Dragolan does the same as Kalis--doffs his armor, lowers it on the end of the rope, and climbs down easily.
As you make your way safely down the embankment, you see yet another completely destroyed ship. This one is, admittedly, in better condition, as it has most of the stern and bow in tact. Apart from a missing mast, huge holes in the hull and destroyed rutter, it could very nearly be made seaworthy again. It also looks newer than the other wrecks. You can still see the name "Golden Bow" painted brightly on one side.
Before you can even approach the ship, you see a head slowly rise up from one of the holes. At first, you might not notice, but after just a moment, you see that the head is unnaturally twisted on the body. Then, two more heads rise up. And then another. Suddenly, five rotting corpses are pouring out of the ship onto the sand and rushing towards you.
Jasper yells out, OH COME ON! What is with this island! He then will wait for everyone to start moving so he can move to flank with someone.
Petry grinned. It was not for mirth. This might be the only way to survive, he thought to himself. We destroy anything and everything we come across until this island is ours. We become the law of the land. And that law is... "Allia, can you make them slip on the ground again? Dragolan! I can only ray one fully thrice, so use your healing wave on the undead when they get closer! Kalis, block them with your sword, but don't mind us. Meraxes and Jasper, I'm on Dragolan's right, keep him in the center! HERE WE GO!" The black-haired young man stepped around Dragolan and pointed with his right hand at the advancing corpses.
Diplomacy for Leadership:
Energy Ray: Fire; 1pp; 25-foot range on the big zombie on M14 when he gets in range.
Concentration check to suppress the display of the power (DC 15+level of the power):
Ranged Touch Attack:
Damage: points
"I would love to! But they're too far away still!"
"Look how slow those things are, they're creepy, but can't even walk right! We'll have no problems tearing them apart!
"Ugh. Not only are they trying to kill us, that smell of death and the heat is making me nauseous."
Dragolan calmly walks up to just under the bowsprit and releases positive energy at the creatures.
The zombies are hit with the wave of positive energy - each feels the effects of the blast.
Zombie Will Saves
All but one of the zombies takes the full brunt of the channeled energy.
The zombies shuffle forward and surround Dragolan. As one of the zombies gets closer, Petry hits it with a ray of fire. The smell of burning, rotted flesh fills the air.
Seeing the zombies close in on Dragolan, Kalis draws his sword, takes a small step and attempts to slice down the zombie.
ATTACK: (+1 BAB, +3 Str, +1 Trait, +1 MW, -1 Power Attack) DAMAGE: (+4 Str, +3 Power Attack)
Thje zombie is sliced in two - its wet, rotting skin providing no protection against the cruel blade.
Round 2
Round 2 Map
"Master Canario, take a step back, or you'll slip as well!"
She prepares to turn the ground below the 3 zombies into slippery goo again, as soon as Dragolan moves away.
"One down already, I told you!"
HP=2/7 points, AC=11 (touch 11, flat-footed 10), no armor, spiked gauntlets, dagger, speed=30 ft.
Fort=+1, Ref=+1, Will=2
Holding psionic focus (Fire); Power Points=2
Allia is Inspiring Courage (+1 attack and damage, +1 save vs fear and charm)
"Dragolan - wait!" Petry protested as the larger Chelaxian put himself in the middle of the zombie group. Still sore from the flying reptile-bird attack from before, Petry stood his ground and fired on the same zombie nearest Dragolan. "Change of plans - everybody protect Dragolan!" he commanded the party.
Energy Ray: Fire; 1pp; 15-foot range on the big zombie at O12.
Concentration check to suppress the display of the power (DC 15+level of the power):
Ranged Touch Attack:
Damage: points
Dragolan steps back 5' and attacks the zombie to his right with his heavy mace.
Meraxes wants to aim and cast acid splash but he gets distracted and ends up watching the acid transform into glowing lights around the zombie directly in front of Dragolan.
"err...that wasn't what I wanted to do.."
Jasper flips and dodges his way across the field to flank with Dragolan before again reversing his movement and stabbing backwards with his dagger.
Petry's ray of fire finds its mark again, burning a searing hole into the zombie's flesh. It falls with a thud.
Dragolan, seeing that he is surrounded, steps back and swings at the nearest zombie. His mace connects with a sickening, squishy thud. The soaked flesh gives way to his weapon and the zombie falls to the ground without movement.
The two remaining zombies are caught in Allia's grease. They struggle to stay upright.
One of the zombies falls flat on its back - the other remains upright, but stationery.
Kalis moves around to behind the still standing zombie, stepping past the one the ground. As he moves, the zombie lashes out .
AoO Slam Attack for
Kalis deftly dodges the attack, spinning as he brings his sword around for an attack on the standing zombie.
ATTACK: (+1 BAB, +3 Str, +1 Trait, +1 MW, -1 Power Attack, +1 Allia) DAMAGE: (+4 Str, +3 Power Attack, +1 Allia)
The blade finds a home and slices its head off.
