Unfathomable Farmwork, part 3
Log Info
- Title: Unfathomable Farmwork, part 3
- Emitter: Seyardu
- Characters: Culix, Venom, Paenitia, Skielstregar
- Place: Alexandrian farmlands
- Time: Tuesday, October 19, 2021, 11:31 PM
- Summary: The wizard attempts to retreat. Ramirez opens the barn doors, revealing a very small space. Skielstregar advances in, opening inner doors despite the wizards warning. The barn is full of skeletons! Battle Ensues. Venom knocks out the wizard while Paenitia and Ramirez fight in the doorway, the little Knight failing to land any significant blows. Skielstregar advances inside, is surrounded and nearly brought the rest of the way to his undeath. Culix sneaks in, and takes down skeletons and Venom blasts several to pieces. Ramirez does quite well with claw and beak. Finally, all foes are down. The barn is searched, the wizard roused and confronted regarding 'her tale'. These were not animal skeletons turned human, they were well armed and knew how to use the weapons. She was being duped into direct Necromancy. A person named Ulin at the Society for Progressive Arcanistss, is her contact. If that's who he really is. They ponder aloud what to do with her.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Appearing, in Order =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Skielstregar 7'2" 330 Lb Sith-Makar Male A tarnished bronze scale with fangs and empty eyes. Culix 3'2" 36 Lb Goblin Female Beady-eyed goblin female in leathers and hood. Venom 5'6" 130 Lb Human Female A woman(?) about 5'6" in a ragged black veil and poncho. Paenitia 3'0" 34 Lb Halfling Female A Lucht knight, dark skinned in bold feathery finery. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Seyardu 5'6" 150 Lb Sith-Makar Female A friendly silver sith-makar with a perpetual squint. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Previously
The adventures question the lovebirds and get more information, as well as directions to the farm and what was seen. A skeletal farmer. They are advised that the occupation is okay, provided the squattor keeps doing work. The party leaves, promising to check into it. They kill some time waiting for dark then venture into the woods. Sure enough, a tall and lanky farmer is seeing working. He notices them, runs inside. Paenitia announces herself and visibly approaches while the others sneak around. Skielstregar flanks her. Venom does overwatch while Culix attempts to get inside the barn.
Venom listens to the exchange between Paenitia and the local, cocking her head a bit and straining her ears to hear.
She moves with some haste, she holds up the note: Honest Unsure Hurried.
Culix frowns from her spot in the back room, she'd never heard of necromancers raising anything other than humanoid bones before. But, being sneaky as she is, she keeps it to herself and just continues to listen for the time being- incase it sounds like anyone is coming her way, or blows are about to be exchanged and she'll need to sneak up behind and sap someone.
"Thank you for understanding, but I really must be going." She says, bowing deeply to the lucht-knight and turning to the door, then she is caught turning back when Skielstregar spoke up.
"No, you've got it all wrong, or well, you've got it right but, uh, how do I explain this, thank you for your understanding, truly."
"They are human skeletons, but they were animal skeletons changed to human ones. So it shouldn't be any problem, right?"
Culix picks up sound from the barn now. A lot of sound. It seemed like the skeletons had been still, until just this moment. And there was a flurry of movement. Movement that the group at the front could hear, as well.
"This, the spell shouldn't be ending yet, please excuse me." Is all they say, looking worried, and immediately attempting to slip back inside the barn.
Now
"Wait! The conversation, she is not done." Paenitia calls out as the woman moves inside. There's a small grunt as she picks up her warhammer. "Ramirez! Open the door!"
'Ruaaaah!' He is the brave bird-horse, he is not frightened by doors. They are flung wide.
Beyond he, and she, sees a surprisingly small room. A ramshackle wall of lumber is near the front, with a large door, likely looted from another old barn set into its side. This one is covered with several chains and various locks, but all of them are opened at the moment.
"There are the more doors. The space get smaller and smaller. We well be chasing her into the mousehole soon." The Red Knight shouts.
Loud enough, hopefully, that her voice will be heard on the other side of the barn and in the cornfields.
Also, the wizard is still outside with the party. Masks, they're so restrictive to vision.
GAME: Culix rolls stealth: (18)+15: 33 GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20 -1: (5)+-1: 4 GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20 -1: (15)+-1: 14
Culix freezes at all the sounds of movement, holding her breath for a few moments until she's certain they aren't coming in towards her. She creeps closer to the door, her feet barely making a sound as she moves towards the doorway. Once there, she takes a deep breath, holds it, and then slowly lowers herself down- first to a knee, and then laying almost flat against the floor, ear pressed to the boards and one eye open as she takes a peek under the doorway to see if she can make anything out in the next room.
After a few moments peeking into the next room, she slowly climbs back to her feet. She tiptoes back towards the loose planks at the back wall, and slips like a shadow back outside to the rear of the barn. She makes her way along the edge of it, until she reaches the corner, and leans out- she gestures towards Venom, waving her hands to try and get the silent one's attention. "Way in, Skeletons, 2" <handspeech>
GAME: Venom rolls sense motive: (7)+10: 17 <OOC> Venom says, "trying to startle her with implied threat to play smart" GAME: Venom rolls intimidate: (9)+4: 13
With the sign from Culix Venom catches with a look back toward that corner, she decides to move, shooting a thumbs-up the goblin's way in acknowledgement. The note vanishes under her poncho as things so often do, and the veiled figure starts to creep up on the uncertain necromancer(?).
