Support NeoGAF

[ThLunarian]

((It's been more than a day since Quintus posted, and Sarm is staying silent on the matter; since Kaff and Ivor both agree with at least stopping back in Alydar to regroup, I'm going to assume Quintus is going to eventually agree to head to Alydar. If anyone wants to do anything at the library before leaving, make note of it in your next post))

After making the appropriate preparations, the group sets out toward Alydar once again, this time with a guest. Linka does her best not to get in the way, sticking mostly to a corner she's carved out for herself in the horse-drawn cart.

The weather is still cloudy and drizzling, and once again the party gets pretty soaked within a few hours of setting out. Fortunately, it clears up by the end of the day.

The next two and a half days are uneventful. You see no signs of Lysa or Elmina during the trek, and the bodies of the barbarian and the druid are still right where you left them. Although you do keep a watch schedule the first night, it turns out not to be necessary, and the next night you are able to stay at the same roadside inn that took you in the first time through.

On the third day, however, as you approach the town, something seems strange. In the distance, while the city gates themselves are still closer to the horizon than to you, you can see figures working on the farmland that surrounds the town. This would be normal, except that their movements seem a little off. They are still tilling the land, picking the plants, herding the animals, and doing the normal things that farmers would do, but the way their bodies are moving seems unnatural, even from this distance. It's not just one or two farmers, either; the plains are fairly flat, and so you can see pretty far. Every farmer, on his own separate farm, and everyone working with them seem to have the same condition.

Finally, the city gate comes into view. The gates are closed, and there are no members of the city guard on duty, which, as you've come to realize, is unusual.

There are also five bodies nailed securely to the ironwood gates of town. All seem to have been struck down by longswords; two are wearing the gray-and-gold uniforms of the City Guard (both human), and three are wearing the signature green outfits of the Arm of Vecna cultists (one minotaur and two human). This is likely intended as some kind of warning.

If/when you check the gates, they are unlocked.

 

[Mike M]

Kaff bites his lower lip with unease.  A city slicker to his very core, he has little understanding of agricultural technique, but shouldn't these farmers be more... Farmerly in their mannerisms?  

The sight of the bodies causes his unease to multiply.  The Vecna cultists he could understand, but what transgression has the city guard made?  Furthermore, he hadn't recalled seeing any minotaurs during the Arm's initial assault, where had these bodies come from?  Had there been yet another assault in their absence?

Suddenly acutely aware of his own distinctive green garb, Kaff rummages through the items accumulated over the past few days and produces the cloak from the night of the campsite attack.  He stashes his own green cloak in his backpack and covers as much as his green armor as possible.

Disguise check:  1d20 + 9 = 13

((Is the +2 Charisma of the cloak +2 to the charisma score, or +2 to the modifier? I left it out of this roll since I didn't know))


"Have a care, Ivor," he says noting the dwarven rogue's own green spoils, "heading into town adorned in the colors of the enemy will, ah, likely be counter productive.  Something seems amiss, but I can't put my finger on it..."

((I don't actually really want the Cloak of Charisma long term if someone would rather have it just grabbing it for RP purposes.  If we have some other cloak around, that's work just as well. It's been sitting unclaimed for a while, though.

Anyone object if I lay claim to the Gloves of Dexterity?

Also, apologies all around for any previous overzealousness with the posting, I'll reign it in and let everyone get at least a post in before piping up again : ) ))

 

[ThLunarian]

If Kaff and Ivor want to try and cover up their armor before entering town, I'll need a Disguise check from each of them.

((Just a general FYI: A DC 10 Craft roll will allow you to alter the armor of Vecna cultists so that you don't look like them (You can do it untrained since the DC is so low). Any tailor in any city could also make the necessary alterations for 5 silver (half a gold). Of course, there may be strategic value in having outfits of the enemy available, so you may or may not want to make these alterations.

Also, this isn't relevant to the current situation, but I just thought of it and I don't want to forget to tell you all. In my games, 1 Platinum = 100 Gold; 1 gold = 10 Silver; 1 Silver = 10 Copper. The Platinum conversion is different than in the book, but everything else is the same.))

 

[KittenMaster]

It is highly doubtful that anyone would be surprised by the lack of the two women. They would have no reason to stay out in the open regardless of motivation or how they came to return to their homes.

Sarm has the horses by the reigns, watching the farmers with suspicion, both his eyes and his feelings telling him that something is amiss. Despite all logic and reasoning that would dictate that someone like him would be crazy for suspecting a farmer for doing his work, he warns his allies regardless, "Stand guard. I sense we are being haunted from afar..."

