Violet sees what lies ahead, and bids Arafarafarfa come with her to report back to the rest of her companions ... but the halfling has no intention of retreating, as intent as her big cat on what lurks in the alleyway ...

... and, as it transpires, those companions are more than keen to discover for themselves the source of those dreadful moans, for even as the young woman looks back, she sees them advancing through the fog towards her !

Caesius and Saeko lead the way, the Paladin reining in Hammer as he comes alongside Violet, turning his attention towards whatever so interests Arafarafarfa and Oooh'Awww, while Saeko, though closer, stares keenly into the fog.

Behind them come Qvar and Zertin, the Cleric offering up a prayer to Pelor while his brother holds a slender wand at the ready.

At the rear, Randal follows closely, knife now in his hand, as fearful of what might be concealed by the mists behind you as he is by the activity before.

Ahead, an overturned haycart blocks the crossroads, and two gore-streaked four-footed animals pad out from the left hand side of the cross street.  They seem like a cross between an overlarge rat and a wolf, though even that does not explain the extraordinary size of their toothy jaws.

On the opposite side of the street a shambling creature emerges bearing a dreadful wound to the head that looks as if it should have been fatal.  There is no sign of intelligence in its eyes, though its teeth constantly snap and bite.

All three turn in your direction ...

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

"Ware!" Caesius calls out, "Further evil lurks in the gloom!"

Drawing Razor, he urges Hammer towards the rat-like creatures.  "For Heironeous!"

Glancing behind, Qvar reassures Randal "This must be a terrible way for these villagers to live.  Don't be afraid, Randal, we're here now."  He keeps pace with the others, moving forward and peering into the mist of the ally beyond the big cat.

Ignored and warned off.  Given what Arafarafarfa has demonstrated thus far, Violet isn't terribly surprised by this reaction.  Nor upset, really; what she sees lurking in the alley is far more worrisome than some irritation from the warrior and her large cat.

Hell.  It's not a curse, that thought; it's a heavy acceptance of Violet's circumstances.  And on that note, she raises her bow.

Zertin stays alongside his brother as he moves forward with the rest of the group. Wand in hand ready to begin conducting as soon as the rest of the moaning choir is assembled. He spares a glance toward the narrow alleyway on the right that Oooh'Awww is wary of but he is primarily focussed on trying to work out what type of undead those ahead are.

OOC: Knowledge checks to determine what type of undead they are:
Zertin rolled 7 using 1d20+5.  Knowledge (religion) check - 1st type of undead.
Zertin rolled 25 using 1d20+5. Knowledge (religion) check - 2nd type of undead.

"Two behind the wagon," Saeko affirms and clarifies Caesius's broad declaration, drawing her swords and increasing her pace, striding towards the zombie.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:33, Tue 26 June 2018.

Hammer needs little urging to advance on the two beasts, Caesius expertly directing his steed alongside the pair as he swings his ancestral blade, hacking down one of them, though the other cowers away from his second thrust.

As Saeko moves purposefully forwards, Qvar and Violet both strive to take her place, but the young woman, is faster and looses an arrow into the gloom over the head of Arafarafarfa's big cat whose muscles bunch as he leaps forwards down the alleyway.   

Zertin's view of the alley is blocked, though the snarls and growls that come from the far end are somewhat disconcerting, so with wand in hand he turns his attention to those creatures he can see. 

Calmly Saeko rounds on the zombie, her flashing blade cutting deep into the creature's side with a powerful blow, though somewhat to her surprise it does not fall.

Arafarafarfa, meanwhile ... stands frozen in place.

As the remaining beast rounds on Caesius, rearing up on its back legs to bite and claw both the man and his mount, but both survive unscathed, protected by their armour.

In the alleyway, Oooh'Awww refuses to give up his grip upon the creature.

Even as Saeko prepares to defend herself, the other two zombies she had detected lurch out from behind the overturned cart, one staggering towards her, the other towards Caesius.  Swiftly Zertin dips the tip of his baton towards the first of them, sending a handful of glowing balls of mystical energy flying towards it, leaving it burned but still undeterred.

All three of the shambling creatures reach out to strike their prey.  Saeko manages to duck beneath their blows and avoids their touch, but the other strikes a solid blow on the paladin, though he manages to stay atop his mount.

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

Magic.

It's a curse, in Violet's mind.  And why not?  Magic is Satan's tool, a blight upon Gaia.  Magic is what dragged her here, to Hell, along with the others.  Magic has just been used by a demonic being to freeze - or worse - the tiny savage in her tracks, certainly against her will.  Frozen in the middle of swinging swords and demonic corpses?

She needs to get the warrior out of danger, at least until the sorcery binding her dissipates...if it ever does.

Thanking whatever pagan gods that watch over this motley group for the tiny woman's size, Violet leaps forward, bending low to swing an arm around Arafarafarfa's waist.  With a grunt, she lifts the frozen woman - bow still in her left hand - and heads directly for the broken door to their right, past the alley.