Her short barreled artifice weapon is held low, but a quick action will easily bring it to bear, and with several ratcheting clicks, she thumbs the activation hammer back.
In lieu of words to accompany her ominous hello, there is only the slow shake of a head, and a tsk-tsk.
<OOC> Seyardu says, "The wizard is going to try to get into the building, but Ramirez/Pae can block their movement if they want." <OOC> Seyardu says, "Okay! In that case, they're going to move around behind Ramirez and past Skielstregar to get in, <OOC> Seyardu says, "you can take AOO if you want to." GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+9: (10)+9: 19 (Ramirez CMB AOO Trip) GAME: Skielstregar uses an AoO! 0 remaining. GAME: Skielstregar rolls cmb: (10)+5: 15 (AOO Trip) GAME: Venom uses an AoO! 0 remaining. GAME: Venom spends ONE use of STUNNING FIST. GAME: Venom rolls weapon0: (18)+10: 28 (Stunning Fist) GAME: Venom rolls 1d6+2: (3)+2: 5 (non lethal) GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+3: (11)+3: 14 (vs DC16) <OOC> Seyardu says, "Okay they're tripped."
"Ramirez, the little trip." Paenitia commands, as the woman attempts to move around her.
He makes a small whicker-like noise. A talon swipes in a half circle, catching her ankle and flipping the wizard on her back.
As the woman decides to try and skirt the hippogriff despite everything, Venom snaps a fist out to tag a disorienting, but not necessarily crippling nerve zon in the woman's back as everyone reacts at once.
Then, the veiled figure tsks again.
"Please just let me through!" The wizard shouts frantically as she tries to shove her way past the hippogryph, but finds no way forward. Ramirez even further blocks their way, by knocking them to the ground effortlessly. And before they can protest further, Venom smacks the wizard as they go tumbling, and they freeze up, stunned.
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+4: (19)+4: 23 GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20: (17): 17 GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d4+1: (2)+1: 3 GAME: Skielstregar spends ONE use of BLOODRAGE. GAME: Skielstregar RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 4 temporary HP
Skielstregar brings up the borrowed, small hammer, ready to swipe the robed one, but instead he chuffs, growling angrily. "The ssspell is ending, you are going to get mauled to death by the Death Dragon..."
He strides forward, strapping a shield onto his arm and boots the door open with his foot.
When Skielstregar opens the inner door, too of the skeletons clatter and whirl leather slings, flinging stones at the not quite dead makari. One lodges in the frame around the door, while the other impacts soundly.
A rock flies out and smashes into his face, his head cocked back.
His head slowly lowers as a trickle of blood comes from under his eye.
A plume of dread billows out from the farm as Skiel drops his stance low, almost feral-like. "UNHOLY CREATIONS!" he angrily roars.
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+4: (3)+4: 7 GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+4: (6)+4: 10 <OOC> Seyardu says, "Skeleton with the sword is going to cleave Skiel and try to cleave Ramirez" GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+7: (4)+7: 11 GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+7: (3)+7: 10, "Big Skelly 2 is going to try to intimidate Ramirez" GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+3: (1)+3: 4 (EPIC FAIL), "Another smack from a wooden beam directed to Skiel"
The two skeletons from before whirl their slings, but perhaps due to not having as much time to prepare, the rocks bounce harmlessly off of Skielstregar's breastplate. two more skeletons strike at the bronze makari, but there is a moment of confusion. They are not sure what to make of the clearly undead seeming sith-makar, and there is a moment of hesitation, perhaps if they are trying to figure out whether they were on their side or not. The blows from the sword armed skeleton are deflected, and the skeleton with the wooden club, no more than a broken wood beam than anything, pats the bronzescale on the shoulder. Unholy creations have to stick together, after all.
Another skeleton beats their sword against their chest with a rattling sound, and points it at Ramirez. But it is not nearly as impressive as the rattling of Ramirez's brilliant feathered plumage, and certainly does not shake the noble hippogryph.
GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon5: (7)+9: 16 GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon5-5: (12)+9+-5: 16 GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+7: (17)+7: 24 GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+7: (8)+7: 15 GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+7: (11)+7: 18 GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d6+4: (4)+4: 8
"Wait! Ramirez, no. Okay, we fight in the doorway then." Paenitia says. She'll blame Skielstregar later, going all ragey, getting her man hot-blooded.
Ramirez whinnies as the sword swings at him, rearing back.
Paenitia is forced to lie against his neck, swing awkwardly across at their foe, while also under the sill of the barn doors. She is very precise in her swings, both of them, but comes up sort.
Her peacock-andalusian waves his talons in the air. He's fought skeletons before, hooked them to pieces and walked around with a rib-cage stuck on a foot like a piece of out-house paper. He doesn't manage to get some shoes this time.
