View source for Trick or Treat: Komepanyun Sematary

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== Log Info ==
*Title: Trick or Treat: Komepanyun Sematary
*Emitter: Cryosanthia, Paenitia
*Characters: MAC-B1G, Thurid, Seyardu, Faranmidahn
*Place: A01: Western Gates, Alexandros Woods, Spooky Sematary
*Time: Sunday, October 31, 2021, 2:17 PM, Sunday, October 31, 2021, 9:32 PM
*Summary: There is a commotion at the Western Gates. The guards are fighting an undead dog. It's the start of the day and there are more adventurers than guards, who make swift work of the creature. It is some sort of zombie, and is recognized as an Animal Companion that hasn't been seen in a while. Thurid, Seyardu, Faranmidahn and MAC-B1G back track it into the forest. After several hours of searching they come to a dark area with several large, recent open pits. They are attacked by three, large undead animals. Thurid, MAC-B1G and Seyardu manage to damage them all, kill the moose, and Faranmidahn finishes off the bear and swiftclaw. These also have animal companion collars. As they examine the area, an unearthly moaning is heard. A ghostly figure appears, the ghost of a druid, wrought with emotion who demands to know why they killed her friends. Her distress is strong enough to injure, and the ghost seems confused, if there is any consciousness to it, mistaking Seyardu for her Swiftclaw and the albino knight as a spider. She buries Seyardu in the Swiftclaw's grave, and puts Faranmidahn in a tree. Thurid's assault manages to injure it, but it is the little knight who drives off the ghost. Unsettled, and somewhat corrupted, they return.</div>

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-<* A01: Western Gates *>-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

The western gates of the city are also called the Phoenix Gates for the carved, marble phoenix whose wings stretch down to form a grand arch wide enough to accommodate several wagon teams at once. The phoenix has been carefully carved. Though age has obscured some of the details, it's clear that at one point it was possible to make out the vanes running down each individual feather. Its fiery eyes appear to follow onlookers and while it seems to welcome travelers inside, there's an implicit warning in its stern gaze to those who might wish the city harm. Overhead, the fiery flag of Alexandria, dubbed Phoenix Rising, flies proudly.

At the base of the gates there's a small lodge to house the members of the Watch who stand guard here, who watch people as they enter and exit and occasionally ask for identification papers.

Inside the gates the ancient facade suddenly looks more modern; a complicated series of pulleys, levers, mana-powered rune plates and the like are attached to huge gates which, rumor has it, can close faster than the gates of any other city thanks to the incorporation of artificer technology.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

<pre>-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing, in Order  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
MAC-B1G      6'6"     303 Lb     War Golem         Neuter    Drab gray primarily metal humanoid with cyan-lit optical receptors.
Thurid       7'1"     249 Lb     Giantborn         Female    Bright-eyed, muscular, blond Giantborn woman.                             
Seyardu      5'6"     150 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A friendly silver sith-makar with a perpetual squint.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  As the GM  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Cryosanthia  6'9"     291 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=</pre>

==At the Gates==

There's a commotion at the Western Gates!

The Gate Guards are fighting... something! They're grouped up by the outer portcullis, shouts are heard.

"Flank it you damn you." That voice is familiar, one Lieutennant Trygve.

Thurid had been away from town for a time- tending to tasks which brought her further afield. She's on her way back to the city, when she spies the commotion from some distance. Wasting no time, the Jotun springs into the air- wings of light sprouting from the shoulders of her Celestial armor to bring her sailing towards the trouble whatever it may be hammer in hand.

<pre><OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Roll perception, it's DC5 to see the battle, so the lower you roll the closer you are, it'll be +1/10'"
GAME: Thurid rolls perception: (6)+10: 16
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls perception: (17)+14: 31
GAME: Seyardu rolls perception: (12)+5: 17
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls perception: (11)+4: 15</pre>

The various temples are not the only organizations in need of constant supplies and materials, some of which are less common than others. The Artificer's Enclave obviously requires various raw materials for construction, training, experimentation, and so forth. Multi-purpose Assault Construct, designation Bravo One Gamma reaches the roadway outside the gate from the ocean shores to the south. It transports a large barrel containing seagull droppings. As well, it's chassis is covered in them.

Potassium nitrate is a key ingredient in many flammable and/or explosive mixtures.

As well, many biologicals find the collection exceedingly difficult. This is puzzling to MAC-B1G, as it required no effort beyond standing immobile for several hours.

Seyardu was lounging under a tree outside of the gates, enjoying the day and a short nap, which was relatively out of character for the sith-makar. Unfortunately it was not to be, as only a few minutes adter doing so there was commotion at the gates, and reluctantly she pulls herself to her feet to investigate.

The guards appear to be fighting some sort of dog. The small lieutennat is at it's head, blocking the bite with a shield. An older human guard and a sith'makar are on one side of it.

They're swinging with truncheons, they don't seem all that effective.

<pre><OOC> Thurid says, "I'll fly to 15, 1 as a double move and speak."
<OOC> Thurid has 60' fly.</pre>

After kicking away from the ground and taking to the air, Thurid's glowing wings flap once, twice, and then fold in close as she hurtles towards the scene unfolding at the gates. As she draws nearer, she bellows out against the rush of wind, "Hail! What is happening! Do you need aid!?" she calls out towards the guards

<pre><OOC> MAC-B1G will double move 60' closer.</pre>

"Yessssssss." Hisses the grey-scaled makari guard.

The city gates were MAC-B1G's destination, yet now scans indicate unusual activity. It rotates and approaches down the western road with heavy strides.

<pre>GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (20)+4: 24 (THREAT) (Hyena on Guard)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (11)+4: 15 (Confirmed)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+3: (8)+3: 11</pre>

The hyena sinks its teeth into Lt. Trygve's poelyn, biting through it. It wrenches, yanking at him, nearly pulling him off his feet.

With the sound of the commotion seeming to pick up, Seyardu pulls the polearm out of her bag, and begins sprinting back towards the gates, miraculously managing to not trip over the ground on the way.

"Dammit! Hit it! Don't stand there." Trygve shouts at his mean, or Thurid and Seyardu, anyone in general.

They step in and swing. Dull thwacks hit the body of the beast.

It stinks. It's rotten.

As the adventurers approach, it is clear that one of the guards is injured. The one in charge who is shouting a lot, that was just bitten. Another bite like the one he just took would rip off the leg. He's about to drop from blood loss as it is.

He doesn't look good.

<pre><OOC> Thurid says, "I'll channel positive energy and 5' up to 14, 0"</pre>

Thurid nods once in acknowledgement, and hefts her mighty maul to rest on her shoulder. She claps the Guardsman on the shoulder, and then steps up into melee with the Hyena. "How about you take someone your own size?" she suggests to the stinky canine, and then grips her holy symbol that hangs about her neck. She lifts it, and murmurs a prayer to Angoron.

The symbol is filled with holy light, which spills out and washes over the nearby guards, sealing their wounds and staunching bleeding.

Lt. Trygve is healed, fully. His attitude remains poor.

TROMPTROMPTROMPTROMP. The construct manages to accelerate further as it parses that the activity is a threat and that defensive units are under attack.

<pre><OOC> Faranmidahn says, "ride torrent to 11,9 and, magic missile bad doggie", also aam to avoid spell fail", and.. draw my lance"
GAME: Faranmidahn casts Magic Missile. Caster Level: 9 DC: 15
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls 5d4+5: (12)+5: 17
<OOC> Faranmidahn says, "wait, what?"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "you killed it."</pre>

It was such a pleasant day, too...

Riding through the city on Torrent, seeing some normalcy despite recent upheavals, Faran's constitutional is soon sullied by the sound of discordant violence.

Spurring on her faithful steed toward the expected trouble she swings her visor down, setting her face to shadow even as her jeweled spider eyes twinkle from behind the slats with her own peepers. Through the tricks of rein and soft kicks, she steers the surprisingly speedy spider straightaway into a sure sight of strife.

