Siege on Gnomegedon (Part 2)

The zombie maker has esacped, and proved to not be a real lich, but some form of advanced skeleton. Afterall why would a lich run when they will just re-form? The paladins and clerics who were helping with the zombies set about getting packed up and clearing out the area. Jasper approaches the group, "So he got away eh? Going to go after him, or should we be getting out of here?"

Razen shakes his heavy flail and slides it into his belt with a grim expression. "We chase after him of course!" He grunts once and looks around as though daring anyone to say otherwise. It's not intended meanly though, he's simply eager to get on his way.

Morgan shakes her head "I hate having future problems, I say we go after him." she is looking towards to where he went.

Deak nods his head vigorously, "Yeah. If he gets away, there's telling what other forces he'll gather to his aid!"

Jasper glances out towards the hills, "Dimension door right? Hard to tell where he went, scrying might help. Either way, you are going to go deeper into Dragonier, we are not fully sure what is out there. More powerful undead for sure. You go, you are on your own." reaching down and rubbing his hip, "I think I already cracked it standing this long."

Morgan nods "rest well and scry us, if you have to teleport away I will teleport us home, if we live."

"Then maybe you should get some more exercise, old man." Arisha's savage to Jasper. "Mmmm....If we head out there...we need an emergency escape plan. Someone that can teleport us out if we need it."

Japser offers a simple smile to Arisha, but offers no words just a knowing look. Then nods to Morgan, "If you can get everybody out that works. Fight well, don't die." turning to walk back towards the priest and paladins. Leaving the group to their own devices.

Razen shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders. "Why do we need an exit plan? We should just go already!"

Morgan nods "we are I am letting him know he does not have to wory about us."

Arisha taps Razen on the forehead with her left hand and waves in front of Razen's face with it. "This...is why. This is the price of MY overconfidence....I will not have OTHERS killed because of it."

Deak says, "Come on, guys. He's getting away!" and runs after the Zombie Making Skele-dude.

GAME: Morgan casts Scrying. Caster Level: 10 DC: 21

Arisha grabs Deak by the shoulder....and pulls him back. "he's already gotten away temporarily. So simmer, Hearthguard. We're preparing.

GAME: Astaren rolls 1d20+10: (7)+10: 17

Razen watches Arisha move away, eyeing her arm prospectively then grinning. "You know I almost ended up with my arm eatten by a demon once!" He sounds rather proud of this fact rather than diswayed from rushing off.

Morgan gets out a mirror and says "I need you all to give me 10 minutes please." she starts to say strange works in a strange language that makes her eyes glow bright blue, as that seeps down to the mirror and makes it glow bright blue.

Deak stops, and says, "Oh. Yeah. Okay then."

The scrying takes an hour, for the more impatient ones, to complete. He is a couple of miles away, relaxing in what appears to be a run down little tower. He has a few zombie pets around him, and is cursing about adventurers. He is talking through a mirror to some other creature, a skeleton creature. "Really adventures in Dragonier? Do I need to send some of my minions to deal with it?" At which point the Zombie Maker goes even paler, "No no I got it! No need for master to bother himself." the figure the zombie maker is talking so humpfs, "I am sending my minions anyways, you have annoyed me for the last time." at which point the figure vanishes from the other mirror and the Zombie Maker sits there, sniffling.

Deak uses the time to prepare the next day's spells.

Razen paces the entire time, sometimes with his flail in hand, sometimes without. He walks back and forth, back and forth, his green eyes constantly off in the direction that the man ran off. Several times he stops and opens his mouth without saying anything at all. It's clear he wants to ask what's taking so long, or if they can go yet, but he leaves it unsaid. Just paces some more.

Morgan tells every one what she seen in the mirror if others were not looking over her shoulder "so any plans?"

Arisha says, "So we're in for a bigger fight than before...unless we can get to the lich before these reinforcements arrive."

GAME: Deak refreshes spells.

Deak rises from his hour of prayer and asks, "So where do we find this guy?"

Morgan thinks for a while as she is hovering a few inches off the ground "Well he is in a ruined tower." she puts the mirror away and flys up in the air hoping to spot it where they are at.

Seeing everyone moving with intent rouses Razen from his pacing with a grin. "Yes! Let us go before we miss out on the fight!" Meaning he probably hopes that they'll catch the whole lot of bad-guys rather than just the 'lich' in question. Then he starts trudging down the road in what is hopefully the correct direction (he doesn't know), assuming that the mage will tell him if he goes astray.

The trip takes about twenty minutes through the hills at a solid march. The tower comes into view, and it is clearly run down. Sitting on a chair at the top level and watching out on the horizon is the zombie maker, looking less then happy. He is writing into a book as you comes approach the tower.

Arisha says, "and Collapsing the tower would only bring him down here. this'll be amusing."

GAME: Deak casts Hide From Undead. Caster Level: 6 DC: 15

Deak, seeing how the target has such a broad field of view, he casts a spell, and then says, "Hopefully, this'll help me to better support you all when the fighting breaks out."

Morgan shrugs and says "I can fireball this place."

The zombie maker continues to write into his journal.

Arisha says, "Lets head on up then...unless we can bring the sower down by the foundation."

Razen looks around a bit, then with a shrug goes tromping up the path to where the zombie maker sits. He doesn't plan on stopping. At all.

GAME: Morgan casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 10 DC: 17

Morgan looks to the way in front of her "he is to calm as he wants us to set off traps."

Deak is content to accompany the group, moving on up. Gonna get a piece of the pie.

Morgan says "no magic yet so fighters first."

Arisha nods quietly. "Slow down, Razen...we're right behind you."

