Expedition to Castle Ravenloft (Toliudar) - Chapter 1

[Toliudar]

It's been a long day's walk from Valkurl, especially with the overcast skies and the fall chill creeping in. As folks sometimes do, a group of six travellers have all clustered together for mutual protection, and there's been a sense that all of you are travelling east for some time. It's a slightly eccentric group - a gleaming knight and pale lady, a young couple adorned with whirling symbols around their heads, a halfling merchant and a Flan plainsman. But the day was uneventful, and already the forest has come into view. At the side of the road, the Weary Horse Inn is comforting in the warm glow from its windows, and the well-maintained stables and garden in back.

Rooms at the Horse prove affordable. Barman Yendil explains "This late in the season, we take such as we can get." The supper on offer at the Horse is equally warming, although the other clientele is scant.

Sorry for the delay in getting this up. More child care duties than anticipated. If I can get an introductory and self-descriptive post from everyone, I'll move this along.

Obligatory OOC Thread Link Here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=225394).

[Daftendirekt]

As the party settles around a large table in the inn, Frigg looks around the room inquisitively, her large, liquid brown eyes taking in every detail as she lays her haversack and large crossbow down next to her chair. The myriad bracelets of silver and jade adorning her wrists jingle as her hands move, smoothing her robes on her thighs now that her things are put aside.

Glancing across the table at her big brother Alistair, Frigg flashes him a smile as she pulls back her white-blonde hair into a loose ponytail. She then toys with a large crystal secured with a leather cord that she wears around her neck while she waits for everybody else to get settled before ordering their dinner.

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee settles down at the table carefully, giving her new friend plenty of room for his armored elbows. After walking for so long her feet nearly burned, and despite her best efforts she felt one or two blisters on her heels demanding attention. All in all, however, it had been a good day, and she was content to make small talk with the others that she and Thoven had joined up with. They seemed an eccentric lot, especially the two sigil-browed siblings, but the mutual protection was assuring.

Kaylee spent a moment considering the rumors she and Thoven had heard about the darkness rising in the east, but she put it aside. Now was a time for smiles and cheerful conversation, not foreboding thoughts of gloom. "So, now that we've finally found a nice place to rest, may I ask where you all are going? I understand if you would rather not answer, but I think it might be nice if we could continue to travel together for a time; Thoven alone is great protection, but safety in numbers is simple prudence."

[theos911]

Mainly addressed to Kaylee, but not to the exclusion of the others:

I'm good protection, Eh?

I'll be honest, I'm not sure where I'm going. Your willingness and perseverance is the closest thing I've seen to Pelor's light since... the incident.

I suppose it would be my duty to look into those stirrings to the east, but for what reason? Am I doing it because it is right, or because I feel a "Knight" should do it.

I'm not sure where the light to my path has gone, and while I should be a leader, I'm afraid to say I'm quite content to follow at the moment.




closest thing I've seen to Pelor's light
Funny, since she's a necromancer and all :smallbiggrin:


... the incident.
Thoven has told Kaylee of this, but not the others.

[Daftendirekt]

"I believe our intent was to travel to the ruins nearby?" Frigg says with a questioning glance at Alistair. "I for one am quite interested in its architecture. I also heard it has quite an impressive library. And artwork, I love artwork; I don't think they'd mind if I took some, do you? I mean, it's just a ruin now, it's not like anybody still needs it! Nobody's there anymore! I wonder if they have any books that I haven't read before? I shouldn't bet on it, I read a LOT..."

Suddenly, Frigg realizes she's rambling and trails off, cheeks turning bright red as she glances awkwardly around the room.

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee leans forward a little bit and smiles at Frigg. She brushes a bit of her long, dark hair out of her face before speaking. "That was an interesting insight into your mind. What, may I inquire, do you do that has allowed you to read so much? I've often wished that I could have more time to delve into books, but it seems more often than not that I get caught up in the real world." She gesture around the group, a bit glum. "And while times like this are nice, the world in general is not. One day, maybe, it may be happier, but it certainly isn't much right now."

Do we know each other's names? I would assume so, if we met on the road.

[Daravon_35]

The tall, broad shouldered man sat quietly at the table as the others talked. Pieces of his raven colored hair draped down around his face. The blackness creating a fierce contrasting frame for his pure white eyes as they glanced around at his fellow travelers. He could tell some of them were tired from their days' journey, by the way they sat or the weary looks on their faces. It was clear most hadn't lived a life like he had, a nomad since birth, always wandering.

He listened to the ramblings and various questions posed, before he answered for himself. "We're not yet sure why we've come to this part of the world, or yet where our destination will finally be. The spirits will whisper their intent for me and I shall listen, as I always do. For now they have lead us to friends and we're content with that. Far too often we seem to be just two, but today we are with more. A large smile forming as the words left his mouth.

"The ruins may hold my goal. I will admit I am curious about them and their history. Perhaps tomorrow when we've all rested and the light of day is upon us we can check them out?" Korack lightly suggests.



The shifts between the personal pronouns of "I" and "we" are intentional. It's the effect of Korack always being with his spirit guide. He slips in and out of it without noticing or even caring anymore. Of course your character can ask him about it, just wanted to explain it here so people know.

Also yes, I assume we know each other's names.

[Greenish]

The slight halfling climbs to a bench, then gives a thoughtful rap to the table on level with his eyes and addresses the barman: "My good man, would you happen to have pillows or the like?"

Turning to the rest of his party, he utters in dramatic tones: "Beware. Dark things are stirring in the ruins. Shadows grow long, and all darkness is not night. Such rumours have I heard." Suddenly, he cracks a grin. "And an idiot cousin of mine lives 'round there. I've a business idea I bet he needs. It's perfect occasion to sell amulets and other trinkets for protection against 'the dark forces', people will pay anything. His business' been flagging for a while, so my dear auntie sent me to help him out, to which I selflessly agreed."

With some effort, Mark stops rubbing his hands together long enough to inquire, "Are you perhaps interested in purchasing some of my protective charms? Guaranteed to keep you alive or your money back, with lifetime warranty!"

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee laughs a bit at the greedy little halfling, a look of faux contemplation on her face. "That sounds like an excellent idea, Mark! Here, you can have my life's savings for one of your charms." She digs through her spell component pouch, pulling out a bit of dried leaf. "Oh, darn. Looks like I'll just have to suffer the pain of death." She laughs a bit, then calls over to the bartender. "Sir? A round for the halfling, on me. It's back luck to offend an honest peddler's honor, and I feel the need to make amends."

[Daftendirekt]

"'Guaranteed to keep you alive or money back?' Frigg queries with a bemused look on her face. "But how does one collect if they're dead?"

She talks quietly to herself on this topic for a few moments, and then realizes what she's doing, goes mute, and once again turns red in the face. I really need to stop doing things like this in front of people, she thinks to herself. Alistair is used to it, but they all probably think I'm some brainless ninny.

"In response to your query, Kaylee, I am an artist. A sculptor, more specifically. Father and Alistair insist that I'm quite good, so I sell my work and this allows us to move around with a fair bit of freedom. And reading? I've always read a lot, ever since I was little. What about you, do you like to read? I have quite a collection if you ever wish to borrow something."

[Greenish]

Mock-serious, Mark waggles a finger at Kaylee. "You laugh now, but when the Dark Things come for you, you'll wish you had one of my amulets!"

"However, your amends are most welcome. Much obliged." He rises up to stand on the bench and gives Kaylee a theatrical bow.

[Greenish]

To Frigg's question, he responds dignifiedly: "That is quite an academic question, since no one has ever wanted their money back."

[theos911]

Thoven gives a bit of a joking reply to the halfling:

I'll pass on your charms, honest peddler. The standard issue lightbringers' sword coupled with my own crystals I've found have proven themselves more than a capable deterrent to any darkness heading my way.

His tone and demeanor taking a pleasant tip towards the jolly side:

Between the damage of my sword and the figure blurring of my armor, by the time they see Pelor's light, their lights have already gone out. He playfully concludes the sentence with a mock swing at a feigned enemy.

[Toliudar]

To be clear, the ruins of the Temple of Elemental Evil are still more than a hundred miles away - still a week's journey or more, by foot.

The merriment of the travellers' conversation is interrupted when the front door of the Weary Horse Inn bangs open, sending in a blast of late fall air. A single man stands in the doorway. He's dressed in frayed and dusty travel clothes, the style of which are hard to place, and carries a slender sword at his hip.

Scanning the room, the olive-skinned man seems to fix on the six. Especially on Thoven? Or perhaps on Mark? It was hard to tell. Striding over to the table while the barmaid scrambles to close the door behind him, he speaks solemnly, his eyes cast down at the table top.

"The village of Barovia is in need of heroes."

Barely glancing up at the travellers, he draws a letter, sealed with wax and unadressed, from inside his jacket.

"You'll do."

With a curt nod, he tosses the letter down on the table and turns to go.

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee stands quickly, holding out a hand. "Please, stay for just a moment. I understand that you may be in a great hurry, but we will be able to help you better with more information. Anything that isn't in this letter can help us. I can walk with you a ways, if time is truly of the essence, but I hope you can spare us another minute or so." She shrugs, and gestures to the bar and its tender. "I'd be happy to get you water, or a drink if you need it."

[Daravon_35]

Korack smiled again. Even though the banter between his companions had been interesting, this newcomer with a letter was even more so. Rising from his seat, the large man also offered his voice to the matter. "Yes come friend. Surely you have but at least a moment to spare? Perhaps take the fine lady up on her offer as we discuss this talk of heroes?" Korack says, the grin still plastered across his face.


Hmm in case free booze is not enough to make the man stay, we'll see if Korack's convincing tone can't help.

Diplomacy: [roll0]

[theos911]

Thoven stands abruptly, his deep voice booming quite unexpectedly:

A curt letter is no way to ask for help for your home! If you desire our help, you will speak with us on our terms.

You are aware as I, that this area is not the friendliest of places, and I do not intend to lead my friends nor myself into an unknown danger.

Now, if you please:

How far is Barovia from here?
Who has sent this message and by what authority?
Given your rude tone, I assume you do not live in the village affected, is this your home that needs heroes?

[Toliudar]

The man turns nodding at Kaylee in particular and locking eyes with her as he speaks, slowly and carefully.

"Barovia is not my home. It is just through those woods to the east, perhaps thirty miles. The letter from the Burgomaster has the rest - I am messenger only."

He whirls and heads out the door, this time closing it behind himself. There is a murmur of speculative conversation from other patrons.

[Greenish]

Mark stares at the door the stranger just left through for a moment, then shrugs. "It's on our way. He didn't sound too encouraging, though."

[Daftendirekt]

"Well, I wouldn't precisely call myself a 'hero', but I don't see why we couldn't at least check it out..." Frigg mumbles uncertainly.

