[IC]Vesper: The Siege of Pravhda

[Mathemagics]

Vesper: The Siege of Pravhda

The wet and chilling wind blows through the highlands, knifing through cloak and skin alike, and bringing with it the promise of an early winter. In the fading light of the later afternoon, a caravan can be seen making it's way along the old dirt highway: a trio of large wagon-carts, a few man on horseback, and a handful walking alongside, a little over a dozen travelers in all. The road here runs near to the river, adding the gurgle of flowing water to the symphony of small sounds--the creak of the wagons' wheels, the steady clop of the horses' hooves, and the rushing wind. An uncomfortable silence hangs over the company, broken only by the occasional cough quickly suppressed, a tense and watchful quiet born of fear. Everyone is acutely aware of the predicament they find themselves in, for they are still some ways out from their destination, and night is quickly approaching, bringing with it an ever-increasing threat...

"Bah! Blasted wind. It's too early in the season fer cold like this!"

The driver of the lead wagon, an aging dwarf by the name of Nolk, shudders at the recent gust and hunkers down further in his oversized oilcloth coat and continues his grumbling.

"We'd 've already been safe and warm in Pravhda by now too if it hadn't been for that bloody wheel breaking. Picked a bloody perfect time for it too! Any sooner and could've just turned around and headed back to Morkazstel. But no! Had to bloody break in the bloody middle of the bloody road. Bah!"

He deflates with a heavy sigh and trails into silence.

"You could have gone on with the others, you know."

The second speaker pulls up alongside Nolk on his horse and adjusts the mount's speed to match the cart. His bearing and the weathered breastplate worn under his traveling cloak clearly mark him for a military man of some sort, though exactly what kind of soldier he may be is more difficult to determine.

"I doubt anyone here would have blamed you for going on ahead, given the circumstances."

His comment elicits a roll of the eyes from the dwarf, who nods to himself.

"Oh aye, I coulda gone. Shoulda gone, too. But then how would I be able to sleep tonight, knowin' I made it all nice and easy and you lot died out here because none of ya knew how to fix a bloody wagon wheel and yer were too stupid to know better than stand around losing the light!"

The young man driving the second wagon hangs his head a bit; it was his cart that caused the delay after all. Raising his voice somewhat so that the dwarf can hear, he calls from his position further back in the line.

"I am sorry, friend Nolk. To make it up to you, I'll be sure to buy you a round once we're safe and sound in Pravhda, sound fair?"

"Oh aye! A couple rounds, I should think!"

As he speaks, Nolk finally cracks a smile for the first time that day. Just as quickly as it appears, however, the smile fades and the dwarf's expression turns grim and pensive.

"But why don't ya worry about keepin' an eye on the road for now, instead of promising ta get me booze'd up. You lot too, keep an eye out will ya? I gotta be watchin' the road, so I need ya lookin' to the sides."

This latter instruction is directed to the couple of passengers riding in the backs of the wagons, or walking alongside--yourselves. At the same time, the military man gives a nod of agreement and rejoins the other two on horseback near the rear of the caravan, both of them obviously new soldiers. If you had to guess they, along with the one driving the final cart, are new recruits being shipped off to one of the northern forts, not exactly an enviable position...

"Our dwarven friend is right boys. Keep an eye on the surroundings. Inattention is more likely to get you killed up here than anything else."

[TandemChelipeds]

A nobleman in the rear softly chuckles, trailing one of the wagons on a hulking warhorse.
"I'd wager the bandits are fair competition," he mutters to the passengers. But in spite of this barb, he heeds the warning and keeps his eyes on the trees.
His face is craggy and worn, and his hair hangs in stringy, dripping curls. His garb is of high quality, clearly expensive, but understated in its design. He wears a black-accented chain shirt of mithril, rings fine enough to resemble a glittering high-collared doublet and bearing not a single spot of rust. This, he crosses with a red leather bandolier and hip-satchel. His riding boots are also red leather, and his breeches are loose and baggy in the custom of Ursinas, pinstriped in black and red. In spite of his sinister appearance, he wears a stylized flame around his neck, representing his allegiance to the Church of the Eternal Luminescence, and the signet on his finger bears the crest of the well-reputed Gazhekov family. In his lap, he holds a battered flintlock musket, primed and ready to fire.

[Rysc]

In the back of the second wagon, a young woman sits staring out over the river, only vaguely aware of the conversions going on nearby. Unlike the others, the night didn't overly concern her. Perhaps those that used it for evil would draw near later. Perhaps they wouldn't. The stars were watching, anyhow. What did concern her was that they were supposed to have been in Pravhda by now. And that she could have been doing more for Them, delving in the places of lore in that city. There had been something with the cart, though--she had had to stand and wait while they fixed it--and they were still on the road.

why / why aren't you / go / there is much more / come, child / have seen the stars / accept your own / find

Distractedly rubbing the edges of her once-dark cloak in her hand, she tries to block out the stream of unwanted messages. She did her best to listen to the Elder Ones, but it was hard sometimes to tell. Her mismatched eyes flicker over the running water. Even outside there is no quiet, with the clatter and strike of the wagons and hooves, and the gurgle of water and murmur of voices, and the wind... She pulls her cloak tighter. The wind...the Voices on the wind...

[RandomWombat]

In the back of the first wagon, but near the driver's seat where Nolk sat, was a young man in a simple beige coat and darker brown suspenders. On his feat were plain, unadorned leather boots, and on the front of his coat was a small silver brooch. He was sprawled out in the wagon with his head resting on his bedroll and his pack on his stomach. Traveling with the caravan as a merchant, he didn't expect to do much fighting. It was for the best; the ignorant would point at him and cry devil worship if they knew what manner of skills he possessed. Nonetheless, he got up into a more ready position, holding a weighted wooden baton in his right hand. Now crouching in the wagon and looking down the road over the dwarf's shoulder, he kept a half-hearted watch for anything suspicious.

[roll0]

"A fair number of competent folk among us, good dwarf. I'm certain all will be well." Despite Kenneth's words, he was just as aware of the dangers (and inconveniences) of the wilds as the others, and was looking forward to the safety and opportunity of civilization.

[Odentin]

On the back of the rearmost wagon, a man sits in heavy armor, constantly on watch for any signs of trouble. In the dying light, he has finally been able to lift the visor of his helm, revealing his oddly-colored skin and black eyes. Next to him, a hammer of massive proportions, held near the head by his gauntleted hand. Even before the warning, his eyes scanned the area incessantly. Not safe to be outside of a city at nightfall.

Not really safe inside a city, if they come hunting, either. These people don't need to know that. Let them continue to believe that their cities hold sanctuary. For now, just keep this group safe through the night.

[roll0] Perception

[Lycan 01]

Near the front of the caravan walks a man in black armor trimmed with silver, his steps neither hindered nor slowed by his bulky attire. Some would recognize the black plumage on the helm and the feather-pattern engravings on the black steel, and know the armor belongs to the illustrious Ravens, an order of veteran guards among the Alathian noble houses.

His left arm carries a black shield, while his left holds his helm at his side. Without his helmet on, it's easy to see that the man is a normal human, with tan skinned, a square jaw, aquiline nose, and black hair cropped short. His expression neutral, the warrior sweeps his gaze along the path, cold grey eyes searching for any signs of danger or potential obstacles.

As the light begins to fade, he puts his helmet on, securing it in place before letting his gauntlet-clad hand rest as his side, ready to reach for the gilded hilt of the longsword hanging from his belt. Better safe than sorry...


Perception: [roll0]

I GOT A FOUR!! :elan:

[Eonas]

A large man in the back of the middle wagon sits awkwardly hunched over a cauldron full of a greyish-purple substance, trying to hold it steady as the wagon occasionally bumps over small objects in the road. He is attired in a suit of studded leather armor covered by a simple black outfit, a mace rolling on the wagon floor beside him. His expression is indicative of someone striving to remain calm despite feelings of irritation.

Indeed, Lanyon Frollo was in a bad mood today, having woken up with a dreadful headache and a sore back which had not diminished as the day had passed. After walking beside the caravan for the better part of the morning, he'd decided to be productive and produce some alchemical creations. But the back of a wagon wasn't the right place to practice alchemy. The right place to practice alchemy was in the relative warmth of your home, where the surface was stable and where there was no one to disturb your work by talking loudly. Nobody like Nolk, or all the others in the caravan.

To motivate himself, Lanyon imagines - not for the first time - what Abelard might have to show him that was so interesting. While in his little reverie, he nearly adds ten drops of pig's blood into the cauldron instead of nine. This snaps him back into the miserable tedium of the real world, where the wind is always too chilling, the road always too bumpy, and caravan drivers are always too noisy. At least he'd have a nice new mutagen in a minute or two. Now that was something to look foward to. Perhaps he might even have an opportunity to use it soon.

[Mathemagics]

"I'd wager the bandits are fair competition,"


"A fair number of competent folk among us, good dwarf. I'm certain all will be well."

"Bandits? Ha! I'll be glad if bandits are the worst we run into! But we'll see. Might get lucky!"

Nolk lapses back into an uneasy and sullen silence. The dwarf gives a quick flick of the reigns, causing the oxen pulling his wagon to lurch forward at a slightly quicker pace. No signs of danger can be seen as yet, but everyone can feel the tension build moment by moment as the light continues to fade. It almost feels like it's only a matter of time until something happens.

Despite the mounting dread, a half hour passes without event. The road begins to veer towards the east, away from the river and through a small copse of trees, replacing the sounds of the river with the creaks and groans of the pines as they sway in the wind. With the rising moon obscured behind a heavy bank of clouds and the sun fallen behind the distant western mountains, there is little to illuminate the shaded path in the gloaming twilight, not that such is particularly disadvantage to the Nolk, accustomed as his dwarven eyes are to the darkness.

Suddenly, the dwarf reigns his team in to a halt and holds up his hand as a signal to those behind to stop. He stares silently ahead into the shadows intently before suddenly leaping to his feet and rummaging through a sack behind his driver's seat with a dwarven swear that sounds like he's gargling rocks. His expression is deathly serious as he withdraws a torch and begins fumbling with a flint lighter, uttering a single word in the process.

"Wolves."

[RandomWombat]

Looking past Nolk into the darkness, Kenneth slips into a bit of nervousness despite his earlier calm. He whispers to the dwarf, "Wolves, eh? Of the normal or shifter variety?" He grips his club a bit more tightly. "Here's hoping for the former, 'cause the only silver I've got is a brooch."

[Odentin]

When the carts stop, Siyavash hops down, plodding to the front of the train. Following Nolk's sightline to the supposed wolves, he attempts to pinpoint the threat, even bringing his ache into his eyes, burning his retinas and filling his sight with the auras of any evil creatures before him.

Activating Detect Evil.

[TandemChelipeds]

"I'll spare you the trouble, my good fellow."
Reaching into his saddlebags, the Count draws out an everburning torch and tosses it to Nolk. Then he picks up his musket and strains his ears, searching intently for the beasts.
[roll0]

[Mathemagics]

"Wolves, eh? Of the normal or shifter variety?"
"Here's hoping for the former, 'cause the only silver I've got is a brooch."

"Dunno. Not that it matters. If it's those bloody weres and they're looking for a fight, we're probably already dead anyway. Best to hope it's just dumb and hungry animals."

Nolk finally manages to get the torch lit, casting a feeble circle of light around the front wagon. He fixes the light to a small holding bracket on the side of the seat before reaching beneath it and withdrawing a heavy hammer. Taking a rooted stance on the front of the cart, he hefts the heavy metal weapon and takes a practice swing or two.

"Tell ya this though. I won' be goin with breaking a few jaws as they try an gobble me down!"

Siyavash is unable to detect any sort of inherently evil aura in the nearby vicinity, but even such measures prove unnecessary. His inhuman sight allows him to see through the gathering dark ahead, revealing the fleeting animal shapes dart between between the trees and undergrowth.

Lacking the dhampir's sight, the veteran soldier towards the rear of the train is unable to actually see the encroaching threat, but the tone in Nolk's voice is sufficient to alert him to the impending peril. Shifting his mount forward, he begins to survey the immediate area and attempts to take charge with the authoritative voice of a tested combatant.

"Circle up! Get the torches out, we need fire and we need light! Now! Watch each others' backs and we can all get through this alive!"

The force and certainty of his orders seems to penetrate the fear falling upon the company and spurs the green recruits and peasants to action. The younger merchant driving the second wagon fumbles about under the seat and pulls out a crossbow and pulls his wagon up alongside Nolk's to form a defensive barrier from the front. Those on horseback take up position in the rear, watching for attacks from behind as more torches are lit. The menace in the air is nearly palpable as everyone watches, and waits...

[RandomWombat]

In case something managed to get around into the back of the wagon, Kenneth turns to face that direction, his back to Nolk's. He wasn't much of a fighter, but damned if he was going to get bit from behind.

To attack a wolf if it jumps into the cart.

[Odentin]

Siyavash strides forward towards the incoming wolves and plants his feet, releasing his grip on the handle of his hammer so that it slides through his closed fingers to impact with a dull thud onto the dirt. He keeps his evil detection active, in case at least one of the wolves turns out to be a lycanthrope, and stands ready as the first line of defense against the oncoming canines...

Readied action to attack any wolf that rushes him or the caravan.

[Eonas]

Lanyon, having finished his alchemical preparations some time ago, hops out of the wagon, brandishing his mace in one hand and a mutagen flask in the other. He stands at the back of the line, peering into the darkness and waiting for anything remotely threatening to show itself.

Perception: [roll0]
Readying action: if Lanyon sees anything threatening or if any of his caravan-mates does anything aggressive, he drinks the mutagen.

[Rysc]

Solanin is aroused from her distraction first by the shouted instructions, and then by the man next to her in the wagon jumping out onto the ground. Securing her weapon cord to her wrist, she tentatively hefts her morning star, then fingers her spell component pouch with her other hand. Focusing on the shapes in the darkness ahead, she rises and faces the rear like everyone else. Best to be prepared, though she'd let the others go ahead first.

The voices quiet down slightly. She can't do anything for anyone if she'd dead, after all.

Readying an action to cast a spell if a wolf comes within twenty feet of the defenders (or attacks one of her allies, if need be)

[TandemChelipeds]

The count keeps his mount by the wagon's left flank, musket at the ready, sweeping the area to keep it defended.

Attack the first wolf to come within 30 ft. of Nikolai's position. Also, retconning that the everburning torch is just kinda propped up so it sticks out of the saddlebag, since Nolk finished lighting his anyway.

[Lycan 01]

Armeth wastes no time in drawing his longsword, the engraved blade glinting in the torchlight as his gives in a flourishing twirl. As the armored Paladin draws near, Armeth moves to take up a position beside him to the left, hefting his shield and readying his blade aloft. "Keep the flanks secure!" he barks back at the rest of the caravan and young soldiers. "They'll try to flank us, take down the weak and unprotected! Form up close! Don't let them isolate or surround you!"

He scans the darkness, eyes peering from his helm's visor to spot whatever threat may be approaching. "See anything?" he mutters, tilting his head slightly towards to Siyavesh beside him.


Perception: [roll0]

[Mathemagics]

Before the paladin even has a chance to answer, a mournful howl breaks the silence, quickly joined by more and more until the entire woods echo with the hair-raising cry. All around the encircled caravan, dark shapes can be seen darting between the shadows outside the circle of light, while those with the ability to see in the night clearly spot the lupine shapes swiftly drawing closer.

"Here they come! Try not ta piss yerselves!"

Suddenly a horse shrieks as one of the two mounted recruits digs his heels into the beast's sides, spurring forward in a sudden leap. The terror etched into the man's features as he charges past Siyavash and Armeth will not be easily forgotten.

"No you fool! Don't!"

The veteran's warning is too late. Deafened by fear, the man and horse vanish in an instant into the darkness of the road. Only a few seconds pass before the the sudden shriek of the horse followed by a scream abruptly cut off punctuates the omnipresent howling.

And then, following some unspoken cue, the wolves strike. The attack comes from every direction at once as the beasts charge the wagons, snarling and growling as they throw themselves at the defenders. The roar of Nikolai's musket drowns out the howls as the first wolf to show itself tumbles to a sudden stop in the road. A second wolf's lunge is also brought to a premature halt with a pitiful yelp as it's back is broken then mashed into a bloody mess of fur and pulp beneath the weight of Siyavash's hammer. Lanyon finds himself with just enough time to down the loathsome contents of his alchemical concoction as at least a dozen wolves break from the darkness and sprint across the open ground.


Now, the way I'm going to handle this is that you guys will need to kill a specific number of wolves. Assume that they're pretty much all around the place and that all the npcs are fighting at the same time as well. (I'm not going to actually track combat for every single wolf and npc, that's just crazy.) You can also make the assumption that you're both in range to hit a wolf and at the same time threatened by one wherever you are unless you're in one of the carts, in which case you can hit only with range but are not threatened.

Initiative:
Solanin: [roll0]
Armeth: [roll1]
Siyavash: [roll2]
Kenneth: [roll3]
Nikolai: [roll4]
Lanyon: [roll5]

Wolves: [roll6]

I prefer to run a sort of block initiative. Everyone who acts before the wolves can post in any order, and then once we have all of them actions will be carried out based on individual initiative. Enemies will go after that, then everyone is allowed to post actions (due to the wraparound). So for this combat, Solanin and Kenneth will act followed by wolves, then everyone gets to act (including the first two).

(Rysc, you didn't specify what spell to cast so I'll let you have a freebie and cast one spell before this round officially starts if you still want to.)

[RandomWombat]

Standing in the back of the foremost cart, Kenneth had yet to be targeted by the wolves, and none were nearby to beat with his club. As such, he decided to help where he could using his subtler magics. Best not to be too showy with so many strangers about, even if they were on his side... for the moment. It was then that he saw the alchemist from the second wagon down some sort of liquid and begin changing. That was certainly an interesting development. Turning his gaze to one of the wolves approaching the alchemist, Kenneth's eyes took on a momentary silver glow as he suppressed the creature's mind, trying to lull it into unconsciousness.

Kenneth is using his Slumber hex on one of the wolves approaching Frollo. It must pass a DC 17 Will save or fall asleep for 3 rounds (or until it takes damage).

[Rysc]

what are / destroy / simply an obstacle

Solanin desperately shakes her head, trying to clear it, trying to focus. Too late, the wolves are already attacking. Well, she could still help her allies slightly. Gesturing slightly, she whispers into the night. Hopefully they just assumed they were...somewhat more confident. For some reason.

Out of the corner of her eye, she notices her fellow passenger...changing? Interesting.

Sorry about that. Sol gets distracted easily anyway, so I'll just have her cast her spell in the round.

Casting Bless (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/b/bless); concentration check: 1d20+13 Somehow I forgot the tags. Rolling in OOC.

[Mathemagics]

A faint glow fills the area around Solanin, which quickly suffuses the various members of the caravan. Everyone feels emboldened, just slightly, and the dread of the wolves' attack is replaced with a grim determination to get through this no matter what. Almost at the same time one of the beasts lurches to a sudden halt, falling over near to the back of the line next to Lanyon, the victim of Kenneth's unnoticed hex.

The rest of the wolves are not slowed, however, and they charge the ranks of the defenders. At the front of the wagons, Siyavash and Armeth find themselves confronted by a pair of wolves while another tries to circle around Nikolai in the back and flank his mount. One of the pair lunges at Armeth with an unexpected ferocity; before the fighter can react, he feels the wolf's teeth sink into the unprotected back of his leg as it tries to drag him down. He manages to keep his footing and kicks the beast away, but it's too late to prevent taking a nasty wound.


