Capellan
Explorer
"Forgotten Honour" by Eric Price (Dragon Scale Counters) - Part 7
"I think we should leave the door for the moment, and check the alcoves." Ming Li suggests, "We know they're a dead end, so it shouldn't take long."
The monk takes the lead, walking slowly down the short stretch of corridor. She reaches the first set of alcoves without incident, peering inside and shrugging when they prove empty.
"Hurry up!" Elspeth calls from the safety of the antechamber. It is at about this moment that Ming Li realises that in the Company of the Random Encounter, 'taking the lead' means 'acting as bait'. None of her companions have followed her. With a slight shake of her head, she steps up to the second set of alcoves, then turns to look into the one on her left.
With a low moan, an emaciated corpse staggers out of the dark niche, hands grasping at her throat. The monk fends off the blows, but as she does so, she steps back toward the alcove on her right, and a second zombie, equally gaunt, lurches out. Its hooked and jagged fingernails tear a deep gash in her shoulder, even as a third of the creatures, attracted by the noise, steps out into the corridor ahead.
"Charge!" Stormstrider leaps toward the fray.
Or rather, he tries to. To his surprise, he finds that Macwood has grabbed his leg, the boisterous halfling wrapping both arms and legs around the limb to hold him back.
"Don't be a fool!" the bard shouts up at him, "If you go in there you'll get boxed, just like Ming Li." He turns his attention to the monk, "Fall back! We'll meet them here, at the entrance."
Ming Li knows sound advice when she hears it, and she retreats, whirling her staff to keep the zombies at bay until she has had opened up enough space to safely withdraw. Reaching the others, she turns and joins the cordon around the tunnel entrance, even though blood still flows freely from the wound on her back.
There are five in the cordon: only Twinkle hangs back from the fray, keeping watch and holding the group's everburning torch, so that they can see to do battle. It's a simple tactic - surround and destroy the enemy as they individually emerge – but against mindless foes such as zombies, it's an effective one. Each of the three animated corpses emerges from the corridor, only to be cut down by the mob of adventurers that awaits it.
Indeed, it seems that they will emerge from the battle without further injury, until a fourth zombie lurches out the darkness, catching them by surprise. Drawn by the scent of blood, it pummels Ming Li, knocking her against the wall, before enough blows rain down to fell it, as well.
"I think they like you." Macwood remarks to the heavily injured monk, "You're an undead poster girl."
Despite his flippant remarks, the bard badgers Stormstrider into using his last curative spell on Ming Li, then digs around in his belongings.
"Don't worry, it is a wand in my pants." He assures the monk, "I'm not that happy to see you."
"Do you know how to use that thing?" Elspeth asks doubtfully, as the halfling brandishes the group's wand of cure light wounds. As her brain catches up with her mouth, and she spots the evil glint in Macwood's eye, she holds up her hand. "Don't even go there, shorty."
Twinkle and Rose, who have been busily checking the alcoves, come back into the room.
"There's no treasure." The gnome reports mournfully, "Not even a single copper piece. Stupid zombies."
Eventually, with Ming Li healed and their grievances about the lack of treasure aired, the group turns their attention to the ironbound door. This is closed and locked, but very soon becomes unlocked and open, thanks to Twinkle's deft fingers. Beyond the door is a short corridor, leading to a flight of stairs that heads down. There is a statue in an alcove about halfway along the passage, depicting a male elven warrior. The statue, which is of white stone, wears a finely crafted breastplate. The gleam of metal in the torchlight suggests that the breastplate is real, even if the warrior wearing it is not.
"Nice statue." Elspeth remarks, "Fine workmanship."
"We should examine it in more detail." Macwood agrees.
Rose doesn't waste time talking: instead she scampers straight over to the statue, reaching up to unbuckle the breastplate. Which is why she is the first one to be attacked.
A black shadow, wavery and insubstantial in the light, lunges out of the statue, clawing at the halfling with its ghostly hands. Rose feels a chill spread through her bones, and a part of her strength drains away. As she jabs feebly at the creature with her sword, the blade passing harmlessly through its incorporeal form, it rears up for a second strike.
