Strife in Sokara - A solo game for Brother Shatterstone

"I think odd might be the word you're looking for." Hestia quips, smiling in return to Brystasia.

"Then the left door it is." Ged ignores Hestia for the moment, taking hold of the door's handle and pulling it open. This door gives much less resistance than the main entrance, swinging open with a slight creaking.

Stepping into the room beyond, Brystasia finds herself in one of the Compass's auditoriums. Dozens of short wooden benches are piled together against the wall to her left, and at the far end of the room stands a stage, a red curtain drawn across it. Like the lobby, this room has a thick layer of dust across the floor, and cobwebs cover most of the vertical surfaces.

As Ged and Hestia follow Brystasia in, the torch's light better illuminates the stage and its curtain. Looking closely, Brystasia notices a patch at the right-hand edge of the curtain free from webbing and dirt.


(OoC: Key to attached map: B = Brystasia, G = Ged, H = Hestia. I'm colour coding by speech colour.)

Bryastasia Purelove: Half-Nymph/Female (Gestalt:Holy Warrior/Rogue)

Brystasia points to the curtain and the missing filth and whispers quietly into her companions’ ears, “Something, or someone has been in here recently. Lets spread out, Hestia, stay back and in the middle. Gad, if you would do the honor and take the right side and I'll take the left.”

Once Brystasia’s companions nod in agreement she turns and moves quietly to the stack of benches before she moves slowly up to the curtain.

Once at curtain, she’ll glance to see if her companions are ready. When they nod that they are she will use the tip of her sword to move the curtain aside...

Nodding silently in agreement with Brystasia's plan, Ged mirrors her movement forwards. Unlike Brystasia's silent progress, his chain shirt jingles slightly with each step he takes.

Both Brystasia and Ged arrive at the curtain simultaneously, Ged shoving aside the curtain with his shield. Behind, a masterfully painted backdrop of a mountainous landscape hangs on the wall opposite the curtain. Perhaps of more interest to the two holy warriors are the several sets of footprints in the dust covering the floor, leading to and from the backstage doors to the left and right.

Ged gives Brystasia a questioning look, pointing with his sword to first one door, then the other.


(OoC: Brystasia's Move Silently check: 8 (skill modifier) + 10 (d20 roll) = 18)

Bryastasia Purelove: Half-Nymph/Female (Gestalt:Holy Warrior/Rogue)

Brystasia lets out a small gasp as the masterfully painted backdrop comes into view but she quickly pulls her eyes away from it with a sheepish and embarrassed smile on her face. Motioning to Ged to stay where he is she quietly moves over to join him while staying out of the dusty footprints. Giving a small smile as she leans in close so she can whisper into his ear, “Sorry about that. Lets try your door first.”

She gives the door a quick once over for traps before she moves out of the way so Ged can open it.

Hestia pushes through at the left edge of the curtain at Brystasia's gasp, a concerned look on her face. Seeing that everything is alright, she follows after her friend as they make their way over to Ged.

"I wouldn't worry. I make more noise than that just by walking." Ged says quietly, tapping a finger into the middle of his surcoat to emphasise his point.

Checking the door quickly, Brystasia can't find any signs of tampering. The brass door handle is clear of grime, apparently well used quite recently. Ged steps forward, taking hold of the handle and slowly pulling the door open, revealing a long, narrow hallway.

Like the area behind the curtain, the hallway is marked by several sets of footprints along its length, all leading to the last door at the end of the passage. There's also a faint smell lingering in the air, although Brystasia can't quite place it.

"Rotting flesh." Ged says as if reading her thoughts.

"We must be getting close..." Hestia whispers, holding the everburning torch high.

Bryastasia Purelove: Half-Nymph/Female (Gestalt:Holy Warrior/Rogue)

Brystasia’s stomach feels queasy as she tries to ignore Ged statement. She looks and sounds slightly worried as she replies to Hestia, “Indeed we must be close. Any objections to the last door?”

If there are none Brystasia slowly but gracefully, as she concentrates on the surroundings, leads the small groups of companions down the hallway to the last door and the source of the footprints.

As she checks the door for tampering she speaks softly in prayer, “May Aymara and Morwyn protect as we perform this noble deed.”

Ged and Hestia both shake their heads in answer to Brystasia, following after her as she makes her way along the passageway towards the far door. As she and Ged draw level with the third door along the hallway, Hestia lets out a cry of surprise as the stench of decay rolls down the passage.

Turning back at in alarm, Brystasia and Ged are in time to see what once was a human stagger out of the second doorway, swinging its fist toward Hestia. In panic she throws herself back away from the undead figure, and the blow intended for her instead hits the wall with a hollow thud, leaving a hairline crack in the plaster work.

"Hestia, get back!" Ged calls, starting to run back to his charge.


(OoC: Key as before, with U = the undead man.)

Bryastasia Purelove: Half-Nymph/Female (Gestalt:Holy Warrior/Rogue)

Brystasia curses unladylike as she turns in reaction to the others. She moves as quickly as she can to cover the ground screaming at Ged and hoping he will place himself between Hestia and the foul smelling undead, “Ged, protect her!"

Additional Notes
If Brystasia needs to tumble past Ged to make room for herself she will do so. Also if Ged decides to press the attack over protecting Hestia then Brystasia will place herself between the undead and her.

Of course if she still has an action and she’s in range she will attack using two weapons if at all possible.

With amazing alacrity, Ged sprints up the passageway and throws himself in between Hestia and the undead man. The animated corpse, takes an unsteady step towards Ged, and there's a brief glow of sickly green light around it. Then with a sound of tearing muscle and skin, its jaw distends in a hideous fashion while its teeth sharpen and take on a dull metallic sheen.

Ged brings his shield up to block this attack, but the corpse easily shatters the wood with its bite, tearing a large chunk out of both Ged's chain armour and the holy warrior's arm. Ged looks in shock at the gaping wound, as Hestia screams in real terror now, the pure white light of Morwyn's power starting to form around her hands.

Despite the stomach-turning scene before her, Crystals tumbles between Ged, the wall and the undead with the grace of an acrobat. Taking an well-practiced stance, she stabs into the man's rotting body, her thinblade causing what would have been an immediately lethal wound to any living opponent. However, even given the man's undead state, she's certain that her strike should have done a little more...

Hestia presses her hands to Ged's arm, a desperate plea to Morwyn on her lips. The light surrounding her hands flows into Ged and down his arm, restoring the ligaments and some of the flesh taken from the limb.


(OoC: Ged and the undead both rolled a 20 for initiative, with Ged narrowly winning out due to his well honed reflexes. Despite taking a full total defense action, the undead bit him, dealing 15 points of damage. Brystasia rolled a 9 on her Tumble check (more than adequate), and an 8 on her attack roll, dealing 9 points of damage. Hestia healed Ged of 8 points of damage, taking him back from the brink of unconsciousness.)

Bryastasia Purelove: Half-Nymph/Female (Gestalt:Holy Warrior/Rogue)

Brystasia catches the horror of what happened to Ged and the scream of terror from Hestia and she finds herself the lone protector of two. She silently gives a quick pray to Aymara hoping that the undead monstrosity will bring its foul eyes upon her. Not wanting to see one another one of her friends injured she pleads with her without taking her eyes from the creature before her, “Hestia stay back!”