Noting the shape of the guardsmen, as well as the Warrior Thurid at odds with the giant beast, one hand draws her lance, while the other hand briefly relents on the reins, knowing her good boy will carry on without undue imagination on course, and she begins to trace her figure eights in the air, "By will in strife, I send might's shard, go forth and STRIKE!" as the evocation comes together, five incandescent bolts of energy arc out in a rapid burst from her fingertips, evading all obstacles in their path, only to slam into the flesh of the hyenoid threat. <halfling>

Something deep within the creature is sundered by the arcane force aligned against it, after all the other abuses it's combative bents had brought it to, and the creature collapses.

"Is everyone alright?" the tiny Knight wonders, "Are there any more?"

The beast drops.

The guards breath a sigh of relief. Lt. Trygve, a small man with a big ego and a broken nose thanks the adventurers for their assistance, "Took you long enough."

The other two guards are circling the body, poking it with their truncheons and examining it. The hyena is clearly undead, rotting, with milk-white eyes. Some sort of zombie.

"Ssaaaa." The sith'guard hisses.

"It came out of nowhere." The other guard says, a badge on his breastplate identifies him as Cpl. Udgar. He points towards the woods, "That nowhere."

With all the subtlety of a thunderstorm, MAC arrives, shedding momentum as it slows. Its faceplate pans to one side, then the other, and then makes a deliberate full rotation in scan. "No current threat indicators detected. Situation nominal."

<pre>GAME: Thurid rolls knowledge/religion: (7)+6: 13 (vs DC10)</pre>

Thurid breathes a sigh of relief as the creature is brought low, and she steps closer to get a better look at it kneeling down next to the beast. Her nose wrinkles, and then she stands up again. "Zombies, this close to the city- I thought the watch patrolled those woods?" she wonders, snipping back perhaps at Trygve.

She shakes her head, "No matter. I'll go and see if there are any more lurking in the woods." she says, offering a nod of her head to the recently arriving Faran- as well as a glance to the other adventurer's assembling. "If anyone would like to join me, your assistance would be welcome." she adds, and then begins to trudge towards the forest in question.

<pre>GAME: Seyardu rolls knowledge/religion: (8)+9: 17 (vs DC10)</pre>

Seyardu was so close to reaching the fighting when a root managed to materialize in front of her, sending the silver sith-makar tripping to the ground with a grunt. She pulls herself back to her feet, only to find it laid low in the short time that she was prone. Seyardu sighs, and finishes jogging closer. 

"Is everyone alright?" She asks those present, looking a the beast and coughing from the stench. "This is a zombified animal of some sort. That they got this close is concerning."

There's a collar, with a name-tag. The large sort that is easily visible at a distance.

Udgar leans in, taking hold of it and reads the name. "Lady Giggles."

"Companion" The Sith'makar hisses, "Isss known. To thisss one."

"Yeah," Udgar says, standing and arching his back, then scratching his head.

"Do you see any damn more?" Trygve snaps. He peers at Faranmidahn, his dirty blond hair sticking out of his helmet like moldy thatch. He frowns, "Oh, not a gnome. Pity. Well nice spell."

He glares at Thurid, "Right, my commission says Wilderness Patrol and not West Gate Master. Of course the woods are patrolled. By. Someone. Else."

"You're here, you might as well go. Saves me putting up a notice. Standard guild rates, and if you see those kobolds with my Thunderbelcher, kill'em."

The other two guards shuffle over to the wagon, to check on the driver and horses.

"Sssa. We are fine, sscale-ssisster." The sith'guard hisses to Seyardu. <draconic>

MAC-B1G pans faceplate and optics between the guards, the carriage, and the silver shith-makar that moves for the woods. It sets down the barrel of seagull waste. "Delivery for Artificer Enclave." It then pivots and begins to tromp after Seyardu.

Thurid offers a dismissive wave over her shoulder to the guard as he speaks about guild rates, "Appreciated, but where there's Necromancy involved, you'd be hard pressed to stop me lending my hammer." she calls back to him as she continues on towards the woods- whether the other adventurers follow her or not.

Seyardu glares when she sees who it was at the gates, and she sighs, shaking her head. "You are shifting blame and work to others again? This is not a surprise." The silverscale states, crossing her arms. "If I find this person with your thunderbelcher, I will make sure that they are taken care of, as they are likely to do more good with it than you are, and I doubt the validity of your claim to it to begin with." 

She turns away, to her fellow adventurers. "But I will look into these undead, as it is the right thing to do, and could be dangerous to others."

Faranmidahn clicks her tongue at the retort from the Guardsman and, with a little flick at the rein and some nudgles, gets Torrent strolling past while holding her lance up in a more pennant like posture.

"Line of sight is often a consideration..." Sir Waywalker observes, taking a moment to look to the man's rank insignia, noting it with a pointed, "Liuetenant."

With another nudge, she coaxes her beloved arachnid to a more hasty scurry to join Thurid and Seyardu on their quest to root out any more of these abominations with a, "Be well."

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "DC9 Perception to find tracks, Survival to follow"
GAME: Thurid rolls perception: (6)+10: 16
GAME: Thurid rolls survival: (2)+4: 6
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls perception: (2)+4: 6
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls survival: (5)+4: 9
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Someone has been letting their dog loose in the woods, a lot of someones"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "or it did a lot of random walking before getting to the gate"
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls perception: (7)+14: 21
GAME: Seyardu rolls survival: (20)+4: 24</pre>

"Adventurer." The lieutenant replies, making the title sound like a curse word. He employs his line of sight to watch the back of the small knight, the large warrior and the rest of the group as they head into the woods.

The other two guards do their best to go about their business, and drag the body of the hyena off to the side.

==Into the woods==

There are tracks! Lots of tracks. The animals come quite close to the city walls it would seem, or someone walks a lot of dogs. It's not difficult to find tracks. Determining where they go is another matter.

The albino lucht's eyes spot a likely trail however, and once pointed out it's very easy for the silverscale to follow.

"I did not know we were in the wilderness now." Seyardu chuffs when the tracks are pointed out, and so close to the walls. The silver sith-makar sniffs at the air, and coughs again. "Well, we are likely on the right track, we should be able to follow them and the scent of them back to where they came from. Someone may have created them, or a magical phenomenon, so be on your guards."

MAC-B1G scans the ground as it trods into the area more heavily covered in vegetation. "Indications of indigenous biological activity detected." In case other units are unaware that animals dwell in the woods, and that they may move, eat, and excrete in said woods.

Thurid, for her part, is no expert when it comes to Bushcraft- she spies the tracks readily enough, but she struggles when it comes to figuring out which way they are headed. She tries following them for a time, but ends up back where she started, scratching her head in confusion.

When Seyardu's sensitive snout picks up the trail where her own eyes failed, Thurid is happy to defer to the Sith-Makar cleric's guidance on following them. "Aye, it's like to be the work of a necromancer. Or else some desecrated ground. Don't know that there's any proper graveyard out this way, so the former seems more like than the latter."

Leaving the rude Guardsman behind, without need to find a second, Faran accompanies the others out into the forest beyond the city. By the time they have entered the treeline, she has swapped her lance for her shortbow.

"I'm glad none of you were hurt badly." she remarks, then she straightens in the saddle, giving Torrent one of the gentle kicks that signals through his armor that it's time to stop.

She trills a short whistle, "friends! I think I found the likely path, look at the cluster of tracks, here."

<pre>GAME: Thurid rolls perception: (14)+10: 24
GAME: Seyardu rolls perception: (6)+5: 11
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls perception: (17)+4: 21
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls perception: (10)+14: 24
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+9: (12)+9: 21 (Moose Perception)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+12: (17)+12: 29 (Bear Perception)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (17)+8: 25 (Swiftclaw Perception)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 3d6: (10): 10 (Moose Distance away)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 3d6: (16): 16 (Bear Distance away)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 3d6: (10): 10 (Swiftclaw Distance away)</pre>

Some time is spent, back-tracking. The prints lead deep into the woods, to a place which has an unsettling aura. Some of the trees appear to have faces. Others, long dead vines that hang from empty limbs, with abandoned squirrels' nests and occasionally what seem to be bodies tangled up in them.

Closer examination shows the 'bodies' are clumps of sticks. It's difficult to determine if they were deliberate.

There are things in the woods, and it almost feels as if something is looking back.

