Chapter 3: Things better left alone

[BelGareth]

Chapter 3: Things better left alone

Standing before you is the barricade that manages to span the entirety of the road.

At first it seems like a pile of dilapidated wood and crumbling stone. But upon getting closer, and the 'guards' seem amicable to your approach, you see it is actually a clever disguise and in actuality it is a solidly constructed wall of pure stone, as if it were created from thin air.


Spellcraft DC 25
The wall is the result of a Wall of stone spell


Under the eye of the watchful men on the wall you approach the gate, which you see is a sliding gate that opens outwards, again made of stone.

"Who goes there?" a voice calls out from the 20ft or so wall, in a more than pleasant tone, surprisingly.

Taking a step forward Ma looks up to the man and responds in kind, after a small pause the gate opens and they usher you in, with eyes seeking out any movement down the street. The gate opens with a slowly ponderous rate and you wander what magic or might could move such a thing.

You walk inside and it is as if you walked into a completely different world, people are walking about, shop keeps are tending stalls and street rats are playing with a human skull in the side street.

Looking sideways you see the source of the might that had moved the gate, several looking creatures chained in a cage attached to a large wheel. You realize they are zombies and the wheel is attached to a series of pulleys that enable them to open the solid stone gate. Which slams shut behind you as you take in the life of this place.

http://lparchive.org/Clock-Tower-3/Update%2037/12-14b.jpg

Looking down the street, you can easily see a tavern by the tell tale hanging sign leaning out over the street, swaying slightly in the hustle and bustle of activity.


Spot DC 15
The sign shows a buxom mermaid baring her breasts with bright red hair sitting atop a rock.
Int DC 15
Tis the Topless Mermaid me matey!

[Golden Ladybug]

"That's a Wall of Stone. The Cleric we're looking for probably cast it, and if he can do that, he's powerful enough to raise Zombies" I whispered to the others, as we passed through the gates.

Almost as soon as I'd said this, I heard the moaning of the Undead, and threw up my staff, preparing to spray forth jets of magical acid, but stopped when I saw them caged. I lowered my weapon, but I couldn't shake the feeling of nervousness.

I followed at the back of the group, keeping an eye out for trouble.

"I'd bet you anything those zombies are going to get out of those Cages and cause havoc" I said to the others off-handedly, while scanning the streets for any sign of the Pirate we'd been sent to find. I caught sight of the sign above the nearby Tavern depicting a Buxum Mermaid...sans clothing.

I blushed beet red, and looked away.

Spot [roll0]
Int [roll1]

Oh, a sign with a mermaid wearing no clothing? Probably a different tavern than the one we're looking for :smalltongue:

Spellcraft [roll2]

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

The young half elf proceeds with utmost caution, his hand near the hilt of his weapon as the make their way into this part of the city.

The immediate difference shocks him. How can they live like this while the rest of us had to go through all that sneaking around and hiding? Or rather, how are they able to? Were they that prepared for this? Or are they that strong enough to defend themselves?

If it came to resources, then surely the elite part of town would have fared better. But as they have witnessed the days before, such is not the case.

What is it then?

One thing then surfaces in his mind, the most obvious reason. The cleric. But how? Is he that powerful? Looking at the wall, it is clearly formed from a spell, and a high level one. Maybe. But didn't he supposedly make that virus that turned people into zombies? How does that help make this? Realizing the futility of his thoughts, he focuses on looking around.

The first thing that catches his sights are the zombies all caged up and made to become power for some sort of machinery that seems to control the gates. As he observes them, he could not help notice his mixed emotions.

Surely it is right to put these horrible creatures in cages so they could not harm any person anymore. But if one thinks about it, weren't they living people before? They were citizens of Cloud at one point. It was not their fault to be caught up in this mess. The cruelty of being enslaved by your hunger. But would it even matter then? Would you still be conscious at that point? Rather, the most effect would be on those left behind who could one day be on the receiving end of that insatiable hunger who would then be making that choice of ending what is left of you.

The earlier incident with old Mister Piero flashes back to him, and he shakes his head and sighs.

If I became like them, what would become of me?

Needless worries. No time for pondering on what will happen. They are here now. And they are looking for the pirate now. Right. He should focus on that.

He looks around again, looking for clues on where to start their search. Just then, a swaying signpost of what seems to be a tavern catches his attention. Focusing on it, he could make out a figure of a woman. No, not a woman, for the lower half of it, from the waist down, is covered in what seems to be scales, ending in a split caudal fins. A fish tail.

A mermaid?

But rather than the fish tail, what the young boy is looking at right then is the upper half of the maiden, which upon further inspection seems to be without clothing. It is naked.

Feeling himself fluster and his cheeks become hot, he diverts his eyes and look at Annalyn as she speaks about the zombies. As if to hide his thoughts, he replies.

"Well, I hope they don't. Haven't we had enough of them already? Besides, if what we thought is right, then it would be the living that would be causing havoc, if ever there would be one," he says with a bitter smile.

Deep in his mind, the image of the topless mermaid is still ingrained. But not in an inappropriate sense. He tries to, but can't make himself wrap around it.

Topless mermaid. Somehow he should know something about it. But what?

WOOOO!! Chapter 3!! And to celebrate this momentous occasion, a wall of text for my first post!!!

On another note, craptastic rolls when it comes to int check. We clearly have forgotten about the Topless Mermaid, haven't we? :smallbiggrin:

[Sparrow]

Okay, lets see if Ralph can figure this out.
Spot:[roll0]
Int:[roll1]
Post pending answer OOC, Sorry

[Fireheart]

perception
[roll0]
int
[roll1]
spellcraft
[roll2]

OOC: Huh...so Ma remembers the name but she doesn't see the blooming sign.

After answering the guards questions, Ma enters the world behind the barricade.

Glancing around, Huh..it's almost as if nothing has changed. she says, but then spotting the zombie wheel, "well, nothing but that anyway." She shudders. I don't know which would be worse, to become a zombie, mindless and unknowing, or to retain a semblance of self and end up caged like an animal. She shudders again.

She draws herself up and continues to look around. "So, let's go find this pirate, shall we?"

[Sparrow]

Just gonna post a new post

Ralph entered, following Ma past the wall of stone. As he past the wall, he had to stop a moment to take in the huge change from the lifeless part of the city from which they entered to the busy city life in which most of the group was accustomed to.

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

"Right. That," he replies to Ma. "Say, where did Oakenstaff say the pirate stayed again?"

[SamBurke]

Alyera walks into the city in a daze, aware all to vividly of its tender grasp on survival.
Here we fall.
Three feet of conjured stone stands between the last remnants and a long, slow, inevitable death. Three feet of abjured wall blocks any escape. Three hundred thousand necromitated zombies roam our own streets, ready to add to their ever growing number.
Here we die.
It is almost a farce, the peace. I know all to well the sting of death, the feeling of cutting pain and searing loss.
Here we stand.
Slavers had taught me to know danger, to know it as a smell, as a touch, as a sound.
Here we lie.
It screamed in the air, crushes in on me. If not the gods, then WHO? If the great could not succeed, then how the least? If the mighty have fallen, what can the weak hope?
No hope to be found.
Still oblivion. Did not the people here know that their lives were in daily peril? Did they trust their evil overlord, or the protections but a stone's throw from their houses?
No life left to live.
No, they could not. Here was the tacit understanding of death. The lying down of a wounded wolf. The surrender of a starving fortress. The last stand of the hopeless, the downtrodden, the overwhelmed, the weak, the starving, the unable.
So let us die. Let us fall. Let us stand. Let us lie.
For that is what we are.
But to what? To why? To whom?
And that is why we fight.
If you see this, "accidentally" put text in red in your next post.

This existential goth thing is easier than I thought! Either that, or Requiem for a Dream is the best song ever written.

Also, all grammar mistakes are intentional. Perhaps I'll tell you later.

Also:
[roll]

[Fireheart]

Ma scratches her head.

"Mermaid something..." Moraine replies. "No..something mermaid." She closes her eyes thinking back through the last few days. "The Topless Mermaid? Does that sound right?"

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

"Topless Mermaid..." he mumbles.

He looks back at the odd sign, and again feels the heat on his cheeks. It does indeed resemble a mermaid, but topless? Maybe because it has no upper garments?

He hesitates; it would be too embarrassing if he were mistaken. Ultimately, he decides to point them out to it anyway.

"Uhm, is that a topless mermaid?" he says, pointing at the sign.

[Sparrow]

Ralph looks at the sign that he must of missed because there it was hanging above the bustling streets. "Yes Lucien, that is probably what a topless mermaid looks like, although, I've never seen one myself. I believe that is where we should be headed."

Ralph tries to guess what kind of person hangs outs in a tavern called 'The Topless Mermaid'. And from there, begins to make out how to approach such a man.

Remember when I said that Ralph enjoys learning psychology? This is where that comes in.

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

"I guess. At least it seems to be some tavern. Even if that person is not there, maybe we could ask somebody there about him. Though I think we should be cautious about asking. This place just screams fishy."

How should a city sector seemingly so unaffected compared to the rest of the city appear to a young half-elf boy? Yup. Fishy alright.

[Fireheart]

Ma suddenly smiles and laughs.

"Fishy, Lucien? Pun intended, I hope." She grins suddenly feeling lighter. It's amazing what a bit of humour can do. "But yes, I do think we should go carefully."

[Sparrow]

"Careful? Definitely. One wrong move, and they'll sic the zombies on us." Ralph replied.

[SamBurke]

Alyera snapped back to reality with a visible tic, her entire body twitching for a moment. "Uh, I doubt it'll be that severe. Besides, we aren't going to do any harm."

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

"Pun? Oh, uhm, yeah. Ha ha ha! Good thing you got that. I was worried my awesome wit would have gone to waste," he says with a huge grin.

Pun? Fishy?

...

Oh! Mermaid. Fish. Riiiiiight.

"Anyways, it's not that we'd be doing anything bad. It can't be helped. We're 'outsiders'. And I expect everyone to be paranoid. We all are."

"Heck, if they don't act paranoid, that wouldn't be right as well."

[Golden Ladybug]

"If they're confident enough, or stupid enough, to not be paranoid, then we have a whole 'nother set of problems on our hands" I added, watching the zombie cages warily. I could still feel the red in my cheeks, and I shook my head. The city was going through the apocalypse, we were in a shanty town powered by undead labour and ruled by a Cleric of Orcus who presumably had the power to squish us like bugs and here I am, still embarrassed because I saw a racey picture of a mermaid.

"Shall we go in, then? Maybe this Pirate can tell us something about what's going on, that's still relevant after...you know, everything" I shrugged, blowing some hair out of my eyes.

I caught the Ioun Stone orbiting my head and pocketed it, and started to walk towards the tavern

[SamBurke]

As the group walked under the gaudy sign and entered, Alyera's eyes adjust slowly to the dim light of the tavern.

Glancing around, she tries to spot anyone who could be identified as a "pirate."

Perception:
[roll0]
Would he look similar to a slaver...?

[Fireheart]

Ma squares her shoulders and follows the others into the tavern. Looking for anything that resembles a pirate.