Jasper moves to finish off the prone zombie. Standing over it, he drives his dagger deep into the zombie's skull. The zombie lets out a low moan. It is badly injured, but not yet dead.
Then, without warning, there is a loud screeching sound coming from the upper deck of the ship. It is unlike any sound you have heard before - a mix between a woman's scream and the piercing, horrific screeching of the dimorphodons. A creature appears on the deck of the ship, its pallid flesh is stretched tightly over its starved frame. Most of its clothes have rotted away, but there is still a captain's hat perched on its head. You hear the screech again as the creature bares its long sharp teeth and forked tongue.
The fallen zombie attempts to strike at Jasper from its prone position, kicking at his midsection with surprising strength.
Slam Attack for
But the attack is ineffectual and slow. Jasper dances out of the way.
The ghoul leaps from the top of the ship, directly behind Kalis. It swipes at him with its claws.
Attack 1 for
Attack 2 for
Both attacks miss - but just barely.
Round 3
Round 3 Map
HP=2/7 points, AC=11 (touch 11, flat-footed 10), no armor, spiked gauntlets, dagger, speed=30 ft.
Fort=+1, Ref=+1, Will=+2
Holding psionic focus (Fire); Power Points=1
Allia is Inspiring Courage (+1 attack and damage, +1 save vs fear and charm)
Petry half-ducked in surprise at the new undead's scream. He saw the creature leap from the ship towards Kalis. "Watch out - this one's quicker!" Petry told his friends. He moved closer to hit the undead without hitting Kalis.
Energy Ray: Fire; 1pp; 20-foot range to the ghoul.
Concentration check to suppress the display of the power (DC 15+level of the power):
Ranged Touch Attack:
Damage: points
Edit: Yes, I used cut-and-paste from a previous post. Thanks for catching that, GM Todd. Corrected.
Round 3:
Dragolan closes with the new foe . I don't know what Petry's doing, but it's certainly effective. "Time for your overdue rest, Captain. Clinging to existence like that is unseemly!"
Allia finally runs forward as well, the whip already in hand.
"Watch out, Kalis, there's another one! Behind you!"
Meraxes, getting frustrated, tries again to launch an orb of acid at the zombie in front of kalis. Again he messes up and dancing lights fly around the zombie.
"Damn! What is happening?"
Petry's ray of fire hits the downed zombie. Again, the smell of burning, rotting flesh fills the air. It is putrid. But the zombie is still.
Dragolan's mace goes terribly wide of the captain. He wonders if his curse is having an effect on his battle abilities.
Allia runs forward and wraps her whip around the ankles of the captain. Pulling as hard as she can, she upheaves the creature and it falls on its back.
Meraxes, inexplicably, sends flying lights soaring the fallen beast.
Kalis, not wasting a moment, attempts to drive his blade through the chest of the creature.
ATTACK: (+1 BAB, +3 Str, +1 Trait, +1 MW, -1 Power Attack, +1 Allia)
DAMAGE: (+4 Str, +3 Power Attack, +1 Allia)
But he is distracted by the lights. As he brings his sword down, a light catches his eye and he hesitates for just a moment, giving the creature an opportunity to roll out of the way.
"Gods these things smell."
Kalis' eyes grow wide for a moment when the undead captain appears, but his surprised expression quickly turns to a familiar wide smile. He shouts out,
Kalis reverses his spin and lashes his blade out at the ghoul.
As Kalis' blade strikes the sand, a dancing light frightens the creature. It swipes at the light and attempts to move out of the way. As it does so, it runs right into Kalis' blade, slicing open its side. It jerks back in anger and pain.
Jasper moves forward to attack the ghoul...
...and misses after slipping slightly on the sand.
Jasper, too, is distracted by the dancing lights. He curses as he misses his prone target, then, when bringing his dagger back up, he finds flesh. Twisting the blade, he slices the other side of the creature, damaging it badly, but not quite killing it.
Bleeding badly, the creature swipes at Kalis with its claws from the ground.
Both flailing attacks fail miserably.
Round 4
Round 4 Map
HP: 9/9
AC: 14 (touch 11)
Saves (F/R/W): 1/3/2
Bardic Perf: 5/8
Allia moves carefully over the slippery ground, stepping around the dead zombies - oh gods, she hoped they were dead! - and once she has a clear line of sight, swings her whip, hoping to bring an end to the foul beast.
Dragolan looks around himself quickly before attempting to apply his mace to the prone creature. You're not supposed to grab things out of my hands, little spirits.
HP=2/7 points, AC=11 (touch 11, flat-footed 10), no armor, spiked gauntlets, dagger, speed=30 ft.
Fort=+1, Ref=+1, Will=+2
Holding psionic focus (Fire); Power Points=0
Petry ground his teeth in frustration as first he hit the wrong target, and then everyone else did their best to block his view of the undead creature. He also felt that he was out of the energy that was inside of him. Still, he knew he had some residual elan left.
