Bristle was fairly pleased with their preparations for the night. Especially after they had found the cow skeleton. The changeling had brought all of the targets of her spell to the cow's location and bestowed Death's favor upon them. Their bones ignited as they were flooded with her deity's power, allowing her to loan just enough of their former selves from Death so that they may rise up again. For a while, at least. Everything was returned to Death in the end. Without exception.

Bristle had her five new burning skeletons stand guard just outside the temple. Close enough that they were within the ring of lights, but far enough that their burning bones would not light up the barricades.

When the things began to show, Bristle contemplated whether or not she should attempt to gain control over some of them. Especially the shadows. However, she decided it may antagonize them into attacking, so she did not. If they could survive the night without going to war, all the better. She did, however, gaze upon the more alive-looking critters outside with her Deathwatch glasses to determine if they were alive or dead. She even went so far as to cast Detect Thoughts to see if she could pick up on any mental activity.

Finally, when Arell and Hannah awoke, Bristle ordered her undead to remain exactly where they were until she ordered them to do otherwise. She then went to share all that she had learned and listen to what Arell had experienced. "I do not look forward to having similar dreams," Bristle admitted. "If either of you feel like you have experienced any mental drain, I do have one spell prepared that should be able to... reinvigorate, your mind. Otherwise I need to spend some time in prayer to request my nightly blessings." Bristle clutched the unholy symbol dangling from her neck. "And, unfortunately, get out of this armor."

---

Bristle can cast Lesser Restoration on Arell or Hannah if they need it. She is also removing her armor so she can sleep, after doing her nightly spell preparations. She is also casting Lay of the Land Upon herself before doing her spell prep, because why not.

This message was deleted by the player at 05:27, Sat 07 Mar 2020.

Hannah wakes with a gasp, choking and clawing for air, face a deep purple, as if from lack of oxygen. It takes her a couple of minutes of gasped breaths before she can speak.

"Walking in a forest, something eating me, laughing, screams, a pale redhaird woman, and drowning. I do not want another of this dreams."

Hester wakes. Not screaming but she too describes her dream. "I was hunting drow in the Darklands when all light went away. Happens sometimes but then I couldn't move my legs. I felt them and it seems I was trapped by a rockfall but then the rocks became snakes (I could feel their scales upon me) until instead they were slimy like intestines.  Then there was a woman's face above mine, looking down at me with sweet smiling lips, green eyes and red lips. Oh and she was pale, so very pale. She reminded me of me before I left home."

"I suppose she has come for her first visit, then. But what does it mean? She seems to play on your fears. But why use that to draw people to her?"

"If I had to take a guess, I'd call it terror tactics. I've seen people throw off magic through force of will before, so maybe she's trying to break down our will to fight before she makes her actual move. It's what I would do."

"Makes sense," Bristle said. "I am definitely not looking forward to getting shut-eye tonight." The cleric took a reluctant step toward the area she had claimed for herself, but then paused and turned back toward the others again.

"If any of my burning skeletons move, even just a step, wake me immediately." She then pulled off her spectacles and offered them to the ones taking the next shift. "And one of you can use these while I sleep if you want. They will help you tell the difference between undead Shadows and regular shadows. Just don't break them."

---

Her glasses give the wearer sight as if affected by the Deathwatch spell.

To the eyes of those wearing the glasses, most of the creatures are undead, but a few are living and healthy. Those who slept feel strangely...unrested. As though the sleep simply wasn't fulfilling, wasn't restful in the way that they needed.

Suddenly, as Bristle is moving for her bedroll, two of the shadows break from the darkness and move into the light. They resemble dark, spectral werewolves, humanoid forms with wolves' heads and claws. They are insubstantial, misty, the only solid-seeming parts their teeth and claws.

So sharp.

They say nothing, just move towards you.

OOC: Initiative, please. If you roll higher than a 16, you act now. Then shadows act, then all PCs, then shadows. We are using block rather than individual initiatives because I have found it better for PbP.

Arell hisses as the shadows cross the threshold, and draws his greatsword.

It's not an ornate piece, but it IS sharp, and well cared for.

OOC: Exactly 16 >__<

16:25, Today: Arell Kirkwood rolled 16 using 1d20.  Initiative.

Bristle had been keeping a keen eye on the situation for several hours now with no attacks from their enemies. She should not have been so surprised they had chosen her moment of distraction to strike. But she was.

---

16:53, Today: Bristle Chonk rolled 1 using 1d20-1.  Initiative.

Hannah, still shaken and disturbed by her strange dreams, is slow to react.

18:50, Today: Hannah rolled 11 using 1d20+4 ((7)).

As he woke to see the presumably undead things cross the threshold, Caleb swore loudly, swiping the sleep from his eyes as he brought his crossbow to bear, lingering drowsiness causing hesitation in his aiming.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
00:37, Today: Caleb Miller rolled 9 using 1d20+7.  Initiative.

---

Ralla woke up, not really feeling bad, but not fully rested. A dream, one might call a nightmare, but no more horrible than her life has been in time. Yet, her hunger for blood was stronger then ever before. Pushing back the hunger, she moved behind Arell for protection and readied a spell.

OOC: 22:48, Today: Ralla rolled 16 using 1d20+7.  Initiative.

Hester's initiative is 13.

The two shadows close in on the group, one slashing at Ralla with its ghostly claws, the other moving for Caleb. The spectres remaining outside the light's circle accelerate their swaying back and forth.

