Session Start: Sat Aug 18 18:05:31 2007
Session Ident: #castlevania
* Logging for #castlevania started
<GM> [The party rides out into the woods, the noise of the logging
camp quickly fading among the trees.]
* Brute hums.  "I wonder if they'll be expecting us."
<Charlotte> So long as we're expecting them.
<Nyyx> I would be surprised if they aren't. We didn't really try to
move with any sort of stealth.
<Brute> "No, but we didn't see any of them on the way, did we?"
* Skip nods and looks at Brute. "I don't think stealth is a
possibility."
<Charlotte> Yeah... so what's the plan?
<Skip> Maybe we should try talking to them. Maybe.
<Nyyx> I'm not against that idea.
<Skip> If that bandit is looking for someone, it might be in our best
interest to find out whom and why?
<Brute> Still, they are bandits, and talking to them probably won't
stop the attacks.
* Nyyx shrugs. "We can deal with it if it happens."
<Brute> "When we're close enough, I suggest we release our animals,
unless any of you can fight that way. I never got the hang of it, and
I'd rather not be caught on horseback if they're not wanting to
talk."
* Nyyx nods.
<GM> [The party continues along in the woods for a few hours, slowly
drawing closer to the camp, but still not seeing any signs of human
life.]
<GM> [As the party continues on, the forrest opens up into a clearing
some 50-75 feet in radius.  There is a pole set in the middle of the
clearing and a low moaning can be heard in that direction.]
* Charlotte frowns
* Brute dismounts.
* Theodore dismounts
* Nyyx does likewise.
* Skip remains on his riding dog. "This looks suspicious."
* Charlotte walks along, weapon drawn.
* Brute draws his greataxe. "...What is it?"
<GM> [As Charlotte draws to the edge of the clearing, she can see
that a man is tied to the pole with a large dog or wolf at his feet.
The moaning noises continue to come from that direction.]
* Nyyx glances over at Skip. "Can you go take a look for us?"
* Skip looks around. "I can certainly try." He dismounts and
disappears into the forest.
<GM> [Skip advances slowly.  As he gets closer, he can see that the
wolf has started to worry at the man's feet and hears a gutteral cry
of "Help!  Somebody help!  Yarghh!  Help!"]
<GM> [The man has clearly been beaten about the face and arms.  Large
welts and bruises stand out against the brown wood of the pole.]
<GM> [Skip advances slowly to within 40 feet of the pole.]
* Skip continues to sneak through the brush. He steps softly, like a
jungle cat approaching its prey.
* Skip surveys the scene from up close.
<GM> [From 20 feet away, Skip can see that the moaning man is very
badly off.  The wolf is taking its time around the man's feet.]
* Skip breaks from the brush and moves within striking distance of
the wolf before leaping into the air. Flying above the snarling
beast, he brings down his handaxe with the precision of a masterful
assassin.
<GM> [With a yelp, the wolf breaks away and runs into the forest.]
* Skip is too stunned by the swift retreat of the wolf to give chase.
* Skip turns to the injured man and examines his wounds and general
condition.
* Skip looks up at the man, "Can you speak?"
<GM> [The man moans.]
* Skip notices the lack of breathing and quickly backs away. Staying
low, he runs back to the forest along the same path.
* Skip navigates the forest and rejoins the group at the edge of the
clearing. "There was a wolf. I thought it was eating that man, so I
tried to deal with it, but the wolf got away." Skip is panting, "But
the man. It's not a man. It's not breathing. It's moaning, but not
breathing."
<Charlotte> ... undead?
* Skip catches his breath, "Possibly."
<Theodore> "Probably a zombie."
<Charlotte> Why would bandits have a zombie around?
<Theodore> "I am not sure.  I would generally recommend removing the
head, though."
<Skip> Can they speak?
<Theodore> "Not normally, no."
* Skip turns to Roland, "That thing you did at the battlefield. You
know, with the skull. Can you do that with....it?" He points to the
zombie-like thing.
<Charlotte> ... skull?
<GM> "I can certainly do that, but only once it is no longer one of
the undead."
<Nyyx> Did you try speaking to him, Skip?
* Skip nods. "Yes, he just moaned at me. A lot."
<Skip> I didn't see any danger in the clearing, although I only
looked through part of it. We should be able to finish off the
creature, then speak to it about what happened, right?
<Charlotte> I guess... what's this skull thing?
<GM> Roland: "Correct."
<Skip> Everyone all right with this?
* Nyyx looks uncertain.
* Skip turns to Charlotte. "Roland can talk to skulls. And other dead
things. He did it a few days ago. We can get information from the
dead."
<Charlotte> ... ah, huh. I'd heard some of the other priests back
home could do that. Not me, though. I guess Pelor had other things in
mind for me.
<Nyyx> You're certain that he can't speak, Skip? That he wasn't just
moaning from the pain of...having his feet eaten by a wolf?
* Nyyx winces.
<Theodore> "Zombies moan a lot.  They just do.  It doesn't mean a
lot."
<Skip> Maybe he can. I left right after noticing he wasn't actually
alive anymore. It was a bit startling.
<Nyyx> You're certain this is a zombie?
<Charlotte> Well, if it was moaning without breathing...
<Theodore> "As it some questions.  See if it does something.
Otherwise, I say dispatch it."
* Nyyx nods grimly. "All right."
* Nyyx moves toward the clearing. "Skip, you didn't notice any spies
or traps or anything? This set-up seems rather conspicuous."
<Charlotte> Yeah.
<Charlotte> The whole thing is "Hey, adventurers, come rescue this
guy"
<Charlotte> I can't think of another reazone to tie up a zombie like
taht
<Nyyx> ...Who conveniently turns out to be a zombie.
<Skip> Not on the path I took. But I can't be sure for the whole
clearing. But I agree with you; this stinks of a setup.