OOC - Violet will pick up the frozen Arafarafarfa and move to cover in that open building.  I checked with the GM for whether it's possible: yes.  Will it succeed?  That's another question.

Zertin focusses first on the three undead besieging Caesius and Saeko.

"Be still, you foul and rotten zombies!" he orders them, following up with an arcane incantation and much gesturing in their direction.

"That should hold them still for a little while, unless someone attacks them or damages them. I suggest you pick them off one at a time or finish off any other threats first," he tells the two front line fighters.

Then he steps forward a pace so he has a clearer line of sight down the alley where Oooh'Awww has got his teeth into another something nasty.

They're quick. Caesius realises, as he lifts Razor to strike at the second creature.  The blade falls once, twice, and the paladin pulls Hammer around in a tight turn...

Caesius' voice rises above the sounds of combat.

"The Righteous need fear no evil, for Heironeous guides their hands, that they might do battle in His name, and He shields them from harm!"

Qvar flashes a grin at his brother "That's the other reason I sent for you Zed, you really know how to stop a zombie in his tracks."  He steps up where Violet had stood and watches her carry Arafarafarfa to the broken doorway.  "Quick thinking, Violet." he beams at her.

Peering into the gloom of the alley he holds up the battered wooden Sun symbol and frowns at the creature grappling with Oooh'Awww.

Cursing whatever foul magics have ensnared Arafarafarfa, Violet stoops to grasp the Halfling, lifting her as a child as she quickly covers the few steps to the safety of the adjacent building, ducking through the open door to lower her burden to the ground.

Her actions did not go unnoticed ... Oooh'Awww's head lifting to regard the young woman with narrowed eyes ... but it seems the big cat trusts Violet, for it makes no move to prevent her.  Indeed, the low growl in the beast's throat might be taken as approval.

Zertin now steps forwards, ordering the shambling creatures to be still, his words given effect by the arcane power he wields.  All three of the zombies become quiescent, arms hanging loosely at their sides, slowly swaying.

Even as the spell begins to take effect, Caesius is in motion, his sword intercepting the rabid creature as it leaps forward once more, his second blow cutting it down.  The Paladin wheels his horse around, praising Heironeous.

Qvar looks around approvingly before stepping in front of his brother to brandish the symbol of his god at the cadaverous creature at the end of the alleyway, the holy light of the sun suffusing it and destroying it utterly.

Easing back a pace, Saeko regards the two nearest zombies to ensure that they are as helpless as Zertin suggests ... then with a small nod she raises her twin swords, concentrating her attacks on the nearest, her slashing blades bringing it down, though from the silent shake of her head you can tell it was a surprisingly close thing.

Spitting, as if to clear a bad taste from his mouth, Oooh'Awww stalks to the mouth of the alleyway and looks around, his nose sniffing the air, while Randal peers into the mists-shrouded streets behind him, with much less confidence than the big cat. 

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

The appearance of the undying triggers Violet into shocked, violent motion.  Even as debris cascades off the decaying body clambering from the broken remains of the boxes, she tears her shortblade from its scabbard, dropping her bow in favour of the alley-range weapon.  "Here!" the young woman cries, to garner the attention of both her compatriots and the loathsome corpse.

Then she leaps onto the vile thing, stabbing again and again with her shortblade in the hope of spearing through something vital.  But fear saps her strength and skill...

OOC - Attacking the zombie.  Attack roll: 13.  Damage roll: 4.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:46, Mon 16 July 2018.

Looking directly at the nearest zombie, Caesius raises Razor over his head, to point at the sky.  He releases the reins with his left hand, trusting Hammer to hold steady for at least a handful of heartbeats, and grasps the holy symbol around his neck.

"In the name of Heironeous, I command that you begone!"

Hearing Violet's shout Zertin steps forward a pace or two so he can see what she is fighting inside the room. He waves his slender baton with a flourish then points it at her foe and sends a rapid stream of five tiny, glowing, orange balls of light streaking past Violet's head to strike the undead creature before it can hit her or Arafarafarfa.

Then he glances behind and offers a helpful suggestion to their guide.

"Keep up, Randal. Stay close, don't lag behind. In this place the old adage of safety in numbers seems most apt!"

OOC: Zertin rolled 24 using 5d4+5.  Wand of magic missiles.

Qvar glances up and down the street then stands at the doorway and peers into the room.  "I can release you from this spell, if you would allow?" he offers Arafarafarfa, but mindful not to alarm the big cat prowling nearby.

Figuring to draw the undead's attention to herself, Violet presses forward, swinging her sword at the creature as it struggles to get clear of the debris, though by ill-chance her blow is deflected by a broken plank that the zombie throws aside.