[BelGareth]

You all move underneath the swaying sign of the Topless Mermaid and push through the heavy oaken door, it is obvious that the door was designed to make the tavern an impenetrable fortress....or something akin if the case would arise.
It would also seem like the need did indeed arise as the door stands with fresh scars, scratches had been made as if from human hands.

The door moves aside and bids you welcome to the a musty, moldy smelling tavern room, not unlike many other taverns in the realm.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o-RiIKBFMYo/Th3vXgA36KI/AAAAAAAAAL0/FTrA_NQbl4A/s1600/Fantasy-Tavern-low900.jpg

You see a large common room with the ceiling reaching all the way to the second story roof, the bar is at the back with stairs flanking it on either side and a balcony overhanging it, hallways lead to the rear of the building and it is not hard to realize where the rooms are located.

Several people are lounging around tables talking, a singer is standing on the stage to your left singing a raucous song, people line the bar on the other side of the room and no one gives you even a glance as you enter.

You see several people who look like they could be pirates (or slavers), one has a peg leg and a vicious hook for a hand, it glimmers in the firelight of the fireplace. Another sits at the bar and with a long black salt grimy coat and a tricorne hat grumbling to himself and his mug.

[SamBurke]

"Calling him a pirate sure is specific, now isn't it?" Alyera mutters. "So, where to now?" She thinks for a moment, and treads lightly on the rotting floor, making her way to the bar. Good thing you're tiny, eh?

"Good sir, we seek someone..." She pulls out a gold piece and spins it on the hard wood of the counter, letting it twirl for a few times to emphasize. "For whom we have... inadequate information. Is this a place to get some?"


I'm assuming a GP should help. I can smack down five or ten if need be.

Diplomacy:
[roll0]

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

"Looks like it's the other set of problems we have on our hands," he whispers to Annalyn without looking at her. He takes in the detail of the inside of the Topless Mermaid without a blink. The mood. The attitudes of the patrons. Somehow, it's just so different, like there's nothing crazy going on outside, even at its own door.

He brushes the thoughts aside and focuses on the task at hand. Which one of these pirate-looking thugs is the pirate they are looking for?

"How do we go about this? We can't simply go up and ask for One-eyed Burt, can we?"

And just as he finishes his sentence he sees Alyera doing exactly that. "Apparently we can," he says with a shake of the head and a smirk on his face.

Retcon check. I just scoured our previous threads and found out that the actual spelling of the Topless Mermaid is the toplles Mermade. Fun fact of the day. :smallbiggrin:

[Fireheart]

Ma smiles. "I suppose so." She shrugs and slowly makes her way to the bar. Standing near Alyera but not right over top of her, she leans on her staff and waits.

[BelGareth]

The bartender looks at you with almost disdain as you approach, but his eyes light up as he looks down on you and your gold. The gleam in your eye would normally scare you if you were alone, but you are not and the reassuring shadow of Ma stands close to you.

"Good sir? Eh, that ain't what I is HAR! Me name is Beznik, be the bartender oh the Fat whench on dat board hangin outside!" He scratches himself, reaching farther down his backside than most would in public, having to lean backwards to accommodate the reach. "That real?" he asks, grabbing the coin and biting into it. Looking happy enough he pockets the coin and looks to you "Well, easiest coin I ever did earn, whaddya need nowin?"

Several people in the room stir at the sight of naked gold and the muttering in the rooms dim slightly, as if as a whole the room is listening to your every word. The man with the tricorne hat turns to you and gives you one of the ugliest looks you have seen, You would have sworn this man would slice your throat steel everything on your body without blinking, and he stunk of the sewer.

But so did you.

[SamBurke]

Alyera grins and slips up on the bar, confident of her friends. "I saw some sidelong looks from the other people here. May not be a nice crowd, but you all know how to handle them." She leans backwards on the stool, getting comfortable. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, her gaze pans across the room with a discerning, obviously judging eye. Raising an eyebrow at the tricorne pirate, she winks slyly and whips around to the barkeep. "Beznik, is it? Well met. Me and those here have recently traversed the city and fought off a lich. They'd like some refreshment first. On me." Another gold piece hits the counter.

"As to that information, we seek a pirate. But not just any pirate."



TIME FOR AN EPIC POSE! And then talking. Anyone who wants to step in, do so. Just remember, our reputations with a bunch of tough people is on the line, we need to look badass. So, look tough, if possible. Lucien...?

[Golden Ladybug]

I'm pretty good at reading people; its just something that always came easily to me.

But I'd have had to be blind and death to miss the change in attitude when Alyera had taken out the gold coin. I looked around at now quiet bar and grinned, twirling my staff around lazily. I turned to Lucien and grinned.

Tapping the length of knotted wood on the ground, I let out a trickle of magic, conjuring up a small green fireball in my hand, which I lightly tossed up in the air and deftly caught. Hopefully the more drunken patrons would have enough sense not to attack the group that was casually tossing around magical fire.

I turned to the Bartender as he took Alyera's second coin "Just water for me, thanks. Bad things tend to happen with open flames and Alcohol, after all..."

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the man in the tricorne hat warily

Prestidigitation is the greatest spell ever, don't you think? :smallbiggrin:

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

Lucien could only smile inwardly at how the situation had developed. So we are taking this route. Oh well, can't be helped. I don't have any other idea anyway. Might as well go with it.

Ladies. You never know what they're gonna come up with.

"Hey, hey, easy with the fire balls. What are we, fighting a lich here or something? We're just talking here, right?" he says with a smirk.

[BelGareth]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-olT6YFV8zBY/T9ygFcKCrTI/AAAAAAAAA74/p3HobohRaE4/s400/NoSpellcasting-1.jpg

The barkeeper looks to you with another gleam in his eye, this time even more profound as you draw out yet another gold coin, grabbing it again and biting it he nods feverishly "Aye! O'Course," he turns to his barmaid and ushers her to go about the business of serving you.

http://th05.deviantart.net/fs40/300W/i/2009/133/6/4/Barmaid_by_Draakh.jpg

He then turns back to you with a raised eyebrow "A pirate eh?, well'n, I'm sure we can find you a pirate to fit yur needs, what kind o pleasure you lookin...never mind that, I'm sure any Pirate ineer would do what tever you asked o'them!" he says, completely oblivious that he had mistaken the request.

The Pirate in the tricorne hat mumbles to himself and turns away from you all, leaning heavily on the bar and drinking more of the bottle he holds in his hand.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-w5OI5SL7zIM/T9ygFn57xbI/AAAAAAAAA78/pQilCaul2ow/s288/Pirate_by_realdarkwave.jpg

The others in the common room almost shut up entirely and several mouths fall slacken, agape at the demonstration of magical prowess. Unsure what to do, many leave, while others start nervously talking again, filling the room with noise once more.

The barkeep looks to Alyera almost about to yell at her when she asks for water "Water? Sorry miss, but we aint got no water ere, tis Grogg, whiskey and gin what we got ere!" He seems to finish every sentence off as if it were a declaration. He continues "An stop playing with yur fancy fire o'yours, I ad a hard nuff time keeping this place t'gether with effrythink going on!"

[SamBurke]

Alyera nods to the man, and to the rest. "Lucien, tell our good friend here everything you know about the pirate." She leans back to the illusionist "I can't remember a thing. You?"


So far so good. Also, no magic. Derp de derp. Please tell me Lucien can remember SOMETHING.

[Fireheart]

Ma leans back and whispers to Lucien...

Wasn't there something about an eyepatch...and didn't he live around here or hang out where a bunch of pirates hung out?

Why would pirates all hang out together?


OOC: All I can remember is something about him only having one-eye and living around this bar?

[Golden Ladybug]

I clapped my hand shut, the green flame I had conjured vanishing in an instant, and I grinned apologetically at the barman.

My ears perked up at Alyera's question, and I racked my brains for whatever details I could remember about the pirate we'd been sent to find. I didn't find much.

"Yeah, I was too busy having teleportation sickness to hear too many details...I think Lucien was right, though; we're looking for a One-Eyed Burt" I gave the bartender a look, and let my gaze linger on the hand that held the gold coins Alyera had laid out.

"You wouldn't happen to know a One-Eyed Burt, would you, Beznik?"

[BelGareth]

The barkeep smiles a big raucous smile, displaying his yellow modly teeth for all "One-Eyed Burt! HA!" he yells, most everyone in the tavern heard his yell, whether by design or accident "Yur in luck! He's been ere since ta start o tings! You'll catch im upstairs in is room, third one down on tha right!."

He keeps his smile on his face but closes his lips around his rotting teeth, picking up a mug and a dirty smelling cloth he continues to rub it, cleaning it somehow. the pirate at the end of the bar stirs a little but continues to imbibe himself while the other patrons start to talk in a low roar.

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

He does not like what he is seeing from the reaction of the patrons after hearing about One-Eyed Burt. But it is to be expected. His focus though is on the pirate at the end of the bar. His reactions are odd, as if he is reacting to their presence.

He elbows Alyera. "Hey, that pirate seems like he's checkin' us out or something," he whispers.

[SamBurke]

Alyera begins to make a snide remark about men, but thinks the better of it, leaving the awkward sentence hanging in midair like a freshly executed convicted, guilty as charged. "Thank you, good bartender. As a courtesy, this building will be left unscathed. Should any occupants attempt to harm us, they will... not be left such."

She walks up the stairs with a fierceness, readying herself for anything.

[Golden Ladybug]

I waved to the Pirate, and whispered to Alyera as she went past "You guys go figure out what this One-Eyed Burt knows about all this; I'll make sure his friend over there doesn't interfere"

Then, I sat down at the bar, and twirled my staff round once, and allowed my magic to wash over me, the field of force forming an invisible armour around me.

I watched the Pirate carefully, trying my best to look like an unconcerned badass... but internally, I was panicking; why the hell was I planning to pick fights with pirates?

I haven't posted the spells I prepared today, yet. Here they are, with one Mage Armour crossed off already (the other one being there in case of another fight in more than four hours time, or if someone else needs some more AC).

0 - Conjure Snowball, Caltrops, Acid Splash, Prestidigitation, Ghost Sounds, Detect Magic

1 - Mage Armor, Mage Armor, Summon Monster I, Silent Image, Silent Image, Colour Spray, Comprehend Languages

2 - Invisibility, Invisibility, Acid Arrow, Acid Arrow, Acid Arrow

[Sparrow]

Until this point, Ralph had been in some trance, seeing how unchanged the tavern appeared even through all that had happened. Finally, he snapped out of it and joined the others.

When Alyera walks up the stairs, Ralph simply follows, also preparing for the worst.

[Fireheart]

Ma turns her head quickly, trying to decide between following Alyera or remaining with Annalyn.

She shakes her head and as she walks past Annalyn, scream if you need help, I'll run right back, she whispers as she follows the others down the hall, remaining toward the back to listen for Annalyn.

[SamBurke]

Alyera nods, and glides up the stairs, hands twitching and ready. "Everyone, stand outside the door with care... I doubt One-Eye is a very courteous fellow."