Armeth takes 7 damage.


Perhaps he has better warning thanks to his ability to see in the dark, but Siyavash manages to step back as the other wolf goes for him. Meanwhile, the one attacking Nikolai tries to harass his horse, only to find itself receiving a swift kick in the side from the well-trained animal's hoof as reward for its reckless attacks.

"Bah! Come on ya mangy mutts! I'll turn ya all inta sausage!"

The dwarf's hammer swings through the air, ready to intercept anything foolish enough to come near his proximity. In the next wagon over, the young merchant's crossbow manages to produce a satisfying yelp as a bolt hits its target, but before he can reload a second wolf sprints towards the cart from the darkness and tries to climb up into the back of it.


Anyone in the first or second wagon (as they're next to each other) is now both threatened by the new wolf and able to attack it with melee.

And now everyone gets to act.

[Odentin]

Ignoring the wolf attacking him, Siyavash moves to intercept a wolf trying to move past him towards the caravan. He swings his hammer in a wide arc and silently begs forgiveness for needing to end a life in order to protect others.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[TandemChelipeds]

With practiced speed, the Count reloads his musket and spurs his horse on. "Don't let it get away, Vera! Attack!" The colossal mare snorts in bloodthirst, rending the offending wolf in her jaws and bludgeoning it with both of her iron-shod forehooves. The beast's whimpers and yelps fill the night, and its blood splatters the coat of Nikolai's mount. It just isn't this wolf's night.


Count Gazhekov has the Rapid Reload feat, reducing his reload time with a musket to a standard action.

The wolf would be adjacent to my horse after failing that attack, so she can make a full attack. She's combat-trained, so her hooves count as primary attacks.
Bite
Attack roll: [roll0] Damage roll: [roll1]
Hoof 1
Attack roll: [roll2] Damage roll: [roll3]
Hoof 2
Attack roll: [roll4] Damage roll: [roll5]

[Eonas]

The taste of the mutagen is bitter and disgusting - so disgusting that Lanyon retches as he drinks it. The next moment he is transfixed by excruciating pain, as suddenly he feels himself begin to transform. His nails extend into long, sharp claws; his nose and mouth morph into a muzzle, his teeth sharpen and elongate, and his body is covered with dense grey fur. At the end of his transformation, what is standing in Lanyon's place looks remarkably like a large grizzly bear - but a damnably human-looking bear, with a head full of normal hair, normal human limbs, and fully operational prehensile hands.

Lanyon feels the familiar loss of inhibitions, the euphoric surge of strength, the rising-up of everything that is bestial and feral in him. No longer does he care about the headache slamming into his brain with the force of a sledgehammer, or about the cold, or about the screaming horse. The only thing flying through Lanyon's mind is the instinct to fight - and to kill.

He pounces at a nearby wolf with a snarl, slamming his own body against its and biting and clawing at it with the inhuman rage of a wolverine. The smell of blood fills his nostrils, and he sees the wolf with preternatural clarity, even in the dark. Lanyon feels alive.

+4 strength, -2 Intelligence, gaining Darkvision.

If it's possible for me to attack the wolf from the other side of one of my allies (i.e. if it's possible for me to flank it), I do that. And if I kill it in my first blow or two, I direct my efforts against any other nearby wolf, if possible.

Bite attack/damage/SA: [roll0] (+6 STR + 2 Bab - 1 PA) [roll1] (+6 STR * 1.5 + 2 PA) [roll2]
Armor spikes attack/damage/SA (secondary): [roll3] [roll4] (+6 STR * 0.5 + 0 PA) [roll5]
Claw 1 attack/damage/SA: [roll6] [roll7] [roll8]
Claw 2 attack/damage/SA: [roll9] [roll10] [roll11]

I think that works? If the secondary Armor Spikes attack goes against the rules somehow, I leave that out of the roll.

[Lycan 01]

"Damnation!" Armeth hisses, staggering slightly as teeth clamp on flesh and blood is drawn. He twists to the side, bringing up his shield to protect himself, and hacking violently with his blade. Not the most graceful show, but he's focusing more on avoiding another bite than on proper form and accuracy.

He doesn't quite notice the random bear-thing transformation going on nearby. Probably for the best.


Fighting Defensively: -4 to attack, +2 to AC for the round.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[RandomWombat]

The wolf jumping into the adjacent cart startled Kenneth, and he looked between his simple club and the ravenous animal. Not really a good matchup. He would have to keep it from fighting back first; and so he sent out another dose of sleeping hex.

Kenneth is using Slumber on the wolf climbing into the merchant's cart. Also I forgot about decreased magic potency, so these hexes only last two rounds instead of three, meaning the wolf near Frollo has only this round of sleep left.

[Rysc]

Apparently, staying on the cart was not as safe as she had first thought. Solanin jerks backwards as the wolf attempts to leap into the cart. Perhaps something other than spells was called for. She inhales and turns her mind to the stars, to the Ones beyond them. They had no need for any permanent forms. And They had taught her a little regarding that. The peculiar feeling of her features thickening and changing and limbs growing claws and scales does little to dampen her readiness. The stars were with her.

Using Many Forms to assume the form of a troglodyte (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/humanoids/troglodyte), gaining +2 strength

[Mathemagics]

In an almost sickening twist of cruel irony, the unfortunate wolf which failed miserably at attacking Nikolai and his mount finds itself bitten to death by a horse. There is, however, little time to remark upon it when Lanyon's brutally twisted form bears down upon the nearby wolves. As the alchemist tears into one that had been cornering the pair of peasants (armed with nothing more than torches), another barrels forward only to be rent by his claws. The savagery of the display causes the men to balk in terror and wave their torches around in a feeble attempt to ward off this new monstrosity.

Meanwhile, towards the front of the caravan, Armeth takes a swing against his opponent, only to find the animal nimbly jump away at the last moment. Still, it gives him a moment to regain his stance and better defend himself. Siyavash's zealous assault turns out to be a little too extreme as his swing goes wide in an attempt to get at the enemy.

Another wolf falls victim to Kenneth's mysterious sleeping hex, suddenly drooping forward even as it attempts to climb into the back of the cart. Seizing the opportunity, Nolk leaps forward and wastes no time in bringing his hammer down at the creature's head in a sickening smash.


Damage: [roll0]


"Aye, thanks fer that! Not sure exactly what yer doin' but it be working!"

As Solanin's form also begins to shift and change, the peasants and rookie soldiers are clearly getting more and more unsettled. Honestly rather understandable given the circumstances. One of the recruits glances about in wild-eyed fear not only at the wolves, but also at Lanyon and Solanin.

"S-Sir, what's going on? Are there monsters here too?!"

His superior is clearly of a more pragmatic mindset, considering his reply.

"I'd focus more on the fact that they're helping us rather than what they are, recruit!"

Nolk lifts his hammer up off the greasy stain that used to be a wolf's head with a vicious glint in his eyes. Raising the weapon up over his head, he roars at the darkness.

"Any more 'o you dogs want some mo- oof!"

"Look out!"

The dwarf's taunting is cut short as the other merchant drops his weapon and shoves Nolk bodily from the back of the cart, just as a dark shape leaps through the air towards him. Instead of tackling the dwarf, the thing catches hold of the hapless man in its jaws. You then realize it's a massive wolf, nearly as big as one of the cart oxen, that's attacking. The merchant struggles feebly as the dire wolf's teeth sink into his belly, until the beast gives a sudden twist of its head, ripping him open with a nauseating crunch.

Throwing the unfortunate victim aside, the dire wolf fixes its eyes on new prey. Sinking its teeth into Solanin's leg, it tries to pull the woman down from her perch on the wagon, but the awkward footing renders it unable to do so; of course this is small comfort when the knife-like fangs have already done their work quite well. Meanwhile, the others find themselves subjected to a renewed wave of fury as the other wolves continue to throw themselves at the caravan; it's pretty obvious that they've become even further emboldened by the presence of the massive pack leader.


Solanin takes 9 damage.

Wolves also attacked Siyavash, Nikolai, and Armeth. Nikolai took 3 damage from a lucky wolf jumping up and nipping him on his leg.

The dire wolf can be attacked from the wagons and threatens anybody in them.

[RandomWombat]

Shocked and intrigued that his companions were shapeshifters, Kenneth's attention is rapidly diverted to the massive wolf attacking them. In a display of great courage, he steps deftly behind Solanin in her new, lizardy form. Shielded from the great wolf, he pulls a roll of paper from the bag on his left hip and unrolls it. The arcane incantation begins its work as he speaks, tendrils of dim silver light creeping their way down to Solanin's leg.

5-foot step to get behind Solanin and out of the wolf's view.
Move action to draw a Scroll of Cure Light Wounds.
Standard action to use it on Solanin.

Healing: [roll0]

[Odentin]

Siyavash swears silently as the dire wolf tears into the helpless merchant and throws himself back at the carts towards the beast, throwing all of his shame at missing the dire wolf's approach into his hammer swing, and feeling the satisfying crunch of breaking bones as the earthbreaker connects with its target.

Move to get within attack range of the dire wolf.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Lycan 01]

Armeth snarls in frustration, casting a quick look over his shoulder at the dire wolf, before returning his attention to the wolf in front of him. With a growl of his own, he slams his blade down on the hound, aiming to hack through its neck and decapitate the beast in a fierce show of brutality.


Standard attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Edit: *gross sobbing*

[Eonas]

The Alchemist turns towards the new threat. It was large and powerful, a creature worthy of his attention. If he could flank it, perhaps he could put his skill in Vivisection to good use again and strike at its critical organs, he thinks. Oh yes, Lanyon could still think, almost as well as normally. With easy, economical bounds he hurls himself towards the preternaturally large wolf.

Lanyon could think, all right, but all that he was thinking about was the thrill of the hunt and the joy of bloodshed. With his muzzle, he smiles a remarkably humanlike grin.

Knowledge (Nature) to identify the new wolf (yes, of course I know it's a Dire Wolf, but Lanyon might not): +1 int + 3 skill ranks + 3 class skill, I think: [roll0]

Attack/Damage/SA:
Bite: [roll1] (+6 Str, +2 BAB, +2 flank, -1 BAB) / [roll2] (+6 Str*1.5, +2 PA)/ [roll3]
Claw 1: [roll4] (+6 Str, +2 BAB, +2 flank, -1 BAB) / [roll5] (+6 Str*1.5, +2 PA) / [roll6]
Claw 2: [roll7] (+6 Str, +2 BAB, +2 flank, -1 BAB) / [roll8] (+6 Str*1.5, +2 PA) / [roll9]
Armor Spikes: [roll10] (+6 Str, +2 BAB, +2 flank, -1 BAB, -5 secondary) / [roll11] (+6 Str*0.5, +0 PA) / [roll12]

If I kill it within the first few blows, I go and attack another wolf, if there's any within range. If there isn't another wolf in range, I just keep attacking it for good measure.

[Rysc]

Solanin hisses in pain as the wolf's teeth tear through her leg. Really, so much for staying on the cart. With the strength of her new form coursing through her, she staggers upwards and launches herself at the wolf.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she vaguely hears a Voice laughing. Not at her, exactly, but it...wasn't comforting, all the same.

Going to attack the dire wolf if it's not already dead. If it is, then she'll attack a nearby wolf instead (subtract flanking bonus if necessary).

Attack/ Damage:
Morningstar:[roll0] (+3 STR, +2 BAB, +1 MWK, +1 morale, +2 flank)/ [roll1]
Claw:[roll2] (+3 STR, +2 BAB, +1 morale, +2 flank, -5 secondary)/ [roll3]
Bite:[roll4] (+3 STR, +2 BAB, +1 morale, +2 flank, -5 secondary)/ [roll5]

EDIT: Well. Maybe the last one hits?

[Mathemagics]

Siyavash's hammer wheels around, catching the giant wolf's unprotected side and provoking a snarl of rage and pain from the beast. But even as the animal whirls around to attempt retribution it is too late to avoid its doom as Lanyon pounces on it and begins tearing in with a frenetic series of brutal attacks. With a wailing howl, the great dire wolf goes down; at the same time, the lesser wolves attacking the caravan become noticeably less aggressive, and even start to slowly back away to slink into the shadows once more. In moments, the area is clear, save for the numerous bodies littering the desolate road.


You've earned 2400 xp (for a total of 400 apiece).


Nolk picks himself up off the ground with a loud groan. Glancing around, he spots the crumpled and bloodied body of the young merchant and his expression falls. Stumbling over to the corpse, he lets out a heavy sigh.

"Bah... Poor bastard deserved better than that. We'd been on the road together since Zagar. Bit too chatty sometimes, but he was a decent lad."

Stooping over, the dwarf begins to rather unceremoniously search the body, eventually locating and pulling out the merchant's money purse.

"Oh, now don't be givin' me that look. It's not like he can use it now. You'd rather we just leave it and let it be useless?"

Whether Nolk actually caught someone giving him a disapproving look or if it was just imagined is unknown, but the injured frown on the dwarf's face seems genuine enough. After another moment of continued search, he pulls a small silver pendant off the man's neck.

"Ah... He had a lady, up in Pravhda, I think. Light knows, he wouldn't shut up about her. Was gonna ask her to marry him. He mentioned her name a couple times... Mira? I think. Well, if we make it the rest of the way, I'll see if I can find her and let her know. That outta make up for keepin' the purse, yeah?"

Standing up with a groan, the dwarf dusts himself off before moving to check on the state of the wagons and oxen. As he busies himself getting ready to move again, he calls out over his shoulder to the others.

"What about the rest of ya? Everyone else alive and ready to go? Cause I don't plan on sticking around for the rest of them wolves to get the guts to come back, or something worse to find us."

[RandomWombat]

"All limbs and extremities accounted for on this end," Kenneth assured the dwarf, slipping down off the cart and hauling the body of the dead merchant into the back. "Now, before anyone goes asking me what I'm doing, I'm just making sure the boy isn't found by some practitioner of the dark arts. We can at least get him a proper burial; no man deserves to be turned into a flesh-puppet. Or worse. Hopefully we'll get to Pravhda before it starts to stink up the cart." Returning to his place, Kenneth did a brief examination of his things to make sure nothing was missing. As he did, he glanced over at Solanin, "How's that leg holding up?"

[Odentin]

Siyavash moves to stop Kenneth, drawing and lighting a torch as he does so, "Burn the body. Purify it. Let him go to the Light without decomposing." His voice is low and serious. Before lighting the body, however, he does one last check to ensure the man truly is dead...

[roll0]

[Lycan 01]

Armeth, favoring his leg slightly, walks over towards the rummaging dwarf, sheathing his blade as he goes. A short moment later, the dark-armored and somewhat imposing figure looms over the caravan driver, his expression neutral and unreadable behind the black visor of his plumed helm. "You know, if he cared for that woman as much as he seemed to speak, it would seem he would want her looked after. Or at least leave her something for her benefit, rather than tears and questions." He tilts his head slightly, the visor of his helm seeming to indicate he's studying the pouch of gold the dwarf just nicked. "It would be a shame for his lover to be both the victim of tragedy, and greed..." he observes thoughtfully, more than a little weight in his words.


Do I need to roll anything to guilt-trip the dwarf into doing the right thing? :smalltongue:

[RandomWombat]

Siyavash moves to stop Kenneth, drawing and lighting a torch as he does so, "Burn the body. Purify it. Let him go to the Light without decomposing." His voice is low and serious. Before lighting the body, however, he does one last check to ensure the man truly is dead...

"Right, yes, that works. Solves the smell too," Kenneth leaves the disposal of the body to the grim-faced man.

[Mathemagics]

"You know, if he cared for that woman as much as he seemed to speak, it would seem he would want her looked after. Or at least leave her something for her benefit, rather than tears and questions." He tilts his head slightly, the visor of his helm seeming to indicate he's studying the pouch of gold the dwarf just nicked. "It would be a shame for his lover to be both the victim of tragedy, and greed..."

"Aye, and that's why I'll be bringing her the keepsake and the bad news. Better to let her grieve and then move on than to keep wondering what might've happened. I could just do nothin' too, ya know. Not like it's actually my problem."

The dwarf glares at Armeth; it's not really an angry look, just one that shows he resents the man's implications. He probably thinks he's quite justified in keeping the money as a sort of "compensation" for taking on the burden of delivering the bad news.

[Odentin]

Siyavash quickly lays his hand on the man's chest, channeling the life-giving energy into him. His face winces in pain as the energy courses down his arm and through his hand, but the chance at reviving the man gives him comfort.

Siyavash quietly intones the last rites over the dead body before using the torch (and perhaps some oil, if anyone has some to spare) to 'purify' the corpse and send him off to the afterlife.

[Mathemagics]

The unfortunate is most certainly dead, and the body burns readily enough once the oil is lit. In the meanwhile, one of the peasants has commandeered the vacated wagon, and the others have gotten things ready to go again (though they're keeping a healthy distance away from Lanyon and Solanin after their earlier transformations). Everyone who isn't on horseback piles into the wagons; there's no time to wait on people to go by foot.

"Everyone ready? Good. Cause I ain't stopping til we're in Pravhda! Yah!"

Nolk gives a fierce snap of the reigns, urging the oxen into motion. He doesn't let up either, driving the animals faster until they're at their limit and trundling along the road at a nearly dangerous pace. The shadows of trees overhanging the path steadily slip past until you finally emerge out in the open once again at the lip of the river valley. Ahead, you can see the faintly reflective surface of the Vistet in the dark, and more comforting still, the wall and rooftops of Pravhda in the distance.

It still takes another 10 or 15 minutes to reach the eastern side of the city which houses the only gate in (barring the river crossing). Above you, the unattractive but well-made stone walls loom some 20 feet up, with a set of heavy oak doors barring the way in. There's no guard posted outside the gate, but there are plenty torches illuminating the area, and you can both see and hear a couple of men stationed on a platform above overlooking the gate below. They must know you're there, but they've yet to even move to open the gate, leaving you to wonder if they have any intention of doing so...

[Eonas]

Can we can keep roleplaying during the trip while we simultaneously roleplay in the present?

For the first time, Lanyon fully notices Solanin's shapechange, not without some pleasure. "A monster! She is a monster too!" he thinks. Glancing with satisfaction at the retreating wolves, he stalks over to the transformed witch, giving Nolk a good growl along the way for no other reason than to see the dwarf quake. Again he grins a disconcerting grin with his muzzle, this time at Solanin. "You fought like an animal." he says, in a voice that is recognizably his, but far deeper and growlier than normal.

[Rysc]

While the others discuss what to do with the poor merchant, Solanin retreats a few steps, only stopping to give some thanks to Kenneth in response to his question. She'd be fine after a few days.

done well/ see, the power/ not so different/ continue on

Her forms begins to shift again, this time reverting back to her normal appearance. She gags at the blood in her mouth, and begins disconcertedly rubbing it away. / not so different.../ After she's gotten as much out as possible, she climbs back into the wagon. Strangely--or not, actually--the only other person who's actually going near her is the...well, she believed he was an alchemist.


Again he grins a disconcerting grin with his muzzle, this time at Solanin. "You fought like an animal." he says, in a voice that is recognizably his, but far deeper and growlier than normal.