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee takes a knife from her decolletage, and she picks up the letter lightly. "Well, I suppose we should see what it has to say. Assuming no objections?" She looks around for a moment, and then she slices open the seal before spreading the letter open on the table for all to see. She puts her knife away, reading the letter aloud.

Yeah, she keeps a dagger in her cleavage. Wouldn't you?

[theos911]

Hold on a second Kaylee, I'll be right back.

Thoven walks to the window(or peeps his head out the door) and watches for the direction by which the messenger leaves.

[Toliudar]

Yeah, she keeps a dagger in her cleavage. Wouldn't you?

Only if I was really, really good at remembering not to lean forward. :smallcool:

Thoven dashes to the window of the inn. In the dying light, he picks out a single figure trotting away to the east on a spindly horse.

[theos911]

Suspicion getting the better of me,

as he sits back down

I wanted to see if our messenger headed to the west, away from our destination, or worse into the woods he advised us not to enter. Nothing suspicious about going where he should. So, Kaylee, about that letter.

He pauses for Kaylee to read the note.

[OMG PONIES]

Alistair has remained silent the entire time, his face buried in a scroll. For those travelling with him, it seems a bit off-putting. However, his sister knows that it would be far more disconcerting if he wasn't busy reading. At the entry of the terse messenger, he moves naught but a single eyeball away from his scroll.

As the others begin to unfurl the letter and read it, his mind wanders. He swears he has heard the name Barovia before, but where? Images of various histories, atlases, and tomes flicker through his head. Sadly, none of them seem to bear any reference to the kingdom of Barovia.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

All of a sudden, there is a flicker of...something: a half-remembered chapter from a martial history he had glanced over many months before. He sighs lightly and pulls down the corners of his scroll, which allows him to gaze across the table at the others. "I've not heard of such a place as Barovia in my studies," he begins. "However, there are (somewhat unreliable) tales, of places--entire towns--that seem to appear and disappear, blinking in and out of history like twinkling stars. Many of these accounts are from the easterly woods. A hundred years ago, the Archcleric sent three squads of horsemen into said woods to prove the rumors...or possibly to disprove them, depending on which historian you consult. Two of the brigades returned with nothing to report. The third never returned, and the matter was quietly swept under the rug. Tales spread that they found one of these hidden cities and could not return, but no respectable historian believes those tales hold any water. But maybe--just maybe--there is some truth to the myth after all. Perhaps this 'Barovia' is one such twinkling town?" He laughs a deep, low belly laugh and raises a hand. "Or perhaps the mead here is stronger than I thought; listen to me rattling on about such foolishness. It may all very well be a fairy tale. Yes, that's the most logical answer. I'm just connecting drunkard's dots."

Whichever knowledge check is most appropriate, though none of them are particularly good.

[Toliudar]

Alistair knowledge checks:
Geography: never heard a the place.

History: There are fanciful accounts of towns in this region - in the woods to the east, in the Lortmils to the south - of towns that come and go, that are sometimes there and sometimes not.

A century ago, the Archcleric of Veluna sent a three squads of knights into the woods to prove these rumours true or false once and for all. Two squads returned, having found nothing. The third disappeared, and proved impossible to find, even with relatively powerful divinations. The Archcleric quietly stopped looking.

Local: This is a prosperous area, but with other lands nearby, it's often a nexus of new magics and travellers.

[Toliudar]

As Thoven rejoins the others at the table, Kaylee opens the letter and reads. The handwriting is shaky and large, the ink blotted in a couple of places.


"Barovia. The worms creep beneath our floors and our streets, they feast on the flesh of our dead. High in the castle, the once lord is no longer, the new lord is not yet, without form, void. All is void and vanity.

Ireena, Ireena, Ireena! Long have I kept you at my side, long will I keep you close to my heart! Save my Ireena!

I am the Burgomaster. The Master! Kolyan am I!

Soon the worms will feast on me.

Come! Do not tarry!"

[theos911]

I will be honest. I much prefer the terse military orders I am accustomed to, than these cryptic things...

So, the old lord has died?
A new one hasn't arrived?
Something is eating the dead, or is that a reference to the undead?
Ireena is in danger?
Soon, the writer of this letter will be dead?

Anyone here better with riddles than me?



Knowledge Religion: [roll0]
Knowledge: Nobility & Royalty: [roll1]
Checking to see if the names ring a bell, or anything else applicable.

[Toliudar]

Thoven:
None of the names mean anything to you. You know that "Burgomaster" is a slightly archaic title for a mayor.

[OMG PONIES]

Alistair searches his mind for anything else that can help make sense of this. To him, it sounds less like a riddle and more like the ramblings of a madman. Still, it was frustrating him that this Barovia was a topic he knew little about. Sighing heavily once more, he rolls up his scroll and mutters under his breath in strange syllables that were foreign to all but his sister. She recognized them as Truespeech, the ancient words her brother believes had formed not only the Illumian race, but the world itself. "Sino mihi scio incompertus," he mutters, "Sino mihi futurus gnarus et sino mihi scio incompertus."

[roll0] vs DC 29
[roll1] vs DC 29
[roll2] vs DC 31
[roll3] to recognize the names listed in the letter
[roll4] for anything else about Barovia gleaned from the letter

[Greenish]

"Sounds like a most unpleasant place. One wonders how anyone mad enough to write that managed to convince someone to carry it for him." Mark looks at the letter a while and shudders. "I must admit, the prose does well in conveying a sense of urgency."

[Toliudar]

Alistair knowledge results:
Alistair does remember an old story he read...

Two Americans on a hunting trip in Scotland become lost. They encounter a small village, not on the map, called Brigadoon, in which people harbor a mysterious secret, and behave as if they were still living two hundred years in the past.

No, wait, that's Brigadoon. But if you replace "Two Americans" with "a band of knights from Furyondy", "Scotland" with "Dapplewood" and "Brigadoon" with "Barovia", it's actually pretty close.

Essentially, Alistair has heard of a place called Barovia that sometimes is accessed from either the Dapplewood or the Lortmils, but is usually not there. An account by the aforementioned Furyondian knights reported a dark and brooding land, a predominantly human population, and several battles with werewolves. In fact, the knights lost nearly half of their cohort, and were able to find their way out again only after finding and killing the leader of the lycans. The account, however, was from 143 years ago, and a lot can change.

[OMG PONIES]

Alistair raises a finger to the sky in a "Eureka!" moment. "No, no," he chides himself. "There was something to it after all. That band of knights that never returned? Read a memoir once, of a chap claiming to be of that brigade. He spoke at length of an old-fashioned kingdom called Barovia, which he travelled to by way of these vanishing cities. He called it a human land beseiged by werewolves and recounted how his company was cut in half by clashes with lycans.

What's more, this memoir claimed that a portal to Barovia lay in the Dapplewood. The account ended with him killing the head of the lycans in order to find his way home, and it's rather young for a history--only about 143 years old. Of course, none would verify his account, not even those he claimed had traveled with him. Makes it quite difficult to find corroborative bibliography in that case, yes?" Alistair titters with laughter, clearly the only one amused by his odd joke.

[Daftendirekt]

Frigg listens as her brother speaks the ancient Truespeech, mouthing the words along with him although not feeling the power of them -- that requires endless repetition and study -- and then listens to his story. She smirks at her brother's attempt at humour, and then looks seriously around the table at the rest of her companions.

"So, what's the decision? Shall we go to this place and lend our aid, or ignore it and continue on as we were? Either way lies new things."

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee pays careful attention to the words spoken by the sigil'd man, but despite her best efforts she can't make head or tail of the spell he's casting. She puts the thought away for now, but she makes a mental note to find out more about his magic; she hadn't felt a stir of energy, either, and that made her curious.

"I'm intrigued, no less because this place seems to be a lot closer than our ultimate destination. This man, whoever wrote the letter, is clearly distressed, but he cannot be too out of his mind or the courier wouldn't have carried the letter at all. If we can't find Barovia then we'll just be on our way, but I don't think it will hurt much to check it out. We may be able to do some good, or at least find something of interest." She smiles a bit, looking at the others. "Sound fair?"

[theos911]

BAROVIA! Why didn't I remember it earlier? When I was in training, we were warned not to head into those areas alone. Why?, we weren't told. However, I did ask our trainer afterward, and he mentioned something about Lycans. He offered me a report on the subject, but I was soon to be married and ignored it. Poor choice I guess.



Hmm, the letter doesn't make any mention of things resembling Lycans... while, I don't want to walk blind into an unknown situation...

The man must be sane enough to get a courier, and with that sanity, at least some of what is in the letter must be based on actual truth. As nasty as that stuff is, even the un-exaggerated form would be a threat to innocent people.

I'm rather uneasy at saying it, but something tells me we will find a good bit there. Pelor shines his light on what he wants one to see. If we weren't meant to see this, we wouldn't have seen this.

[Greenish]

"I think a more interesting question is 'who meant us to see this?'" Mark scrathes his chin, then shrugs. "We'll have to travel that way in any case. I don't like this 'vanishing cities' talk, but I wouldn't like leaving the people hanging when it probably won't slow us down much."

[Daravon_35]

Korack looks up after the reading of the letter is complete and his companions lightly continue to discuss their future. "Who meant us to see it? The Gods? The spirits? The fates? What's it matter? The choice seems clear. Out there is person, perhaps even a town that needs help. I feel it would be poor of us to turn a blind eye to it." The shaman sighs for a moment.

"But it's getting late and I'd rather not look for a town that may or may not be there in the dark. Shall we finish our supper and discuss this more?"

[Daftendirekt]

"Are you kidding? I LOVE this 'vanishing cities' talk! It sounds incredibly exciting! I'm glad everybody agreed to go with. Now, let's order some vittles already, I'm famished! Waiter!" the young girl calls out, waving over their server with a grin on her face.

[Toliudar]

The barmaid scurries over at Frigg's request.

"Hi, sorry, sorry. Um. I hope that man didn't bother you."

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee smiles and shakes her head gently. "No, he wasn't a bother at all, and indeed it seems that he's given our minds and our talents something to do on the way to our ultimate destination. Thank you for the concern, however." She turns back to the others, still in a good humor. "Shall we chat for a bit before bed, then, and rise with the sun? I look forward to starting out tomorrow."

[Daftendirekt]

"Eat first. Chat second." Frigg says to Kaylee, her face quite serious. She just stares across the table at the other girl.

And keeps staring.

And then her stomach growls quite loudly.

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee returns the gaze with a bemused expression and more than a little curiosity for a few long seconds before winking at her and turning away to hand the barmaid a few gold. "I'm not sure if you have anything hot to eat, but if you do I think we'd all love it, whatever it may be. A lady can only subside on trail rations for so long, you know."

Kaylee gives her howevermuch a meal for everyone will cost. If it'll be more than 7-8 gp she'll hit up Thoven for some gold. :smallwink:

[Toliudar]

A simple, hearty meal of roast mutton and potatoes soon arrives.

