[4e] Ravaged Wastelands: Adventures in Moorhollow

[Razorstorm]

Gerald smiles and nods politely and deferentially to the guard on the right, and then reaches out to the silver knocker on the door in front of him and raps it solidly. The sound echoes solemnly in the drizzly gloom. He then steps back from the door, clasps his hand in front of him, giving a look to the others to imply they should do same, and waits.

[Jarl11]

Kora

As the discussion fades off and they travel in silence, she walks along lost in thought for a moment. Rounding the next building, the cool breeze hits them and brings her back to the present. Instead of wrapping up warmly, the large blonde woman smiles and lets her cloak flap in the wind, enjoying the sensation of the dancing air breathing fresh life. Even though winter is cold and can be dreary, it's another season in the circle of life that the spirits dance out for the world and her races. She begins to hum softly, a childhood melody of which, if sang, is about a young boy stealing pies to give to a girl he fancies. Kora enjoys the walk and verily skips along.

Not overly impressed by the large temple, she muses reminds me of Senitha actually... but this graveyard!. She stops for a moment by the gated area, feeling the pull of wild spirits on the other side and seeing plants she wants to tend to. With a small sigh, she brushes her hair back over her shoulders and steps quick to catch up with the others.

Kora calmly climbs the steps to the temple, studying the building and eyeing the ravens before standing easy (where the birds can't drop anything on her) with her muscular arms folded across her chest. She smiles politely at the woman as Gerald steps up to the door and then smiles, maybe a little bit bigger, at the man on the right. "Hello there. Do you get bored just standing here all day?" she asks earnestly.

[LimeSkeleton]

DM Post

The blue-eyed man shifts his impassive gaze to Kora, his expression unreadable. His eyes meet hers for a few moments, and Kora can almost feel his eyes pierce through her thoughts, blatantly and unerringly searching for falsehood. Then, without a word, both he and the woman nod their heads deeply, their eyes closing momentarily. They both stand up straight once more, before stepping off to the sides, leaving the door unguarded. A gust of wind sends chilly rain flying at the group, tendrils of icy water dripping down their faces and clothing. However, the two guards remain impassive, allowing the rain to splash against them without any reaction. They stand still, like statues--or perhaps, more aptly, like the dead--as Gerald reaches for the silver knocker.

Gerald's hand brings the knocker against the stone door with a solid clang, which echoes strangely from within the building, taking slightly too long to fade from the air than it rightly should. The sound eventually gives way to silence, with only the rain providing noise of any kind. A minute passes as the group stands in absolute silence, waiting patiently before the doors of the temple. Then, without any warning, both of the doors swing inwards simultaneously, revealing the inside of the structure.

The room before the group is a large pentagram, entirely crafted from black stone. Upon the floor, the symbol of the Raven Queen is painted in a bright white hue, contrasting sharply with the darkness of the rest of the chamber. Several archways lie on the other walls of the rooms, each identical to all of the others. As the party steps forward, the doors silently swing shut behind them, leaving the room in relative darkness. As their eyes adjust to the darkness, the party realizes that the only light to be found comes from flickering braziers set in grooves in the walls, each burning with silver flame. Aside from the braziers, the room is strangely devoid of just about anything. No decorations adorn the walls, no music fills the air, and the only detectable scent is the faintest smell of burned incense.

