[4e] From Orcus with Love - IC Thread

[Lost_Deep]

"I'm afraid the best way to do that is to stop it before it can get going. There may be magic that can stop it? But barring that it may be needed to do a mercy kill. I dislike it as well, but sometimes in order to save many lives some must be lost. That's the basis of any plague control situation. That said, healing magic is far more ideal!"

Kaza, despite what her words say, straightens up and takes up a combat stance toward the door. Something is off here.

[Deathkeeper]

Nore raises an eyebrow, not liking where this is going.
"Didn't the madam with the scythe say before the bites cause paralysis, not any infectious conditions?"

[Madmal]

Galmeral points his bow at the door.

"Voice is all wrong. I vouch someone tear this door out."

[Morty]

"Yeah, leaving something like that behind our backs is asking for trouble," Michalson says. "I have some magic to that effect, but there's no time for that now."

[UncleWolf]

The Bride ignores the door, allowing the others to take it down if they wish, instead she keeps looking at the cleric. "they appear to wish to kill someone or at least injure them. maybe my new comrades are right, maybe they are wrong. we don't have the powers to reverse anything that might have spread into that room, but youmight. i can tell you that the voice isn't right and that it's likely trying to bluff it's way into our midst. but what if i'm wrong?" She asks the cleric. "if you are to stay on this floor, perhaps it ought to be up to you to decide, but you need to act. you claim the people here need you more than we do, then act like it." She says simply, not trying to be hostile but honest and straightforward instead. As she talks her bones reset audibly and her flesh begins to reknit. When it's done she stands, still leaning on her scythe a little as she waits for an answer.

[Shadowcaller]

There is a pause on the other side of the door before you hear whoever is on the other side again. "If you burst the door, this sweet little morsel is gonna drop dead the very same moment. Just listen to it's cry..." If you listen closely you can now hear sobs on the other side of the door. It sounds like a child. The dwarven woman immediately backs away, terrified.

"We do need to act." The dragonborn agrees, snorting audible. " But I... I am not sure what to do." She have to admit, sounding hesitant at taking choices that could mean the life or death for dozens of people. This situation was a bit beyond her experience and as people are panicking around her it looks like she's almost as clueless as the rest of the trapped mass of people up here.

[UncleWolf]

The Bride's smile is gentle and reassuring as she reaches out to grasp the cleric's shoulder in order to give it a gentle squeeze. "that's because you are used to acting up here." she points out, letting go of her shoulder to tap the dragonborn's forehead. "instead of here." She adds, setting her palm over the cleric's heart. "do what feels right."

Once her explanation is over she gives her scythe a little spin as she turns to face the door. "break it open. leave the creature to me." she tells the others as she grasps her scythe in both hands and readies herself to act.

Spoiler: OOC

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Delaying her actions until the door is opened

[Lost_Deep]

Do what feels right? Kaza keeps her mouth shut over that little bit. Instead she moves back, and puts away her shield and flail, instead drawing her bow. She takes up a position and nocks an arrow. "Always nice to have a backup plan."

Spoiler: Action, mechanically

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Delaying action until after The Bride goes.

[Deathkeeper]

Nore nods.
"Yes, Ma'am." he says quietly, and then takes a mighty step forward, bashing his shoulder hard against the door.

Spoiler

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Strength check to bash door: (1d20+5)[17]

[Shadowcaller]

The dragonborn gives away a snort in confusion as the Bride has the audacity to tap her on the forehead. She would give the woman a piece of her mind... but not right now. That had to wait. Instead she simply gives the Bride and annoyed glare and turns to look at the door as Nore breaks it down.

They will get a glimpse of what's inside, the bodies of several people laying in their beds or on the floor. But not a single sign of whoever was talking.

[Lost_Deep]

"Do either of you holy folk have a gift with damaging the undead?" Kaza asks, not moving forward. "Preferably in a way that does not harm living beings."

[UncleWolf]

"we do not need powers to seek such for you forget what i said earlier." The Bride informs everyone as she walks through the doorway. "we just need to look up at the ceiling and walls." she explains as she does exactly what she says, expecting one of the ghouls.