[Greenish]

Between bites, the halfling observes, "Not that I mind getting a decent meal, but the point of trail rations is that you can subsist on them for as long as you have to." He then returns to wolfing down the mutton at seemingly impossible speed.

[Daftendirekt]

As fast as the halfling eats, Frigg is done first, sliding her plate away and leaning back as far as the chair will allow, hands on her full stomach. "That hit the spot. Now, let's digest for a bit and then we can discuss things."

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee dabs her mouth with a small cloth before putting it away, surprisingly dainty for someone who spends a good deal of her time in the woods. "As for discussion, I'm not naive enough to think that we've been called to help someone in a non-confrontational, combative way. More likely than not we're going to have to kill something tentacled and gibbering, or possibly massive and clawed. Either way, I think you all need to know a bit more about me, when we're not in the heat of the moment." She glances to Thoven for a moment, taking a breath. He accepts me. If he can accept me, anyone can.

"I work life energy. Mostly negative energy. I can shape it, emit it, and control beings that are powered by it." She smiles, a sad smile. "Most of those beings tend to be undead. The colloquial term for my variety of spellcaster is necromancer, and it's a fair description. I cannot yet create undead, but I can summon undead forms for a short time, and I can and will use them in combat. I just thought I should tell you now, rather than surprise you and accidentally have a crossfire. Does anyone have a problem working with me? I'll understand if you do, but I hope we can work things out. I don't hurt or kill anything that doesn't attack me first, and I don't create mindless, wandering undead. Necromancy is quite reasonable, if you know what you're doing."

[Daftendirekt]

"No problem at all," Frigg's voices speaks, although her lips are shut tight. "You're not the only one with interesting abilities here."

The white-haired girl's lips curl into an amused smirk as she glances across at Kaylee, and then the crystal hanging from the leather cord around her neck suddenly sprouts several spidery limbs and leaps onto the table; the crystal glows simultaneously with the circular symbol on the girl's forehead -- a bright, luminous orange.

"I am what some call a 'psion'," Frigg says out loud as the crystal's illumination fades. "I most often shape or manipulate things, whether they be extant or of my own creation." After finishing speaking, the young woman glances expectantly around the table at everybody but her brother, who of course is quite aware of her talents.

Spend 3 PP to manifest Control Sound, and tell my psicrystal to move accordingly.

[OMG PONIES]

Alistair arches an eyebrow at Frigg's display--just like the kid to show off, no matter how much it might cheapen her field of study. He had always scolded her for it in the past; they were intellectuals, not entertainers. Of course, just because Ali kept saying it didn't meant that Frigg ever listened...if only he could find the Truespeech syllables that could make her pay attention. He laughs at the thought and tucks away his scroll.

"I study the First Words: the very speech that created not only my people, but all of us and everything around us. Unfortunately, they don't make for any good parlor tricks," he chides with a pointed glance toward his sister, "but suffice it to say they bind all of creation. If spoken correctly, living creatures and Kaylee's undead alike are both powerless to resist them."

Now that his scroll has been stowed away, Alistair realizes for the first time that there is food in front of him. As the others share more about themselves, he listens and nods politely while gingerly eating little bits of his meal.

[theos911]

Well, Kaylee, if we are being forthright, there is something you should know as it might put you in direct danger. I'm sure you & the rest of you have noticed that light that emanates from me. I'm not sure where it came from, but I believe it is Pelor's way of keeping my passed wife with me. It serves three purposes. First, it makes a light, simple enough and handy when in the dark. Secondly, all good creatures recognize it as a holy blessing and are usually more willing to work with me because of it.

Now, here is the bad news for you Kaylee. Part of the fact that this light is my wife with me, it retains her hatred for the undead that killed her, coupled with Pelor's burning sun. That is to say, it burns undead and alike. It isn't terribly powerful, but it hits anything in its path. Kaylee, only recently I've been granted this power, and only once have I seen it work. I am near certain it would not discriminate your undead from those of an enemy, and I fear it might not discriminate you from them either. It only manifests in that way in the presence of the undead. So far it hasn't decided you are undead enough to trigger it. However, with a valid trigger, I'm not sure whether it would consider you an enemy or not...


Alistair, are the first words similar to the words of creation? I once read that the words of creation were the precursors to the celestial language. Knowing celestial, it would be interesting to see if any of the first words are roots in celestial, or if they are two different things.


Thoven stops speaking and begins eating. If the waiter comes by again, Thoven asks for some sugar cubes for his horse and pockets them for later.

[Greenish]

"Well, well, well." Mark drums his fingertips on the table. "I guess I should confess that my trinkets aren't always perfectly effective." He glances at the faces of the rest of the group, then sighs. "Also, I can fly and breathe fire, and I'm not really a halfling."

[Daravon_35]

Korack sat quietly once more, eating the food that had been brought out and placed in front of him. He was busy making sure he would be well fed for tomorrow's journey, knowing that being prepared was one of the most important things.

As the others bantered about their differences so too did he finally say his piece. "Gifts, powers, words, trinkets. I have known of these so to speak, but the spirits of this world have chosen to speak to me and with that I bounded to a great ursine spirit of power. He and I have since started a journey that I don't know if either of us will finish. But together we move forward, finding friends, and enemies along the way."

[Toliudar]

The six spent the night relaxing and chatting in the inn, and found the rooms clean, if somewhat sparse.

The morning's light is pale, filtering through thin cloud cover, but there is still some warmth and cheer to be had from it. Tabs are settled and water is splashed on faces, and soon six travellers are ready for the road.

The remaining hours of travel into the Dapplewood are uneventful, and it's a little shy of noon when they enter. The road is relatively wide and well-maintained - this is a major thoroughfare - although this late in the year, there are no other travellers that the group pass.

Towards mid-afternoon, several members of the band, more or less at once, notice a flash of white in the trees at the side of the road to the right ahead. Moving closer, it seems to be a sign, carved into a split branch and pointing off on a narrower road branching off to the right. The sign bears the single word "BAROVIA". From the lightness of the wood of the sign, it seems apparent that it hasn't been there long.

The narrower path leads downwards slightly, into a patch of the forest with taller trees and deeper shadows.

Happy Holidays, all. My apologies for the delay in updating. Family commitments piled up higher than expected. Please feel free to note any special preparations or conversations back at the inn retroactively.

[Greenish]

Mark cranes his neck to peer at the sign, then addresses the others. "So. Here we are now. All in favour of the detour?"

[Daftendirekt]

"Well, that IS the place we were going in order to help, correct?" Frigg queries, fiddling as always with the crystal dangling around her neck. "Let's go!"

[OMG PONIES]

Back at the inn last night, Alistair had cracked a wry smirk at Thoven's question and answered in Celestial:

Celestial speakers only:
"Quite apt, friend, quite apt indeed. A few Celestial root words are translations or misspellings of syllables also found in the first words. As for your question about the words of creation, we shall speak more tomorrow. It is talk better suited for passing time on the road than wasting time we should be sleeping."

With that, the illumian had excused himself from the rest of the party to finish up the scroll he was reading before turning in for the night. The rest had paid off; today he feels vivacious as he travels with the others.

"Thoven," he calls to the paladin. "You had asked about the Words of Creation and the First Words last night. The First Words are indeed similar to these, but every coin has two sides, does it not?" His smirk returns, clearly enjoying any chance he gets to teach anything to someone. Living with a fellow know-it-all like Frigg made actually teaching the girl anything new quite the chore. Whether or not she was honest, she'd always counter Alistair's lessons with a tale of how she had learned the same information long before he decided to impart it to her.

"It's quite simple, actually," he returns to the conversation, "much like every word in Common has an antonym--an opposite--the same can be said of the First Words. However, instead of existing as separate words, each of the First has two forms: normal and reversed. Spoken normally, these words carry the power of creation and healing. Utter them backwards, however, and they can undo all that which they have done. You might be familiar with these reversed utterances as 'The Dark Speech,' according to some religious types. But rather than being tools of two opposing factions, the Words of Creation and the Dark Speech together represent a fragment of the First Words. You see--"

The impromptu Truespeech lesson is interrupted as the others call attention to the sign pointing the way to Barovia. Alistair nods at his sister's insistence and says, "I agree with Friggy," calling her by a childhood nickname that he used more to pester her than to show adoration. "Into the woods we go!"

[theos911]

We are heading to Barovia, Yes?

In that case, I don't see why there is a question. Onward to victory I say.

Thoven says, impatient to continue his conversation with Alistair.


Interesting, so what we know as The Words of Creation and The Dark Speech are merely part of a larger mother language, The First Words?

Then, Celestial is a derivative of the The Words of Creation and Infernal and Abyssal derivatives of The Dark Speech?

Thoven begins speaking a guttural, hissing, foul sounding language for a few moments.
Infernal Speakers only:
You wouldn't happen to be familiar with the Devil's tongue as well, would you?

Pauses for a moment for Alistair to answer. Assuming Alistair does not understand, he switches back to common.

I guess that gives us both our own secret tongue then, Eh?

Those are The Devils' words. The higher ups would have my tongue if they heard me utter those sounds, but I've learned that one must understand the darkness to fully appreciate the light.

On a point of business - if that is how we shall want to address this; I think it is rather helpful that we both know Heaven's words. I can't say I've got pleasant expectations of this place; our own code might prove to be highly useful.

[Toliudar]

The six turn off of the main road and descend into deeper gloom. After about an hour on the road, a thin mist starts to form in the canopy, and soon envelopes everything. Sounds seem to be muted. The forest's normal noises - birdsong, insect buzzes, the rustle of leaves - seem to fall away. Leaving the creak of branches rubbing against each others, and the splashing of feet on the road.

Splashing? Yes, because as the group has descended, the ground has also grown softer, the track muddier. Puddles of dark water become more and more frequent on the narrow track, until they become the rule rather than the exception. The tree trunks become covered with moss, and the fog thickens.

As the last traces of daylight begin to drain from the gaps in the canopy overhead, the road twists around, until it would seem that the six are now travelling in the opposite direction. Ahead, emerging from the grey fog, high stone pillars loom up from the thick woods on both sides of the road. Huge iron gates hang from their rusting bars, drops of moisture glistening on the rusting bars. Standing before the pillars are two stone statues of armed guardians holding curved and hooked polearms. Their carved heads lie among the weeds at their feet, neatly broken from the stone shoulders.

[Greenish]

"Speaking of words, I should think 'ominous' fits pretty neatly." Mark ponders for a moment, then seems to come to a decision. "There's a small charm I can perform, that might be beneficial for you. If I may?"

Mark mumbles something as he touches those who accepted his offer.
Endure Exposure for next 24 hours. Basically, Endure Elements + immunity to his breath weapon.

He then seems to cast something on himself, and fauntly translucent dragon wings appear from his shoulders. Draconic Flight. Also See the Unseen cast early in the morning.

