Mummy's Mask - Empty Graves (IC)

[Gwynfrid]

Firmly holding the woman with one hand, Grekka punches her with the other. The metal-clad knuckles leave an ugly bruise on the half-elf's space. She doesn't complain, preferring to focus on her next retaliation.

Spoiler

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Menedes continues to sleep.
Vershab's next action (1d100)[68]

[Gwynfrid]

Lost in a world of his own, rolling out a long string of nonsensical utterances, Vershab absent-mindedly draws more blood with his own dagger.

Spoiler

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Damage self (1d8-1)[0] damage. (that's 1 damage, the minimum)

Lehasti's turn.

[Gwynfrid]

Half-apologetic, half-determined, Lehasti firmly grabs Sehhosep's other arm, and between the two of them the half-orc and the paladin finally manage to pin the woman down. She curses them and struggles for a moment, before she realizes she has no chance to escape the two warriors' vice-like embrace. Suddenly, her body goes limp, and she collapses in an ocean of tears.

After a few moments, Vershab's befuddled mind clears, and Grekka recovers the full control of her senses as well. Menedes wakes up to see the scene is now under control.

Spoiler: Panic level = 19

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-1 Panic for resolving the issue with the zombie.
+1 Panic for allowing the spread of rumors of an alliance between knights, a witch and a necromancer to bring an undead plague in Wati.

[JWallyR]

As the fight goes out of the poor woman, Lehasti somewhat loosens her grip on Sehhosep's arm. "Ma'am, I am sorry it came to this. Please, let us escort you to the Grand Mausoleum... the priests there can better assist you than we. Your poor husband was dead when we found you, and Vershab was trying to prove it through magic that escapes my simple mind." The paladin smiles sadly down at the other woman. "It was never our wish to cause you pain, but such a truth is always hard to hear."

Spoiler: Actions

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Diplomacy check to improve her attitude: (1d20+10)[25]

[Untarr]

Menedes turns around and finds Grekka. "JUST WHAT WERE YOU SWINGING AT?! The damn zombie was DOWN!" Menedes indicates to the rather large gouge in his side.

[Farmerbink]

Grekka raises a single eyebrow at Menedes' outburst. "If you want to complain, complain at her," she whispers harshly, with a none-too-subtle gesture at the finally-subdued wizard.

She ignores Lehasti's overture entirely, as she carefully retrieves her bardiche. Sighing heavily, she mutters, "let's just get her off the streets, where she can't hurt anyone else..."

[DarkOne-Rob]

Vershab is silent for several long moments, a mixture of emotions crossing his face that have nothing to do with the confusion spell cast before. Eventually it seems one establishes dominance as he bursts into frustrated tears! "I don't understand! All we are doing is trying to help, and instead she attacked us! I trusted you!" he yells at the woman, his confusion reaching a height as he throws himself free of the webbing spell and begins to beat impotently against a nearby building, his motions awkward and unlikely to damage the stone. Before he hurts himself he begins huffing and collapses in a pile off to the side of the scene, his fit having spent his energy completely.

If anyone tries to approach him he vehemently pushes them away, clearly not wanting anyone to touch him. Silently he stands, pulls his hood in close about his tear-stained face, and follows the others when they are ready to escort the woman to the temple.

[JWallyR]

Lehasti has just gently (but firmly) assisted the captive to her feet as Vershab's outburst begins. Momentarily shocked at the normally impassive scholar's explosion of emotion, she waves Menedes to take her place at Sehhosep's side (opposing Grekka) to reach out to the scholar. "Vershab, there's no way to know-" her gentle words and outstretched hand are rebuffed by the sobbing man. Her expression of gentle concern darkens, her brows furrowing in troubled thought; however, she keeps her thoughts to herself, turning instead to nudge the fallen body of the poor woman's long deceased husband cautiously. Satisfied with its apparent lack of animation, she gingerly grasps what clothing escaped the ravages of Grekka's assault at the man's shoulder and ankles to carry the remains with them to the Mausoleum. "His... condition may yield some insight into this new madness. Shall we?"

[Gwynfrid]

The half-elven woman ignores Lehasti's entreaties, too distraught to engage in discussion with anybody, much less provide a coherent answer to Vershab's diatribe. She lets herself be lead without resistance or comment. After some twenty minutes of sullen walk through Wati's empty streets, the group arrives at the Grand Mausoleum. The harried healers listen to Lehasti's story. They confirm that the remains are that of a recently dead person, turned into a zombie. It is by now apparent from multiple reports that corpses in Wati have turned into undead in huge numbers in the massive necromantic wave that washed over the city - the urgency is great to find the cause of this terrible upheaval.