<pre><OOC> Thurid says, "I'll cast Blessing of Fervor and then move up to 6, 16"
GAME: Thurid casts Blessing of Fervor. Caster Level: 9 DC: 18
<OOC> Thurid says, "Using BoF for AC and Saves this turn."</pre>

Thurid casts her gaze back and forth at the creepy woods, "Well, if anywhere looked as though it'd been desecrated..." she murmurs, as she pads along further. When she hears the distant sounds of something stirring, she clutches her holy symbol to her chest and closes her eyes a moment. "Angoron, grant me and my allies the surety of motion and conviction of spirit to see this evil cleansed." before lifting the miniature maul high.

A distant rumble of thunder is Angoron's answer, as a flash of light surges forth from her holy symbol to empower her allies with its blessing.

<pre><OOC> Cryosanthia says, "okay, so things appear and move 1 thurid, 2 Faran, 3 seyardu, 4 Mac"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4: (4): 4 (Moose towards MAC-B1G)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4: (3): 3 (Bear towards Seyardu)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4: (1): 1 (Swiftclaw towards Thurid)</pre>

The eerie silence of the forest is broken by the roar of a bear, then the sound of lumbering paws slapping the ground.

This is joined by a large, dark form which seems at first to be humanoid, with horns, but which resolves itself into a large moose as it draws closer.

A swiftclaw, with tattered scales also winds its way towards Thurid, knocking a few of the suspended twig objects, which break apart with a rattling noise.

They're clearly dead, their stench palpable at a distance and growing stronger as they approach.

<pre><OOC> Cryosanthia says, "K/nature, k/religion, k/mil theory as appropriate"
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls knowledge/religion: (1)+3: 4 (EPIC FAIL), "Obviously these are illusions."
GAME: Seyardu rolls knowledge/religion: (20)+9: 29
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls knowledge/nature: (14)+8: 22
GAME: Thurid rolls knowledge/religion: (14)+6: 20</pre>

Non living things are clearly not a threat. Swiftclaws have a deadly pounce, and rake. They will also stretch their neck out, bite and pull prey back where their small arms can rend it. Bears also grab, and have a crushing hug. Moose are huge, and can trample. To make things worse, these seem to be some sort of ghastly undead. Their bite and claws can paralyze, the stench makes it hard to get close to them, and their unnatural, undead aura upsets regular creatures. Animals will not approach.

They move fast and have a greater intelligence than zombies, but not more than their original creature did. So animals would be... crafty, but not brilliant.

There seem to be three large, shallow pits with disturbed earth, as if something was exhumed.

<pre><OOC> Seyardu says, "going to move to 2,18, and 3,18, due to using righteous might"
<OOC> Seyardu says, "Sey now threatens 10 feet and 15 feet around her"</pre>

Seyardu already had her polearm out as she tracked the stench, and it was growing even stronger by the second. It was no surprise when the creatures appeared out of the forest, though it was still unpleasant. "I have heard of these before, ghasts!" She shouts to the rest of them. "Watch their touch so it does not freeze you in place, and take care getting close, Torrent especially." 

She reaches for her holy symbol and offers a prayer, growing much larger suddenly. 

Still short for a giant, but still large, and with a very large polearm, which she kept pointed at the beasts.

<pre>GAME: Faranmidahn casts Web. Caster Level: 9 DC: 16
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+7: (18)+7: 25 (Swiftclaw Reflex)</pre>

"By the Horn....!" Faran exhales in shock as the blighted animals emerge, juggernauts all for their unholy taint, she's sure. <halfling>

Hooking the reins with the fingers of her bow hand, she shouts, "The bighorn has a fearsome charge!" then the little one brings up a hand to start twining her fingers into her arcane sigils, nodding toward Seyardu as she notes the dreadful effect the creatures may have on her dear steed.

Tapping into the blessings effect upon her, she feels certain recently discovered bypasses to her sorcery unlocked without complication, and she chooses to employ it in lieu of her own training, "My willwork binds thee as a fly, within my weave you twist and writhe!" <halfling>

While scanning hastily about in the aftermath of summoning a huge glob of sticky web strands around the Swiftclaw, to minimal inconvenience, she reaches up for an arrow, shouting, "The bear will likely try to hug us to death, and the Swiftclaw's pounce is lethal, try to limit their movement!"

<pre>GAME: MAC-B1G activates its Titan Armor, gaining: +4 Str, activate a spell, and move to... 5,16.
GAME: MAC-B1G casts Toughen Construct. Caster Level: 10 DC: 14</pre>

The sounds are threat indicators, though not so much as the creatures emerging from and approaching through the foliage. "Threats detected. Engaging countermeasures," the construct advises somewhat unnecessarily. With whirring of gears and staccato pings of metal upon metal, additional plating telescopes across its chassis and faceplate as an additional layer of protection. It then moves towards the horned herbivore and adjacent to unit designated Thurid.

<pre>GAME: Thurid casts Righteous Might. Caster Level: 9 DC: 19
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "roll Fort DC14"
GAME: Thurid rolls fort: (19)+9: 28</pre>

Thurid glances over her shoulder as Seyardu intones her own prayer and expands in size. She laughs, "One after my own heart!" she calls over to her. Her Symbol, already held aloft, remains there. "Angoron, bestow upon me a fraction of your strength!" she bellows. This time the answer is clearer still.

In the other hand, she holds her Hammer aloft. Overhead, Dark clouds roil and rumble, before a flash of lightning arks from the heavens to strike the head of her hammer.

Her muscles swell, and her eyes crackle with lightning. Her form expands, looming fourteen feet tall, and her skin takes on a bright inner radiance that spills out, casting a soft glow on her environs.

When she speaks, it is as though the heavens speek- her voice deep and reverberant like a thunderbolt. "And do not let their foul stench distract you!" she addends to Seyardu's warnings, before she relinquishes her holy symbol and grips her hammer in both hands once more.

<pre><OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Moose has a Mac attack, full, Raptor rull attacks Thurid. Bear is going to charge Thurid,
<OOC> Thurid says, "Also my AC is +2 currently because of BoF"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+11: (17)+11: 28
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (5)+6: 11
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (11)+6: 17
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+10: (14)+10: 24
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 2d6+4: (7)+4: 11
GAME: You damaged MAC-B1G for 11 points. 99 HP remaining.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (11)+8: 19
<OOC> MAC-B1G notes late that it has DR 5/Adamanatine if that helps.
GAME: Thurid rolls weapon11+1+2: (15)+11+1+2: 29 (AOO)
GAME: Thurid rolls damage11+1: aliased to 3d6+8+1: (12)+8+1: 21
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "also Fort DC15 save please"
GAME: Thurid rolls fort+2: (3)+9+2: 14
<OOC> Thurid says, "I'll use that reroll now"
GAME: Thurid rolls fort+2: (10)+9+2: 21</pre>

The moose's charge is interrupted by the golem moving closer. It shakes its head, swiping large antlers across the construct, denting it. Slightly.

The raptor screeches and bites at Thurid, barely missing, Seyardu's blessing saving her.

The bear lumbers through the webs. They stick to its hide but are pulled away, it's barely impeded.

<pre><OOC> Cryosanthia says, "also Fort DC12 or sickened"
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+11-2: (4)+11+-2: 13
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+11-2: (3)+11+-2: 12
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+6-2: (10)+6+-2: 14
GAME: Seyardu rolls fortitude +2: (13)+10+2: 25</pre>

Seyardu moved to intercept the moose, brandishing her polearm in it's direction to strike it. She brings up the weapon, and swings, but perhaps she was simply unused to being the size that she was, but each strike was clumsy and either missed, or bounced harmlessly off the undead creature.

<pre><OOC> Faranmidahn says, "bof ac/saves, fireball to 13,13, then back torrent off about 10, aam to avoid seppl fall"
<OOC> Faranmidahn says, "it should get swifty and the bear, the web wil likely be destroyed, but it obvs didn't help anywa"
GAME: Faranmidahn casts Fireball. Caster Level: 9 DC: 17
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls 9d6: (28): 28
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (8)+8: 16 (Bear Reflex Save)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+7: (6)+7: 13 (Swiftclaw Reflex Save)
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls 2d4: (8): 8 (Web Burning)
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "trees and grass are burning ---over there-->"</pre>

Blast it, the web didn't hold at all!