Approaching the city gates allows him to be the first to see the display that has been put up for the adventurers to behold, his eyes widening in anger at the mockery that is being made of men's deserted bodies. He quickly stops the wagon, quickly warning his companions in the back, "This must be the work of Vecna's followers! We must be wary."

 

[Songbird]

"I'm not leaving this cart until I'm good and ready, gentlemen." Ivor declares loudly. "I need to alter my clothes, ones I paid damn good money for I'll have you know! I never knew the bastards would wear stealth gear within a shade of my old militia fatigues." What could be interpreted as a joke is instead frustration. "Every time we leave civilisation bad things... No. Forget it."

Remembering that Linka is with them, Ivor decides not to panic their guest. "I'll just need some privacy, madam."

Craft: Rolling a 20-sided dice, 1 time(s):  [URL="http://i.imgur.com/1qCQl.png"]20 (why do I not get these in combat!?)[/URL]

Hopping out of the cart, he collects handfuls of roadside flowers and crushes them into water with his alchemist kit. With this he hopes to lighten the shade of his under-armour clothes substantially. "Just don't let those zombie farmers get me. Or minotaurs." Once he is able to alter his clothes, Ivor intends to get Linka somewhere safe with the rest of the party. Of course with Alydar assaulted again the safe places are running out.

 

[DeadPhoenix]

((sorry about yesterday, was actually busy with my own game... and yeah, was planning to go along with the plan to go back to Alydar))

Quintus tries to ignore the strangeness of the farmers, but none-the-less finds it to be quite unsettling and once he sees the bodies he can't help but think, maybe the library would actually have been the safer place for Linka to stay...He turns to Sarm and replies "Why would they do this to their own people? It is true they clearly do not care much for the lives of their members, but what purpose would doing... this serve them. Vecna is suppose to be a god of secrets, not death."

After all the costume changes are done, Quintus draws and loads his crossbow, then looks towards whoever is closest to the gate, "Well? Open it already."

 

[ThLunarian]

In the span of just a few minutes, Ivor uses his expert knowledge of alchemy to combine some of the supplies he has lying around in his backpack with the natural dyes present in nearby flowers, and, in tandem with a few tweaks and rearrangements of various threads and links and chains, permanently alters the fabric of his leather armor enough to where no one, even a member of the cult itself, would ever suspect that it had once been one of theirs. Kaff, meanwhile, is content to simply cover the relevant markings, and believes he's done a fair job of masking the true origin of his armor.

Linka hasn't said much, and has warily approached the door to the city gates to get a closer look at the bodies. "Well... the fact that the gates are closed, and it sounds quiet in there, is probably a good sign... right? I mean, if there was fighting, it's over now. So... the town should be safe?" It sounds like she is doing her best to be optimistic, but is only partly convincing herself. "These are the bad guys here," she notes, pointing to the dead Vecna cultists.

With that, she opens the gates (it's somewhat of a struggle, as the doors are heavy, but they are designed to be moveable by normal humans so they budge well enough).

Inside, there are townspeople milling around, going about their business. The first thing you note about them is that they all (and I mean that literally; every single townsperson you see) are moving with the same eerie mannerisms of the distant farmers. Upon closer inspection, a much more unsettling truth begins to dawn on you.

The people all have gray skin, and in some instances it appears to be slightly rotted away. Those with any familiarity at all in the dark arts would recognize them as zombies.

And yet, they are not exactly the sort of zombies any of you are used to seeing. These people have not become mindless drones, and in fact, looking at their eyes tells you that their minds, if not their bodies, are still very much full of life.


Some of them notice you enter, in fact, and you see their zombified faces light up with what you might call "hope."

One of you likely asks what happened here, and the small crowd that's already gathering is all too happy to tell you. The story is told by a number of zombies, and once everyone has said their peace and you're able to piece together the facts, this is what you learn.

Not long after your group left town, Clementine killed her father the mayor. She then proceeded to use some sort of dark power to turn people into zombies. She seems to be able to completely dominate any zombie she creates within a certain radius of her (the general consensus seems to be somewhere around 100 feet), and thus, the first few zombies she created were used to wrest control of the town from the city guard.

After a brief uprising and power struggle, the town was hers with surprisingly few casualties (as most of those injured fighting against her were subsequently turned over to her side). She immediately required all townspeople to submit to her will, or be exterminated.

There are apparently some townspeople who were able to evade her; they remain in hiding and dare not show themselves in the open, for some of the turned townspeople have decided to pledge their allegiance to the town's new master, embracing their new existence, and would gladly rat out enemies of the "Queen", as she fancies calling herself now.