What? She eyes him confusedly. / not so different.../ She wasn't...isn't a... Although, given his current state, maybe he meant it as a compliment?

"I, ah, thank you. I suppose. We all did our part against those wolves."

[Eonas]

Lanyon smiles again and repeats "Like an animal.", leaning in uncomfortably close. There's a sort of insanity to his demeanor that only accentuates the oddness of his half animal-half human appearance and utterly uninhibited behavior. "Sometime, I would like to show you what else some animals can do."

---

After picking up the mace he'd dropped and putting it in his backpack, Lanyon walks alongside the caravan wagons, close beside Solanin if possible and making similar comments to her. He makes a point of giving Nolk a good growl whenever possible, though he also makes threatening gestures and sounds at anyone else that comes too close.

---

When the mutagen finally wears off and Lanyon becomes fully human again, he feels (along with the loss of strength and the rushing-back of inhibitions) a trace of disappointment. Feeling absolutely mortified about his previous behavior, mumbles an apology to the world in general, and goes back to sit in his caravan wagon, alone and silent.

[Odentin]

Once the corpse is burning thoroughly, Siyavash takes a seat in the nearest wagon, which just so happens to be the same as Solanin. For the duration of Lanyon's creeping, he glares at the alchemist through softly-glowing eyes, his hand solidly wrapped around the shaft of his hammer.

Detect Evil is up. Of course, Lanyon doesn't register, but that doesn't stop him.

[RandomWombat]

Upon reaching the gates, Kenneth looks up to where the guards ought to be, waiting impatiently for the caravan to be let in. After no acknowledgement or action was given, he called up, "Pardon me, but we are a caravan seeking entry into the city! Is there some sort of problem?"

[Rysc]

In response to Lanyon, Solanin turns away and shifts her focus back to the stars, staring distantly away from everyone else into the night. Animals did not concern her. There are more important things with which to occupy her mind. The caravan would be arriving soon. The wolves were taken care of, and They should be pleased. She'd be able to continue in her work. The night wind is again full of whispers...

Soon...

* * *

When the caravan comes to a halt, Solanin looks around, almost like she's just been awakened, half-expecting them to be entering the city, or even already inside it. But they're still outside. After a few moments, it doesn't seem like anyone's acknowledging them. Frowning slightly, she glances over the other members of the caravan. Perhaps the lead driver was simply waiting for something.

[Mathemagics]

"Pardon me, but we are a caravan seeking entry into the city! Is there some sort of problem?"

It takes a moment, but eventually Kenneth's call evokes a reply as a man of indeterminate age in an ill-fitting helmet leans over the top of the wall. He looks down on the group impassively before deciding to reply in an equally unenthused tone.

"Not from around these parts, eh? By your accent, I'd guess the south? Well, I don't know how they handle things down in the soft southlands, but here in Pravhda we lock our gates after sundown. I'm afraid you're out of luck, southerner. Gate's closed until morning."

[Lycan 01]

Armeth decides to just not bother with the dwarf. What respect he has for the caravaner is left in tatters - no sense in bothering with such greedy ilk.

Nursing his leg a bit, the warrior decides to ride in one of the wagons for the rest of the trip. He takes up a seat next to Solanin, having seen and overheard Lanyon's growled comments and... offer. As the wagon bustles and jostles along, Armeth removes his helmet, and looks down at it pensively, trying to look distracted and lost in thought. However, after awhile, he gives the girl next to him a sidelong glance. "If the alchemist gives you further trouble, do not hesitate to seek my aid," he quietly informs her, before looking back down at his helmet and going back to being "distracted."

----

Once they reach the gate, Armeth decides to try his luck with getting them to open the gates. Perhaps some silver-tongued diplomacy can help...

Helmet tucked under his right arm, and shield held aloft in his left hand, he approaches the gate. "Good sir," he says with a pleasant smile, "Do you really intend to leave us out here, right at your gates? I don't know how they handle things up here in the harsh northlands, but down there we know that leaving tempting targets at our gates is an invitation for beasts and worse. Should something target us, it will surely turn its attention to the gate, and what lies beyond. So why not save yourself the potential trouble, and just let us in? We go on about our business, and you don't have to deal with any potential conflict or gruesome demise in some beasts' maw."

He gives a small shrug, armor clanking. "Or we can stay out here and likely get attacked by monsters. Again. I hope the blood from our previous encounter doesn't attract further attention..." he muses.

[Odentin]

Siyavash turns his attention to the guard after he refuses to open the gates for the caravan. Noting the fact that his uniform doesn't fit properly, he begins to investigate the man's mannerisms and face, seeking any signs of dishonesty.

[roll0]

[Mathemagics]

The man continues looking down impassively as Armeth speaks, his expression positively neutral. As the warrior finishes his plea, the guard gives an apologetic shrug of the shoulders.

"Sorry friend, but it's not my call. It's the law of the city, handed down from the mayor himself. Pravhda doesn't open its gate after dark. Now, I understand what you're saying, really I do, but try looking at it from my perspective. For all we know, you lot could be a bunch of vampires or werewolves or worse, trying to infiltrate our fair city and devour it from within. If I let you in, I'm the one who's gonna get the beating if any trouble comes of it."

The guardsman trails off into silence and a thoughtful expression crosses his features, just barely visible in the flickering torchlight. He tilts his head to one side, then the next, as if conflicted with some weighty consideration. Eventually, he gives a sigh and, leaning a bit downward over the wall, speaks in a voice that would be equivalent to a conspiratorial whisper, if not for the fact it was being spoken down from almost 20 feet above you.

"Tell ya what. You see like decent enough folks, I can get the gate open for ya, but you have to understand I really shouldn't be. If you were to... perhaps offer a small consideration for my gesture of goodwill... I'm sure that would assuage my dilemma somewhat..."



As the man has been talking, you sense nothing but genuine sincerity in what he says. He might not particularly feel about relaying the bad news to your group, but he isn't making it up either.

His most recent comment is of course very obvious. He wants a bribe before he'll open the gate.

[Odentin]

"For all we know, you lot could be a bunch of vampires or werewolves or worse, trying to infiltrate our fair city and devour it from within. If I let you in, I'm the one who's gonna get the beating if any trouble comes of it."

Siyavash steps forward up on hearing those words, presenting both his hammer (with the symbol of the Eternal Luminescence emblazoned upon it) as well as his holy symbol, "As Justicar of the Church of the Eternal Luminescence, I personally attest that no evil creatures are amongst this group."


"Tell ya what. You see like decent enough folks, I can get the gate open for ya, but you have to understand I really shouldn't be. If you were to... perhaps offer a small consideration for my gesture of goodwill... I'm sure that would assuage my dilemma somewhat..."

Siyavash growls quietly, "You would honestly illicit a bribe from innocent travelers seeking refuge from the dangerous wilds? What kind of foul, soulless being would be so cruel? I can't imagine any city officials in good standing with the Church would look kindly upon that sort of behavior."

Again, the paladin activates his Detect Evil, allowing his eyes to glow with holy energy as he glares at the guard.

[Lycan 01]

Armeth does what any smart person would do here.

He slowly takes a step aside, distancing himself a bit from the angry Paladin, while giving the guard a furtive look of pity. Now he's gone and done it...

[Mathemagics]

"Well if you don't like it, Mister High-and-Mighty Justicar, you can bloody well piss off!"

The man's face suddenly goes livid with anger. He probably took offense at being called foul, soulless, and cruel...

"Everyone in these parts knows the rules, and they're smart enough to show up before nightfall if they want in the city. Not my fault you're too bloody stupid and bloody slow that you didn't make it. Now shove off, before I get angry!"


Siyavash detects no evil auras in the nearby vicinity, especially not from the guy on the wall.

[Odentin]

The vampire hunted chuckles to himself, "Before you get angry? My friend, if you seriously believe that you frighten someone who has spent the better part of the last century in training to fight vampires, then I welcome you to come down here and try your luck. As it already stands, the mayor WILL be hearing about your attitude, and that's if I decide to be merciful. Of course, I could he persuaded to forget this ever happened, if you were to allow us entrance..."

Intimidate: [roll0]
Diplomacy: [roll1]

[TandemChelipeds]

"I doubt that violence is required," says Nikolai, "nor would it be expedient. We are at war with the horrors of the night, not hypervigilant guardsmen. If this is how things are done in this part of the world, I see no harm in indulging the local customs. After all, charity is a virtue." He smiled at the guard. "I'm afraid you'll have to forgive my friend here. He means well, but wrath is his particular weakness. How much of a donation would it take to ease your conscience?"

[roll0]

[Mathemagics]

"Now see, that's a very polite and respectful attitude. No reason to take all this so personally. Just for that, I'll overlook the rudeness of your companion with the hammer there. A gold piece a head should suffice in coaxing the doors open, I think."

The remaining military recruits and peasants balk somewhat at this price, clearly indicating they can't afford it on whatever funds they might have. But before it can become an issue, Nolk gives a shrug of the shoulders and reluctantly pulls out the looted coin purse. Opening it up just enough to peek inside, as if afraid the money might suddenly jump out and escape, the dwarf begins counting out a number of coins.

"I'll get this, least I can do with the coin."

He grumbles as he slowly makes his way up to twelve, before pulling the strings shut again and secreting the pouch away on his person (you think it may have vanished into the recesses of his matted and tangled beard). He then leans over conspiratorially towards the nearest caravan member and whispers.

"Ya know, this is actually a pretty fair rate. I was expectin' havin' to pay twice that."

[TandemChelipeds]

"I'll cover half if it suits you." says Nikolai. "I find it unseemly to pay a virtue lip service without acting in accordance with one's words."

[RandomWombat]

"Much appreciated," Kenneth comments at Nolk's gesture. Although the witch had literally just enough to pay his way in, he would rather not part with his last gold piece. He'd spent everything on materials to produce his supplies and wares; nothing ventured, nothing gained, after all.

[Rysc]

Well. Irritating man. At least we're still getting though.

Solanin isn't actually sure if the dwarf even wants her thanks, but it's a nice gesture, all the same. Even if he isn't actually paying with his own money. She nods at the dwarf. "Much thanks."

[Mathemagics]

"I'll cover half if it suits you." says Nikolai. "I find it unseemly to pay a virtue lip service without acting in accordance with one's words."

"Well if you insist."

Nikolai barely has time to finish offering before the dwarf accepts the gesture, quickly bringing the pouch back out and depositing half the previously-collected coins before spiriting it away on his person once more. A moment later, the heavy oak doors of the gate begin to creak and groan as they slowly swing open just wide enough to allow the carts room to get in. As everyone files through the doors and into the safety of the walls, the same guardsman from earlier makes his way down from the wall via a rickety wooden stairway. Without the disadvantageous position from earlier, you can see that not only is his helmet slightly too big, but his entire appearance in general is pretty shabby--an ill-fitting uniform that looks unkempt and could use a good washing out, and a slack inattentive stance. The guard moves towards the front of the wagon, taking care to keep out of arm's reach from Siyavash in the process, and eyes you expectantly.

[Eonas]

From the solitude of his wagon, Lanyon listens to the conversation occuring outside with some irritation. His headache was back again, and the pain wasn't doing much to improve his mood. The suspicions he'd had about Siyavash and Nikolai were confirmed: the former was a textbook follower of the Eternal Luminescence, too good for his own good and utterly lacking any pragmaticism; the latter was, despite his beliefs, far more grounded and less hung up on arbitrary little moral codes. The Alchemist writes off Siyavash as someone he'd just have to spend the caravan journey with, simultaneously noting Nikolai as an intelligent man who he was anxious to make a better acquaintance of.

As for Nolk - well, the dwarf was still an irritating idiot. Perhaps at the end of the journey, the caravan would get into another fight, and mutagen-Lanyon would lose control and 'unwittingly' kill Nolk. Lanyon briefly smiles at the idea before condemning it as impracticable.

[Lycan 01]

Frowning slightly, Armeth heads on inside. That could have all gone much better.

He spares the guard naught more than a sidelong glance. Nolk, at least, gets a nod of respectful recognition. He may not like the Dwarf that much, but he at least appreciates his attempts to do the right thing. As for Nikolai...

Armeth slips a gold coin from his belt, and holds it out to the nobleman between two armored fingers. "My thanks," he says with a courteous yet relaxed smile. "I believe I owe you this?"

[RandomWombat]

Letting the generous folk deal with their monetary transactions, Kenneth quietly walks past into the city to take a look around the gate area. Judging from the condition of the guard and his equipment, this place was either too poor to properly man its walls, or had a tight grip on its wallet. Perhaps both; the former often leads to the latter. That wasn't a good indication for business.

[Mathemagics]

With the entry bribe paid up, the caravan is at last free to make its way into the city and begins to work its way up the wide cobblestone street. Much of the architecture surrounding you is fairly unimaginative, mostly stone and timber structures with two or three stories crammed close together to maximize space, separated by the occasional narrow alleyway winding off between them. Dancing shadows are cast upon the impassive walls of the houses by numerous lamp-lit lanterns placed at intervals along the main thoroughfare as the party continues working its way towards the center of town. Every so often, the road takes a sudden unexpected turn or splits into a new junction, each path sprawling onwards in a haphazard manner; when combined with the looming houses and shadowy alleys, it gives one a sense of increasing claustrophobia.

Just as the encroaching feeling begins to reach its peak, however, the way on suddenly opens up into a large open area, the square at the center of the city. Ahead of you, a large crowd is gathered, milling about and craning their heads one way or another for a view. The reason for the crowd is also immediately obvious when you take note of a large gallows stage erected in the center of the plaza. Standing on the platform are several men, one of them immediately recognizable by his attire as a priest of the Church of Illumination. The others consist of a sullen individual whose gaze seems fixed on the rough platform beneath his feet; nearly all the others are all wearing the same kind of uniform as the gate guard from earlier (with varying degrees of fit) and seem to be keeping a watch on the sullen one. A little apart from them stands a very large heavyset man with a bald head and massive beard; from the way he carries himself and his positioning, you figure he's probably an official of some sort.

From the back of the crowd, you manage to catch a few bits of whispered conversation from the townspeople.

"-finally caught him-"
"-good riddance, hope he dies slow-"
"-bout time-"
"-how many again?-"

The general sentiment of the crowd seems to be in agreement. Everyone is quite eager for the show to get on and the man to be executed...

[Odentin]

"An execution. After sunset, no less. Interesting." Siyavash approaches the back of the crowd and asks of an onlooker, "Pardon an outsider's ignorance. What's the story here?"

[RandomWombat]

Kenneth listens closely to hear whatever reply the Justicar receives over the noise of the crowd.

[Mathemagics]

The townsperson half-turns around to see who's speaking, but at the same time doesn't take his eyes off the gruesome stage, obviously for fear of missing the show. He gestures towards the sullen man up on the gallows with a nod of his head.

"Eh? That's the Carver. And a right sick bastard he is too, killed eleven-"

"Twelve" The onlooker's neighbor interjects to correct him then goes silent again.

"-twelve, right, twelve people. Slit their throats to the bone, he did. So now he's gonna swing. Good riddance too, the world will be a bit less dark with monsters like him gone!"

Meanwhile, it appears things have begun to proceed up on the gallows platform. The heavyset official moves to stand in front of the sentenced and gives him a fierce glare before turning to face the crowd. In a booming voice, he speaks and pronounces the judgement.

"Mikhail Golov, also known as The Carver. You have been accused and found guilty of the crime of murder, to the count of fourteen of your fellow citizens. As lord Mayor of Pravhda, I Kasimir Trepevski, do hereby sentence you to execution, to be hanged from the neck until dead. Do you have any final words?"

The accused seems to mutter something, but from this distance you can't hear a thing. Evidently, neither could anyone up close, as the mayor promptly demands he speak up.

"I said sixteen! It was sixteen you stupid fat sodding man! And I just wish it could have been seventeen! I had the perfect one all picked out and everything! This sweet little girl, she would have bled so nice when I cut her thr- oof!"

The killer's rant is abruptly cut off as Mayor Kasimir buries his fist in the man's gut. His features twisted in anger and disgust, he gestures to the guards nearby, who quickly move forward and pull an old burlap sack over Golov's head before fitting the noose around his neck.

[Lycan 01]

"Feh," Armeth scoffs, frowning in disdain as he looks down his nose at the killer on the gallows. "Merely a hanging for a fiend like that? Hmm..."

He ponders for a moment, before a faint smirk appears on his lips. He then leans towards the nearest member of the crowd, and grunt. "You hear that? Not a shred of remorse. Hanging is too good for him."

He then moves a bit further into the crowd, nudging another peasant and grinning knowingly. "You see that hit? I say they rough the bastard up a bit more..."

Moving a bit further into the crowd, he continues to drop remarks and make comments, trying to work the crowd and rally them against the killer...

"Punishment? Vengeance sounds better..."

"A killer like that deserves more than a short drop and a quick stop."

"Not a real execution without a bit of blood, eh?"

"Where I come from, we give our criminals real punishments."

"Off with his head!"

"Wonder if he'd be that chatty if they lit a fire at his feet?"


Diplomacy to rile the crowd up into a frenzy demanding a proper execution. :nale:

[roll0]

[RandomWombat]

Mouth curling in a snarl of disgust at the unrepentant murderer, Kenneth tilts back his head and cups his hands around his mouth, bellowing over the crowd, "If there's any justice, I say burn the bastard!"

[Mathemagics]

The attempts at stirring up the crowd begin to take hold as first one person then another begins to echo Armeth's sentiments. Eventually the whole crowd begins to clamor and cry, not just for Golov's death, but for a vengeful execution. The frenzy of the crowd continues to grow, and you start to fear that they might just try rushing the gallows stage in a moment to tear apart the murderer themselves. Mayor Kasimir looks critically from the crowd toward the condemned man, then to the militia guards who are watching expectantly, before giving a curt nod of the head. A torch and bucket of tar are passed up, the latter of which is quickly emptied as its contents are dumped on Golov. Kasimir takes the torch in hand before turning to address the near-riotous crowd and speaking in a booming voice that carries over the din.

"I think we can afford to amend the plan, a little! Mikhail Golov is hereby sentenced to death by hanging... while burning!"

The announcement elicits a chorus of bloodthirsty cheers as the torch is put to the tar. Almost immediately, the murderer is alight in flame, evoking maniacal screams from within the execution hood as he begins to thrash about reflexively.

"Yes! Yes! Go ahead! Burn me! It's fun isn't it?! It's always fun watching someone else suffer! Ahahahahaha!"

The demented screams and laughter suddenly cut short as the block is kicked out from under Golov. Down he plunges, and the rope goes taut, but without managing to snap the man's neck. The crowd cheers as the murderer continues to silently kick and thrash, ablaze in midair.

[Eonas]

Lanyon steps out of the wagon, burning with curiosity about the man ablaze before him. "Excuse me," he says to a random member of the crowd, "Who did the murderer kill?"

[Mathemagics]

"He killed my cousin's friend's neighbor! And some homeless guys in an ally! And a bunch of poor everyday folks! The man's sick, but at least now he gets to burn (and hang) for his crimes!"

By now the condemned's death throes have stilled, leaving a lifeless lump of charred flesh gently swinging in the noose as the flames continue to crackle away. The crowd still seems pretty lively though, possibly waiting around in the hopes that the body will get messed up a bit more before being thrown away.

