Endur's Expedition to Castle Ravenloft

[Goddess FallenAngel]

"It is a good theory," Alessandra agrees. "But what curse? Does it have more effects than the rising of the dead? Has anyone heard of such a thing before?"

________________

When the group reaches the church, Alessandra will follow the rest inside, carefully.

 

[Dirk]

Seeing Skorl apporaching the church Rick draws his greatsword and follows at a slower pace. He says in a loud and commanding voice.

"Friend or Foe!"

 

[hafrogman]

Cedric quietly follows the others through the streets of the city, his sword held openly in his hand as he looks around for any signs of the undead stalking them. As they approach the church, he slows and looks over the building. Perhaps it would have been a good idea to approach more quietly rather than hollering into the night . . . but it is too late now.

 

[Pyrex]

Hoping the shouting doesn't draw too many more zombies, Nikolai follows Skorl into the church.

 

[Endur]

Does the church look like if the building had been the place of recent battle? - Like zombie cadavers lying all around?

No zombie cadavers lying around. Lia Nailo and Jack Morrow saw lots of tracks on the ground outside the church.

The cemetary is close by.

 

[Dirk]

Not wanting to stumble upon traps or an ambush set my the lightbringers Dirk thought it best to address themselves as allies. He hopes his party understands. Not hearing a response Rick readies his sword and enters the church building ready for anything.

 

[Endur]

The interior of the old village church is lit dimly by candles.

The church interior is a shambles, with overturned and broken benches littering the floor. A claw-scarred altar broods at the north end of the church, directly north of a gaping hole in the rotten floorboards. A hoarse voice coming from the same direction chants phrases that you do not understand.

As Skorl, Riven, and the rest of the adventures enter the church, a wild haired man rises from behind the altar. In his right hand he holds an aged tome that he is reading from, on his left arm he wears a shield that looks like Mathilda’s shield.

The man speaks to you, ”Doru lives! The Liber Blaspheme had the words to restore his life! And the Liber Blaspheme has words for you!” (Knowledge Arcana 17+4=21) Nikolai thinks the Liber Blaspheme is an ancient text of Black Magic and Necromancy.

The man reads out of the book, reciting words in a language you do not understand.

The doors to the church antechambers open to your left and right.

Mathilda walks out of the southwest door, followed by Thendrick walking out of the northwest door. They are wearing their full plate armor and their swords sheathed by their side, yet they do not appear life-life. They have become zombies.

A zombie comes out of the southeast door, while behind the northeast doorway is a skeletally thin figure with cadaverous eyes wearing a cloak enscribed with magical sigils (Lia Nailo recognizes the figure as a Deathlock, knowledge religion 20+6=26).

Map of the Church

18: Nikolai (sick, False Life (+2), Mage Armor) casts Burning Blood at Danovich (but Danovich appears unaffected)
16: Skorl Darkskull (sick, shaken) shakes in fear (DC17 will save, 11+ fail) as he swings his sword and misses the Deathlock (5+8=13 vs. ac 15)
14: Lia Nailo shoots an arrow at the Deathlock, striking it solidly (19+ hit, dmg 8 +1pbs+4 favored enemy+1 magic=dmg 14)
14: Lia’s horse waits
14: Sikilar scouts
12: Willow attacks Mathilda with her spear, but her spear glances off the plate armor (6+ miss)
12: Slithergleam hisses
11: Deathlock backs up (5' step) and screams (sound burst, Skorl fort 20+ pass, Ricven fort 9+4=13 fail stunned for one round, Willow fort 10+5=15 pass , Cedric fort 20+pass, dmg 5 to each)
11: Dareios mounts on Dammerung and rides Dammerung into the church
11: Strider barks and follows into the church
11: Dammerung shoulders people to the side as they ride on through
10: Alessandra Exaultiacien (-2, sick) turns undead (3+5= turn hit dice 4 or less, turning damage 5+5=10, Mathilda, Thendrick and third zombie reduced to dust as their armor and weapons fall to the ground)
10: Alessandra’s horse
8: Danovich reads a Death Spell from the book, and foul necromancy strikes the party, slaying Allesandra's horse, Strider, Sikilar, and Ricven Spellhand (Nikolai recognizes the spell as Circle of Death, caster level check 9+5=14 success, 29 hit dice affected, DC19 fort save, Allesandra's Horse 3+ failed, Lia's horse 15+6 pass, Strider 2+ failed, Sikilar 7+ failed, Dammerung 14+ pass, Slithergleam 17+ pass, Jack Morrow 20+ pass, and Ricven 2+ failed)
6: Cedric (-3) rushes forward to engage the deathlock (7+6=13 miss)
6: Ricven Spellhand (dead)
6: Boo mourns
4: Jack Morrow attempts to shoot the book (6+ miss, 5+ miss)

 

[industrygothica]

Willow's eyes widen as she sees the cloaked figure. "What is that", she exclaims, backing up a little. At seeing Mathilda and Thendrick turned into zombies, she isn't fully surprised, but her heart does sink a bit, as she realizes the same fate must await her sick friends unless something can be done quickly.

With her short spear, she moves to attack the closest zombie.

 

[Rhun]

"Zombies, zombies everywhere," mutters Skorl under his breath. He doesn't know which foe is the most dangerous, but he certainly doesn't like the look of the skeletal being in the mystic cloak. It reminds the half-orc of one of the cruel orcish necromancers that lorded over his people when he lived among the mountain clans. He moves toward the thing, and aims an overhand blow at the foul undead.



HP: 47/47, sickened
1 pt. power attack, Attack +8 (2d6+9)
(I am guessing that the sickened state is a -2 to attack/damage?)

 

[Pyrex]

"Stop the priest! The tome he reads is dark magic!"

Hoping to prevent him from using any further black magic, Nikolai casts Boiling Blood (Fort Partial, DC 14) on the man with the book.