Ja'khaa overhears this and hisses, "Don't say that! The Mockery will likely make it true!" Flame preserve us!
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The man running down the road is soon lost in the darkness. The screams of terror and cries of pain are coming less often, but the sounds of them can still be heard.
A man, the front of his clothing covered in blood, stumbles towards you from out of the alleyway across the street.
From inside the inn, sudden shouts can be heard.
"Crap!"
"Host protect us!"
Ja'khaa remembers what had happened earlier with the other dying man... how, upon death, he had been reanimated as an undead beast. He stares hard at the man before them, debating within him whether the man would be better off if they killed him now.
No. That would still be murder. His countenance darkens in a deep frown and he says in a low voice to Morris, "You. Cover him. Give him some water and guard him well. If he dies..." at this the goblin's eyes dart to the butchered corpse within the tavern. "You know what to do. Have no mercy to that which is evil"
Turning his burning gaze atthe wounded man, Ja'khaa barks, "Hail, Cyran. What is the cause of the commotion? What are ye fleeing from?"
Zin keeps up with the others, his polearm at ready.
When the bloody man approaches, Zin backs away a few paces. The last time he went to help one of them, he ended up fighting an undead.
The changeling is prepared to follow the orders of Ja'khaa, who seems to have taken charge. "Sir, what do we do next?"
Morris
"I second that. I am no military man and not used to all this confusion. What should I be doing?"
For the first time since the rest of the makeshift party has met him, Meantooth looks unsure...
This quickly passes.
"Grr... bloody man, you speak now, or do you want Meantooth's weapon buried in your skull?" The shaman shakes his weapon at the advancing man. Despite his confident words, he sets his stance back a little and raises his tiny buckler.
<OOC>Can I settle into a full defense before combat starts, assuming this guy is an enemy?</OOC>
Stats, just in case.
Spoiler
Hp: 11
AC: 21 (25 if full defense is taken)
Fort: +5
Ref: +5
Will: +0
Soulmelds:
Worm tail belt: 1 essentia (+3 natural armor)
Blink short: 0 essentia (teleport 20 feet as a standard action)
The man lurches forward towards Ja'kha and attempts to bite the mounted goblin. As he lunges, you can see that his throat has been torn out.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
From the inn comes a cry of pain, and the sounds of fright and terror are coming from the common room grow louder.
Spoiler[roll0] Attack of Opportunity with lance! [roll1] AoO damage
[roll2] Initiative
Ja'khaa jerks back and stabs reflexively with his lance at the undead but it is surprisingly swift. He misses wide and the beast gets below his guard.
In a trice, sharp yellow teeth have crunched through the goblin's flimsy leather armour. Blood spurts from a jagged shoulder wound. Ja'khaa's mouth gnashes in a silent scream of pain. The lance drops from spasming fingers... already he feels a foul taint in his flesh. Fang bucks away from and growls at the unnatural, arcanely animated corpse.
The beast's maw opens, its grinning rictus dripping goblinblood. Ja'khaa frantically signals with his knees to his wolf to back them out of there. Once they are a good five feet away, he raises his shield and draws his dagger...
But then, as he flips the small blade through his usual routine, it almost slips from his fingers. He winces both in shame and pain as he tightens his grip on the dagger's bone-wrought hilt, the blood from his wound making it slick.
"Fortun-teller! Get yer glaive-totin' arse over here and hold the center!" Ja'khaa shouts, raising his blade, making ready for a charge. "Yezt, left flank forward, mak ye ready fer melee! Morris, left flank rear, ranged support. Alchemsit Shrivver! Reserves, ranged support!"
The lancer pumps his arm, getting the blood going in muscles suddenly gone cold. His lip peels back in a snarl but he holds his temper in chack, helds back from raging, seeking to conserve his strength. "Move it, men, MOVE!"
((Just in case I don't get back in time.
[roll0] Regular melee attack [roll1] Damage for a puny pathetic 2-buck dagger))
Meantooth swiftly maneuvers to his assigned position and swings his morningstar at the creature's head.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
"Methinks we should retreat back to inn, sounds like there is trouble!" The goblin grunts.