Petry moved to his left to get a better view of the ghoul, and thrust the focal point in his mind outwards to the undead.
Energy Ray: Fire; expending psionic focus for 0pp; 20-foot range to the ghoul.
Concentration check to suppress the display of the power (DC 15+level of the power):
Ranged Touch Attack:
Damage: points
Meraxes, focusing some more, tries to acid splash the zombie.
Attack:
Surprised he actually managed to fire acid this time, his shot goes wildly off base.
Allia's whip slaps against the wet, dead skin of the ghoul, leaving a bright red welt. Other than that, the blow seems to have little effect.
A mere second later, Dragloan brings his mace crashing down onto the skull of the prone creature. With a satisfying crash, its head caves in, blood and purple brain matter splattering the ground and the people nearby.
"Eww... by Calistria, that smell is just terrible! Utterly disgusting."
She again tries to step over the disgusting remains of the zombies, but apperently forgot about the greased ground. When she remembers it, it is too late, her boot already slipping out from under her, into the wrong direction. With a loud splash and an even louder scream "EEEEEEEEEEEKKK!!" she lands on - or rather in - the zombie-corpse.
"Finally!" Petry exclaimed. He moved around to stand near Kalis and Dragolan to look at the unknown undead. "Dragolan, do you have any idea what that thing was?" he asked the larger man. "And why can't you just do that wave-feeling as often as needed against undead? Or is it like...magic, where you have a limit?"
The young man turned sharply at Allia's scream, seeing her, yet again, on her rump at the end of a battle. "Allia, you should be more careful." he admonished the brunette.
Afterwards, Petry helped dismember the defeated zombies into as many pieces as he could with his dagger, spreading them out among the sandy beach.
With only a slight eyeroll, Dragolan extends a hand to Allia (after quickly checking his own footing). "Best to wash that off quickly."
"There is a limit to how many times I can do that, yes. In fact, I can't do it again until I've gotten a good night's sleep."
He looks down at the corpse. "I don't know what it was; perhaps Jask will, though."
"EWWW"
The mess of Allia and the bloated, disgusting carrion makes Meraxes want to vomit. Any chance of him finding her attractive has been annihilated.
Allia grabs Dragolan's offered hand, quickly pulling herself up and out of the dangerzone.
She tries to wipe of the zombie-pieces off as good as she can but as she touches something extremely squishy, she pulls her hand away immediately and has to concentrate not to vomit herself.
"Excuse me please..." is all she can say before she makes a run to the sea, hastily pulls off her armor and any piece of her outfit that got into contact with the undead. Then she begins scrubbing her armor in the water, as good as she can under these circumstances.
Once the worst muck is gone from her armor, she gets a terrible look on her face, and she pulls the small mirror from her backpack, checking as best as she can if she has gotten any zombie in her hair.
You take your time to explore the large ship. Much of the interior has been smashed and destroyed, but for the most part the ship is in relatively good shape. For the most part, your search is fruitless. Searching room to room, you find nothing - the ship has obviously been visited and looted before you arrived. Finally, you reach the bow of the ship and a locked door. The door looks as if it has been hacked at and attempted to be knocked down. With a smile Meraxes walks up and tries to open the door. It pops open to reveal a small closet - it was unlocked.
Inside, you see the remains of man wearing what look like fine clothes. He is gripping a sword in one hand and has the other resting upon a small chest.
Jasper looks at the Cutlass and goes Oooooo pretty and shiny... He gets a kind of glazed look to his eyes before snapping back to reality...or at least his version of reality.
Petry looked interested as Allia stripped off her armor in the surf before he remembered a certain redhead. He went back to dismembering the remains on the sand.
When the crew found the unlocked door, Petry along with the others viewed the deceased participant. "I'm more interested in the chest." he told the Taldan. "Think you can open that lock as well, Jasper?"
It is clear, even with a brief examination, that he was killed by a blade cutting through his chest. Also, it's been several years since he died - most of his flesh has rotted away at this point.
Allia spends some time cleaning her armor, clothes and her hair.
Once the worst dirt has been removed she uses the Prestidigitation cantrip to clean the rest as well. She also tries to use the cantrip on her hair, to make sure nothing remains.
Once her things are clean of undead entrails again, she dresses and heads inside, looking for the rest of the group "Hey guys, where are you?"
She summons 4 Dancing Lights to her sight, buzzing around her and illuminating the shipwreck as she makes her way through it.
I'll give it a shot. Jasper will take a moment to look over the chest, searching for any traps that may be in place. If he doesn't find any he will proceed to open it.
Jasper doesn't detect any trap and so tries to pop its lock. After just a moment, there's a satisfying "click." and the lock disengages.
Opening the lid of the chest, you find a healthy number of coins and jewels (valued at 150GP) and 5 potions.
Heading back out of the ship, you very nearly run into Allia. As you walk back onto the sand, you can feel the sun's heat beating down. It looks as if it's going to be another incredibly hot day.