Since all this happened, Clementine has established her dominion in the Mayor's (former) house, and resides there the majority of the time, content to rule over her own private kingdom.

The people, although aware that they might be punished if they're seen helping you, are willing to hang around and answer questions you may have. You can move about the town if you like, but it might be dangerous to wander around for too long, and depending on what you want to do from here, give me Stealth rolls as appropriate.

Linka decides to chime in, "I think I may be better off waiting by the cart, if it pleases you, Gentlemen. Unless any of you have a better idea..." She starts in that direction, but lingers long enough to hear what anyone might have to say.

 

[KittenMaster]

Sarm enters the city with much caution, but with good reason. With the library having been slaughtered by unknown intruders, he fears that a similar danger awaits them.

However; time passes which allows him understanding of the situation. He has become much more relieved, the most he has been ever since he had first witnessed the slaughter back when.

Now knowing that it is dangerous to stay around the city, Sarm gives out his idea and explains, "It pains me to see that the mayor's daughter had done this, but even so it may be wise to return to seeking the relics for the time being. My god is capable of great things, but I have not learned how to harness the kind of spell needed that would be able to dispel this effect..."

He thinks, crossing his arms, wondering if any of the Relics might be useful if they were able to obtain the appropriate one.

((May I make a Knowledge Religion check to see if Sarm knows if there is a relic that would help against this spell?))

 

[Mike M]

Kaff's eyes can't stop shifting about, his fingers combing through his now unkempt hair. There are just too many variables and unknown factors in play here to even begin to formulate a plan outside of flight from the city. "Can't anything ever simply go to gods damned plan?" he hisses. "We need to get off the street. Immediately. We need to find Elric and get the sodding hell out of here post-bloody-haste.

"My museum... We may find refuge until we find Elric, but it won't last. We should also inquire as to the fate of the prisoners from the 'foiled' kidnapping plot, the woman in particular. She was practically begging me to defect, we should expend every effort to find her, but without putting ourselves in danger...

"Gods damn, what a steaming pile all this has become."

 

[DeadPhoenix]

Quintus puts his crossbow away discovering what had transpired here, "I suspected she was up to something... but all this? And yes, finding Elric sounds like a good start, but perhaps we should find our employer, Mr. Klaus, as he may be able to provide some assistance as well."

 

[ThLunarian]

Sarm enters the city with much caution, but with good reason. With the library having been slaughtered by unknown intruders, he fears that a similar danger awaits them.

However; time passes which allows him understanding of the situation. He has become much more relieved, the most he has been ever since he had first witnessed the slaughter back when.

Now knowing that it is dangerous to stay around the city, Sarm gives out his idea and explains, "It pains me to see that the mayor's daughter had done this, but even so it may be wise to return to seeking the relics for the time being. My god is capable of great things, but I have not learned how to harness the kind of spell needed that would be able to dispel this effect..."

He thinks, crossing his arms, wondering if any of the Relics might be useful if they were able to obtain the appropriate one.

((May I make a Knowledge Religion check to see if Sarm knows if there is a relic that would help against this spell?))

You've never even heard of these relics before last week, so a religion check wouldn't really do much for you. However, it occurs to you that Elric would be the right person to ask about that sort of thing.

 

[KittenMaster]

((It seemed to work for the boots somehow, which is why I assumed. My bad.))

 

[ThLunarian]

((It seemed to work for the boots somehow, which is why I assumed. My bad.))

((Ah, that's because you were able to sense the deific energy emanating from the boots and were able to determine its origin, having studied the pantheon of gods previously and having gotten to know their worshipers. So yeah, if you come across an artifact, you may be able to ascertain which god it's affiliated with, but that's as far as your Religion rolls will go regarding the artifacts))

The townspeople/zombies seem profoundly disappointed to hear that you're fleeing town. They were hoping, as the unofficial heroes of the town, that you might be able to save them from Clementine's tyranny, and as you all discuss what you're going to do next, they sullenly depart and go about their day.

 

[Songbird]

The disappointed reactions sadden Ivor, who was just previously in fear of this spell affecting more people and desperate for the party's next destination.

In particular he is concerned for the safety of Klaus and his rangers, as well as Bones. He had never gotten to have that talk with Bones.

"What's our first destination? I suggest the headquarters of the rangers. We must find Klaus - Did anyone alert him to our suspicions? Could he have acted on this?"

 

[Mike M]

Conflicting emotions roil in Kaff's heart.  It's not that he doesn't feel for the plight of the zombified citizens, it's just that he doesn't see what he can do for them.  What chance had they where the entire city guard had failed?