This lack of decoration only serves to draw attention to the young man standing in the center of the room. Tall and broad-shouldered, the dark-haired man holds himself high. His chainmail armor, colored a lusterless black, bears the crest of the Raven Queen upon the chest, accompanied by a silver holy symbol hanging from his neck. A battleaxe is belted to his side, its blade glinting wickedly in the silvery light. The man takes a few steps forward, letting his face enter a flickering patch of brightness. Then, his eyes widening in surprise, Brandis Shieldheart begins to speak, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Hail, friends. It has been some time since we have seen one another. I trust you have been well. Winter Queen's blessings upon you all, including you, stranger." He nods at Kora, then presses the first two fingers of his hand to his lips in a gesture of respect. He uncrosses his arms, then strides forward to a more casual distance from the group. "As you can see, the Ravenguard welcomed me with open arms. My devotion was all that was truly needed to pass the trials, they said. They did not find me lacking in that regard." The slightest hint of a smile passes across Brandis' face. "Now, my friends, what is it you require? As the Speaker of the temple for the day, I can explain a variety of memorial services which you can choose from. We are quite busy at the moment, but if your friend here requires a service of some sort, it should not be a problem." He casts his eyes about the group, meeting each of their faces with a stony expression. When he finishes scanning, he frowns slightly. "Is Balaern still in good health? I notice he is not currently with you. He's a good man, even if the Elves don't much like him." The young cleric falls silent, awaiting a response.

[Razorstorm]

Gerald smiles warmly and steps forward shaking Brandis' hand firmly with both of his. "It's good to see you, Brandis. We are well, thank you, as is Balearn, as far as we know. He's headed his own way, as you have. I'm so glad to hear that you this is going well for you. Here, I'd like to introduce you to our new companion, Kora." He steps aside to let the two of them meet properly. He then steps back in closely, and speaks to Brandis in an intense whisper, "My friend, we need your help. We are helping to investigate the recent attacks that are plaguing the city. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. There is a body that your Ravensguard took possession of. He would have been missing a significant chunk of skin. It had a tatoo on it, which I have studied. I believe there is a great risk that his corpse will rise again. Do you know the body I am speaking of?"

[Jarl11]

Kora

A bit surprised by the seriousness and coldness of the guards, the young woman follows her companions inside the temple where she looks about with wide eyes. Wow, it's so sharp and clean... and as devoid of emotion as the guards.

She straightens her own black cloak with rough, strong hands and studies the figure before her with open surprise that the others know him. I'll bet that ax has been used a couple times. He knows the others - that is excellent! Maybe he will help us! The God of Death is no friend to those who consort with undeath. She mimics the symbol of respect, her first two fingers to her lips, and offers a warms smile with a slight blush of excitement, in hopes that they can step even closer to their goal with his aid. "Greetings, Brandis. May your fate be a proud one with a noble end! Not sure if that's the proper greeting here," she quickly adds with a grins, brushing her blonde hair back over her ears, "but it was one that I was led to believe is appropriate to friends of the Queen of Winter. We few wardens share your revulsion of the plague in this land called undeath." She stands back a bit to let the others speak with their friend.

[Angel Bob]

Adaine nods in vigorous agreement with Gerald's query. "Please, Brandis, if there is anything you know, or can find out... One of the victims grew up with me. We need to get to the bottom of this, for his sake."

[LimeSkeleton]

DM Post

Brandis remains completely still, listening intently to everything the group has to say. The only movement visible is the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathes, and eventually the tiniest nod in Kora's direction as she introduces herself. Once all have finished their piece, he tilts his head up slightly, then meets eyes with each of the group in turn, seeming to search for something in their expressions. After a few moments of this, his countenance become yet more intense, and he begins speaking with the sort of quiet intensity that Gerald and Adaine had become accustomed to. "It is both heartening and disheartening to hear you will be involved with this disturbing investigation. The knowledge and ability of each of you will no doubt prove incredibly useful, but the danger to which you will be exposed will be tantamount to exploring the depths of the ruins once more." He pauses for a long moment, his face stony with complete concentration.

Brandis maintains the long, vaguely unnerving silence for a time, seeming to take his time to carefully order his thoughts. Then he looks directly at Gerald, his expression intense once more. "I believe I know which body you're referring to. The one of the Necromancer, who ended his own life while imprisoned somehow? As far as I know, the corpse was quickly purified and destroyed, and the ashes were disposed of after a second purification. However, if you feel strongly about the possibility of some foul, necromantic magic allowing this abomination to walk free, Gerald, then I trust your intuition. You need not make further argument, especially with the strange goings-on here, as of late." The man's mouth thins, curving into a slight frown.

