"You cannot?" she asks, looking around obviously struck by the disharmony of the evidence and the knight's incredulity.
"Indeed. I cannot imagine that this is a regular occurrence. Surely some evil power is at work here. Let us search the village for any survivors. They will be able to better inform us of what has happened here."
__________________
"We create joy." - Pirate Cat, 2006 ENnies
"...the worse thing that can happen to players is not to have their characters die. The worst thing that can happen is to have a boring game." - Mike Mearls
Seeing the conflict cease, Sir Khensu drops to one knee and quickly murmurs a thanks to the Silver Flame for their victory. The shifter stands then, a mournful look upon his face.
"My friends, I am afraid we must uncover what has happened here. I cannot imagine a village so removed from civilization that they allow the undead to walk the streets freely."
"I would not be confident of that." The elf said. "Karrnath, until very recently, did just that."
Now that the rush of combat has ended, Jarrith sinks to his knees and drops his head to his chest. The fiery pain of disease continues to flash through his arm, and his stomach continues doing somersaults within him. "Regardless of whether these things are a natural occurance or not... ugh..." He stop his sentence mid-thought and then lies backwards on the hard ground in hopes of getting over this delirium. He takes a few slow breaths and then continues. "It doesn't change the fact that the theoretical burgomaster of this town sent out a letter for help. Let's go find this man... if he even exists... and find out what's truly going on."
"I would think that what is going on, at least in the basic sense, were fairly apparent," Janis says, kicking at a charred and horrific-looking corpse at her feet with one leather-clad toe.
"There are walking dead here, and the sort who do less farm work than attack wayfaring strangers. More might be present inside the buildings. I recommend we fire them, and be prepared for whatever attempts to flee. Villagers will have either attempted to find a central location of stronghold, or else taken to the hills. Judging from the superstitions I've noted in the past with peasants, they'll have avoided the hill hereabouts because of the weather right now," she concludes.
Our perceived righteousness has become our undoing, as our enemies plot for it as an expectation of response, she thought. Next we shall have fluttery-eyed maidens begging for aid and children with cookies asking for us to enter the maws of bears, she sighed unhappily, looking at the trio of paladins. Why can't they all be more like the Karnnathian, she thought, looking fondly over at the priestess of Vol.
Methodically, Janis walks around to each corpse and plops a generous dollop of acid globule on top of each corpse's face, then begins rifling through any belongings they might possess.
"The dead that walk once might walk again, this way they'll in least have a harder time seeing which direction they plod... and if they have a master then perhaps they have a master's effects upon them," she explains to forestall arguments with the more righteous of her companions.
"There are walking dead here, and the sort who do less farm work than attack wayfaring strangers. More might be present inside the buildings. I recommend we fire them, and be prepared for whatever attempts to flee."
Jarrith raises his head and throws a quizzical but amused look over at Janis. "My goodness! Did you really just suggest we set fire to all the buildings here in town?" he says in bemused but faux-shock. He raises himself back to a sitting position and snickers a bit at the mage's suggestion. "Are you sure you aren't a devotee of the Flame after all, my dear? That methodology sounds downright Inquisitorial! There are a number of my brothers who would find that the ends would more than justify the means you just suggested! Well done!"
He knows that even suggesting for a second that Janis Stormhand's actions might be aligned with the Silver Flame's would probably really gall the mage. Still, he can't help but chuckle to himself about the idea. "As much as many of my forefathers within the church would welcome putting an entire town to the torch to root out the one or two evil creatures within... I myself do not think we have the manpower to pull something like that off on such a grand scale. Might I suggest a compromise, Miss Janis? Why don't we go search the town first... and then IF we find a building or two with these foul beasts inside... we consider just burning those lone ones by themselves? I'd hate to accidentally burn a building down that actually held scared and defensless people within it. Wouldn't you agree?"
His fever still burning within him, Jarrith gets his feet up under him and rolls back to a standing position. "Shall we continue the search?"
There is a sickening sizzle as the mage goes about her work, and the rank oder of fluid flesh soon follows. As she goes about her task, the viper about her necks flicks its tongue at the scents. Her methodical efforts, however, turn up little---a wooden fork, a clutch of yarn. Nothing of value except to those whose corpses strew the ground.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
Sir Khensu takes Luminous' reins and stands watch in the intersection. "Shall we proceed? Undead of this type rarely have the werewithal to open doors. Look for battered-down doors, doors hanging open, shattered windows."
__________________
"We create joy." - Pirate Cat, 2006 ENnies
"...the worse thing that can happen to players is not to have their characters die. The worst thing that can happen is to have a boring game." - Mike Mearls
Selase kneels beside Jarrith and puts two fingers to his throat, measuring his pulse. "I would like to examine these bodies first," she says while pulling Jarrith's eyelid up. "The undead have to be dead first, and if we can find the cause of death, it might give us a clue as to what caused this." She lets go of Jarrith's head to dab his wounds with a cloth that she soaks in something stinging. "Assuming we haven't, erm, destroyed the evidence..." (Heal check at +15 to see what's affecting Jarrith, and another to determine what killed the villagers, if possible.)