But the young woman's cry has alerted her companions without, as she hoped, and Zertin looses a volley of balls of pure magical energy from his wand that fly through the open doorway to impact upon the animated corpse, burning it badly.  As Randal closes the distance to ward the mage's back, Qvar moves towards the building, but is all but bundled out of the way by Oooh'Awww as the big cat dives inside to stand over his friend's paralysed body, lunging at the creature and fastening his jaws upon its shoulder, his raking claws clattering on the same detritus which frustrated Violet's blade.

Following close behind, the priest of Pelor gains the door, offering his aid to the fallen Halfling ... who miraculously responds, though with a guttural but thankfully incomprehensible diatribe, as from the floor she swings her blade at the undead's legs, cutting it badly.

Though now very much the worse for wear, whatever unholy spark moves this creature still drives it on, swinging its fist at Violet, though the big cat's hold prevents it from reaching her.

Without, Caesius summons the might of Hieroneous to rout the zombie frozen before him. In the face of the manifest power of good, the creature's form visibly blisters and burns, though to the Paladin's surprise it does not falter, even as it rouses from Zertin's spell.  Seeing this, Saeko hurriedly rounds the cart to bring her own blade into play, mindful of the wizrard's earlier injunction.  Once more her sword strikes with unerring accuracy, and though both horse and overturned cart hamper her so she cannot get full force behind the blow, it is still a good one, though yet again, the creature seems little bothered by this new assault.

Lashing out at the source of divine goodness, the creature's fist slams into Caesius, bludgeoning the Paladin, though his armour absorbs much of the impact.

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

Qvar stands in the doorway, smiling his pleasure at seeing Arafarafarfa fully recovered and wreaking havoc on her foe.  From there he can see all three of the remaining zombies.  He raises the sun symbol again "By the power of the Sun."  He frowns at the unattended zombie east of the cart, ready to remedy its wrongness should it seek to flee.

Zertin moves forward to the corner of the building on his left where he will be able to see down all four arms of this crossroads. He still has his wand in hand but will see what he can see in each direction before deciding exactly what he should do this round.

Surprised by the failure of his enemy to flee, and almost unseated by the force of the creature's blow, Caesius grasps the reins again, one handed, and quickly regains his balance.

Razor slashes once!  Twice!  And the knight laughs mirthlessly as he fights the undead horror.

"Carrion filth!  You lack the power to truly harm me!"

With the small savage now in motion and her big cat chewing on the undying corpse, Violet figures it's a good time to get out of harm's way; for all she knows, these things pass on their curse to those they strike down.  Ducking away from the flailing arms, she scrabbles backward, hunting for her bow.

This sort of conflict really isn't her forte.

...actually, ANY sort of conflict isn't her forte, but she's more competent at a distance.  And safer.

OOC - Going defensive (-4 attack, +2 dodge bonus to AC) and taking my 5' step to back up, will use action to pick up bow, TYVM. 

"These are remarkably durable," Saeko notes, her voice calm, contributing a flurry of slices with her own blades to Caesius's efforts.

With a beatific smile Qvar once more holds high the symbol of his god, calling on the power of the sun.  And for a second time the power of his faith shines forth, smiting the terrible undead.

Even as Violet warily retreats, her sword held before her as she scoops up her bow, the zombie that stretches out its hand toward her is consumed by the divine light, falling from Oooh'Awww's jaws as the big cat drops it, shaking his head and spitting as if to clear a foul taste from his mouth.  Arafarafarfa leaps to her feet, though at the moment her only concern is to comfort her friend.

So too both of the creatures behind the overturned cart are affected, but though their rotted flesh blisters before the assault, they still stand firm.

Wand in hand, Zertin hurries forward to the middle of the intersection, Randal at his heels. 

Laughing in the face of danger, Caesius steadies himself before renewing his attack, hacking at the zombie before him.  Saeko too presses forwards with flashing blades, bringing the creature down with her first blow, before dancing nimbly to her left to intercept the remaining zombie which lurches towards her, her first pass cutting its ruined flesh, though the second misses if barely.

But Qvar is already striding forwards, calling out reproachfully, hand raised in condemnation, causing the creature to shake and tremble ... then fly backwards as if struck by an invisible hand, lying unmoving on the cobbles, the foul spirit that spurred the corpse on now vanquished.

The battle is won.

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:17, Sun 05 Aug 2018.

"These walking corpses are much stronger than the types usually dragged up by necromancers."  Qvar looks pointedly at his brother.  "Ones like these were among those that attacked my church at Glanquin last month Zed, but I had never heard of such a thing before then.  I wonder what drives them so?"  He looks to Violet and Arafarafarfa as they've been living longest in this sunless land.

After a quick scan of the area, Caesius sheaths his blade and pats Hammer on the side of the neck.

Qvar's question begs an answer.  "My guess would be that whatever evil the Burgomaster spoke of is also responsible for these foul creatures.  In which case, it is well that he sent for us, that we might put a stop to it.  A creature that can summon the likes of this filth should not be permitted to walk the world.  If we find the source, we will, doubtless, find what means he uses to drive them, and why."

Another look about, and a head count.  "Are we all whole?"