He uncrosses his arms, and faces Kora, the frown fading from his features. "May her wings guide you to your final rest when the time has come, Warden." He pauses slightly, then gives a deeper bow in her direction, one far more respectful than the slight inclination of his head that he had given earlier.

Finally, he turns to Adaine, his expression softening significantly. "Adaine, I hope my words will give you some modicum of comfort. All victims of the attack were given proper services, so that their bodies might rest and their souls might move on to the Winter Queen's realm. Their time here may be over, but they have found true peace in death." Brandis finishes his small speech by pressing the first two fingers of his hand to his lips. After pausing for another few seconds, he takes a step back, looking at the group as a whole. With a slight nod, he turns and begins walking down the corridor to his left, motioning for the others to follow him along.

However, he stops suddenly when he hears the screaming from outside the temple.

Makaria

Although she hadn't been in Moorhollow long, Makaria quickly learned that some parts of the town were much more accepting of her strange appearance than others. The shops and eateries, for example, often harbored individuals who refused her service, or demanded exorbitant prices compared to what they normally charged. The nobles, especially the Dwarves, did not seem to care for her overmuch either, sending bodyguards and other armed men to force her to keep her distant from the more beautiful parts of the ancient town.

However, the quieter, less-inhabited areas of Moorhollow proved much more tolerant of her presence. The temple of Bahamut, for example, offered to tend to her injuries free of charge-- a far cry from the sort of "survival of the fittest" mantra she had been accustomed to in her monastery. Additionally, after hearing of her encounter with undead outside the walls, Makaria was offered a cot in a temple to the Raven Queen. The priest in charge of the temple, Sindrei Forscythe, even gave her some comfortable clothing without charging even a copper.

For this reason, Makaria often found herself in the part of town closest to the grand temple of the Ravenguard. Huge and imposing, with Gothic architecture and stern guards, the building attracted relatively few visitors. Thankfully, this meant that the young Tiefling woman could often find some time to herself around the temple, to meditate, pray, or just relax. Today, despite the bitter rain that had been coming down steadily for the past few hours, Makaria finds herself before the temple once more.

However, something seems off about the temple today. For Makaria, it only takes a few moments to realize the main difference: The front door, guarded every hour of the day and night by a pair of armed Ravneguard members, is completely unprotected. The guards are not within Makaria's sight, and would seem to have entirely abandoned their post. In the cemetery next to the temple, a small service seems to be in session. Four priests of the Ravne Queen, garbed in simple robes of dark gray, stand around a newly-dug grave, their heads bowed in prayer. A low murmuring can be heard from them, bidding the soul of the departed to pass on peacefully to the next life.

Makaria does not have much time to dwell on the absence of the guards before something much more disturbing occurs. Suddenly, the earth in the cemetery begins to shift and crack, as if it were being pushed from below. The scraggly grasses growing atop the wet earth are uprooted as the soil is disturbed, collapsing into small gaps in the ground and then being pushed out once more. Within a few seconds, a single, rotted hand, bearing a multitude of claws on its fingers, bursts from the earth. Then, a split-second later, five undead abominations spring from the ground, their hideous forms covered in gray mud. One of the priests screams in surprise, giving the others enough warning to turn and watch as one of the creatures impales him through the stomach and tosses him effortlessly against the wrought-iron fence.

The creatures are all alike in their disturbing forms, but each is unique in its exact appearance. Their bodies are roughly humanoid, and clearly once belonged to living humans or half-elves. However, their skin has been sloughed off, revealing the muscle and sinew below, as well as flashes of white bone. Most have long, sharp claws on their fingers and toes, and two of them boast bony spines jutting from their backbone. They all possess at least one two many limbs, some of which are stunted and deformed, or otherwise imperfectly formed. However, each and every one of the abominations leaks a black sludge from its eyes and mouth, as well as from gaping wounds in its own body.

