The lance of arcane energy that Malivoire summons forth strikes the lead zombie, blasting the creature’s head from its shoulders. The headless body twists sideways and collapses into a rotten heap.

Gwendolyn’s arrow finds the next of the undead. Seconds later, the monster is simultaneously struck by fierce blows from Dax and Ishmael which cut the walking corpse down, the lifeless husk crushed by the strength of the attacks.

Barnabus’ swing lands with a meaty thud, the blow knocking the zombie’s head to one side, leaving it leaning at a disturbing angle. The monster remains upright however, and despite also being harassed by Grugar, it surges toward Dax, flailing at the ranger with its claws. The talons catch his shoulder, but inflict only a meager scratch.

18:58, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 15 using 1d20.  Attack - Undead.

18:59, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 1 using 1d6.  Damage.

Only one of the undead remain. It has an armor class of 8.

It is the party’s turn to act.

"More filth from its claws," Dax whines as he swings his greatsword at the last zombie and hits solidly.

---

Dax Moonblade rolled 13, hitting AC 6 for 9 damage.

Sir Dryvyk was one of the prides of the diminished hold of Drakeholm. Beloved by the clergy, his family and the peasantry, with whom he often associated sincerely and genuinely. As a child he would sneak away from the snoring of his tutor and join the farm kids in playing a game of "Punt The Rooster". Granted, the farmers did not like any of their livestock to be mistreated, even the meanest of roosters, but it was a great passtime when they were away in the fields.

Dax had waded into the remaining foe with a savagery the young knight greatly praised. "Ho! Right there Dax!" The head of the creeping undead was, in that moment, found to be in a perfect position for "Punting the Rooster". Perhaps it was amusing to see the customarily resolute knight so excited to end an enemy...


Punting The Rooster: Sir Dryvyk of Drakeholme rolled 17 to hit AC2, for 5 punting damage...

Barnabus once again lends his cudgel to the killing frenzy.

Barnabus hits for 8 dmg
11:47, Today: Barnabus rolled 14,8 using d20+4,d6+4.  More cudgel.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:49, Fri 01 Apr 2022.

With his companions apparently connecting with vigor, Malivoire decided to hold off with his remaining darts for the time being.  He didn't entirely trust himself to be accurate with them and feared causing more trouble than help.

For the time being he remained ready and alert.

The blows from Barnabus and Dax force the walking corpse to its knees. Before it can attempt to regain its feet, Sir Dryvyk’s kick caves in its skull and, going limp, the creature topples onto one side, becoming motionless.

Silence once again overtakes the catacombs.

OOC: Combat over.

With a mischievous look, Barnabus surveys the state of his companions, covered in splinters of wood and globules of gore, and some of them sporting their own considerable wounds, which had been or would be hastily wrapped in bandages.

"One more room," he twinkles.

Anything on the undead? I want to go back into the hallway and to the door that was to the east.

Dax wipes his blade off on one of the corpses. HE then pulls the south-facing door open, and keeps watch on the corridor.

"I think it might be time to head back to camp. There will always be one more room, Barnabus...we have left many doors unopened already.

But I will follow the majority."

---

There are some urns in Room #5 to pick up on the way out.

The righteous fire of having obliterated another batch of the cursed undead burned in the eyes of Sir Dryvyk. He seemed to hear the words of discretion, but valor was in his heart. "A peek certainly wouldn't hurt..." he nodded to Barnabas. It was clear that he calculated their strength to be, perhaps, greater than it actually was.

The party ventures eastward down the long corridor. Lampert holds his torch aloft, his eyes scanning the shadows ahead warily. The scent of stagnant moisture hangs in the air as the company presses forward.

The hallway ends at a doorway. The iron reinforced door stands open, its rust dotted latch bent from being forced. Immediately to the right of the open door, on the southern wall, the adventurers can perceive an archway which has been sealed closed with mortar and stone.

Peering through the open doorway, the company members can see that the walls of the small chamber beyond are occupied by burial alcoves. A quick count informs the group that there are twenty five spaces of internment in total. All are occupied, save for four on the bottom row of the eastern wall, which are vacant. The empty alcoves appear to be marked with numerous scratches.

The remainder of the alcoves appear undisturbed. Between the individual alcoves, decorative inlays of silver have been installed on the plastered walls, the metal glinting in the torchlight. A single occupied alcove in the middle of the northern wall appears blackened, as if its contents have been corrupted by moisture and decay.

The room’s southeastern corner is occupied by a chest with iron fittings, fashioned from ebony.

Dax glances around the room, he points with his sword to the scratched niches and whispers, "I expect those were the resting places for those zombies!"

Pointing at the many other niches, he adds, "There might be more waiting to emerge.

Dryvyk, Ishmael, let's see if we can grab that chest and get back to camp."

The ranger moves to the chest and looks for handles to carry it.

Dryvyk nodded. He bowed his head a moment in prayer to the God of All Righteousness... (Detect Evil)

"'Ware the blackened alcove on the north wall.  Something different has happened there and deserves our extra caution," Malivoire warned.  Even though he was relatively safe behind the brawnier fighting men of the group he was still nervous at the sheer number of burial alcoves in the room.  It wouldn't take many to overwhelm them in such an open space.

