Shade Part 3
Slow.
Very slow.
Let's face it, you're not the /stealthiest/ bunch, which just means creeping through the city slowly. With Kerbasi taking a stab at guessing the architecture, you're able to make your way thgrough the streets towards the approximate city center. These streets are packed.
..with rubble.
And wights, actually. Most of them aren't moving. They've fallen into inactivity due to the lack of tasty life force to feed on. Some of them seem to show signs of having been scavenged by carrion eaters and rats and such.
Finally, you're making progress towards the center of the city. A great many buildings of elaborate design, faded and damaged, are passed by you. The once-glorious majesty of Dragonier is on display but its collapsed in to ghosts and shadows of its past... and wights. Lots of them. You've begun to pass through a market, now, or at least what once was. It shows the signs of survivors who tried to battle off the wights. Overturned stalls made into barricades and the like, though its obvious givern the way they were smashed through in most cases that this was a failing effort.
Durrankar creeps through the street, making sure to avoid the wights, in case the spell wears off....but he keeps moving towards their destination.
Kravar's hand strays to the hilt of his sunblade whenever a wight so much as twitches. "Should we...destroy a few of them? Now, while they are helpless? If we can do it without rousing the others...every one we send to their final, true death is one that need not be faced later. We could never finish them all, but we'll have no better chance to thin the herd."
Durrankar says, "Kill one and we may bring the rest down upon us. I'd rather avoid.....you'll slake your bloodlust later."
"Well...they're starvin as it is. Anything we do might draw attention, mind. Of course, there's allus the danger that if they detect any hint of life--well. I suppose what we have here are a series of starvin cannibals, heh, as it were." Kerbasi adjust his lenses as he looks at one of the withering wights. "There's a lot of th' damn things."
Kisaiya is also trying to be quiet, slow, movements as she keeps out of line of sight of others and to the shadows. She looks to the otherws with a raise of eyebrows, she's not sure exatly where to go from here. She just knows she doesn't want to get jumped by wights. Not unless she sees the wights of their eyes.
"We should not risk rousing the horde yet," Un'eth agrees quietly as she moves along through the unfamiliar city.
Kravar looks briefly irritsted
Kerbasi grunts.
GAME: Astaren refreshes spells.
Kravar looks briefly irritated. Bloodlust? he mouths silently. But he shakes his head ever so slightly and turns towards the barricades. "I've never seen the undead make fortifications. Why would they need to? They are the ones that others strive to keep -out-." He points with his still sword-free hand at them. "There may be survivors of Krilzor here, hiding from the wights."
"It's...heh, I don't understand th' assumption either," Kerbasi admits. He looks over towards the city fields. "I'd just worry if th' start to sense us. Mayhap a fire on th' way out, a sort of pyre, wouldn't be a bad notion. I just expect we've got t' be very, very careful. ...were we headin' towards th' main chapel or library? I think it--oh! City records, that was it!"
Astaren is walking along, keeping quiet as he looks over everything. His notebook is out as he takes notes, "Or they were buit before the undead by those who were living. Some of these undead spread by attacking, like ghoults and ghasts. weights even to." Tapping his chin as he makes another note and goes back to silently following.
There were certauily survivors at one point. Who's to say they're till here now? It's not outside the realm of possibility, though. As you progress, the signs of battle become more apparent. Civilians having made their last stands here or there against the wight hordes.
... and then, of course, there's the dragon.
Blocking your path, crashed across a city street, are the ekeletal remains of one of the great beasts. It's scales litter trhe ground where they fell from rot, its massive body showing no signs of actual trauma to its bones.... a sad reminder of the majesty that was lost.
It was gold once.
Kravar draws in a breath through his teeth at the sight of the dragon. "Is it undead?" He raises his spyglass to his eyes and takes a closer look. Then he wordlessly offers the indtrument to anyone else who seems to be studying it.
I wouldn't ask th' gods for their sight in heh, in Dragonier. But, w'could take a look." Kerbasi takes a step closer to the old bones, but not too close. "Do you see anythin', mage?" he asks Astaren.