As Sehhosep is examined, it soon appears that she's a well-known member of the community and has several friends among the priests. One of them agrees to take care of her in her distress, and comes to Lehasti to explain the situation. "She's been trying everything to save Bentu all these years, the love between these two was so strong... I know how distressed she was realizing there was no help for him. Seeing him rise obviously broke her mind, poor dear! It's unfortunate you had to fight her to break the delusion. There's nothing for it, though... I must go back to healing duties now. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

[JWallyR]

Lehasti shakes her head sadly. "The poor woman. I gather she was something of a mentor to Vershab, who is taking her sudden madness poorly. Best that we get to the root of this evil as soon as possible. To that end, is there any way to procure healing for my companions, who injured themselves and each other under a spell of confusion? Then we will be on our way."

Spoiler: OOC

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If the resources are such that the party can heal without use of wand charges, great; if not, we should use the CLW wand to patch people up and move forward.

[Gwynfrid]

"At this point, we're only healing people who come to us with life-threatening injuries. Sorry," the priest answers, shaking his head. The group can see that the premises are teeming with refugees and the wounded, some of them in a very bad shape, and the priests are clearly overwhelmed by the sheer number of people in need of help.

[JWallyR]

Lehasti nods thoughtfully. "Probably a wise policy; my friends and I will soldier on. May the Lady of Graves sustain you through this darkness until the Healing Light of dawn." Bowing low before the priest, the paladin excuses herself to lead the party out into the city.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Vershab silently watches the exchange, keeping his face hidden deep in the folds of his cloak.

Spoiler: OoC

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To explain - Vershab is really freaked out by what he feels is an invasion of his mind. It is one of the only areas where he has largely been superior (in intellect) to those around him, and the confusion he felt has left him badly shaken.

Imagine someone on the Autism scale who had their private space invaded in the ultimate of ways, or a rape victim. I plan to have this trauma be a big impact on him over the next several levels as he comes to grips with it.

[Untarr]

"Blasted half-orcs." Menedes grumbles before walking away.

---

Watching Lehasti ineffectively procure healing only further irritates the monk. Following behind, his face remains in a storm.

[Gwynfrid]

After they leave Sehhosep in the hands of the Pharasmins, the Relic Knights pause for a moment, pondering their next course of action. Among the refugees, Grekka spies two well-known faces - the two street urchins and would-be apprentices, Turi and Azkin. They are among the refugees, but don't seem to have been wounded in Wati's undead upheaval. They see her too, and stand up to come near the group.

"Greetings, Mistress Grekka. We were looking for you, and came here hoping to see you. We have seen horrible things!" Turi says, obviously relieved to see them. "Yes! Near the Precinct of Left Eyes... Many corpses lying in the street! Something very bad happened there, I'm sure...", Azkin adds.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Without emotion or inflection, Vershab asks, "Can you describe the corpses on the street better? Could you tell how they had died?"

[Gwynfrid]

Azkin looks at Vershab. "Yes, Master Vershab. I noticed... The bodies. They had had an eye torn off. The right eye... All of them." The boy shivers at the memory.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Spoiler: Redacted

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"Before we investigate we should see if anyone knows the relevance of that detail," Vershab says dryly as he places his hands out of sight within the folds of his cloak.

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Knowledge... (1d20)[1] (unmodified)

Arcana +12
Dungeoneering/History/Local/Nature/Planes +9
Religion +15

"How historically motivated..." mutters Vershab dryly. Turning to Lehasti he impassively comments, "We should investigate."

[JWallyR]

"Greetings, Mistress Grekka. We were looking for you, and came here hoping to see you. We have seen horrible things!" Turi says, obviously relieved to see them.

Lehasti claps the elder boy's shoulder. "Boys, I am glad to see you both, and little the worse for wear after the last few days."

"Yes! Near the Precinct of Left Eyes... Many corpses lying in the street! Something very bad happened there, I'm sure...", Azkin adds.

Lehasti's joy fades quickly at the news. "Hmmmm. Troubling indeed. Let us investigate there next."