Well...

.o O (Great Hunter, please forgive the harm I must do the forest to stop these blights of your great work.) O o the sorceress-knight thinks, then signals Torrent to edge back from the unholy beasts else the poor darling would be afflicted by their taint.

While one hand is busied by the reins and bow, the other is held upright, only the ring finger curled back on itself, 

"Ravenous warmth and piercing light..." she chants, her voice gaining subtle resonance of the powers she invokes and she twists the hand, palm outward.

"I free thee now from Order's Cage" She curls her middle finger back into her palm like that of the ring. A pinprick of warm golden light appears before her hand.

"Yield yon power to mortal fight..." and her hand lifts over her head as a roiling nimbus expands from that pinprick, congealing into a rippling bubble of golden light as the limb reaches it's apex.

"And Unleash now thy deadly rage!" <halfling>

With that last, her hand slings downward as if hurling a skipball, the arcane torrent (not her luvvable baby) arcs out to a point past the sullied Swiftclaw and blighted Bear and erupts in a brief flash of prymantic fury.

In it's wake, the cadaverous behemoths are ablaze, even as her former willwork melt away like the sort of overachieving fuses dynaiteers pray never to need deal with.

<pre><OOC> MAC-B1G will use BoF for the haste effect and attack the moose.
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4: (7)+15: 22
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4: (2)+15: 17
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4: (7)+15: 22
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls weapon4: (11)+15: 26
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls damage4: aliased to 2d6+8: (4)+8: 12
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 2d4: (6): 6
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 2d4: (5): 5</pre>

As the web is ignited by the fireball, the bear and raptor are further surrounded by flames and sticky strands.

MAC-B1G raises its manipulators, digits closed into conical 'fists.' It then proceeds to pummel, or attempt to, the large angry and/or animated moose.

<pre><OOC> Thurid says, "BoF for extra attack, full attack the bear."
GAME: Thurid rolls weapon11+1: (2)+11+1: 14
GAME: Thurid rolls weapon11+1: (2)+11+1: 14
GAME: Thurid rolls weapon11+1-5: (1)+11+1+-5: 8 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Thurid rolls fort+2: (17)+9+2: 28 (vs DC15)
GAME: Thurid rolls fort+2: (17)+9+2: 28 (vs DC14)</pre>

Thurid raises her hammer high overhead, lifts her froot and then stomps on the ground ahead of her as she brings the massive head of the hammer down- it crashes into the dirt just in front of the bear, failing to land but perhaps giving it pause. She does not stop with that, though, as she grinds her heel in and then hefts the massive weight back up again, bringing it arcing up in a diagonal upswing which also falls wide of the bear.

The massive weight of her oversized hammer- the head of which would put any anvil to shame- causes even her hulking frame to overbalance and she has to adjust her footing at the last second to avoid toppling, as she brings the hammer crashing back down for one more clumsy strike which likewise misses the mark.

<pre><OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Moose charges Seyardu, Bear goes for Thurid, Swiftclaw goes for Thurid"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Mac you get an AOO on the Moose"
GAME: Thurid rolls weapon11+1: (10)+11+1: 22 (AOO)
GAME: Thurid rolls damage11+1: aliased to 3d6+8+1: (8)+8+1: 17
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+11 -2: (17)+11+-2: 26 (AOO)
GAME: Seyardu rolls 2d6 +6 +6 +1: (6)+6+6+1: 19, "adamantine, magic and slashing"</pre>

Thurid doesn't let all of that Momentum go to waste, though. She grits her teeth and steps back again, wrenching the hammer free of the divet it's carved in the earth where it landed. Hefting it high over her head, she turns it over in her hands before spinning on a heel and smashing it into the oncoming antlers of the beast charging at Seyardu.

The hammer collides firmly with the protrusions, crushing and breaking them off and dulling it's charge, ready for Seyardu to defend herself.

Seyardu was trying to get used to the weight of the weapon she was wielding, but the time to do so was becoming increasingly limited as the moose was attempting to charge at her. deciding against slashing at it again, she instead braces her bill, running through the undead beast and tossing it to the side with a grunt of effort.

<pre>GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+13: (5)+13: 18
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+13: (19)+13: 32
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+13: (4)+13: 17
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+19: (18)+19: 37 (Grapple)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d6+7: (2)+7: 9
GAME: Thurid rolls fort+2: (5)+9+2: 16 (vs DC16)
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "also you're grabbed by the bear, grapple condition"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+10: (10)+10: 20</pre>

The moose bellows and charges at the silverscale, drawing attacks from her and her companions, and he drops at her feet.

The bear lumbers up to Thurid and stands, beast to woman, biting and slashing with its claws, pulling her into a bear hug.

The raptor snaps at the jotun as well, its teeth sliding off her armour despite the inadvertent assistance the bear is giving it.

Fires flicker across its hide, and the stench of the bear is even more un... it's terrible.

<pre>GAME: Seyardu rolls perception: (18)+5: 23 (vs DC30 - to see name tag)
GAME: Thurid rolls perception: (2)+10: 12 (vs DC30 - to see name tag)
GAME: Thurid rolls perception: (7)+10: 17 (vs DC30 - to see name tag)
<OOC> Seyardu says, "I guess I'll move to 6,14 and use channel energy to damage the bear and swiftclaw"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (1)+8: 9 (EPIC FAIL) (vs DC18 channel)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+7: (9)+7: 16 (vs DC18 channel)
GAME: Seyardu rolls fortitude +2: (2)+10+2: 14 (vs DC15)
<OOC> Seyardu says, "rerolling"
GAME: Seyardu rolls fortitude +2: (3)+10+2: 15 (vs DC15)
GAME: Seyardu rolls fortitude +2: (8)+10+2: 20 (vs DC14)
GAME: Seyardu rolls 5d6: (23): 23 (Channeling Damage)</pre>

With the moose tossed to the side, Seyardu moves to assist her fellow cleric with the undead that were grappling with her. She pulls out her much larger holy symbol, which emanates energy that surrounds the two remaining creatures, unmaking the magics that are holding them together. She may need to find someone later, who failed to tend to their fallen swiftclaw better.

<pre><OOC> MAC-B1G must AFK briefly. "I will move around towards 7,20 given the large units."</pre>

"Repositioning." The golem announces, moving with a whine of servos. Its large, wide feet sink into the dark ground.

<pre><OOC> Faranmidahn says, "aam for arcane failure, and +2 ac/saves"
GAME: Faranmidahn casts Fireball. Caster Level: 9 DC: 17
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls 9d6: (37): 37
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "shake and bake, batter and fried"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "they died"</pre>

The Hunter's will be done...

As Thurid triumphant thew disarms the charging Bighorn, and Seyardu soundly skewers it before it can unleash it's wrath, Faranmidahn's briefly reconsidered point of focus returns to true.

Just in time to become aware of the Bear capitalizing on the Warrior's situation to inflict it's foul embrace.

"Thurid, NO!" the little one chirps defiantly, eyes glinting af it catching a lick of firelight, her hand brought up high.

Cycling through her invocative gestures, her voice gains resonance for her arcane infusion, "Ravenous warmth and piercing light, I free thee now from Order's Cage, yield yon power to mortal fight, and Unleash now thy deadly rage!" <halfling>

As before, the sorceress-knight arcs another skipball like toss over the engagement, reasoning that particular spot probably can't be more on fire, intending for the beasts's own bodies to shield brave Thurid from the fireball's incendiary detonation.

It seems to work, as both of the remaining gravewrought gargantua are brought low in the conflagration, slumping to the scorched earth reduced in some small part to cinder wrapped bone here and there.

<pre><OOC> Thurid has create water prepped, so will get to putting out fires.
<OOC> Thurid can create 18 gallons per round. Or about 2 and a half cubic feet.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Survival DC13 to put it out, you can all try, or aid another, and it will take 5 to 10 minutes"
GAME: Thurid rolls survival: (5)+4: 9 (Aid Another - Fail)
GAME: MAC-B1G rolls survival: (9)+1: 10 (Aid Another - Success)
GAME: Seyardu rolls survival: (10)+4: 14 (Aid Another - Success)
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls survival: (17)+4: 21</pre>

Turning her back on the bear proves to be a mistake, as Thurid finds claws raking her back and then strong arms encircling her from behind- but this is no lover's embrace, as the bears crushes her into its rotting, matted pelt. Thurid coughs, and then lets go of her hammer- not able to maneuver it while so entangled. As soon as it leaves her grip, it shrinks down to its smaller- if still impressive- usual size.