With a savage, ear-piercing shriek, the abominations attack the priests in earnest, their limbs and mouths moving with supernatural quickness.

[Arkhosia]

Makaria

Makaria charges at the undead, yelling I will send you into the deepest pits of the abyss for that, the defiler of the dead!

She vows, drawing her trusty greatsword with the efficiency and speed only acquired by practice as she charges to the scene!

[Razorstorm]

Gerald freezes and looks at Brandis in confused alarm. "What's going on?" he says, as his old feet are already carrying him out the door to see.

[Jarl11]

Kora

Pleased with Brandis' acceptance of them, the plain faced blonde woman finds herself grinning. Kora takes a step to follow the cleric down the hall but stops abruptly as the screams echo off the walls. All girlishness vanishes behind a feral light that springs to her eyes as she turns back to face the entrance. "That comes from outside." The stocky blonde woman follows Gerald's lead, quickly stepping to open one of the large doors.

As her training dictates, her left arm slides her shield firmly to the forearm and her senses expand around her, feeling the wild spirits and the life energy flowing between everyone in the entrance way. The primal energy of the air around her seems to spring into action, her cloak and hair flowing back just enough to remove any hindrance from her actions while her right hand secures the shield straps.

[Angel Bob]

Screaming -- from the graveyard -- ? The bodies -- !!!

"I thought you said they were given the proper rites!" Adaine cries, scrambling towards the horrible sounds, fumbling for his mahogany rod. He turns his thoughts outwards, calling to the latent spirits in the air.

Hear me, whoever or whatever you are... I felt your presence this morning. Are you still there?

...barely...

Do you have strength?

..as much as I can, I will lend...

"It'll have to be enough," Adaine says aloud, dashing towards the graveyard with a resolute expression on his face.

[LimeSkeleton]

DM Post

Following close behind Kora, Brandis darts through the doorway of the temple, his hand flying to the axe at his side. When he sees the undead monsters attacking the priests in the cemetery, his face twists with rage, then suddenly becomes eerily expressionless, with only his dark eyes expressing the righteous anger burning within. "No time for discussion now." His voice as cold as the Queen of Winter herself, Brandis thunders towards the undead, his axe burning with white flame. With a wide, sweeping arc, he sends a gout of the same pale fire at the abominations closest to him. They scream and recoil, their rotting flesh sizzling loudly.

As Gerald, Adaine, Kora, and Makaria rush into the cemetery, the abominations whip around with breakneck speed, their limbs flailing about with sickening crunching sounds. Then, without any warning, one of the two surviving priests yanks a dagger from under her robe, and promptly cuts the throat of the other, causing a jet of blood to spurt out onto the dirt. Then, without any pause, she does the same to herself, not making a sound as the blade opens her neck and ends her life. The two priests collapse onto the ground, lying completely still.

As chaos begins to break loose in the graveyard, a seemingly-disembodied voice begins to fill the air, resonating strangely with the Gothic architecture. "Tenebrous will eat your souls slowly, meddlers. You especially, old man. I can still feel where your disgusting magic burned me." With a flourish of blurred air, a figure becomes visible, standing atop a large headstone. The creature's flesh is shriveled and pale white, but peppered with black scorch marks. It wears simple, yet terribly filthy robes--robes that are easily recognizable as clothing intended for cremation. On the figure's forehead, a large chunk of flesh is missing, seemingly burned away by some sort of dark magic. However, nobody present has much time to observe the creature before it waves a bony hand, its fingers becoming covered in black mist. A billowing cloud of black smoke and ash erupts from its outstretched fingers, racing directly towards Gerald. Although he does his best to avoid the the roiling cloud, the majority of it strikes him, scraping away at his skin and making his body feel sluggish and painful. The Necromancer giggles aloud, its insane cackling rising above the sounds of the fight.