Durrankar looks quietly at the bones and sighs. "I would take these bones to mictlan if I could. this one needs a better resting place than here." he says starting to reach up to scratch a mark onto the forehead if he could.....
Astaren is already casting a detection spell and peering at the dragon bones very carefully. Shakes his head, "Not undead." Then moving over to the bones carefully and snagging one to put into his sack. Looking back, "lets keep going, I have a ressurection to perform later."
"Heh, well. I suppose we could do that." Kerbasi looks at the dragon bones a while longer. Then smiles some. "Are you sure y'don't want to do it on th' way out?" he asks Astaren. "It wouldn't be th' smartest thing, but it would be a hell of a lot of fun."
Kravar nods in understanding. Keeping a bow ready, he creeps closer to the bones, looking for a path through or over them - although in that case he'll look to fly over rather than walk, to avoid disturbing the remains. It's just that he doesn't want to fly too high, since that might also disrupt their attempts at stealth. "I don't know how those rogues make this kind of thing look so easy," he mutters.
Un'eth intakes breath in a low hiss at the sight of the bones. A great loss, and it does deserve proper respect and rest. Unfortunately, now is not the most appropriate time to affect it.
"Well at least it's not undead." Kisaiya says, looking toward the dragon all the more leery. She doesn't trust it, at all, doesn't trust it any more than the wights. She keeps toward the others though, toward the front-ish really because she did like to hit things when it came down to it. She looks about then shrugs, "Let's move around them? I dunno, I just feel wrong trying to go through the bones, you know?"
"Alright. ...well, concentrate on th' Lady's quiet. After a while, y'should feel your body return to mist. We can move around, then, wherever y'like." Kerbasi smiles as he says it. He looks grateful at the idea as well. Although...he looks towards the bones another time. As though wondering what they have to say. Conversations in the graveyard. Conversations with Mary Jane.
Astaren shakes his head, "I don't have the material components for a ressurection on me, so can't do it here or there. Will be something to arrange back in Alexandria, and the longer the creature has been dead the harder the casting. So I am going to be conscripting some help from the church, and it may not even want to come back. But this fight is not that old, so the dragon should not be dead more the a century, so chances are favorable." smiling faintly, "I will at least research and try." then looking back to the bones thoughtfully, "I suggest we try to pick our way through, most likely safer then trying to futher explore the city for another route." shrugging his shoulders.
Durrankar says, "yess.....let's seep through it." He says before he doesn't just that....turns into mist and goes through the skeleton....."
You carefully pass through the bones as a group, sticking close to each other.
While the bones themselves are not undead, the magical power of such a creture surely has attracted things that would feed off its lingering essence...
Which is why the shadows oozing is a thing you each notice. Lengthy stands of shadow droopin down from within the bones.
/Yeah/. /That's an undead/.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ATTENTION -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Whirlpool has dropped a TIMESTOP!
Please +init, then cease all roleplay and actions immediately and wait for Whirlpool to instruct you further.
For in-combat commands, type: +thelp.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
GAME: Durrankar refreshes spells.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 26.
It is now Kisaiya's turn! Shadow Creature 2 is next!
GAME: Note Flat-footed ended.
GAME: Kisaiya rolls Stealth: (12)+13: 25
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (6)+24: 30
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 25.
It is now Shadow Creature 2's turn! Shadow Creature 1 is next!
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (11)+24: 35
Kisaiya turned into the cloud too and went through with the rest of them, of course, she was not exactly sure if she liked this idea but don't split up the party! Best way for everyone to go missing - or worse - and this is one of those circumstances of or worse as far as Kisa is concerned. She floats backward and then tries to drift off around a wall - or some place the undead won't see that the rest of the party can - and starts to become corporeal again. She doesn't want to be caught as a mist near evil undead things.
These two creatures see Kisa.
Two of them, to be sure. Trunks made of inky blackness with tendrils reaching out towards the person-shaped vapor. They're hot on her trail now, wobbling after her from within the boens to reach for her with their very, long strandy tentacles.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 23.
It is now Shadow Creature 1's turn! Kravar is next!
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 18.
It is now Kravar's turn! Durrankar is next!
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 18.
