Of Light, Life and Liches

[Jade_Tarem]

Matthias

Matthias is more interested in the doors - and how very many of them are still intact despite an undead holocaust - when the shriek catches his attention. He tells Forge to stay where he is and moves to the linen closet, readying his crossbow once more. It isn't that he's being pessimistic, but he knows of crafty undead that can sound like people in distress - heck, he's heard there's some kind of spider that can do that - but he wants to be prepared. He steadies his aim just over Orrum's head and waits for the door to be opened.

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Setting readied action (assuming I'm allowed - some DMs don't like players to ready actions outside of combat, for certain valid reasons, and if that's the case then Matthias will do everything he can do to get ready) to fire if the interior of the closet contains anything that is *obviously* dead - Holes in the head, that kind of thing.

[Another_Poet]

"The knock ought be rapid. The lone zombie in that house was thumping slowly against the cupboard, and I heard it from the street. Any such determined attempts to move through doors could likely sound similar to the sound of a slow knock."

Radley isn't afraid to see good advice for good advice, wherever it comes from. "Agreed," he says, and makes sure Kerhenn got the change in instructions.

Upon hearing the scream, Radley moves up to open the door for Orrum and Matthias. He is afraid he knows who it is.

*door open*

[DMfromTheAbyss]

As the party bursts into the linnen closet, you see several of the survivors who were working on getting the linnens sorted out reflexively get out of the way. Inside the room you see tangled in the pile of linnen a very hysterical, pale looking young woman that Radley recognizes as one of his maids. A few shocked survivors in the room are staring at her, one of them, an old woman is trying to calm the shrieking maid. She slowly stops her shrill wailing, though by the vacant wide eyed expression she wears it looks like she's terrified out of her mind.

[MountainKing]

Orrum

Orrum, not molified in the least by finding only a maid, murmured quietly as he cast a slightly more complex divination. While he knew well one to detect magical auras, this one was specifically created for finding nearby undead... and with any luck, Orrum was not too late.

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Orrum will cast Detect Undead and see what he can see.

[Another_Poet]

Egan Radley

Perhaps uncharacteristically, Radley shows no such caution. He trusts his eyes and, moreover, what he sees is exactly what he had expected - and what he had hoped for, in fact.

He runs into the closet and throws his arms around the young woman who has worked for him for... what, 4 years? 5? He can't remember.

"It's okay," he says softly, "We're back now. They're all gone. It's okay, don't worry..."

((Cue vampire bite to Radley's neck!))

[DMfromTheAbyss]

@Orrum: You sense no undead in the room, the woman appears to simply be a survivor, if a traumatized one...

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Though what's the range on detect undead... (LOS or other? away from book)

@Radley: The woman stiffens as you hold her, you sense she's almost terrified that you may be about to kill her by her reaction, after a moment however she starts to sob with relief.

The maid starts sobbing, muttering incomprehensible bits of what can only vaugely be described as language. As she calms down you all do make out the phrase "They took every one!" and "They were inside, right here!" and a more cryptic "He...wrinkled up face. Oh gods Jermy!"
(Radley remembers that one of the young men he had on payroll for stable duty was a handsome lad named Jeremy for reference)

[MountainKing]

OOC: The range IIRC (likewise away from books) is 60 ft, blocked by 1 ft thick material (walls, etc) or by 1 inch of lead.

Orrum

Orrum thrust his warhammer through his belt... it seemed his preparation had been wasted; it was nothing more than someone without the Iron Path in their life... though to have lasted so many days without being caught, especially if... "they" were here... Orrum frowned deeply.

"Who are you calling, they, young one?" He glanced at Radley, "If they took people familiar to you, perhaps we could locate them. This could be exactly what was needed, if we are indeed about to track the lich elsewhere; do you have access to the mirror necessary?"

OOC: Orrum is speaking to Radley under the assumption that Radley is a fellow arcanist; he's going off Radley's assertion that the party could re-take the fort (back before we decided to come to Radley's instead), when he stated that one Wall of Fire would clear half the courtyard. I'd have to double check, but I'm pretty sure Orrum does not know Wall of Fire, so... he's going to treat Radley for the arcanist that he is.

[Another_Poet]

((MK, Radley might well understand what you mean, but I'm afraid I must be a bit rusty myself OoC... what mirror? For a scrying spell?))