[Rysc]

Solanin glances over the crowd and gallows, but doesn't pay it much thought. Let the people of Pravhda take care of their own woes. The man deserves it anyway. It was those like him that brought a bad name on the night.

She does frown, however, when the people start working themselves into a frenzy. Mobs would not help her get anywhere faster. She's not quite sure, either, but she could have sworn that some of the caravan members had been...mingling with them.

go / join the wild / kill / continue to

Frowning even more deeply, she covers her ears. The screaming isn't helping. Burning the man did seem a bit much...

...but then again, it doesn't really matter.

[TandemChelipeds]

The spectacle irritates Nikolai. What purpose does it serve? If a killer is dead, a killer is dead. He won't kill again either way, and if he makes monsters of the people, even for a moment, hasn't evil ultimately won out? This is a disappointing turn of events. He avoids meeting the eyes of anyone in the throng, which proves easy, given that all of them are staring at the platform. He catches a couple of disapproving glares for his lack of enthusiasm, but he keeps his gaze down. It isn't a paladin's place to pick fights with the peasantry.

[Odentin]

Siyavash watches with look of grim distaste, releasing a heavy sigh at the whole whole display. As the noose pulls taut, he turns away, towards his new partner, "Completely unnecessary." He speaks quietly before walking away, heading in the direction of the nearest church of Illumjnation, or someone who can tell him where it is.

[RandomWombat]

The murderer is dead and his eternal fate is in the hands of the gods now. Straightening out his clothing after getting riled up, Kenneth leaves the crowd to their business. He starts by asking around about a cheap inn he can stay the rest of the night at.

Diplomacy to gather information: [roll0]

[Mathemagics]

As it turns out, a large inn occupies one of the nearby corners of the square. The crowd has gradually begun to disperse at least, and more than a few apparently decided that a drink after all that riotous frenzy would do them some good. Nolk also seems to feel the need for a drink (though for other reasons, being of the dwarven persuasion chief among them) and turns his wagon in that direction as well. The soldiers and peasants decide to take the opportunity to part ways, with a few appreciate parting words (and wary looks towards Lanyon and Solanin, their earlier transformations evidently unforgotten) before heading about their business. As the dwarf hitches the oxen up by the stables, he calls over his shoulder towards those of you still loitering about the area.

"How bout a drink then? I'll cover that first round the poor lad offered back on the road. Might be able to find out where that lady of his lives too. And it'll do some good to get that execution off the mind, yeah?"

[Lycan 01]

Armeth watches the... festivities... with a faint smile. "Good riddance."

He then heads off on his way, hoping to find a place to stay for the time being. Since the Dwarf is offering drinks, and everyone will likely be heading to the tavern anyway, he decides to join in with the rest of the caravaners and head that direction.

[RandomWombat]

It sounded like a promising place to stay, so Kenneth followed along with the others.

[Rysc]

A room would be nice. Once she was by herself, Solanin could finish healing her leg, since it probably won't be good to further rile up the others. Though perhaps she should take the dwarf up on his offer. At least the chatter (from others) would serve to partially distract her from...unpleasant thoughts and whisperings. She highly doubted she could get started doing anything else, anyway.

Wincing slightly when she finally puts weight on her injured leg again, she hesitates a moment, then follows the others for a drink.

[Eonas]

Wait, who's eying us warily? Pravhdian soldiers and peasants? I thought the werewolf attack happened out in the wild?
The murderer's death stirs something in Lanyon - not pity, but a sort of contempt for the ignorant rabble. They'd decided to kill the murderer according to their little laws, fine, but this was outright sadism, unnecessary and vile. The murderer's death also stirs a kind of vague fear in the Alchemist - his mutagen form had better not murder anyone unless he was absolutely sure no one was watching.

Lanyon hears Nolk's offer with comparative indifference. He never drinks: the concept of an external substance affecting his consciousness is fearful for him. Yes, his mutagens also affect his consciousness, but he is always in absolute control of his alchemical creations. Not so with liquor.

Frankly, above all things Lanyon wishes to meet Abelard. Not at this hour, though, and he needed someplace to stay. As much as Nolk is repugnant to him, the Alchemist follows the rest of the group.

[Mathemagics]

As you enter the inn, the first thing that hits you is the smell. The stink of smoke, sweat, and ale all mingled together in a melange of odor, and rising over it all to permeate the room, the pungent scent of garlic. The large and crowded common room is dim, covered in a haze of smoke and lit primarily by the light of a large fire burning in a central hearth with a pot of something bubbling over it. Several long tables have been setup about the room, at which townspeople of various sorts are seated and going about their business; a couple suspicious looks are cast at the newcomers, before their owners return to their drink or food. Off to one side you can see a narrow stairway leading up, presumably to whatever rooms the inn might have available for rent. Across from the entrance on the other side of the hearth is a long and low bar, with a number of barrels stacked up behind it; a tired-looking man tends it, absentmindedly running a tattered cloth rag across the table top.

The bartender gives a brief nod to acknowledge your arrival, but otherwise seems content to wait for you to seat yourselves. Nolk decides to not waste any time and shuffles up to squeeze into a free spot at the bar. Though, before doing so, he also makes sure to give a brief reminder.

"Mind yerself now. These people can be decent folks, but they're a tough lot. It'd be easy to piss 'em off if ya ain't careful."

He pauses, then, almost as an afterthought, makes one other comment.

"Also, maybe see if ya can find anyone who knows where that Mira girl might be.

[RandomWombat]

Wrinkling his nose briefly at the smell of the tavern, Kenneth quickly hides his expression behind a friendlier one. He's been in such establishments before, and it's nothing new, though no less unpleasant. Taking a seat at the bar next to Nolk, he waves the bartender over. "As my fellow caravanner here mentioned, we're looking for a girl by the name of Mira. Her lover was part of our caravan, and sadly didn't live to reach her. Don't suppose she was here drowning her sorrows for lack of company?"

To gather information.
[roll0]

[Mathemagics]

The bartender squints at Kenneth momentarily through the perpetual haze drifting around the room. After his brief study, he resumes wiping down the counter (or more correctly, spreading the dirt on it out more evenly).

"No, can't say I know that name. Only sorrow-drowning I've seen tonight is the usual lot."


You're certain that he's telling the truth about his latter statement of having not seen anyone like that. But you're also quite sure he's lying about not knowing the name.

[RandomWombat]

"Hm, that's too bad. We had a pendant to return to her along with the bad news," Kenneth took a straighter posture in his bar seat. "How much is a room for the night?"

[Mathemagics]

The man gives a shrug to Kenneth's first comment before turning to pour a drink for another customer. That task done, he turns back to the entrepreneurial mage to address his question.

"Five silver a night, three if you're sharing a room. Food's extra."

Meanwhile, Nolk has begun quaffing his drink in true dwarven fashion (meaning half of it has ended up in his beard) and motions for another round.

[Rysc]

When she enters the tavern, Solanin chokes slightly at the smell. However, her mind soon focuses itself on other matters as she seats herself near the others. There was apparently a girl they needed to find? She vaguely remembers something about the dead merchant. As the witch from the caravan starts conversing with the bartender, she drifts away, staring intently over her untouched mug at nothing in particular.

The stars are quieter now. She couldn't do much for now. Tomorrow she'd be able to start. Specifics didn't bother her. Though perhaps it'd be good to get a room now and heal and rest. The others could look for whoever that girl is...

yes / leave the lost / go / nothing to / worthless to

Solanin grits her teeth and clenches the handle of her mug much harder than necessary. Not all is quiet. I'm...not like that! Quiet! She'd try. One question. That would be all, and then she would retire for the night. Taking a deep breath, she lightly taps the patron next to her.

"Pardon, but would you happen to know of a young woman named Mira? She's supposedly living in this city."

Diplomacy: [roll0]

[Mathemagics]

Eventually everyone in the group makes their way up the narrow and creaky stairs to the upper floors and finds a room to settle into for the night. The accommodations aren't great, but not uncomfortable considering the somewhat rustic nature of the establishment. With all the stress of the earlier day, it doesn't take much effort to fall into a heavy sleep. The next morning eventually dawns (sort of, it's already shaping up to be a very wet and drizzly kind of day), eventually bringing everyone back downstairs.

It's quite a lot less crowded now than last night; evidently the locals do a lot of their drinking here and vacate the place by morning. The large fire is of course still going in the central hearth of the common room, causing it to retain the hazy fog from last night, but the melange of stench isn't quite as strong either, thankfully. You notice one or two other traveler types staying at the inn who have also filtered downstairs, and a couple of passed-out drunks; hard to tell if they just got a really early start or if they spent the night.

As you're settling in for the day, Nolk wanders in through the main entrance. Noticing that everyone seems to be awake now, he nods in greeting and trundles over. The dwarf scratches at the back of his head awkwardly as he glances back and forth between the members of your current group and the floor.

"Eh, mornin'. Um, look... I know this is gonna sound bad, but I gotta go ahead and take off. There's a caravan setting out for Lekbaan in a couple minutes, and I dunno when there might be another."

He fishes around in his pocket, eventually pulling out the pendant taken from the deceased merchant.

"I know it's a lot to push on ya folks, but if ya could take this to that Mira girl... I found out last night she lives over on the north side of town, but I ain't got time. And besides... not really good at breaking that kinda news gently anyway..."

He trails off into awkward muttering as he holds the object out, waiting to see if someone will offer to take it.

[RandomWombat]

Stretching and yawning, Kenneth accepts the pendant with a tired nod. "I know a fellow who lives here, going to see him today and he'll probably have more specific directions. If not I'll ask around her neighborhood." The young mage takes a seat at an empty table, taking out some nuts and dried meat from his pack as a simple breakfast. "Thanks again for the favor back at the gate. Can't very well wish you good weather, already looking dreary today; have some good luck instead."

[Odentin]

After staying the night at the local church, Siyavash rises before the dawn and makes his way to the inn where, he assumes, the others crashed for the night. He orders a breakfast meal and sits at the bar, eating and waiting for his partner to appear.

He gives Nolk and Kenneth a nod during their exchange, and wishes the dwarf a safe journey.

[Rysc]

Finally in the privacy of a room, Solanin turns her attention to her injured leg. Placing a hand on it, she utters a spell, and closes her eyes as she feels the magic washing over her injuries. She'd be fully prepared for tomorrow. If she could get some proper sleep, that is.

Casting Cure Light Wounds for: [roll0] hp

* * *

The next morning, Solanin appears in the common room, tiredly rubbing her eyes. Taking a seat at the far end of the occupied table, she halfheartedly listens to Nolk's request. Apparently the witch knew somebody...who knew somebody. It's that girl again, apparently. Well, dropping off the pendant should be quick. She might even be able to find out about any libraries in the city along the way.

[Mathemagics]

Handing over the pendant, the dwarf mutters a brief thanks for the sentiments of wishing him a safe trip and heads off. Once the dwarf has left, Kenneth notices a small slip of paper wrapped around the pendant's chain, upon which is written in smudged handwriting "26 Moor Road". If you had to guess, this would be the address Nolk managed to get a hold of last night where you might find Mira.

[RandomWombat]

Deciding he could stand to learn a bit about Mira before making his way there, Kenneth pockets the pendant and note. He notices the girl from the caravan take a seat at the table and addresses her while he eats some of his trail rations. "Going to meet a friend of my trading company today. I think someone like you might find a contact in the city beneficial. You want to come along?" The girl had some sort of magic, that was clear. The witch thought perhaps she would make a good recruit for the Luminous Moon.

[Rysc]

Well. A trading company? Solanin pauses a moment, trying to listen to the Voices. The whisperings are all tangled now, though, and she can't quite tell which is which. Though now that she's thinking about it, she has absolutely no idea what exactly is in this city. She just knows that she was supposed to come here.

"A contact? That would be helpful, since I'm not very familiar with this city." She hesitates for a moment, as if listening. "Yes...I suppose I'll come. Thank you."

[TandemChelipeds]

"Two potential heretics, stalking the streets on their own, will be heaps of trouble for everyone involved." Nikolai finishes his breakfast, wiping his hands on a handkerchief as he rises to his feet. "Good breakfast. I really ought to leave a tip." Depositing two silver coins on the table, he returns his gaze to the mages. "Where was I? Oh, yes. Two apparent traffickers, on their own, will find plenty of trouble in a backwater city like this one. But I, as a paladin of the Eternal Luminescence, don't detect so much as a hint of evil on your persons. It might help to have someone around to vouch for your character."

This is technically true. Nikolai doesn't have Detect Evil, so he can't detect any evil on his travelling companions. Not that he would anyway.

Nikolai's motives are a little more complex than he lets on, of course. He hasn't seen any definitive proof of evil on their part, but he still isn't ready to leave a couple of mages to their own devices. Especially not when he considers that one of them is clearly a changeling. They may not serve the Night Lord, but that doesn't mean they don't have reasons to resent society and the power to realize vengeance. It would be exceedingly unwise to allow them an opportunity to conspire.

[Odentin]

Siyavash gives Nikolai a quick nod, to confirm that none of the others register as evil, "The Pyre doesn't invoke much of that same trust, but I shall accompany, if you desire."

[RandomWombat]

"Traffickers?!" Kenneth replies in a quiet, harsh tone. He leans towards Nikolai as he continues, "Pray, good paladin, watch what you say in public taverns. That manner of carelessness is how terrible rumors get started." Taking a deep breath, Kenneth sits back in his chair with a shake of his head. "I am a simple follower of the Eternal Luminescence, and a purveyor of the healing arts - techniques you yourselves are surely familiar with." Both of these things were entirely true, though not the full truth. The Luminous Moon was not yet ready to join the other factions of the church in the plain light of day.

One last thing is added, "Despite that bit of insult, your point is fair; the locals may not be able to tell a healer from a practitioner of the dark arts, sincere as my intentions may be."

[TandemChelipeds]

"Traffickers?!" Kenneth replies in a quiet, harsh tone. He leans towards Nikolai as he continues, "Pray, good paladin, watch what you say in public taverns. That manner of carelessness is how terrible rumors get started." Taking a deep breath, Kenneth sits back in his chair with a shake of his head. "I am a simple follower of the Eternal Luminescence, and a purveyor of the healing arts - techniques you yourselves are surely familiar with." Both of these things were entirely true, though not the full truth. The Luminous Moon was not yet ready to join the other factions of the church in the plain light of day.

One last thing is added, "Despite that bit of insult, your point is fair; the locals may not be able to tell a healer from a practitioner of the dark arts, sincere as my intentions may be."

"My apologies. I hadn't recognized any of your prayers, so I'd assumed that your magic was arcane in nature. And I think we all know the public reputation of sorcery, though I myself prefer to give it the benefit of the doubt. In any case, the point is that appearances may work against you and I'd be glad to render assistance to a fellow traveller, especially on a task of such morbid significance." Nikolai pauses a bit, scratching his goatee. "She needs to know. It's little rituals like this that hold civilization together."

[Lycan 01]

Armeth coughs, making his presence known, after sitting in the corner enjoying his breakfast and morning contemplation while the others conversed. Already armored up, with his helmet on the table beside him, the bodyguard sets his fork down and points to the pendant. "If you need somebody to do the talking, I can try to break the news to her as gently as I can. I've got some skill with words, and it's likely that careful wording will be needed," he observes, before picking up a piece of bacon and munching on it thoughtfully.

[Eonas]

Lanyon had gone to bed early without drinking any of Nolk's proffered alcohol and woken up earlier still. Sitting on the floor of his bedroom, he'd spent two hours preparing mutagens and extracts, even before going to eat. He might need them for later, and the morning ritual was calming for his mind.
Preparing exactly the same thing as yesterday.
Upon coming downstairs, Lanyon listens to the exchange silently over his food. He takes the news of Nolk's departure more-or-less impassively, since he wasn't planning to spend any more time with the dwarf. While Mira meant nothing to him, he had several days to kill before Abelard was expecting him, so the concept of following the group around for a while wasn't entirely unattractive, especially since the Count and Solanin both interested him a great deal. It wasn't as if he had anything else to see anytime soon, and being alone in such a city might be dangerous for the likes of him.
"Then it's set? We can go as soon as we're ready." he says, cutting into the others' discussion brusquely.

[Mathemagics]

It's a gray, wet sort of weather outside, the type that can only nominally be called daytime. Combined with the near-constant drizzle, it creates an insidious sort of cheep that slowly but steadily seeps its way through you as you take to the streets and begin to track down this supposed business contact of Kenneth's. Luckily, the address proves fairly easy to find, a small house off one of the main streets about 10 minutes from the center of town; a discreet sign hanging over the doorway bearing the Brand of the Silver College clearly marking it as a provider of arcane goods and services. Several members of the group, however, can't help but notice the disapproving looks of several passers-by in the street as they approach the store, as if it anyone who might visit it should immediately be worthy of suspicion.

It's fairly cramped inside, and immediately obvious that the place is designed with the understanding that not a lot of people would be visiting at once, making it feel quite cramped with half a dozen people standing around at once. A modest fire burning in a small fireplace off to one side of the room, which itself is divided almost in half by a counter. On the far side of the counter is an open doorway leading back into what might be a small office or storeroom. This customer side of the room is surprisingly barren, without any sort of goods overtly on display and only a couple uncomfortable-looking chairs pushed up against the wall near the fire. In fact, if not for the unmistakable mark outside, you'd almost think the place sold nothing at all.

A moment passes before footsteps can be heard on the creaking floor from the backroom and a man emerges, walking towards the counter with a look of mild trepidation. He seems to be in his early 30s, with a scrawny look to him, at least what you can discern under the baggy robes and hood he wears. On his right cheek though is the iconic brand of the Silver College, shining faintly in the firelight. He glances around at the small crowd in front of him with a nervous eye before clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Ahem... Um yes, c-can I help you?"

[RandomWombat]

"Yes, hello. My name is Kenneth Moray, I'm from Messen," the young witch approaches the counter and extends a hand in greeting. He makes sure the shop owner can clearly see his owl brooch. "Sadly, my current reason for coming here is not business. A member of our caravan met his unfortunate end fending off a mighty wolf, and we have been tasked with delivering the news of his heroism to his beloved." Taking out the pendant and note, Kenneth shows the latter to Gunther. "I thought I ought to confirm that a woman named Mira lives at this address. Be a shame if someone lied to get her pendant."

[Mathemagics]

"Ah... yes-" The man's eyes pause momentarily on the brooch, causing him to give a subtle nod of the head. Almost immediately his voice looses most of the previous intonation and he seems to become less hesitant. "-yes, um my name is Gunther. Of course I'll see if there's anything I can do."

He takes the address note as its handed to him and skims over it a moment before giving another nod.

"Yes... this should be the correct address. Is there anything else I can help with?"


What Gunter means to say is if there's anything he can assist with in terms of under the table magic-related dealings. But only Kenneth knows this, unless some of you guys want to make Sense Motive checks.

[Odentin]

Sense motive: [roll0]

[RandomWombat]

"I wouldn't want to waste my friends' time, no," Kenneth shakes his head in response to the question. He didn't want to get into this with Paladins hanging about, even if most of what he had on him were healing supplies and scrolls that could be passed off as divine spells. The Pyre didn't get its name for being lovable and warm. "I will return to speak with you at length once the morbid business of bearing bad news is out of the way."