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

Lucien looks at Annalyn, then to the others, thinking. There's three of them going up to meet One-Eyed Burt. He doesn't think low of her; he knows he can handle herself. But just to be safe,

"I'll stay with Annalyn," he says.

[BelGareth]

Alyera, Ma and Ralph -

You head up the stairs and move down the hall until 2 doors pass you, as you reach the third door a pallid odor assaults your nose and you have to cover it, lest you retch the contents of your morning feast on the floor.

The air shifts slightly and a fresh wash of odor smashes into you, something in the back of your mind tingles and then fades.

Moving on you see the door and prepare to knock on it.

knock, knock....knock knock.

Ralph stands close to Alyera as she rasps her knuckles on the hardwood frame, his hand instinctively going to his blade. The hall was dark, and the shadows seemed long here.

No answer came.

Looking to Ma and then to Ralph she pushes lightly against the door which gives without any resistance. As the door swings open on silent hinges another fresh wave of stink hits you, this time it is all you can do to stop your self from gagging. A cloud of fat flies buzzes through the portal, around your head and off.

The room is dark and a feeling of ominous peril pervades your thinking, the curtains sway slightly as the air from outside manages to eek its way in.

Your light source barely manages to penetrate the room and as you tentatively move into the room, hands on weapons you slowly see the corpse on the chair.

The corpse sits on his rocking chair with a hollow smile splayed across his skull, several of his teeth are missing and an eyepatch hangs loosely across his sternum.

Knowledge Nature/Heal check - to see how long he has been dead.



Lucien and Annalyn -
As everyone leaves the whole room abruptly stops talking, all previous noise gone with the suddenness of a storm. The Pirate at the end of the bar turns and eyes you both, as do all the other occupants of the tavern. You quickly notice the barkeep is gone.
"An why'n yu lookin fur One Eye Burt? Eh?" The man asks with a serious tone in his voice.

Looking at him for the first time, you can see he has mismatched eyes, one is blue and the other is milky white.

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

As soon as silence falls on the room, he knows. They were all waiting for this to happen. Or at least everyone going up.

But what does this mean?\

He looks at the pirate, and his mismatched set of eyes. Could he be...? No, it can't be. Oh, crud.

His hands find their way to the hilt of his weapon and to Annalyn's wrist respectively, preparing to draw the former and drawing close the latter. He tries to steel his nerves, and hopefully manage to look unfazed.

"What we need with him is for us to know and for him to find out. Unless you're the One-Eyed Burt...?"

[Sparrow]

Ralph turned his head away from the man as his eyes met it.

He quickly makes a final sweep around the room with his eyes. He checks around the room one last time before letting go of the hilt of his rapier.

"Well, I suppose we won't get much from this man, or what is left of him I guess."

He kept his eyes from straying back upon the corpse. In the past few days he had seen more death than he did through the rest of his short life. It was all so new to him.

"How long has he been dead?" Ralph asked, still covering his nose.

[Golden Ladybug]

As Lucien began to tense up, I looked over the pirate, and saw what my friend had already seen. Mismatched eyes...

"Of course, if you ARE One-Eyed Burt," I said to the Pirate, "we'd be able to tell you why we're looking for you"

Conscious that the bartender had already fled the room, I raised my staff in readiness.

Ready an Action to cast Color Spray right in this guys face if he attacks us :smallamused:

[Fireheart]

(in the pirates room)

Ma covers her nose and mouth with her arm.

Well that is problematic. Can anyone tell how he died?

[SamBurke]

Alyera steps forward to examine the body. She snaps, and a quick flashpan of golden light erupts from both hands, twisting instantly to her eyes. Again she examines the situation, looking for arcana or out-of-place dweomers. "This seems... oddly fake.." Her glinting, glowing, gaze shifts over the floor, walls, and ceiling, before finally coming to rest on the corpse in the chair. Circling it slowly, she examines the entire thing from a safe distance.
This will be you. If you don't kill them.
"The real question is, who is this man? If we know that, then how he died. Do you see any marks? Any illusions?" Carefully, she moves the body to a more upright stance. "And speaking of it, the way he's sitting... doesn't seem right. Too well-planned."

Turning to the other two, she asks, "Do you see any herbal items on him? Preservatives, poisons? Also, can we search the room a little?"


Spells:
Detect Magic. Guidance. Guidance.

[roll0]
I seriously need more ranks in that skill.

Also, what does he look like, specifically? I'm looking for, but not limited to: Broken bones (especially ribs or vertebrae), dislocated limbs (or jaw), cuts or nicks on his throat or its vertebrae (indicative of a cut throat), damage to skull, or other such indicators. Also, the position of his hands is important. How decayed is the body?

[roll1]

By the bye, I do have a Phalactery of Faithfulness, so I'm warned if an action will harm my alignment. On a random unrelated note.

[BelGareth]

Lucien and Annalyn -
The ugly man looks at the both of you with a big a smile, which is somewhat disconcerting, his dark yellow teeth stained from tobacco and they shined in the light of the tavern with a sickly sheen. Several patrons are now standing and moving toward you, it is plainly evident that everyone is handling a sword at their hip, the promise of violence in their eyes, but, for some reason, not in their hands.

"Well, I'll be bettin you'll be talkin first little lady." He says quite simply, the obvious threat open to all.


Alyera, Ma and Ralph -
Searching the room you find the following:
7 x pieces of parchment
1 x cutlass
1 x dagger
7 x copper pieces
1 x Silver piece
1 x Silver brooch

The search of the dead man reveals a severe laceration to the throat, further inspection finds that the man was shackled to the chair, and you think he has been dead for several days.

You see no magical/evil aura's.

[Fireheart]

OOC: Is there writing on the parchment? Is anything Magical?

Detect Magic



Ma shuffles through the parchment to see if anything is written on them. Given his position, and the manner of his death, I suspect this pirate knew something...but what?

[BelGareth]

Your minor cantrip detects nothing magical on the parchment.

[SamBurke]

Alyera spins on a dime and runs downstairs. "We're in danger, and so are the others!" Running downstairs as fast as she can, she pauses to look leisurely right in front of the door, her entire body glowing gold.
He did it to you.
"And I suppose you think that you'd be able to hurt an innocent girl however you so wished?" The anger in her voice is immistakable, the beginning of a blood-fury rage. "Well. You. ARE. KRIFFING. WRONG. Her voice explodes across the room, and her tiny stature seems to grow massive, surrounded by a stormy golden fire.



Heroic Fortune. Tap Inner Beauty. Guidance. I really wish that this didn't mess off Alyera so much: she's wasting a lot of firepower. It's just that she is reading a lot into this. Grararahrhrahrharhggg.

+1, Guidance, +8, Hero Point, +2, Tap Inner Beauty.
[roll0]

Intimidate. Also, I really wish I could use an actual expletive there. It'd just be too out of character.

EDIT: HOLY SHIP. To compare, that roll would be roughly enough to intimidate a Terrasque. Best 20 ever.

[Golden Ladybug]

The bar patrons slowly closing in on us, I frantically vaulted over the bar top, putting the solid wood between me and the uncomfortably large amount of steel in the room. I gave Lucien a desperate glance, before swallowing nervously.

This sort of thing never happened before I came to this crazy city!

I squared off, holding my staff at the ready "Yeah...no, that won't be happening. If you know anything about all these freaking zombies everywhere, or the huge dome of magical force surrounding the whole city, we' really appreciate it if you shared, but if you're just going to try and attack us?" I snarled, "Don't make the mistake of thinking we're just going to go down without a fight!"

...and that was when Alyera burst back into the room, the halfling seemingly filling the space with her presence. I reeled back slightly, shocked by the fury my friend had mustered against the Pirates. I'm glad that she wasn't shouting at me!" I thought to myself.

Surreptitiously, I reached into the component pouch at my waist, and pulled out a small piece of wool, and channelled a small burst of magic into the material. With a whisper, I released the spell, and suddenly the air around Alyera hummed with power. Hopefully, that would be attributed to Alyera herself, and not my spell.

Showtime.

Ghost Sound, DC15, to make it seem like Alyera over there is just brimming with power (which she is), so that our good friends the pirates don't attack her/us.

[Golden Ladybug]

The bar patrons slowly closing in on us, I frantically vaulted over the bar top, putting the solid wood between me and the uncomfortably large amount of steel in the room. I gave Lucien a desperate glance, before swallowing nervously.

This sort of thing never happened before I came to this crazy city!

I squared off, holding my staff at the ready "Yeah...no, that won't be happening. If you know anything about all these freaking zombies everywhere, or the huge dome of magical force surrounding the whole city, we' really appreciate it if you shared, but if you're just going to try and attack us?" I snarled, "Don't make the mistake of thinking we're just going to go down without a fight!"

...and that was when Alyera burst back into the room, the halfling seemingly filling the space with her presence. I reeled back slightly, shocked by the fury my friend had mustered against the Pirates. I'm glad that she wasn't shouting at me!" I thought to myself.

Surreptitiously, I reached into the component pouch at my waist, and pulled out a small piece of wool, and channelled a small burst of magic into the material. With a whisper, I released the spell, and suddenly the air around Alyera hummed with power. Hopefully, that would be attributed to Alyera herself, and not my spell.

Showtime.

Ghost Sound, DC15, to make it seem like Alyera over there is just brimming with power (which she is), so that our good friends the pirates don't attack her/us.

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

The young half elf holds his ground firmly, his face showing no signs of being intimidated, but his heart is pounding inside his chest, and he can feel the adrenaline flooding his system, making his ears hot. He holds his gaze firmly at the pirate, his hands wrapped tight around the hilt, making his knuckles white.

He could not hold this tough facade however when Alyera came bursting down the stairs, making him step back and blink. He takes a deep breath and recovers, whispering his silent gratitude for the timely arrival. He steps forward, a smile creeping up to his face.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk...let us try this again. You little ladies will be talking first."

[Fireheart]

Ma quickly follows behind Alyera, a bit stunned by her sudden change.

Taking in quickly the scene, she raises her staff and glares at the pirates.


OOC: Need to remember to switch out Arcance Mark w/ Prestidigitation now that we're all back together.

Readied action: First thug that appears to make a threatening motion (draws weapon, etc): Ma casts magic missile.

[BelGareth]

Top of round 1

{table=head]Player|Initiative
One Eyed Burt|20
Thugs|8
Lucien|-
Alyera|-
Annalyn|-
Ma|-
Ralph|-
[/table]


https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-jhlT29m8CbE/T_3LHRFyJoI/AAAAAAAAA9o/QAtmi0rXiwo/s800/bARFIGHT%2520ROUND%25201.jpg

[SamBurke]

Crap in a black tricorner pirate hat.


Alyera steps forward, eyes flashing with untamed fire. "Who's gonna be first? Who wants to feel the burning fire of regret? The rending sorrow of remorse?" She glares from man to man, standing as tall as possible.


Dat moment when you realize that you purposefully reset all your spells to be useless in this fight.

I'll soak damage and heal, I guess. If possible...

Good thing is that they're all at penalty from being intimidated.