[Daftendirekt]

As the group heads down the path towards Barovia, Frigg sings a song half to herself, just loud enough for the group to make out bits and pieces of it. Strangely enough, the song seems to be in several languages and the lyrics appear to be nonsense.


The first verse, in a light, airy dialect with many a lilting, soft syllable:
Celestial
In the bright white sky the solars soar
fighting evil forever more.
When mortals die and devils cheer
Fear not! Lo!
Solars are here!

The second verse, in a harsh, guttural tongue that sounds very strange both coming from such a girl and from being sung in a sing-song manner:
Infernal
Solars die and devils reign,
mortals feel a lot of pain.
Bodies everywhere in the lane.
Death, death, death and misery,
human skin worn as livery.


The third verse, in an ethereal, sylvan speech, reminding one of spring days long gone:
Elven
Then comes fair Giln, the Golden Lad,
here to destroy all things called 'bad'.
Devils die and children cheer!
Elves all dance and dwarves drink beer!


"And that's how the world will end!" she finishes in Common, in her sing-song voice.

She falls quiet as they approach the gates, but not out of fear or apprehension or any such thing; she simply finds the statues to be fantastically worked and is studying them in detail. She gestures absentmindedly in acceptance to Mark's offer.

[theos911]

As the path gets softer and Thoven's horse sinks into the mud, he gets off and walks the last bit.

As the gates approach, Thoven moves to the back of the group.
This place doesn't seem too friendly. I'll take the back and keep an eye open for surprises. I am definitely not in the mood for surprises.

He draws his sword and is ready to continue. Thoven appears to be giving off a small light. (Bright light to 10ft, shadowy to 20ft.)

Rolls if needed:

Spot: [roll0]
Listen: [roll1]

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee nods at the sentiment and takes out a small vial of pure medicinal alcohol from her pouch. She slips the cap off with a smooth, quick gesture before dipping her finger in the vial. She traces a few small, sweeping sigils across her arms, face, and chest, all the while muttering ancient and faintly echoing words.

She closes her eyes for but a moment as she feels around with her arcane senses. The air around her is filled with tiny bits of life, little motes that she had never found an explanation for. The ground beneath her, too, was filled with a smattering of living energy, and she felt a larger mote, perhaps a vole, moving under her feet. The grasses and trees around her also glowed faintly in her mind, their life different but no less powerful.

She drew it all in, collecting nothing lasting or lethal, though the smallest motes of life in the air and ground went out at once. The powered flowed into her, and filled her with a life and vigor that exceeded her usual good health. The spell took only a moment to cast, but that one moment was enough to fill her with the vigor of a day. "We should indeed be careful, friends. Dark things lurk in this world."

She casts False Life for [roll0] temporary HP; they'll last 7 hours.

[Daftendirekt]

Frigg, the White Dreamer of God's Visage (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=349708)
Female LN Illumian Shaper, Level 6, Init +1, HP 36/36, Speed 30 ft.
AC 19, Touch 13, Flat-footed 18, Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +9, Base Attack Bonus +3, Power Points 45/50
Heavy Crossbow (20) +4 (1d10, 19-20, x2)
Dagger +2 / +4 (1d4-1, 19-20, x2)
Inertial Armor (5pp) (+6 Armor, +1 Dex, +2 Deflect)
Abilities Str 8, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 21, Wis 14, Cha 8

Buffs
Inertial Armor, 6 hours

Archimedes, Hero Psicrystal
HP: 18/18
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft.*
Armor Class: 18 (+4 size, +2 Dex*, +2 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 16
Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.
Special Qualities: Construct traits, hardness 8, Improved Evasion, Self-Propulsion, Share Powers, Sighted 40 ft., Telepathic Link, Deliver touch powers, Telepathic speech, Hero personality (+2 Fortitude save)
Saves: Fort +2, Reflex +4, Will +5
Abilities: Str 1*, Dex 15*, Con Ø, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +14*, Listen +6, Move Silently +6, Search +2, Spot +6
Feats: Alertness

Frigg looks thoughtfully at her friends making their various preparations for possible danger, and closes her eyes for a moment. The circular sigil on her forehead flashes brightly for a moment, and then a wave of energy moves its way down her body, from crown to toe; it looks almost as if someone is pouring clear water over her, but it never quite touches her. Once the wave reaches her feet, it vanishes.


5 power points to manifest an augmented Inertial Armor.

[Daravon_35]

The shaman nodded as they followed the path marked by the sign, staying once again silent for most of the journey. As some of the others talked and discussed he just listened. He listened to their words, to their sounds, and to the sound of nature around them, as he tried to hear what the spirits had to say.

As the party approaches the gates and everyone's nerves seem to rise, so too do Korack's. "Dark things indeed. Let's just hope the spirits are on our side this day." He speaks, his eyes casting about, scanning the gates and statues.




Korack will cast detect magic focusing on the ominous gates. As well as see if he can't notice anything with his senses.

Spot: [roll0]
Listen: [roll1]

[Toliudar]

Korack:
There are faint lingering auras of conjuration and transmutation on the gates and statues. There is an overwhelming aura of abjuration that suffuses the entire area you are in.

A second look around reveals nothing new.

[Daravon_35]

Korack speaks quickly, as he attempts to relay his information in time. "The area is abound with magic. The gates and statues specifically, as well as all around us. But unless we can find another way in...." The shaman trails off for a moment as if in thought with himself, before he continues. "We may just have to tempt fate itself."

[OMG PONIES]

As they pressed deeper into the woods, Alistair's eyebrow arched at Thoven's mysterious tongue. It had the deep guttural vowels of Dwarven, but with some of the more disgusting glottal stops found in the Goblin and Orcish tongues. Some of the syllables, particularly the "S," carried a hiss and a crackle much akin to the sound of fire. Unable to place the sound, Alistair clapped. "Well, bully!" he cheered, "you must teach me this Devil's Speech; it sounds absolutely infernal!" His countenance fell as Thoven muttered something about following a code. "That is where our paths diverge, my new friend," he said with a serious demeanor. "Just because I know the tongue of Heaven does not make me a resident thereof."

Their conversation was interrupted by Frigg's silly song, a tune that Alistair had heard far too many times to claim ignorance of. In his idle hours, he often found the pestering melody creeping into his head, causing him to hum the song when he'd much rather be doing anything else. He mouthed the words to the first verse along with his sister, then fell silent until the all-too-familiar ending. He joined in with a deep baritone: "and that's how the world will end," before shaking his head. Poor girl, he thought to himself, if this dalliance in Barovia keeps me from my quest too long, the world may very well meet a premature end before any of those events can come to pass. Let's be into the kingdom quickly, and out with just as much haste. His train of thought is interrupted once more by the sight of the gate, a sight which Alistair did not see as foreboding as his mates.

"I'll take any protections offered, Mark, but what's this?" he asks his friends, "afraid of some weedy ruins, are we? Fie, this might herald the completion of our trek. I wonder if these silent sentinels bear any sort of insignia that might give us a clue." Muttering the same ancient words he had given voice to at the tavern the previous night, Alistair combs his memory for anything familiar.

[roll0] to utter Universal Aptitude vs DC 29
[roll1] to utter Hidden Truth vs DC 29
[roll2] to utter Hidden Truth vs DC 31
[roll3] for anything identifying the kingdom of the guardian statues (Barovia, perhaps?)
[roll4] for anything identifying the kingdom of the guardian statues (Barovia, perhaps?)

[theos911]

"That is where our paths diverge, my new friend," he said with a serious demeanor. "Just because I know the tongue of Heaven does not make me a resident thereof."


What? I think you misunderstood. I only meant that it will likely be useful with us both knowing language many do not. Easy way to communicate in plain site, you know?

Also, I'd be more than willing to teach you the devil's tongue.

Thoven continues in a joking tone:
I'm sure the higher-ups would love me teaching people devil's tongue.

He laughs a loud booming laugh.

[Toliudar]

As the six stand well back from the gates, a cold breeze rattles through the trees. It is getting on towards night.

Alistair:
The statues have a formality of style that suggests a not-so-contemporary artistic style. There are no markings that suggest a point of origin, especially since a lot of detail is worn away, and the heads are half-buried in the weeds.

[Greenish]

"Well, onwards and upwards, as the grandma said when elbow deep in the snow." Mark struts towards the gates slightly more cautiosly than his words might indicate.

[Toliudar]

As Mark moves closer to the gate, the wind dies down to almost nothing. At the same time, one of the gates draws back, seemingly of its own accord. The path continues on in more or less the same direction for a while before being lost to sight.

[Daftendirekt]

As Mark approaches and nothing terrible happens, Frigg takes it as a sign that they were overreacting to a couple of statues. She takes the gate opening on its own as perfectly natural and approaches one of the statues, gliding a hand along its base in admiration as she inspects the details of it up close.

[Toliudar]

Frigga notes that the statues are carved out of limestone, and are now pocked and rough with exposure. The heads of the statues seem to bear no hint of a blade cutting at the stone of the neck.

The path ahead swirls with denser fog.

If you wish to have any particular order or system by which the group moves along the road, now might be an excellent time to note this.

[Daftendirekt]

The young Illumian woman kneels next to the severed head of one of the statues, examining it, trying to figure out how it would have been removed so cleanly. She rolls it over to see if it's solid, and looks over the entire surface for any unusual markings or inscriptions.

"Something about this seems odd..." she murmurs mostly to herself.

Depending on if they are waiting on my examination or continuing on past, I could be in the middle of the group or at the back...

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee holds up a hand, requesting silence. "I am going to test the gates; this is not foolproof, but if there is a trap or alarm of some kind then it should alert us to its presence." She takes out a small back, a tiny, unlit candle, and a carved human knuckle-bone. "I am about to summon a skeleton. It is not real, and it will dissipate into ectoplasm and energy in a little under a minute. Please do not attack it; it will not attack you for any reason, and is entirely under my control."

She takes a breath and begins to chant, her voice clear and gentle. Her spell seems almost like a song, a mournful dirge that fills the air with a faint tension and power. She slips the candle into the bag, and cinches it shut. Her chant begins to slowly fade, at at its culmination she tosses the bone onto the ground, speaking a final dictation in a raised voice. There is a surge of nebulous black energy and mist; when the mist clears a moment later a human skeleton stands before you, clutching a rusted scimitar and shield, wearing naught but tatters and rags. Its eyes are empty voids, darker than night.

"Go through the gate." Kaylee's voice has a strange echo, as if she were speaking into a canyon. The undead reacts at once, lurching forward through the gate with an uncanny grace and speed, heedless of any potential danger.

[Toliudar]

Kaylee's skeleton dashes forward with a certain otherworldly grace, passing easily between the gates. It moves about 10 feet beyond the open gate and slows obediently to a halt.