Still, while no actual accusations of cowardice had been leveled at them, he couldn't help but detect (or was that project?) an undercurrent of such sentiment in the indistinct mutterings of the dispersing crowd.  As much to himself as his companions, he repeats a list of priorities like a protective mantra:  "Elric, the prisoners, and Klaus.  In that order, as distasteful as it might seem.  No disrespect to your employer, but the prisoners clearly must know something about this, presuming they still live.  If the city gate is anything to go by, the Arm of Vecna is no friend of Alydar's new 'queen.'" He sneers this last word out from his lips.

Watching the last of the hapless citizens shamble away, he continues. "Perhaps Elric will know of some ready means by which we might dispell this horror.  It might be as simple as slipping a knife twixt Clementine's ribs.  Well, as simple as assassinating a necromancer surrounded by a legion of enthralled protectors can be.

"If Elric yet lives, I believe we can presume he is not in residence at his boarding house.  Thinking caps, gentlemen, we need to produce a list of candidate hiding spots, or risk movement in the open to gather information.  There are... Measures I can prescribe to reduce risk of discovery, but they're far from fool proof and frankly may only be applicable to me."

 

[Songbird]

"That's fine, Kaff. As long as we see each of them I will be content. But we must not dawdle. You all smell bad enough already, if you catch my meaning."

 

[KittenMaster]

Sarm frowns at the disappointment of the people, feeling as though he has failed them already, but there is truly nothing he can do at the moment, and mutters a silent prayer to Pelor that the people will be safe under his gaze for the time being.

He then joins the conversation, agreeing with Kaff's idea, "I do not have a better plan. I agree we should act quickly and discreetly." He then realizes, "However; I am the most at risk of being discovered. I stand out the most."

 

[DeadPhoenix]

Quintus just walks over to the villagers and begins asking them if they know the location of any of these people they are looking for.

Knowledge local/gather information: 1D20+11 => [ 1 ] +11 = 12

((ffffffffffff))

 

[ThLunarian]

((Sorry for the delay, I've been out and about all day. Nice job roleplaying and talking it out, guys!))


The party's talk of at least assessing the situation to see what can be done has reinvigorated the townsfolk, and they continue to be more than willing to provide information.

Quintus takes advantage of the situation by flat-out asking for them by name.

"Klaus was one of the first to try to stop Clementine during the initial struggle," pipes up one of the villagers. "Like as not, he's one of her mind-controlled throng."

"Clem's been holed up in her mansion since she took over," says another, "And she's not got the manpower to start searching the insides of buildings. It's all her loyal goons can do to patrol the city streets. Seems likely that the lot of prisoners are still holed up in their cells."

A third villager happens to reside in the same boarding house as Elric. "I'll tell you one thing, I ain't seen 'em about, and his door's been locked tight since this whole business started. I'd bet silver to strudels ((get it? instead of dollars to donuts? /rimshot)) that he's holed up in there. Always seemed to be plottin' somethin', that one did."

((Kaff, if you're thinking of using your Disguise skill on other members of the party, I will let you try to disguise others at a -2 penalty))

 

[Mike M]

((Before I start doing more disguise rolls, I could use clarification on the +2 Charisma of the cloak. That's to the ability *score* not the modifier, correct?))

 

[ThLunarian]

((That's correct. I don't have your character sheet up, but if you had a 10 Charisma, the cloak would make it a 12, giving you a +1 modifier. Remember to specify which roll is for whom.

Also I forgot to mention that when you guys do decide to go somewhere, each of you give me EITHER a Stealth, OR a Knowledge Local roll, in order to remain incognito (Knowledge Local representing knowing where good back alleys and short cuts are; that sort of thing). Good Disguise rolls for Kaff will give you bonuses that I'll factor in myself.

And yes, Sarm, I realize that doesn't give you many good options; just pick a skill and go with it, and we'll see what happens ))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

"So, try to contact Elric, who is hopefully in his home, then head over to where the prisoners were being kept and hope our 'friends' are still there? Or does anyone else another idea of what we could do?"

 

[Mike M]

Nodding in agreement with Quintus, Kaff concurs. "Exactly. The question has now become how do we reach Elric's boarding house. It is heartening that Clementine's control over the city is not quite as complete as I had feared, that could afford us more latitude in our movements than I had initially anticipated.

"We've made enough of a commotion that I suspect the 'queen's' loyalists will be out in force looking for us in short order. The four of us together are quite... remarkable. We should consider splitting up into pairs or individuals to make our approach to Elric's boarding house. There's also the matter of how we get there. Slinking through back alleys is not a particular strong suit of mine, I much prefer to hide in plain sight if I can. It's not a skill that can be taught in any hurry if anyone opts to accompany me, but I may be able to manage something to get by until our business in town is concluded."

