end."
"I say we leave him to his tunnels."A fleeting look of hope about leaving the tunnels crosses her face, "No! Not natural." Pointing to the advancing undead, "This make jungle sick. Kill Petrune. Gozreh say."Baas looks deep into Sykala's eyes. The eyes that seemed so familiar. The eyes that have been haunting his dreams for the weeks since leaving Bloodcove. He smiles. One of the few truly earnest smiles he's made since the death of Amiri. He nods at Sykala, releasing all his frustration and his anguish for the first time in years. Catharsis.
Baas charges, earthbreaker held high; he would be the pride of any Shoanti brave, but most importantly, he is the pride of his sister, Amiri.
"Okay Keliwyn, but we must be quick. I don't want to leave the others alone for long."
Fippin follows Keliwyn back down the tunnel. He's keeping an eye out for a way to come up on Petrune from behind, and also trying to figure out what he's trying to do down here.
Ixius draws his bow and follows after Baas.
"Okay Keliwyn, but we must be quick. I don't want to leave the others alone for long."
Fippin follows Keliwyn back down the tunnel. He's keeping an eye out for a way to come up on Petrune from behind, and also trying to figure out what he's trying to do down here.
Ixius also keeps an eye out behind him. If any zombies approach they will get a blast of fire.
Baas charges straight into a zombies flailing arms.