It is now Durrankar's turn! Kerbasi is next!
GAME: Durrankar rolls stealth: (3)+1: 4
Kravar looks uneasy, looking at the rest of the party to see how they are handling this. Kisaiya moves first...but then the shadows follow. Clearly they are discovered. Gliding after them, Kravar summons a gust of wind and darts in between the shadowy forms. His glowing Sunblade slides out of it's sheath, glowing perhaps even more brightly than usual - as if it's been itching to emerge and cast it's light with so many undead around. Kravar knows now how long it will take to transform back to his normal flesh-and-blood form, but in the meantime he begins spinning the sword above his head, shedding sunlight on the shadow creatures.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 10.
It is now Kerbasi's turn! Un'eth is next!
GAME: Kerbasi rolls perception: (1)+11: 12 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Kerbasi rolls stealth: (5)+7: 12
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 9.
It is now Un'eth's turn! Astaren is next!
"They see us!" Kerbasi calls out, as he whisks by Kravar. "I'm goin' to try an find a buildin for us t'reform in! They can get in, but I'm hopin th rest of them can't!" And he whisks pasts Kisaiya and Durrankar, and by that time he's winded and whispy-flaily misty-arms. The sweat is pouring down his cassock, enough that he dives into the largest stone building he can find. No, wait, the one next to it. It reads: PUBLIC BATH AND LATRINES.
Oh, shh--*
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 3.
It is now Astaren's turn! Kisaiya is next!
GAME: Astaren casts Hide From Undead. Caster Level: 12 DC: 16
Astaren see's what is going on, quickly prays to Eluna to go invisible from undead, and then ducks into the nearest building to hopefully wait it out.
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+13: (14)+13: 27
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+13: (7)+13: 20
GAME: Astaren rolls knowledge/religion: (18)+21: 39
GAME: Astaren rolls knowledge/arcana: (3)+21: 24
GAME: Astaren casts Wall of Force. Caster Level: 12 DC: 22
Astaren mutters to himself looking over the shadow things and shaking his head, "Damn it all." pulling out a wand from his pouch as well, "Quickly, we get through, and we continue on. Going to wall them in, was hoping to save this for something worse." Sighing as he traces a hand through the air drawing a wall around and above the black things, and then pushes it forward. A shimmer in the air is the only difference. "Walled, now hurry it will last a little over a minute. We move and range them. If they are smart, they not bother to pursue and say on their juciy bones." kinda hoping they overhear him.
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 26.
It is now Kisaiya's turn! Shadow Creature 2 is next!
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 25.
It is now Shadow Creature 2's turn! Shadow Creature 1 is next!
The two shadow creatures are boxed in. You have some time to figure out a plan for how to deal with them. Their tentacles are exploring the edges of the walls.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 23.
It is now Shadow Creature 1's turn! Kravar is next!
Kisaiya is sort of bustling... if that's possible as a mist. BUT SHE TRIES ANYWAY! There would be flailing, but she thinks that's even less likely, and as such she speeds off after Kerbasi to go find him. Even if that means heading into the latrine too because it's important to stay together. "Wait, what?! How? Who'd they see?! Did they see me?!"
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 18.
It is now Kravar's turn! Durrankar is next!
Kravar has a look of what might best be described as...unholy glee as he sees the shadowy creatures brought up short by something. They won't be able to escape his blade now. But he notices Kisaiya continuing to fly, and just catches sight of Durrankar disappearing into a building. His expression slowly fades away and he summons another gust of wind, streaking after the others and through the wall to the latrines.
GAME: Whirlpool removes the timestop.
Timestop by Whirlpool has left.
Astaren re-mists while moving towards the group as quickly as possile.
ANd now you're in the latrines.
Wind walking, mostly.
The good news is that you're immune to the ancient stench here. Ancient in the relative sense. The last time it was used was a few years ago. There are inactive wights even here too, floating in the fouled, stagnant bath water and the less said of the latrines the better.
Nothing like being a gas cloud in stench. he's actually glad he's not able to smell right now.....
Durrankar is.
Astaren floats in, and immediently starts to float out througth the back not wanting to spend any more timethen they have to there, "We have much further to go." he whispers as he continues.