[roll0]

Readying action to use a touch attack.

[Sparrow]

"Well, I guess it was foolish to believe we could do this without violence." Ralph said, drawing his rapier in his right hand and his new short sword in his left.

Initiative: [roll0]

What did we expect when we walked in here and started acting all tough in front of a bunch of drunks?

[Fireheart]

Ma continues to hold her spell, waiting to see who would blink first.

Initiative[roll0]

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

"No talk? Right then. I was aching to try this new sword. Looks like the opportunity just presented itself," he says with a smirk as he draws the new sword and a dagger.

As he does so, the half-elf's image starts to waver and blur.

Move action draw weapons.
Standard action cast Blur.

[Golden Ladybug]

I let out a deep sigh, and shrugged off my backpack, letting it fall to the ground. The sound of metal clunking on wood, and Lucien's comment, brought the strange Kusari-Gama that I had been taken on a whim to the front of my mind. Perhaps now would be the chance to use it?

I half bent down, keeping my eyes on the room full of thugs, and calmly retrieved the weapon, keeping it under the counter. I had no idea how to use it, and I was probably going to be more use at range, but it couldn't hurt to have it ready, right?

"You sure you don't want to back down? You're just throwing your lives away?" I said, a half-hearted attempt to defuse the situation.

But, to be completely honest, I had no idea whether we could win this or not.

Initiative [roll0]

And, since it may be appropriate to reinforce the Thugs/One-Eyed Bill's perception of just how amazing we are, and how foolish it would be to fight us, a bluff check [roll1]

Ready an Action to Acid Dart the first enemy to act aggressively within my pitiful range...which means E8 and H4 :smallfrown:

[BelGareth]

Top of round 1

{table=head]Player|Initiative
Alyera|27
Annalyn|22
One Eyed Burt|20
Ralph|17
Lucien|15
Thugs|8
Ma|6
[/table]

The thugs surge forward and magic erupts in the dark dank tavern, Annalyn conjures up a dart of fizzling acid which misses her target by a wide margin slamming into a support beam and dissolving most of the wood there. Ma's Missiles take one thug in the chest and drop him to the ground, two gaping wholes seep lifefluid as he collapses. The others pull up short confused on what to do as Alyera casts a dweomer protecting everyone.

The man in the Tricorner hat grimaces and spits on the floor.

"What Rrr ye wanting from dear ol' One Eyed Burt?" he seems obviously irritated you were able to prevent his 'friends' from getting to you, but was refusing to back down. At a bet you would hazard this man has seen a lot in his life.

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

Seeing the target of Ma go down easy, Lucien stands more confident now. Upon hearing the old man's irritated rambling, his hopes that this would end soon is doubled; either they mow these nuisance down, or they resolve this with words.

"Poor fella. That needn't have happened, ya know. We just wanted to chat with Burt, but then ya had to go and do this. So I'm asking again, where is he?"

Ready attack with the unidentified +1 longsword for anyone who comes within threat range.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Golden Ladybug]

Gesturing towards the quickly dissolving support beam with one hand, I put on a crazed smile, and pointed my finger at the closest thugs.

"That was a warning shot; I think it's time you backed down. We just want to talk to One Eyed Burt. We think he might have information about why this all happened," I shouted, "No one needs to get hurt, okay?"

I tensed up, hoping that they'd back down. They didn't seem accustomed to magic, and they'd all looked nervous enough already before all this happened.

They'd back down. I think.

I grasped the hilt of my newly acquired Kusari-Gama (which, it began to dawn on me, I didn't know how to use!), just in case.

Okay, move action to "draw" the Kusari-Gama. Since it had an actual link to the PFSRD, I can only assume it does SOMETHING cool. Or, you know, its cursed (I'm totally fine with that; I love cursed items!)

Ready an action for another Acid Dart at anyone coming at us aggressively.

To-Hit [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[BelGareth]

The ugly pirate sighs and takes a stool at the bar, the same one he was sitting at before, waves his left hand drunkenly in the air dismissing the poised thugs in the bar.

They seem to back down, although some mutter under their breath and all glare at you all with a murderous gleam in their eye. Two pull the man with holes in chest courtesy of Ma to the backroom behind the bar.

Grabbing his drink again he takes a swig, ale spilling over and down his beard and onto his chest, he seems not to notice.

"Eye, I be One eyed burt, What're be needin from the likes o',me?"

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

"Sheesh, ya had to have one of your buddies take some holes when you could just have said that in the first place. But I'm guessin' somethin's got ya spooked to get ya this cautious," Lucien replies, though he still has his weapons drawn, though he has them down at his sides.

"We could have our friend here look at your buddy if you need it," he motions to Alyera.

"Anyway, I'm going to be direct here. We were pointed to you. A friend. Or was...told us you knew something about...all of this. About why this happened. Or at least something about it. So, what do you know?"

[SamBurke]

Alyera takes her cue from Lucien, and climbs to the bar, continuing to keep an active eye out for trouble. The dancing golden dweomers slowly fade from her hand, crackling viciously as they finally die down. With determined stride, she leaps to the top of a stool and then the counter, leaning back in what seems an eminently relaxed manner, almost flirtatious. "So... you know something about the undead? Anything at all?" Her voice has gone from murderously deep to a light, bubbly one without even a noticeable change.


Readying a Standard Action for a touch attack to "Sanctuary" Burt if we have to.

[roll0]

[BelGareth]

He looks at you both wearily, slams his empty flagon onto the bar as if expecting to see the bartender to appear and refill it.

And then the barkeep pops his head out like a prairie dog assessing the danger, wide eyed and a little pale, he nods and refills the flagon without question.

"An who wus yer friend?" one Eyed Burt simply replies, after taking a large swig of his now refilled drink. The bartender hangs around nervously moving from one foot to the other.

[SamBurke]

Alyera's voice morphs again, to a low, comforting tone. "Halfling girl... dead, because of this. Anything you know would be..." What does he want? What's his angle...? We need some sort of leverage. Power and threats are all so good, but he's going to have to fight back pretty soon, or lose his standing. No rough-and-tumble pirate's gonna let a halfling wench shove him around, especially not here. So what's he waiting for? What's he trying to get out of us? Alyera paused, having lost her train of thought, and put on a grim face in hopes of him completing her thought.


The Diplomacy roll goes for the entire convo, right?

[Golden Ladybug]

I vaulted back over the bar, and sidled over to Alyera and Burt, lowering my staff as non-threateningly as I could manage.

"Look, we just want to know what's happening, and, if we can, fix it all," I gestured towards the door, and the low moans of zombies in cages, "But we need to know where to start. Everyone else who might have a clue about what's going on is either dead, or enemy...or both"

I smiled sadly, and sat down on one of the bar stools, "I'm sorry about what just happened; we all handled it badly, and your friend didn't need to get hurt. But **** happens, and if we want to survive, we're going to need to forgive and forget, and work together"

"So...do you know why this is all happening?"

Desperate-Plea-For-Help-Speech Powers Go!

Also, Annalyn is being surprisingly verbose for someone who has only slept once in the past 3-4 days, and that was only because of drugsMagic

[SamBurke]

Alyera turned and gasped, legitimately surprised to see a dying man on the ground. Leaping from the bar, she runs to his side with a flashing step, and makes what looks like a flame-handed punch, straight to his chest. "Don't worry about him! He'll be..." she grunts, and another golden dweomer explodes from the tip of her hand, and another. The flashes get consecutively brighter, but she doesn't seem to notice the strain on her eyes.


[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
LOH.

[Fireheart]

Ma continues down the steps, her staff in hand.

She barely glances at the man she had hurt before turning her attention to the pirate.

She raises an eyebrow. "So..."

[BelGareth]

Alerya moves to the corpse as it is being moved and is futile in her attempts to restore the life to it. The men shrug at her with hostile eyes and move the corpse to the back of the room coming back into the common room rolling up their sleeves and looking darker than before.

The pirate takes another swig and turns to regard you all, eyeing those who are trying to intimidate him on the bar and those others who gave nice soliloquy.

"So....How about you be answerin ma question? I be One Eyed Burt, you's found me, tis true that'n I might know a thing or too, but you'll ave to answer ma question afore i tell you somethin!"

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

"Yeah, I guess that's good 'nuff," he replies. "You answer one of our questions, we answer one of yours. Ya know what, I guess you already answered one of ours questions, so you can go first."

[BelGareth]

One eyed Burt squinted an eye at you, the irony almost bringing you to tears and looks long and hard in your direction. At what, you have no clue.

And then he starts to answer your questions. "Aye..."

But gets interrupted by something a little more verbose. A man in a red velvet doublet and pants, fine boots and a clean white shirt walks into the room, slamming the door as he does so, several large looking men holding swords hang behind him as he makes his way through the tables of the building. Those thugs who you backed down into submission, move from his path and do not meet his gaze.

Interrupting what One Eyed Burt says the intruder speaks, loudly and boldly at the group.
"Oh! I do, hope I am not interrupting anything? I shant be long, just need to wet my whistle so to speak! Har har!" He seems to be eyeing your group, searching and looking over everyone, his tight thin lips pursed as if in thought the whole time he is talking.

A needle thin rapier hangs at his hip and shimmers with the redness of his clothing, it is obviously magical in nature and seems to lure you in towards itself.

You notice One Eyed Burt stops talking and keeps his head down to himself, not even looking up to see who it is.

He stops at the bar and leans on it with one arm with his back to Burt and facing Lucien with a dazzling smile.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/FR_ART/People/ElaithCraulnober.jpg

It is painfully obvious that this man demands obedience.

And that he is dangerous, ever so dangerous.

[SamBurke]

Alyera pauses, perplexed by the sudden turn of events. "And who might you be?" Then, taking on a sweeter tone, "It's good to meet you, sir... how can we help you?"


[roll0]

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

Lucien stares at the new arrivals, especially the one in front, following the man's movements with his eyes. When the latter arrives at the bar and stands between him and Burt, his eyebrow raises. From the reactions of everyone who did not seem to cower at the sight of weapons and magic earlier, this man clearly is someone who demands respect, either through authority or power. Lucien thinks he could very well have both.

"If you're looking for the bartender, that ain't me."

[BelGareth]

The newcomer looks towards Lucien and smiles at his obvious Souffleter, smiling he ignores him for a moment and focuses on the audacieuse Halfling, an amused smile splays across his face. It reminds you all of something, but you can't remember, its stuck in the back of your mind wiggling like a little worm ready to get out.

This man, this thing, has a sick charisma about him, something is not right.

He laughs rocking his head back so he was looking directly at the ceiling, none of his men move, or even show a hint of amusement.

"Oh ma chérie, nous ne pouvons pas avoir cela, mais pouvons-nous?" he says as fluid as a serpent dripping in wine, he stops himself and then snaps his fingers, summoning the bartender who magically appeared and poured a cup of deep Red. Taking a sip he looks back to the bold little one, swhirling his wine.