She manages to wrest free one arm, elbowing the bear to try and make some space for her to begin to turn around- apparently prepared to grapple the beast with her bare hands if she needs to.

But the holy light and searing flames of her allies remove the need, as the bear grows limp and collapses to the ground. Thurid briefly seems disappointed she missed her chance to wrestle a bear, but there will be other bears and right now there are more pressing concerns.

"We must put out the fires!" she calls to her allies. She leaves her hammer where it lays, for now and grips her holy symbol. "O Angoron, The Mountain. Send your blessed spring here, that we may protect this forest." she calls out. Extending her other hand, droplets form at her fingertips, before the droplets converge into a deluge of clear water which begins to spray on the burning foliage, hissing as it meets its opposite.

After the whooosh of flames and wind from the fireball, the rotting, re-animated husks of the bear and swiftclaw drop in their tracks. Their bodies lie smouldering, leaking aweful fluids, the stench unabating.

Grass has been vaporized, sturdier bushes flared briefly before being consumed. Only the trees have managed to endure, but their dry fall leaves, the litter on the forest floor has caught.

The jotun's warning is valid, the forest is in danger of going up.

MAC-B1G moves around the large tree behind companion units to find that hugging and/or rotting creatures are no longer animated. It is not equipped with specific fire extinguishing protocols nor features, though begins to step towards the nearest flaming foliage. Then it steps upon it in attempt to smother it.

Faranmidahn sighs as the undead crumple to the earth and she lays a hand over her heart, closing her eyes as she lifts her chin to the heavens.

Thank you, Great Hunter, for helping see us through, she prays.

Then, on Thurid's admonition, she comes out with a nod.

To work, then.

The little Knight moves to start helping to snuff the fires, suggesting what she considers ideal places to summon water, as it becomes known the option exists.

In the passage of time, mere minutes to the eyes of the Gods, though likely seeming longer for the urgency, she wipes soot from her little cheeks and sighs, once the blaze is duly extinguished, "I'm... sorry, everyone.... It my containment spell wasn't enough, and... I couldn't risk them all converging." she intones contritely, then, apology made, she smiles assuringly to her good companions, "You were all very brave, well fought!"

with the last of the beasts fallen, Seyardu looks up and around to see the forest on fire. "Is everyone alright?" She asks, taking her holy symbol out as she moves around to the edges of the burning area, offering a short prayer that causes a large sheet of water to fall over where the fire was threatening to spread. This repeats several times, and the sith-makar shrinks down to normal size in the process, but the work still does not stop. 

"It is alright Faran, the concern was pressing, and we have time to put it out." She replies, searching for any remaining smoulders. "We should burn the bodies left when we have a chance, still."

<pre>GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+19: (3)+19: 22 (Lovelorn Druid Stealth)
GAME: Seyardu rolls perception: (6)+5: 11
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls perception: (8)+4: 12
GAME: Thurid rolls perception: (13)+10: 23</pre>

The fire is put out. The trees will survive, though their bark and rings will have the scars of this battle for the rest of their lives. The bushes and scrub have been carbonized, turned into a wet, black muck with all the divine water that put out their flames.

At some point during the fire-fighting, the construct emits a beep, turns and marches back towards Alexandria. "New mission acquired," is the only explanation it offers.

The strange shallow pits nearby are clearly graves. From what is mixed in the upturned earth, it is not hard to determine which one held the moose, the bear, and the raptor.

Someone buried them, the carcasses were covered with more than light earth. Someone dug them up, though there is no shovel nearby. And someone owned them, loved them. Around the necks of the three ghastly beasts are fancy leather collars, and large, easily visible name-tags. Or once easily visible, before they tarnished and become smeared with rotted flesh.

'Rattle-top', 'Mr. Big Huggys' and 'Sparklescale' seem to be their names. To have been their names.

The air is rent with a sudden scream, full of anguish, "NOooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOO! Whhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!"

"WHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYY did you kill them? It HUURRRRRRTSSSSSS!"

A ghostly form is visible, coming out of one of the twisted trees.

A woman drifts out of the tree, transparent and diaphonous, she is some sort of ghost. Moving first towards Thurid, she alters to move towards Faranmidahn, the one who slew her beloved animal companions. 

With fire.

She moans, unleashing a lifetime of pain, loneliness and loss. The heartbreak of losing so many under her care. Every animal, every humanoid, and beast monstrous and magical, feels her pain.

Her despair.

<pre><OOC> Cryosanthia says, "DC21 will save all"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "failure is -2 attack, damage, skill and saves."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "succeed or fail, casters have to make a conccentration check DC20+spell level"
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls will: (19)+8: 27
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls 1d20+2: (12)+2: 14 (Torrent Will)
GAME: Seyardu rolls will +2: (9)+10+2: 21
GAME: Thurid rolls will: (2)+10: 12
GAME: Thurid rolls wisdom+caster: (2)+4+caster: 6
<OOC> Thurid says, "Caster level is 9, loose the spell."</pre>

Thurid winces back in pain, her hand coming to grip her Holy symbol once more as the fealing of despair washes over her. She shrinks back from the ghost- the ever-ready Thurid, cowed by the overwhelming emotions.

"They died long ago, as did you. Rest, now." she manages to call out to the spectre.

She hefts her symbol up and tries to speak a prayer, but the words fail to pass from her mind to her lips as the crushing weight of the ghost's emotional plea drives it from her thoughts.

<pre><OOC> Cryosanthia says, "okay DC21 on the K/rel"
GAME: Seyardu rolls knowledge/religion: (20)+9: 29</pre>

It is a very rare and unusual ghost. It's a woman, usually a woman, that has suffered the loss of her lovers, her children, her pets and her companions. So much grief that it overwhelmed her with heartbreak. She now sees every entity as her lost loves, with a mixture of great sadness for abandonning her, or anger at them being taken. Her unearthly moaning can last for days, and can she can look into the soul and share her emotional hardship. Normally incorporeal like most ghosts, she can touch people and is more vulnerable when she does.

It may be impossible to reason with her, it's unclear if there is a mind there, or just a collection of memories and irrational emotions.

At least one friend of the silverscale is in danger of turning into such a thing, should the wrong things happen to her.

<pre>GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+9: (13)+9: 22, "+1 morale bonus to hit and +1 against fear effects"
GAME: Seyardu rolls diplomacy: (17)+15: 32</pre>

Seyardu was caught off guard by the ghost manifesting out of the tree, and she winced from the unearthly noises coming from it. Or rather, they were unearthly noises, caused by earthly concerns, piled on top of each other, until they were all swept away. Yet the losses were not a relief, far from it. 

"Madam, this one understands how important these pets were to you, but bringing them back now, in this form, it is not good for them. You have to let them rest peacefully, and we will help with that if you allow us. It is not good to linger here, latching on to the memories. You must continue on, into the shade of the death singing dragon's wings, so you may reunite with them." She offers, stepping forward cautiously, one hand on her holy symbol, which bolsters the spirits of those near the ghost.

The silverscale's words draw the ghostly form's attention, but no response, only a stare full of heartbreak.

<pre>GAME: Faranmidahn rolls diplomacy: (11)+10: 21 (vs DC20)</pre>

So much despair...

So much pain...

Faran's heart breaks for the baleful moan of the benighted spectre, though, with a choked note in her next breath, she shakes her head to clear it.

"I released them, madame, their souls rest with the White Stag, now..." Sir Waywalker returns mournfully, her real eyes wetly glittering like her decorative ones. She swallows, then nods to Seyardu's words with a hand on her heart, before seconding her entreaty, "Please... let us free your spirit from this torment..."

The druid's glare unabated, and fearing some terrible revenge befalling beloved Torrent, she lets the bow slip from her fingers and coaxes the arachnid back before she dismounts, "I'm a Knight of the Purple Rose... it's not in me to willfully make the innocent suffer, please.."

