Falathar greeted Agrent, “I assume you came back to warn us?” “No, I came to save you,” said the smiling Agrent as he wiped the blood from his weapons. Their momentary celebration was interrupted by the sounds of many shuffling feet approaching. “Oh, the zombies are coming,” pointed out Agrent, “bad walking men.” “What zombies and how
many,” retorted Falathar. He found his answer as a multitude of zombie shuffled into view. “Agrent not stick around” as he pulled back. The party took up defensive positions just as Agrent was shot with a cross bow bolt.
Parlay was the first to react and delayed his attack until the zombies came in range. Rain put an arrow into the first, which caused it to halt. Agrent climbed up to the ceiling and sent an arrow into the same zombie. Strabo moved to a position where he could see through into the room and sent a bolt into the same zombie dropping it in its tracks.
Erlig moved up to a point where he could see and Justice moved up to close the distance. Falathar moved up twenty feet and started casting. Cameo moved up to use his crossbow, but missed rather badly. Parlay threw a bottle of oil just this side of the opening all the zombies would have to pass through.
Parlay again held his attack hoping the zombies would come with in range. Agrent tossed his bow back in a corner and pulled his club and klar hitting the third monster to enter the room. Strabo used his whip to trip and pull the same zombie down into the second
room. There Bron and Parlay both took attacks of opportunity and scored hits dropping it unconscious. Erlig cast grease centered on an area ten foot by ten foot where Parlay had tossed the oil earlier. Bron used his regular attack to strike the fourth zombie. Falathar finished casting sound burst centering it in the middle of the zombies in the grease and oil. He damaged nine of the zombies and stunned five. All but two of the zombies passing
through the oil slipped. Cameo missed with his second crossbow shot. Justice struck the fourth zombie now that it was in range.
Parlay tossed another bottle of oil into the pack of zombies. Rain scored another arrow hit, while Agrent used his wand to send a small fireball into the grease and oil. Eight of the
zombies were now on fire. Strabo used his cross bow and managed to nick one. Erlig sent in a magic missile into the same, which was followed by Bron putting a bolt into it. Falathar sent an arrow into the same and dropped it. Two of the zombies moved up to attack Bron and Parlay. Justice used a cleave attack to drop it dead.
Parlay using his long sword and a critical hit from his shield to spilt a zombie in twain with it guts spraying about the room. He saw an Elvin figure appear at the right side of the room…it was Ironbriar. Ironbriar cast energy drain damaging the entire party who fortunately saved and took only half damage. A second figure appeared on the other side of the room…it was Tsuto. Agrent noticed that the two had come through hidden doors. Rain sent an arrow into a zombie, not being able to see Ironbriar or Tsuto from her vantage point. Agrent used his wand to set Tsuto on fire. Strabo tried to pull another zombie downstairs with his whip, but failed to connect this time. Erlig was able to see Tsuto and sent a magic missile from his wand into the half-elf. Bron enraged that Ironbriar had betrayed his beloved system of justice ran up and attacked missing in his righteous rage.
Our paladin channeled positive energy to heal the party’s damage. Falathar moved up into the room to shoot Tsuto, but missed in his haste. Cameo moved up to the left and could not see Ironbriar in the next room. He failed to hit using his cross bow. The zombie that could move tried to attack Bron and Falathar and missed doing so.
Parlay moved up to attack Ironbriar hitting with the long sword. Ironbriar returned the favor by sending a blazing light to strike Parlay. This seemed to leave Parlay stunned for several seconds. Tsuto used his infamous tumbling ability to leap over the zombies to
reach our bard dealing a serious hit. Rain sent yet another arrow into a zombie. Agrent tried to shoot Ironbriar with the wand, but the little fireball harmlessly hit the wall behind. Strabo pulled out a vial and poured its contents over Justice’s blade “this will help.” Erlig sent a second magic missile into the burning Tsuto. Bron used a cleave attack to score twice on Ironbriar. Justice moved up and a cleave attack to hit two of the zombies on
Falathar. In the back Strabo could be heard, “NO! That was for Tsuto…what a waste.” Falathar switch to his rapier, but missed Tsuto in his haste. He then used his slippers to climb up the wall to the ceiling. Fortunately neither Tsuto nor the zombies had attacks of opportunity. Cameo missed with his cross bow once again. One zombie managed to hit Bron with a solid blow.
