In my last post, we left the heroes in the Chapel, where Simon confronted them. I should have labeled the map last time, but this is what we roughly have:
Technically, no one is surprised, but Simon's marked out like a Shakespearean actor and said his line:
"Can I help you!"
On target for a haughty D'Amberville, but a poor plan for picking a fight. He is denoted by the red S. Behind him were the bone golem and the pack of skeletons. On the left, I have marked out the 3 groups of Zombies.
Parker and Warren tense and begin advancing on him, with Jude following. They know the D'Amberville family well. In reaction to this, the snap-case characters react. Khouri and Lance loosed arrows as they are a team. Although separated, they think alike. Rety joined in the fun. Sybil ripped off a magic missile. Alexei starts playing the organ to set the tone.
Simon paid for his mistake, taking 13 points of damage.
 |
| Sooooo many targets. |
magic missile.
Simon took another 12 points of damage and can't cast a spell. He readied a mace. He is down to 12 HP. He allows the skeletons and golem to interpose themselves between him and the party.
Round 3. The party continues to roll well for initiative. Parker, Warran, and Jude sweep past Merry and Nononn. Nononn drew his sword and followed them. Sybil and Bel were out of magic missiles and split up. Sybil ran after Jude's team while Bel made for the stairs.
The dynamic of the combat changes. Merry and Dorian turn all of the skeletons but are perplexed by the golem, which they can't identify at range.
Lance and Khouri kept firing arrows, but missed. This gave Simon a chance to cast hold person on Sybil, rooting her in place.
Round 4: The bone golem and Jude's team met. Parker and Warren were struck for 3 and 7 HP. The zombies burst out of the western door. Merry could hear them, but couldn't see them as they were behind the statues. He stopped and turned. Simon struck Bel with continual darkness. Bel stumbled into a statue, triggering it. It bestowed a very ironic gift on him: a scroll of protection from magic. Helpful, but not really.
The fighting men go at the golem, dealing 12 points of damage.
Khouri, Rety, and Lance target Simon again. They do one point of damage, knocking him to 11 HP.
Gabby ran down the stairs, intending to help Sybil. She was blocked by Bel, flailing between two statues, enshrouded in darkness. She yelled at him to stop moving. Luckily, he didn't trigger either statue again.
Round 5: The golem gets the drop on the party again, this time with Simon helping. Warren, Parker, and Jude took 8, 7, and 3 HP damage, respectively. Khouri was not able to get an angle on a target and advanced in on the melee, bow still drawn.
At the bottom of the stairs, Bel flailed against the statues, thinking he was under attack. Gabby grabbed him and pulled him away. The darkness spell was far more effective than I thought it would be. Lance followed her into the chaotic situation.
Jude managed to strike Simon for 6 HP, leaving just 3 HP.
Rety climbed over the railing and down to the chapel floor. Climb is a wildly under-used and under-rated ability.
Round 6: The party tied with the monsters for initiative. Merry easily turned the zombies, and they retreated back to their cells. Khouri continued her advance, while Lance stumbled towards Gabby and the confused Bel. Sybil was still held.
The golem was struck for 18 more points of damage, leaving it with just 7 HP. Simon backed up but used Finger of Death on Nononn. He handily saved.
Charles opened the eastern door and muttered: "What's happening?" This woke Madiline and her bloodlust for Charles. She charged for the stairs with Doian in hot pursuit.
Round 7: The party goes first. Nononn slipped around the golem and narrowly missed Simon in the doorway. The three fighters pummeled the golem to death.
Lance, Merry, and Khouri continue their advance on Simon. Dorian and Madiline made it down the stairs, while Rety sprinted to the altar. Lord, this room is big.
Simon took a second go at Nononn with Finger of Death and this time the fighter lost.
Charles smiled evilly and darted forward to cast a spell. Nononn rose from the chapel floor and shambled to intercept Madiline. Due to the nature of his death, Nononn rose with his full hit points, armor class, and weapon.
Narrative rounds: The chaos was complete. Madiline and Nononn raced at each other, with the whole party in pursuit. Charles protected his retreat with a wall of ice. Rety separated from the party, entering the northwestern door to stalk Charles. The animated Nononn slew Madiline and turned on the party. Sadly, the party defeated their former ally.
Rety had followed Charles back to his lair in room 30 and observed from the shadows, hidden off to the right of his door. Charles readied himself for a battle, securing his room the best he could. He cast darkness at the northwestern turn of the hallway. He sent his wizard eye down to the northwestern doorway of the chapel to watch the party. Rety silently watched, bow in hand, while Charles searched his library for anything that could assist him in the upcoming fight.
Khouri led the fighting men down the northwestern hallway, taking a moment to swipe at the wizard's eye. Alerted by the attack on the eye, Charles took a final frantic look around the room. That was when Rety loosed an arrow into his back. She had surprised him.
In the next round, Rety stepped into the room and hit him with another arrow. And that was all the time the angry fighters needed to enter the room themselves and put an end to him. Jude and Merry threw up a stink about dismembering the body. The other grumbled but agreed.
They circled back to kill the skeletons before everyone banded together to spike the zombies' cell door shut.
We leave the party with Sybil held, Bel enshrouded in darkness, and Nonnon dead. Everyone except Dorian, Gabby, and Lance had some wounds.
The party had defeated 18 zombies, 9 skeletons, a bone golem, and three of D'Amberville.
There will be a lot of mopping up before the next session. I will post bookkeeping, share Warren and Parker's character sheets, and award experience.
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