The Lords of Life and Death

[Wavelab]

"You are annoying." Siggeir said as the flail hit him.

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I think that's a crit, in which case I take 69 damage since I don't think that is a silver and magic weapon.

I shall ponder my action for a while then post what I'm going to do.

[Dr.Orpheus]

Les sighs "Catch phases are as hard to make as they are cool, that's why nobody can think of them in mid combat. Dang I'm runin' out of range spells too."

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Next round I will need to hurt Gregor with cure spells.

[nyarlathotep]

The continued assault causes Gregor's body to split and spill thick black liquid, and visibly fall apart. All his body save for his head falls limp, showing quite clearly that his eyes have rolled back in their sockets.

Gregor: No this body still has fight in it. The iron cage is cold far too cold. It's not my fault.

The corpse then simply disintegrates into a pile of bone and tissue, all of his soulmeld equipment dissipating as well. At the same instant all of the sciths fall to the ground, but remain twisted mockeries of the human form.

[Dr.Orpheus]

Seeing that Gregor has been at temporarily debodied Les will fly down closer to the sciths and cast briartangle on them (if I'm able to get multiple in the 40 ft. radius spread without effecting the party). If not Les will fly down and hit one of the scithes with a cure moderate wounds. If Gregor remains in some ghost form Les will fly down and hit him with a cure critical wounds.

[NotScaryBats]

"You always were a fool, Gregor." Joan says as he begins to disintegrate. "Well fought, everyone. Siggeir, did you say there was a castle near here that could have withstood undead attack? If its closer than Landsend we should go there; the children need a safe place to stay."

[Dr.Orpheus]

"Actually we can take them kids to Landsend. If I remember correct Siggeir can teleport. He could take me too so I can guide him in case of n' off target arrival."

[Wavelab]

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Does that time I spent in the coffin on the river count as enough rest to get spells back? If so then I'll cast teleport and if not I'll make another post anyway.

[nyarlathotep]

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Does that time I spent in the coffin on the river count as enough rest to get spells back? If so then I'll cast teleport and if not I'll make another post anyway.

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It does count as rest.

[Kazyan]

"Wait, we're teleporting now?" Istid asks as she sheaths her dagger. "Why were we walking? Not that I didn't like finding a river, because I did." She kicks the re-corpse of the minion, then strolls towards the group, having apparently shrugged off her one potential wound completely.

[Wavelab]

"Because teleporting doesn't grow on trees. And me and Joan can walk forever so it doesn't matter." Ok so who wants to teleport with me?

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I can take 5 people including myself.

(1d100)[32]

On Target: 01-76
Of Target: 77-88
Similar Area: 89-96
Mishap: 97-100

[NotScaryBats]

"Yes, the children and their... Caretaker should go with you to Landsend"

[Dr.Orpheus]

"I guess we'll see ya back hear in a couple minutes." After Siggeir leaves Les and his eagle will fly around to look for Siggeir in case he is off target on his way back.

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Nobody can come with you. You have 4 kids and a beetle.

[nyarlathotep]

Siggeir disappears with the children and their beetle caretaker in a flash of light. Shortly thereafter he returns sans the children.

[Wavelab]

"Alright the children are safe. What do you want to do now?"

[Dr.Orpheus]

"Well there is that thing up north that Joan has been wantin' to go to."

[Wavelab]

"Alright. Joan any other details on this?"

[NotScaryBats]

Joan nods and fills the party in on the situation with Caligulus. "To make a long story short, Caligulus is the leader of a group of undead like myself -- preserved soldiers who gave their lives to protect Constance. The idea was to waken us when great need threatened the land, but it seems there was corruption in the system; none were wakened to fight the Dragonbloods or the Deathlords. When I was roused by a group of farmers-turned-adventurers, my tomb was empty save my own personal retainers; that is, Caligulus and dozens of other soldiers had already moved on, scrawling a note to meet them in the ruins of the giant civilization.

I know Caligulus to be a strong man, and I trust him." she begins to get the cart ready for travel again as she talks, clearly and loudly, to the rest of the group. She takes her seat and waits for everyone else to get aboard.

[Wavelab]

"I think I might have heard of that before..." Siggeir said, almost trailing off in mid-sentence. The last words becoming more a mumble, as he tried to remember about Caligulus.

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To see if I know anything about Joan and her friends:
Knowledge (Religion): (1d20+15)[17]

To see if I know anything about Caligulus:
Fables*: (1d20+12)[25]

* Fables:

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Fables (Ex): A Traveller may make a special Fables check with a bonus equal to his Class Level + his Intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places. (If the Traveller has 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (history), he gains a +2 bonus on this check.)

A successful Fables check will not reveal the powers of a magic item but may give a hint as to its general function. A Traveller may not take 10 or take 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random.

[nyarlathotep]

After an uneventful morning Malain's troupe begins to approach a mountain whose white peak shines with majesty and tranquility that is in stark contrast to the scene surrounding it. All of the grounds at its base are covered in smoldering tar, under which can be spotted the entrance to a tunnel leading into the mountain's base. A far more obvious entrance how is just to its left side, a monstrously large hole ripped into what looks like a wound in the earth itself.

Smog: Sorry for another delay, but before the New Dawn commences we need more immune humanoids, and to retrieve another of the great masters. This is the most northward concentration of humans left on the continent, and master Fafnir is refusing to leave until we have retrieved the wife of his latest body. so we need to break into the stronghold somehow. Its face is on the other side, but there are multiple entrances all about the mountain.
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As Siggeir, Joan, and crew head northward after the tracks left by Gregor's group the find that fortunately they mostly follow the river northward already, unfortunately they also appear to have come from a much larger group of undead, based on the increased track frequency. By the time the tracks truly diverge from the northward river they look to account for at least 100 sets of distinct tracks.