 

[KittenMaster]

Sarm waits until they leave to their next destination.

((Rolling stealth in advance))

Stealth: 1D20+1-3 => [ 20 ] +1-3 = 18

 

[DeadPhoenix]

"Well unless you have a way to dress us up like our undead friends here, I think the 'back alleys' may be our best bet."

Knowledge Local: 1D20+11 => [ 18 ] +11 = 29

 

[Songbird]

"Not a bad plan, as long as we are able to find each other. Who is going with who? I believe I am capable of travelling undetected either way. Linka, madam, how do you wish to travel? I would suggest whoever is capable of guiding you through the lesser known parts of the city."

Rolling a 20-sided dice, 2 time(s):  10 6

Stealth, if joining Sarm: 10 + 11 = 21
Knowledge Local, if joining Quintus: 6 + 9 = 15

((Results aren't important here, Ivor is more concerned about keeping an eye out for his sneaking partner.

And nice roll KittenMaster, now I picture Sarm going Assassin's Creed and mingling with monks!))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

((Linka went back to the wagon or w/e and is waiting there))

 

[Mike M]

"Well unless you have a way to dress us up like our undead friends here, I think the 'back alleys' may be our best bet."

Kaff's smile is broad. "As a matter of fact, I have means to do precisely that. I don't wish to endanger anyone by stumbling in the shadows and causing a ruckus to draw attention, perhaps it's best if I risk the more direct route via my methods and everyone else can sneak by? Splitting up three-and-one is not ideal, but may be sufficient for our needs."

 

[Songbird]

((Damn! Sorry. Ignore Ivor's line about Linka, I'm too lazy to edit.))

 

[ThLunarian]

((Okay, so it sounds like Kaff is going it alone, while the rest of you take the long, indirect route to the boarding house. I'll need a Disguise roll from Kaff, and we'll get this show on the road))

PS, I'm a little drunk as I'm typing this, so if there are mistakes or something sounds off, ignore it. I'll fix the mistakes and edit this out later))

 

[Mike M]

"It seems largely decided then.  I will risk the most direct route, the remainder of our number shall snake their way through the less trafficked avenues and alleys to rendezvous at Elric's residence.  Gods' speed, gentlemen, I'll see you on the other side." Pulling on the hood of his cloak as though doffing a hat, Kaff splits off from the rest of the group down the nearest side alley.  When he is sure that he is not being directly witnessed, he shrugs off his backpack and produces from it a polished ebony box.

Finding a grimy window that can provide an adequate reflection, he places the box atop a nearby barrel and gingerly opens it.  The box unfolds like an exotic clockwork flower as its tiered, compartmentalized shelves lever themselves into place.  Stoppered glass vials of dye, compacts of makeup, false facial hair of every conceivable human shade (and then some), and a dizzying array of jewelry of various values and other knick-knacks fill the interior, all neatly arranged and sorted.  The fastidiously tidy accoutrements of an accomplished liar.

Wasting no time, Kaff delves into the contents of his disguise kit.  He's never had to imitate a corpse before (let alone an animated one), but he has every confidence that he can concoct an application that will be a close enough mimic to the ashen pallor of the afflicted townspeople to pass a visual inspection.  Having observed the jerky, shambling movements of Clementine's victims, he's fairly certain he can manage that too.  Child's play compared to miming the mannerisms of a specific individual, really.

Figuring that he has mixed a suitable matching color, he begins applying the makeup to all exposed skin.

Disguise check: 1d20 + 10 + 2 (disguise kit bonus) = 29

((Think I did this right...))

Satisfied with his work, he returns his box of disguise materials to the bottom of his backpack.  Adopting the stuttering gait of the reanimated dead, he shuffles forth from the alley, hopefully appearing as but one zombie in a crowd of many, and begins his trek towards where he hopes Elric has sequestered himself.

 

[Songbird]

((Okay, so it sounds like Kaff is going it alone, while the rest of you take the long, indirect route to the boarding house. I'll need a Disguise roll from Kaff, and we'll get this show on the road))

PS, I'm a little drunk as I'm typing this, so if there are mistakes or something sounds off, ignore it. I'll fix the mistakes and edit this out later))

((I don't want to leave Kaff alone. Buddy system! The knowledge check should help to see if Ivor stays on track and doesn't get left behind. But if Kaff is going movie-monster then he'll need to keep his distance, so hopefully Ivor won't blow his cover. Do you object to the company, Mike M?))