The abominations, strangely, stop their mad rush momentarily when the Necromancer begins his magical attack. Their twisted and mutated forms convulse slightly as they stand still, and the slightest scent of something unfamiliar--yet not unpleasant--wafts through the graveyard. As the smell reaches Kora, she realizes that she's detecting the aroma of decaying leaves and fertile earth. As the smell intensifies, the patches of living grass in the area twist and grow suddenly, becoming filled with the primal energy of some unseen spirit in the area.

The Necromancer's previous elation turns to rage with frightening quickness, and it stomps its foot hard, sending one of its toes flying off its foot. Black sludge leaks out of the wound, entirely unnoticed by the undead creature. "NO! THIS IS NONE OF YOUR CONCERN, YOU CRIPPLED SERVANT OF AUTUMN!" With another wave of its hand, it sends the abominations moving once more, dispelling the scents of dead leaves and earth that had previously filled the cemetery's air.

Spoiler: Map

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http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=70144

Spoiler: Rolls

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Attack vs. Gerald's Reflex: (1d20+5)[22]
Hit: (1d8+4)[10] damage and a -2 penalty to all defenses until the end of his next turn.

[Jarl11]

Kora

"NOOOO!" She shrieks, her hand reaching out as if to physically stop it as the knife slices across the priests throat and blood spills out. Her knees buckle slightly as Kora follows Brandis into the graveyard in horror. What a waste of life! Why did he do that? Looking about, the large blonde woman becomes calm and seems detached, no air ruffles her hair or clothes. Except her eyes seem to pulse. Watching the necromancer attack her friend and seeing the scene before her, Kora's eyes flash and seethe a brilliant blue as horror turns to rage and her senses begin to meld with the primal energy around them. She feels the life drain from the two priests. She feels the unnatural essence of the creatures in the graveyard as they pollute and infect the natural surroundings. And she feels the wild, hateful energy of the spirits as they respond, feeding her own reaction and in turn spurring them on to a higher intensity.

"Brandis! There is something you must know!" she shouts after him calmly, her common sense ensuring that this be said. Spirits of the earth, hear me! Spirits of the sky, hear me!

"The other locations that were attacked seem to have lost something! Her hand raises the large warhammer from her belt and wind seems to spring up around her, tossing her blonde hair and pushing back her cloak. Use me as your vessel to strike this filth from the world!

"It's possible that this is a distraction for something our enemy desires in this area!" Kora begins walking straight towards the closest abomination, one of the smaller ones, and the grass seems to move with her as she passes. Let us show them the might of the sky and the power of the earth!

"Where are the guards?" The large woman raises her hammer to the sky. Give me your strength! Thunder echos above and the ground suddenly sprouts up around her like an explosion focused inward, shrouding her from sight for a moment.

As quick as it appeared, the brown and grey fountain of rock and dirt subsides leaving Kora, who never stopped moving forward, encased in it's natural elements like a female elemental or living statue. "You are mine." she says to the minion, garnering it's attention as small thunderclouds gather above. Her hammer swings forward in an attempt to smash the vile creature into the ground, as the ground itself seem be trying to hamper it.

Spoiler: Kora's Kick-Ass Combat tags

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Move: 2 spaces (10') forward to be in front of Minion 1
Minor: Transform into Form of the Mountain's Thunder (daily 1)
Free: Talk and Mark Minion 1
Standard: Attack Minion 1 with Weight of Earth (at-will)
Attack roll: (1d20+7)[14]
Dmg, if hit: (1d10+3)[9] +3 thunder dmg, and it is slowed.

