11. Beneath the Castle

[Zhym]

Date: Trieluna 13, 1222
Time: 8:08 PM
Weather: Fog
Location: Castle Ravenloft; Staircase, Hall, and Dungeon
**************************************

Agax, now in possession of the ring, walks back toward the dungeon where Bragar is still locked behind bars. He is met near the doors by the creatures from the room beyond, who followed Shinyah into the hallway. Shinyah sends Hihu flying around to try to draw the creatures' attention, but they are uninterested in the owl. Agax finds himself face to rotting face with several zombies, each reaching their gangrenous claws up from the water! They claw at him but he simply steps away on the water, leading one zombie to fall back into the water.

Meanwhile, Scarlett ducks underwater and manages to unlock the cell door. Bragar gathers his belongings, including the pieces of his armor, and follows Scarlett out of the cell.

Sorry again about the delay.

While Agax wears the ring of water walking, he attacks the zombies in the water at +2 and their attacks are at -2 because of his superior positioning.

I'm not sure if Shinyah should be able to communicate with Hihu without using a spell, but they're both in owl form so I'll allow it this time.

----
Status: Gragog (F6): 36/42; Lar (P4): 27/27; Bragar: 33/42 (C7); Castran: 23/23 (F5/I6); Scarlett (C7/T5): 34/34; Agax (MU7/C4): 45/45; Petyr (F3): 23/23; Bogdana (C3): 23/23; Shinyah (D7): 37/38, Honeynose: 24/24, Treescratcher: 29/29, Hihu: 4/4
Effects: Phantom Armor (Castran): 6 pts; Invisibility (Castran)
Light sources: Lantern (30', Lar): 12.5 turns; CL coin (60', held by Shinyah—doused while in owl form); CL gem (60' Agax's staff)

[Stirling]

Scarlett

Scarlett wants to get out of the cell hallway and onto drier land. So she will wade through the water to the entry door. Probably looking every inch a zombie in waiting with wet bedraggled dreadlocks, brackish water drenched clothes and shrivelled fingers and toes from being in the water to long. Hoping her waving and moaning doesn't get her mistaken and not wanting to blend in with the undead crowd to escape, she will do what she is good at. Summoning her faith she will attempt to forcibly turn these Strahd creatures."Flee from before me you foul creatures, Samar commands you to leave us.".

[Cwreando]

Lar see Scarlet and softly says, "Oh thank Ohama your alive. I thought we lost you. Did you see Bragar? Is he ok too? This place is not for the weak of heart." Lar keeps a look and ear out for anything unusual as they help the others.

[Zhym]

I believe Lar is still on the stairs, yes? Scarlett is in the dungeon cell block as of the start of this round.

[Dram]

Bragar- Once out of the water. If possible he will get back into his armor.

[Inferno]

Agax Gryyg, game mage:

If possible, and not currently "in melee" with the monsters, Agax will fall back as far as he can and still Turn Undead this turn.
If "move and Turn" isn't allowed in one action, or if Agax is already in melee and will suffer free attacks on him if he retreats, then he'll just Turn Undead.
Either way:

The priest of chance held forth his holy symbol and strange polyhedral talisman of probability and potential and cried, "Back! Your chance is already over! All possibility has left you! Go back to your cruel master who has robbed you of life and opportunity!"

Turn Undead: [1d20] = 10

[Scott308]

Shinyah, Owl

I'm not sure if Shinyah should be able to communicate with Hihu without using a spell, but they're both in owl form so I'll allow it this time.

I figured that since he is in owl form, he cannot communicate with the party, but he should be able to communicate with other owls. The question then becomes, do owls (or other animals for future uses of the ability) have the ability to communicate with each other to that extent, or are they limited to simple concepts like Danger, Fly away. Scientists know bees have a complex communication form that can give very precise directions to other bees

Shinyah will fly back to the stairs and land on someone else's shoulder, recalling Hihu (if possible) as well.

[Cwreando]

If Lar can hear the turn undead and is within range to assist Agax he will move to help him. Lar will attack one of the Zombies that isn't turned. If all are turned he holds his attack so Agax is out of danger and moves behind the retreating zombies and attacks them one at a time putting himself between Agax and the Zombies.

To Hit AC0 (17) Bastard Sword +1, [1d20+1] = 7+1 = 8, Dmg vs sm [2d4+1] = 5+1 = 6 Dmg vs L [2d8+1] = 7+1 = 8 +2 or +4 to hit if rear attack?

[Storm11]

Castran, stuck without his ring, will watch the rear Escape

[Zhym]

What path will Lar use to approach?

[Zhym]

Date: Trieluna 13, 1222
Time: 8:09 PM
Weather: Fog
Location: Castle Ravenloft; Staircase, Hall, and Dungeon
**************************************

In the hallway, the zombies lash out again against Agax, but are again unable to reach the water-walking mage. Agax presents his polyhedral talisman of probability and potential and cries, "Back! Your chance is already over! All possibility has left you! Go back to your cruel master who has robbed you of life and opportunity!" Alas, either his training is insufficient or the zombies have no fear of randomness. They remain on the attack.

Lar strides boldly into the water to assist Agax. Wisely walking around the spots where Scarlett and Bragar vanished in the water (4d6 Wisdom check succeeded), he reaches Agax's side. His blade hits water instead of rotting flesh, sending an impressive splash of water into the air but inflicting no damage.

