Round 4

From: Scott

Subject: TEST

test

From: Karl

Subject: Re: TEST

Passed.

From: Ty

Subject: Something Wicked; Dead men siege 4

Mission watches the first skeleton crumble to dust with a grim satisfaction. Did Anileth really expect *these* to kill him? Then two more of the clanking things quickly round the SW corner of the lodge. Numbers. She expects to overrun him with numbers. But he has laid eyes now on his promised redemption, and the world itself does not contain enough dead men to stop him from laying hold of it. His arms flashing with power, he strikes the skeleton in front of him with two quick blows, though only one of them lands solidly [Attacks 23 and 8]. Even one punch from Mission is enough to destroy these brittle things [Damage 11]. He then turns to face the two that approach, keeping himself between them and the wizard climbing out the window.

Rennik's blood pounds in his temples as he shifts his position to keep an overturned bed between himself and the next wereboar lunge. He has been wounded twice, and a deep panicky part of his mind wonders if he is infected now. What did the elves say? Is it only bites? Must saliva or blood get into the wound? The hot rage keeps him from concentrating, and there will be time enough to sort it out after the beast is dead. Rennik feints around one side of the bed, and when Horan moves the other direction, Rennik leaps to the top of the bed, and brings his axe down in a diagonal slash aimed at the creature's thick torso. His tactics are good, but the bed wobbles as he jumps onto it, and he nearly falls [Attack 14 (roll 4+14 to hit -4 power attack, so, for the first time your power attack made you miss, matt)]. It is all he can do to keep the axe from flying out of his hands, and his blow goes wide.

[I am writing Farron's turn next, even though skeleton group two (the one in Gully's room) is higher in the initiative order than him. The reasons will become apparent.]

Farron is watching the battle in Rennik's room with wide eyes. It is like watching two ferocious dogs fighting. The feints and lunges and blows happen so fast that they can barely be discerned by the naked eye. One thing he does know is that the valiant little halfling is facing the werecreature alone, and a horde of skeletons are trying to get into the room with him as well. He will need help. Farron squares his shoulders, and plucks his trusty candle out of one of the many pockets in his robes. Before he can even begin to cast a spell though, the door to his left explodes into the hallway, striking him on the shoulder, and skeletons begin coming through.

[Skeleton group two]

The first skeleton into the hall launches itself at Farron's throat, sharp bone fingertips reaching and clawing. Farron steps agilely away, and both attacks miss [Attacks 2 and 7], but he can see a half dozen or so skeletons in the room behind the first, and he feels a panic rise as he realizes that he can not hold this hallway against them alone.

Cadfael, deep in prayer, is only peripherally aware of Farron's plight. He prays in a resounding voice, "Great Pelor, giver of light, shine down on your servant. Drive back this foul darkness." A gentle glow fills the air around him. It extends a full ten feet in every direction around (blue circle on map), and judging by the reaction of the skeleton in the room north of Cadfael, the skeletons are loath to enter the glowing area.

Sa'id finishes clambering out the broken window, though not without a few more rips to his garb. Such things as the state of his clothing do not even enter into his mind. *This* is all *very* interesting. Clearly the woman was an undead creature of great power, perhaps a lich of some type, since she lacked many of the characteristics of vampires and other undead. And now, they are literally surrounded by hordes of the undead. It is an astonishing display of negative plane power. Whoever is behind it has the ability to tap into that dark plane on a level Sa'id has never seen before. Even as Sa'id moves to the edge of the web, and casts his burning hands spell, his mind is racing with information overload. Fortunately, long years of training have taught him to focus that part of his mind required for successful spell casting, even when there are so many other interesting things happening. He fans his fingers toward the web, and a spray of fire ignites it in a flash. Both skeletons are charred [Damage 7 and 8], and destroyed.

By his side, the fight between the two skeletons rages on. Sa'id's skeleton attacks twice more [Attacks 16 and 8], and one of the blows strikes home, destroying his opponent. With no enemies in its immediate area, it stands motionless afterward.

Sa'id takes a quick look around him. The skeletons at the front of the lodge seem to be destroyed, though there are two left fighting mission. While he quickly ponders his possible actions, a blur in the air catches his eye, and he turns his head just in time to see what appears to be an incorporeal glowing flail swing at his face. [Attack 15] He is able to duck his head out of the way, but the magical flail strikes him on the shoulder [Damage 6] with a painful and almost collarbone breaking blow. It then pulls back and hovers, readying another strike.

The remaining skeleton fighting Garyth attacks again [Attacks 14 and 4], and one claw lands a blow [Damage 3]. Meanwhile, another skeleton crawls in the window from outside, and moves around the table toward him.

Garyth, realizing that if the skeletons in the kitchen get in he will be totally surrounded, drops his staff and throws his shoulder into the big table to his left. He shoves it across the room and up against the north wall, blocking the door shut. However, as he pushes, both skeletons in the room attack him [2 attacks of opportunity, Attacks 20, possible critical, threat roll 12, critical failed, and second attack 5]. Only one hits, and another stinging wound is opened up [Damage 4].

The skeletons on the other side of the kitchen door can be heard banging into it. Each time they do, the door pushes the table away a little bit. They will quickly be able to push their way in, especially if Garyth is busy defending himself from the two in this room. However, from his current position, Garyth can now see the gentle magical glow surrounding Cadfael, and Gully and Cutter cowering inside it next to the priest. No skeletons seem to be attacking them.

Outside, the two skeletons attack Mission. They run at him, claws outstretched, in a way that would almost be comical without their murderous intent. They look like puppets, Mission thinks. But this thought brings to mind who the puppet master is, and all humor is lost. [Attacks 6, 14, 16, 11] With grim purpose, Mission blocks each of their clumsy attacks, looking for the opening he needs to destroy both the unholy things.

Inside Rennik's room, Horan watches him slip off the bed and nearly fall, then lunges at him, laughing in a strange gurgling mockery of the pure laughter they shared before the devilboar change. Again he attacks with claws and tusks [Attacks 17, 21, roll 20 possible critical, threat roll 17, critical hit], and this time his off balanced opponent can't defend himself. All three blows strike home, and the tusks gore him with a vicious blow to the chest [Damage 6, 7, 8, total 21]. He just infected me, Rennik thinks, as he fights to get his balance back and finish Horan off.