OOC: Attack on Ralla, 17 against incorporeal touch, 1 wisdom damage. Attack on Caleb, 12 on incorporeal touch, 4 wisdom damage. You're up.

Arell's sword falls like a guillotine blade on the shadow that DARE pass him up for someone under his protection.  He follows this strike with two brutal slashes that tear through the Shadow like fabric sheers.

At the rate he's going, it will probably be confetti by the time he's done with it.

Taking my turn now since I'm pretty sure I'm first in turn order.

Attack of Opportunity vs Shadow that attacked Ralla.

23:13, Today: Arell Kirkwood rolled 32 using 1d20+12.  Attack of Opportunity.  Nat 20.

23:14, Today: Arell Kirkwood rolled 19 using 1d20+12.  confirm crit.

forgot to include my weapon's +1 bonus (now added), along similar lines these things shouldn't be immune to a magic weapon, so unless they have a DC of 20 or higher...he gonna get it.

23:20, Today: Arell Kirkwood rolled 35 using 4d6+16.  Critical Damage.

Actual Turn Time
23:21, Today: Arell Kirkwood rolled 28 using 1d20+12.  Power Attack vs Shadow.

23:24, Today: Arell Kirkwood rolled 20 using 2d6+13.  Slashing Damage.


23:25, Today: Arell Kirkwood rolled 18 using 1d20+6.  2nd attack vs shadow.

23:26, Today: Arell Kirkwood rolled 13 using 2d6+7.  Slashing Damage.

Again 18 seems like a safe number to presume a hit. So therefore:

Shadow takes 68 damage if 18 hits, 37 if 18 misses.  35 of that damage occurs before it gets a chance to strike Ralla (possibly negating its attack entirely if I drop it)
This message was last edited by the player at 05:11, Mon 09 Mar 2020.

As the creature slashed at him, Caleb rolled away, now fully awake. With the adrenaline now well and truly thundering through his veins, he sprang to his feet and fired three shots in quick succession at the creature, his hands a blur as he reloaded his weapon with the well oiled movements of a drilled professional, though the snarl on his face gave away a fair bit of anger at being woken just as he had begun to drift off.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Burning grit to resolve Vs. touch AC. All attacks exceed 20, damage is thus; 16, 32, 16. All magical piercing damage from a +1 weapon. Grit point is regained for crit. Total grit remaining =3.

---

Arell and Caleb between them drop both shadows after only the one swipe at Ralla gets through. They dissipate silently and flow away into the night, leaving nothing behind at all.

The rest of the watchers, living and dead, stand still a moment, then go back to their slow swaying, showing no sign of intention to move into the semicircle of light.

Arell shakes the ichor from his sword, and pulls a rag from somewhere to ensure it was clean.

"Everyone alright?" he asks the general vicinity.


His eyes, however, remain on Ralla.

"I'm fine, I was too quick for it. Now, does anyone know what in the fresh hell I just shot?" Caleb says as he readies another bolt just in case anything else gets any funny ideas about coming to pick things back up.

"I don't know, but she does not mess around, does she? I think we need to send our companions to sleep, and keep careful watch. This is likely not over."

Hannah moves to take her spot in the middle watch, letting her Ioun Torch circle her head again.

By the time Bristle had wrapped her head around what was happening, the fight was already over. Which made the cleric feel a lot safer in their company, but also a bit embarrassed about her inability to assist. But at least she could share a bit of knowledge.

"I believe those were the shadow creatures mentioned in the journal we found. They are a type of undead. I am sorry I was not prepared to take control over them when they appeared. They caught me off guard. But it seems it was unneeded anyway."

"I guess I will go prepare my spells now, if our plan hasn't changed. But if we want to take the fight to them, I could have my skeletons start burning away the zombies outside. All they really have to do is stand next to their targets to start burning them away." The changeling woman shrugged non-committally, but waited to see what the others wanted to do.

Illix looked out at the creatures during his shift, with a mix of dread and intrigue as to what was making it all happen. Magic wasn't his area of expertise, instead preferring to understand what he can stab, and how to get around a dungeon safely.

Sat looking out at the light, he was happy to count down his shift until ready to sleep, a constant unease from them stood, watching.

By the time the shadows attacked during the mid-shift, and Illix awoke, it was over.

When Bristle admits they're a type of undead, Illix asks. "So now you know they are undead, can you do anything to them? Can you control them? As for burning the zombies, how do we know they won't simply turn to skeletons instead?"

"Sounds good to me", agrees Hester.  "I may have a tiny amount of magic against the undead if it helps?"

With that she produces a mage hand, apparently emerging from her armour rather than making any of the movements associated with a spell.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:49, Tue 10 Mar 2020.

"I should be able to take control of at least some of them," Bristle replied to Illix. "If I can get close enough. And if the zombies get charred enough to turn into skeletons, then they will be charred enough to fall apart in a stiff breeze. Sure, many zombies have a skeleton inside of them the same as you and I, but those are not the same as an animated skeleton."

Bristle retrieved her glasses from whoever currently had them, then went to stand where she could see outside of their barricade. "If nobody objects..." She let the sentence hang in the air, suggesting she would start trying to burn zombies if nobody objected.

---

Bristle will give everyone time to object to her attack and/or prepare themselves. Then, if nobody stops her, she will direct her skeletons to attack the nearest undead targets and avoid the living ones if possible. If any more shadows come close, she will attempt to channel energy to gain control over them.