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee nods, thinking for a moment. "It can't see anything invisible or otherwise, but it would alert me if there was something waiting on the other side." She pauses, her mouth open. "Actually... make a motion if there is a creature on the other side of the wall." She shrugs. "Better safe than sorry, and I don't want to overestimate its ability to reason or react."

If the skeleton makes no reaction Kaylee will walk through the gate herself, ready for anything, her bow drawn and and arrow prepared.

[Toliudar]

To be clear - these gates are not set into any wall, but are simply a pair of large gates with posts. You can in fact go around them fairly easily if desired, by stepping off of the road and into the somewhat marshy woods.

The skeletal figure remains perfectly still on the other side of the gates. After a moment, Kaylee brushes past Mark and steps through the gates herself - feeling nothing change in the process.

The road stretches forward.

[Daftendirekt]

Frigg giggles to herself as she follows after Kaylee.

"We made such a big deal about a gate! How silly..."

She chuckles to herself for several minutes after they continue on.

[Greenish]

Mark shrugs and follows others. "That wasn't a gate to keep people out. That was Gate as a symbol for transition, I'd hazard."

"Oh, and I can see invisible things, no worries."

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee nods at Mark's words, drawing a similar conclusion. "I don't feel bad about the wasted spell, though; it's much better to be sure of relative safety then to blunder into a magical trap." She lets the skeleton walk ahead of the group, and after about half a minute more it falls apart, its bones turning back into a cold, faint mist. She bends down amongst the mist, picking up a single knuckle-bone, the same one she had thrown down originally. "Let's carry onward, then. We still have a ways to go."

[Greenish]

Mark scratches his chin as they continue to walk deeper into the fog. "You know, we checked whether we can get in safely."

"Might have been a good idea to check if we can get out again."

[Daravon_35]

"Ah true friend. What if the gate wasn't meant to keep us out, but in fact keep us in." Said the shaman as he strode through after the others. "Much of what we see and perceive, isn't always what we think it to be. But enough of this for now. Shall we all move on forward and find this town? If the people or person who sent the letter are indeed in need of help, time may be of the essence."

[Daftendirekt]

"Time indeed is composed of essence. I actually did an experiment on this once. If you focus hard enough, you can actually concentrate the essence so much that time compresses and can send an object further along the stream. Unfortunately the first time I did it I happened to be looking at our neighbor's cat and, well, let's just say it had unfortunate consequences. I learned never to concentrate too hard after that. If I do, Bad things can happen. Fortunately, there are plenty of things to keep me occupied," she finishes breathlessly, plucking an acorn from a low-hanging branch as they pass and sniffing it before dropping it on the ground and dusting her hands off.

[theos911]

As the group enters, Thoven listens to the others about the gate keeping them in and keeps a close watch on it as they depart from it, deeper into the village.

[Greenish]

"That's funny, usually when I focus on time, it seems to slow down, and when I'm not paying attention it slips by faster than you'd think."

[Toliudar]

As the six pass through the gates and continue down the mucky path, the fog around them thickens, until it's hard to see very far ahead or behind. The trees seem to crowd in on the path. Just as the gates are about to be swallowed from sight in the fog behind them, there is a loud squeal and a clang as the gate closes again.

Although it seems much longer, thanks to the fog and the ground that seems to suck at their feet, it is less than a mile before the trees fall away from the path on either side. The path veers to the right, and then left again, and there is a rough sense of buildings ahead - dark, rectangular shapes at the edge of your vision.

Ahead, the muddy path gives way to glistening cobblestones, and the shapes resolve into a pair of two story wooden buildings - grey, dilapidated, the windows gaping open, with sign of neither light nor life inside. A small sign is tacked onto a stout post to the right of the path: "Welcome to the Village of Barovia". No motion is visible, but there is a sound - groaning? - that comes from somewhere deeper in the settlement.

Until I note otherwise, consider all outdoor vision - including darkvision - limited to 50'.

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee's pace slows to a stop, and she peers into the mist with an intense gaze that is not untouched by apprehension. She lets out a slow breath, and the faint light of the mist gives her an unearthly pallor. She seems, for a moment, ephemeral, like the ghost of a long forgotten god, beautiful and mournful.

The moment passes, however, and she becomes herself once more. She speaks, her voice quiet and clear. "I have never been been one for portent, but this place reeks of quiet evil. My soul is stained enough to recognize its taint, though it is a wane and fragile thing. We must be on guard, least the shadows take us."

Her voice falls flat on the mists, swallowed and smothered as if it had never been at all.

[Greenish]

Mark silently nods at Kaylee's words, his usual cheer gone.

[theos911]

Thoven pauses after Kaylee speaks:
Hold on a second, I want to get a feel for the area.

Thoven is silent for a moment and then begins speaking quietly:

Pelor,
Grant me your eyes.
That my soul shall see,
Through the mist in which it resides,
The evil to excise.


Thoven's eyes then glow a faint gold and he slowly turns a complete circle, looking in every possible direction. This lasts for about 20 seconds.

[Toliudar]

Theos:
For future reference, you`ll be able to use this as a spell like ability, meaning that you don`t need to show any outward sign of using it unless you wish to, and the duration is concentration.

A first round of concentration confirms the presence of evil in the area. As Thoven focuses in, it is unsettling to realize that there is an overwhelming aura of evil to the entire area - in any direction he turns. It`s a bit tricky, given this, to pick out the sparks that usually mark evil individuals within his field of view. As far as Thoven can tell, there is no evil in range except for the overarching aura of such.

[theos911]

Thoven finishes and looks quite distraught.

There is an overwhelming aura of evil to the entire area - in any direction I turn. That makes it very difficult to pick out the sparks that usually mark evil individuals. As best I can tell, there are no specific evil beings near except for the overarching aura of such.

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee takes his information in stride, running through her options quickly in her mind. She begins to chant, calling forth a surge of chill power. Her eyes turn pitch black, catching the light and swallowing it whole. "There. Evil may be to broad to finely search for, but the power of the undead is more specific. Let us see if my divination can discern anything." She inspects the area carefully, sweeping her cold eyes over the barren town.

She's casting Detect Undead; note that it tells you if any undead have been in the area recently in addition to alerting you to anything immediate.

[Daravon_35]

Korack nods slowly. "Well we did know there was supposed trouble about here. It doesn't exactly surprise us that it's evil. But the spirits teach caution..." The shaman stops to consider his next words carefully.

"We probably shouldn't waste too much time on caution though, if there are people out there needing our help I doubt they can wait for too long. But evil is evil, so let's not die." He finishes saying a small smirk left on his face.


Since everyone's doing it! Korack will also use his detect spirits ability.

[Toliudar]

Kaylee:
There is a dim aura of the undead lingering on the road into - or out of - town.

Korack:
No spirits here. All clear. Nothing to worry about.

[Daravon_35]

"The spirits are quiet here. But the dark brooding look of this town perhaps belies it's danger. How about you Kaylee, have you had any better luck?" The shaman asked, a cold wind blowing back his long black hair.

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee narrows her magically darkened eyes, and she takes out her longbow, checking the stringing and the wood. "My spell is telling me one of two things, neither of which is good. Either something very powerful came through here in the past few days, or..." She trails off, looking deeper into the mist. "Or there is something weaker nearby. There may be a large number of weaker things, actually; the spell does not show me their number unless they are within sixty feet or so."

[Greenish]

Mark mutters to himself, "Splendid", then raises his voice a tad to ask Kaylee "get any directions from it?"

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee looks back and forth, directing her vision around the area. "There's too much. It's everywhere. I don't know if they were coming or going. But we can assume they are now inside the town; otherwise we would have encountered them on the road." She begins walking into town, towards the faint groaning from before. She grins a lopsided grin, and her voice takes on a slight accent; Thoven's accent, in fact. "The only option is to find our stones and get ready to fight."

She's going to use her move action to walk and her standard to concentrate on the spell.

[Greenish]

"Splendid", Mark repeats and jumps off to air to circle over the rest of the party.

Flying 20' up or so.

[Daftendirekt]

The young white-haired woman listens intently as Kaylee and Korack sense the area, and deciding that they were indeed in some danger, unlimbers her crossbow and loads a bolt into it. The crystal that hangs around her neck once again sprouts legs and climbs up onto her shoulder, perching there.

[Daravon_35]

The large shaman hefts his shortspear, no longer using it as a walking stick as he prepares himself for any trouble that might lay ahead.


As for positioning Korack will position himself behind Thoven.

[OMG PONIES]

Alistair chuckles, a slight and awkward laugh. "A bit antsy, are we?" he chides his friends. Even still, his hand wraps idly around his longspear as they walk. While the others scan the area for evil, spirits, and undead, Alistair is too busy gazing up--he soaks in the run-down architecture, both admiring its strange, crooked beauty and searching for any information about when it was constructed.

[roll0] (+5 if Universal Aptitude is still ticking, but I doubt it's been less than 5 rounds)

[Toliudar]

Alistair:
It has indeed been a couple of minutes. The buildings are not particularly of a style often seen in Veluna, but are too nondescript to get a good take on the style.

[Toliudar]

Together the six of you move forward towards the town. You step cautiously from the muddy track onto uneven and sometimes wobbly cobblestones. The wooden buildings, two and sometimes three stories high, are jammed together as if for mutual protection. Most are boarded up and lightless, and some have clearly been smashed open. There is rotting garbage and excrement in the street, and the smell of decay is pervasive.


Ahead, at an intersection, a four-wheeled horsecart is overturned and partially smashed. The horse it was tethered to is lying there as well, clearly dead. A pair of human figures stand at the edge of your vision in the mist, their posture listless. It seems possible that the moaning is coming from one or both of the pair.

All:
Thanks again for your patience. Please give me an initiative roll and about a round of actions. Keep in mind that vision is limited to 50'.

Your map is here (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=1319). I'm not sure why the lovingly uploaded images of your characters aren't showing, so you'll just have to mouse-over the characters to see who is who. The ruined horse and cart occupy the centre six squares of the intersection - you can move through, but as if it were difficult terrain. Mark is indeed 20' up. Thoven, you haven't mentioned summoning your mount, so he/she's not here.

Thoven:
There is a ping on your evil-detection in the straight-ahead area.

Kaylee:
There is a ping of the presence of undead ahead.

Mark:
There is an arm sticking out from the ruins of the wagon.

[Daftendirekt]

Sensing that danger is now very near at hand, Frigg readies herself -- she draws upon her inner strength, sharing it with her psicrystal as she takes firm grip on her crossbow and looks intently at the figures in the mist. She instinctively hides behind her big brother, knowing that he is the tougher of the two of them

Initiative:[roll0] (woooo, nat 1!)

5-foot step to R4.