"Oh do excuse me, my mother tongue has a habit of slipping in on me from time to time." he pauses and his eyes pinch in a tiny smile "so to speak" he says. "I am Lord Méchant, Master and lord of the Violet Snakes and this little place of home." he finishes with another disarming smile. The whole time he speaks his left hand is raised as if he was playing the part in a royal ball the whole time.

He takes another sip of his wine, swhirling the contents while looking at it before speaking again. "I was just wandering about the new comers to my little paradise among Enfer, it would seem they are already breaking things, hmmm?" He snaps his fingers and two of the thugs who you were about to kill only moments ago get up and bring in the dead body displaying it before Lord Méchant.

He eyes the body and raises an eyebrow, "Roderick, who is this man?" he says without looking away, one of the stooges who came in with him steps forward and looks the man over, "Seems to be Ol'Ben of Stoneway, mi'lord" he replies in a low gruff voice.
"Does he owe me any money?" he asks, the man thinks for a second, pulls out a roll of parchment and checks it.
"Nay mi'lord, he just done paid of his loan with us." Lord Méchant smiles at that.
"Ah yes, I remember. Bjorn was all ajoy when he did so." waving his hand he dismissed the scribe and continued to sip his wine.

Placing the glass down on the bar, he looks to Ma sternly.
"I trust you can behave yourself and not break any more things? Oui?" He moves from the bar and starts to walk around the dead body, "I try ever so hard to make this a petit sanctuaire for everyone here. Would be a pity if a few ruined it for all, pas?"

He stops and puts his hands behind his back, "Well then, I do believe we are done here, Jorge, take the body, and to you, Je vous souhaite au revoir."
With that he walks out of the tavern and two men move to pick the body of ol'Ben taking him out with the rest of the entourage.

One Eye Burt seems to have hunkered down further into himself and seems like he doesn't want to talk to anyone anymore.

It would seem the sick halfling was at least telling the truth on the matter of who ran this place, but to who that man was, you are unsure. The Halfling talked of Bjorn, and unless that man suffered from talking in the 3rd person, he was not Bjorn.

Knowledge Local

Knowledge Local 16 or > [AUTOMATIC]
You have heard of Bjorn, he is part of some gang or other.

Knowledge Local 18 or >
You know Bjorn is the member of the Violet Snakes, a gang who specialized in thieves and trafficking rare goods.

Knowledge Local 20 or >
You know Bjorn is the 2nd in command of the gang and a evil cleric.

Knowledge Local 22 or >
Bjorn is a supposed cleric of Orcus.

[Sparrow]

Ralph stood in the back of the room as he had been since the fight broke out. Again, he hadn't been able to find the words he needed to say. He seemed to be lost inside altogether.

It just got worse when the gang-leader entered the room. The man had a certain forced charisma that made Ralph stay quiet. After the man left the room, Ralph managed to get out a few words. "Great, just what we need, somebody else watching our every move, just waiting for us to screw up.

[Golden Ladybug]

"Well, if we're being honest, that isn't really something we can hold against him..." I muttered bitterly, "we don't have the best track record at the moment"

Once again, I was feeling out of my depth. With Oakenstaff as a Lich and the Frenchman both pitted against us, not to mention all the zombies... we needed a proper plan, because at the moment, all we had going for us was luck and bloody-mindedness.

But to make a plan, we needed information...

I turned to the others and whispered "So, where do we go from here? I don't really want Burt, and the rest of this gang, to know too much about us..."

I think I already made this Knowledge: Local check in the last thread. I certainly knew he was a Cleric of Orcus, which was why I had that whole thing of busting down the door and getting slaughtered by him. I'll roll to see if I recognise this guy is Bjorn (because I doubt Annalyn has hung out much in the bad parts of town in her... barely a week stay before all of this :smallbiggrin:), but would it be fair for her to already know the Cleric thing?

Anyway, [roll0]

So, that rant was completely irrelevant :smallwink:

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

The half elf's right brow raises as his eyes follow the man who calls himself Mechant, lord of the Violet Snakes. So here now is the leader of the gang to which their friend, the purported evil cleric, belongs to. And now apparently this man 'owns' this part of the city.

Great.

"...Well, excuse us for wanting to protect ourselves." he mumbles under his breath as soon as he could speak. The man did indeed have something about him, something that makes one listen to him.

"What could they know about us that could hurt us? We are nobodies now. We need what they know more than what they want to know from us. And I imagine this old man right here's under them. Or he fears 'em at the least." He faces Burt again.

"Let's get back to where we left off then?"

[SamBurke]

Alyera waits, thinking as the noise of the tavern buzzes around here. Turnign to Lucien, she says, "But where do we have to go? 'where we left off' is pretty much nowhere. We're on the run, and we have no leads. I mean, sure, we can try and stop this all-it seems like the right thing to do. But how? Where? We need answers. So, if need be, we'll just talk rough to Burt over there. Not violent, never threatening. Just make sure to sound tough."


I wonder if threatening him ruins my alignment and/or my vows.

[Fireheart]

Ma shrugs as the man speaks to her. Something about him...what is it...

When he turns to leave, she listens briefly to the whispered conversation of the others before shaking her head quickly.

She walks back over to One-eyed Burt and kicks back a chair, plopping herself in it, she sighs.

Oye, what a wisser that one is...own's the whole area, does he? Wouldn't want to wiss him off.." she shakes her head. "I am sorry for reacting so hastily. Ol'Ben, did he say? (nodding her head toward the door) Did he have family? I spose when this is all over, I can send my apologizes to his family. She shakes her head again. Aye,ye imagine, most could wish for a life less complicated by debt collectors on top of zombies? Perhaps a nice boat, a little fishing, yes?

OOC:
knowledge local
[roll0]

[BelGareth]

One Eyed Burt seems to visibly relax, but is obviously still shaken up and fighting the want to shrink up and die in a pool of beer and ale.

He turns slowly to Ma and speaks without looking to her "Did he have a family?" he says a sick grin spreading over his blistered chapped lips. "Did he have a family? He DID, until those debt collectors as you call them came to collect. It weren't money they was looking for, no, something much worse." He pauses and almost loses himself looking at nothing.

He starts up again, "Those people" he waves his hand behind him, "The man named Bjorn took delivery of his debt in the form of his Wife and child. They took his woman and fed her to the monsters he keeps and then he raised her like one of his own vermin zombies. He took his 8 year old son and uses him as caged bait for the zombies at the gate to move." he stops staring at nothing again. "He wont last long..."

He seems to snap from his frozen stupor and grins at Ma, "Don't morn for him deary, you did him a favor, you took him from this Hellhole, this eternal purgatory of crap."

He stands apparently having gotten over his morose depression with the quickness, he stumbled for a second putting his hand out to steady himself and wrinkles his nose. Waving his hand to follow him he half walks half stumbles to the back.

"Come, sfollow me."

[SamBurke]

"SLAVERY! Bah." Alyera spits roughly, and blushes for a moment afterwards. "Where exactly are we going, Burt? You were trying to kill us just moments before he showed up. How do you know him, anyway?" Her voice quavers for a second, and then she continues resolutely. "You still haven't told us what you know, unless this is some demonstration."


BARRAGE OF QUESTIONSSS!

[Golden Ladybug]

Stunned by the Pirate's sudden shift to the sombre, I looked at the door to the outside, and shook my head in disgust. Using children as bait and feeding innocents to the dead...

I walked purposefully after the pirate without a word, not even pausing to hear his answers to Alyera's questions.

Bjorn may or may not be behind the plague of undead on the city, but regardless, he wasn't innocent. Neither was the Frenchman. I wasn't just going to stand by and let them get away with what they were doing!

But...whatever horrible stuff they were doing here, they were keeping an area of the city safe. Trying to deal with the Violet Snakes now would only lead to more problems for everyone within their blockade.

Suppose that means we need to get all this fixed even faster now... I thought to myself

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

Lucien follows Burt wordlessly. He is still reflecting on the plight of Ol' Ben and his family. Truly cruel if you would look at it, but the old pirate's words may have some sort of light in it.

He shudders at the thought.

Since when has he started thinking that it is better off to kill someone in misery? This chaos has truly changed him, surely.

This has to end soon. Before it consumes us all, one way or another.

[Fireheart]

Ma rises to follow with a quick glance around the remaining.

"Murder and child slavery, how horrible." she says softly as she catches up.

"Easy Alyera" she whispers as she comes up next to her. "We're getting somewhere..."

[BelGareth]

One Eyed Burt leads through a dark hallway and finds a door in the dark, opening it,he leads you into a dim room with barely any furniture, the only thing you can see is a desk where the light from the lamp is flickering from the draft of the opened door.

He waits for you all to enter and then starts to talk.

"Aye, I be Lord Barenhacks man, he slips me a few coppers every now and then, in exchange for information and the like." he stops and makes sure everyone is listening. "I know what you're after, I saw some men moving barrels of something strange into the basement of the House Ortell. Not sure what it was, but it was mighty strange, plus they killed several fellas doing it." he shrugs again, "Like I said, don't know what it was about, but you should look there, I think. But first we ave to get outa here, Bjorn is going to be coming back soon, and you guys don't want to meet him."

[SamBurke]

Alyera shrugs nonchalantly. "Don't mind either way... but if you say so, I believe you." As per usual, her voice switches in an instant, to a kind, sweet tone. "Thank you deeply for the information, Burt... I know right where the Ortells are. If we should meet again after all this, it would be my pleasure to enjoy a drink with you." She bows.


She woulda been a good Social Rogue, methinks...

[Sparrow]

Ralph follows the rest of the group as they walk with the pirate. As One-Eyed Burt finishes his small speech, where he tells them that they don't want to Bjorn. I suppose that's the smartest thing. We don't want to get mixed up in whatever he has going on, especially not when we're so ill-prepared..Ralph thinks to himself.

[Fireheart]

You have our thanks. Ma says. Is there a good way out of here without attacking any more notice?

[BelGareth]

He eyes Alerya evenly and the turns to Ma, "I will guide you out, once they have learned I helped you, they will want me for the food barrels next."

[SamBurke]

He eyes Alerya evenly and the turns to Ma, "I will guide you out, once they have learned I helped you, they will want me for the food barrels next."

Alyera nods and lays her hand on his side. "Thank you, Burt... We need this, and the people need us. If you survive this...
We will never survive. We will destroy.
"You'll see."

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

Barenhack, huh. I see. No wonder he sent us here. Is that man still alive though?

After the pirate leads them out, Lucien looks at Burt. "Thanks. We owe you one. Uhh, before we leave, I've a question. Have you heard from Barenhack recently?"

[Golden Ladybug]

"Well, if you're going to be in trouble anyway, why not come with us," I suggested, keeping my voice low to avoid anyone around us hearing, "we could use the help"

And if you're with us, we don't have to worry about you going to the Frenchman and spilling your guts about this... I thought to myself, bitterly. Call me suspicious, but he'd changed tact just a little too quickly for me to not be a little wary of the pirate.

[BelGareth]

Bert stiffens at the mention of the mans name, but only shakes his head "Nay, I haven't heard from no one.".

He moves to the back of the room and gropes in the darkness for something, "Come, we should go, can't go out the front, Lord Mechant will have eyes everywhere."

