Book Two: Chapter Seven: "Restless Remains"

Straegis II: HP:85/96 AC:29 Fort:25 Ref:25 Will:22 Healing Surges:9/9 Action Points:0

Save vs. the Rot: 1d20=20

O.o.C.: Not sure I needed the natch there, but I know for sure I didn't want a case of that funk!

Taalgarnuk: 14
Juugug: 3
Kersh: 8.

Okay, you guys are all fine. Juugug and Kersh, however, seem a little nauseated and ill.
They begin coughing and wheezing.

"Kersh no feel too good."
"Ye don' looks t' good neider ... but me toos feels besickened."

Both Kersh and Juugug will only gain half the usual HP from healing effects until further notice.

Verity? You might be able to save one (with Divine Mettle) from the agony that awaits.

Verity pats Zephyr's flank to settle the beast.

"Hard won, that fight, and a victory for the Queen! Best we burn what's left of this unholy lot.

"I certainly didn't think you could look any worse Tully. Still, you fared better than some.

"Straegis, have you the means to bring Aubrey back from Death, should She allow? And to cure Brother Tugaarlnuk and Kersh?"

OOC: Vangg has Heal is +22.

While those with the healing arts tend to our wounded, Davin and Hound will try to find a trail left by the undead, leading to their place of origin.

Tracking - 40 (includes Hound's Aid)
Stealth (D) - 40
Stealth (H) - 24

(not going off on my own, just making sure we have a good trail)

-Swift

Straegis II: HP:85/96 AC:29 Fort:25 Ref:25 Will:22 Healing Surges:9/9 Action Points:0

Halcyon wrote:"Best we burn what's left of this unholy lot."
"Straegis, have you the means to bring Aubrey back from Death, should She allow? And to cure Brother Tugaarlnuk and Kersh?"

"Aye" replies Straegis to Verity's suggestion of burning the bodies. He stops and shuffles through his pack and quickly responds "We have enough components to revive Aubrey and cure both of your ill Raven Queen brothers. Raising Aubrey will take some time but curing the disease is complicated and has even been known to cause death in all but the most experienced of healers. Perhaps Vangg should perform that ritual, with our assistance, of course."

O.o.C.: Okay, so Raise Dead ritual on Aubrey will take 500 gp of Mystic Salves and take 8 hours to perform. The Cure Disease ritual costs 150 gp. and takes 10 min to perform. There is also the issue of the heal check for cure disease, a miss here can result in death. I have both rituals copied to my book, but my heal check is only +12. My suggestion, let Vangg copy cure disease while I perform raise dead on Aubrey, then have him cure disease on Kersh and Tully, with aid from those of us with heal.

That seems like an efficient plan. I'll go ahead and record Cure Disease on Vangg's character sheet; don't forget to subtract the scribing material from the party stock. No skill check is necessary for Raise Dead; so just subtract the material components, and we'll move on.

Azzy carries Aubrey's mangled corpse from the cave, and lays it gently on the wagon. As Straegis and the Templar's apply mystic salves to the cadaver, Vangg begins scribing rather tricky ritual for curing diseases. Meanhile, Davin and Hound scope the area.

There are more tracks than Davin had expected. MOST seem to come from the direction of the Cave Temple; but a surprising number wandered up from the ocean floor, a few appear from nowhere (the flyers), and a small contingent of them seems to come somewhere to the north (away from the beach).

Assuming Davin spends a few minutes tracking, he is still done tracking almots as soon as the ritual started (relatively speaking). Do you want to return to the wagon? Scout ahead? What's he doing?

O.o.C.: All components subtracted, eight hours needed to revive Aubrey and for Vangg to copy ritual.

"Eight hours to return one to life..." Verity says to himself.
Then to Straegis, "Keep those components handy, but lets see if this is a safe location to conduct the ritual on Aubrey before we start. If we are presently surrounded by an army of the Risen... well, best we move on. Lets see what Davin finds."

Then Verity aids with curing the others.

I head back.

"The main trail heads back to the Cave Temple - no surprise there. Let's get back to Harley's, heal and regroup."

After making sure the wounded are safely aboard, Davin jumps up and turns the ATW towards Harley's place.

"YAA!"

-Swift

At the knight's suggestion, the hunter drives the wagon back toward the cottage of young Harley; some of the heroes ride, and others walk alongside. A short while later, the party pulls up to the sheep-littered yard, and begins the ritual of re-attaching Aubrey's soul ... DM EDIT: and Straegis looks for Harley.

Straegis locates Harley as quickly as possible, anxious to find out what she knows of the sudden influx of (un)death. He informs her of their battle and what Verity had told them of his dream while they rested on the evening before, hopeful that she can shed some light on the situation. He then asks for a clean and safe place to perform the ritual to bring Aubrey back from death's grip, and suggests that Vangg get started on copying the Cure Disease ritual.

