The orc can be heard giving an unpleasant snort. A few benches can be heard scooting around a bit, and a short moment later Wrukaog has lowered himself down the rope relatively effortlessly.

Once down, he takes in the visage of the old man, but saying nothing to or about him.

Speaking to nobody in particular after turning away from the old man and toward the apparent direction to head, "I will will watch the backside of the parade, then. Do your best not to lead us into anything stupid."

Leisha's mouth opens, draws in a breath, stays open for a moment, and then closes, leaving behind only a smile.

She turns briefly back to Holomir, offering a friendly wave.  "Thank you again, hope to see you on our way out," she says, optimistically.

Brindle was obviously guilty of the minor traffic offence of following too closely, as he banged head first into Tesseryn's armoured derriere when the paladin halted suddenly at the door. Brindle shook his head to clear it and rubbed his forehead to sooth the dull ache the impact had caused.

He glares back at Wrukaog.

"You knew that was going to happen, didn't you? I hate fortune-tellers whose prophesies are so obscure you only understand their prediction after it has come true!"

He sniffs and turns back to follow Tesseryn through the door, already wishing he wasn't standing quite so close behind the paladin when he took that theatrical sniff of indignation!

Roses.

Wrukaog's words strike a chord with Tesseryn.  Nothing worthwhile is gained by stupidity.  He takes a steadying breath, then gestures with a glowing arm for the halflings to precede him, that they may proceed with caution and use their talents to avert whatever calamity he may have stumbled into in his haste.  He falls into line behind them, locking his sword in hand as he waits.

Aurion joins the parade, somewhere in the middle...

The orc responds to the halfling. [Language unknown: "U she ticwasearentredanywer les mell ted ar."] From his tone, and deadpan manner, it would be very easy to believe his remark.

He holds his two-handed greataxe at his side, hand high on the haft at its center of gravity, and with his other hand pulls a javelin from between his pack and back to keep at the ready.

Though all are keen to race off and confront the unfathomable evil of the Dark Tower, Leisha, sounds the sole voice of reason when she suggests that Wrukaog and his axe might provide some much needed assistance with that.

It is Tesseryn with glowing cheeks that calls up to invite Wrukaog down ... a feat which the big Orc accomplishes with but a minimum of fuss and furniture removal. 

The smile that lit upon Holomir's face as he beheld your eagerness wavers somewhat in the face of Wrukaog ... but after only a moment of stern consideration his eyes widen in surprise and he nods respectfully towards him.

With goodbyes spoken, the Halflings move to the fore, backed by Tesseryn, the Orc at the rear of the group and Leisha and  Aurion fair to middling.  And so you advance ...

The pebble in Brindle's hand reveals a small chamber of rough stone as pass through the door, moving forwards carefully towards the sound of distant crunching noises that set nearly everyone's teeth on edge.  You follow the curve of the wall, the earth beneath your feet masking your footfalls down a short tunnel that opens into a larger cave.  The lifesize statue of Mitra fashioned from solid silver ... the fallen jars from which spill hundreds, perhaps thousands of copper pieces ... all of these you merely gloss over as your eyes fall upon the five hunched and gaunt figures that seem to be feeding upon the corpses of the acolytes who fled this way. 

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

"The unholy are near." Tesseryn announces as his greatsword lights with flickering golden flames.  He steps forward 10' past the halflings and holds forth his holy symbol, the scales of justice that hang about his neck.  "In the name of Dauros I condemn thee!"

OOC: dice roller is on the side of the undead.  This turning attempt may fail given ghouls have +2 turn resistance...
This message was last edited by the player at 09:46, Sun 08 May 2016.

Uncertain that creatures that kill and feed on evil folks are necessarily a bad thing, Aurion holds off on expending his eldrich energies for the nonce, but he does step out of the way should the Orc wish to rush by him...

Cogwitz saw the dead looking things eating the flesh of the acolytes that had just run this way.  He wasn't quite sure what they were at first so he stepped aside for the bigger folk and studied the things while pulling his weapons out of their sheaths.

16:30, Today: Cogwitz rolled 19 using 1d20+13.  knowledge religion check

Brindle had no hesitation in identifying flesh-eating undead as the enemies of all living beings and responded accordingly. He immediately spoke an incantation and pointed at the undead 10 feet in front of him. A fiery bolt shot from his fingertip to strike the closest undead creature.
Then he quickly stepped back to let the paladin step forward.

Ooc: casts Kelgore's fire bolt
Rolled 15 to hit with ranged touch attack and 16 up damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:18, Wed 11 May 2016.

Tesseryn does his best, bravely stepping forward to present the symbol of his god and in Dauros' name damning the undead in no uncertain terms ... but though the creatures quail away it is but a momentary thing and they turn, shuffling towards the paladin, their glowing eyes fixed surely upon him.

Aurion, Cogwitz and Brindle all take one step back, though Brindle pauses for a moment to unleash a fiery bolt at the closest ghoul which falls to the ground, engulfed in flames, twitching for but a short time before the fires consume it and it is still. 

The rest of the creatures do not heed this warning, throwing themselves forward to bite and claw at Tesseryn, though the Paladin's faith sustains him, their attacks striking uselessly against his brightly shining plate armour.

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

Leisha resists the urge to join in all the stepping forward and backward, choosing to stay right where she is.

"Beware, Master Brightsoul, I am about to make the footing in front of you quite slippery."

He trusts that the creatures do not comprehend Common, but their was little they could do about it if they did.

Reaching into his pouch, he tosses a stick of butter onto the ground under the Paladins foes feet, while muttering words not meant for mortal ear.

Cogwitz having seen these creatures once before knew exactly what they were capable of.  Be ware of their attack it can paralyze you leaving you vulnerable.