"Shall we proceed? Undead of this type rarely have the werewithal to open doors. Look for battered-down doors, doors hanging open, shattered windows."
"On it." says Jarrith... who silently pads out in front of the group on foot. He moves swiftly and quietly forward down the street, his eyes trying to catch anything and everything. As he passes the upturned cart, he tosses a quick glance into it, on the off-chance the zombies were huddled over something interesting. If he sots nothing, he continues forward.
Moving too quickly! Let's give Selase a chance to do her thing
__________________
"We create joy." - Pirate Cat, 2006 ENnies
"...the worse thing that can happen to players is not to have their characters die. The worst thing that can happen is to have a boring game." - Mike Mearls
Though anxious to go, Jarrith is held back by a stern look from Selase, as she examines him. His pulse is erratic, the flesh alternately fevered warm or ice cold. There is a black tint to the tongue that does not look correct either. All the signs point to a non-natural source, but the only mark on Jarrith is the wound from the wizened zombie.
Starting with that zombie and moving outward, Selase finds similar marks. All of the now-dead bear scratches and abrasions caused by the flailing and tearing of human limbs. Selase manages to examine the head of one before Jannis completes her grim work to find similar signs to the Stalker as well---a blackened tongue.
The zombies are definitely carrying the disease, whatever it is. And it is spreading.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
Jarrith, finally free of Selase's ministrations, takes a look at the intersection. The bulk of town lies to the west, along the Slavich road. The houses in all directions appear lifeless and lightless in the growing dusk. Most of the doors in the buildings surrounding the intersection are closed, obvious signs of scratch marks upon them once the desire to look for them is known. At a glance, two of the doors are open, revealing empty homes full with the shattered lives that they once held. Another house has a smashed in door. It appears empty from the street.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
Jarrith raises one of his silver rapiers in order to look at his own reflection in the pommel. He opens his mouth and sticks his tongue out. "Ahhhhhhh... ugh!" When he sees the blackness beginning to form on it, he quickly closes his mouth and looks around at his fellows. His eyebrows raise in a kind of "oooh boy, I've had it now!" gesture... and he glances down as Selase checks the zombies as well. When he sees that they have the same marking and blackened tongue as he does, he throws a look to Sir Khensu.
"Got myself in a bit of a sticky wicket, it looks like. Just my luck... I catch this... whatever it is... and you once again get away scot free. I guess the Voice of the Flame just loves you more than she does me, eh my friend?" He laughs at his own joke, but it soon turns into coughs as the disease takes more hold. His body convulses once in a full-body shiver, then he takes off down the street to continue their search. But before going to far, he remembers his manners and throw a call over his shoulder to the priestess. "Thanks for check up, Selase. Hopefully I won't go all nutty like these others did."
Sir Khensu smiles kindly and says, "Have faith, Jarrith. The Silver Flame will cleanse you in time."
He points towards to each of the houses that have been opened. "I say we investigate these homes first before moving on."
__________________
"We create joy." - Pirate Cat, 2006 ENnies
"...the worse thing that can happen to players is not to have their characters die. The worst thing that can happen is to have a boring game." - Mike Mearls
"I agree, Sir Khensu. We need to find out more about what is happening here before we can act," says Selase, with a pointed look at Janis. Already walking toward the nearest open door, she murmurs with a suppressed grin, "Don't worry, Jarrith, you won't be crazy... like they are."
"We shall prevent you from turning against us, and send flowers to your parents, should the illness progress to that point."
Turning her back, the wizard cups her hands to her mouth.
"HALLLOOOO? ANYONE AROUND? IF YE BE ALIVE IN THERE, BE ADVISED WE'RE ABOUT TO SET FIRE TO THE HOUSES!"
Janis straightened out her clothes.
"There, that should terrify anyone hiding like children under the cupboards and draw the curious dead to us besides. Look alive," she says, obviously pleased with her play on words and the prospect of not having to search out the town.
OOC: I call this the "Wizard Gather Information Roll"
"And now, are there any more pointed comments suggesting that I am either stupid or suicidal before I finish taking offense? Perhaps someone could evoke a better idea that doesn't us bouncing around in someone's village in this fog looking for breathing people who may or may not exist? Or in what way we were being stealthy by making battle in the streets, casting storm magics? What part of "time isn't our side" they were thinking about that makes our companion's illnesses less dire in the farther future rather than in the nearer?" Janis says dryly.
"Fortune favors the bold." she finishes coolly, lifting her chin up in a way to dismiss further comment and mirrored eerily by the tiny viper at her throat.
"Fortune favors the bold." she finishes coolly, lifting her chin up in a way to dismiss further comment and mirrored eerily by the tiny viper at her throat.
"And the Flame favors those who purify," Sir Khensu states drily. "Janis, I do believe there are many within my Order who would appreciate your tactics. I would rather not call down a horde of zombies upon our heads just yet."
He cautiously approaches the nearest open door and peers inside, greataxe at the ready.
__________________
"We create joy." - Pirate Cat, 2006 ENnies
"...the worse thing that can happen to players is not to have their characters die. The worst thing that can happen is to have a boring game." - Mike Mearls
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