Straegis finds the young Harley on the other side of the yard, close to where you found her last time. The shallow graves have been exumed, and several make-shift pyres have been constructed nearby; some contain bodies (or rather parts of bodies), but others are still being filled. As Straegis walks up, Harley removes a giant torso from the ground (one that easily weighs three times what she does) and carries it over to one of the pyres.

"Howdy," she says. "Back agin?"

After listening to Straegis's account of the battle and the dream, she responds "I reckon the Raven Queen's none too happy 'bout these boys walkin' 'round after they's dead; nor havin' their bodies desecrated in such a fashion. Perhaps she's lookin' out fer y'all?"

"I'm 'fraid I don't know too much 'bout death an' undeath; seems ya got four or five pilgrims with ya, who should know somethin' 'bout the subject. But if I was ta wager a guess, I'd s'pose some dastardly magic-user's behind it all ... but Dwarves don't usually go fer such nonsense."

After the Eladrin asks for a safe place, she says "Well, 'course ya can use the barn; it's as safe as anywheres else."

Straegis returns to the group, ready to begin the ritual; Vangg has already started copying the Cure Disease ritual.

OOC: I'll wait a few RL hours to see if anything else comes up during the eight IG hours it takes complete the ritual; if nothing does, I'll skip forward to the ritual's completion when I return.

Harley wrote:“…I'd s'pose some dastardly magic-user's behind it all ... but Dwarves don't usually go fer such nonsense."

“True the dwarves seldom wield arcane magic at all, let alone brook with Orcus and his lot. Even so we’ve bloodied our blades on their necromancers.
“Moradin’s people have held a reputation as an honest and stalwart folk through the ages. Greedy, yes, but for gold: Not for destruction of the Gods’ creation. Yet their plot for armageddon is what fated us to be here, now.”

Verity watches Harley fling the giant torso onto the pyre.

“Strange days.”

Hey Mal - what time is it before/after the ritual? Can we rest to regain surges and powers?

-Swift

Malazek wrote:OOC: I'll wait a few RL hours to see if anything else comes up during the eight IG hours it takes complete the ritual; if nothing does, I'll skip forward to the ritual's completion when I return.

OOC: Lost my internet connection last night; all of WoW's MI customers did (according to their phone message).

Verity wrote:color=red]“Even so we’ve bloodied our blades on their necromancers."[/color]

OOC: Technically, you haven't fought any necromancers, yet.

Swifthand wrote:Hey Mal - what time is it before/after the ritual? Can we rest to regain surges and powers?

Still morning; only a couple hours after you woke up. You may only take one extended rest per day AND it must be atleast 12 hours since the last extended rest. So, no, you cannot regain surges or dailies.

The heroes recuperate in Harley's Barn; Harley brings oatbread and applejuice for their respite. Vangg learns the "Cure Disease" ritual, though he's confident he could have cured this ailment the old fashioned way. Meanwhile, Straegis coats Aubrey's lifeless limbs with mystic salves and arcane ointments. When Aubrey's body is ready to be re-inhabited. , he begins to ritual.

The Brothers Rinh insist on particpating in the ritual, seeing as it's their forte (Vangg probably feels the same way, but he's preoccupied at the moment). Eight hours later, Aubrey wakes up; groggy, and looking the worse-for-wear.

Ten minutes after, everyone is cured of "the Rot."

OOC: Vangg takes 10 to make sure the ritual causes no Damage to his patients.

It is now later afternoon.

Straegis II: HP:96/96 AC:29 Fort:25 Ref:25 Will:22 Healing Surges:8/9 Action Points:0

Straegis thanks the brothers Rinh for their assistance and for letting him perform the ritual. "I know this is your area of expertise but I have just recently acquired many of these rituals. I am grateful for the opportunity to attempt it for the first time with such experienced 'helpers'." Straegis then excuses himself and steps outside to process all of the recent happenings.

O.o.C.: Straegis will spend one surge to return to full HP.

Verity wrote:“Even so we’ve bloodied our blades on their necromancers."

Mal wrote:OOC: Technically, you haven't fought any necromancers, yet.

OCC: Must have been another vision.

Verity fills a cup of apple juice for the resurrected mage.

"Praise the Queen for permitting your return! It appears your destiny is not yet fulfilled. It may be that you are to see our quest through to liberate the Great Rihn and reclaim our Temple, or Fate may have something entirely different in store for you. You must follow your own council in the matter. But know this: the dangers faced this morning shall not abade and will likely seem minor compared to the horrors to come."