The divergence point occurs almost a full day northward. The tracks make an abrupt eastward turn into a relatively intact looking town. It has a thick white mist covering it and its outer wall are made of wood. The mist is likely to shield the undead within from the harsh rays of the sun and the walls themselves are adorned with the symbols of multiple deathlords: the Masked Man, the White Child, the Grinding Beast, but most prominant of all is the Red Man.

[NotScaryBats]

Joan surveys the scene as best she can. The thick mist obscures ever her Darkvision. "This town looks to be occupied by undead. It isn't explicit to our mission, but I suggest that we venture inside and do as much damage as possible. Can you spell casters do anything about the mist? I also find myself slightly injured by that filth Gregor's attacks. Is there anything you can do about that, either?"

She is used to working with spellcasters, and is not abashed asking for their aid.

[Dr.Orpheus]

"Sorry Joan nothin' I can do on the fog."

[Wavelab]

"I'm afraid that I can't either."

[NotScaryBats]

Joan shrugs, "Just as well, I suppose. It should hinder the undead, just as it hinders us. I honestly know nothing of your powers, and can only guess. At any rate, let us arm ourselves and venture forth. Are you all prepared?"

The Knight secures the wagon, asks the two priests to stay with and call an alarm should they be beset by anything, and draws her weapons.

She is ready to proceed.

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I don't know your powers OOC either :P I just assume you can do anything. Enervation would give me tHP...

[nyarlathotep]

The gates of the town are wide open and its guard towers are completely unmanned. Beyond the gate the ground drops nearly a full foot in height, and is filled nearly to the brim with stagnant clear water. As a result most of the town's wooden structures have begun rotting from all of the water logging, and you can see the tops of their foundations. Even with all of the wood's destruction by moss and rot, nothing grows in the water at all, it is perfectly transparent and any wood beneath the surface is rot free.

All of the mist blanketing the town actually gets less thick as one enters the town, almost as though it is forming a shell at the town border. The fog itself appears to be rising from a well that is located at the central intersection of the road leading from the gate you are entering and the only other visible avenue.

Also located around the intersection are the only two stone buildings visible: town's Pantheon temple, a temple built to all the gods whose priests had ever lived in this town, and the central guildhall, a sure sign you have passed the southern border of Krone. The temple is a large building made of black stone with little decoration on the outside so as not to leave out any new gods that might be added to its interior, only the gods of the founding gods would be given markings on the exterior and even them only one each. The remains of said marking, a large marble statue in the temple's main entrance, stand if just barely having been defiled by the town's new masters. The head has been removed and its arms have been broken making any identification by appearance impossible, but the crude black graffiti that reads "Just a man like any other" makes clear it was dedicated to Ivan or a saint.

The guildhall is significantly less vandalized. Its doors of brass still stand as do its grey stone walls. The only things of note which show the presence of the deathlords here are banners showing the holy symbol of the Masked Man, an emotionless white theater mask, and the White Child, a bell crossing a black rose. Additionally the frieze which once read the the motto of House Jessen "Reputation is the greatest Currency", but now the word "reputation" has been crossed out and replaced with "Penance".

[Sneaky Weasel]

Malain studies the mountain with narrowed eyes. So they wanted to break into a mountain fortress? That could take some doing. But the reason for it has escaped him, and he needs to know everything before deciding what to do.

"The wife of Fafnir's latest body? I'm afraid I don't quite follow. How does he have more than one body, and what need have the Masters for wives?" Yet again, he has stepped perilously close to the edge in his search for answers. Sooner or later I'll ask the wrong question, and then it's all over for Malain. But after all, what choice did he have?

[NotScaryBats]

Joan coughs to herself, a habit rather than a need. She feels compelled to explore and consecrate the temple, driving out the Deathlords. Though she lacks the divine power to follow through with her desires, she still starts the exploration there.

With a silent signal to her companions, the Mummy Knight moves into the temple slowly and carefully.

If the casters feel the need to buff up with spells, she will wait for them, otherwise she suggests a formation like this
TEMPLE
JOAN (point)
LES
SIGGEIR
ISTID (rearguard)

[nyarlathotep]

Smog: It is strange, but I suppose that one found in the wilderness would not know of Fafnir. He is the most chaotic and emotional of all our lords. As a result his blood carries a special blessing, not only does it make those it touches our brothers much more quickly than other sources it also serves as an incubator for his very soul. So if in his blind rages any enemy gets lucky and manages to kill our master he will be reborn from the body of the last person who was touched by his blood, since his last regeneration. While this does give him virtual immortally it comes with a price; namely that some of body's previous host remains and adds its soul to Fafnir's own, and with it comes the strongest desires and principles of that soul. In this case he has been overridden with the desire to find and own the body's wife.

[Dr.Orpheus]

Les almost follows Joan into the flooded town before thinking of safety. He will cast Detect Poison on the stagnant water because of the blisters on his feet could burst and absorb what could be a lot of bacteria, and not to mention Istid might try to breath this water with her gills. If all goes well with that he will then cast Detect Magic after walking a ways into the town.

[nyarlathotep]

The water does not detect any poison by it does radiate an aura of minor necromancy, which is probably why there is a conspicuous absence of moss and living creatures in a stagnant pool.

[Wavelab]

"I'll go ahead and see what I can find." Siggeir said as he stepped out of the formation and transformed into a misty gass.

Gaseous Form, flying around and looking around.