"I think we should leave the door for the moment, and check the alcoves." Ming Li suggests, "We know they're a dead end, so it shouldn't take long."
The monk takes the lead, walking slowly down the short stretch of corridor. She reaches the first set of alcoves without incident, peering inside and shrugging when they prove empty.
"Hurry up!" Elspeth calls from the safety of the antechamber. It is at about this moment that Ming Li realises that in the Company of the Random Encounter, 'taking the lead' means 'acting as bait'. None of her companions have followed her. With a slight shake of her head, she steps up to the second set of alcoves, then turns to look into the one on her left.
With a low moan, an emaciated corpse staggers out of the dark niche, hands grasping at her throat. The monk fends off the blows, but as she does so, she steps back toward the alcove on her right, and a second zombie, equally gaunt, lurches out. Its hooked and jagged fingernails tear a deep gash in her shoulder, even as a third of the creatures, attracted by the noise, steps out into the corridor ahead.
"Charge!" Stormstrider leaps toward the fray.
Or rather, he tries to. To his surprise, he finds that Macwood has grabbed his leg, the boisterous halfling wrapping both arms and legs around the limb to hold him back.
"Don't be a fool!" the bard shouts up at him, "If you go in there you'll get boxed, just like Ming Li." He turns his attention to the monk, "Fall back! We'll meet them here, at the entrance."
Ming Li knows sound advice when she hears it, and she retreats, whirling her staff to keep the zombies at bay until she has had opened up enough space to safely withdraw. Reaching the others, she turns and joins the cordon around the tunnel entrance, even though blood still flows freely from the wound on her back.
There are five in the cordon: only Twinkle hangs back from the fray, keeping watch and holding the group's everburning torch, so that they can see to do battle. It's a simple tactic - surround and destroy the enemy as they individually emerge – but against mindless foes such as zombies, it's an effective one. Each of the three animated corpses emerges from the corridor, only to be cut down by the mob of adventurers that awaits it.
Indeed, it seems that they will emerge from the battle without further injury, until a fourth zombie lurches out the darkness, catching them by surprise. Drawn by the scent of blood, it pummels Ming Li, knocking her against the wall, before enough blows rain down to fell it, as well.
"I think they like you." Macwood remarks to the heavily injured monk, "You're an undead poster girl."
Despite his flippant remarks, the bard badgers Stormstrider into using his last curative spell on Ming Li, then digs around in his belongings.
"Don't worry, it is a wand in my pants." He assures the monk, "I'm not that happy to see you."
"Do you know how to use that thing?" Elspeth asks doubtfully, as the halfling brandishes the group's wand of cure light wounds. As her brain catches up with her mouth, and she spots the evil glint in Macwood's eye, she holds up her hand. "Don't even go there, shorty."
Twinkle and Rose, who have been busily checking the alcoves, come back into the room.
"There's no treasure." The gnome reports mournfully, "Not even a single copper piece. Stupid zombies."
Eventually, with Ming Li healed and their grievances about the lack of treasure aired, the group turns their attention to the ironbound door. This is closed and locked, but very soon becomes unlocked and open, thanks to Twinkle's deft fingers. Beyond the door is a short corridor, leading to a flight of stairs that heads down. There is a statue in an alcove about halfway along the passage, depicting a male elven warrior. The statue, which is of white stone, wears a finely crafted breastplate. The gleam of metal in the torchlight suggests that the breastplate is real, even if the warrior wearing it is not.
"Nice statue." Elspeth remarks, "Fine workmanship."
"We should examine it in more detail." Macwood agrees.
Rose doesn't waste time talking: instead she scampers straight over to the statue, reaching up to unbuckle the breastplate. Which is why she is the first one to be attacked.
A black shadow, wavery and insubstantial in the light, lunges out of the statue, clawing at the halfling with its ghostly hands. Rose feels a chill spread through her bones, and a part of her strength drains away. As she jabs feebly at the creature with her sword, the blade passing harmlessly through its incorporeal form, it rears up for a second strike.