[Mathemagics]

Gunter nods again and forces just a slightly awkward smile as he listens to Kenneth's reply, before taking his leave and returning to the backroom and whatever business it is he takes care of within. Having confirmed the address, you set out through the streets once again, the path eventually leading towards the northern side of Pravhda. This neighborhood is noticeably less well-off, not quite bordering on slums, but decidedly lacking in nicety. The narrow and twisting streets prove surprisingly difficult to navigate, and you find yourself losing your bearings a couple times only to stumble back on the path by accident moments later. Eventually, you find the address, a small two-story building crammed close between a pair of similar structures on a low-lying path next to the wall; between the house and one of those next to it is a narrow alley, presumably leading to some sort of small back yard.

Approaching the front door and knocking at first yields no response, but after a few seconds pass the sounds of movement from within can be heard and the door opens rather quickly. The young woman who answers it is reasonably pretty, with the dark hair and eyes that you've already found to be typical of these northern parts. She looks at the group assembled at her front door with a somewhat perplexed look, and it takes her a moment before she manages a greeting.

"Um, yes? Can I help you-" Her gaze stops a moment on the two paladins in the group and Armeth, or more specifically, the obviously knightly attire each of them is wearing. "-sirs?"


The four of you each notice that, for one very brief moment as the door opened, the woman had a very hopeful and expectant expression. It was the kind of look you'd expect from one waiting for the arrival of someone they were really looking forward to seeing, or perhaps had been worried about. But, the instant she realized you were not whoever she had thought you might be, her attitude changed to the current one.

[RandomWombat]

After a moment of awkward silence, Kenneth steps forward. "Hello, miss Mira, is it? We arrived today with a caravan from Messen. It is my unfortunate duty to inform you that your beloved did not survive the trip." Taking out the pendant, Kenneth holds forth a hand to offer it. "He threw another of the caravanners aside during a wolf attack and was struck down in their place." His delivery of the news is rather cold and businesslike, clearly not used to comforting people.

[Mathemagics]

"Abel?"

The woman reaches out gingerly for the proffered pendant. Taking it in hand, she seems to immediately recognize it and lets out a heavy sigh as her expression falls. To her credit, she manages to avoid breaking down in tears, falling into a still silence as several seconds slowly pass. Eventually she raises her downcast gaze, wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye.

"Thank you... for bringing me this. At least it's... something."

Her voice is heavy with emotion, and it takes her a few deep breaths to maintain her composure. Forcing a brief smile, she moves away from the door and motions inside.

"Um, please, come in... Sorry to keep you standing out in the cold."

[RandomWombat]

"Not a bother, miss. Hard to live in this dreary climate without getting used to the rain," Kenneth proceeds inside, glad to be out of the constant wetness despite his statement.

[Rysc]

Solanin hesitates for a moment in the drizzle. It seemed a bit strange to impose on a complete stranger, what with the news they had just delivered, but she supposes this is all common politeness, whatever that is. At any rate, one of the group was already heading in, so it seems logical to follow. Murmuring some thanks to the woman, she follows Kenneth inside.

[Eonas]

There is something in Mira's sorrow that stirs Lanyon's pity - perhaps it was the memory of his own father on the deathbed, or simply the stark sorrow displayed in her eyes. Lanyon steps into the woman's home silently, somber-faced.

[Mathemagics]

The interior of the house is every bit as small and modest as the outside would suggest, and it feels a bit crowded with seven people crammed in the main room, but at least it's dry and warm inside. Mira gestures to take a seat where you can find one, herself going to lean against a wall; from her expression, it seems as though she needs a moment to compose herself before she continues. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she eventually manages to speak up again.

"Ah... again, thank you, all of you. I realize you were under no obligation to track me down to deliver this news and I have nothing to thank you with other than my words. Despite this, however, I wonder if I might impose upon your time just a little longer..."

She breathes a heavy sigh as she secrets the pendant away in a pocket and moves over towards a nearby cupboard, which she proceeds to begin going through.

"Abel was always a very cautious man... A year or so ago, he told me about a cache he had been building up over the last several years; he wasn't an easily trusting individual and hid it outside of town to make sure it was safe."

Finding what she seems to be searching for, she pulls out a simple scrap of leather, about one foot square, and brings it over towards your group, holding it open for display. On one side of its surface are a number of markings burned or perhaps scarred into the material to create what looks like a simple map.

"He left me this so that... in case, anything... happened to him... I might have something to live on. But to be honest I'm not exactly sure how to read this, and wouldn't be able to go outside the city wall anyway. I know it's dangerous out there, but just maybe, would you be willing to help look for it? I'm not asking for charity; if you can help me find this cache and bring it back, I'll gladly share it with you. This is really the only way I can repay you after what you've done for me."

[RandomWombat]

"Hidden life savings buried outside the city, eh?" Kenneth remained standing in the entrance hall, arms crossed as he listened to Mira's offer. "I suppose it would be nice to have some extra coin to start up in the city. For a fair cut, I'm in." Looking over the strip of leather, he tries to determine what it might mean.

Not sure what Knowledge check would be appropriate here, or perhaps Perception.

[Rysc]

Solanin curiously glances over the map. During the walk, she'd had plenty of time to realize that she had, in fact, no idea what she was supposed to be doing in Pravhda. The stars were not being too helpful. She's not actually sure why anyone would want to save their fortunes somewhere outside in the wilds, but...well, paranoia is a powerful force. Though apparently the paranoia didn't extend to the beasts lurking without. Perhaps the stars want her to...well, maybe something in the cache would be helpful.

"A...cache. I suppose that would be interesting. And, perhaps, maybe helpful for you. For all of us."

[Odentin]

Siyavash looks at the map hesitantly, but nods in acceptance. If not for his self-imposed guilt over not being able to save the man, he may well have left this for the others and gone on his way. His job is to hunt and destroy the undead, after all, not search for buried treasure.

[TandemChelipeds]

"I agree. The proper allocation of inheritance should be attended to, forthwith. It wouldn't do for bandits to get their hands on the stash."

[Mathemagics]

Having agreed to help out Mira (and it doesn't hurt that there's something in it for all of you as well), you politely take your leave and return to the streets once again. A consensus is quickly reached that if you're going to look for the cache today, it's best if you set out as soon as possible to make use of the daylight. Nobody wants a repeat of that whole bribe your way past the gate guard incident. It does, however, still take you a little while to make your way back to the eastern city gate and out into the countryside.

Luckily the constant drizzle has abated by this time, though the overcast skies continue to threaten with worse to come. It's eerily silent as you leave the sounds of Pravhda behind, a quiet broken only by the occasional cry of some bird of prey and the sound of your own feet treading across the soft mucky trail. Several hours pass in this entirely unremarkable manner, as you pick your way across the countryside following the vague directions of the map. Unfortunately, your unfamiliarity with the area proves to be a bit of an impediment, leading to several instance of getting temporarily lost before retracing the trail back to a correct point. Finally, around mid-afternoon, it becomes obvious that you've reached the right spot--a lightly wooded area near the edge of a forest with a small brook running along the base of a low cliff, roughly thirty feet high, a small cave set in its side not quite halfway up should be where the cache is stored.

The embankment below the cave looks steep, but not so much as to be unclimbable. Additionally, you recall seeing several other spots along the cliff with a more gentle slope; it probably would be possible to climb up to the top and then get into the cave from above.

[RandomWombat]

Seeing as he was not much of an athlete, Kenneth favors the easier path up the gentle incline. He loops back to make his way up to the cave.

Taking 10 for a result of 10.

[Mathemagics]

Doubling back around to take the gentler path up to the top of the cliff, Kenneth finds it's actually a bit further to get down to the cave from above than it previously looked. It's still doable, but probably not the sort of descent one would want to attempt without a rope or similar assistance.

[Rysc]

Also taking a look at the cliff, Solanin decides that the best course of action would be to follow Kenneth up the somewhat easier route. She did not exactly appreciate climbing.

Also taking 10 on Climb.

[RandomWombat]

Looking down to the ledge where the cliff entrance was, Kenneth rubs his chin in thought. "Does anybody happen to have brought rope?"

[Odentin]

Once at the top, Siyavash begins digging through his pack. In answer to Kenneth's question, he pulls a 50' length of rope out and holds it out, "Yes, actually."

[Mathemagics]

There are more than enough trees nearby to serve as an anchor for the rope, and it's more than long enough to reach down the 20 feet or so to the cave mouth. With a solid handhold, the descent proves quite easy and after a minute or so Kenneth, Solanin, and Siyavash find themselves standing in the small rocky entrance. Almost immediately, they realize something is decidedly wrong here: scattered about the floor in several places are a number of bones, most of them splintered and stained in blood, accompanied by an unpleasant odor that wafts out from the back of the cave. The cave itself has the form of a narrow tunnel, not quite 10 feet wide; it doesn't seem like it goes very deep, but a few dozen feet in it seems to turn a sharp corner to the left, blocking whatever might lie at the back from sight.

(Nikolai and Lanyon currently remain at the base of the cliff outside.)

[Odentin]

"Nikolai! Get your @as up here!"

Vash allows his hammer's head to fall to the ground as he steps to the head if the group. As he enters the cave, he activates his Detect Evil and keeps it active...

[Eonas]

Lanyon's ears had perked up at the promise of gold. He wanted to help Mira, of course, but his own funds were running short, and coming back home was a problem. With a nod he'd aquiesced, and when the group left, he'd followed them to the cliff face.

Now, after having hesitated for a second, he grabs the rope and climbs up to the face. There is something about the place that slightly unnerves him, still more when he looks inside the cave and at the blood. Unnerves, but also excites him. His hand inches toward the mutagen in his coat, almost of its own accord.

[Mathemagics]

As Siyavash focuses his senses towards the back of the cave, he is able to tell with certainty that something evil is lurking back there. At the same time, it is only emanating a faint aura, so it either is not very strong, or perhaps could be considered as only nominally evil. In any case, a thorough investigation confirms the presence of only a single evil creature in the vicinity.

[RandomWombat]

Removing the club from his belt, Kenneth eyes the cave nervously. "Either we've been misled, or some manner of unpleasant company has taken up residence in the there with the cache." A gesture is made to the paladin to lead on. "Not to worry, I've plenty with which to treat your wounds, should you sustain any; and a few methods with which to prevent them, besides."

[Odentin]

"Don't heal me." Vash warns as he makes his way cautiously into the cave, "You'll probably make things worse."

Under other circumstances, the dhampir might have explained his condition further, but there isn't time at the present. He can only hope that the wayward magician heeds the warning; the last thing he needs is a rush of positive energy burning away his flesh and crippling him in the heat of combat.

[RandomWombat]

Raising an eyebrow, Kenneth stows the scroll of healing he'd been reaching for back in its pouch, replacing it with a Scroll of Command to slow down whatever was inside the cave. "An odd request, but alright. I'll focus on the preventing."

[Rysc]

As she eyes the bloodstains, Solanin also readies her morningstar. Either that man hadn't checked on his stash before he left, or something had taken up residence quite quickly. It probably didn't matter either way, though.

The paladin's request seems a bit odd. Perhaps, like many others, he simply doesn't trust mages. There are other things to focus on, however, and the thought is soon brushed aside. Staring intently into the darkness, she follows the others into the cave, the whisperings in her mind seeming to grow magnified in the still cave.

the dark / see beyond / there are / find

[Mathemagics]

As you tentatively explore towards the back of the cave, the signs of occupation become more evident; furthermore, the sounds of movement can be heard... something akin to the noise made by a large animal. The source of the unsettling decor then becomes terrifyingly apparent when you round the corner and find yourself in a small circular room... with a large and hideous creature that looks like some sort of cross between a human and a bear covered in rough scaly hide sitting in the center of it. The troll stirs at the intrusion and immediately leaps to its feet, rearing to its full height and almost pushing against the low ceiling of the cave as it roars in anger at your trespass in its den!


Solanin: [roll0]
Siyavash: [roll1]
Kenneth: [roll2]
Nikolai: [roll3]
Lanyon: [roll4]

Troll rolled a total of 10.

Everyone except Solanin will get to act before the troll. Then, after it takes its turn, everyone goes again. For combat purposes, treat the inside of the cave as a circle 25 feet in diameter, with the troll currently occupying the central 5 feet. There is a 10-foot wide opening where you currently are. Also Nikolai is still currently outside the cave at the base of the cliff.



As the trolls raises itself to its full height, it strikes Lanyon as rather odd that a creature of a troll's size can actually stand all the way up inside of a confining space as small as this. Then it strikes him: while the creature is certainly very large compared to humans, it's much smaller than what should be expected from your average troll. He therefore can only conclude that the specimen confronting the party is a juvenile, and not yet fully mature. This probably could also explain it's closer-than-normal proximity to a large human settlement, if it was pushed out of the territories of other larger trolls which are somewhat more remote and isolated.

[Eonas]

Lanyon had been waiting for this. Quick as a flash, he raises the mutagen to his lips. Rage, pain, the euphoric stripping away of all his human trappings, the bestial transformation into a creature of claws and fangs and fur. He drops the flask and lopes towards the troll, circling it then closing in. "Strange friends, Abel had." he growls.

Drinking mutagen and then trying moving to the troll. Not meeting it straight on, though - if I can meet it from the back, then I do that, otherwise I meet it from the side or at least the corner. Basically, I'm trying to set up a flank.

[TandemChelipeds]

At the sound of the troll, Nikolai draws his musket and runs as far as he can toward the cave.


Once he can see the troll, I'm rolling Knowledge (Dungeoneering) or (Nature) to see if he knows about the troll's weaknesses. They both have the same modifier, so the roll below will work for either one of them.

[roll0]

[Odentin]

Siyavash sighs and prepares to attempt to reason with the beast - it is a living thing, after all - but stops short when the beast man leaps into combat. He grits his teeth and charges in after...

Charge: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[RandomWombat]

"Oh that does not look good. Allow me to even the odds a little..." Before either of his fellow treasure-seekers rushes into combat, Kenneth shoots an ice-cold glare at the Troll, his irises flashing silver briefly before reverting to normal.

Kenneth will move into range for his Slumber hex and use it on the troll. DC17 Will save or it falls asleep, making Siyavash's attack an automatic hit and a coup de grace - at least to my understanding.

[Mathemagics]

The troll suddenly slumps forward somewhat, its head nodding as drowsiness seems to take it, but before it can fully fall asleep, it seems to snap out of the trance and suddenly lurches upright once again, bellowing in defiance. Siyavash rushes forward, only for his attack to narrowly miss when the creature proves to be surprisingly agile for its size. However, it seems so focused on the paladin now, that it fails to notice Lanyon circling around behind it. At the same time, Nikolai reaches the entrance to the den, breathing heavily from his hasty climb up the rope and run down the tunnel.

Caught off balance from his failed charge and recovering from the heavy hammer's strike, Siyavash finds himself wide open to the enemy. The troll swings a clawed hand at Siyavash, raking him across the face. It then takes another swing, latching onto the paladin's torso, following by a roar as it pulls him in close and sinks his teeth deep into Siyavash's shoulder. By the time the troll is finished with him, Siyavash slumps to the floor in a puddle of his own blood.


The troll success on its Will save against Slumber Hex.
Sivayash's attack misses.
Troll's Claw attacks 1 and 2 hit. Claw 1 did 6. Claw 2 did 5. Rend damage was 8.
Trolls Bite attack hit. It did 5 damage.

In total, Siyavash takes 24 damage. He's now at -1 HP and unconscious and bleeding out; he'll need to make a Fortitude check at DC 10 this round with a -1 penalty to see if he stabilizes or continues to bleed out.

Everyone gets to act now before the troll has a chance at mauling another person.

[RandomWombat]

Looking not entirely thrilled with the situation at hand, Kenneth hopes the strange lycanthrope(?) alchemist has something up his sleeve. In an effort to help, he performs some arcane gestures and scoops up a bit of dirt from the ground. In Draconic, he makes a brief hissing rhyme over the dirt, causing it to become unnaturally sticky mud. With a flicking gesture, he sends it flying at the raging troll's face. Kenneth knew he should have played more ball as a child...

"Earth and water, stormy rain; sticky sludge, blind and stain."

Kenneth is casting Mudball on the troll, as a ranged Touch Attack.

Attack roll: [roll0]

If it hits, the troll is blinded. On its turn it can make a DC16 Reflex save to shake off the mud, or remove it automatically with a standard action. Otherwise it remains blind. Since blindness removes its Dex bonus to AC, that should help Lanyon get off his sneak attack - if the dice gods abide.

[TandemChelipeds]

Briefly catching his breath, Nikolai takes a look at the commotion. Things don't look good; he'll have to tend to his partner when the fighting's over. But for now, there's a troll to take care- did Kenneth just use Mudball? For real? Nikolai shook his head. He'd have to have a chat with him afterwards. About self-respect. Anyway, the thing was clearly evil, so he called on the judgment of the Luminescence, aimed, and took a shot. Hopefully, it'd make a difference.


I'm using the Smiting Shot deed. This adds 5 damage to the shot at the cost of a single point of Grit. Also, I think I'm within range for Point-Blank Shot, so I'm applying the bonuses for that; if not, subtract 1 from both results. If I'm within range, this is also a ranged touch attack.

Attack Roll: [roll0] Damage: [roll1]

[Rysc]

Solanin grimaces as the paladin falls. And they were just here for some dead man's cache. What is it, maybe a few coins? At any rate, it's pretty clear the paladin's not going to get any better with the troll standing nearby.

She's not really surprised when she finds herself moving towards the paladin. Divert the troll's attention first. Concentrating, she feels the familiar sensation of her shape changing...

Moving next to Siyavash, flanking the troll if possible. Using Many Forms to assume the form of a kobold (Small, +2 Dex).

[Odentin]

Vash's body hits the floor, spraying some thick, black blood around it. Before the vitae can begin to pool around it, though, Vash's own body staunches the blood flow.

Fort: [roll0]

[Eonas]

Lanyon waits until he sees Solanin engaged with the troll. Then, when the troll seems most vulnerable, he strikes with full force, throwing himself against the monster in a whirlwind of claws and armor and fur and fangs! There is a ferocity, a bestial bloodlust to his assault which no sane human would - or should - ever be able to replicate.

Attack/Damage/SA:
Bite: [roll0] (+6 Str, +2 BAB, +2 flank, -1 PA) / [roll1] (+6 Str + 1 PA) / [roll2]
Claw 1: [roll3] (+6 Str, +2 BAB, +2 flank, -1 PA) / [roll4] (+6 Str + 1 PA) / [roll5]
Claw 2: [roll6] (+6 Str, +2 BAB, +2 flank, -1 PA) / [roll7] (+6 Str + 1 PA) / [roll8]
Armor Spikes: [roll9] (+6 Str, +2 BAB, +2 flank, -1 PA, -5 secondary) / [roll10] (+6*0.5 Str + 0 PA) / [roll11]

Crit confirmation:
Bite: (1d20+9)[27] (1d8+7)[14]
Claw 1: (1d20+9)[21] (1d8+7)[9]

[Mathemagics]

While Kenneth and Nikolai's efforts are unfortunately in vain, Solanin's distraction of the troll proves sufficient enough to allow Lanyon the opening he requires. As the monstrous alchemist tears away at the troll's head and torso the beast howls in pain, until suddenly being interrupted by a choking gurgle as its throat is ripped out. (In fact its head was torn halfway off.) The creature crashes to the floor, narrowly avoiding Siyavash's unconscious form in its fall.


Lanyon basically tore the troll to pieces, but because both Kenneth and Nikolai had higher initiative than him, their failed attempts still count. Kenneth has used one of his spells and Nikolai's gun misfired.