He finally finds what he was looking for as you hear him grunt with satisfaction and then a *clank* sound following it. Light streams in from the outside and you can't help but hold your hand up to shield your now adjusted eyes to the intensity of it.

He steps out through the doorway and you hear in whisper "Come, follow me"

Stepping out, you see you are in an alleyway, most likely a side alley to the toplless Mermaid, he takes you in the opposite direction, going through several alleys and sewer laden pools. But this doesn't faze you, you have seen much worse.

Not even the smell is concerning you, and you suddenly realize that you are becoming numb to everything, the shock and the suddenness, the death and the gruesome events have battered your senses till they fell down, numb and frozen in the cold water of your soul.

You had heard of things like this before, seeing the Warriors coming home from war, watching as they stair off into nothing, teasing them as children and seeing the Nobilitas of the city shaking their heads at the sight of them...you are becoming them, slowly, ever so slowly, and that scares you to death.

Burt suddenly stops at the edge of a building motioning for you all to stop and hug the walls, he waits for moment and you hear the sound of voices, slowly they pass by and then he is off again.

He takes you out into the street and motions to the gate, acting for all the world that you belong there and you walk right out of the gates, they open and not a word objects.

You stand outside the last of the gates closing together, making that awful rattling sound joined with the low scuffle of dragging feat.

He turns to you "There, I got you out safe, now go!"

[SamBurke]

Alyera nods and turns to him. "Thank you, kind sir, for this. I will repay this debt, on my honor." She bows slightly, and places one hand over her chest. Turning to the others, she begins to run, dashing out of the dreaded sanctuary with all possible speed. Have they seen it? Seen US? Our sorrow, gradually vanishing? The desensitization? The evils of this great death assail us all round, but are we to be monsters in our own right?
You are a monster. You will destroy them all.
Alyera forces the thoughts out of her head, struggling bodily with them, and yet they return. But what if it's necessary? What if you have to stand the pain, ignore others to do better? What if it's a plan, a tes...

NO. WHAT IS GOOD IS GOOD IS ALWAYS GOOD. The longest words the mysterious voice had spoken, ever. It was right, of course. What use is morality that you throw out the window when things change? If the suffering of others is evil, then it is always evil. If uncleanliness is wrong always, then it is wrong now. No more death.
None save yours...

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

No word.

The youngster could only try to shut his mind off from all the worst things that information might imply. He did not need it now. He would have to worry about that later. Right now, they have to get out of this place alive.

******

"Thanks," the half-elf repeats his gratitude to the pirate before turning to face the all-too-familiar scenery of death and decay. He could not know whether to feel thankful being here outside or not; either way poses their own perils.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire, as they say.

But right now, they have their next lead. And it points to a certain House. Somewhere in this city that only a few days ago served as his home, his world, now only a desolate deadman wonderland, a far hostile place than he ever dreamed of what the outside world was.

He breaks into a sprint after Alyera, following the halfling for he remembers she knows the way to their destination. After a few feet, he stops and his senses comes back to him.

"Stop, Alyera. We don't need to run. Not from them. They won't be following us out here. We have other things to worry about. And running might just attract them to us."

[Golden Ladybug]

I waited a little before following the others, and stared pointedly at Burt. I still didn't trust him not to betray us, but then again, I don't trust easily. I looked towards the others, my eyes passing over the grime and death that coated the streets, and I sighed.

"Thank you," I said to the pirate, before sprinting off after my friends.

Whether or not he'll tell the Frenchman about this, its out of our hands now... I thought to myself as I ran to catch up, my muscles aching from tiredness.

[Fireheart]

Ma lingers a moment after the others leave. Reaching into her pouch, she pulls out a pair of silver coins.

Taking Burt's hands, she presses the coins into them. "It's not much," she says, but perhaps it will help take the edge off if they come looking for you. Thank you."

Before he can say anything, she takes off after the others, moving quickly and purposefully after them.

[BelGareth]

One Eyed burt looks at you all with a heavy somber heart, something is pulling him along with you, but at the last moment, the moment before he looks like he was going to follow, he runs off in the other direction.

It takes only a moment for you to lose him in the shadows, and then all of you are off again, having passed the moment of sadness and regret for what had happened. Another victim to the emotional war waging on inside your soul.

You move as a group, for about one block when something starts to come out of the slight fog. Standing alone in the middle of the street is a man clad in metal armor with the most sinister looking gauntlets you have ever seen.

He looks up at you cheerfully and smiles, a most sinister and evil smile as you have ever seen. Second only to Lord Méchant.

"Oh welcome! I had hoped to stumble in to you lot!" he said, cheerful as a schoolboy.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WabfQ75CJ6I/T5yZxNqBl9I/AAAAAAAAAE8/PuHqkQDwTM8/s1600/Blackguard_by_Galligi.jpg

You may roll perception checks.

[SamBurke]

Alyera turns to the man to get a better view of his imposing figure. He sounds friendly, but looks deadly. Best to be cautious, I suppose... can't hurt to be nice, right?
Yes. It will hurt.
Putting on her best voice, she speaks in her well-worn dulcet tones, reserved for when husband, master, or guest is more than a bit irate. "How do you do? We're just on our way through the city... perhaps you could help us find someone? We're looking for a priest, who started this whole thing... but then again, you already expected us. Perhaps you know?"


Spells: Guidance, but only for the Diplomacy and K: Religion checks. I'm judging that the other two are probably gut feelings, and so I wouldn't cast for them, much as I'd like.


[roll1]
[roll2]

Two uses for the Sense Motive (I'll roll a second one if you like): 1. To see what his intentions are. He gonna attack? Kill us? Wait before fighting us? Sic someone? Also, 2., for when he speaks. I'm hoping to see how much he's lying, and how he reacts. Does he perk up or recognize when I say "priest?" Does he grin with pride when I mention that he was expecting us? So on and so forth.

Readying an action to cast a spell. As a note, I am low on spells. I have two first level, and one second. That said, Protection from Evil seems like a pretty good spell here, and Heroic Fortune means you have an auto-resurrect if you die (kinda..), so we may be OK.

[roll=K:Religion,Undead?]1d20+8
To see if he's undead. Should I roll K: Planes?

EDIT: Roller doesn't seem to like the K: Religion roll. I'll make it on the OOC.

[Golden Ladybug]

"Weeeeeell...that's great and all, but we're kind of in a hurry" I said, gently pulling the others back the way we came.

I don't really feel like the creepy guy in the black armor saying he wants to speak with us in the middle of a zombie-filled city is going to end well. Plus, you know, sinister Gauntlets don't lie...

Perception [roll0]
Sense Motive [roll1]
K: Arcana [roll2]
K: Local [roll3]
K: Planes [roll4]
K: History (Couldn't hurt?) [roll5]

Do I know/notice anything of relevance, whatsoever? Also, ready an action to Acid Arrow him if he makes an aggressive action towards us.

Acid Arrow
To-Hit (Touch) [roll6]
Damage [roll7]

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

Oh gods, not another one.

Lucien stops and immediately places himself between this new stranger and the others. He looks at him from head to toe and observes his every move and every word. He does not speak, but simply watches. His hands automatically find themselves on the hilt of his blades, ready for anything.

Perception was a nat 20 at 28.
Sense Motive: [roll0]

[Sparrow]

Son of a... we can't go five minutes without finding another one of these guys can we.

Ralph readies himself for the impending fight as Alyera tries talking nicely to him. He positions one hand one his rapier and the other on his shortsword.

Knowledge: Local about this guy?" [roll0]
and that perception check you wanted: [roll1]
God, this perception check is wasting some perfectly good natural 20s

[BelGareth]

"In a hurry? Why, we just met, don't you want to stay and get to know me better?" He says with a short chuckle.

It is obvious to all that he means to harm you, in what way you have yet to learn. But his sinister look, the the chuckle he gives as several of you notice the undead around you make it obvious he knew they were there.

Readied actions trigger.

Roll initiative for the first round of combat.

Perception
15+

You see several shambling creatures shuffling from the darkness, it would seem that you are surrounded by zombies. You have no idea how they moved into position without alerting you. But here they are.

You see 8 zombies.

There eyes glow with a sickly green fire.


K. Local
15+

This is Bjorn.

Enemy Rolls

Bjorn's Initiative [roll0]
Zomba's [roll1]

[Golden Ladybug]

"I'd really rather not," I replied glibly, still ushering the others back the way we'd came, "I don't want us to be late for our prior engagement, Bjorn"

Particularly empathising the Cleric of Orcus' name, I made eye contact with the Alyera, and handed her a rolled up scroll, hoping she remembered the plan we'd made earlier.

Does chuckling creepily count as aggressive? I mean, if Annalyn could see any of the undead around us, yeah, it probably would, but she's completely unaware of the danger at this point.

Anyway, I hand that scroll of Consecrate we made yesterday(ish) to Alyera. And keep readying my Acid Arrow if it hasn't gone off already. If it has, I'll edit my post to reflect that.

Init [roll0]

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

Lucien could feel the killing intent overflowing from the man, and when he sees movement on the corners of his eyes, he immediately draws both weapons. He looks at the approaching figures and confirms them as zombies.

I'm tired of running. Bring it!

But when he sees their green eyes, he shouts at his comrades. "Be careful, we've got more company. They might be those smart ones that I told you about earlier!"

Initiative: [roll0]

[Sparrow]

"How the hell?" Ralph asks himself quietly as he sees the zombies closing in on them.

Both statements from his allies make Ralph even less ready to fight. These could be the smarter, tougher zombies. And even worse, they could be directly controlled by Bjorn.

This wasn't the place to fight him, in an alley surrounded by zombies. Ralph edged back with Annalyn, while still drawing his weapons, just in case.

Anybody got a good plan that doesn't involve one or more of us dying?

[SamBurke]

I have an idea!

This is to speak quietly, so he doesn't hear or see our plan.
[roll0]

Alyera motions for the group to come together, and stand in a protective formation. "I can tell, good sir, that you mean us harm." Then, lowering her voice and speaking almost at the same time to the others, "When I touch you, just light out running. I'll hold his attention." Her voice rises again, to a commanding, booming, volume, grabbing the attention of everything within sight, hand slipping down and tapping Ma, forming around her for an instant, a glowing bubble pulsing in and out of reality for a glimmer of the eye.
You wil die.
Yes. Yes I will.
Her voice bellows, "LISTEN, BJORN!" Another tap. Annalyn free. Eyes glancing at the undead slowly closing in. "WE CAME NOT TO HARM YOU, AND WE DESIRE NO SUCH THING! WE ARE ONLY LOOKING TO KNOW: WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT WILL HAPPEN?" Her hand's glow engulfs Ralph, and she gives a light nod.
Why do you not fight?
We will fight forever.
"Go to my master's house. Do not look behind you, do not wait for me. Merely flee... I will come if I am able.""SO, THEN, MASTER OF THESE HORDES WE SEE, WHO ARE YOU, AND WHAT DO YOU DESIRE?" Her hand barely touches Lucien, but he is safe, untouchable. Each one, in turn, surrounded by an effervescent golden arc. Each one safe. Untouchable.