 

[Mike M]

((No objections, I didn't have any motive for going with the disguise outside it being a higher modifier than my stealth or knowledge skills.))

 

[ThLunarian]

The party goes their separate ways. Ivor is almost ready to head out with Quintus and Sarm, but at the last moment has a change of heart and decides to look out for Kaff, tailing him and keeping an eye on him to make sure he's not alone if he runs into trouble.

Fortunately for both parties, everything goes according to plan. Ivor is able to stay consigned to the shadows; Kaff easily passes for one of the shambling horde; Quintus and Sarm stay out of eyesight, and all converge at Bertha's Boarding House.

The establishment surprisingly doesn't seem much different than it did to Sarm and Kaff the last time they were here. Bertha herself has somehow avoided zombification, though the few patrons making use of the tables in the lounging area have been afflicted. Kaff leads the party up the stairs and directly to the door of Elric's residence, and one of you presumably knocks on the door.

You notice the peephole go dark for a moment; someone is peering out at you from the inside. A moment later, a voice sounds from the other side, "Well, you all made good time. Door's open."

((We're going to pause here for a moment. There may or may not be a player joining us; I need confirmation from that person before we proceed. Hopefully it'll be within 24 hours. Sorry for the cliffhanger!))

 

[ThLunarian]

((No word from the new guy, so we'll go ahead and proceed.))

The door opens and Elric, who is decidedly alive and not a zombie, motions you to enter. Inside are some unexpected guests.

"Welcome to our little Resistance Cell," says Lysa the Tiefling. She is standing around a table alongside her elven partner-in-crime, Elmina. Somehow, the pair has managed to re-equip themselves with gear of nearly the same quality to that you had stripped them of, just days prior. She is wearing a smug smile. "Glad to see you all made it here in one piece." She winks at Quintus.

"These two were just leaving," says Elric, "Which is just as well, because there are some things I need to talk to you four about, and they can't be in the room when I do." He looks expectantly at Lysa and Elmina and waits.

"Right, right. This shouldn't take long, anyway. You lot try not to have too much fun while we're away," says Lysa, and the pair make their way out.

"That 'vow of secrecy' nonsense is probably just a bunch of hogwash anyway," mumbles Elmina, just before the door gets closed behind them.

"Welcome back," says Elric. "Forgive me if I don't take time for pleasantries; the situation is fairly urgent, and it's good that you all returned as soon as you did. And yes, I already know about the attack on the library, and the theft of the Monocle. Curzon performed a Sending right after it happened. I was hoping you'd get to him before he died so he could initiate you, and it seems that you have."

He clears his throat, and continues. "Clementine has acquired the Hand of Vecna, one of the Ten Deific Aspects - sacred relics, if you will; most people find that easier to remember. She has used its corrupting power to turn most of the town into sentient zombies that become her puppets whenever they come within about a hundred feet of her. Obviously she must be stopped; there are only two ways to do that. Either remove the glove from her possession (which can only be done by severing her arm), or kill her. When that happens, her influence over the zombie citizens will disappear, though unfortunately they will not be cured of their condition."

Elric walks to the table that the women were standing at. On the table is a detailed map. "I realize that you all probably don't trust Lysa and Elmina, and you'd be right not to, considering what happened; however, non-zombified allies are valuable commodities right now, and they are both very competent, and willing to fight for their town. They seem to think they can find an ally of theirs to bring back here and join forces with us. And we're going to need manpower, because right now I am planning an assault on the Mayor's mansion." He points at the map.

"Our primary objective is to assassinate Clementine. In order to do that, we need to create a diversion to draw her forces away from her immediate vicinity, and then send in a strike team to bring her down - likely you four. However, I'd like to have at least two diversionary forces come in from opposite sides of the mansion, and three people does not seem like an adequate pool to draw from for that.

"If you can think of anyone else that might have eluded Clementine's influence and is still in town, I'd love to hear of them." He frowns. "Oh, and Bones seems to be missing. I can't find him anywhere. I believe he may have left town on his own before this whole fiasco started. So, at least you probably won't be forced to fight against him."

((If you wanted to address the two women before they left, just make note of that in your post.))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

Quintus turns to the two ladies as they are leaving, "You two sure get around huh? Well, good luck with whatever you are doing."

((Hmm... could I roll a knowledge local or something to see if I would know of anyone else in town that could be helpful? I'll just roll it now just in case, and if not, go ahead and ignore.))