With the troll dealt with, attention can at last be turned to its den. A number of bones, most of them obvious animal, litter the area. Thankfully, you don't immediately recognize anything as distinctly human; with any luck nobody had fallen prey to the creature before your own arrival. Aside from the bones and a few scraps of junk, the cave is bare save for some large rocks.


Both Solanin and Lanyon notice that the earth beneath the largest of the rocks appears disturbed, as if someone had been digging at it and then covered it back up again. They'll have to move the rock first to investigate, however, and it does look fairly heavy.

[RandomWombat]

The troll dead and gone, Kenneth still didn't feel particularly at ease, given the berserk ripping frenzy Lanyon had just unleashed upon it. The witch was certainly thankful that the alchemist was on their side, and made a mental note to avoid stepping on his toes. Figuratively and, of course, literally as well. Cautiously stepping forward, he knelt down to examine Siyavash, noting the black blood. Dipping his club into the liquid, he examines it closer to try and identify what, exactly, this paladin was.

Taking 10 on an untrained Knowledge (Religion) check (result is 15) to identify Siyavash as undead, if it's possible to piece this together with his earlier statement of not wanting healing. Can't really tell more than that without trained knowledge.

"Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that our holy warrior here seems stable. The bad news is that he also seems to be some manner of undead. I remember hearing stories about this sort of thing, but never seen it myself. If we try to heal him now it'll probably just kill him." While at first bit uneasy with the revelation, Kenneth figures they wouldn't have let something like Siyavash go out and represent the order if he was a danger to the public. And truth be told, he was a little curious to learn more about the living myth lying unconscious on the cave floor. Standing up, he backs away and looks over to Nikolai. "He's shown himself to be trustworthy, as far as I'm concerned. We should get him back to town; I'll be able to patch him up in the morning."

[TandemChelipeds]

"I was aware of this, and my answer now is the same as it was when the church informed me. Whatever his life's condition, I, for one, find it hard to believe that he'd turn on us. For all their faults, the Order of the Pyre are cautious; they wouldn't let just anyone in. If they can find it in their hearts to trust him, so can I." Nikolai was busy unjamming his musket, but he stopped and looked Kenneth directly in the eye. "By the way, I have words for you when we get back into town. About dignity." Mudball. Really. Satisfied that he'd made his point, he gestured over to the body of his fallen comrade. "He took precautions. You should find a few potions on his person. Do not, under any circumstances, drink them. I imagine one will be enough to get him back on his feet."

[RandomWombat]

Kenneth raises an eyebrow, "Not sure what this is about, but very well." Dignity? From the man whose weapon nearly blew up in his face? In any case, he retrieves one of the potions from Siyavash's pouch and uses a knee to prop the paladin up in a sitting position, carefully pouring the liquid down his throat. Kenneth is sure not to get any on himself.

Potion of Inflict Light Wounds: [roll0]

[Odentin]

While pouring the potion into the paladin's mouth, Kenneth can't help but notice Vash's elongated incisors, another remnant of his vampiric heritage. A few seconds after the potion is administered, Vash's eyes fly open and he sits up on his own, coughing a bit. He looks at Kenneth, then at the dead troll, then back at Kenneth, "Thank you."

With that, he stands, looking about the room and down at his bloodied armor. He releases a sigh of exasperation and shakes his head before retrieving his hammer, "Anyone see the boy's cache?"

[Rysc]

Solanin's form stretches and blurs back to normal as she watches the process of reviving the apparently-undead-paladin from the side. So that was why he didn't want to be healed. Interesting.

In response to his question, she indicates the largest of the rocks in the cave. "I'm not sure, but over there the ground seems...not right. Though we'd have to move that boulder to check..."

[Mathemagics]

The rock does appear rather heavy, but it's also sitting on top of he dirt floor of the cave, and not partially embedded in it. On further inspection, it probably could be moved with enough effort. It's just large enough to afford room for two people to push against it together.

[Odentin]

Siyavash nods and moves over to the boulder, examining it before making an attempt at moving the thing...

How difficult would it be to smash the thing to pieces? :smallbiggrin:

Strength check: [roll0]

[Mathemagics]

The boulder shudders as Siyavash strains against it, then slowly begins to shift as it is pushed aside. Once moved, the top side of a medium-sized iron box is visible, half-buried in a hollowed-out hole in the ground beneath the concealing rock. It doesn't take very much effort to hoist the metal chest out and open it up.

Inside are nearly a dozen small bags of rough cloth; picking up one creates the telltale sound of coins clinking against each other inside, and a quick inspection proves that each is equally full of money. If you had to take a quick guess, there's probably close to 1,000 gold pieces here; apparently Abel was doing reasonably well with his business, up until the whole unfortunate death part.

Tucked away beneath some of the coin bags, you also find an ornate dagger coated in silver and a pair of nicer-looking rings. It is at this moment, that everyone seems to slowly become aware of a sound that's been quietly asserting itself in the background of the cave, a sort of heavy dragging accompanied by an organic squishy sound.

And that's when you realize it's the troll's body slowly moving as it tries to pick itself up off the floor. While still torn almost to pieces, the damage done by Lanyon's frenzied mauling looks significantly less awful than when it went down the first time. In fact, you can literally see the creature's flesh slowly knitting itself as the wounds begin to close. It still seems to be out of things, and hasn't even managed to properly sit up yet, but at this rate it won't be long until it gets back up, and you have a feeling it will not be happy.

[RandomWombat]

Standing along with the paladin, Kenneth brushes himself off. "Not a bother. It was your potion, after all." He crosses his arms and watches Siyavash move the boulder. While not very gentlemanly to let an injured ally do all the work, he figured he'd be of little help on this errand. Being a black market arcane supplier does not leave much time for working out. "Looks like a nice haul. Let me have a look at those rings and the dagger, I ca-" His offer to examine the (possibly) magic items is cut off as the squelching sound of regenerating troll reaches his ears.

"That is not good. Anybody have a torch? Maybe if we cauterize the wounds they won't be able to heal!"

[Odentin]

Vash's head whips around at the sound of the reviving troll. In one smooth motion, he steps towards the beast, lifts his hammer over his head, and brings it down in an attempt to crush its skull.

CDG: [roll0]

[Mathemagics]

The troll's skull caves in with a sickening crunch, and the previously twitching body goes still once again. As effective as this method seems to be, however, a close inspection of the body reveals the monster's regenerative powers are still at work, slowly mending the area around its crushed stump of a neck. It's definitely only a matter of time until it recovers, but it might be long enough to be a non-issue if you left quickly enough.

[TandemChelipeds]

"I have a few flares on hand. I don't know if they burn hot enough, though. I think we'd be better off getting out quickly."

[Odentin]

Siyavash shrugs and places his hammer down so that the handle stands straight up. From his pack, he pulls a torch and his flint and tinder. It takes him a few moments, but he manages to light the torch. After waiting a moment to ensure that the torch is burning properly, he uses it to light the troll's near-death body on fire.

As it burns, he says a few words, giving the troll its final rites, before extinguishing the torch and placing it back in his pack.

"Is that all, then? Can we head back?"

[Mathemagics]

With the troll at last dealt with, you're free to inspect the contents of the chest once again and confirm that apart from the coin bags, dagger, and rings, there is nothing else inside. A quick cantrip later, you can confirm that one of the rings is magical, though it would require a closer inspection to get an idea of exactly what it might be. The dagger is simply an ordinary dagger coated in silver, and the second ring is an ordinary gold ring.


For killing the troll and finding the cache, everyone gets 700 xp.

You've found 1,000 gp, a silver dagger, a gold ring, and an unidentified magic gold ring.


Back at the front of the cave, however, you cannot help but note that it's already getting late in the day. Given how long it took to get out here... even without spending an hour or two blundering about lost, it would still be well before nightfall before you would reach Pravhda again. The cave on the other hand is quite defensible and relatively safe (now that it's previous occupant has been disposed of) and wouldn't be a bad place to camp out for the night, then return the next morning.

The dilemma before you is quite conflicting, but the longer you take to come to a decision, the less chance you have to act on it...

[RandomWombat]

"Looks like the only magical object here is this ring," Kenneth holds it up to the light, examining it with one eye closed. "Doesn't look cursed, but then they rarely do, do they? By teaching this ring a simple spell, the wearer can gain the use of that spell. This one is not particularly powerful, but perhaps I could get a good price from my colleague in the city." Tucking the ring in his pocket, he glances towards the cave entrance. "Speaking of the city, I suspect it will be too late to enter by the time we make it back. Should we rest here for the night and return tomorrow?"

[TandemChelipeds]

"That sounds like a capital idea." says Nikolai. "Well, more of a lower-case idea, but we have to work with what we've got." He heads down to the base of the cliff to fetch his horse, and returns several minutes later. Rifling through the saddlebags, he finds an everburning torch, a heatstone, and a bedroll. "Apologies," he says, indicating the presence of only a single bedroll. "I'd only anticipated that I'd be camping with the rest of the caravan. I'm afraid spending the night in a troll's cave hadn't crossed my mind when I made my preparations. If anyone else wants my bedroll, feel free to speak up. I can go without it."

[RandomWombat]

"I'm sure I'll find a lovely section of dirt once I clear out some of the bones and gore," Kenneth replies as he nudges the remains of an unfortunate fox away from a section of fairly even ground. "What we should take care of firstly is the schedule of who's on watch."

[Rysc]

Solanin distractedly unslings her pack and pulls out her own bedroll, trying to simultaneously ignore the Voices and listen to what they have to say. As she's only half-listening to the conversation going on around her, it takes her a few moments to register and then respond to last suggestion.

"I can take the first watch." The sky was clearer tonight. She would be able to see the stars.

[Odentin]

Siyavash shakes his head and plops down where he has a good view of the entrance, "No need. I will stand watch through the night."

He opens up his pack and pulls his bedroll from it, "I do have this if anyone requires one, though."

He'd always had a hard time sleeping at night and being active during the day. Another quirk of his heritage he'd been forced to contend with over the decades.

[Rysc]

Solanin shrugs. "All right then."

She's not quite clear on the sleeping habits of the undead, but she did know that she probably isn't going to be getting a lot of sleep either. Still, the cave mouth is wide enough to provide her with a relatively clear, if selective, section of the sky, even if she sleeps near the back.

[Mathemagics]

Everyone settles in for the night as best they can. Luckily the cave is relatively comfortable once the bones and burnt troll remains are shoved into one of the far corners and, more importantly, safe. Hours tick by, and the strange unsettling sounds of night occasionally filter in from outside; more than once, Siyavash's darkness-attuned sight catches a glimpse of large animal-like shapes moving about in the shadows and glowing eyes watching the flickering light in the cave mouth. Fortunately, nothing attempts to actually approach the cave, and morning eventually arrives, cold and gray.

The trip back to Pravhda is slow-going, the wetness having seeped into the ground overnight and turning the ground to mud. Eventually you manage to strike the road proper, and with the city in sight, begin to make better progress, arriving back at the front gate about midday. Things are rather more active today than recently, with the weather being a little more accommodating, and the narrow twisting streets feel almost crowded as you make your way back towards the center of town to check in at the tavern once more and settle in to lunch. Despite the somewhat unpleasant decor of the establishment, the food isn't all that bad, especially after hiking all over the wilderness for the past day.

With the immediate concerns dealt with, everyone seems to be in agreement that they should pay Mira another visit and report their success as soon as possible. Half an hour later, you reach the street of her address and make your way to the front door, knocking in the process. A few seconds pass with no reply, nor does a second knock evoke any response...

[TandemChelipeds]

Taking pains not to make any noise, Nikolai readies his musket. However, he moves towards the back of the group; a ranged weapon lacks utility in the cramped indoors.
Stealth: [roll0]

[RandomWombat]

Early in the morning, Kenneth awakens and moves into a secluded corner of the cave, taking his brooch and making like he was praying for spells from a deity. In fact, his scorpion familiar crawled out of its place in his pocket, taking up a place out of sight, and the two silently conspired upon the spells Kenneth needed for the day. Once the morning ritual was complete, he provided the familiar with some water from his waterskin, and a scrap of squirrel meat from his rations. It crawled back into its hiding place for the trip back, and Kenneth finished the bunch of trail rations before the group left for Pravhda.

Upon arriving at Mira's home and finding no answer, Kenneth too stepped back from the door, but looking around the sides to see if there was some way an intruder could have found their way in.

To see if anything snuck in through a window/side entrance.

[roll0]

[Eonas]

When his mutagen wore off, Lanyon found himself feeling cold and weak again. He took the dagger and mundane gold ring and sat down in the front cave to prepare a new mutagen. Then he lay down on his bedroll and slept uneasily.

Next morning, he quickly munched on a trail ration and concocted a new set of potions for the day. He didn't feel talkative today - he'd liked killling that troll to an extent that alarmed him, and now he was trying to work it out in his mind. The humidity wasn't helping his mood, either.

When nobody answers the door, Lanyon bangs on it again, louder, and if he still remains unanswered, tries to open the door.

[Mathemagics]

Kenneth's quick search doesn't reveal anything unusual or disturbed, but he does find that the narrow alley between Mira's house and the neighboring one leads to a small enclosed back yard. A cellar door can be seen against the wall back here.

When Lanyon tries the door, he finds it locked. Though the door doesn't seem especially sturdy on the whole and could likely be broken with enough force.

[RandomWombat]

Returning to the front of the building, Kenneth reports, "There is a cellar door accessible through the back yard. Perhaps she is down there drowning her sorrows in whatever wine she and her fiance had available."

[TandemChelipeds]

Nikolai puts away his musket. "I find it distasteful, sneaking in through the back like thieves. I'll do it if we must, but first I think we'd better make sure she isn't simply going about her business elsewhere in town. Even the bereaved need groceries in a city, after all. I say we wait an hour back at the inn before we resort to busting in doors."

[Rysc]

Solanin nods. "In this case, waiting does seem like a better idea, just to be on the safe side. Hastily breaking in doors just because no one's home might not be the best thing to do..."

[Mathemagics]

As you debate leaving and combing back later, several of you happen to notice something out of place. Solanin, Siyavash, and Lanyon all seem to hear it at once, the extremely quiet sounds of something moving inside the house. It's difficult to tell exactly what is causing it, but if you had to make a guess, it sounds like someone trying not to be heard...

[Odentin]

Siyavash is turning to leave with the others, nodding his agreement, when he hears is. His head snaps around to face the door, and he motions for Nikolai's attention. Stepping up to the door, he knocks and calls out, "Mira? Are you in there? It's us, from yesterday."

If no one answers, he kicks the door in.

[Mathemagics]

There's no reply to Siyavash, and so the door receives a kick from the dhampir's foot a moment later. The wood shudders violently under the shock and creaks loudly, and a second kick breaks through. Once breached, the rest of the door breaks away with relatively little effort and the way is open. Let's just hope it was worth it because otherwise you may have just committed a crime!

The inside of the small house is dark; no lights are lit and the shades of the single window in the front room are pulled close to allow as little sun in as possible. Even still, it doesn't take night vision to be able to see the female figure sitting on the floor in the far corner, her back to the front door. As Siyavash enters further into the house, Mira slowly gets up and turns lethargically towards him before dragging herself forward as if in a trance. A few steps closer and the cause of her strange behavior becomes all too clear when the paladin gets a clear look at her now-decaying features: she's become a zombie.

As if on cue, more footsteps are heard along with accompanying moans as another zombie lurches into view down the narrow stairs nearby. At the same time a third undead emerges from a half-closed cupboard and begins bearing down on Siyavash as well. All three creatures continue to drag themselves closer, dead eyes staring lifelessly forward, gnarled hands grasping and jaws working the air in anticipation...


Solanin rolls 12.
Siyavash rolls 19.
Kenneth rolls 9.
Nikolai rolls 10.
Lanyon rolls 15.

Zombies roll 15.

Siyavash and Lanyon act first (Lanyon's +initiative modifier is higher than the zombies'). Zombies go after, then everyone takes their turn.

[Odentin]

Vash snarls and rushes forward, unleashing a noise that's half anger and half agony as he swings his hammer into what used to be Mira.

Charge: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
No reduction in AC thanks to Charge of the Righteous.

[Eonas]

As Lanyon automatically raises a mutagen to his lips, he is slightly surprised to find no pity in his heart for Mira - only glee for the opportunity to revert to his animal self, and for the fact that he wouldn't have to share any of the gold with her.

Then, his brief introspection is dashed to pieces as he feels the familiar euphoric agony and blinding pleasure, as claws erupt from his fingertips and the mutagen glass clatters on the ground, as he lopes towards the nearest zombie with a fiendish half-human grin and the lust to kill.

[Mathemagics]

The zombie that used to be Mira collapses to the ground as the hammer smashes into it. The body hits the wooden floor with a heavy thud and does not move again. The remaining pair of zombies splits, one of them distracted by the arrival of the shapechanging alchemist while the other continues lurching forward towards Siyavash.

With a surprising burst of speed, the zombie charges forward and swings its arms around at the paladin in the process. Lacking any sense of self-preservation, the creature strikes with a bone-bruising level of force, nearly knocking Siyavash out. The other zombie suddenly begins flailing at Lanyon in a frenzy of blows; one of its swings goes wide, but the second manages to connect.


Zombie 1 does 5 damage to Siyavash.
Zombie 2 does 5 damage to Lanyon.

Everyone gets a turn now!

[RandomWombat]

"That is... not good," Kenneth stands outside, a bit at a loss for what to do, seeing as their informant on the stash is suddenly undead - and not alone. Who could have done this while they were gone? Was she the only victim? After getting his bearings, he snaps out of his stupor and draws his club, looking down the street in both directions. Siyavash and Lanyon were competent enough to handle the undead, surely, so he would watch their back and make certain there wasn't some kind of outbreak.

Drawing his weapon.
Scanning the street in either direction for anything that looks off. [roll0]

[Odentin]

Vash grunts at the attack, falling back a step in order to pull another of his potions from his pack and drain it.

5' step, draw potion, drink.

IMW: [roll0]

[TandemChelipeds]

Sighing, Nikolai draws his musket again and points it into the fray. After a moment of deliberation, he chooses to fire on the zombie attacking Siyavash. Drawing on the power of the Luminescence, he channels its divine light into his weapon and pulls the trigger. "Back to the grave, abomination!"

Smiting Shot (1 grit) +11 to damage
-4 for firing into melee
resolves against touch AC
Attack: [roll0] Damage: [roll1]

[Rysc]

What in the world? Solanin's mind whirls as the surprise of finding their contact undead and accompanied hits her, though it probably doesn't help that some part of those thoughts aren't even hers. Well, there would be ample time to ponder once the zombies are gone. Drawing her morningstar, she moves and swings the weapon at one of the zombies.

Drawing weapon and moving next to zombie 1, then attacking.
Attack:[roll0]
Damage:[roll1]

[Eonas]

With a snarl of pain - mingled with savage pleasure - Lanyon launches himself at the zombie. Whoever the zombie used to be, that didn't matter anymore. The only thing that was real right now, was the pain, the danger, and the bloodlust.