His peck however, snaps bone. A shoulder bone!
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+3: (3)+3: 6, "Skeleton with the scythe swings"
Two of the skeletons wielding scythes advance on the door towards the disturbance, and one brings up their makeshift weapon to strike. But they struggle to cut through the armor, as the amount of force to cut through wheat is significantly less than to cut through metal.
Culix winces when all hell breaks loose while she's outside, "Coulda waited..." she noiselessly grumbles to herself as she creeps back along the rear wall of the barn, slips between the loose planks, and pulls the fence post she picked up earlier from its place at her belt. She moves to the door, placing one hand on the handle, and prepares herself to join the fray when opportunity presents itself.
<OOC> Venom says, "ok, well, since the show's strted, we can't have her casting." <OOC> Venom says, "ummm blow a ki for flurry, since she's stunned, i'm sneak attacking, nonlethal to all of these" GAME: Venom spends ONE point of KI POOL. GAME: Venom rolls weapon0: (4)+10: 14 GAME: Venom rolls weapon0: (1)+10: 11 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Venom rolls weapon0: (4)+10: 14 GAME: Venom rolls weapon0-5: (17)+10+-5: 22 GAME: Venom rolls 1d6+2+2d6: (2)+2+(8): 12 GAME: Venom rolls 1d6+2+2d6: (4)+2+(5): 11 GAME: Venom rolls 1d6+2+2d6: (5)+2+(5): 12
Venom is still murky on the finer moralities at work, here. The woman seemed less hostile than harried, but even still, dabbling with undeath is something of a no-no.
Not convinced she should outright murder the woman, particularly in light of her minions doing some bit to help the neighbors, she is nonetheless forced to act as the undead laborers engage the others, to prevent the local's mindset from changing and potentially spelling catastrophe.
To that end, as the sounds of combat ensue, she unleashes an elbow to the side of the woman's head, chased by a kidney punch before a twin to that blow skims embarrassingly off her hip before she ends with a precise chop to the side of her neck, which ultimately causes the would be Teastress of the Dead to wilt like a flower in autumn.
The wizard is out cold.
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "going to fight defensively and charge to 9,11, attacking with the smol lucrene hammer with reach" GAME: Skielstregar spends ONE use of BLOODRAGE. GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+3: (6)+3: 9 (AOO) GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+3: (20)+3: 23 (THREAT) (AOO) GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+3: (6)+3: 9 (Not Confirmed) GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+3: (8)+3: 11 (AOO) GAME: Seyardu rolls 2d4+1: (3)+1: 4 GAME: Skielstregar rolls 1d20+3+2-4-2+2-1: (3)+3+2+-4+-2+2+-1: 3 <OOC> Seyardu says, "The skeleton with the sword ignores Skiel. Roll to hit!" <OOC> Seyardu says, "The one you're striking also has the sword and shield"
Skielstregar brings up his shield as there's numerous battering colliding against it, him ducking low as a too-long taloned hand holds firm into the dirt.
Red infused eyes look over to the felled wizard, two sets of elongated fangs now present and jutting from his maw. He speaks wetly, ichor spilling from his mouth. "They are ARMED! What liesss you ssspread..." he spits before turning his attention deeper into the barn. "Thisss one will draw their ire!"
And with that, he rushes inside, galloping on all threes before bringing the small hammer down. Though, try as he might, he's trying to keep himself protected, and it knocks against one of the haybales. No matter, he grits his teeth as he's assailed in all directions.
<OOC> Seyardu says, "two more shots at Skielstregar" GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+4: (20)+4: 24 (THREAT) GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+4: (7)+4: 11 GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+4: (3)+4: 7 GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d4+1: (3)+1: 4 <OOC> Seyardu says, "Cleaving Ramirez" GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+7: (18)+7: 25 GAME: Paenitia rolls ride+4: (7)+8+4: 19 (Combat Maneuver Check) GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d8+3: (8)+3: 11 <OOC> Seyardu says, "cleaving Pae too" GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+7: (5)+7: 12 <OOC> Seyardu says, "5 foot step to Skielstregar, and hitting him" GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+7: (3)+7: 10 <OOC> Seyardu says, "Another attack against Ramirez" GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+3: (3)+3: 6
The Skeletons inside clatter and move around, a pair flinging more stones at Skielstregar, with one hitting the sith-makar's shoulder soundly. The rest turn to strike at Skielstregar as he charges back, the scythe wielding skeleton from before realizing the proper technique to dig the scythe blade into them as the pass, but the others have much less sucess. One sword wielding skeleton brings it in a sideways arc, clipping the side of Ramirez, but deflecting harmlessly off of Paenitia's armor. One of the club wielding skeletons sneak up while they are distracted, but the wooden beam is ill suited for a weapon, and bounces harmlessly off.
GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon5: (2)+9: 11 GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon5-5: (11)+9+-5: 15 GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+7: (15)+7: 22 (Ramirez Beak) GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+7: (10)+7: 17 (Ramirez Claw) GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+7: (15)+7: 22 (Ramirez Claw) GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d6+4: (3)+4: 7 GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d4+4: (4)+4: 8
"The lower down, my love, just the bit." Paenitia says, swinging at the skeletons in front of her. Her angle is bad, the warhammer whistles through the air, hits nothing.
Ramirez is having more luck, catching a collar bone in his teeth the raking at the sternum with his talons, one managing an impressive shattering of ribs.
"Friend Dragon, do not try so hard to join them! We catch up." Paenitia shouts into the barn.
The skeleton isn't quite down, but he looks bad.
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+3: (13)+3: 16, "1 attack against skielstregar" GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+3: (4)+3: 7, "And one against Ramirez"
With a creaking of bones, two more skeletons swing. One lurches towards Skielstregar, the other takes a poke at Ramirez. They are slow and obviously, they miss.
<OOC> Culix says, "I'll attempt to sneak through the door and attack the one at 10, 4" <OOC> Seyardu says, "make a stealth check -10" GAME: Culix rolls stealth-10: (2)+15+-10: 7 <OOC> Culix says, "Can I use that reroll now?" GAME: Culix rolls stealth-10: (9)+15+-10: 14 GAME: Culix rolls finesse: (12)+8: 20 <OOC> Seyardu says, "Okay! Roll weapon damage+sneak attack" GAME: Culix rolls 1d4+2d6: (2)+(11): 13
Perhaps her allies will see the door creaking open just a crack, perhaps they will see a flicker of shadow creeping along the back wall of the large wall. Perhaps. But the skeletons there do not. Even as it loads a fresh bullet into its sling, Culix suddenly whips that fence post out- crashing it into the skeleton's pelvis which shatters, causing the thing to fall in two as its middle is reduced to splinters and dust. "Sorry I'm late." Culix mumbles to her allies, not that she's like to be heard over the din of combat.
GAME: Venom rolls weapon1: (11)+11: 22 GAME: Venom rolls 1d8+1: (6)+1: 7, "7 piercing/bludgeoning damage"
With the Teamstress under control, Venom opts to swing around Ramirez's back, hoping not to get mule kicked in the process as she passes the splendid, splendid tail plumage to come around and get a better angle on what's going on inside.
She sees the Smiling Knight and her steed handling themselves well, thus far, though it seems the the angry Sith is in a bit of a bind. trusting in her aim with the readied Dragonspitter, she levels the weapon on the undead figure to the brave Sith's left and, with a loud, buzzing report sends forth a morbid round to shatter a couple of the figure's ribs, and perhaps give the undead thing something else to worry about.
GAME: Skielstregar rolls weapon13-1-2: (14)+8+-1+-2: 19 GAME: Skielstregar rolls 1d10+3+2+2: (5)+3+2+2: 12
Skielstregar keeps his head behind the shield and his tail curled around him, letting the strikes clang off armor and scales. He's leaking blood in some places, but in others the uneasy aura is just as prevalent. The ringing gunshot makes him duck low and pivot out of the way. A set of red eyes settle on Venom and give her a nod before shifting back some. "Thisss one will not return to the grave again, Warrior Sssnapdragon!" he growls, taking the small hammer and throwing all his weight behind it into the one holding the scythe. From skull to floor, it shatters.
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+4: (4)+4: 8, "One sling going at Culix" GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+7: (17)+7: 24, "Sword skeleton is 5 foot stepping to cleave Ramirez again" GAME: Paenitia rolls ride+4: (16)+8+4: 28 GAME: Skielstregar uses an AoO! 0 remaining. GAME: Skielstregar rolls weapon13-1: (4)+8+-1: 11 GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+7: (4)+7: 11 GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+3: (15)+3: 18 GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+3: (20)+3: 23 (THREAT) GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+3: (10)+3: 13 (Not Confirmed), "confirming on Paenitia" GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d8+1: (4)+1: 5
Many of the skeletons fall, but those remaining are undeterred. The remaining stone thrower flings another at Culix, but it goes wide, and they begin readying another. The sword wielding skeleton, seeing the new foe, moves to intercept, swinging their sword wide to hit them both, but with a small hop spurred by paladina, the swing goes wide, losing any momentum it had. The other moves to flank Skielstregar, but their spine lurches to one side with a sickening crack, and the skeleton spends a moment shoving it back into working order.
<OOC> Paenitia says, "full attack on toothy to the left at 7,15, if it goes down, then 10,14" GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon5: (9)+9: 18 GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon5-5: (2)+9+-5: 6 GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+7: (20)+7: 27 (THREAT) GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+7: (14)+7: 21 (Confirmed) GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+7: (5)+7: 12 GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+7: (17)+7: 24 GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d6+4: (3)+4: 7 (Beak Crit) GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d6+4: (3)+4: 7 (Beak Crit) GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d4+4: (4)+4: 8
Paenitia swings! She misses. She swings again! She misses again.
Warhammers are not horseback weapons, she should go back to her lance or pick up a scimitar.