Having said his warning Cogwitz then begins his own prayer for protection.

Cast protection from evil.

Tesseryn grimaces as the ghouls advance and gnash their teeth at him but is heartened to see one fall to Brindle's flame.  Aurion's warning has him scanning the ground before him and planting his feet firmly "Then I shall neither advance nor give ground, Master Moonbeak."  And to Cogwitz warning he replies "Indeed.  I shall endeavour to let none pass."  He swings his greatsword at the solitary ghoul to his right.

Brindle takes a moment to study the situation, sees one ghoul dispatched (hopefully) by Tesseryn's blade and others destabilised by Aurion's conjuration, so he levels his wand at whichever is least disadvantaged by those attacks and speaks a word that will be incomprehensible to most of his companions.

[Language unknown: "Areund'oveate!"]

Four little orange balls of light streak from the wand and slam into one of the ghouls. (On Tesseryn's left, not on the greased patch, or whichever seems the greatest threat to Tesseryn at the moment.)

OOC: Brindle rolled 11 using 4d4+4.  Magic missiles at a ghoul.

While Leisha silently observes the almost balletic movement of her companions, Cogwitz calls out a warning and hurriedly offers up a prayer to his deity.

Aurion, however offers more practical assistance in the form of a series of arcane gestures and words that cause the area in front of Tesseryn to glisten as they become slick with a layer of slippery grease.

Acknowledging both Elf and Halfling, the Paladin makes sure of his footing and carefully positions his blade before lashing out with a mighty blow that strikes the ghoul creeping up behind him, chopping the creature in half !

Watching all this carefully, Brindle renews his assault, this time switching to his wand and targeting the furthermost of the ghouls with a barrage of mystical spheres that leave it badly burned and hissing in pain.

With a snort at all the gesturing, Wrukaog pushes his way through the crowd to stand shoulder to shoulder with Tesseryn (though truth be told, the Orc tops the Paladin by several inches), bringing his own great axe to bear, though with its unsteady footing, his chosen victim slips and slides around, causing the blow to miss, the ground fairly shaking as the axe head crashes into the rock.

The wounded ghoul draws close and the two standing in the slippery area that Aurion created somehow manage to retain their footing as all three of the remaining creatures attack the Paladin !

Claws slash and teeth bite, only to be deflected by Tesseryn's platemail for the most part, but one of the horrid creatures latches on to the Paladin arm, its teeth somehow finding a gap in his seeming impenetrable armour to penetrate the flesh beneath the metal shell ! 

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

Brindle wrinkles his nose at the stench of the undead and points his wand again at the same ghoul, repeating the command word again to send another set of 4 missiles hurtling toward that ghoul. [Language unknown:  "Outsonnceest!"]

OOC: Brindle rolled 13 using 4d4+4.  Magic missiles at a ghoul.

Cogwitz couldn't just sit back and let the others fight his battles.  Brindle was casting globes of magic at the undead things and Cogwitz had to join.  He moved along the right side of the battle and tumbled into position so that he could get flanking with Tessryn.  He then struck out with one of his kukri's.

The strike hits the ghoul, but doesn't cause a lot of damage. 3 damage
18:30, Today: Cogwitz rolled 3 using d3+d6.  damage.
18:27, Today: Cogwitz rolled 17 using 1d20+10.  attack.
18:22, Today: Cogwitz rolled 32 using 1d20+15.  tumble.

With a flick of his wrist and a short incantation, Aurion fires a reay of bright warm light at the beast who has latched it's teeth into the Paladin.

OOC: sorry I'm late, been busy.

Tesseryn grimaces as the Ghoul's foul teeth bite into his arm and the paralysis poison sinks in.  His spine stiffens as memories rise unbidden of the last time he was surrounded by the undead ... the horror ... the shame.  Is he destined once again to die fighting side-by-side with companions sworn to a sacred yet doomed quest?  Then an axe shakes the ground nearby and Cogwitz appears as foes are scorched with magic.  Tesseryn shakes off memories and paralysis and wields his sword a measured stroke which smites in two another ghoul, the one in the middle, leaving foes already wounded to be picked off by comrades in arms.

With grim determination, Brindle looses another barrage of glowing missiles against the ghoul who suffered his attentions earlier ... and this time is rewarded as the foul creature succumbs to the blast.

Aurion too makes use of his magical talents, sending a ray of bright light arcing towards another of the foe, though his spell fails to hit its target as the ghoul's feet slide out from under it, sending it crashing to the ground. 

Bravely, Cogwitz rushes forwards, ducking and diving as he rolls into position on the far side of the undead, rising to his feet despite the slick surface to plunge his dagger into the back of the nearest.

Roused by his companion's efforts, Tesseryn shakes off the poison of the ghoul's bite to bring his sword about to dissect another of the creatures, his blade once more proving a powerful weapon against such evil.

Not to be outdone, and growling fair to still the blood in the veins of any foe that was not already past such mortal concerns, Wrukaog lifts his mighty axe once more, this time wielding it with far more accuracy, if no less vim and vigor, the blade crushing rather than cutting through the torso of the last of the undead, sending it back to whatever hell spawned it. 

Victory is yours !

The floor of the cavern is littered with corpses - five ghouls and four acolytes - though the silver statue of Mitra and the spilled jars of coin have suffered not at all in the course of the battle.

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

Glad to see the issue resolved so quickly, Aurion ignores the bodies and the booty to examine the room more closely.

Given the nature of their quest, he was unlikely to risk looting the temple, the others could do as they wished.

As Wrukaog finishes off the last of the ghouls Cogwitz celebrates with a soft Yes!  Way to go everyone.  Now I meant to say earlier before the ghouls came at us that there is a secret door at the southern end of the room.  I am not above gathering the spoils in the room, but I think it could wait to we come out.