HP	AC	Fort	Ref	Will	Surges	Status
43/43	20(19)	17	15	17	10/10	resist 3, form Mt Thunder

Spoiler: Form of Mt Thunder

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You transform to take on a protective shell of rock and earth, shielding you and allowing you call thunder and lightning to strike your foes.
Daily. Lightning, Polymorph, Primal, Thunder
Minor Action Personal
Effect: You assume the guardian form of mountain's thunder until the end of the encounter. While you are in this form, you gain resist 3 to all damage and a +1 bonus to AC. Once per round when you hit an enemy with a melee attack, each enemy marked by you takes thunder damage equal to your Strength modifier.
Once during this encounter, you can make the following weapon attack while you are in this form.
Standard Action Close burst 1
Target: Each enemy you can see in burst
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex
Hit: 1 [Wl + Strength modifier thunder damage, and you knock the target prone.
Miss: Half damage.
Effect: Each enemy marked by you takes lightning damage equal to your Strength modifier.

Spoiler: Weight of Earth

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Your attack sends the primal energy of earth flowing into your enemy, slowing its movement.
At-Will ✦ Primal, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target is
slowed until the end of your next turn.

[Arkhosia]

**** YOU, YOU DISHONORABLE, DEFILING, CORRUPT, INSOLENT SLUG!
Makaria, watch your mouth! Those under monsters could be children!

Makaria runs towards the necromancer, her blade shining with radiant light, attacking the necromancer.
If an undead abomination tries to get in her way as she runs at him, she makes an attack at it instead.
HP: 37/37
Attack:
Radiant Vengeance
Ranged 10
Attack: 13 vs Reflex
Damage: 8 radiant damage
Makaria gains 3 Temp HP if it hits
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...1#post17407902

[Angel Bob]

Adaine rushes towards an abomination, eldritch light glimmering from his fingertips. As he levels a finger at the horror, the light flares into golden brilliance and blasts forwards in an arc of radiance.

Spoiler

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HP: 35/35; Surges 0/10 used
AC 16; Fortitude 16, Reflex 16, Will 15

Move Action: As reflected on map. As the closest of his allies to his quarry, Adaine gains his Prime Shot bonus towards Abomination 3.

Minor Action: Place Warlock's Curse on Abomination 3. (Consequently, Adaine gains a +1 power bonus to AC until the start of his next turn.)

Standard Action: Dire radiance vs. Abomination 3.
Attack: [roll]1d20+7[/roll] vs. Fortitude (<-- Okay, I have tried to put this in several times now, and it is not working. I will make the roll in the OOC thread, and if that doesn't work, I will be very much perplexed. I would really like to know if Adaine hits or not, haha.)
Hit: (1d6+6)[7] radiant damage. If Abomination 3 moves closer to Adaine on its next turn, it takes an extra 1d6 + 6] radiant damage.

As the radiance leaps from his fingers and cascades down upon the creature's undead flesh, Adaine's arms move of their own accord to make a warding gesture. "Move no further, monster, or accept the consequences!" he cries, in a voice not entirely his own.

Stars above... Adaine murmurs to himself in the moment afterwards. That was... that was unlike any vestige magic I've ever channeled before.

...What are you?

[Razorstorm]

Gerald
HP 22/32 AC 18 Fort 15 Ref 15 Will 17 (-2 to all Defenses)

No sooner does the black smoke wash over Gerald, causing him to stagger momentarily, than he straightens on his feet and tosses both hands forward as he cries out "NO!" The word carries forward with a divine ripple of energy back towards the necromancer, and settles on his attacker with a solid finality. He then bends down, touching the tip of his staff to the ground in front of him and abruptly lifts it into the air. A column of brilliant light bursts from the ground underneath the necromancer, burning his flesh, and clinging to him.

Spoiler: Details

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Reaction: Preserver's Rebuke - Gain a +2 to my next attack roll against the target.

Standard: Brilliant Beacon
Attack (1d20+9)[11] vs Will (using the +2 from Preserver's Rebuke)
Hit: Target takes 10 ongoing radiant damage
Miss: 5 radiant damage

Effect: The burst creates a zone of light (3x3, centered on the necromancer) that lasts until the end of your next turn. As part of a move action, you can move the zone up to 6 squares. Enemies in the zone take -2 penalty to attacks, defenses, and saving throws. The zone ends at the end of your turn if you are within the zone.

Minor Sustain: The zone persists