Standard Action: Spending 3 PP to manifest an augmented Vigor for 15 temporary HP, and sharing power with Archimedes (yes, my psicrystal has a name :smalltongue:)

Frigg, the White Dreamer of God's Visage (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=349708)
Female LN Illumian Shaper, Level 6, Init +1, HP 51/36, Speed 30 ft.
AC 19, Touch 13, Flat-footed 18, Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +9, Base Attack Bonus +3, Power Points 42/50
Heavy Crossbow (20) +4 (1d10, 19-20, x2)
Dagger +2 / +4 (1d4-1, 19-20, x2)
Inertial Armor (5pp) (+6 Armor, +1 Dex, +2 Deflect)
Abilities Str 8, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 21, Wis 14, Cha 8


Archimedes, Hero Psicrystal
HP: 33/18
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft.*
Armor Class: 18 (+4 size, +2 Dex*, +2 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 16
Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.
Special Qualities: Construct traits, hardness 8, Improved Evasion, Self-Propulsion, Share Powers, Sighted 40 ft., Telepathic Link, Deliver touch powers, Telepathic speech, Hero personality (+2 Fortitude save)
Saves: Fort +2, Reflex +4, Will +5
Abilities: Str 1*, Dex 15*, Con Ø, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +14*, Listen +6, Move Silently +6, Search +2, Spot +6
Feats: Alertness

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee shifts back, away from the creatures, and she drops her focus on her magical sight; she recognizes undead when see sees them. Her bow in hand, she looks to her companions, thinking of the most efficient way to deal with the problem. She quickly decides on the most direct way to deal with the situation; turn the undead from enemy to ally.

Kaylee takes one hand off of her bow, and she begins to chant a low and gutteral spell. She takes a splinter of bone and a scrap of meat from her pouch, holding them in the air like a sacrifice to a dark god. With a final ringing shout the material components of the spell explode in a black fire; the same black fire burns momentarily over the further zombie before winking out.

She looks to the creature with satisfaction before calling out it it, her voice echoing oddly. "Do not attack the living, but destroy the other undead." She looks to her companions, and her voice changes. "Do not attack the further creature unless I say to; I have complete control over it, and I will control it for days to come. It could be an asset, so I'd rather it not go to waste."

Init: [roll0]

Kaylee moves to R3 and casts Command Undead on Zed1; it gets no save if it's unintelligent, otherwise it's a Will save DC 19. She gives it a standing command to attack Zed2 as a free action.

Kaylee De'Tev (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=349745)
Female Lawful Neutral Human Dread Necromancer, Level 6, Init +3, HP 64/54, DR 2/magic & bludgeoning, Speed 30ft.
AC 22, Touch 14, Flat-footed 19, Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +12, Base Attack Bonus +3
+1 Longbow (Serpent's Tongue Arrows (40/40)) +7 (1d8+1, x3)
Masterwork Morningstar +4 (1d8, x2)
Dagger +3 (1d4, 19-20/x2)
+1 Mithral Breastplate, +1 Mithral Buckler (+6 Armor, +2 Shield, +3 Dex, +1 Deflect)
Abilities Str 11, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 20
Condition None

[theos911]

Kaylee, I don't know how you did that... but that is definitely how we are handling these things from now on!

It looks like our friend might be able to handle this, but just in case.

Thoven moves 30ft forward, stops, and takes a defensive position in front of the group.


Don't bring him our new ally any closer or Pelor will burn him.

[Daravon_35]

Korack nods at Thoven's words. "It definitely is a useful trick. And should make this a good bit easier." As Korack too moves up, getting ready to dispatch the undead if it decides to approach.


Korack will move up to m5, which should be right next to Thoven.

Initiative: [roll0]

[Greenish]

"Your 'asset' looks like he's seen better days", Mark remarks from above the party. "There looks to be someone inside the cart. Living or dead, I can't tell."

[roll0]

On my turn, move to K4.

Drachemarklabauter (Mark) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=349702)
Male LG Dragonwrought Desert Kobold Dragonfire Adept, Level 6, Init +3, HP 72/72, DR 2/Magic, Speed 30'
AC 25, Touch 14, Flat-footed 22, Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +8, Base Attack Bonus 3
Normally fire Breath weapon (DC 18) 15' Cone or 30' line (4d6, )
Weapon Crystal (+1 fire damage) Spiked Gauntlet +3 (1d2-2, 20/x2)
MW Light Crossbow +8 (1d6, 19-20/×2)
+1 Death Ward Mithral Chain Shirt & MW Dastana, +1 Buckler (+6 Armor, +2 Shield, +3 Dex, +1 Size, +3 Natural)
Abilities Str 6, Dex 16, Con 19, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 18
Condition None

[OMG PONIES]

Alistair steps forward, forming a living wall with the others and keeping his sister as fully behind him as he can. Her mind is strong, but Alistair constantly worries for her safety even in normal situations--much more now when combat seemed imminent. He mutters a few syllables of Truespeech in a sing-song voice, a lullaby from eons ago that he learned and sang to Frigg as a youth. As he sings, she seems to fade from view ever-so-slightly.

ROLLS:
[roll0]
Move action: draw club and move to M6
[roll1] vs DC 32 to utter Extended Reversed Perceive the Unseen, granting Frigg 20% concealment for 1 minute.
Activating Collector of Stories for the encounter.
[roll2] for info on the baddies/Knowledge Devotion, yielding a +3 to attacks and damage for the duration of the encounter against any undead.
Alistair reaches for his longspear, but hesitates as he does so. He had heard tales of undead horrors that normal blades pierce straight through without breaking their gait. Instead, he clutches his crude wooden club covered in bizarre lettering. "Stay back, Friggy," he says to his sister.

[Greenish]

Mark flies towards the zombies and spits a long gout of fire at the closest one. The fire seems to stick to the undead, burning it and hindering it's movement.

Line of fire to Z2, [roll0] fire, Ref 18 for half. If damaged by the fire, entangled (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#entangled) and take 1d6 fire damage per round for [roll]1d4[/roll 1 rounds. I try to angle it so it won't hit the buildings behind the zombie.

[Toliudar]

Round 1

Sensing danger, Mark flies forward to breathe a line of fire towards one of the moaning creatures. The flame catches it full in midsection, causing it to writhe, and try futilely to push the flames away with its hands. The flames char the wall behind the creature, but the lingering damp in the place seems not to encourage immediate combustion.

Thoven strides valiantly forward, causing further smouldering in the creature that Mark has just set on fire - and to the other creature in front of him.

Alistair soon joins him, after using the power of the Word to create a haze around his sister. Korack steps in between the other two men.

Kaylee steps to where she has a clear bead on the further of the two creatures. Instinctively, she took it for one of her own, and reached out to seize control of it. At her instigation, it lunges at the other moaning figure, battering at its head with a roundhouse that seems to leave the other figure...largely unaffected.

Frigg steps back from the conflagration in front of her, and draws on her inner power to bolster her physical might.

And then...all hell seems to break loose. With a terrible creaking, several doors fly open, and more of the shambling creatures - which seem indeed to be zombies of some kind - pour forth. Several also begin to give off smoke as they reach the intersection.

One of the zombies actually reaches Thoven and attempts to head-butt him.

One of them (Zed8) raises an arm towards Mark, and a pair of ghostly and tortured-looking faces appear and spring towards him, striking him in the chest.

Another zombie rises up out of the remnants of the fallen wagon, hauling aside a chunk of the wagon bed. In a burrow underneath are two vicious-looking creatures, half way between a coyote and a large-mouthed rat. Both immediately leap forward at Alistair and Korack respectively.



Reflex save vs breath weapon [roll0]

Note that Alistair's Knowledge Devotion roll is not good for all undead, just undead like the ones he is looking at.

I moved Kaylee forward rather than to R3. Command Undead is a short range spell, so that's the furthest away you could be and still reach Z1.

Attack on Thoven: [roll1] Damage: [roll2], and give me a fortitude save if it hits. It will not affect your next action.

Mark takes [roll3] untyped damage. Give me a will save. It will not affect your next action.

Attack on Korack: [roll4] Damage: [roll5]

Attack on Alistair: [roll6] Damage: [roll7]

Updated Map (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=1545).

Also: okay, I tried to resist it, but it's too darn useful. Please add your statblocks to your IC posts during combat sections.

Go ahead and post your next round of actions. I'll be travelling for the next week, so will post another round if I get the chance, but don't hold your breath.

[Greenish]

Mark swerves and dives to catch the front ranks of the undead to his next breath, then takes altitude to avoid grasping claws, if not the mystical assaults of the shamblers.

[roll0]

Zed2 takes [roll1] fire damage, is no longer entangled.

Flyby Attack, fly to L1, breathe a line of fire straight south from L1 to L7 (which should catch Zed10, Beast3 and Beast4. [roll2] fire damage, ref half, entangled and taking 1d6 fire damage for [roll3] rounds, then move back up and to J2.

Mark: Drachemarklabauter (Mark) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=349702)
Male LG Dragonwrought Desert Kobold Dragonfire Adept, Level 6, Init +3, HP 72/72, DR 2/Magic, Speed 30'
AC 25, Touch 14, Flat-footed 22, Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +8, Base Attack Bonus 3
Normally fire Breath weapon (DC 18) 15' Cone or 30' line (4d6, )
Weapon Crystal (+1 fire damage) Spiked Gauntlet +3 (1d2-2, 20/x2)
MW Light Crossbow +8 (1d6, 19-20/×2)
+1 Death Ward Mithral Chain Shirt & MW Dastana, +1 Buckler (+6 Armor, +2 Shield, +3 Dex, +1 Size, +3 Natural)
Abilities Str 6, Dex 16, Con 19, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 18
Condition See the Unseen (See Invisible)
Draconic Flight (Fly at move speed, good maneuverability)

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee strides forward towards the undead, her eyes blazing and the air around her tense with power. She points to her Commanded zombies as she moves, uttering a new direction. "Attack anything that harms the living. Do not harm the living. She steps up to an uncontrolled creature, meeting it with a level gaze. She looks out across the entire swarm and takes a slow breath, steadying herself.

A surge of magic washes out from her, and the world goes grey everywhere within sixty feet of her. For a moment there is no sound, only a ringing silence. Then you hear her, all of you, whispering in your ear. Her words have no power over you, but you hear the magic in them all the same. "Be mine." Her voice is sad, and quiet, and resonant. "I can take your pain away."

Rebuke undead; it affects everything in 60ft, minus anything she already commands or has rebuked. Rebuked undead take no actions and have a -2 to AC, and it lasts 1 minute.

She moves to M3 first; this should give her LoS for all of them.

[roll0] This tells you how powerful of an undead she can rebuke. I'll edit this to give the result. EDIT- She can rebuke anything of 9HD or less.

[roll1] This is how many HD of undead she can Rebuke, starting with the one right in front of her. If the undead has 3HD or less it's Commanded instead of Rebuked. Her standing order is to attack all non-commanded undead.

[Daravon_35]

Korack shivers for a moment as the words echo in his ears, as he attempts to shake off the chill, feeling as if another spirit had passed through his own. The shaman looked around with his pure white eyes, surveying the battlefield, trying to get a grip on the situation. The cobblestone road was a mess already. Fire strewn across it as undead fought undead.