[Shadowcaller]

The bride won't be disappointed, as she looks up she two glowing red eyes and suddenly with a high-pitched scream a body is thrown at her, causing her to fall over.
Then emerging from the room, crawling on the ceiling like an enormous hideous spider, is a ghoul. The undead is still dressed in torn rags and the rest of the body is skeletal and withered with completely blank eyes and a hideously deformed mouth with huge inhuman teeth. Creating a permanent sinister grin.
People scream, flee and hide in their room as they see it, trying to get away from it as fast as possible.

If anyone bothers to look just what was thrown at the Bride it's a dwarven boy whose throat just been cut. He's still alive but he's quickly bleeding out.

Spoiler: Notes

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The Bride was knocked prone.

[Lost_Deep]

Kaza pulls back the arrow and lets it loose. "I hope you are terribly attached to your unlife; that will make this more satisfying!"

Spoiler: Attack:

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(1d20+5)[11]
(1d10)[5]

[Deathkeeper]

"Blast it all." mutters Nore as the Ghoul tosses the dying boy and skitters upon the ceiling.
He can't get at it with this primary means of an attack, so he has to rely on his other weapons. He draws a shuriken from his belt pouch and looses it at the ghoul.

Spoiler

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Draw Shuriken (this is a free action in 3.P but I know it's a Move action at most)
Throw at ghoul (1d20+11)[30] damage:(1d4+5)[6]

[UncleWolf]

The Bride drops her scythe when she sees the incoming kid and falls onto her back with a grunt when she's hit, instantly wrapping her arms around him to help cushion the blow. She can feel the life leaving the young boy so she clamps her hand over the wound on his throat and prays to her Goddess not to take the lad yet. As she does she, she looks at the Cleric, trying to lock eyes with her, all but telling her to do something.

Spoiler: OOC

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Using Lay on Hands on the wounded child

[Morty]

Michalson reacts quickly, casting a spell to weave a dizzying array of mirrors around the ghoul, in an attempt to disorient it and root it in place.

Spoiler

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Rolling Intelligence vs. Will

(1d20+9)[18]

On hit, target takes -4 to attack and is immobilized. On miss, it is slowed.

[Shadowcaller]

The Bride can feel divine energy stream from her hand into the wound, somehow reversing the damage that was done, Closing the wound, replenishing the blood. Stopping the young dwarf from taking the step beyond death's door, the realm of the Raven Queen.
The cleric isn't looking at the Bride right now, she's eyes bore down at the escaping ghoul as the party attempts to attack it. Kaza's arrow misses the creature but Nore's shuriken strikes true, but can't stop the creature. The Michalson and the cleric takes action. The wizard encases the creature in mirrors while the dragonborn speaks but one word, holding a silver star into the air. "STOP!"

The ghoul, still surrounded by mirrors, is hit by a sheer sledgehammer of holy energy which slams it into the ground below with such force it probably made cracks in the wooden panels. The ghoul is still "alive" but it looks unable to move and is down for the count.

Spoiler: Notes

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The ghoul is immobilized and bloodied. It also has -4 to attack.

[Madmal]

Without much of a comment, Galmeral drives an arrow at the ghoul's head.

Spoiler

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Minor action: Target Ghoul as Quarry
Basic Attack: (1d20+13)[20]
Damage: (1d10+6)[8]
Quarry Damage: (1d8)[4]

[Lost_Deep]

"Someone beat that thing!" Kaza shouts, "Don't let it get up, don't even give it the chance to try!"

Spoiler: Technically speaking

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Hold action: Commander's strike
When an ally ends their turn in melee range of ghoul, Kaza will use commander's strike to let that ally use a basic melee attack.

[Morty]

Michalson lowers his staff and fires a barely-visible dart of ethereal power at the ghoul. Time to turn this thing into a smear quickly.

Spoiler

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Casting Unraveling Dart.