Her hand closes at the hilt of her Traveller's knife as she edges between spirit and mount, and draws it from the sheath in a defensive grip, even as her arcane energies infuse it, "Let us save you... please..."

The silverscale is speaking to the ghostly woman. A woman in druid's garb, with withered flowers around her elfin ears. She drifts unhindered through the air, her gown fluttering around and behind her as if she's sinking through water.

She stares into Seyardu's. Her own, start to bleed, the blood looking vibrant and fresh, leaving actual droplets where it falls on the dark, wet earth. Her voice is wrought with pain.

"Whhhhyyyy did you leave me Sparklescale? I love you sooo much! Why did you have to die?"

The mournful words fill with wrath, are repeated with unbridled anger, "WHY di you have to DIE and LEAVE ME!"

The stare is so intense, the makari woman feels something she never has before. Tears.

Her own eyes are bleeding.

<pre><OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Will save Seyardu DC21"
GAME: Seyardu rolls will +2 +1: (17)+10+2+1: 30
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1: (3)+1: 4
GAME: You damaged Seyardu's Charisma for 2 points. 2 total damage.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "2 points charisma damage"</pre>

Seyardu was normally squinting, but she closed her eyes as the grief was nigh overwhelming, opening them again to a film of black tar was blinding them. 

She blinks and sniffs, before wiping what was actually blood out of them, unperturbed, despite the uncertainty that threatened to creep into her minds and words "Druid, I believe that is what you are. But bringing them back here, it is not doing them good. I do not believe they wanted to leave you. But they can not join you back here, now. You must understand this, and move on, so you may rejoin them. It is time, to move on yourself, to where they wait. Do not linger longer than you need here." She requests, one hand repeatedly wiping at her eyes so she could keep looking.

<pre>GAME: Thurid casts Spiritual Weapon. Caster Level: 9 DC: 16
GAME: Thurid casts Calm Emotions. Caster Level: 9 DC: 16
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "where are you placing it? it's 20' radius"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "okay, I think you get Seyardu with that too"
<OOC> Thurid says, "Oh, damn, I thought that would miss Seyardu."
<OOC> Thurid says, "Well, it supresses her Bless spell for as long as I concentrate, if she fails the Will save."
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (3)+8: 11 (Ghost Will Save)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d100: (58): 58 (Incorporeal)</pre>

Thurid's brows furrow as the group do their best to talk to the ghost, "Shey may be deaf to our pleas, swallowed by her grief. If we cannot speak to her, we must force her to pass onwards. It is not a kindness to let her remain." she admonishes the others- nevertheless, she herself is not ready just yet to give up on giving the ghost a chance to pass on of her own volition.

She takes a deep breath, and hefts her holy symbol once more. "Angoron, give this one the resolve to swallow her grief. Give her the strength to accept her loss." she beseeches, her voice heavy with sorrow and her movements slow.

<pre>GAME: Seyardu rolls will +2: (11)+10+2: 23 (vs Thurid's calm emotions)
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls will: (6)+8: 14 (vs Thurid's calm emotions)
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "you move up but don't feel like fighting or doing anything hostile once you get there."</pre>

Faranmidahn cries, "No, -I'm- the one you want!" drawing her longsword, it's cold iron blade shrieking out of it's sheath as the little Knight moves up to help Seyardu, "Try to angle our placement together, we can use our magics if e're aligned to proper relative facings!" By the time her little legs carry her to the silverscales's side, however, she seems... well, less urgent about things.

"Yeah.... really, you don't need to suffer anymore.... C'mon...." it seems the Eldritch Knight's even lost her passion for fomalities.

<pre>GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+17: (4)+17: 21, she hugs Seyarud (grapples)
GAME: You damaged Seyardu's Charisma for 1 points. 3 total damage.</pre>
 
The jotun's appeal to Angoron is heard, perhaps. The ghostly druid stops crying, her blood tears no longer dripping to the ground, even though Seyardu's eyes fill with blood and overflow.

"I'm sorry." The woman says, embracing the silverscale, stroking down her back. "I'm sorry, so sorry. I did everything I could. I didn't want you to go."

As her hands stroke, the sith'makar can feel her scales itching. The little lucht, up close, can see why. The silver scales are tarnishing, turning black, peeling up as if affected by mold and rot.

As the ghostly druid pets, Seyardu's scales are necrotizing, until parts of her back look exactly like the undead swiftclaw's hide.

"I'm so sorry YOU HAD TO DIE." There's the anger again.

<pre>GAME: Faranmidahn rolls diplomacy: (12)+10: 22</pre>

The little lucht's call is enough to make the woman look her way, but she does not release her swiftclaw.

<pre>GAME: Thurid casts Spiritual Weapon. Caster Level: 9 DC: 16
GAME: Thurid rolls bab+wisdom: (6)+6+4: 16 (Spiritual Weapon)
<OOC> Thurid says, "Summoned the weapon at 10, 13"
<OOC> Thurid says, "I want to move myself to 9, 14"</pre>

Thurid sighs sadly and shakes her head as the Ghost is still unable to see reason even under the influence of her calming spells. She grips the haft of her hammer, and then pulls, as though attempting to rip it in two. She tears free a glowing simulacrum off the Earthbreaker, and then throws it- the ghostly hammer sails through the air, but misses the mark as Thurid makes her way over towards the Ghost herself.

"Release her. It is time for you to go to the halls of waiting, I'm sorry that we will have to be less gentle about it." She tells the Ghost as she hefts her hammer ready to fight.

<pre><OOC> Seyardu says, "I guess I need to try to escape the grapple"
GAME: Seyardu rolls cmb: (4)+8: 12
<OOC> Seyardu says, "Uh, then I'll use my move action to channel energy with quick channel"
GAME: Seyardu rolls 5d6: (19): 19
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (17)+8: 25 (vs DC18)</pre>

Seyardu winces when the scales on her back start to fall apart, and she struggles to shove the ghost away, but finds it difficult due to the intangibility of it, and her hands only burning further on touch. 

"I am not your swiftclaw, and if you can not realize this through your grief, what you have become, then I will have to send you on. I am not your companion." She calls out, managing to pull out her holy symbol, shoving it against the ghost and suffusing it with positive energy.

<pre><OOC> Faranmidahn says, "going to use arcane strike jic, but, i'm casting magic missile"
GAME: Faranmidahn attempts to cast Magic Missile but fails due to ASF.</pre>

"No, damnit!" Faran cries as the necrotizing scales tell her that the creature is, indeed, attacking and breaks Thurid's calming weave. She infuses her iron blade, just in case, but opts, instead to start to cast, "By will in sti-ah!"

A buckle bit into a tender spot at a bad moment, and what arcane energies had amased in her extended fingertips drifts off into nothingness like fairy dust.

<pre>GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+22: (5)+22: 27 (CMB Grapple - Move Seyardu)
GAME: Thurid rolls weapon11: (14)+11: 25 (AOO), "Earthbreaker +1, Bludgeoning, Magic"
GAME: Thurid rolls damage11: aliased to 2d6+7: (10)+7: 17
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls weapon7+1: (2)+9+1: 12 (AOO)
GAME: You damaged Seyardu's Charisma for 1 points. 4 total damage.</pre>

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." The ghostly woman sobs, holding onto Seyardu. Improbably, the sith'makar woman feels her feet leaving the ground, a sensation of air moving across her, irritating her raw back.

The weapons wielded by her friends disturb the woman's clothes, but their strikes seem ineffective. This dead aparition shows no damage from them.

She heads north east, to one of the open graves, and drifts down into it and lays Seyardu on the ground. She hovers over her, "it's okay Sparklescale, you'll live again. This is hallowed ground. Anything buried here rises."

"I'll have you back." After she buries her alive.

<pre>GAME: Thurid casts Holy Smite. Caster Level: 9 DC: 18
GAME: Thurid rolls bab+wisdom: (20)+6+4: 30 (THREAT)
GAME: Thurid rolls bab+wisdom: (7)+6+4: 17 (Not Confirmed)
GAME: Thurid rolls bab+wisdom-5: (14)+6+4+-5: 19
GAME: Thurid rolls 1d8+3: (3)+3: 6, "Force damage"
GAME: Thurid rolls 4d8: (23): 23 (Smite Damage)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (14)+8: 22 (vs DC 18)</pre>

Thurid swings her hammer, scowling as it phases harmlessly through the ghostly figures ephemeral form. As it takes Seyardu away, she growls, "No you don't!" after her, and breaks into a jog after the Ghost. While she does, she shoulders her maul and clutches her holy symbol, "Angoron, strike down this wayward spirit, that her soul may rest."