He lets Aubrey contemplate for a moment before curiosity compells him to ask,

"Tell me, what did you see on the other side?"

Once he knows he asks the Companions,

"Our quest is most urgent. Still our victory this morn was a costly one. Perhaps an evening's respite is in order, assuming Harley's invitation stands?"

Weary of the pungent ritual incense he too steps out for air. He scans the hills before commenting to Straegis,

"Harley's got an oaisis of peace here in a world gone mad. May it grow to swallow the surrounding chaos, and soon.
"How far are the allied troops from the Cave Temple now, shall we send word of our progress? I wonder if the Horde is still giving the Dwarves hell, may Death guide their blades. Too I wonder what that Rakshasa merchant in the underdark has up his sleeve for our enemies..."

Once all that's settled Verity washes the blood from his armour's padding and polishes the scales, and his blade. After he takes Zephyr on a lazy walk around the cottage and grooms the charger.

Then he sermonizes to those gathered about the interweaving of Death in Nature. [Diplomacy: 36]

OCC: Mal, how far out ARE the Imperial troops from the Cave Temple?

"I agree with a respite. We should set close watch this night, lest the peace of Harley's stead suffer the fate of the Cave Temple."

-Swift

Swifthand wrote:"I agree with a respite. We should set close watch this night, lest the peace of Harley's stead suffer the fate of the Cave Temple."
-Swift

"I agree, tonight while we rest I will set up a few 'eyes' to help us keep watch. Any one want to give me a hand with this?" Straegis pulls his ritual book and begins assembling the necessary components to perform the ritual. He locates the best place to set up the eyes and pulls out a small ruby focus to use to increase the distance he can set the eyes. After about a half an hour, the ritual is complete. Straegis will designate his allies and Harley, as well as her keep, as nonintruders.

Arcana: 1d20=7+22=29(+any assists?)

O.o.C.: Arcana check results in 3 eyes of warning, all with darkvision. The eyes are nearly invisible and have a Stealth check of 35. Their perception check is the same as mine, +5. Straegis and the allies will locate the best place to center the ruby to give the best coverage. All eyes will need to be within 20 sq. of the ruby. Any ideas for placement will be a great help. I'll be gone all day, but will amend the post if necessary when I get back.

OOC: Halcyon called me to say that Verity asked Tully to place some traps in the area.

Taalgarnuk opts for less fiery traps, but does set up some snares and trip wires. If asked, he suggests that Straegis elevate his magical sentries, to account for any "fliers" that might slip past his traps (and if placed carefully, they could actually watch the ground and the sky simultaneously). Aubrey and the others help Straegis cast the ritual, and the place is secured as quickly as possible.

The heroes set camp in the barn. They hardly notice the rustle of sheep and goats outside; and Harley's dog patrols the perimeter of the yard. Harley herself is still awake, inside the cabin, when the party falls soundly asleep.

Most of the night passes without incident. Around midnight, one of the eyes sounds its alarm; and then quickly goes silent. Jumping to their feet, the heroes prepare for the worst; but danger never comes. Inspecting the situation outside, they find nothing out of place; the sheep and goats are meandering safely in the yard, and (after a moment) Harley passes the barn with a shovel hoisted over her shoulder. She nods to the heroes as if nothing unusual has occurred, and the heroes eventually resume their nightly slumber.

The rest of the night is uneventful.

The smell of burning wood and roasting flesh ushers in the morning. Emerging from the barn, the the heroes find new pyres burning away on the hillside. Harley steps out of her home and onto the porsh, and stretches her arms as she takes in the morning air.

"Mornin'"

"Morning."

Davin wakes, feeds and tends to the team and Hound, and then begins to help get breakfast ready.

"To the temple today, in force? I think it best to clear the necromancer before the troops arrive; any one of those undead will make mincemeat of an Imperial Soldier."

-Swift

Hoping someone will prepare a good breakfast before they go, Straegis gets out his maps and plots what seems to be the best course to the Cave Temple. If she has a minute to spare, he asks Harley for her input on the route he has selected. Before they leave, Straegis will collect the ruby focus.

Verity aids Straegis in picking a route by pointing out spots undead might hide along the way.
[Religion:19]
Then he packs up and makes ready to leave. As he does he ties a frozen whetstone to his belt.
When everyone's ready he says, "Much more than our lives at stake this day. Should we fail, scores of brave Imperial soldiers will fall to the walking dead. The Great Rihn would remain rotting in a Dwarven cage and his Temple remain only a memory.
"With so much at stake we'll fight to deliver true Death unto the last of those creatures or die in the trying. I think I speak for us all in that, and there's no bunch of lad's I'd rather have at my side for the battle. The Cave Temple's been held by the Queen's enemies for too long. Let's get it back! For the Great Rihn!"