'Ruaaaah!' Ramirez pops the skull of the skeleton in front of Venom, and crushes it like a powdery bath salt. It's bone meal on the menu today. With a loud snort, he lashes out with his claws, ripping at the skeleton lurking just inside and around the corner.
"Ole! You are doing well! Good boy Ramirez!" He is. Yes.
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+3: (7)+3: 10, "one attack against Skiel"
The remaining scythe bearing skelton takes another swing at the bronzescale, but Skielstregar proves difficult to hit in any meaningful way, the bladed weapon sliding harmlessly over their armor.
GAME: Culix rolls finesse+2+2: (17)+8+2+2: 29 GAME: Culix rolls 1d4+2d6: (1)+(7): 8
Culix ducks the rock that's slung at her, and sticks her tongue out at the skeleton. "Wait yer turn." she taunts it, and then turns back towards her allies at the front of the barn, who are in the thick of a melee. Not her preferred fighting style, but seems like they are getting tangled up. She ducks low, dashing across the hay-strewn floor towards the one Skeil is clashing with, spinning at the last minute she catches the skeleton just below the knee, shattering the tibia and fibia and causing it to half collapse, leaving it stumbling around on one leg.
GAME: Venom rolls weapon1+1: (9)+11+1: 21 GAME: Venom rolls weapon1+1-5: (20)+11+1+-5: 27 (THREAT) GAME: Venom rolls weapon1+1-5: (14)+11+1+-5: 21 (Confirmed) GAME: Venom rolls 1d8+1: (7)+1: 8 GAME: Venom rolls 1d8+1: (7)+1: 8 GAME: Venom rolls 1d8+1: (8)+1: 9 GAME: Venom rolls 1d8+1: (2)+1: 3 GAME: Venom rolls 1d8+1: (4)+1: 5
It's a barnroom blitz!
The shrouded one, pressed only momentarily by another skeleton before it was taken down by the Paladina and her partner, steps up to get angle on the knot of naughty surrounding the bronzescale.
As her arm extends the Dragonspitter, freshly chambered in the wake of her last shot, a slow breath ruffles the veils before she looses another steel projectile pas Skielstregar to shatter his opponent.
Her hands meet by her waist as a thumb slides a lever of the weapon forward, her other hand snatching another gleaming cylinder from her belt to slip into the chamber.
She rolls her neck, then all at once, thumb ratcheting the hammer, she snaps the weapon up once more and obliterates the skull from the skeleton between she and him, the concussion enough to splinter a daisy chain of spiderweb fractures down it's spine, sundering the undead creature utterly.
GAME: Skielstregar rolls weapon13-2: (20)+8+-2: 26 (THREAT) GAME: Skielstregar rolls weapon13-2: (17)+8+-2: 23 (Confirmed) GAME: Skielstregar rolls 3d10+9+6: (5)+9+6: 20 <OOC> Seyardu says, "5 foot step away from skiel, and a shot at him" GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+4: (20)+4: 24 (THREAT) GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+4: (11)+4: 15 (Not Confirmed) GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d4+1: (2)+1: 3
Two loud blasts, and two more of the wretched creatures were turned to bone meal. Skielstregar laughs, though it a harrowing, wet, hacking sound as he turns to the veiled woman at the entrance. "You remind me of my friend Vaera! Sssteady of hand!" he grins wickedly, maw oozing with dark energies and ichor before turning to the one Culix crushed. He towers over them, menacingly, before briskly twirling the hammer under handed and cleaving upwards from shin skyward, spraying and raining bone shards down on all.
He sniffs the air, looks past Culix, then rushes past her to block off the last one so it wouldn't assail the others.
GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon5: (1)+9: 10 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon5-5: (7)+9+-5: 11 GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+7: (15)+7: 22 GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+7: (3)+7: 10 GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+7: (18)+7: 25 GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon5: (7)+9: 16 GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d6+4: (1)+4: 5 GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d4+4: (1)+4: 5
Paenitia struggles to connect, again failing to hit anything.
Ramirez ducks and forces his feathery self through the first set of doors, and claws at the skeleton around the corner.
He strikes! The bones don't yield.
"Keep up the fight, my friends!" The Red Knight says, feigning cheer. She'd be honestly happy if she hit something.
GAME: Paenitia rolls weapon5: (14)+9: 23 (AOO) GAME: Paenitia rolls damage5: aliased to 1d8+1: (4)+1: 5 GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+3: (10)+3: 13, "Misses Culix"
Then, as the skeleton moves, it lines up perfectly for a warhammer backhand. Paenitia cracks out half of its torso, knocking off the arm holding the shield as well.
The remaining club wielding skeleton, finding little success with their sneaking up on the knight, decides to turn to a seemingly more soft target, the small goblin who made their presence known. Single minded in purpose, it lunges for Culix, losing half of it's body in the process, but still attempting to swing, but the sudden weight difference makes it stumble through the blow with no real success.