A point of light forms within the dark iron of her holy symbol, before it flashes forth and bursts into a surge of radiance centered on the ghost- searing her incorporeal form and weakening its connection to the material.

Even as she does this, the maul she summoned swings for her once, and twice, whirling through the air and connecting solidly, its own form as ghostly as her own.

The silversale is now in an open grave, being held down, and getting uglier.

<pre><OOC> Seyardu says, "I don't think I can break this grapple, so I'm going to channel energy again"
GAME: Seyardu rolls 5d6: (13): 13
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (8)+8: 16 (vs DC 18)</pre>

Seyardu found herself picked up by the ghost, and the sith-makar was unable to get away, instead being shoved into one of the disturbed graves. She readies the holy symbol again, but her thoughts were slipping absently, and when she attempts to summon more positive energy, it is weakened, and not particularly effective.

<pre><OOC> Faranmidahn says, "aam, magic missile, then move after, 14, 12 i think"
GAME: Faranmidahn casts Magic Missile. Caster Level: 9 DC: 15
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls 5d4+5: (13)+5: 18</pre>

It's infuriating not being taken seriously, some days...

With Faran once again vanishing amongst the tallmen, even in the largely unpopulated section of a forest, she starts to chase after the ghost trying to kidnap her friend in it's maddened grief.

Summoning her training, she manages to move with her defensive shell, unleashing another spray of five arcing bolts that strike the druid true.

"Why can't anyone ever see reason!" she complains, her tiny stride leaving her some way left to go to get back into proper engagement range.

<pre>GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+7: (14)+7: 21
GAME: You damaged Seyardu's Charisma for 1 points. 5 total damage.</pre>

"Rest Sparklescale, rest easy and I'll see you again soon." The distraught ghost says, pushing Seyardu into the cold, stinking earth. The sky above is a cloudy grey, framed by the stickly and sickly branches of the nearby trees.

Until it is blotted out by a wave of loose soil as the piles of earth surrounding the hole rise up, then tumble in.

Burying Seyardu alive.

<pre><OOC> Thurid says, "Spiritual Weapon full attacks, lasts for another 6 rounds after this one."
<OOC> Thurid says, "Damage is 1d8+3 and its a 3x crit weapon."
GAME: Thurid rolls bab+wisdom: (8)+6+4: 18
GAME: Thurid rolls bab+wisdom-5: (20)+6+4+-5: 25 (THREAT)
GAME: Thurid rolls bab+wisdom-5: (19)+6+4+-5: 24 (Not Confirmed)
<OOC> Thurid says, "And it's +10 with two attacks."
GAME: Thurid rolls 1d8+3: (1)+3: 4
GAME: Thurid rolls 5d6: (14): 14
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+8: (2)+8: 10 (Will save vs DC16)</pre>

Thurid brandishes her own Holy symbol, even as the light from Seyardu's own begins to fade, hidden beneath the soil. "Let her go! She is not your pet!" the Jotunborn bellows- the hammer whirls and wizzes, but the ghost is alarmingly nimble able to dodge all but the most precise of attacks.

Thurids holy symbol burns brightly, though, searing the ghostly flesh. Though not nearly enough to free Seyardu.

<pre><OOC> Faranmidahn says, "aam magic missile, arcane strike and move up to melee"
GAME: Faranmidahn casts Magic Missile. Caster Level: 9 DC: 15
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls 5d4+5: (14)+5: 19</pre>

The albino Lucht repeats her less.... indiscriminate attack spell one more time, with the five bolts hewing some of the dead druid's essence free, before she takes up a position close at hand, infusing her longsword again, just in case an oppurtunity arises.

She hates this.....

The soul is acting out of grief... driven mad by anguish and loneliness...

And the Purple Rose has to grind her thorns into the wounds to set the spirit free.

To save her friend.

<pre><OOC> Paenitia says, "the Druid attacks Faran instead.."
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+13: (7)+13: 20
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+13: (12)+13: 25
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d8+2: (6)+2: 8
GAME: You damaged Faranmidahn for 8 points. 39 HP remaining.
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+17: (12)+17: 29
GAME: You damaged Faranmidahn's Charisma for 1 points. 1 total damage.</pre>

The ghostly woman drifts up out of the grave. In time to face the barrage of the albino lucht's spells. She seems even more transparent, somehow, a wisp of shadow and light against the dark forest.

She gazes at Thurid with bleeding eyes, moaning, "No, Mr. Big Huggys, you always were my favourite. You can't die. You can't..."

Her voice grows loud, overwhelming, "DIE!"

It echoes in the forest, birds suddenly take flight, and the jotun stands there, stock and stunned.

The woman turns on Faran, reaching out, and as she does her hands grow more and more distinct. The lucht feels them scrape across her armour, penetrate the seams, and strike her cold.

"There, there, little spider, it's okay. I won't. HURT. you."

She hurts her.

<pre>GAME: Seyardu rolls 5d6: (18): 18 (Rolling Thurid's Channel)
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+8: (16)+8: 24 (vs DC18)</pre>

Another burst of energy comes from Thurid's holy symbol.

<pre><OOC> Paenitia says, "shielded caster feat, and yes you're grappled"
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+9+4: (13)+9+4: 26 (vs DC28)
GAME: Seyardu casts Liberating Command. Caster Level: 9 DC: 15, "used up"</pre>

Seyardu found herself buried under a large amount of dirt just when the ghost seems to be floating away. It was too much, and to hard packed to move much. With a bit of a struggle, they manage to dig out a pocket around their mouth, but when they attempt to cast a spell, the soil caves in, and the sith-makar spits out dirt that filled her mouth.

<pre><OOC> Faranmidahn says, "arcan strike the traveller's knife, shank-shank"
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls weapon2: (4)+9: 13
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls weapon2-5: (10)+9+-5: 14</pre>

Sometimes, it's a bad thing to be noticed.

Thank you for the lesson, world.

On the upside, perhaps Thurid and her ghost hammer with have an easier time while the druid is distracting herself on freezin'...

beatin'..

squeezin'...

The spiiiiiiderrrrrrr....!

Faran's choked back cry hisses through gnashed teeth behind the slates of her knightly visor as she is siezed in the necrotic grasp. The little knight shudders, managing to keep her grip on her weapons, the weight of them reassures her, as she infuses the Traveller's knife, better suited for such a clinch, that she isn't defenseless.

Whiff-whiff!

Perhaps erroneously....

<pre>GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+17: (4)+17: 21
GAME: You damaged Faranmidahn's Charisma for 1 points. 2 total damage.</pre>

"Shhhh...shhhh... don't bite little spider." The ghostly druid says, as her claws sink further into Faranmidhan. The little lucht is lifted off the ground, against her will, a too common experience.

Although the druid glides towards the burnt tree, and upwards...

Higher...

And higher.

"Here's a safe place for you to build your little web." The albino knight is shoved into the tree, then released. It's a long way down.

<pre><OOC> Paenitia says, "roll a climb DC5 to grab hold of the tree, you're 25' up"
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls climb: (9)+2: 11</pre>

The jotun is presented with a dilemna, the ghost has gotten out of her divine aura. Not far, but enough it may not take effect.

One ally is buried, the other is up a tree, and the spiritual weapon seems to be hitting far better than she can. She decides to dig Seyardu out.

<pre>GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+10: (18)+10: 28 (Thurid's SW)
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+5: (18)+5: 23
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d8+3: (3)+3: 6</pre>

The spiritual weapon, the ghostly mallet of the athlete, floats upward in a vertical spin, picking up speed as it barrels towards the ghostly druid. It impacts with what should have been a resounding thud against a fleshy target, and ricochets off to the side before it can strike again.

When the silver sith-makar felt and heard the dirt shifting above her, she pushes back until she can muscle through what was remaining to gain room to move, and she claws the last of the barrier out of the way with assistance from the giantborn. Perhaps the ground did have some manner of magical property, as they looked like a decomposing corpse, but that was merely a combination of the prior injury and dirt that was covering everything. 