He slightly shrugged, deciding his companions were taking care of the fight more then enough and struck out at the beast in front of him, hoping to wound it with his spear.


Oh yeah, lazy shaman time!

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Korack

Korack (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=351634)
Init: +1, HP: 54/54, Speed: 30'
AC: 20, Touch: 12, Flat-footed: 19, Fort: +6, Ref: +3, Will: +9, Base Attack Bonus: +4

Conditions: Blessing of the Spirits (+2 deflection AC and +2 saves against spirits)

[OMG PONIES]

Alistair stares down the beast in front of him with great curiosity, musing to himself if he had ever before seen such a hideous creature as a rat/coyote. He realizes that he'll be able to study a carcass just as well as a live sample, and raises his club to strike the nearest beast in the skull. He brings the stick down with brutal force, caring less about striking true than about striking hard.

Free action: Knowledge Devotion to identify the beasts
Standard action: full Power Attack on Beast4
13 vs AC for 22 damage

ROLLS:
[roll0] for +4 to attack and damage vs animals
[roll1] +4=13 vs AC
[roll2] +4=22 damage

[theos911]

Thoven will move to attack the nearest non-controlled undead.

What in Pelor's burning Sun are these abominations? he booms, while making a strike against the nearest one that is still a threat.



Thoven Urthadar (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=351705)
Male LG Human Paladin, Level 6, Init +0, HP / , Speed 30
AC 19, Touch 11, Flat-footed 19, Fort +11, Ref +5, Will +7, Base Attack Bonus +6/+1
Undead Bane, Lesser Truedeath Crystal(MIC)(+1d6 to undead) +1 Undead Bane Greatsword +12/+7 // +14/+9 (2d6+5 / 5d6+7(Undead), 19-20/x2)
Blurring(MIC)(3/Day Blur 5 rounds), Ghost Ward(MIC)(Armor enhancement to touch AC including incorpreal), Greater Crystal of Screening(MIC)( imposes a +1 Blurring Ghost Ward Full Plate (+9 Armor)
Abilities Str 16, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 17
Condition Divine Health (Ex)
At 3rd level, a paladin gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.

Aura of Courage (Su)
Beginning at 3rd level, a paladin is immune to fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 10 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This ability functions while the paladin is conscious, but not if she is unconscious or dead.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Since he is moving, he only gets one attack, but if he is unable to move, he is entitled to a second.
Second:
Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

Since he was acting defensively last round, his AC is 21 and his attacks were all made at -4 from usual. He is resuming normal fighting this round. (No bonuses/penalties next round.)

Also, all undead within 20ft take 1d4 fire damage.

[Toliudar]

Round 2

Mark zips away down the side street and lets loose a blast of flame that encompasses one of the zombies and both of the strange coyote/wolf creatures.

The figures around Thoven continue to smoulder, and he slashes out at the zombie that Mark had just set on fire. The zombie drops to the ground, sliced nearly in half.

Alistair smashes his stick down onto the head of the creature in front of him, sending it twitching and bleeding to the ground.

Kaylee is dismayed to find the control that she had established over the first zombie had already slipped away, and it turned towards her with renewed hunger. She murmurs a sincere offer, and three heads swivel around, seeming to consider it. There is a faint spark of indecision in what had before been empty eyes.

Korack stabs at the other beast with his spear, catching it a glancing blow in the side.

Another of the walking dead lurches into the intersection, smouldering slightly as it does so. It reaches out towards Kaylee, even as it stumbles over the remnants of the wagon. Another strides boldly towards Alistair, swinging at him with a deranged fury.

The walking dead who had previously unleashed its magic on Mark now focuses on Alistair. Raising both hands, it twists them into a double clenched fist.

The burning, stabbed beast snaps feebly at the flames encircling it, but to no avail. It collapses in a heap of singed fur.

WORK IN PROGRESS

Greenish, given that you'd have to drop 15' in vertical distance for your line to hit all three targets, I'm leaving you in L1, floating just above the ground, at the end of your action. Mark feels no additional effects from the magic he got hit with last round.

Reflex saves vs entanglement: [roll0] [roll1] [roll2]

Fire damage from Thoven's aura: [roll3]

Alistair believes the creatures to be colloquially known as Carcass Eaters - vicious scavengers who eat...guess what?

Kaylee has rebuked the zombies at J4, H5, and I6. OOC, don't read too much into the 'look in their eye stuff' - I'm just refluffing the awe effect for Kaylee's distinctly different style.

Zed6 attacks Alistair: [roll4] [roll5]

Alistair: make a will save DC 14 or be paralyzed.

Revised map (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=2330).

[Daftendirekt]

Frigg's eyes dart around the area, making note of the difference in the behavior of certain zombies. She then lowers her crossbow, letting dangle from its shoulder strap so she has her hands free. Holding them in front of her, she moves them about as if molding or shaping something, and as she does fiery red threads start leaking from her fingertips. They start off small and grow larger and larger, building a towering wall of flame between her companions and abominations in the square.

"Burn..." she whispers as her eyes glow with the same fire as the ground in front of her.

Standard Action: Spend 5 PP to manifest Energy Wall (fire). It extends from I2 to L2 and from L2 to L7. It faces inwards towards the square. Anything on the 'outside' of it is unaffected.

Anything caught in it or within 10 feet takes [roll0] damage. Anything within 20 feet takes [roll1] damage.

Reflex DC 18 for half damage. EDIT: Well, that was some pathetic damage.

Frigg, the White Dreamer (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=349708)
Female LN Illumian Shaper, Level 6, Init +1, HP 51/36, Speed 30 ft.
AC 19, Touch 13, Flat-footed 18, Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +9, Base Attack Bonus +3, Power Points 37/50
Heavy Crossbow (20) +4 (1d10, 19-20, x2)
Dagger +2 / +4 (1d4-1, 19-20, x2)
Inertial Armor (5pp) (+6 Armor, +1 Dex, +2 Deflect)
Abilities Str 8, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 21, Wis 14, Cha 8
Condition Archimedes, Hero Psicrystal
HP: 18/18
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft.*
Armor Class: 18 (+4 size, +2 Dex*, +2 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 16
Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.
Special Qualities: Construct traits, hardness 8, Improved Evasion, Self-Propulsion, Share Powers, Sighted 40 ft., Telepathic Link, Deliver touch powers, Telepathic speech, Hero personality (+2 Fortitude save)
Saves: Fort +2, Reflex +4, Will +5
Abilities: Str 1*, Dex 15*, Con Ø, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +14*, Listen +6, Move Silently +6, Search +2, Spot +6
Feats: Alertness

[theos911]

Thoven realises how weak the animals are and decides to use his strength elsewhere, but Frigg's wall prevents him from going any further. He is thankful for the chance to finally assess this horrible ambush.

Kaylee, I thought you said that first one would be under your control for quite some time!



Thoven Urthadar (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=351705)
Male LG Human Paladin, Level 6, Init +0, HP / , Speed 30
AC 19, Touch 11, Flat-footed 19, Fort +11, Ref +5, Will +7, Base Attack Bonus +6/+1
Undead Bane, Lesser Truedeath Crystal(MIC)(+1d6 to undead) +1 Undead Bane Greatsword +12/+7 // +14/+9 (2d6+5 / 5d6+7(Undead), 19-20/x2)
Blurring(MIC)(3/Day Blur 5 rounds), Ghost Ward(MIC)(Armor enhancement to touch AC including incorpreal), Greater Crystal of Screening(MIC)( imposes a +1 Blurring Ghost Ward Full Plate (+9 Armor)
Abilities Str 16, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 17
Condition Divine Health (Ex)
At 3rd level, a paladin gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.

Aura of Courage (Su)
Beginning at 3rd level, a paladin is immune to fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 10 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This ability functions while the paladin is conscious, but not if she is unconscious or dead.


His AC is back down to normal.

Also, 1d4 fire damage to all undead within 20ft.

[Greenish]

Mark's ghostly wings flap as he gains some height, then unleashes a great wave of fire down on the two northernmost shamblers. When the flames subside, Thoven is revealed to stand unharmed in the midst of charred ground and zombies.

Move to J3, 15' up.
15' cone down on Zed7 and Zed9. [roll0] fire damage, DC 18 Ref for half. If damaged, entangled and taking 1d6 fire damage a round for [roll1] rounds.

Drachemarklabauter (Mark) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=349702)
Male LG Dragonwrought Desert Kobold Dragonfire Adept, Level 6, Init +3, HP 64/72, DR 2/Magic, Speed 30'
AC 25, Touch 14, Flat-footed 22, Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +8, Base Attack Bonus 3

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee moves back away from the combat, her fingers beginning to move in another smooth, weaving motion. "The Command spell must have fallen due to your aura," she calls to Thoven. "The rebuked undead should remain that way for a minute, however; we can focus on them last!" She then starts chanting, and her chant swifting becomes a song; a song in a forgotten tongue, a dirge of pain and sadness. Her voice rings through the mist with an unnatural clarity, as if the oppressive atmosphere welcomes it as one of its own.

Shift back to N4, begin casting Summon Undead III.

[OMG PONIES]

Alistair feels the power of the undead trying to overtake him, to make him shudder with fear. Unfortunately, there is one thing the undead are unaware of: one can only fear that which is uncertain. The known is hardly frightening, and Alistair makes it his business to know as much as possible.

"Hmph, carcass eaters," he says as he hears the unique whine of the creature beneath his club, "a minor nuisance." As he wonders whether other carcass eaters will come to devour one of their own kin, his reverie is broken by a zombified fist cutting the air next to his ear. "Heh," he chuckles as the undead's attack misses him, "slow mover." He inhales deeply, and the archaic syllables of Truespeech pour forth from his mouth once more: "Festina lente." Alistair begins to move faster as his utterance seems to speed up the flow of time for him.

[roll0] to utter defensively

Move action: none
Standard action: utter Extended Greater Speed of the Zephyr on self

Durations of utterances:

Perceive the Unseen, Reversed (Frigg): 3/10 rounds
Greater Speed of the Zephyr (Alistair): 1/10 rounds

[Daravon_35]

As the flame wall suddenly sprouts up in front of Korack he almost takes a step back, before realizing there's no heat. Well at least no heat on this side, as the zombies behind the wall seem to catch fire.

With another slight shrug, not entirely sure what's going on, he once more thrusts out forward with his spear, hoping that it too won't lite on fire.




Lazy shaman time again. Eh, sorry I just feel everyone else is doing so much there's not much needed from Korack quite yet. He's still holding back a bit, till things start to go south.