GAME: Culix rolls ranged: (13)+8: 21 GAME: Culix rolls 2d4: (5): 5
Culix ducks as the half-dismantled skeleton lumbers towards her, swinging the makeshift club in her general direction. She rolls back with the momentum of her dodge, tumbling head over heels but coming back up on her feet. Her free hand goes to her belt, that pouch she tucked the phial of holy water into earlier, and pops it open during the roll. She snatches the phial loose once she's on her feet and throws it towards the skeleton before it has the chance to recover from its attack.
The delicate glass flask hits it square in the sternum, shattering- the blessed water coats it thoroughly, soaking into its joints. The divine magic within works immediately, undoing the negative forces which hold the skeletons bones together and they come apart- the thing collapsing into a pile of decidedly unanimated bones.
The skeleton's back snaps in two, and all the bones fall apart as the holy water covers it.
GAME: Venom rolls weapon1+1: (12)+11+1: 24 GAME: Venom rolls 1d8+1: (5)+1: 6
Venom bows to Paenitia as she and brave Ramirez sunder the remaining skeletons, and the loud, silent one starts to step into the barn, proper.
Bone fragments and dirt grind under the thick tread of her boots, hands busying themselves with the process of reloading anew, passing Culix affording her foe sizzling deep-down clean that's simply divine.
Once she's reached a clear enough angle, she levels the weapon on the fight in progress, awaing the moment Skiel's follow-through carries him out of the line of engagement, and she sets forth another round, fracturing bones, but not enough to still it's wrath.
GAME: Skielstregar rolls weapon13: (15)+8: 23 GAME: Skielstregar rolls damage13: aliased to 1d10+6: (8)+6: 14
The spray of holy water makes an acrid scent cross Skiel's nose, him looking over his shoulder for a moment to ensure none came his way. Though, he does see a veiled enigma slipping forward briskly, the piece of artifice leveled in his general direction. He pulls his shield close to himself and leans out of the way.
The man unbuckles his shield and tosses it aside, gripping both hands on the small weapon before hauling a sideways swing at the last creature. Shattering the bones to spray against the back wall of the barn.
He breathes heavily, heaving, before staggering to a knee and holding the side of his head. The unsettling aura returns to where it once was, and the second set of fangs and talons recede.
Sheepishly, he tiredly murmurs, "... sssorry about that..>"
GAME: Culix rolls knowledge/religion: (8)+6: 14 GAME: Paenitia rolls knowledge/military theory: (16)+9: 25
The Red Knight slides off her Ivory Steed, immediately examining his injuries. She cooes quietly at him, petting softly, "You are strong. This is not the bad injury, but you will stay out the barn. I bandage you soon."
She turns and heads in, surveying the scene, "These, unusual. They know how to use the sword and shields. The ones with the club and the scythes, they have the some skill too."
"A skeleton that used to be the animal, would not know these techniques. They would not be the champion skeleton." She clanks her hands to her hips, "I think that woman, she might have lie to me!"
"Well, it is no matter, you have all fight well my friends!" They acquitted themselves much better than she did.
It's job finished, Culix peers at the- now bent and twisted- bit of fence post she'd been using as a makeshift mace, and tosses it onto the ground. "Weren't expecting the fighting to start so sudden, was aiming to get into position to take a couple out sneaky-like." she tells the others, and then shrugs. "So. What do we do with her?" she wonders, pointing in the general direction of where the woman had been. "Hand 'er over to the guard, you reckon?" she asks then.
A beat, "There's stuff out back. Magic supplies, I reckon, but I couldn't make heads or tails of it. Might be worth looking at, if one of you know anything about that sort of thing."
Culix goes and ties up the caster.
Venom cocks her head a touch and shoots a thumbs-up to the Bronzescale before offering him a hand, the other slipping her devastating contrivance back into it's place on her hip.
There's a look turned toward the others, though to Culix, she starts to sign, "She was using undead to help the farmers. I think we need to figure out how she knew how." <handspeech>
GAME: Paenitia rolls perception: (12)+4: 16
Paenitia starts going through the barn, "I know two things about the magic things. Some of them explode. If you beat them with the hammer, and they do not explode, you have found the magic that does not explode."
She laughs, "More insight, you will have to ask the Spider Knight, or the mages." She pokes into things. She's small, there's a lot of poking. She doesn't come up with many results though.
Again, the bronzescale mumbles, "... sssorry..." to Culix, for different reasons. Skiel tiredly looks up at Venom's hand, him reaching out to carefully wrap his too-long talons around it and pull himself up. Well, as much is allowed, he's a lot of sith-makar, and he didn't want to drag the sharpshooter down. He returns the hammer back to Paenitia after wiping it off on his tunic. "...thisss one thanksss you for your armsss. Yesss, they were too organized to be anything other than people..."
He stumbles to the back, curiously peeking in.
GAME: Skielstregar rolls perception: (4)+6: 10 GAME: Venom rolls perception: (9)+13: 22
Paenitia seeks them high, she seeks them low. She does not find many clues. There is a lot of straw.
Skiel seems a bit disappointed in his findings, the man chuffing and wiping at his nose. "... thisss plassse smellsss terrible..." he mumbles ironically, him opening up a tarp filled with farm tools. Shrugging and abandoning that, he rests against the wall. "Thisss one thinksss we gather the materialsss in the back and let the guardsss sssort out the necromanssser."