"My thanks." She sputters, before she works to free the rest of herself and climb out of the grave.

<pre><OOC> Paenitia says, "Faran? she's still in range. DC5 athletics to hold on and attack if you want"
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls athletics: (16)+0: 16
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls diplomacy: (7)+9: 16</pre>

At least she wasn't confused for a chipmunk or something.

Faran, who's really been having a night of things, is forced by circumstance to let the longsword tumble to the soil below as she is thrust into the tree. Her now free hand is only so for an instant before she is clutching the scorched tree, where her racial preferrence in footwear lends itself to some benefit, as her toes help her find extra purchase on the bark.

With a glance down at her friends, still shaking the gravesoil free, she finds her heart renewed, and she looks to the harrowed soul once more to try and reach the person, "Madame... What... what is your name? How would you have us pray for you...?"

The question makes her pause...

Then scream, "HOW COULD YOU FORGET ME!"

Her mouth is so wide it seems she might swallow the lucht. Abandonment turns to blind fury.

They're dead.

:: dead...

:::: dead...

All her lovely, beautiful pets, dying over and over throughout the years, no matter what she did. Pets she loved with her whole heart.

That maybe never even cared for her at all.

The betrayal is real. As are her claws, which slash at the white spider.

<pre>GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+13: (16)+13: 29
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d20+13: (18)+13: 31
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d8+2: (5)+2: 7
GAME: Paenitia rolls 1d8+2: (8)+2: 10
GAME: You damaged Faranmidahn for 17 points. 22 HP remaining.
GAME: You damaged Faranmidahn's Charisma for 1 points. 3 total damage.</pre>

Dragging her from the tree.

"Angoron, lend me your strength!" Thurid grunts, leaning into the hole she's torn in the ground. Scales, she feels scales.

She grabs! Pulls!

The silverscale is wrenched all the way free.

<pre>GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+10: (5)+10: 15 (Thurid's Spiritual Weapon)
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+5: (13)+5: 18 (Thurid's Spiritual Weapon)
GAME: Seyardu casts Liberating Command. Caster Level: 9 DC: 15
GAME: Seyardu casts Righteous Might. Caster Level: 9 DC: 19
GAME: Seyardu casts Spiritual Ally. Caster Level: 9 DC: 18
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+10: (12)+10: 22</pre>

Seyardu manages to climb out of the pit with aid from her fellow cleric, and looking up, she sees Faran, and what remains of the ghost. She pulls out her holy symbol, causing a cascade of dirt off of them. Near the ghost manifests a spectral sith-makar, who brings their billhook down, but misses what remains of the ghost.

<pre><OOC> Faranmidahn says, "arcane strike on the knife"
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls weapon2+2: (8)+9+2: 19
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls weapon2+2-5: (1)+9+2+-5: 7 (EPIC FAIL)
<OOC> Faranmidahn says, "ok, aarcane strike makes this a magic weapon for damage reduction purposes, and adds 2 damage"
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls 1d3+1+2+2: (1)+1+2+2: 6
<OOC> Faranmidahn says, "i'll reroll that second swing if i can"
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls weapon2+2-5: (12)+9+2+-5: 18
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls 1d3+1+2+2: (2)+1+2+2: 7
<OOC> Paenitia says, "okay! that finally disrupts her and you fall 25' down"
GAME: Paenitia rolls 2d6: (6): 6
GAME: You damaged Faranmidahn for 6 points. 16 HP remaining.</pre>

With pain choking out through her teeth, the little white spider endures blow after blow that rake through her defenses, casting her blood thither and yon, and spreading the unsettling wearying chilll she can only assume is the same sort of inflicted rot she watched poor Seyardu suffer.

Then she's yanked clean out of the tree, shuddering as her body is trying to convince itself that it isn't actually dead, yet, while her mind tells it to fight.

To fight-NOW!

Her mana suffuses the traveller's blade, the only thing fit for these quarters left to her, and she snarls an agonized, "Let me!" 

Stab!

"GO!!!!"

SAB!

This last one seems to do the busines, thanks to the etheral champion Seyardu had invoked, and the anguished soul is sent to the beyond for the Enduring One's merciful judgement.

This, however leaves the sorceress knight in a pickle.

One commonly branded erroneously as 'free fall'.

You're not free to go anywhere but down, really, but there she goes.

Thmp!

Sputtering and coughing weakly in the aftermath of impact, amidst a cloud of kicked up cinders and ash, she wheezes out a pitiously breathless moan, "I landed on a roooooock....!"

"I NEVER. Want YOU! To FORGET ME!" The ghost roars in the little lucht's face. In life, this bellow would come with a rush of air, spittle, yet all the white spider feels is the woman's cold, hard claws digging into her.

Until the weapons strike.

Until her knife, the last vestage of defense, finds purchase and the vanishing image of the woman is all she sees while she plummets.

The ground is also cold and hard, but of a different nature even if the lingering energies of corrupted nature flow through it.

The ghost is gone, though her voice remains a faint and sobbing sound on the wind.

"Why does no one love me..."

:: "Why does everyone leave me..."

:::: "Why am I so alone..."

{{LineSkulls|300px}}

==Combatty==

''Encounter 1''
<pre> ===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 2 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
  >> 20   Guards           1   <<
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     19   Thurid           1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     15   MAC-B1G          1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     14   Faranmidahn      1  Flat-footed (1 rnd active)                   
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     5    Seyardu          1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     3    Hyena            1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ==============================================================================</pre>

''Map - Encounter 1''
<br>https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=mqv1qf9bufn

''Encounter 2''
<pre>  ===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 3 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
     20   Thurid           1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     18   Dead Things      1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     7    Seyardu          1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  >> 5    Faranmidahn      1   <<
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     4    MAC-B1G          1  Titan Armor (3 rnds active)                  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ==============================================================================

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|   Name   |   Race   |   Class   | CHP | HP  | AC/FF/T |CMD |For |Ref |Wil |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Faranmidah|HALFLING  |Cav/ElK/Sor| 47  | 47  |22/19/14 | 19 | 8  | 6  | 8  |
|MAC-B1G   |WAR_GOLEM |Art        | 104 | 110 |24/22/14 | 28 | 11 | 9  | 4  |
|Seyardu   |SITH-MAKAR|Clr        | 85  | 85  |19/19/10 | 18 | 10 | 3  | 10 |
|Thurid    |GIANTBORN |Clr        | 76  | 76  |23/21/14 | 25 | 9  | 5  | 10 |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------</pre>

''Map - Encounter 2 & 3''
<bre>https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=m6uyw2if7xw

''Encounter 3''
<pre> ===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 5 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
  >> 16   Druid Ghost      1   <<
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     13   Thurid           1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     13   Seyardu          1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     12   Faranmidahn      1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ==============================================================================
''Pae's Continue''
 ===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 1 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
     16   Druid Ghost         
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     14   Thurid           1  Flat-footed (0 rnds active)                  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     13   Seyardu          1  Flat-footed (0 rnds active)                  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     12   Faranmidahn      1  Flat-footed (0 rnds active)                  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ==============================================================================
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|   Name   |   Race   |   Class   | CHP | HP  | AC/FF/T |CMD |For |Ref |Wil |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Faranmidah|HALFLING  |Cav/ElK/Sor| 47  | 47  |22/19/14 | 19 | 8  | 6  | 8  |
|Seyardu   |SITH-MAKAR|Clr        | 85  | 85  |19/19/10 | 18 | 10 | 3  | 10 |
|Thurid    |GIANTBORN |Clr        | 76  | 76  |23/21/14 | 25 | 9  | 5  | 10 |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|   Name   |   Race   |   Class   | CHP | HP  | AC/FF/T |CMD |For |Ref |Wil |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Faranmidah|HALFLING  |Cav/ElK/Sor| 47  | 47  |22/19/14 | 19 | 8  | 6  | 8  |
|Seyardu   |SITH-MAKAR|Clr        | 85  | 85  |19/19/10 | 18 | 10 | 3  | 10 |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------</pre>

''Related Vids''
<br>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9WVnFSmzaY