[Gwynfrid]

Guided by their young charges, the Relic Knights move to the area of the city know as the Precinct of Left Eyes, Wati's center of justice and police. Passing by the jail where they had taken the folks who ambushed them a few weeks earlier, as well as the rogue Osirianologist Velriana, they arrive near a low sandstone building - worn smooth from centuries of exposure - that stands out among the larger, more recent constructions. Statues lining the wall hold swords and scales, but the fresh corpses scattered on the street outside the doors hint at something far darker within. The corpses in the street are inanimate, but irregular bloody paths trail behind them, as if they had stumbled or crawled from the courthouse’s front doors before finally succumbing to their wounds. Upon checking the dead bodies, it’s immediately apparent that each of them has had one eye removed. An examination by Vershab reveals that the unfortunate victims display bruises and other signs of restraint, and that they died from shock soon after their eyes were removed.

The group enters the building, to find themselves inside a tribunal room. Seated at the judge desk, a skeletal figure presides over the proceedings. In the accused box stand two trembling humans, surrounded by more skeletal guards. The lawyers for both the defense and the prosecution appear to be equally undead persons.

"What do the accused have to say in their defense?" The thundering voice of the figure clad in rotting judge's robes and ceremonial cap stops the Relic Knights in their tracks.

Spoiler

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Vershab recognizes the judge as a bloody dread skeleton. The defense attorney seems to be an acid skleton, while the prosecutor is a flaming skeleton. The various guards are regular skeletons, only sontger-looking, and possibly with some unusual properties.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Vershab notes the scene distantly, no emotion showing on his face. Looking first at the preponderance of undead 'officials,' then the two prisoners, and finally his allies, he quietly says, "I may be able to charm one of the undead, similar to how I managed the mummy last night. However, I can only try once - from a scroll - and after that will have to resort to combat magic. If those men are criminals then saving their lives may not be our first priority. Instead, we might need to contain the undead until they can be laid back to rest..."

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Vershab has a scroll of Charm Person, but has not prepared the spell today.

Perception to identify if the prisoners are obviously criminals imprisoned already by the legitimate law: (1d20+10)[16].
Knowledge (Religion) to identify the types of undead present: (1d20+15)[35].
Knowledge (Local) to identify the living prisoners (rolled in Google Hangouts): (1d20+9)[19].

If the undead are playing judge, jury, and executioner to criminals it is bad, but not as bad as them turning on us and overwhelming us. We should stop them, but perhaps with a more subtle hand. If they are not criminals, then we should intervene here.

[JWallyR]

As the party rounds the corner, bringing into view the grisly sight of mutilated bodies, Lehasti briefly halts the party, turning to the boys. "Good work, both of you. Now, back to the mausoleum. Stick together, stay quiet, and if you see anything- anything- run. You're both smart and resourceful. Now, Dawnflower guide your steps!" Clapping them each on the shoulders, the paladin turns to the task at hand.

"I may be able to charm one of the undead, similar to how I managed the mummy last night..."

Lehasti seems not to hear Vershab's murmured suggestions, instead striding confidently into the room. "HOLD! Of what crime are these poor souls accused, and by whose authority does this court pass judgment, leaving the bodies of its victims strewn about as so much rubbish? So asks Lehasti Gesmeha, humble servant of the Everlight." Standing tall, weapons still at her back, the woman levels an expectant gaze at the skeletal judge.

Spoiler: OOC

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Diplomacy: (1d20+10)[25]

[Gwynfrid]

The judge turns to Lehasti with a cruel smile, all the more jarring since all his teeth are apparent, as one would expect for a skeleton. "Hmm, a worthy opponent, or at least, one who thinks she is..."

The voice from the grave resonates through the court of law: "These stand accused of disrespect of this court, and so do you, for daring to interrupt the course of justice. And justice this court will enact, by the authority conferred to me, Sotenre, Judge of the Grave and Petty Crimes, by order of the pharaoh. I have come back in these cursed times, to bring the true justice, in its purest form, to this city! I hear people of this era have lowered themselves to resorting to jail time and hand severance as so-called punishment. Weak! Sacrilegious! It is time that the time-hallowed principles be restored, and by the gods, I shall restore them!

That said, justice demands that all the proper forms be followed exactly. As such, the accused have a right to speak! Speak for yourself, then, and if you so wish, I will allow you to speak on behalf of others. What do you to say to this court?"

Spoiler

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Opposed Diplomacy check (1d20+7)[26]

Vershab remembers the stories about the famous judge, Sotenre, known as "Old Eye-Taker", who terrorized the city with his harsh judgments and expeditious methods. This was some eight centuries ago, before the justice system evolved to the present-day, relatively milder for of penalties for the guilty.