Bite attack/damage: [roll0] (6 str + 2 bab - 2 PA) [roll1] (6 str + 2 PA)
Claw 1 attack/damage: [roll2] (6 str + 2 bab - 2 PA) [roll3] (6 str + 2 PA)
Claw 2 attack/damage: [roll4] (6 str + 2 bab - 2 PA) [roll5] (6 str + 2 PA)
Spikes attack/damage: [roll6] (6 str + 2 bab - 2 PA - 5 secondary) [roll7] (6*0.5 str + 1 PA)

[Mathemagics]

Solanin rushes forward and swings down, dealing a staggering blow to the zombie besetting Siyavash. Nikolai's gun proves to be quite temperamental and jams on him, again. Watching the group's collective back, Kenneth scans up and down the street, but spots no signs of trouble.

The potion causes an invigorating burn as Siyavash downs it, which helps revive him somewhat. Meanwhile Lanyon quite literally tears the second remaining zombie to shreds. Solanin finds herself the target of the final creature's ire as it whirls around to strike back at her after taking a hit from the morningstar.


Zombie 3 attacks with Slam #1 and hits. Solanin takes 9 damage.
Zombie 3 attacks with Slam #2 and hits. Solanin takes 7 damage.

[Odentin]

Vash tosses the potion flask aside, shattering it on the wall. He steps to interpose himself between Solanin, if possible, and brings his hammer about in an attempt to finish the undead menace.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[RandomWombat]

With no signs of trouble, Kenneth glances back at the fighting, to see that the mage girl was injured. He moves in to help, but doesn't waste a scroll here, since he has a more powerful spell prepared. After a few gestures and arcane mutterings are made, he places a hand on Solanin's shoulder. Streams of warm light arc out into the wound, mending the bruises left by the zombie. "No signs of any more undead in the streets. Nor their source. Be wary, whoever did this may still be here."

Casting Cure Moderate Wounds on Solanin.

Healing: [roll0]

[TandemChelipeds]

Glancing at his weapon with disdain, Nikolai steps into the fray beside Solanin. "Surely, the Light is testing me." His hands glow with holy energy as he taps her, infusing her with life force.

Lay on Hands: [roll0]

[Rysc]

Solanin winces and staggers backwards. Maybe next time she'd try to leave the fighting to the plate-wearing folks. Or the mutagen-influenced ones. Even if spellcasting in a city is not exactly well-advised. Drawing up the stars' teachings in her mind, she sets to mending her wounds.

Moving away from the zombie, if possible, and casting Cure Light Wounds on self.
Healing: [roll0]

[Eonas]

Lanyon grins, slashes at the fallen zombie for good measure, and pounces at the final zombie. He was enjoying this.

Charge the creature, if possible. If not just move beside it (flanking if possible) and strike (-2 power attack)
Attack [roll0] (+2 if charging, +2 if flanking, for a maximum possible bonus of +10)
Damage: [roll1]

[Mathemagics]

As various members of the party tend to Solanin's wounds, Siyavash's hammer comes down with a crash of finality, ending the final zombie. In the aftermath of the fight, everything seems strangely quiet; even the streets seem empty, perhaps anyone who witnessed the battle has hidden themselves away in fear.


Everyone earns 300 xp.


Realizing that there could be more of the creatures hidden away, you decide to search the house, a task which does not take very long given its small size. But at the end of the search, you can safely say that no other undead remain within the vicinity. In trying to find answers of what could have happened here, you catch sight of Mira's body. While the earlier hammer blow certainly caused heavy damage, it has not obscured a pair of wounds on her person, both very different in nature. The first of these is a series of deep gashes in the neck, while the latter is a hole roughly half the size of a fist that appears to have been punched into her chest around the heart.


It takes him a moment to recall, but then Nikolai realizes that these gashes in Mira's neck where her throat has been cut strongly resemble those found on the victims of The Carver, Mikhail Golov, who you saw executed just the other day.


In any case, it would likely be wise to go ahead and report this incident to the local authorities before too much time has passed. The last thing you want in this town is a misunderstanding, especially after seeing how the residents can treat people who earn their ire...

[Odentin]

Immediately after the last zombie falls, Siyavash activates his Detect Evil, in case the creator remains nearby.

[RandomWombat]

"The cellar remains unexplored and there may be more clues there," Kenneth suggests once their search is complete. He doesn't put away his club yet, looking back out at the empty street. "And call me paranoid, but it's too quiet out there."

[TandemChelipeds]

Nikolai frowns. "Things are substantially grimmer than they appear. And given that we just fought off walking corpses, I don't say that lightly." He stooped over Mira's corpse and indicates her wounds. "Notice the dried blood. We didn't make those cuts." He smiles a miserable little smile to himself and looks at Siyavash. "Consistent with the Carver, wouldn't you say? Looks like the city's hanged the wrong man." He rose to his feet with a groan. "We've gotten ourselves in a bit of a jam. Walked right into the Carver's plans, I'd say. Provided him with patsies and convicted ourselves in his place. We'd have been better off luring them out to the street, but I suppose it can't be helped at this point." He scowls. "We've got a serial killer on the loose. Worse, a serial killer with the know-how to raise the dead. This won't look good no matter how we slice it, but we've got to earn the city guard's trust. Ideally, we should cooperate with them and help investigate the killer, see if we can't bring him to justice."

[Mathemagics]

Siyavash's magically-enhanced senses reveal no further traces of evil now that the zombies have been dispatched. Searching the cellar takes all of a few seconds, as the small stone room underneath the house is thoroughly lacking in hiding places and nothing unusual or out of place presents itself.

[RandomWombat]

"He's right," Kenneth indicates Nikolai, "If no one is here, we need to go alert the city guard before we end up suspects ourselves. Though I'm not so certain the wrong man was executed, what with the wretched dark magic we've seen here." Shuddering, Kenneth wonders whether someone raised the burnt man to do his bidding, or Mikhail returned on his own. As the group makes their way back out to the street, he asks, "Are any of you wounded?"

[Rysc]

""Not anymore." Solanin nods in Kenneth's and Nikolai's general direction. "Thank you." Inwardly, she's not so happy. Getting mixed up in some sort of murder-undead-serial-killer-necromancy the second day of arriving was not what she had in mind for her visit. Hopefully the a visit to the guard would clear things up.

[Odentin]

Siyavash sighs and shakes his head, going over the whole situation in his mind. It's too much of a consequence that Mira would be attacked and turned immediately after sending the group to the cache. But by whom, and for what purpose...?

Hearing Nikolai start speaking, he looks up. He shrugs off the question about the wounds resembling the carver; his specialty is living corpses, not serial killers. He allows his mind to begin wandering again, only half listening to the conversation at hand, until Kenneth asks about wounds, "I am, but it matters not. I'll recuperate at the temple. Or a jail cell." he adds with a grim smile.

The paladin sighs and shakes his head, "Let us go and fetch the guards. Let them know that I was the one who forced entry. We'll see how well they view the Pyre here..."

[TandemChelipeds]

Siyavash sighs and shakes his head, going over the whole situation in his mind. It's too much of a consequence that Mira would be attacked and turned immediately after sending the group to the cache. But by whom, and for what purpose...?

Hearing Nikolai start speaking, he looks up. He shrugs off the question about the wounds resembling the carver; his specialty is living corpses, not serial killers. He allows his mind to begin wandering again, only half listening to the conversation at hand, until Kenneth asks about wounds, "I am, but it matters not. I'll recuperate at the temple. Or a jail cell." he adds with a grim smile.

The paladin sighs and shakes his head, "Let us go and fetch the guards. Let them know that I was the one who forced entry. We'll see how well they view the Pyre here..."

"You got to do your job, at the very least. I'm sure there's solace there."

[Mathemagics]

It takes a bit for the realization to sink in, but then it begins to dawn on you that there's a fundamental flaw with the current plan of going to the guard. Namely, the massive hulking beast-man form that Lanyon is currently in. Something tells you that the townspeople and guard aren't the type who will wait and give you a chance to explain, and would probably start reaching for the torches and crossbows first...

[Odentin]

Vash nods to Lanyon, indicating his form with a gauntleted hand, "How long until that wears off?"

[Eonas]

"Not long enough." Lanyon says. This new turn of events was exciting him. He reaches into his pouch to grab a healing potion and guzzles it, feeling the concoction mend his wounds.

CLW heals 1d8+3, and the minimum of 4 puts me back at max HP.

[Mathemagics]

After a bit of arguing/discussion, it's eventually decided to send a few people to track down a guardsman to report the incident to while some of the others stay behind with Lanyon to hopefully reduce the chance of any misunderstanding-induced angry mobs with pitchforks. It takes quite a while to figure out where to find a guardsman to report to, because apparently they don't regularly patrol the city streets here and instead man the gates and walls, giving the impression that the citizens of Pravhda really are more concerned with external threats than internal. The man initially regards you with skepticism and a distrustful glare, but grudgingly assigns a man to go back with you and investigate the "disturbance". Luckily by this time Lanyon has at least reverted back to his human form, and while you may still have some problems explaining away the mauled undead, at least you don't have to worry about the wolf-bear-man-thing problem.

The guard's bored expression quickly turns to disbelief when he sees the bodies. And to his credit he also manages to recognize that they are distinctly inhuman in appearance. After taking down a few notes, he turns to inform the group that he needs to go back to report this to his superior, but that he also believes Mayor Kasimir should be informed. As you'll almost certainly be summoned to give your testimony anyway, he suggests you go to the town hall now and tell him yourselves.

[RandomWombat]

Kenneth has no reason to refuse, so he goes along once directed to the town hall.

[TandemChelipeds]

Nikolai nods. "That would probably be best." He's surprised at the protocol, though. He'd been expecting to be dragged there in irons, but apparently the guards here are fairly perceptive. Either that or naive, but he doubts that. He remembers the party's greeting at the gate.

[Rysc]

Solanin shrugs and follows along. While it'd be better if she wasn't mixed up in this at all, the second best thing would be to clear everything up quickly. Poor Mira.

[Mathemagics]

Seeing no other better option, you make your way back towards the central square of the city where the town hall is located. The building is reasonably large by local standards, though nothing particularly imposing either (in fact it's only slightly larger than the tavern across the way). Once inside, you are greeted by a clerk who directs you to the Mayor's office, where another secretary inquires as to the purpose of your visit. His first reaction upon hearing of a zombie attack within the city walls is a brief laugh and roll of the eyes... until he gathers from your expressions and tone that it isn't a joke. His face goes just a little bit pale as he hurriedly stands to his feet and moves to knock on the door to the private office before entering. A minute or two later, he emerges and nods, indicating that the Mayor will see you now.

The Mayor's office is a surprisingly small and cozy room, dominated on one side by a large and heavy desk of dark wood covered in a pile of documents. On the opposite side sits an overstuffed couch and a pair of armchairs arranged around an ample fireplace which radiates a comfortable warmth to fend off the cold autumn chill. It is here that a pair of men are seated, the first being the familiar heavyset man with the bald head and impressive beard who presided over the execution the other day. The second is a taller individual with an almost wiry look to him and a set of darker features made more prominent by his grim expression. As you enter the room, the former hoists himself out of his chair and moves to greet you before motioning to take a seat yourselves.

"Good day, I am Kasimir Trepevski, Mayor of Pravhda. My secretary informs me that you have some rather... urgent and unpleasant news, yes? This other gentleman is mister Wilhelm van Holdt, a member of the Order of the Pyre; we were in the middle of discussing other business, but given the circumstances he has generously agreed to be interrupted for the moment. Now, if you please, what is this about a supposed 'zombie attack' taking place within the walls of my city?"

[Odentin]

"Master van Holdt." Siyavash gives the fellow Pyre member a low bow before turning to the mayor, "We were hired by a young woman named Mira to retrieve a cache of gold that here late fiance had buried outside the city. When we returned this morning, there was no answer at her door, even after we identified ourselves. I did hear movement from within, as if someone were trying to remain unheard. Fearing the worst, I kicked the door in, and found Mira had been killed and turned into a zombie, along with two others. Nikolai noted that she bore wounds similar to the signature of the serial killer that was supposedly hung the other day, as well."

[TandemChelipeds]

Nikolai briefly bows in deference. "Count Nikolai Gazhekov, paladin of the Eternal Luminescence, at your service. For us, the story began two days before the actual attack. The resident of the crime scene was the betrothed of one of the men who accompanied our caravan. Unfortunately, we encountered some nasty beasts not long before our arrival here, and he was one of the few who perished in their assault. Before he passed, he informed us that he had a fiancee in the city. Then we entered the city, and this is where the story gets strange.

On our way in, we encountered a rather brutal public spectacle. Specifically, we witnessed the execution of the man known as the Carver. It was... unprofessional." Nikolai grimaced a little at the recollection. "We kept our heads down and made our way to the inn, where we agreed that the next day, we would inform the man's fiancee of his death. The next day, following some brief investigation, we located her residence, which is currently the scene of the crime. We informed her of the loss, and she told us of a cache of treasure that he'd willed to her. We agreed to bring it in, and having wasted time fighting a troll, we elected to spend the night in the cave where we found the treasure. When we came back, we took a brief rest at the inn. Then we headed to her house.

Nobody answered when we knocked. Some of us briefly considered sneaking in, but we decided against it. My partner here," Tchairot gestured at Siyavash, "Siyavash, of the Pyre, decided to break down the door. We were greeted by walking corpses, one of whom had formerly been our bereaved employer. It wasn't until we'd returned them to their rightful state that I noticed injuries that we hadn't inflicted. This is where it gets troubling, even by the standards of zombie attacks." Nikolai took a breath. "You'll recall that fully two days before the attack, the Carver was publically executed." Nikolai looked the mayor directly in the eye. "He killed her. The wounds were consistent with his methods. This leads me to three possible conclusions: Either your guards have executed the wrong man, some necromancer has resurrected him along with those walking corpses, or we have a copycat. Either way, your citizens are in danger, and the threat is within the city."
[roll0]

[Mathemagics]

The grim-faced man's expression suddenly manages to turn even more serious as he listens to this account. He sits in silence as Nikolai finishes his report, patiently assessing the paladin as well as the other members of the party. Rising slowly from his chair, he crosses the room in a few long strides to stand in front Nikolai, his arms crossed casually in front of him and dark eyes locked in an intense gaze.

"Tell me, did anything else about the bodies strike you as odd, apart from this killer's signature? Any other wounds? Marks? That sort of thing?"

[TandemChelipeds]

The grim-faced man's expression suddenly manages to turn even more serious as he listens to this account. He sits in silence as Nikolai finishes his report, patiently assessing the paladin as well as the other members of the party. Rising slowly from his chair, he crosses the room in a few long strides to stand in front Nikolai, his arms crossed casually in front of him and dark eyes locked in an intense gaze.

"Tell me, did anything else about the bodies strike you as odd, apart from this killer's signature? Any other wounds? Marks? That sort of thing?"

Nikolai shook his head. "If there was, I missed it. I will admit that my investigation was less than thorough. I wanted to leave the evidence of the fight undisturbed, in case we had to prove our innocence and honesty. The situation is what stands out to me. I hadn't seen the other two when she was alive, and that raises questions in my mind about who they were and how they got there."

[RandomWombat]

Kenneth takes a seat and lets the paladins do the talking, not wanting to draw too much attention to himself. It's not as though he's terribly knowledgeable on the undead anyways.

[Eonas]

Surely the police would have noticed the corpse Lanyon mangled? Surely they would at least wonder about how that had happened? But drawing attention to this would only make things worse, probably. What was he going to say, the zombie was torn to shreds before being re-killed? That story didn't hold up, and he knew it. Instead, he remains silent and motionless, simply watching the Mayor.

[Mathemagics]

Nikolai shook his head. "If there was, I missed it. I will admit that my investigation was less than thorough. I wanted to leave the evidence of the fight undisturbed, in case we had to prove our innocence and honesty. The situation is what stands out to me. I hadn't seen the other two when she was alive, and that raises questions in my mind about who they were and how they got there."

"You're certain? What about around the heart? You didn't notice anything odd around there?"

Van Holdt motions vaguely around the center of his chest with his hand as he speaks. From the tone in his voice, it sounds as though he's expecting this new line of questioning to prompt some sort of specific response. At the same time, you almost get the impression that he really is hoping you don't answer yes. Apparently sensing the oddness behind his inquiry, he relaxes his expression, if only slightly.

"I apologize for the insistence on this point, but I assure you it is relevant. If there is any detail at all about these victims that you can recall, we need to know. And that is directed to all of you, not just Count Gazhekov here."

[Odentin]

"Unfortunately, the destuctive blow dealt to the zombified remains was to the chest. Unless I am mistaken, however, the bodies have not yet been cremated. They were still intact when we left, and the guards were on the scene. Perhaps we might show you?"

[RandomWombat]

"I wasn't really focused on undressing the zombies, sorry," Kenneth remarks from his own seat. "I didn't get a very good look at them in the first place. I remained outside during the fight." He gestures to the wooden baton at his side, "This is mostly just for show."

[Eonas]

In response to the Mayor, Lanyon nods. "Yes. There was a hole approximately the size of my fist punched around Mira's heart. In addition, there were several gashes in her neck."

[Mathemagics]

Wilhelm's attention snaps towards Lanyon as he listens. As soon as the part about a hole in Mira's chest is mentioned, his expression falls and his eyes close as if in pain. His head hanging, a single word escapes his lips.

"Mohrg."

His head suddenly snaps back up, a wrathful fire burning in his eyes as he turns towards Kasimir. Grabbing hold of the Mayor's shirt, van Holdt suddenly lifts slams the heavy man into the wall, pinning him there.

"You Light-blasted fool! You executed a serial killer and you didn't have the body cremated or consecrated?! What were you thinking?! Just because you've killed a monster like that doesn't mean he will stop killing!"

"We... did... burn him! We burned him to death and hung him!"

"To ash?"

Kasimir attempts to struggle free from the enraged inquisitor's grip slowly cease as Wilhelm's hold on him relaxes somewhat. The Pyre agent at last lets go in silence before turning to stare into the fire, a smothering angry permeating his movements. After collecting himself somewhat, he speaks again, his voice still heavy with frustration.

"This Carver... in all likelihood he has been raised from the dead as a mohrg. I'm not sure if this was because of his own depraved spirit, or if there is something else more foul at work here, but that doesn't really matter. What does matter is what he has become; a mohrg is a killing machine, they exist only to slaughter and create more undead from the bodies of their victims. Do not mistake me, he is far from mindless; if anything he is more intelligent and cunning now than he was alive, and he no longer has distractions such as the need to eat or sleep to impede his murderous impulses."

"Then what do you suggest we do, mister van Holdt?"

Van Holdt looks grimly towards the mayor, then closes his eyes, apparently deliberating internally on the problem at hand.

"For now, order the guard to patrol the streets, especially in the area of this incident. We need to find and corner him, and the increased surveillance should at least slow down his ability to move about and kill unseen. However, there is still the possibility I am wrong in my judgement; I do not think it a very great chance, but it is still enough that we should check to confirm. Will the five of you go to investigate the grave where the Carver was supposed to be buried, to confirm whether the body is still interred? I understand that this is asking a lot, but I would not do so if I did not think you lot to be competent individuals."

[RandomWombat]

"An undead serial killer rampaging through the city doesn't exactly spell 'profitable business asset', so I'll help however I can," Kenneth replies nervously. He doesn't really have enough money to get out of town, so it's in his best interests to help get this under control quickly. "We should also see if anyone can identify the two unknown victims who were in Mira's house. Figuring out who they were and how they got there might give us more to work off of."

[Odentin]

"Of course, Master Van Holdt."

