Vaddis goes to the door and opens it.

Selvin did a double-take as Vaddis, who had wanted to go and he though through the windows, now move to the front door. Selvin bounded after him and stood behind and to the side as Vaddis opened the door.

Updated map

As you get closer to the front door Vaddis  you see speckles of blood on the porch and door itself. The handle is covered as well, as if some bloody handed fool had taken a hold of it.

The door swings easily inward. You are staring down a short hallway into a large foyer. There are doors to your right and left leading into the two rooms you saw before.

The foyer was once probably an elegantly decorated room. Large, open, breezy. There are a number of fine paintings on the walls as well as a few small statues. The floor is made of polished tile that almost gleams. Or would if it weren't for the gore.

It's hard to tell how many are dead because of the dancers. Though the twelve or fourteen you see definitely appear dead themselves. So there are at least that many. Their fine clothes are torn and their pretty faces slashed and bruised. The dancers move gracelessly around the foyer, dancing to music that isn't there. Sometimes they stumble as they trip on a body laying on the floor. Othertimes they just stomp on it.

They ignore you as you stand in the doorway.

---

---

"That," whispered Tarrov through his mystical link with the others, "is really strange."  He had come up behind Vaddis and Selvin as they stood in the doorway.  He looked pained at the sight of the dancers; among all the strangeness he had encountered lately, he had never imagined that the violence would spread to his own community of entertainers.  "What is going on here?  That is definitely not natural behavior."  He indicated the marionette-like figures moving about the room.  "Are they compelled, or controlled, or what?"

---

---

"They are dead." Vaddis replied via the 'message'.

The dancers continue to shamble through a waltz. They show no signs of interest in you.

"Is someone there?" You can't see the woman who has called out to you. It sounds like she is further inside. Perhaps on the staircase inside the foyer but out of view. "Are you from the Girl's Youth Brigade? Selling cookies maybe? Because I would just die for a honey lemon wafer right about now." She giggles. "There's been alotta that goin' around tonight. So anyhooo...why don'tcha come on in? We'll make some fuuuuuddddgeeeee"

Selvin watched the dancers and shook his head. Then the girl's voice called out to them and giggled. Selvin had a disturbed look on his face. "Okay. She sounds creepy."

Nevertheless he moved in and towards the voice.

Vaddis follows, detecting evil!

---

---

Tarrov gave Selvin a disheartened shrug.  "I think creepy is our best-case scenario right now," he said as he followed the others towards the voice.

---

---

While Izzick kept his eyes on the entry way, he couldn't help but hear the sudden whispers of his companions about the going ons behind him. He only needed a peek down the hall before he seemed as surprised and shocked as the rest. Through the message spell, he sent "Should I head in with you? Everything out here seems clear." He wondered what was going on, but no matter what, he figured his talents might be more helpful inside than out at this point.

You come to the archway into the foyer. The dancers seem to ignore you as they continue to whirl. To your right are the stairs leading to the upper floor.

Perched on the railing above, on a mezzanine above, is a woman. Her large elongated ears give her away as an elf. Nothing else about her seems at all of this world. She has dressed herself as a harlequin, complete with red and black checkered robes, a pointed hat with small bells on the end, and shoes that end in curly que toes. The bottoms of those shoes are caked in gore. Her gloves are covered in crusted blood. And she holds two eyeballs in one hand, juggling them between her fingers the way some people slip coins between the knuckles of one hand.

She screams evil. Not that you probably needed a sixth sense to make that out.

"Creepy?"  She cocks an eyebrow in mock surprise. "I was goin' for a whole more psychotic vibe. 'Creepy' are old guys with too much nose hair. But enough about my love life. Look!" She holds up the eyeballs in front of her own and scans you wth them. "I SEE DEAD PEOPLE!"

She tosses the eyeballs away. They fall down to the floor of the foyer and splurt like two grapes. "Le's see here...we got a pretty boy...a lunk head wearin' holy lookin' stuff...an orc mutt... " She frowns at Selvin. "...whatever tha hell you are. A house fulla zombies. The toy surprise Rolfie boy left me. And me. Your ravishing hostess this evening. It's my seventh birthday all over again. ATTENTION MY WARRIORS! KIIIIIIILLLLLLLLL THEEEEEEEMMM!!!"