"TELL ME!"


4 Castings of my Sanctuary SLA, DC 16. It'll keep all the zombies down. Guidance, Guidance, on both my Bluff and Dip rolls. Way I figure it, you have 18 seconds to get roughly 360' away, if you quad-time it each round. That should be faster than any one of the zombies, and even Bjorn. Even if not, they'll be split up, and we can make it out. If I could, I'd like some Aid Another checks to get that Bluff up. Invisibility would be a great thing to deploy, as would mirror images. Use Acid or other attacks ONLY if it's a free action; Expeditious Retreat would be nice, too. Sanctuary is rds/level, so you literally have 20 seconds to get out of range. Past that, I'm gonna hold them off/kill/incapacitate as many as I can to keep you safe. THEN I book it.

Dip Check to Distract Him Long Enough For Them To Run:
[roll1]
Bluff Check To Not Be Seen:
AUTO-FAILED. 1.

[Fireheart]

Ma rushes to catch up; scrambling to a stop as she sees the imposing figure blocking the way.

Before she can do much, Alyera taps her and a golden bubble of light surrounds her.

Ma nods at Alyera's words, knowing that she would not run until the halfling did herself.

Perception [roll0]
Initiative [roll1]
Knowledge Local [roll2]

Thanks for the pic, Bel!

[BelGareth]

Top of Round 1

{table=head]Character|Initiative
Alyera|28
Lucien|17
Ma|17
Bjorn|11
Ralph|9
Analyn|5
Zomba's|3
[/table]


Map (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=14610)

[Fireheart]

Ma waits, ready to run as soon as Alyera does.

OOC: Holding her actions until Alyera & Bjorn do something

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

The half elf makes his way to the front, putting himself between his friends and the cleric, both weapons staid at his sides, but ready for anything.

Friends, huh. Yeah, I guess you could call it that.

Move to 017.
Ready attack to any attacker within range.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[BelGareth]

"I beleive I will keep you all for my deathless army, yes, you will all do nicely!"

Bjorn moves to Lucien and strikes with his oversized gauntlets, they seem to fade into the ether as he moves making them as formless as smoke.

You strike at him and fail to meet his oncoming attack.

[roll0]
[roll1] + [roll2]

As he does so his other hand reaches out with a holy symbol and dark energy pulses out. (everyone is hit)
[roll3] DC 17 Will for half.
As the wave of energy rolls out from him, the zombies seem to glow briefly and all of them moan as if in ecstasy. (no mechanical affect)

DC 15 Knowledge Religion

The holy symbol is that of Orcus.

[SamBurke]

Alyera grunts for a second, and shakes her head around. "NO!" One moment to change.. no. No. If Lucien is alive, he's just going to... "KEEP TO THE PLAN! JUST RUN!" she screams, arms quivering and stepping in front. "Divide his attention!"


[roll0] Yay.

[Sparrow]

Will Save: [roll0]

Ughh, Ralph grunts as he is slammed with negative energy. He thinks about staying to fight, but quickly realizes it is useless. His thoughts are backed by Alyera's screams.

"Alyera, see you on the other side, do you understand?" He knew she would, so he didn't wait for a reply. He turned and ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction of Bjorn.

Remind me again what they effects of negative energy are. Is it just damage?

Edit: Also, I GOT A FOUR:elan:

[Golden Ladybug]

The wave of darkness washed over me before I could even take a step, and I felt the life draining out of me.

My bones ached with cold, and I felt my whole body shaking. It was like everything about me was being sapped away, my life being crushed under this darkness. My temperature was rapidly falling, and I could feel myself breaking out into a cold sweat.

I suppose it was obvious that I wasn't going to make it out of this city alive, or save anyone. It was silly of me to think any different. My eyes slowly closed, my body giving out under the horrible, oppressive dark.

I guess this was it....

And then, suddenly, the wave passed over me.

I gasped for air, the weakness that had come over me starting to fade...but not completely. I looked up at Bjorn, who still held his Holy Symbol high, not even a hint of effort showing on his face.

We couldn't win this fight; we we're out of our league.

I looked at Alyera and Ma, and at Lucien, still dangling from the Cleric's Hand. Ralph had already fled, and I desperately wanted to follow him. I couldn't though, not yet. Alyera had told us to distract him, and that was something I was fairly good at.

"That all you got, Bjorn?" I barked at the Cleric, "Well, now its my turn!"

I snarled the words of the spell, gesturing wildly and scrunching up my face in effort. If this didn't work, then I was probably going to get eaten, and there's nothing like imminent death to make you work hard.

I finished the spell, and twirled my Staff around me, and I summoned up a monster.


http://th06.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2012/243/5/c/eldritch_horror_by_ramsimation-d5d205q.jpg

Standard: Cast Silent Image :smallamused:
Move: down to 25p, which I'm guessing is far enough away from Bjorn to avoid another Negative Energy channel, but still close enough to get hit by Alyera's Positive Energy (if that ends up happening).

Considering that wiped out more than twice my HP, I don't want to risk another one.

Also, did my Acid Arrow hit him? If a touch attack of 19 missed, I'm much more worried than I was before.

Rolling damage for that, just in case [roll0]

[BelGareth]

Your acid arrow nails him as he moves and he audibly grunts from the pain. From the look of it, however, you know it didn't much. As you cast your spell you can hear the sizzling of acid melting his skin.

You cast your spell flawlessly and the image of an eldritch horror appears as is from the ether. Bjon barely gives it a second glance, his smile broadening.
"Ah a little fight in you eh?"

The zombies all move in towards you, one even goes for the eldritch creature you summoned, slamming it with two hands viciously, the thing seems confused as it pushes right through the figment and carries on, almost knocking it over.

2 charge Annalyn while the others charge what ever is closest with Lucien, Ma and Alerya taking on one a piece. They all lead with their hands in an attempt to eat your flesh.

Annalyn

Zombie 3
[roll8]
Grapple [23] vs CMD
Damage [6] + Fort Save

Zombie 4
[roll12]
Grapple [25] vs CMD
damage [4] + Fort Save

Ma
Zombie 5
[roll16]
Grapple [20] vs CMD
damage [8] + Fort Save

Alerya
Zombie 6
[roll20]
Grapple [30] vs CMD
damage [9] + Fort Save

Lucien
Zombie 7
[roll24]
Grapple [15] vs CMD
damage [6] + Fort Save

Top of Round 2

{table=head]Character|Initiative
Alyera|28
Lucien|17
Ma|17
Bjorn|11
Ralph|9
Analyn|5
Zomba's|3
[/table]

Map (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=14898)

[SamBurke]

"RUN!" Screams Alyera to Ma, dodging the first zombie. The second attack isn't the same, and her arms are pinned to her side. She jerked back and forth, slamming her body into the monster and trying to wriggle away.


Gorram it. Gorram it all. Second attack hits, just barely.

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

Even reeling from Bjorn's attacks, the half-elf easily evades the zombies attacks, and somersaults back towards Alyera's position to aid her.

Tumble to r18.
If successful, he attacks the zombie grappling Alyera.

Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Attack 1: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[BelGareth]

You manage to barely avoid Bjorn's reach and escape near death at his claw. Moving up to Alyera you manage to hit the zombie easily.

[Fireheart]

OOC:

CMD is 18, she's grappled.

Will Save

[roll0]

Will roll CMB in OOC thread.


The Zombie closing faster than Moraine believed possible. It misses her so, she quickly casts a spell and then backs away from Bjorn and the Zombies.

OOC: 2

Cast Obscuring mist (20 ft radius from me)

move 30 feet away.

[BelGareth]

Ma manages to move away with provoking anything from the zombie near her, as she does she casts a spell summoning a vast cloud, almost engulfing the entire street in a fog bank.

As you do, you here Bjorn Curse.

Lucien, Alyera and Annalyn are all caught within the cloud, thankfully the zombies are having just a hard time as you are seeing.

Ma manages to run out of the cloud without stumbling into anything, gasping for breath.

As she stands there she hears another litany of hatred and a flash of light within the cloud.

Those within feel the flash and pain of more negative energy wash over in a tumbling avalanche of pain.

[roll0] Will save 17 for half.

This hits, Lucien, Alyera and Annalyn.

Turning around Ma can still see 2 zombies heading towards the fleeing Ralph, several feet beyond the fog bank she just summoned.

Initiative (in order):
Ralph
Annalyn
Zombies

[Golden Ladybug]

The wave of darkness shot through the Fog, rushing over me again. I tried to steel myself, to try to resist it, but it was useless. I felt my concentration waver, and the illusionary monster flickered out.

The wave of cold bit into me, and I hit the ground with a thump...

Well, I'm at -3hp, with two Zombies standing next to me. Welp.

Stabilisation Check to not die (as fast)

DC10 [roll0]

Whooo! Stabilised!

[Sparrow]

Two zombies. Fun. I remember what happened last time I had to fight two zombies, or maybe it wasn't last time. Point is, I was hauled away on the magic equivalent of a stretcher.

Also, don't have access to the map from my ipad. So, I'm just going to move adjacent to which every zombie is closest(?) Yeah, okay. So, IC post now.

Ralph scrambled away from the fight. He told himself not to look back, because everyone was right behind him and if they weren't, he couldn't risk breaking the plan to go back and help.

As he was finally a decent distance from the fight, he slowed his pace. Around the same time, he noticed two zombies approaching. He reminded himself of the last time, but it didn't matter. He was better equipped now.

He skidded to a stop on the cobble of the alley. He drew his sword and rapier as he moved toward the first zombie. When he arrived at his target, stabbed at it with his rapier, and slashing down with the short sword.

Attack One: Rapier: [roll0]
Confirm[18-20]: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Sneak Attack? [roll3]

Attack Two: Short sword: [roll4]
Confirm: [roll5]
Damage:[roll6]
Sneak Attack? [roll7]

Realized how unoptimized Ralph really is. Gonna have to work on that if we survive. Also, I love how sneak attack can hit undead in PF.

Edit: Wait, can I make an attack with my off-hand after a move action? Just thought about it after I posted.

[SamBurke]

[roll0]. Wow. Didn't realize I had that big of a modifier... Guess I won't need resistance for a while.

Alyera shakes off the negative energy and the zombie parts, kicking to the ground the thing's chest. Oh gods... that was.. that was a person...
Yes. Just like you.
"We can still do this!" she cries, holding up her hands in a desperate prayer. Please, please, please do something... just cleanse this place!


I'll roll Positive Energy in the OOC.

[BelGareth]

Before Alyera is able to summon the power of her deity, she hears the muffled thud sounds and the wet squelching sound of flesh tearing.

And then you can hear the sound of animals eating, as if a pack of wolves had caught their prey and were settling down to feast.

In your gut you know you just lost Lucien and Annalyn. But you refuse to believe.

You wield your holy symbol with the might of a Arch Deacon and a pulse of healing energy spreads from you.

But the noises are still there, and your fear creeps up into your gut.

Your friends are dead.