He's attacking Zed6

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Korack


Korack (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=351634)
Init: +1, HP: 54/54, Speed: 30'
AC: 20, Touch: 12, Flat-footed: 19, Fort: +6, Ref: +3, Will: +9, Base Attack Bonus: +4

Conditions: Blessing of the Spirits (+2 deflection AC and +2 saves against spirits)

[Toliudar]

Round 3

Frigg creates a towering wall of flames that cuts the group off from the walking dead. There is crackling and roaring from the other side of the wall.

Mark flits upward and blasts a cone of flame downwards that engulfs two of the walking dead. The flames persist, seeming to catch at their every movement. He himself flies close to Frigg's wall, and feels the heat. He also sees the walls of the building northwest of him start to pop and smoulder.

Thoven stays put on the cool side of the wall, but his aura continues to extend outward.

Kaylee begins a long, complex chant.

Korack stabs through the wall, and is pleased to confirm that his spear doesn't also catch fire. However, he does note that the zombie seems not to be particularly perturbed about the hole poked into its chest.

One of the zombies wreathed in Mark's flames stumbles backwards, still feeling their effects. The other plunges through the wall of flames to the north, seeking relief from a world abruptly on five flavours of fire.

Another zombie stumbles through the wrecked (and now ablaze) wagon, landing on the far side of Frigg's wall, next to Thoven.

The walking dead to the south of the intersection seems to size up the situation. It opens the west door off of the street and disappears inside, closing the door behind it.

Reflex saves vs the wall of fire: [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3] [roll4] [roll5]

Zed7 & 9 reflex saves vs fire breath: [roll6] [roll7]

Mark has moved to within 20' of the wall of fire, and so makes a reflex save DC 18 for half, 5 fire damage.

Zed7 moves back. Zed 9 moves north through the wall.

Zed 1 stumbles through the wall to arrive at M3. Thoven can make an attack of opportunity if desired.

Zed 2 delays.

Again, sorry for the slowness. Life is...full.

MAP (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=3001)

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee completes the complex words and intricate syllables of her chant, lifting her hands high above her head. A corona of rippling power forms in her hands, and her eyes darken from forest green to the color of a moonless night. She brings her hands together in a sharp clap, and the energy she's drawn together explodes in a halfling-sized ball of black flames.

Across the battlefield, on the other size of the wall of psionic flames, a second pillar of black flame forms, but this one is a dozen times the size of the one Kaylee holds. It fills a massive space with roiling energy before coalescing into a lumbering form, a massive humanoid shape reeking of rot and the stench of blood.

The ogre zombie looks up to its master with dead, unintelligent eyes. Kaylee looks back, lowering her hands as the power of the spell fades away. "Destroy them, and you may return to the place beyond." It turns, slow and vicious, and it attempts to crush the nearest zombie with a massive, brutal swing of the heavy club it wields.

Kaylee takes a step back, focusing on the closest undead creature, the closest threat to her and her's. She runs her mind through the spells at her command, looking for some solution or option that could end the pain. Such was her lot, however, to have no spells of life or protection; her tools were only death and decay.

Thoven was in danger, however, and herself besides. She focused on the motion of the creature next to her companion, and on the thin web of power granting it life and motion. The spell of undead animation was both elegant and complex, a work of art; such a spell was still far beyond her, and it would be for some time. It was a masterpiece of oil paint, and she was a novice working in color.

Even a novice, however, knows how to scrap the paint off of a canvas. She points at the creature with an imperious hand, shouting several words of power in an eldritch tongue. She reached for the magic animating the creature, and she ripped away at it with her force of will, attempting to shatter the creature's strength and ruin any physical attack it may unleash.

Summon a Ogre Zombie (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/zombie.htm) in F5/G6.

It attacks Zed 7: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

She then Shifts to O4, and targets Zed1 with a Ray of Enfeeblement.

Ranged Touch: [roll2]
Strength Penalty: [roll3]

[OMG PONIES]

With remarkable speed, Alistair lashes out twice at the monster in front of him. His mind began to race with the newfound speed, bringing with it a slew of anxieties. He knew that, tactically speaking, keeping the zombies in the fire was their best bet. However, the one engaged with Thoven had a straight shot to Frigg; if it charged her, her brother's utterance of protection could only do so much. Alistair continues fighting the zombie in front of him, but keeps making sideways glances to Thoven.

Full Attack: full power attack vs Zed6
-2 Power Attack, +3 Knowledge Devotion, +1 Haste
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

Durations of utterances:

Perceive the Unseen, Reversed (Frigg): 4/10 rounds
Greater Speed of the Zephyr (Alistair): 2/10 rounds

[Greenish]

Mark's spectral wings beat for altitude as he climbs upwards to veer over the wall of fire, shooting a fiery line towards the retreating zombie as he goes.

Zed7 takes [roll0] fire damage, is no longer entangled.
Zed9 takes [roll1] fire damage, is no longer entangled.

Ref save [roll2] vs. DC 18, take 5 fire damage.


Line of fire to Zed7, damage [roll3] fire, Ref 18 for half, entangled and taking fire damage for [roll4] rounds.

Move 15' up, 15' to East, ending up 30' up in M3.

Drachemarklabauter (Mark) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=349702)
Male LG Dragonwrought Desert Kobold Dragonfire Adept, Level 6, Init +3, HP 59/72, DR 2/Magic, Speed 30'
AC 25, Touch 14, Flat-footed 22, Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +8, Base Attack Bonus 3 [/SPOILER]

[theos911]

Thoven, now a bit limited being trapped away from the action and all, eagerly lashes out at the stumbling smouldering undead.

AOO

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]


Thoven, unable to go further, waits for further enemy incursions past the eastern defensive line.

[Daravon_35]

Korack a little disturbed by his spear hole going unnoticed by the undead, attempts once more to affect it. Thrusting out his spear, once again.


He's attacking Zed6 again

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Korack


Korack (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=351634)
Init: +1, HP: 54/54, Speed: 30'
AC: 20, Touch: 12, Flat-footed: 19, Fort: +6, Ref: +3, Will: +9, Base Attack Bonus: +4

Conditions: Blessing of the Spirits (+2 deflection AC and +2 saves against spirits)

[Toliudar]

In seconds, all of the shambling dead are lying still on the ground - most with burns ranging from 'singed' to 'well done'. Frigg quickly takes down her wall, and the smoke starting to come from the walls fades out in the damp fog.

Through the thick fog, it's just possible to tell that the sun is moving towards the horizon. From somewhere up ahead, there is the unmistakeable sound of metal bashing against metal.

So sorry for the delay, folks. Rather than try to recapture everyone's focus on the fight at hand, which you were very much in command of anyway, I'd like to just move us along. If I can get at least a quick post from each of you to assess who I might have lost through my negligence, we can pick up from here.

Again, you're at an intersection, having just stepped into a fairly densely-built town. There are alleys visible to the left and right. Visible doors range from swung open and partially off the hinges to boarded up, and there's little sign of habitation in the nearest buildings. Visibility is limited to about 60'. The road you're on looks a bit wider than the cross-street.

[theos911]

As the fighting stops, Thoven mutters a quick prayer, peers at the sky for a brief moment, and then snaps back to reality. He quickly scans the party, as if it were his unit, Kaylee first and then the others to see if any are in need of healing.

[If any do, he uses however much lay on hands is needed to get them back to health.]

"If this is what these things are capable of during the day, I do not want to see what they may be able to do come night. The sun is setting and I think we should best find somewhere to stay before we lose anymore daylight."

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee watches as her powerful summoned ogre fades into mist and steam, and then she retrieves the bag, candle, and bone used in its summoning. She looks at the fallen undead for a moment, looking for any sign of movement or unlife, before turning back to Thoven. "I agree. Despite the weakness of those undead, they had an unusual variety with them, and that concerns me.

Naturally-occuring undead can be very powerful and magical, beyond anything that I can yet summon. This place is clearly a nexus of necromantic energy of some kind, and I do not wish to see it at night. We should find a sturdy building to hole up in, and we should set a heavy watch."

[theos911]

Thoven listens intently as Kaylee speaks.

"Their weakness does little to sway my conern. Negative energy is funny like that; it can manifest as anything from a pack of miniscule nuisances to a handful of gargantuan nightmares.

You and I are both aware of how much energy is stagnating here; let's hope it stays that way."

Thoven then turns a complete circle, eyes glowing faintly gold as he looks in each direction.

Once finished, he eyes the cart intently. After some quick mental calculations he heads over, unhitches the dead horse, and heaves it aside before cleanly slicing off its head muttering,

"...better safe than sorry..."

He continues bringing the harness up to pulling condition with bits of leather and cloth from his pack, while waiting for the other others to recover and speak.

[OMG PONIES]

Alistair

The illumian places a hand on his chin, carefully contemplating the words of his companions. "We don't want to be here at night, so our plan is to be here at night...albeit with our position defended? Why not press on and possibly be out of here by--" His words are interrupted by the sound of metal on metal, and his eyes widen slightly at the sound. "We may yet have life here--perhaps a smithy or, worst case scenario, someone attempting to fight off more of these abominations. Perhaps we should look into it?"

[Daravon_35]

Korack solemnly nods in response to Alistair's words. "We agree. Spending the night here doesn't seem wise in any kind of sense. And if there are truly survivors up ahead, it means they can hopefully not only tell us what is going on, but provide whatever shelter has kept them alive this long. We think despite these buildings being boarded up, that their inhabitants probably didn't fare too well."

As the shamans resumes to use his spear as a walking stick, he adds in a few more words. "If we do go to their aid let's not waste time, but let's also not rush to our own doom, as well."

[Toliudar]

As the not-so-merry band continue along the streets, some of the buildings show some sign of recent occupancy. The doors are much more likely to be securely closed rather than boarded up or torn off. There is the faint glow of light through some shutters. Still no sign of actual living people, though.

The clatter of metal is eerily muted and bounced around in the fog. Up ahead, just at the edge of the fog, the group can make out a barricade of improvised materials - carts, beams, furniture - heaped up to a height of about 4', and closing off the road ahead. From beyond the barricade, lost in the mist and darkness, you hear an exclamation of pain - a woman's voice, you think.

Initiative and actions, please.

[theos911]

Initiative:
[roll0]

[OMG PONIES]

Alistair frowns. "It seems this town requires our assistance once more," he says without emotion as he draws his longspear.

[roll0]

[RaggedAngel]

Kaylee holds her bow steady, a serpent's tongue arrow still knocked and held fast against the mist. "Be wary, for this may be a trap. That said, I would not mind saving a damsel in distress from this gruesome horde." She begins to cautiously towards the barricade, attempting to see beyond it.

Initiative: [roll0]

[Daravon_35]

"The spirits grants us with fortune. Perhaps there are survivors here after all!" Korack says as he moves with the others towards the barricade.

Initiative:

[roll0]

[theos911]

Thoven' speed steadily wains until he ends up at the rear of the group, his body moving, but his mind elsewhere.

[Toliudar]

The smell of decay grows much stronger as the group rushes forward.

Map and description as soon as I have time.