[MountainKing]

OOC: Yes, the arcane focus required for casting Scrying; wizards and sorcerers require a mirror, clerics a font of holy water, and druids a natural body of water.

[Another_Poet]

Radley seems distracted. "There's a mirror in the bedroom... shouldn't be warded..."

He'll help the woman (what's her name?) out of the closet. He knows there isn't much to do to comfort her so he leaves her with one of the calm-seeming survivors.

And then he'll try to think, think, think of what to do next.

(Other than close the main door, of course, which I assume we did on the way in )

[MountainKing]

Orrum

"Very well. Once we have rested, I will prepare for the attempt accordingly, though... I will need a great deal more information. For now, I will take a sweep of the grounds, while I may; the divination will last some time, so I should be able to search the manse. In the meanwhile, if you have any maps of the city, it would be good of you to locate them; they may be instrumental in your plans for these people." With that, Orrum gave Radley a short nod, his face still stony, before he turned and walked away, intent on looking everywhere in the villa for the undead...

...whether the kind that threatens them now, or the kind that lurks in closets.

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BAHAHAHA!

[DMfromTheAbyss]

@ Orrum:

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DING DING as you walk near the war-room you sense undead... coming from... almost straight DOWN? Feels like multiple. Maybe 30 feet down.

@Radley: You believe her name was Mary, or Marie or something like that, you had like a dozen maids it's hard to remember them all

Also you have a number of mirrors that would serve for a divination focus, one's even in the hallway.

[MountainKing]

Orrum

"Master Radley," Orrum calls back to the closet, his voice calm, albeit gravelly, "Would you come here a moment?" Orrum pointedly concentrated his vision on the floor, attempting to get a sense for just how many undead there are, if he can.

[DMfromTheAbyss]

@Orrum:

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Your best guesws is maybe a half dozen, moving around a bit so hard to tell exactly.

[Another_Poet]

Radley walks over to Orrum, wondering at how letting the dwarf into his house suddenly has Orrum treating him civilly. He gives a weary, "What?" expression to the dwarf.

((Are we on the ground floor at present?))

[Kobold-Bard]

Harin

Having completed building his "Glorified Wand" in the main entrance hall of the manor (may as well put it where their most likely to go through) Harin casts the Consecrate spell and the defending light of Kord fills the room.

Satisfied with his work he goes to find the others. Hearing the commotion from upstairs Harin places a hand on his sword but doesn't draw it, no point worrying people more than necessary.

"Be not afraid, continue with the jobs entrusted to you and everyone will be fine". (OOC: If I needed to roll, would that be diplomacy or bluff?)

Partway up the stairs Harin sees the group with Orrum staring downwards. "What's going on?"

[MountainKing]

Orrum

"Not to sound difficult, but... what *exactly* is directly beneath this room?" Orrum held a gauntlet wearing hand near his chest, clearly visible to Radley, the Dwarf still yet staring at the floor; his fingers counted off the undead, or tried to, and after a few moments, Orrum looked up, the misty grey that covered his eyes clearly visible (and likely identifiable). He spoke in a whisper, to make certain no-one but Radley and Harin could hear him.

"I count... maybe half a dozen undead. It could be more, but not by much... and it could be less, but I doubt we'd be so fortunate," Orrum stared gravely at Radley then, "So... what is beneath this room?"

[Another_Poet]

"Well, if I don't miss my guess, I suppose we'd be right over... the, uh..."

((Abyss, what are we over?))

[DMfromTheAbyss]

@Radley:

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You are on the ground floor presently. You are currently roughly over the wine cellar and the hidden smuggling vault below it, though to get down there you go through the kitchen, down into the wine cellar, pull on a wine rack to get behind it, then go through a room where you keep the good wine, then down a concealed ladder to the "vault" as it were. Now why would they be down there?

@Harin:

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As you cast the consecration, you felt a very real pressure upon you spiritually, as if your magic were fighting against a great weight of darkness over the area. (OOC The entire area (city) was already under the effect of a desecrate effect) You think you may have broken the dominion of darkness over the immeadiate area, but the region (house& grounds) is now normal as opposed to consecrated. (OOC Onto other matters, saying reassuring things to worried people might just make them feel a tad better, and make them go back to work, but does not require a roll.

[Another_Poet]

Egan Radley

When Orrum adds that he can sense undead below them, Radley's eyes widen. "No! No no! It can't be! The... wine cellar!"