To be honest, Kisa is mostly along for the ride, trying to keep away from the wights while following with the group. He's toward the front of it if she can manage. She is deeply, deeply, thankful that she cannot smell what these sewers are cooking.
Kravar looks around, brow furrowed. "Do any of us even know where we are going?" he whispers in reply before following. He resheathes his glowing blade as he begins to pass through the wall, hoping not to draw attention to himself once he's outdoors knce again.
The best guess so far has been the library at the center of the city, or at least that is said to be close to it. It was known for it.
And thus, you're off again, misting your way thorugh the city again unmolested by the wights.
Finally, you're getting closer to the heart of it, which is progressively more and more barricded as people fell back to the center in an effort to protect themselves.
More barricades.
More bodies.
Most of them undead, now.
And yet, here at the heart of the city is a great, spiring citadel. You couldn't really see it before. The darkness cut off the view of it.
Astaren glances at the citadel as it comes into view, "I think, that is where we are going." nodding and not even trying to pretend like he knew at all. MOving towards the citadel without another word.
"Oh boy..." Kisaiya sighs as her cloud sort of tilts to look up at the citadel that's spiraling upward. "Yeah, you're probably right-" She sort of peters off as she looks about to see if there's any signs of life (versus unlife) to be seen as they closer to the heart of it all.
Kravar smiles, although the expression doesn't reach his eyes. He raises his spyglass and pans his view up the citadel, then back down again. Then he turns slowly and scans the rooftops of nearby buildings, floating sideways and then backwards and then sideways again. After he's turned in a complete circle he lowers the glass and calls a gust of wind to speed after the party.
Durrankar says, "That hasssss got to be where we need to be....."
... welp.
... in the doors you go.
The first thing you notice is the /absence/ of wights here. This place is either warded against undead or they never breached the closed doors you just, aside from Astaren, misted through.
It is empty of people. A bit dusty, actually, and the doors were /still/ barricaded from the inside.
Still, you'r4e able to look around this great hall and see that this place is truly immense. A lost treasure within living memory. The walls are artfully decorated with draconic imagery and runes, calling this a place of learning and knowledge. Rows and rows of books and book sshelves start immediately, filling this room in an intensely organized fashion.
Astaren is staring, and looking like he wakled into heaven. Secretly wishing he had a bag of holding right now for all the books. He collects himself and takes in a deep breath, "Ok... time to explore." Glancing at some books, "Is that the third codex of Elemental Physics by the great Arch-Wizard Khazhic?" whimpering as he walks by, "Mint condition to..."
Durrankar says, "we can rule those out then." he says as he begins to look around....once reformed that is."
"And the 1st edition of the planer diagrams... back before we had mapped the shadow realms or that Limbo was considered a realm..." whimpering Astaren continues on. The Theurge losing himself a bit in the books and most likely will have to be pulled away, but he is moving more towards the center!
Kravar sighs. "Well, we were looking for a library." He traces some of the runes with his fingertips, then looks around at books. "How long would it take for a scholar to read all of these? A lifetime? Two?"
Durrankar says, "all the more reason to see if we can get the undead out of here."
Silence.
Much silence dominates teh interior of the librry.
And then:
"...is someone there?" a harsh whisper coming from wsomewhere within the rows and rows of books.
Kravar turns to Durrankar. "Is that what we're doing now?" he says mildly. "Because so far we've done nothing but hide and flee from them." By now he's returned to physical form as well. "If we really want to drive them off we'd better start--" he cuts off and turns to look in the direction of the whisper.
Durrankar looks around a bit after looking at Kravar. "Wights are not to be trifled with, Kravar." He then sniffs the air, especially in the direction of the whisper.
Kisaiya is sitting down with a book floating in front of her. Her tongue pokes out the side of her mouth as she continues to read 101 Ways to Cast Your Wedding Cake, a magical book on the creation of wedding cakes. She flips the page, because - really - she's not entirely sure what they're looking for still and she has been a bit distracted.
Flip.
"You gonna keep making snake noises over there?" She calls out toward the whispering. Kisa licks her finger.
Flip.