She holds up one hand over her mouth and giggles. "I've kinda always wanted ta say that..."

The dancers are obviously turning to attack. Seven of them at the moment. She is on the floor above you, so ranged attacks or such against her. Her location is at the top of the stairs and one floor up.

The zombies got a 10 init. You guys roll init and attack. Or what have you.

---

---

"Aren't elves supposed to be good?"  Tarrov complained as he thrust out his hand, fingers splayed, and uttered an arcane command.  Immediately the floor beneath the four closest dancers was covered with a slick grease, causing them to start slipping and sliding . . . .

OOC:  21:49, Today: Tarrov Garrick rolled 21 using 1d20+1. Initiative.

Standard Action:  Cast Grease.

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This message was last edited by the player at 05:56, Mon 29 Dec 2014.

08:09, Today: Vaddis Sonaden rolled 19 using 1d20. Initiative.

A mutt? Izzick certainly didn't appreciate the term, but he didn't respond either. Calling her a psychopath when she herself already had seemed like useless back in forth when there were far more pressing matters. "Are they dead?" he asked about the dancers to his allies, "Or just controlled?" He wasn't sure how he felt about murdering innocents if some of them were simply being puppeteered. As he grabbed  for his crossbow, he took aim for the harlequin - better the master than the slave.

08:37, Today: Izzick rolled 16 using 1d20+6. Initiatiative

Crossbow attack:
08:38, Today: Izzick rolled 22 using 1d20+6. Attack.
08:39, Today: Izzick rolled 8 using 1d8. Damage

Selvin tilted his head at the clearly-crazy woman as she rambled on. "I'm a half-elf, crazy girl." He tried to figure out what he could from her speech but then got distracted by the dancers coming towards them. He let out a growl and charged one of the dancers, not the ones with the grease under them, trying to keep part of the attackers focused on him.


AC: 21. Initiative 18. Attacks: 24 (damage 10), 12 (damage 11 if that hits), and 23 (damage 9). 10 misses for sure.

09:59, Today: Selvin Larst rolled 18 using 1d20+3. Initiative.
10:02, Today: Selvin Larst rolled 24,12,10,23 using d20+7,d20+7,d20+7,d20+7. Power attack charge pounce on 1 or 2 dancers.
10:03, Today: Selvin Larst rolled 10,9,11 using d6+7,d6+7,d6+7. Damage for the 24 and 23, and 12 just in case.

Vaddis, you can go ahead and act. Izzick, they are dead. No need to hold back.

Three of the zombies stumble and fall under Tarrov's slip and slide. The fourth manages to stay up, mostly by shambling over the backs of it's fallen comrades. Another comes to pieces under Selvin's claw and tail. The other two move forward as well.

"Hey now! You could poke an eye out with that thing!" In a moment, Crazy Girl's prediction almost comes true as  Izzick's bolt slams into her shoulder. Her mouth contorts in a snarl as she reflexively grabs the bolt sticking out of her. "SCRUUUUUMMPPPPPERS!!!" she hollers for some reason. Likes to yell, this one does.

There is a sound from the back of the mansion. Something large seems to be moving.

---

---

Tarrov stepped back from the zombies and began to recite an impromptu song to inspire his friends.

Performers can get in a rut.
As these ones here seem to have.  But
All these dancers?  Mostly dead.
Have you heard what the wise men said?
You shouldn't bring the fallen back
It shows that you're on the wrong track
An indication you've gone bad
Now that you have?  We're kind of mad!

OOC:

Standard Action - Inspire Courage

All party members get +2 "to hit" and +2 damage.

---

---

Vaddis steps to the nearest zombie and slices it hard with his sword.


09:02, Today: Vaddis Sonaden rolled 27 using 1d20+11. longsword attack.
09:02, Today: Vaddis Sonaden rolled 10 using 1d8+5. longsword damage.

Selvin didn't like the sound of her screaming and something seemingly answering her by coming this way. He attacked another dancer or two, attempting to help cut them down before whatever it was that was coming got there.

Full Attack (hit AC 14 for 11 damage, AC 25 for 12 damage and critical hit for 25 damage!!!).