Initiative:
Ma
Bjorn
Ralph
Zomba's

[BelGareth]

Ma stumbles out of the conjured cloud and almost falls to the floor, mental and physically exhausted. Ralph swivels on his feet and feeling empowered from his recent boon from Alyera turns to meet the 2 zombies lumbering towards him, even with the flashes of guilt and memories from the last time he fought two zombies.

Your first attack not only breaks the spell Alyera placed upon you but misses wide, opening you up to the zombies savage bite.

The undead thing leans in for a snap of its teeth with only the exhausted Ma to watch as it dug into Ralphs soft flesh.

But then the zombie disintegrated in a cascade of white energy, Ralph collapsed in a heap as another beam of energy shot over him and slammed into the other zombie, annihilating it as the other.

Ralph and Ma, both lying on the street, both look up to see a golden aura with a mystical shadow, something looks strange, but you cannot put your finger on it.

With a wave of his hand the mist disperses and you see Lucien and Annalyn have fallen and are being feasted upon by more zombies, more bolts of energy stream out and destroying the undead mid meal.

Bjorn looks up but has to shield his eyes. "What? How in the nine hells...." he says before the being waves another hand and sends Bjorn flying against a wall to crumpled and slide down to the floor.

Alyera turns to behold her savior with wide eyes of relief and sadness, two of her friends had fallen even with her best efforts of healing. All of a sudden the ghostly forms of both Lucien and Annalyn rise from their bodies as spectres of death, they neither point or complain towards anyone but rather smile serenely, Lucien falls into a combat stance instinctively and Annalyn twirls her staff.

http://i.imgur.com/37RJDl.jpg

The luminous savior floats towards them with outstretched arms, beckoning towards them, Lucien stands up and smiles again, walking forwards, but Annalyn shakes her head softly, holding up a hand as if to say 'no' at which point she begins to fade away like smoke in the wind.

A blinding flash later and all is dark again, the zombies have gone, the luminous savior is gone, Lucien stands as stall as ever, healthy and alive and so too does Master Oakenstaff, looking bewildered as ever.

[GuyFawkes]

Lucien

The last thing he sees is his weapons biting into the zombie grappling Alyera before another wave of the dreadful energies strikes him again.

The half-elf Lucien tries to fight off the urge to close his eyes, but his eyelids, nay, his whole body seems like it has all turned to lead, and he could feel himself ever so slowly crumple onto the cold stone beneath him.

Then, darkness.

...

So this is it for me, huh?

Hehe...well, it was a good run...

At least...heh...at least Ma, and Ralph are safe...

At least I got this far, and I could say I just didn't cower in some dark place and accepted death...

At least...

...at least...

...

...

...I...

He couldn't see himself, but he could feel something warm trickling over his cheeks, and something much more hotter, burning within his chest.

...I...this can't be the end for me...

I...I WANT TO LIVE!!!

Suddenly, a burst of blinding light came forth from somewhere before him. He couldn't see or hear it, but he could feel a warm feeling beckoning him into the light.

...Dad?

Lucien instinctively reaches his hand out into the light. After a blinding moment, everything reverts back to darkness. But this time, a small light could be seen from afar. He is not sure, but in that light, he could see his body. Time and space seems to bend between 'him' and his body, and after what seems like eternity, he reaches it.

In a snap, he opens his eyes like waking from a dream and his senses is immediately flooded by the sudden stream of data bombarding his consciousness together with his lingering thoughts of what happened before he closed his eyes.

Instinctively his hands grips his weapons' hilts and he swings around at the air.

The next thing that he could process is the crumpled figure of Bjorn on the ground, or what should have been, but as he looks around, he could not find the armored figure of the cleric anywhere. And gone are the zombies as well.

"Hah! Drove away that bastard and his minions, yeah?" he says with a grin as he turns around to Alyera and the others. But the grin soon turns into a quizzical looks as he sees Oakenstaff, who was obviously not in his lich form, and turns into something else entirely as he sees the mangled figure of Annalyn.

"...no...No...NO!!!"

His voice falters and his grip loosens, his weapons falling and clanking on the ground as he kneels down beside her.

"Hey, Alyera, why aren't you doing something?! Heal her now!!"

[Sparrow]

The pain of the zombies nasty bite hit Ralph like a stampede of elephants. The pain was only lightened by the energy that swept across him, destroying the zombies. He collapsed as the pain was still intense.

In the distance, he could see the others, being engulfed in the same energy. Then, two figures rose from the ground, and Ralph could tell that two of his friends had died and zombies were devouring their bodies.

Ralph forced himself to look away. He couldn't stand the sight of his allies being defiled when he could do nothing. A tear feel from his eye, splashing on the hard cobble beneath his head. Everything faded and for a moment, his brain shut down and his mind was blank. He couldn't find any words to say, or do anything more than simple tasks. All his memories gone for just the smallest moment.

Then, it all came back to him. Most of his mind flooded back into him and he could think once more. He heard the far off moan of zombies and the general chaos of the moment. When he finally forced himself to look back, he saw his friends back on their feet, which looked much better to be expected.

Ralph tried to pull himself up. Although his mind was whole again, Ralph wobbled on his feet, as if just standing up for the first time in a month. He used the ground to stop himself from falling. One leg at a time, Ralph slowly raised to his feet.

He stood straight for a moment, and then collapsed to ground again. After another try, he was well enough balanced were he could slowly limp toward the others.

At first Ralph's speech was slurred and as though a child was speaking. "Wt..hhagned. Uzd errba-ie ok?[Translation for those who don't understand it: What happened. Is everybody okay?] He slowly regained his language and spoke with slightly better sentence structure and fluency. "I rmembr zombie. Big meny zombie. And a cleirk. Thre were mean cleirk."

After a small amount of rambling, finally he could speak normal again, " Bjorn, what happened to Bjorn?"
[I]My mind, I don't understand. I..Why can I not remember everything. During this rambling, he had not taken notice of the delichified Oakenstaff. Since their was a very small amount of memories pertaining to Oakenstaff in his memory, even before, Ralph didn't remember much about him. He turned to the new arrival. "Wait, I know you. But, I don't. Gah, what is happening to me?"

Ralph leaned against the wall, the stone cold on his face. The trauma of everything, it was just too much for his adolescent mind to contain.

Okay, so obviously Ralph has some short-term memory loss. And, he nearly lost his language. Also, if you couldn't tell, Ralph was temporarily (very temporarily) deaf and blind.

My American Literature, Honors teacher, who is probably the smartest man I know, asked all the classes a question, which hit me very hard when I stopped to think about it. We had to read The Miracle Worker, which if you don't know is the play based off of the autobiography of Helen Keller.

He asked us what would happen if we didn't have language. We spent the next three weeks of class doing things just based around this one question. We listed to a podcast about words.

And I, as someone who hopes to get a doctorate in Psychology asked myself the question. And, all the traumatic experiences that Ralph has had to deal with in such a small time frame laid out a perfect chance to try to put myself in the shows of someone who lost, or never had their language.

I also would like to know what you guys think about this? If any of you would like to share your thoughts with me, that would be great. Just post in the OOC or send me a message.

Also, its post like yours Bel, that make a wall of text necessary as a reply.

[Fireheart]

Ma slowly rises to her feat, leaning heavily on her staff.

She stands over the fallen Annalyn. "Oh, child, I am sorry." She kneels down beside her.

Her head bowed, Ma struggles to keep her tears inside.

She takes a breath and rises. Moving to Ralph, she puts a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Ralph. We'll get through this."

Somehow. We are still alive, not zombied and not feasts for zombies. It's time to get to the bottom of this mystery.

Glancing around, she takes in Lucien, white from his own brush with death, and Alyera, defiant as ever. Such fierceness from such a small one.

She spares a glance for Oakenstaff. "Master Oakenstaff." She nods at him. Perhaps you could lead us someplace safe for a bit?

[BelGareth]

Alerya looks to Lucien, eyes full of grief and tears. She slowly shakes her head as she looks to the fallen body of Annalyn.

"I...I can't Lucien, I can't..." she manages to sputter out, through tears and half sobs. Falling to one knee she kneels before her friend.

Ma moves near and places a hand on her shoulder as she kneels next to her, tears welling but not falling down her face. The strength of age and bitter taste of experience staying them from flowing.

Oakenstaff seems almost as confused as Bjorn was by his arrival, "What in the..." he manages to stumble through. "...How?" he looks around, his apprentice robes swirling to keep up and he eyes the scene, the lifeless zombies, and the crumpled form of Annalyn. "Oh dear." he whispers, even after all the death in the city, the death of someone he knew still managed to catch in his throat. A testament to his humanity.

Bending down he grasps Annalyn's staff "Interesting.." he mutters to himself, green light shoots up the engravings, and makes it glow with an eerie light.

"We must leave, it is not safe here." he says stoically, more forcefully than before, as if he had found himself among a room of strangers.

With that he begins to cast a spell, eldritch energy seeps from his new staff and reaches out to everyone, tenderly touching them with green ghostly hands. Ma, Lucien, Alerya, Ralph and lastly Annlyns body. With a flash and a strangely familiar feeling, you are transported to another dark alley somewhere else in the city. Turning to you all he addresses you "I believe I know where you were heading, here it is" he says, pointing to the house at the end of the cul de sac. "Do not fret over your friend, I will make sure she is taken are of, I need the assistance of Alerya, but not for long." he moves to leave and then stops as if remembering something "Do not fret, there are friends here, you might do well to find them before heading out." he says with a smile. With a flash he is gone with Alerya and you find yourself standing alone all of a sudden in a dark alleyway facing a long dark street with the big looming house at the end.


This chapter is over, but we have some house cleaning to do. (Feel free to continue posting)

Experience
+2000 xp - For completing Chapter 3
+500 xp - For finding One Eyed Burt
+100 xp - For not killing him
+500 xp - For surviving Bjorn and his Zomba's

Misc
+175 - For being Epic
+500 - For almost reaching the one year mark!
+200 - For gratuitous use of the Silent image spell (Golden)
+300 - For not turning it into Zombies

Total = 4275 XP

Notes
I noticed you all are tracking XP as medium, we are doing it as fast (See HERE (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/character-advancement)) so, you all should have already been at 4th, this will bump you all to 5th and several thousand away from 6th level. Enjoy.

Golden, bump your new character up by one level.

[Sparrow]

Moments before Oakenstaff spoke, Ralph looked and saw her. Annalyn was still on the ground, completely unresponsive to Alyera's magic. When Alyera spoke, Ralph turned his head. He didn't know her well, but Annalyn was a friend, they all were. "Why didn't she keep to the plan." Ralph fell to his knees again. "She was right behind me. I saw her. Why didn't she run." In all the heat of what was happen, he lost it. Ralph cried over his dead friend.

He continued crying, until they were teleported to the new location. After Oakenstaff and Alyera left, Ralph stood up, wiping the tears from his face. "Bjorn did this. How many people have to die before we can end this." Looking around, Ralph didn't recognize a thing. He tried to think, but nothing arose. He had also received an enormous headache since he regained his thought. "Um, where are we?" he asked, sadly implying that his memory was damage.