Ironbriar channeled negative energy a second time with everyone saving except Bron and Rain who took the full damage. Parlay was still stunned, but Rain sent an arrow into a zombie. Agrent used his wand in a second attempt to hit Ironbriar with not better success. Strabo tried in vain to trip Ironbriar with his whip. Erlig hit Tsuto with another magic missile from his wand. Bron reeling from being hit missed Ironbriar. Justice moved up scoring with both hits of a cleave attack on Tsuto with one piercing his heart dropping him dead. Falathar tried to hit Ironbriar with an arrow without success. Cameo tried to use his ability to disrupt undead missing them completely. Two zombies managed to hit Bron and he was looking very bad. Three tried to hit our paladin, but didn’t even come close.
Parlay recovering his senses missed with both sword and shield on Ironbriar. Ironbriar for a third time channeled negative energy with the entire party saving and only taking half damage. Rain shook up missed with an arrow directed at Ironbriar. Agrent used his wand for a third time and hit Ironbriar with the small fireball setting him ablaze. Strabo
failed trying to use his whip to trip a zombie. Erlig moved up to the doorway and peeked around to send a magic missile into Ironbriar. Bron in his weakened condition missed Ironbriar. Justice, however, used smite and hit him. Falathar seeing our valiant dwarf about ready to go down ran across the ceiling and cast a cure light on Bron. Cameo missed with his cross bow, while three of the zombies missed both Bron and Justice.
An exasperated Parlay missed with both sword and shield. Ironbriar pulled out his war razor and channeled smite dropping Bron unconscious. Rain missed with her arrow, but Ironbriar fell unconscious from the continuing fire from Agrent. Agrent dropped from the
ceiling and cast a cantrip to stabilize Bron. The zombies immediately stopped moving, which allowed Justice to move over and perform lay on hands reviving our poor dwarf. Strabo used his whip to trip and pull a zombie down the stairs, which allowed Erlig cut off its head. Falathar ran over the ceiling and down the wall to cut Ironbriar’s throat. We then pulled back allowing the fire to consume the zombies.
We searched Ironbriar’s corpse and recovered a war razor, mithral shirt, and a journal written like a ledger. Tsuto’s body only had a short bow and arrows. Falathar examined the ledger and found it to be written in Elvin, infernal and draconic. He could read the Elvin and Strabo could do the same with infernal. Neither could read it all. Falathar used a first level spell to cast comprehend languages on himself. The entire book was now clear to him.
The book referenced the Lord of Murder, the Skinsaw Man, and the dark god Norgorber, which we knew to be the same entity. Falathar found through the writing that Ironbriar had been involved with the cult for some eighty years. He had been using his office to
slow or confuse investigations into the cult and to further the evil designs of the cult. Falathar’s original suspicions about the Brothers of the Seven were confirmed. They were the cover for the cult’s organization. In recent years Ironbriar made several notations about his true love Xanesha. Sometimes he referred to her as Wanton of Nature’s Pagan Forms. It seems that he had visited her at the “old lighthouse” several times. Falathar then reminded the party that it is known as the “Lady’s Light.” It is the same one that had been overrun by boggards in recent years. Xanesha had taught Ironbriar a new way of killing – The Sihedron Ritual.
It also detailed how Foxglove had been in debt to the Brothers of Seven. He had agreed to provide them with Vorel’s Phage which produces a necromantic disease. Aldern Foxglove had succumbed to it and became the creature we had fought. He had sent a sample of it to the Scarlet Mantis and order of assassins. They worship the god of a subtropical assassin’s cult known as Achakek who appears as a praying mantis. They are said to be headquartered in the sodden lands near the eye of Abendengo.
The most extensive entries consisted of a list of names. Some names had check marks next to them such as the merchant Eliza Jericho. To Falathar’s surprise he saw a name recently added to the book, Kizzy Mvashti. It had no check mark next to it.
darksasha 