Knowledge local: 1D20+11 => [ 2 ] +11 = 13

 

[Songbird]

Ivor stands staring at map placed upon the table. He has his face held in one hand with the other at his hip, standing in complete disbelief. "So you're sending us to assassinate the mayor's daughter? That's what? I have no objections to this goal, it's just so...incredible and dreadful that it has to end that way. And about Bones, are you sure he's probably left? If those two wenches followed us from the party then the cult may know."

He sighs. "I know you have them fighting the enemy now but I don't trust them. They accompanied two cultists, one of them almost cleaved me in half."

 

[Mike M]

"Well technically we need only maim her to accomplish our task.  Perversely that would probably the more difficult option... Plenty of ways to inflict mortal damage, but I can think of only one to remove her arm."

Kaff drinks in the map with his eyes, making mental notes of the proposed operation, running his fingers over proposed routes.  "Hm, ambitious plan.  Many factors to consider...  Elric, what is the nature of her control over the zombies?  Are they compelled to obey her verbal commands, or do the adhere to her unspoken mental bidding?  

"As far as additional reinforcements, as I had told our friends here, the prisoners from the kidnapping caper don't seem to bear the Arm of Vecna much love and would doubtlessly tell us all we want to know if we could free them of the curse.  Well, the humans, at any rate. The orc fellow may well be a true believer, but even if he is, I gather from the skewered minotaur out front that Clementine is a bit on the outs with the Arm.

"Of course that raises the question of what to do with them afterward, but one step at a time..."

 

[KittenMaster]

Sarm is sitting, holding a warm drink in front of him as he listens to the debate, understandably nodding at the predicament of having to bring harm to the Mayor's daughter, "She has done evil in murdering her father, and her use of Vecna's dark power shows that she does not intend to feel remorse. I consider it a an affront to one's blood to do such a thing to one's own father." Despite his statements, he goes on to clarify, "However; I do agree to removing her tainted hand, but we should know that anybody foe make such a task difficult, but I pray that it can be done."

He then looks over to the two women as they leave then back towards Ivor, "The ones you are suspicious of... Even if they are our enemies, I feel that they are just as much of friends as we are to each other. They deserve my respect. I cannot say the same about the Mayor's daughter. What has not begun cannot end." He finally takes a sip of his drink.

Finally, he soon asks Elric, "I do have one question... How did you learn about what had happened at the library so quickly? The assassins went separate ways, and we fled quickly and came straight to this establishment.

 

[DeadPhoenix]

Quintus looks at Sarm, "He said he received a Sending from Curzon, he probably kept one prepared in the event he needed Elric or other members for whatever reason. Anyways, as for Clem, I think killing might be the most merciful thing we can do for her. Cutting off her arm, then leaving her to face 'justice' from the villagers after what she did to them? She probably deserves it, but it's in our best interest to end the fight as quickly as possible so we don't have drag out a fight involving innocent villagers who are under her control."

 

[ThLunarian]

Elric acknowledges Ivor. "I know, and of course it's not an ideal situation to have to ally ourselves with sellswords like the two of them. Desperate times, and all that. I'm certainly not saying we ought to conduct initiation rights or anything; once the town is ours again, I'm sure we'll part ways with the two of them."

"I tend to agree with Quintus that the most reasonable course is to kill her and be done with it. If some circumstance happens to occur where it would be easier to chop off her arm, then theoretically that might be the right thing to do, but I don't realistically see it happening."

To Sarm, "Sorry that I didn't explain that better. Curzon was fairly well-studied, and had a number of magical scrolls at his disposal. Sending is a mid-level spell that allows the caster to send a message of about 25 words to just about anyone on the same plane. As soon as the attackers left the library, he used a Scroll of Sending to tell me what had happened there."

To Kaff, "Of course. I can't believe I didn't consider enlisting Davos and his crew myself. A bit risky, dealing with actual members of the Arm, but I don't see that we've got much choice. They're likely still locked up in the Constabulary, and will probably need to be set free. If you gentlemen could do that, everyone will reconvene here and we can begin planning in earnest. Davos's crew will give us the manpower we need in order to pull this off. Oh, and by the way, nice disguise. You gave me a bit of a scare for a split second when you walked in. Be glad that you weren't the one who knocked on the door."

((Finish up with whatever additional questions you might have before leaving, and then we'll continue. I'm assuming the party will split up in the same manner they did for the last excursion. Kaff, give me a Bluff roll this time in order to act like one of the zombies (your disguise is already in place); the rest of you, give me a roll of the same skill that you did last time. Oh and Quintus, your Knowledge Local didn't make you remember anyone who hasn't already come up))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

"Very well then, hopefully we will return soon with a few... most likely temporary... allies."