The veiled one lets a low breath ruffle her veils again, and, like the others, starts to search for clues.
She points to the area of the tarp where the indents indicate the former resting points for the scythes before carefully unloading the barrels one by one. There is a pause, the a nod toward the Bronzescale before she looks to see what the Knight makes of all this.
The Red Knight comes over. She gets a crate to stand on, then peers into the barrels. "What you have find?" Her stomach clenches as she considers a few possibilities. They would have said something. Pretty sure.
In the back is a small bedroom with a desk, bed and some shelves, and what looks like the remains of a meal, bits of bone and meat scraps on a stone plate.
"Water and toolsss," he shrugs. "Perhapsss the necromancer had good intentionsss, but their methodsss were..." He wipes at some caked on blood on his scales. "... bad."
"Hm." Paenitia says, examining Skielstregar a little longer than she has so far on this expedition. Looking for extra bits falling off, more strips of flesh. Her ever grinning mask hides all expression, there's just her eyes. Dark, smouldering, and concerned.
"The guards will do something with the necromancer. I do not trust them to hand out justice. I am not sure what that look like, in this case." She hops down, heads over to the desk and looks for a notebook. "She lie, and this the work of evil, but... I struggle with the point? Why she make them farm? Is she think farmers make the best warriors?"
They do, but that's beside the point.
Venom shrugs a little and reaches under her poncho for ther things, scribbling out a little note to show the others:
Did she make them, or did she somehow find a way to control them?
What if something else was behind it?
There are bits of the bronzescale that lend some credence to Paenitia's gaze. The dead, lifeless silver eyes. Missing patches of scales. Fangs that perhaps only more advanced undead would have. He doesn't hold her gaze, him averting his eyes downward.
A motion that allows him to read the page that Venom brings forth. "Thessse are all good quessstionsss. Thisss one is not sssure of such hesssitation of the guards, but will defer to your judgement on that. Perhapsss we can asssk the death-shaman themssselvesss thessse things...?"
The Red Knight watches the bronzescale a little longer, saying nothing. She examines the living space further. "I have the idea."
"Take her to town, she know the names of some, maybe they know her. If they know her, they will know her lies, the dark secrets of her past. Her secret loves and all the hearts she breaks." The little knight is getting carried away.
'Ruuaaaah!' Ramirez calls from outside.
"Yes, Brave Ramirez, we are finishing up." She shouts back, then continues, "Maybe they get the truth out of her. We ask, they ask, how, why she come by these things. If there another behind it all."
"We also ask, what they want us do. See the mayor. Maybe not haul her back to Alexandria, she get a local, more base justice. We might get the dinner too."
Venom cocks her head again, then looks between the two while Culix handles business.
She scribes out something under her prior questions:
Herr they simply kill her.
Skiel swings his head between the two women, his scaled brow knitted in thought. "If they kill her, then that isss the judgement of the tribe. However. We could do... both? Question her here, then let the death-ssshamn'sss fate be judged by their peersss."
He slowly begins ambling his way towards the entrance.
Paenitia nods, at the note, at Skelstregar's observations. "The deathy dragon have the right idea. See what she say to us. If we do not get the good answers, then she speak to the peers."
Prisoners are always tricky.
The silent one nods in concurrence with her fellows, and she steps outside to make sure their interviewee hasn't gone and wandered off into other mischief.
From beneath the poncho emerges a coil of rope...
The wizard in question was still out cold on the ground from the blows of the veiled woman, and she was now tied up by Culix already, who was nearby. They offer to translate Venom's movements, making the exchange easier.
Skiel looks at the wizard, him pondering how to wake them up before walking back into the barn, messing with something, then coming back out with an entire water barrel in hand.
"Ssstand clear."
Unceremoniously, he dumps the whole thing on her to wake her up.
Can you tell he doesn't like necromancers?
Two of the four or so barrels were missing lids in the barn. Upon closer inspection, the barrel lids had handles on the tops, and were used by a pair of the skeletons as makeshift shields.
"Hellooooo!" Paenitia stands over the wizard, so close that she might bump her face on the halfling's mask, were she to sit up immediately after the soaking. In any event, the stylized man's face with the wide grin and curly mustache will be the first thing she sees, leering back at her.
"The spell did wear off, and the bad things have occur, but we prevail." The Dark Lucht taps at her shoulder, "You have the explaining to do. What really going on?"
With a great likelihood that their questions would encompass, if not exceed her line of questioning, Venom seems content to stand close to hand with her Thunderbelcher propped up onto her shoulder like an honor guard, her head angled that she is very likely staring quite intently at the woman as the others wake her up.
She's simply there as a quite reminder:
If you're foolish, you die. If you run, you just die tired.
The wizard in question sputters as the water is dumped on them, the deluge sending their hat off with the flow. They cough and wiggle a bit until they are on their back, eyes more than a bit wide.