He kept a dart in hand to back up those headed for the chest.  At this point there was little else he could do.

The young old man's cheeks flush with excitement with the discovery of this chamber of repose, these vīgintī quīnque beds for the dead. So excited is he that he only catches a few of the wizard's words. Yes, "something different has happened there" and I shall find out what.

Quick of step, he reaches the most corrupt of the still occupied alcoves, the one that appears blackened at a distance.

Peering at it, Barnabus wonders, "Might this be the home of the poltergeist's corporeal remains?"

Could the decorative inlays of silver be uninstalled as it were?

The dwarf moves to the chest, "This is better."" he says, inspecting the handles before anyone tires to move it.

OOC: The inlaid silver could be removed, but it would require hammers, chisels, and time. Likely two hours worth of effort if all of the adventurers took part. Given the amount of silver that is visible, the collected metal would certainly fetch a respectable sum in Helix or Ironguard Motte.

Ishmael examines the ebony chest, but finds no evidence of any manner of trap on the handles or elsewhere. The gray dust clinging to the dark wood informs him that it has not been moved for a very long time.

Lampert moves into the room, offering to assist Dax with carrying the chest.

Sir Dryvyk prays softly for a few moments. Regarding the chamber once more, he finds that he senses nothing evil within it.

Barnabus studies the blackened alcove. As the priest peers into it, he spies movement, a swift, almost serpentine motion as whatever lurks within the dark space emerges from it.

22:11, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 2 using 1d6.  Initiative - Party.

22:12, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 5 using 1d6.  Initiative - Enemy.

Moving fast enough that details are difficult to discern, the lurker within the alcove lashes out in a whip like strike, seeking to attack Barnabus. Having seen the creature’s movement moments before, the priest is able to anticipate the assault and sidestep it.

22:19, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 2 using 1d20.  Attack.

The creature lands on the floor of the chamber with a liquid plop. Its form, which initially appeared snake-like, taking on the shape of a puddle. The adventurers can see that it is entirely featureless, its anatomy entirely made up of a gray gelatinous substance. In exiting the alcove, it brushed against a section of the silver inlay in the wall, the metal smoking where its liquid form made contact.

OOC: It is the party’s turn to act. The ooze has an Armor Class of 8.

That there had been a perfectly natural explanation for the corruption had not occurred to the wildly poetic priest. When he stepped right when it had oozed left, Barnabus had narrowly avoided punishment for his flight of morbidity.

Stepping back away from it, he tries to land a parting blow, but he's already too far away.

Not retreating so much as just giving others space to attack it. Retreating.
08:23, Today: Barnabus rolled 6,7 using d20+4,d6+4.  R#1 Cudgel.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:52, Fri 08 Apr 2022.

Dax watches the bizarre formless creature strike at Barnabus and then dissolve some of the silver inlay as it leaves the niche.

Reaching to grab the handle on the chest opposite Lampert, the ranger shouts out, "Let's get out of here!"

The ranger then moves as fast as he can, carrying the chest out the door.

---

If it dissolves silver I'm sure it will wreak havoc on metal weapons and armour!

The dwarf was momentarily distracted, staring at the stone near the door.  That be a lintel he thinks to himself, noting how the stones join together.  He turns around, "There be a doo..." he stops speaking mid-sentence, now staring at the moving puddle on the floor.  He reflexively whips a dart at it as he joins in the retreat.


06:47, Today: Ishmael rolled 15,1 using 1d20+1,1d4.

Hits AC 4 for 1

Which room are we in, or is the map not current?

Malivoire also threw a dart when Barnabus was suddenly attacked by some sort of viscous puddle of ooze, hoping to cover the team's retreat with the chest.  Unfortunately, the combination of surprise at the blob's appearance and his companions rushing around the room, the mage's throw was not especially accurate.


OOC:
10:19, Today: Malivoire rolled 11 using 1d20+3.  Attack.  Hits AC 8 (likely a miss).
10:20, Today: Malivoire rolled 1 using 1d4.  Damage. Hmmph, not missing much anyway!  :P

Covering Dax and Lampert's escape with the chest, Gwendolyn looses an arrow at the writhing mass of ooze, striking it dead center.

13:26, Today: Gwendolyn rolled 19 using 1d20+3.  Attack - Bow.

13:26, Today: Gwendolyn rolled 4 using 1d6.  Damage.

Grugar likewise fires a bolt at the gelatinous creature, his aim proving true.

13:26, Today: Grugar rolled 18 using 1d20.  Attack - Light Crossbow.

13:26, Today: Grugar rolled 2 using 1d6.  Damage.

Seemingly injured by Ishmael, Gwendolyn, and Grugar's missiles, the ooze makes no attempt to pursue the adventurers as they retreat from the chamber of burial alcoves. Instead, the monster slinks back into the dark space it emerged from, quickly disappearing from view.

OOC: Is the party taking the chest back to the entrance to the catacombs (Room 1 on the map), or are they halting somewhere else to examine its contents?

Back to 1. But stopping in location 15 for the polished skulls and location 5 for the 4 urns.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:57, Mon 11 Apr 2022.

"We can open this chest back at the camp!" Dax says without stopping.

"Let's gather those skulls and the banners...and those urns where the skeletons attacked."

---

Agreeing with Barnabus, IC!