Knowledge Local: 1D20+11 => [ 4 ] +11 = 15

((Assuming we make it to the Constabulary without incident, Quintus will cast detect thoughts to hopefully better judge whether or not the prisoners can be trusted before we release them))

 

[Mike M]

Something suddenly occurs to Kaff. "Ahhhhhhhhh, when we arrive at the constabulary, it would probably be best if I were to remain outside the cell room until we've established a... Working relationship with them. I confess I did not treat with them in good faith at our last meeting, and if they were to recognize me... Sarm and Quintus, the two of you will probably have the most luck securing their cooperation, the young lass in particular has pinned her hopes on the idea that the two of you might find a way to break their curse. That will likely grease the runners, as it were."

Kaff spot checks his disguise in a mirror. "Same pairings as last time? Ready when you are, gentlemen."

Bluff check:  1d20 + 15 = 27

 

[KittenMaster]

Sarm nods at the explanation, "Forgive me. I must have lapsed when you had mentioned that."

"I highly doubt they will turn their ears to me..." He begins, "The day I wished to visit the soldiers in the constabulary, I was misunderstood and brought to Davos first. It was immediately known that I was not welcome in their presence." This means that he is not sure if he should go meet Davos' crew.

 

[ThLunarian]

((I missed one of Kaff's questions earlier, and rather than edit it in where no one will see it, just pretend this is part of the previous conversation))

"As far as her control over the zombies, there's no way to know. Theoretically, the Hand of Vecna allows complete mental domination of every single minion simultaneously through a sort of telepathic link, but that would take years - centuries - of training to perfect. My guess is that right now, she senses all of them in her sphere of influence, but is unable to exercise the mental discipline required to control them all (and maybe not any at all), so they are probably operating on standing orders that she's delivered verbally."

 

[Songbird]

((Sorry guys, I'm back.))

During the Meeting

"Wait, I need a reminder. Why are we freeing the cultists? Some may be repentant but I doubt the brand they bear will allow them to do much to aid Alydar. One spoke out and was destroyed by the mark."

He ponders for a moment. "And about Clementine giving verbal orders to the populace here... I believe there is something we can use to our advantage. Kaff, Clementine is likely not aware of your involvement in this adventure, or is at least less aware. In that case you may have more breathing room to gather information from a distance. Not that we'd send you alone, of course."

Outside, Ivor will again follow Kaff through the streets and keep as close as he can without blowing his friend's cover.

Knowledge Local: Rolling a 20-sided dice, 1 time(s):  2 + 9 = 11

((and probably failed))

 

[ThLunarian]

((I went ahead and rolled for Sarm since it seems like he probably just forgot to roll in his post, and he did well enough for you all to make it to the constabulary undetected))

The party reconverges at the local constabulary, though Quintus and Sarm arrive a little later than expected because they had to take a detour after a close call in the alleyway.

The building is essentially deserted, as Clementine has moved most of the city guards to defend her mansion, but you do see one zombified guard attending the stairs down to the prison. He seems very surprised to see you, though not unhappy.

"You're the crew that saved Clementine from the kidnappers," he says. "I been keeping 'em fed the past week or so. Kinda been expecting her to come and deal with them eventually..." He seems a little dumbfounded, as though he was not expecting this at all, and doesn't know what to do. You get a strong impression that he didn't even really know what he was doing before you all arrived, either.

((BTW Sarm, you may want to read up on how Turning Undead works. It's a little complex, but it might be important pretty soon. Here's a step by step explanation: http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Turn_or_Rebuke_Undead ))

 

[Mike M]

Kaff immediately sizes the guardsman up as being ripe for some bureaucratic bamboozling. Adopting an air of annoyed impatience, he speaks as though reciting from rote memory, "Persuant to royal edict M32 by her royal majesty Queen Clementine the first, her chosen champions are here to interrogate the prisoners prior to being escorted to the gallows for immediate execution. Please submit the second and fifth third copies of the prisoner transfer and disposal form to me, and we can all get on with our days."

He arches an eyebrow. "You DO have the prisoner transfer and disposal form filled out in pentaplicate, yes? You did say you were expecting us..."

Bluff check:  1d20 + 15 = 17

 

[KittenMaster]

((Would it be at all possible to, instead of going with the others, that he takes an hour to prepare the Silence spell upon finding out that her commands are verbal?))

 

[Songbird]

((This is also a good time for me to ask how assisting others with skill checks might work. I know it can be done in 4e, and I couldn't help but imagine Ivor adding an "I should know, I stamp the buggers" during Kaff's spiel.))

Bluff: 1d20: 20 + 0 = [URL="http://i.imgur.com/dzhWF.jpg"]20 (!!)[/URL]