As Razen goes through the front door open, a loud creek can be heard from it. Clearly not oiled in sometime. A eek can be heard from above. Then a call out, "Adventurers or undead here to kill me? If adventurers, PARLEY!!"

Deak says, "So... let's keep our senses alert, eh?"

Razen grumbles a little and glances up the stairs. "Parley? Come down here and maybe we'll parley!" He doesn't sound particularly thrilled with the idea, but he's not about to go kill a man trying to talk peace either.

Morgan sighs "undead wanting to talk, what a new low for my adventuing life."

Arisha says, "they are followers of thul....he's just stalling.""

The zombie maker makes his way down and stops at the top fo the stairs, keeping out of immedient reach, holding his hands up. "I come with non-hostility, and minimal threat! I clearly stand no chance against you, so I would like to make a deal. You are adventurers right, you are worth your word right?" the skeleton tilting his head as he looks over the party with his glowing green eyes.

Arisha says, "Not so confident now, are you?" She then sighs a bit. "You are stalling.""

"I am." Razen states clearly, putting his heavy flail away and lifting his hands a little to show them free of weapons. "You come in peace and I won't harm you."

Baz da Ork has arrived.

GAME: Deak rolls Sense Motive: (18)+11: 29

GAME: Morgan rolls Sense motive: (18)+2: 20

Morgan just listens to what is going to be said as he does not need 4 people asking questions.

Deak announces to the party as though confident that his spell will continue to conceal his presence from the knowledge of Zombie Maker, "He seems utterly incapable of falsehood at the moment."

The zombie maker smiels to Arisha, "I wish, but no grand plans as that. See the deal is rather simple, you keep me un-alive, not completely dead, not dead? Err, anyways, you don't finish me off from what is coming to kill me, and in return I will help you take out my master. Who is much worse then me. I survive, get free of him, and you get to take out a real threat."

Razen seems to consider this for a long moment then nods, looking around a moment to the rest of the group to see if this is agreeable to them as it is to him. "That seems reasonable."

Deak says, "I'm inclined to give it a shot.""

Morgan looks to him "first drop the undead jokes, second tell us what is coming and the numbers."

Arisha looks to the rest of the party. "You're serious. You're actually serious."

Arisha says, "This is an undead monster. It being allowed to walk is a slap in the face to anyone that is living....and anyone that is resting with the grey lady after living a full life. It secured a bargain with Thul just to keep it's unlife. It should meet it's final death...THEN we should go after it's master...""

Razen lowers his voice and steps closer to Arisha. "Are you sure he is not just a really skinny guy?" He looks toward the undead man with doubt on his face. Then seems to reconsider his own view and continues in a whisper that could be heard miles away. "I mean we can always send him to prison afterwards right?"

Morgan pinches the brow of her nose as Arisha speaks.

The zombie maker shrugs his shoulders, "Knowing my master, most likely a pair of very powerful burning skeletons." then turns towards Arisha, "I didn't secure anything. My master, was created when Heth came over and pooped out all that void energy out of its ass. She then turned aruond and created me as a toy, against my will, or consent. I cannot even lie, imagine not being able to even lie? I want nothing more then to rest peacefully. I will gladly walk right up to the grety temple myself after I get a little revenge. I have been creating zombies out of children corpses, children! I can only start on the artrocities I have commited, got a list." holding up his journal.

Arisha says, "Then how about this....we face whatever your master brings our way...as well as ending your master's unlife...THEN we end your unlife.""

Arisha says, "Well...I can't speak for anyone else here. So by 'WE' end your unlife...I mean 'I'"

Deak says, "That sounds fine."

The Zombie Maker snaps his bone fingers, "As long as you promise to consecreate my body and bless it, I want to at least have some chance of not going to one of the hells. So deal? Also be aware, taking care of my master make take a bit of time. She guards her phlyactory well, and has no clue I know where it is."

"As long as you do your best to aid us I am sure that is fine!" Razen has perked up again now that everything has been decided. "Do you have one of those phlya-tor things?"

Deak says, "A real lich? How soon do we get to face these flaming skeletons, and are they skeletal giants or giant skeletons pieced together from the bones of smaller beings... AGAIN?" He prompts the questions to his companions rather than lifting the spell.

"Your body will be unraveled by Vardama's holy light when my blade strikes you. If we keep your skull, we shall take it to a tomb and consecrate it, but your soul will be judged by Vardama herself. I am only her instrument. And yes....do you have your own Phylactary? That will need to be destroyed as well." Arisha's making sure this zombie maker isn't being duplicitous as well."

Morgan sighs "the problem with liches is there phylactery, if we dont destroy it he will keep coming at us. So we either go to where it is we will have some idot keeping coming at us."

The zombie maker shakes his head, "Just a skeletonal champion basically, advanced. My mistress is a real lich, lower powered compared to a few of the others out here in Dragonier, but still one less lich right?" Nodding to Morgan, "Correct, need to kill them both at the same time. Take out the lich, they come back, take out the phlyactory, they make a new one."

"First things first! Let us kill those that are coming to kill you. All other things must wait until after then." Razen waves away the rest of the complicated conversation.

Arisha says, "He agrees....or I walk."

The zombie maker offers a timid look to Arisha, "I agree." Wincing, "That is going to be painful. Still better chance then otherwise! Now to prepare!"

Arisha quietly takes off her cloak.....and hangs it up near the staircase. "I'm holding you to it." She then starts to load a cartridge into her pistol. "Come down. I may be a mul'niessa, but I'm not one of the Shadow Council. I stay by my word....unless you break it."

Deak asks, "So, we know they're going to come here seeking this guy. Let's choose our battleground.... with tactics."

-TBC-