[Rysc]

Solanin simply nods. She's not sure what exactly a mohrg is, beyond being some type of undead that may or may not have something to do with murderers, but having any sort of undead running around a city is never good.

[Mathemagics]

"Then I will go to the victim's house and see if there are any clues to be gleaned from their bodies or the surroundings. Where was the killer buried?"

This question is directed towards Mayor Kasimir as van Holdt turns towards him. Kasimir gives a brief start, seemingly overwhelmed by the whole situation, and it takes him a moment to collect his wits enough to reply.

"Uh... er... the graveyard..? Yes, the graveyard, just outside of town. There's a section towards the back full of unmarked graves where we bury those whose names are unknown or who we wish to forget. Golov would have been thrown in there."

Van Holdt is already halfway to the door out, his long strides carrying him across the small room in a moment.

"It's outside the walls, but there's still nearly half the day left so you should be reasonably safe. All the same, be careful and don't take unnecessary risks."

Kasimir follows the inquisitor out, leaving you alone in the office for a moment before you too decide to show yourselves out. The secretary outside the office informs you that the graveyard is situated on a small hill just outside the eastern city gate, about a 5-10 minute walk. Not wishing to waste any further time and leaving the investigation in the hands of the city, you make your way through the winding streets once again to the main gate. A moment later, the cemetery comes into view and it's only a few minutes before you reach the low wall surrounding it. Circling around a bit, you find an old iron gate pushed open and apparently left there, if the crawling ivy and other vines wrapped around it are any judge.

The graveyard is desolate and dreary, and somehow contrives to feel colder than its surrounding environs. Row upon row of cracked and mud-covered headstones rise up from the overgrown grass, shadowed occasionally by a half-dead tree. Towards one end of the area you spot a small mausoleum by the looks of it, an austere stone edifice that does little to impress except for its interruption of the monotony around it. Recalling the previous directions, you remember that the unmarked graves are supposed to be towards the back, but maybe the entire area would warrant a look-over?

[RandomWombat]

"This really does not seem like a secure place to keep your dead," Kenneth comments as they walk among the headstones. "Shouldn't there be standards in place to prevent an incident like this? I mean really, there's not even a guard. Anyone could walk in and dig up as many bodies as they please." He scowls at the incompetence of the city guard. Looking over to the paladins, the witch gestures about, "We ought to check in case any other graves have been dug up, actually. If someone decided to raise the Carver who's to say they didn't take advantage of the rest of the lot?"

[TandemChelipeds]

"We can't ignore the rest of the graveyard, but I still think we should start with the unmarked section. We know for sure that a corpse is missing from that area, and evidence may have been left behind. If we don't find any disturbance in the earth, that should tell us that the body was intercepted on the way to its burial, and that opens up an entirely new line of questioning. Once we've ascertained the circumstances surrounding Golov's exhumation, we can spread out and investigate the other plots."

[Odentin]

Siyavash begins walking forward silently towards the specified graves. With his first step, he focuses on the burning ache that pervaded his being, bringing it into his ocular cavities. As the searing pain engulfs his eyeballs, the world within his sight takes on a starker contrast, causing any evil auras to make themselves visible even as he blinks back tears of pain.

Activate Detect Evil, head for the unmarked graves.

[Rysc]

Solanin silently surveys the graveyard, inwardly agreeing with the witch's comments. The city should at least post some guards here, or something, at least, anything. Soon realizing that, apart from dug-up graves, she really wouldn't be able to tell if anything is amiss, she starts following the maybe-undead paladin to the unmarked graves.

[Mathemagics]

The rows of graves appear undisturbed as you make your way along the path through the yard. Walking past the mausoleum towards the back of the cemetery, you note that many of the headstones here lack the epitaphs found on those towards the front; instead only a simple and rough-cut slab of blank stone adorns the final resting places of those buried here. Eventually, you reach the back of the area, and Siyavash's enhanced sight at last registers something amiss. An especially faint aura lingers in this area, the type that might be left behind in the wake of some power evil presence, and it is centered upon one of the graves. Sure enough, a quick inspection of the area reveals freshly disturbed soil, indicating that a body must have been recently exhumed from this spot... or perhaps dug itself out...

You have little chance to ponder this clue further, however, when the sound of hurried footsteps is heard from behind. Before he can react, Nikolai feels a sharp pain dig into his shoulder as a choking decaying stink washes over him. His cry is just enough to alert the others and Lanyon wheels around to see a rotting corpse-like visage lurching towards him. The alchemist manages to just barely evade the oncoming monstrosity's bite, but the creature does not appear deterred in the least. From where they are, the other three can see that the attacking creatures are clearly ghouls, and can only guess that they must have been lurking somewhere nearby but out of sight (the old mausoleum comes to mind). Off to the side, another pair of ghouls are quickly approaching, trying to flank the party before they can get coordinated.


Solanin's Initiative: [roll0]
Siyavash's Initiative: [roll1]
Kenneth's Initiative: [roll2]
Nikolai's Initiative: [roll3]
Lanyon's Initiative: [roll4]

Ghouls' Initiative: [roll5]

Solanin and Lanyon tied for initiative with the ghouls, but both have higher +initiative modifiers, therefore allowing them to act before the enemy. After they go, the ghouls get a turn, then everybody gets to act due to wraparound effect.

Ghoul 2's bite damage to Nikolai: [roll6]
Nikolai's Fortitude save vs disease: [roll7] (DC 13)
Nikolai's Fortitude save vs paralysis: [roll8] (DC 13)



It's a very simple map, but should help give a better idea of the area layout. Green squares represent regular open terrain. Gray squares are those crowded with graves or other similar obstructions and are considered difficult terrain.


http://oi62.tinypic.com/vhye7k.jpg

[Eonas]

Lanyon jumps and automatically grabs at his mutagen flask. Empty, of course. He'd forgotten to fill it, he realizes with irritation. Instead, he shifts his hand to his mace and draws it out with both hands. Fluidly, he channels his momentum to swing the mace at the ghoul beside him, simultaneously stepping around the creature.

Attack: [roll0] 23 (Bab +2 Str +4 Masterwork +1 Power Attack -1
Damage: [roll1] 12 (Str +4 Power attack +2*1.5)
Sneak Attack, if relevant: [roll2]
Taking 5' step down.

[Rysc]

Solanin grimaces. They should have known something like this would happen. As she focuses her mind, her form begins to shift. Better to be prepared. Maybe there was a good side to the city not having any guards here.

Many Forms to a troglodyte (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/humanoids/troglodyte) (+2 STR)

[TandemChelipeds]

Nikolai gurgles a bit. His limbs collapse under his weight, leaving him face-down in the funk of forty thousand years.

He makes a mental note never to speak of dignity again.

[Mathemagics]

The morningstar smashes into the side of the ghoul's head with a resounding crack. The undead monster stands there for a moment, stunned, before slowly twisting its head back into position with the sound of popping bones. Its jaws open and an enraged hiss fills the air as it lunges back at the alchemist! While its snapping jaws fail to connect, the ghoul rakes Lanyon across the chest with its filthy grime-encrusted claws.


Ghoul 1 uses full-attack. Bite misses, claw 1 hits, claw 2 hits.

Lanyon takes 6 damage. He made both saves against paralysis.


Having deemed Nikolai to be a non-threat for the time being, his attack instead turns its attention towards the next nearest victim and lumbers towards Solanin. It takes a swipe at her as it approaches, but stumbles in the muddy ground of the cemetery, causing its swing to go wide.


Ghoul 2 moves up and to the left and attacks. Claw misses.


Meanwhile the other ghouls have begun closing in on the flank. One of them trudges through the graves towards Kenneth and lunges at him, teeth bared. The other lurches right on past the witch, heedless to his presence with its attention focused entirely on Siyavash.


Ghoul 4 moves 2 spaces left and attacks with bite. Bite hits.

Kenneth takes 7 damage. But he makes both his saves against disease and paralysis.

Ghoul 3 moves 3 spaces left and attacks with claw. Claw misses.

(Since Kenneth is flat-footed at the moment, he does not get the AoO Ghoul 3's movement would normally provoke.)

[RandomWombat]

The bite digs into Kenneth's arm as he raises his club to defend himself at the last minute, and he shakes the ghoul off. The stench of rot and decay is disgusting and causes him to gag, but he does not feel any tingling or burning from the wound. He's not got whatever Nikolai's got. Reaching out with his free hand, he attempts to tap the ghoul in the chest as he takes a fearful step back.

Kenneth uses the Healing hex, which doesn't provoke an Attack of Opportunity as a spell would. If it hits the ghoul receives a DC 16 Will save for half damage as if it were CLW.
Touch Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Afterwards he takes a 5-foot step left on the map, taking the space between Siyavash and Solanin.

[Rysc]

Solanin ducks, a tad unnecessarily as the would-be attack goes wide. Growling, she raises morningstar and claw and launches herself at the ghoul.

Full-attack against Ghoul 2.

Attack / Damage:
Morningstar: [roll0] (+3 STR, +2 BAB, +1 MWK) / [roll1]
Claw: [roll2] (+3 STR, +2 BAB, -5 secondary) / [roll3]
Bite: [roll4] (+3 STR, +2 BAB, -5 secondary) / [roll5]

[Rysc]

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] + [roll2]

[Odentin]

Siyavash grits his teeth and turns to face the oncoming ghoul, knocking the incoming claw away with the head of his hammer as he swings it around, allowing the momentum to carry the hammer's head away from his hand so that he can grip the handle. Without hesitation, he turns in place, following the centrifugal force to bring his weapon around into his undead foe.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Eonas]

Lanyon cringes upon making contact with the ghoul, cringes again when it whips its head back, and practically yelps when the ghoul gashes him. He wasn't used to violence while in his human form. But he had to fight now, fight for his life! Stepping around the ghoul again, he swings at it with his mace.

Five foot step down again, and attack (no PA)
Attack: [roll0] (+2 if the 5' step makes me flanking)
Damage: [roll1]
SA if relevant: [roll2]

[Mathemagics]

The ghoul barely even has a chance to register what is happening as Siyavash swings around with his hammer, caving in most of the creature's upper body. What's left collapses to the muddy ground in a heap as the paladin regains his stance. Kenneth's opponent is similarly caught off-guard as the witch funnels a torrent of "curative" positive energy into its undead flesh, causing it to twitch and spasm. It does, however, manage to remain upright and standing throughout the attack.

Lanyon's attack similarly connects, this time taking the ghoul's already-injured head clean off and causing it to fly several feet through the air. The body fumbles about for its missing head for a moment before quickly collapsing. The ghoul besetting Solanin doesn't fare much better than the others and is quickly torn apart by the shapeshifting changeling's flurry of attacks.

The sole remaining ghoul doesn't even acknowledge the fall of its companions, already consumed with a hatred towards the one who afflicted it with such painful positive energy. The ghoul lunges at Kenneth, its razor sharp teeth digging into him and brutally rending. The ferocity of the ghoul's attack is so great that it ends up stumbling past Kenneth and into Siyavash, who it lashes out at savagely with its claws.


Ghoul 4 uses full attack. Bite hits. Kenneth takes 9 damage.

Ghoul 4 then takes a 5 foot step to be next to Siyavash and resumes attacking.
Claw 1 hits. Siyavash takes 6 damage. Claw 2 misses.

Kenneth failed saves against paralysis and disease. So he gets paralyzed for [roll0] rounds. The disease has an onset of 1 day, so there are negative effects as of yet other than he feels very sick and dirty.
Siyavash also failed both saves. He's immune to disease due to paladin, but he'll be paralyzed for [roll1] rounds as well.

[RandomWombat]

As the teeth dig into his shoulder and leave a flithy, jagged wound, Kenneth finds his joints lock up as he falls to the ground. An unsettling tingling is felt from the bite mark, but he is unable to tell anyone just yet, being as he is paralyzed and twitching on the ground.

[Odentin]

Vash glares with the intensity of a thousand suns at the ghoul that had DARED to paralyze him. He forces all of his willpower into making his body move, but it's too slow, too stiff, to be of any use.

[Rysc]

Whirling around to face the last remaining ghoul, Solanin spares a worried glance at her prone comrades. She could worry more about them later, though. Just one more thing to take care of.

Full-attacking ghoul 4, taking a 5-foot step if needed.

Attack / Damage:
Morningstar: / [roll1]
Bite:[roll2] / [roll3]
Claw:[roll4] / [roll]14+1

EDIT: Whoops, mistyped that last roll. I'm preeeetty sure it didn't hit anyway, though...

[Mathemagics]

The last of the ghouls finally goes down as Solanin smashes its face in. A sudden and heavy silence descends upon the graveyard, and for several tense moments you wonder if more enemies will be forthcoming while half your group is stricken with the ghouls' paralysis, but after several heartbeats everything seems relatively safe. Thankfully, the affliction doesn't last for very long and Nikolai, Siyavash, and Kenneth all feel their muscles begin to free up and resume their normal function without any lingering ill-effects. The bite Kenneth has suffered though does look quite nasty, and will likely need some attention in the near future before it can get more serious...


Everyone gains 350 xp.

[RandomWombat]

Clutching the bite wound on his shoulder, Kenneth coughs as he struggles to his feet. "This wound doesn't feel right," He states quietly as he stows away his baton. A light silver glow emanates from the hand held over the wound, the witch's eyes taking on a similar coloration. He cautiously looks around to see how wounded everyone else is. "I can help with those injuries. Yours' too." He lowers the hand from his shoulder and indicates Siyavash. The bite wound is less prominent now, though his other wound from earlier is still bleeding readily. "Any we don't have spells for, I have scrolls or potions available."

Using the Healing hex on himself.
[roll0]

[Odentin]

Siyavash waves Kenneth off, trying to get a better look at the man's wound, "I'll be fine. I'm more worried about you. These things aren't clean. Who knows what vile ichor it injected into you."

He takes a look around the graveyard with a sour look on his face, "Someone doesn't want us to find something in this place. We need to find out what..."

[RandomWombat]

"Unless you happen to have some magic to cleanse the impurities, there's little we can do at the moment," Kenneth admits with a slight tone of worry in his voice. "But we need to be ready for trouble; we know now that someone's behind raising these things. And I have no other use for this spell, besides. Won't do much good against the undead." Making a few gestures and speaking a short incantation in Draconic, he reaches out to tap Siyavash on the shoulder. Shuddering as he channels negative energy into the dhampir paladin, he retracts the hand and rubs it to get rid of the brief numbness. Kenneth mutters to himself under his breath, "Ugh. Need to make some scrolls for this sort of thing."

Casting Inflict Moderate Wounds on Siyavash.

[roll0]

[Rysc]

Solanin warily eyes the group's surroundings as her form reverts to normal. She starts speaking, but still focuses on the graveyard around them. "Perhaps we can find somebody from the city...from the church to help with that. Later.

"I'd like to get out of here as soon as possible, but we should probably do what...actually, I have no idea how we're supposed to tell which unmarked graves belonged to which, and seeing as there are probably already four empty graves...I don't know, do we just count the empty graves as quickly as possible?"

[TandemChelipeds]

Solanin warily eyes the group's surroundings as her form reverts to normal. She starts speaking, but still focuses on the graveyard around them. "Perhaps we can find somebody from the city...from the church to help with that. Later.

"I'd like to get out of here as soon as possible, but we should probably do what...actually, I have no idea how we're supposed to tell which unmarked graves belonged to which, and seeing as there are probably already four empty graves...I don't know, do we just count the empty graves as quickly as possible?"

"It's probably the best we can do," says Nikolai. He'd rather take the time to lay these latest unfortunates to rest again, but it'd have to wait. "My training is... incomplete." He grimaces with embarassment and looks to Siyavash. "When you're ready, my good sir, would you please search the area for evil auras? It's bound to be overpowering with the ghouls around, but perhaps we can find a source if it's still in sight." This is a headache either way. They'd have to track down a well-hidden necromancer, possibly a cult of the Nightlord, or they'd have to cremate every corpse in Pravhda. Not an easy proposition either way, though Nikolai favours the former. Less collateral damage, less disruption of business as usual. Besides, in a city like this, who knows how many corpses are laying around...

[Mathemagics]

None of the other graves in the area appear to have been disturbed recently, apart from the one found before the ghoul attack. Looking at it more closely, you're almost certain that something unnatural has taken place here, the lingering feeling of dread surrounding the upturned earth and blank featureless headstone is nearly palpable. At this point, it's a reasonably safe bet that this was probably Golov's resting place for the short period between his execution and subsequent revival...

You have little chance to explore further, however, when the sun begins to darken. Granted, the sky is overcast as usual, but it is still the middle of day; that it looks more like late evening and only continues to grow darker is undeniable evidence that something occult is at work. Even those with the ability to see in mundane darkness find themselves thwarted by this supernatural shadow falling upon everything as a cold northern wind begins to claw through the cemetery. And then, in the fading light, everyone manages to glimpse it for one fleeting moment--a vaguely human shape standing atop the mausoleum, clutching something between its upraised hands.

A keening shriek suddenly fills the area and the earth trembles unnaturally. Then from one of the nearby graves comes a groaning echo, followed a moment later by a decaying hand suddenly thrusting up through the wet dirt. It is answered again, and again, until the same deathly moan fills the yard. One by one, the dead begin to rise. Realizing you stand now chance against such numbers, you are only left with one option, to flee back towards the city before the newly-risen undead become fully aware of your presence. By the time you reach the front gate of the cemetery, several dozen skeletons and zombies have already pulled themselves free of should have been their final resting places and have begun lumbering slowly towards Pravhda...

Running as fast as you possibly can manage, you make it back to the city gates in less than half the original travel time only to find them barred!

[Odentin]

Siyavash nods his thanks to Kenneth for the negative energy spell before going back to his search. When the dead begin to rise, the Pyreman has to be physically dragged away from the graveyard, lest he wage a one-man war against the foul abominations.

[RandomWombat]

"Siyavash," grabbing the paladin by the shoulder, Kenneth hisses at him in an attempt not to alert the rising dead. "We have to get back to the city. There are way too many, we need to mount a proper defense!" Without waiting to see how the paladin responds, the witch is dashing towards the city. His sprint slows and his heart droops as he finds the gates barred. He shouts up at the wall, "Hey! Hey, let us in! We're investigating for van Holdt!"

[Mathemagics]

It takes a minute of shouting, but eventually a head pokes over the top of the wall and glances down nervously.

"Wh-What do you want?! Can't you see the gate's closed!"

The guard is clearly shaken, and frankly it's difficult to blame him given the fact that the sun just went out only minutes before. Considering what you've learned of the Pravhdan mentality in the past few days, closing the gates because it got dark only makes sense. The man does at least listen to Kenneth's plea for a moment before turning and saying something unheard to what you presume must be another militiaman on the wall.

"Um, a-alright just a second and we'll have it open!"

The gates slowly creak inward, creating a gap just wide enough to permit passage in single file. As you reenter the city, you happen to turn around and glance towards the graveyard in the distance. There, barely visible in the dark, you can just make out a massive crawling shadow; it will probably only be a few minutes until the dead arrive.

[RandomWombat]

Wasting no time in scrambling inside, Kenneth is at least thankful to be back within the city walls - even if there is a vile undead monster inside, there are countless more back out there. Unfortunately the witch is not very knowledgeable on defending a city from hordes of vile undead monsters. He looks hopefully to the pair of paladins with them, his expression saying 'what now?'.