He turns as if to run to the kitchen, then turns back. "They... are contained and bottlenecked if they are in that room. We can seal them down there, but going in to fight them would give them the advantage. Let's get our best and bravest and have a look at the cellar, but get everyone else to keep going about their normal preparations."

This last is said to Kherhenn, before Radley yells a loud, "And where the god****e is Groban?" and runs to the kitchen.

[Jade_Tarem]

OOC:

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I'm not dead, I'm just a little confused about how much of the goings-on Matthias is privy to... all these whispered conversations and IC knowledge blocks kind of lead me to believe that Matthias still doesn't know what's going on. Is this true?

[Another_Poet]

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I assume Matthias is in the same room as Radley and Orrum, so you see what is going on. Radley hasn't whispered anything, though I've asked the DM for some guidance OOC (in spoilers or double parentheses) and the DM has given it (likewise).

[DMfromTheAbyss]

@Everyone

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I assume all PC's currently playing are togeather at this point.

So everyone heads into the kitchen and there is a general consensus from those present that nothing strange has happened. Not that anyone has gone down into the wineceller... Which is closed and ominous.

(OOC and a convienient place to declare marching order and get organized before heading down into the spooky cellar with undead.)

[Another_Poet]

Radley becomes visibly nervous as he shooes the citizens out of the kitchen.

"Yes, yes you can take your food with you. Now go!"

Looking around at the party members he declares, "We should simply barricade the door and let them try to come through if they like! We have the tactical advantage here with them bottlenecked coming up the stairs, no need to reverse it and give them the advantage!"

He immediately works on trying to overturn a table for a barricade as if everyone agreed with the plan.

[MountainKing]

Orrum

"And if they are ethereal? What would you propose we do then?" Orrum murmured, "It is a wine cellar... if it is worked of stone, I have the spells necessary to incinerate any corporeal undead that lurk below. You stand to lose a great deal of wine, Radley," Orrum stated calmly, "But can we afford to lose anything else?"

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Orrum will go first, if nobody else thinks it best for them to do so. Though, it might be better to send the now cleric-y Harin down there to Turn Undead the snot out of them. Should we call that plan B?

[Jade_Tarem]

Matthias

Matthias clicks something on his crossbow - a definite statement, words or no words. "My weapon is enchanted to rend incorporeal targets - but that will do us no good if they don't come up this way." Matthias scratches his head, under the brim of his hat. "I say Orrum and I move downstairs to fight 'em, while everyone else guards a group of refugees - just in case the nasties try to grab a few. I'll have Forge howl if they're solid, as a signal for the rest of you to get down there."

He shoots an inscrutable look at Radley. "Of course, it's your house. If there's something about these undead - or this cellar - we should know..."

OOC:

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Incorporeal undead can play one crazy game of hide-and-kill with us - and there are all those refugees milling about. It might be better to split up to guard and attack at the same time.

[Another_Poet]

Radley sighs. "There is something you should know before you go throwing fireballs about. They're probably not in the cellar per se, but in the secret vault past the cellar. I'll need to go down with you to pull the switch to open it - if you are fool enough to go down at all."

Looking around, he sees they are indeed fool enough and there's no persuading them to the contrary.

"If they are solid, then can we all fall back and not try to fight them? Again, if their only way out is the staircase, it's better to draw them up and bottleneck them."

[MountainKing]

Orrum

Orrum's flinty eyes betrayed naught as he spoke.

"How would they know how to gain entrance to your "secret vault", when you yourself would have to accompany us down there to open it up for us? This implies that the lever is secret, perhaps even hidden... is there something in that vault that you'd wish to remain hidden as well, Master Radley?"

[Another_Poet]

Radley doesn't bat an eye. "Of course there is."

He gives a slight, baffled shrug at the dwarf. "A wealthy man's safe is never on public display."

He shakes his head. "I hope they didn't get in... I doubt the undead take much care with painstakingly filed papers. And neither will you lot, I suppose, so if they're solid, please, let's just draw them out."

He sighs.

"There's not much I have left and the stuff I value most is in there. Please."

[MountainKing]

Orrum

"As far as these people are concerned, Master Radley... you might as well be their king now. I somehow doubt you've overlooked that, and I doubt even further that a few pieces of legal paper will matter to anyone," As Orrum stated his opinion on the state of affairs post-lichdom, you can hear a definite chord of distaste, even disgust, in his words.

"But if it's that important to you... I will try not to burn everything."