<Nyyx> Exactly what I was thinking.
* Nyyx draws her sword and advances cautiously. "Let me know if you
see anything suspicious."
<Theodore> "Of course, it does suggest we have a necromancer as an
opponent.  Or at least someone who knows a necromancer."
* Skip advances 15' to Nyyx's right flank, scanning the clearing for
any signs of traps and spies.
* Charlotte follows the group around, giving herself plenty of moving
space
<GM> [Roland stays in the middle of the group.]
* Nyyx continues to move toward the zombie in the clearing.
<Theodore> "Hey look, a human figure 45 to 50 feet away in the
bushes."
* Nyyx stops and looks.
<GM> "FIRE!"
* Nyyx coldly eyes the hiding figure and dashes forward into a flying
leap. Cloak and long, pale hair streaming, she cleaves downward
two-handedly with her bastard sword and cuts into her target with all
the force of her momentum.
* Charlotte repositions herself quickly, firing an arrow at the boss.
It strikes home.
* Skip disappears into the shadow of a nearby bush and materializes
an instant later on the southwestern edge of the clearing. In the
blink of an eye, he vanishes into the forest.
* Theodore fires a fireball at the boss, which explodes
<GM> [Most of the trees in the blast radius explode in flame, sending
splinters and branches through the air.]
<GM> A gruff-looking woodsman stands amid the flames and calls out to
the nearby forest.  Tendrils of greenery try to entangle the party.]
<GM> [The party nimbly avoids the roping plant life.]
<GM> [The snipers unleash a volley at Roland and Theodore, hitting
with every shot.  One of the snipers attempts to engage Nyyx in melee
combat and fails to connect.]
<GM> [Roland approaches Theodore and after some brief chanting,
places a glowing hand on his shoulder, easing his burden.]
* Nyyx scans her bandit opponent quickly and strikes suddenly and
decisively at an opening in his defenses, felling him instantly.
* Charlotte darts repositions herself a fair distance away. SHe
launches an arrow at the boss, landing another solid hit.
* Skip emerges from the woods and strides up behind the closest
sniper. And nobody knows it but me.
* Theodore casts cone of cold at the boss.  the icy blast kills the
boss, extinguishes the flames, injures 2 snipers, and injures Skip,
who, unbeknownst to Theodore, was invisible in the path of the cone
<GM> [Two of the surviving ambushers fire on the wizard.  One is
felled by the unseen halfling slayer and the other, distracted by the
sudden bloody mess to his right, only hits the wizard with one shot.]
<GM> [The other three archers fire on Nyyx, doing massive damage and
leaving several shafts buried in her limbs.]
* Nyyx grunts as she is skewered by multiple arrows.
* Nyyx blurs across the 30' separating her from the next closest
sniper and springs into another leap, cleanly lopping the bandit in
half as she lands lightly behind him.
* Charlotte darts away from the boss, sliding and coming upright with
her bow pointed at an archer. She lets the arrow fly, and it strikes
him
* Skip is still unseen by friends and foes alike. Invisible, he runs
around the attackers and hides just behind them in the woods beyond.
* Theodore casts cone of cold at the remaining enemies, none of which
parish from the icy blast
* Skip feels the chill of the spell, but remains just out of its
reach.....this time.
<GM> [The archers fire on Theodore, scoring some good hits.]
<GM> [Roland heals Theodore from behind the cover of the pole, using
the unfortunate zombie as a shield.]
* Nyyx moves up quickly toward the next closest sniper while mentally
preparing herself for the next few strikes.
* Charlotte runs and fires another arrow at a sniper. It strikes.
* Skip swoops out of the woods and is upon the closest sniper before
he knows what has happened. With a swift jump, Skip is above the
ambusher. He brings his axe down where the neck and shoulder meet,
which is unprotected by armor. The wound proves fatal.
* Theodore casts magic missiles, directing the missiles to hit the
remaining enemies.  both remain standing, however
<GM> [The archers take one last try at felling the white-haired
warrior before she cuts them down.  They fail.]
* Nyyx takes the two additional arrows in good stride. She grins
unpleasantly as she springs into the air, lands between them, and
slices through both bodies in one sweep of her blade.
* Charlotte looks around. "This is it?"
* Nyyx wipes off her weapon on one of the two bisected bodies
crumpled on either side of her. "Looks like it."
<Charlotte> That wasn't so bad
* Skip looks around at the gruesome scene. "The question now is,
which one of these men should Roland talk with?"
* Nyyx nods silently and sheathes her sword. "Perhaps their leader."
* Nyyx searches the bodies for anything useful or valuable.
* Skip nods. "And what do we do with him?" Skip points at the moaning
zombie on the pole.
<Charlotte> Finish it off, and Speak WIth Dead, i guess
<Nyyx> If he's really a zombie, I don't think there's much we can do
for him.
<Charlotte> Unless we can bring him back to town and... I don't know.
What do zombies do without someone to direct them?
<Charlotte> I guess this is why Pelor gave the cool spells to all the
other priests. Oh well.
* Nyyx walks up to the zombie. "Excuse me, sir, but do you need help?
Are you a zombie?"
* Nyyx watches and listens for any sort of intelligible response.
<GM> [It moans.]
* Nyyx sighs, murmurs a prayer under her breath, draws her sword, and
cuts off the zombie's head.
* Skip winces.
<GM> [The forest is quiet.]
<Charlotte> Step one's done!
* Nyyx cleans her sword for the second time and resheathes it.
<Skip> Let's rest up a bit before we go on to step two. It's been a
long afternoon.
* Nyyx nods. "I could use a bit of patching up, too."
<Charlotte> Sounds good
<GM> END SESSION
Session Close: Sat Aug 18 23:23:26 2007