Morris
Happy to not be in close with the zombies Mo stand about 10 ft behind Ja'khaa and fires his bow
Spoiler
[roll0] -4 taken for shooting combat
[roll1]
Zin is not a military man. He has never been in a battle before; he has never killed a man. Under his former tutor, he did some training in the arts of warfare, but that was not the same. He has lived a relatively easy life, never encountering trouble that he could not charm or run away from. The sudden appearance of these creatures has shocked him and he seems to be acting on instinct.
The fortune teller follows the orders of the goblin, Ja'khaa. He maneuvers himself himself in front of the undead and readies his glaive. With a cry of "For Cyre," he brings the weapon crashing down.
SpoilerAttack:[roll0]Dmg:[roll1]
OOC: Those who haven't rolled inititive yet should.
Morris
[roll0]
"I did not feel sure that my shot was not going to hit you instead of the dead thing. Are you sure you want me to try shooting into combat with my bow Ja'khaa?"
Initiative: [roll0]
Sripor
[roll0]
"See. I told you he would become a zombie-thing." Sripor sighs.
Initive 20: Yetz's morningstar smacks into the zombie's flesh with a sickening smack, but causes little damage.
Inititive 16: Morris's arrow strikes the zombie in the leg, but causes no damage.
Inititive 15: The zombie changes its focus from Ja'hkaa to Yetz and attempts to bite the other goblin.
Attack:[roll0]
Damge:[roll1]
Inititive 13: Zin glaive slices deep into the zombie's flesh, grating against bone before pulling free.
Inititive 9: Sripor sighs and shakes his head, disapointed no one listened to him when he predicted the undead.
Inititive 5: Ja'hkaa slashes at the zombie with his dagger, but his wounded arm throws his aim off.
Spoiler[roll0] Attack [roll1] Damage
[roll2] Knowledge Religion--- to see what my character knows about undead
[roll3] Knowledge Arcana--- ditto. I'm not sure about checks.
[roll4] Knowledge Local--- Where the heck are the temple complexes in this bloody city? Is it a city at all? Where's the bloody town watch, Flamesakes?
[roll5]Knowledge LocalInt/Wis check to remember where the Deneith enclave is in Darthun (Ja'khaa reported to the said enclave upon entering the city, right?)
PS: not yet raging, saving it for the inevitable pack.
Karmariffic!:smallbiggrin:
Ja'khaa's vision blurs with a sudden fury as he stands in the stirrups, bashes the beast's arms away with his shield's rim and slashes away in a screaming silver arc. His arm meets a certai sickly sweet, fleshy resistance but the Deneith-forged blade parts the rotten flesh easily. He ducks reflexively to avoid the sudden spurt of blood but belatedly realizes that undead hearts do not beat and their blood does not flow.
He hears the outcries of his comrades and sees the ineffective attacks of some of them. He hears the bloodcurdling screams of dying folk, civilians of Cyre within and without the walls of the tavern and his lip pulls back in an outraged snarl. "Yezt! Pull back, fla'k an' bash tha' damned thing from behind! Zin, keepit good and steady!"
The goblin's eyes cast about and his ears flick hither and yon, assessing the situation. "Morris, and Sripor, tactical wi'drawal! Scout back on the tavern, the alley and the the general bloody premises! Git a gander on if'n we bein' snuck up on! Oh, and if'n ye can, get us some torches and lots of oil!"
Despite the chaos of combat, Ja'khaa thinks back and tries to remember the ways and paths of this city as he had stumbled into Darthun, bleeding from the blades of the Valenar who ow seem so far a threat... Surely the might of the gods can turn these abominations back... damn, did I pass ay temples on my way? And where in blazes are the guvner's palace and the Deneith stronghold? I need to tell Colonel Vakyr wots happening and ta get off his fat arse!
Ja'khaa
Spoiler
First, these are fresh zombies, not week old rotting ones. More pleasant to smell, not much different in a fight.
Second, What Ja'khaa knows about undead from his breif stint on the Karnnathi front can be summed up thusly: If its bony, hit it with a mace. If its fleshy, cut it with a sword. If it won't go down, get a cleric. If you don't have a cleric, use holy water.
Third, There are small churches scattered around the city, but no major temple complexes or monestaries anywhere in the city that you know of. Most priests in Eberron can't cast actual spells anyway, and most that can don't have much training in dealing with the undead.
Fourth, The day shift of the town guard is just going off watch and the next shift coming on, so right now the watch is probably scattered all over the city.