"Y-you need to get away from this place, it's not safe!" She is already saying, before Paenitia speaks up. The wizard deflates. Their face was covered in water, which hid the crying, but not the worry. "Bad things? What bad things? I can go back to see to things, but I can't while tied up like this. If there's problems, please just let me go fix them, then we can talk, I promise."
A very not pleased and massive sith makar had his arms crossed. "Ceassse your blabbering, drakki tsk'kra. You lied. Your creationsss are sssslain. Anssswer the Warrior Paenitia's questions. Or else."
"This tradespeak not the language I grow up with." Paenitia admits, sounding frustrated. A striking contrast to her smiling mask. "Please answer these simple things."
"Who you are. Where the skeletons from. What you think you are doing."
Each question is stated more like a demand, "The details please, or we take you to the town and leave them to figure out, and whatever happen here is happen without you."
In case the message was unclear, a gloved thumb pulls back the arming hammer, slowly, producing three ominous clicks.
Outside of the poignant commentary, Venom doesn't so much as twitch.
The wizard flinches when they see sith-makar again, and when they hear the hammer on the weapon primed they scrabble backwards through the now muddied ground till they were a bit away, however slow that was with hands and legs bound.
"I did not lie to you!" She says, a hint of indignation to their voice now. "I don't know what you think I lied about, but I've been honest from the start. My name is Anne, and I live here. The skeletons were provided by the society, and I've been overseeing them here."
"I was, just trying to help out the people here, that's all."
Skielstregar bristles. "Thossse undead knew how to ussse weapons, and they were sssoftskin bones! You sssaid it wasn't even people that wasss ussse-"
His eyes narrow. "... what sssosssiety..?" he hisses lowly, a tinge of crimson showing in his dead eyes.
GAME: Venom rolls sense motive: (16)+10: 26
"Then the Society lie to you. They are not the animal turn human turn skeleton." Paenitia explains, her voice firm and flat. "They know the sword and board, they know the scythe. They would not have this skill if they train only to farm."
"You know more, or you are the dupe to keep them occupied until they call for the army." The Red Knight surmises, "What the name of the Soceity that give them to you. Where they contact is?"
Venom shifts some as the wizard starts to move, the barrel of the longarm coming about until the motion stops, and she freezes, soaking up the protests and indignation. Her hand comes off the for-end of the weapon to vanish under the poncho, whence comes the note she'd written for Paenitia, earlier. She looks down at it, and, with a bit of clever thumb movement, covers a couple of words before turning it toward her fellows:
Honest
Leaving 'Unsure' and Hurried' obscured by her warding digit.
"The society for progressive arcanist's." She states, shaking her head, as if that should be obvious. Though uncertainty creeps in. "No, they were animals, I know they were! They told me they were, and they showed as such when investigated with magic."
Then, confusion. "Swords? Boards? What are you talking about? There weren't any weapons around here, I made sure that there were none, in case the magic did wear off before I could reestablish it. And certainly no swords nearby. anything dangerous was left away from the main room."
Skielstregar tilts his head. He huffs, twin streams of visible frigid air. "Thisss pne thinksss your liassson wasss falssse."
They did have real weapons. Not makeshift, genuine steel swords and wooden shields, not like the ones with broken beams and barrel lids.
"Ah you are mistaken, witchy one. They have the genuine steel swords, and wood shields, not like the barrel heads that some of the others use. There is the scythe too." Paenitia shakes her head as she speaks, "Maybe they hidden in the barrels, or the bales of hay? These are not the animal things, I say before. They might have kill you, the spell go awry."
She taps at the chin of her mask, "Then the rampage blame on you, post the death. I know the Progressive Arcanists society, they are oft the great fools with the heads in the sky, but not this much foolish."
"You have been set up the ruse. Where you Society Contact meet you, what they say to do? We need know all the things."
"Ulin, he's one of the professors at the society." She states, using the more relaxed moment to shove themselves into a seat against the barn wall. Her eyes were wide again, a bit of shock. "No, they shouldn't be capable of fighting coherently, that's true."
"They would try to kill me, or you, that's why I wanted to deal with them."
"This was planned for a while, and Ulin, he met me here to deliver the skeletons, and checked in a few times."
The Red Knight nods. Standing, she's close the height of a sitting human, which makes it easy for her to lean and keep her mask focused on the woman. "So, he going be checking back soon? He give you the guidelines or the other tasks? You know he helping some other farm do the farming?"
"This Ulin, he from your village too?"
Skielstregar growls lowly, him letting Paenitia do the questioning. He paces slowly, like a feline waiting for a meal.
"No...hmm... I have hear it before..." The little Lucht says, crossing her arms and tapping at a vambrace, "I do not remember his reputation. Still, the questions? You have answers?"
"Ulin, he isn't supposed to show up for another few days, but he's also not always on time." Anne offers, and they did not relax, but they looked less shocked. "He isn't from the village, I just met them at the society, when I went there to learn. And, he offered me this solution on how to help the farms out here. It was working well, but-."
The wizard closes their eyes and turns away, as much as they could. "I didn't know it was with actual people, I never would have helped, otherwise."
MAP
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