09:00, Today: Selvin Larst rolled 14,8,27,25 using d20+7,d20+7,d20+7,d20+7. Power-Attacking Dancers.
16:58, Today: Selvin Larst rolled 27 using 1d20+7. Crit confirm.
09:00, Today: Selvin Larst rolled 11,12,13 using d6+9,d6+9,d6+9. Damage on dancers (not sure if 14 hits).
16:59, Today: Selvin Larst rolled 12 using 1d6+9. Critical damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:01, Wed 31 Dec 2014.

Izzick's crossbow took aim, "Scream all you want lady. Scrumpers smumpers." With another bolt locked and loaded, he fired off yet another round at the controller of the undead minions. He'd leave the undead dancers to his companions. The song seemed to bring a grin, bringing Izzick to focus his aim to make for a very well aimed shot.

16:57, Today: Izzick rolled 19 using 1d20+8. Crossbow attack.
16:57, Today: Izzick rolled 6 using 1d8+2. damage.

(Forgot to include the bonus so threw those on to my rolls which were originally 17 and 4)

Three zombies fall apart under Selvin and Vaddis'  attacks. The others still in the room are sliding in Tarrov's slick.

"OH C'MON!" Ms. Yelley screams as the second of Izzick's  bolts strike her.

Celebration is short lived though. The double doors to the east come open. A fresh pack of shambling, dead party guests comes billowing out. But that pales in comparrison to what walks out of the archway to the north. It is huge. A man at first glance well over seven feet tall. He is thick limbed and broad chested. His skin is leathery and reddish of hue. And his head is that of a bull.

But wait! There's more!

It's obvious he has been dead some small while. His neck is twosted at an odd angle. And there is a large gash in his side his guts should have leaked out of a while ago. Perhaps it is from this hole the awful stench emenates from. Because even across the room he smells like a mound of fish left four days in the sun before being doused with buckets of vomit. In other words, Scrumpers stinks. Bad.

"Now," she says, pulling a small flask from a pocket in her costume. "We can party."

The Grease spell occupies the west side of the room. So pproaches to Scrumpers, the new zombies (there are five more coming in), and the stairwell are clear. Everyone make me a Fort. save DC15. Fail it and you are sickened from Scrumpers' odor for 3 rds. I'm still on init 10. Please take your actions. Thanks.

03:18, Today: Vaddis Sonaden rolled 27 using 1d20+9. Fort save.

Selvin grinned at the victory but then as the double doors opened he realized it was a minor victory and let out a small groan. He fought down a gag reflex as the smell of the new 'thing' hit him and tried to overwhelm him. Nevertheless, he charged towards the very large minotaur man and lashed out with the teeth, claws and tail stinger of his eidolon.

Made Fort save.
Charge-pounce on Scrumpers. Hit AC 20 for 12 damage, AC 23 for 12 damage, AC 17 for 11 damage and AC 16 for 14 damage. The attacks are considered 'magical' for DR.
Selvin is at AC 19 for this round due to charging.

07:38, Today: Selvin Larst rolled 25 using 1d20+6. Fortitude save.
07:43, Today: Selvin Larst rolled 20,23,17,16 using d20+9,d20+9,d20+9,d20+9. Charging pounce powerattack on minotaur.
07:44, Today: Selvin Larst rolled 12,12,11,14 using d6+9,d6+9,d6+9,d6+9. Damage for attacks if they hit (in order).

---

---

Tarrov retched from the overwhelmingly bad odors.  He's smelled some pretty bad things in his time, but nothing quite like this.  Still, he managed to throw his hand out and utter the word of power summoning yet more of the greasy substance that coated the floor . . .

OOC:

Standard Action:  Cast Grease on Crumples and any nearby zombies.

00:35, Today: Tarrov Garrick rolled 8 using 1d20+1. Fortitude Save.

Failed Save.  Sickened for 1st of 3 turns.

---

---

13:45, Today: Izzick rolled 6 using 1d20+1. Fort.

The odors of the monster covered even the elegant smells of Izzick's own cologne. He gagged and reeled from it. Still, through it all, he managed to recite an incantation, creating a beam of pure flame to burn the gigantic Scrumper.

Casting Scorching Ray
13:48, Today: Izzick rolled 15 using 1d20+6. Ranged Touch Attack
13:49, Today: Izzick rolled 15 using 4d6. Damage.