Rolling Intelligence vs. Fortitude -2:

(1d20+7)[19]

(1d4+5)[6]

If the target has any vulnerabilities, the attack counts as dealing this type of damage. Otherwise, if gets a bonus to damage equal to my Wisdom modifier, which is 3.

[Deathkeeper]

((is this thing not dead yet?))
Nore goes over to the ghoul and makes to stomp its face off with one of his hooves.

Spoiler

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Charge at ghoul
Charge attack: (1d20+14)[30] (1d6+5)[9]
Nore will take Kaza's basic attack. I think C's S gives me Kaza's int to my damage?
(1d20+10)[24]
(1d8+7)[9]

[Shadowcaller]

Galmeral misses the Ghoul as it's laying down (prone) which I should have mentioned. But the ghoul won't be saved by one stray arrow as Michalson's magical arrow turn into a burst of holy energy, burning the creatures flesh while Nore finally finishes the creature off with a well-placed stomp in it's head. Turning it's head into a bloody pulp.

The cleric turns back to check on the bride and the dwarf who probably is the boy's mother also forces her way past the still terrified crowd. The mother doesn't say a word she just attempts to gently take the kid from the paladin. He looks fine, just groggy, like he was just getting up from sleep. There are a lot of other dwarves around too looking at the scene. Probably related somehow. Though judging by the bodies inside they might still have lost relatives...

[UncleWolf]

"he'll be okay, milady." The Bride tells the dwarf mother, passing the child over to her. "i've healed him some but he'll be weak for a bit until he recovers." She says as she gets to her feet, picking up her scythe in the meantime. Afterward she gives a sigh as she looks around the room. "it may be hard, but you need to either sanctify the bodies or remove their heads. if a necromancer gets past us as we clear the lower floors, you don't wish for there to be an army risen from your midst." The Paladin tells everyone present before turning to the cleric. "thank you. we'll head down a floor and try to link up with other survivors. if anyone is down there, we'll send them up after we beat back the invaders. if there aren't any survivors, we'll keep going. wait fifteen minutes and then come on down anyway. you need to be able to escape and staying on the third floor isn't the way out." Finally she sticks out her hand, offering it to the dragonborn. "i am called the bride, servant of The Raven Queen."

[Shadowcaller]

"Thank you..." The woman mumbles before hugging her child, burying her head in his shoulder as tears start to fall. Despite the fact his life was saved the mood of the rest of the family is far from cheerful. Many others were lost in the attack after all and they, like the rest of the crowd are panicked and desperate. What were they going to do? They look among themselves as the bride speaks and then at the dead bodies. The crowd seems hesitant of that prospect, there don't seem to be any real soldiers here. Everyone that can fight is at the front and civilians have gathered at these safe heavens before moving even further from the front.

The dragonborn turns to the bride and gives her a quick, but firm handshake. "Kartha Silverscale, champion of Bahamut." She then turns to the others. "But we can spend time on pleasantries later. Everyone that can fight should head down first and clear the way. The rest stay here." That seemed good enough right?

[Lost_Deep]

"Give us the time to rest, and we will be on our way"

Spoiler

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If there is nothing else, I believe now is the time for a 5-minute rest.

[Deathkeeper]

"It sounds fine to me." says Nore with a nod.

[Morty]

Michalson just shrugs and leans against the wall to catch his breath as well.

[Madmal]

Galmeral grumbles a bit "Let's just hope another round gets close in the meantime".

[UncleWolf]

The Bride nods to the cleric. "my group can head down first. we shouldn't send everyone at one time in case there's another ambush." She points out before turning to look around the room at the bodies. The paladin's shoulders fall a bit as her left hand falls to the hilt of her knife. "i'm sorry, but if you have anything you wish to take from your loved ones, do so. i'll handle what i said. in my haste to move on i forgot it was my duty to see over the dead. everyone else should rest and leave the room." If everyone does as she asks and no one objects, she'll go around, checking the bodies for any signs of life as she whispers prayers and removes the heads before finally covering the bodies with their sheets so no one will have to see her gruesome work.