Shinyah and Hihu fly back to the safety of the stairs, where Gragog, Petyr, Bogdana, the invisible Castran, and the bears all wait.

In the cell block, Bragar collects the pieces of his armor. He and Scarlett wade their way back towards the party. They climb up the short flight of stairs from the dungeon stairs to see a battle blocking their way. "Flee from before me you foul creatures!" she cries. "Samar commands you to leave us!" But her faith fails her. She didn't know zombies could laugh.

Bogdana pushes her way through the crowd standing on the spiral staircase and holds up the sun symbol hanging from her neck. "Ohama pic-kahn!" she cries. The zombies all pause and turn to her with a start...then resume their attacks.

Actions?

Rough battle map:

Map 12 Zombies.png (9.85 KiB) Viewed 426 times

----
Status: Gragog (F6): 36/42; Lar (P4): 27/27; Bragar: 33/42 (C7); Castran: 23/23 (F5/I6); Scarlett (C7/T5): 34/34; Agax (MU7/C4): 45/45; Petyr (F3): 23/23; Bogdana (C3): 23/23; Shinyah (D7): 37/38, Honeynose: 24/24, Treescratcher: 29/29, Hihu: 4/4
Effects: Phantom Armor (Castran): 6 pts; Invisibility (Castran)
Light sources: Lantern (30', Lar): 12.4 turns; CL coin (60', held by Shinyah—doused while in owl form); CL gem (60' Agax's staff)

[Dram]

Bragar- stays in the back just out of the water and quickly gets his armor back on.

[Storm11]

Castran will continue to watch the rest of the group invisibly for signs of further attackers

[GreyWolfVT]

Gragog does as he was asked and keeps the packs dry while trying to look out for attackers.

[Inferno]

Agax Gryyg, game mage:

Seeing no one else rushing to aid Lar and him, the mercurial mage sighs wearily and produces a scroll. From atop the waves, he cries words of power from beyond the veil of this mere shadow realm: "Howard! Lovecraft! Moorcock! Leiber!"

Casts Lightning Bolt from Scroll.

Lightning Bolt: [6d6] = 20

He wants to run the bolt between their ranks, catching them all in one pass, and then arc it back for a second pass against all of them.
If that's impossible, he'll run it down one column and back up the other.
He doesn't want to hit Lar. He will keep the bolt above the water line, hitting the zombies heads, to avoid electrifying the water and harming Lar.

Thanks.

[Zhym]

Date: Trieluna 13, 1222
Time: 8:10 PM
Weather: Fog
Location: Castle Ravenloft; Staircase, Hall, and Dungeon
**************************************

While the others stand back, Lar and Agax battle the zombies. The waist-deep water continues to cause problems for the paladin; his attack misses again.

Agax decides he's through messing around. He draws a scroll from his pack. Thankfully, the scroll is still dry thanks to his borrowed ring of water walking. He reads from the scroll: "Howard! Lovecraft! Moorcock! Leiber!"

With a (literally) thundering *CRACK*, a forked bolt of lightning shoots down the hallway above the water, starting just past the zombie Lar is fighting! The lightning strikes four of the zombies straight on. Their heads explode. What's left of each falls into the water, destroyed. The remaining zombie, a bit more nimble, gets singed enough to send an arm flying off its torso. The arm starts dog-paddling toward Agax.

The two surviving zombies counterattack. The singed zombie reaches up with one arm and swipes the game mage right in the polyhedrals. Agax doubles over in wracking pain, giving the zombie's detached arm a chance to tweak him in the nose (-10 HP). The other zombie, uninjured by the lightning, scratches at Lar's arm but his holy aura protects him.

Actions?

No map. Everyone is basically where they were before except that there are four fewer zombies. One singed zombie and its arm are attacking Agax. The other zombie, unharmed so far, is fighting Lar.

----
Status: Gragog (F6): 36/42; Lar (P4): 27/27; Bragar: 33/42 (C7); Castran: 23/23 (F5/I6); Scarlett (C7/T5): 34/34; Agax (MU7/C4): 35/45; Petyr (F3): 23/23; Bogdana (C3): 23/23; Shinyah (D7): 37/38, Honeynose: 24/24, Treescratcher: 29/29, Hihu: 4/4
Effects: Phantom Armor (Castran): 6 pts; Invisibility (Castran)
Light sources: Lantern (30', Lar): 12.4 turns; CL coin (60', held by Shinyah—doused while in owl form); CL gem (60' Agax's staff)

[Inferno]

Agax Gryyg, game mage:

"Would you gentlemen please be so good as to join us in this fight? Lar's path here has been proven safe.
"...Or else, perhaps kindly cast spells of support?" Agax said, not unfriendly.

The dreaming wizard waited on their responses before deciding to expend another major spell.

[Storm11]

"There is one zombie left, and you have the ring of water walking. If you want us to help let the enemy approach, just a thought," calls Castran from the stairs.

[GreyWolfVT]

Gragog shakes his head and puts a hand to his hear as if he cannot hear Agax, shrugs and mouths what?

[Inferno]

Agax Gryyg, game mage:

The dreaming wizard believes he must be dreaming.

With no aid forthcoming, and not wanting to abandon Lar, Agax remains in position. He swings at the living, severed hand with his staff and misses.

Staff: To Hit: [1d20] = 4, Damage: [1d6] = 3