Fifth, the Deneith enclave is located to the south west of your current location, where the Orien trade road leaves the city. The enclave has been a valuble staging point for Deneith mercenaries on their way to the southern border. The compound is defensible, so unless something horrible happened, the place should hold for days or even weeks against anything short of a total assault.
In a blast of cold, stinging memory, Ja'khaa remembers the bitter Karrnathi winter when fallen comrades clawed their way out of snow-dug graves and assailed their former friends. His nose flares in chagrin and he barks out, "Belay that order, Yezt! Fall back and aid the scouts! Save yer bludgeon fer the skeletons!"
The goblin pulls back his blade with a sickening splortch and pumps his arm in preparation for another strike. Damnit. I need a heavier blade...
Morris
Morris stow his bow and starts running back to the inn. Looking around for other threats.
[roll0]
[roll1]
"Damnit, Meantooth wants to FIGHT!" The goblin screams, nearly tossing his useless weapon to the ground in a fury. Still, he realizes the value of Jak'haa's orders and manages to restrain himself. He swiftly disengages the zombie, following Morris and Sripor back to the inn.
"Strange one... stranger one, have you a bladed weapon for Yezt?" He prompts his companions on the way back.
<OOC>Full retreat, so as not to provoke an AoO</OOC>
With the goblin also attacking the undead, Zin has to readjust his placement. He circles around the beast, placing it between himself and Ja'khaa. He then makes another assault, a sideways swipe aimed at the creature's torso.
Spoiler[roll0](Extra +2 for flanking)[roll1]
Sripor
"That depends — would you count a spear as a blade?" Sripor puts away his shortspear, draws a crossbow, and loads it.
Morris turns and hurries back towards the inn, stowing his bow as he does.
Realizing his morningstar is largely ineffective against undead such as these, Yetz joins Morris in heading back to the inn.
The zombie turns to the nearest creature, Ja'hkaa, and attempts to bite the goblin again.
Attack:[roll0]
Damge:[roll1]
From the shadows of the alley ways branching off the streets, you can see the lurching motion of man sized forms shambling towards you, and from the inn the sounds of fear and panic are continuing to rise in volume and frequency.
Zin's glaive again strikes home. His slash opens the creature's belly, exposing the thing's intestines.
Sripor stows his spear in favor of his crossbow and quickly loads a bolt.
Ja'hkaa's knife slashes through undead flesh, exposing pale white bone.
Sripor
Fire! [roll0] [roll1]
"Urh... uh oh. Why did it have to be undead!? Immune to only damaging power creatures! Grrgh!" :smallfurious:
Watching as the bolt either 1) misses or 2) bounces off the creature's skin, Sripor starts moving towards the protection of the inn. In other words, hustle.
Zin retains the momentum from the previous strike. He spins, taking the polearm with him, before bringing it down with an overhead attack.
"More are arriving," he shouts. "Shall we retreat?"
Spoiler[roll0][roll1]
The zombie bites again, yellow teeth gleamig with sickly ichor in the pale moonlight. Ja'khaa rams the base of his shield into the thing's mouth then shoves it off.
He glances around and snarls at the unholy menace ravaging his beloved motherland. Seeing the lurching shadows in the windows of the inn and having little doubt as to what they are, his mind wrestles with his conscience.
Making up his mind, he shouts out, "Scout'n party! 'Ware the undead, they're alrea'y inside! Bust the doors quick-like! If there be too many, fall back, full bloody retreat... if it be just a few, dodge 'em and loot all the liquor, oil, blades and torches ye can carry!"
"Zin, ye have the longer weapo'--- trip the damned thing and keep it down!... Oh, and watch yer back" Ja'khaa calls out. "Once they get back with either the report on enemy positions... or the flammables, we get the bloody blazes out of here, an' make for the Sou'West--- for the Deneith strong'old"
"STAY DEAD!" he shouts as he slashes out once more, disbelieving the ineffectiveness of his blows.
Spoiler[roll0] Attack [roll1] Damage
Uh-oh, I'm beginning to thik this thing's got Plot Armour...
OOC: There seems to be a small bit of confusion. There is something going on at the inn, but the new zombies coming into view are out here on the street with you.
SpoilerWHAT?!? Could we pleeeaaase have a map? I understood they were still comig in from the alleys... and I thought we were in the middle of the bloody street! I will change me post upon the... ahem, tacmap update...