The trial will be run in a fairly flexible way. Everybody can talk, and take counsel from each other - such was the procedural form in Sotenre's time.
Technically, it will be resolved with a series of 5 opposed skill checks, in any order, of your choice among:
Diplomacy (already done - I'm afraid you lost this one)
Intimidate
Bluff
Perform (Oratory)
Knowledge (Local)
Sense Motive
Profession (Lawyer)

The result will depend on how many checks the group wins against Sotenre.

[DarkOne-Rob]

With more expression than he has shown interacting with the living - especially today after fighting his one-time instructor - Vershab audibly scoffs at the undead's words and turns to his allies. In a lecturing voice he explains who the 'judge' is, saying, "This tyrannical monster was once Sotenre, or 'Old Eye-Taker' as his political foes described him. He was cruel, intelligent, and utterly without sympathy for his fellow men. Now he appears to be animated as a rather powerful undead abomination - see how his bones are bright red? That indicates that he is a somewhat misnamed 'bloody' skeleton, which allows him to repair damage quickly and even rise fully should he be defeated. His flunkies look to be oozing acid and burning, respectively, and from the way those normal skeletons are behaving, I suspect Sotenre is commanding them via magic somehow."

Looking back at the scene dispassionately the arcanist continues, "I do not trust him, but he was a strict instrument of the law during his life. Any good qualities he may have possessed will have been wiped away by his animation, however. Breaking the bones of these skeletons - as opposed to slashing or stabbing - will be our best method of attack. Being in melee with the flaming prosecuting attorney will likely burn you, and they are known to explode when destroyed..." It is clear that Vershab has dismissed the idea of diplomatic efforts working and moved to tactical analysis and will likely continue on this track unless someone intervenes. He does not appear to be ready to initiate combat, however.

[Untarr]

Turning to converse with the group, Menedes responds after Vershab is done. "I see no harm in first attempting to follow the rules of this court. Those men" Menedes points to the two prisoners "will pay for our aggression with their lives." He looks around at all the undead in the room. "All things considered, it would be best to presume they are innocent until we figure out more."

Menedes furls his eyebrows. Once again he scans the room. His eyes fall on the acid skeleton. "You there! Are you the defense attorney here? We should have a chance to seek legal counsel before presenting our case."

[Gwynfrid]

The skeleton doesn't respond to Menedes' address immediately. After a awkward few seconds, a voice rises from it, although it sounds more like a creaking machine than anything remotely human. Words can be made out of it, but it requires an effort of concentration.

"I am... the defender of the accused. You can... seek... counsel with... me."

Spoiler

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Opposed check, Bluff (1d20+6)[9]
Please roll an opposed Sense Motive.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Vershab scoffs and rolls his eyes. "That is a lie, and a poor one," he says shortly and loudly enough to be heard by the undead as well as his party.

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Sense Motive (1d20+10)[28]

[Farmerbink]

Grekka surveys the room, her hand openly on the bardiche strapped over her back. Looking distinctly like a fish out of water, she looks back to Menedes and Sharvati uncomfortably seeking guidance in this awkward situation. "I don't like this at all," she grimaces.

"I think Vershab has the right of it, but if you want to play by his twisted game, I won't intervene. No matter how well they acquit themselves-" she points at the two accused- "I won't stand by to watch them pay any penalty to this twisted mockery of a courtroom. Certainly not for 'disrespect of the court'," she finishes with a scoff.

Still distinctly uncomfortable, she falls into an uneasy silence as the more legalistically adept of the Relic Knights make their cases.

[JWallyR]

Vershab scoffs and rolls his eyes. "That is a lie, and a poor one," he says shortly and loudly enough to be heard by the undead as well as his party.

Lehasti turns to the slender scholar, addressing him quietly. "What do you mean, a lie?" The scholar begins to speak in his full voice, but the paladin admonishes him, and he continues in a whisper, while Lehasti looks first to the alleged defense counsel, then with widening eyes that close to a scowl at the self-appointed judge.

Spoiler: OOC

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Presuming discussion from chat allows for Vershab to more explicitly state that the other skeletons are under the control of the "Judge", and that this is therefore a gross mockery of courtroom justice. Hoping to have Grekka use her Intimidate check at +9 to try and cow the judge, but otherwise, fisticuffs shortly >_>

[Farmerbink]

A snarl rises to Grekka's lips, and she steps forward- drawing her bardiche with a wooden rasp. "What is this nonsense? You're having a 'trial', where you control all the pieces?!" The haft of the bardiche causes a ringing thud against the stone floor.

Grekka lowers her head and allows her eyes to narrow slightly. "I think you had better release them to us, if you don't want to be returned to your eternal rest."

Spoiler: intimidate

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(1d20+9)[28]