The Eye of Anubis: Book Seven

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Cold-eyed and wordless, Lia pulls on her camel's reigns; braying, the animal starts to back away while his rider levels her glare at the ghoul closest to Tomas.

"Ignem iubeo. Bis ex manu meu vole et inimici mei vore," she intones, voice unnaturally calm in the din of battle. Two bolts of fiery energy shoot from her hand to strike at the ghoul nearest to Tomas. The stench of dead meat burning rises to the empty, soulless sky.

Lia continues to pull on the camel's reigns, backing even further away from the front. "Fall back," she calls out, her voice devoid of inflection, but loud enough to cut through the noise of battle. "Fall back. Fall back behind me."

Casting Scorching Ray at the ghoul at BJ12.
Ranged touch attack 1: 15. Damage roll 1: 15.
Ranged touch attack 2: 15. Damage roll 2: 10.
Falling back to BS12. If you guys get behind me or off to my sides, I can finally use that Shout and then we can run away! ^^; )

[lostboy]

Khalil pauses to survey the scene, more were coming, and no matter how the others felt, he could feel the weight in his arms and legs. We cannot keep this up.

Stepping forward he leans into Ishaq and casually brings both blades arcing round the barbarian slashing viciously at the zombies either side of him. "We need to fall back NOW!" he hisses urgently in Ishaq's ear.

Spinning away he feints and then switches direction and leaps onto the dead camel once more and bringing a blade whipping round at a corpse to his left.

Seeing several still standing he whistles once, sending Karsh in another swooping dive, befoire doubling back to make sure Ishaq follows his damn advice.

[OOC: dervishing BI19 / BI18 / BJ17 / BJ18 / BI19
attacking zombies at BH19 / BH17 / BJ16
To hit: 17 / 19 /24
Damage: 14 / 18 / 20

Karsh attacks zombie at BH19
to hit 19
damage 9]

[Nathan of the FoS]

Charles breathes in deeply (but quietly, can't be too careful) and touches the belt at his waist, feeling a surge of energy swell into his left hand. It makes his fingers itch slightly; he can feel it trying to slide away to the wounds on his left leg, but he manages to keep it in a ball (at least, that's the mental image he forms of it) and unexpended.

Everything ready...up we go, then. Wait for the cannon...

The long gun fires, shaking the timbers of the ship, and Charles swarms up the ladder leading to the deck as quietly as he can. He finds himself almost under the feet of a rather charred-looking zombie; stepping around it, he locates his quarry, and edges closer, acknowledging the presence of its fellows only as he might do pawns on a chessboard.

Knight's move...now you're in check, my friend. Checkmate to follow shortly.

I hope.

Activating the healing belt for three charges' worth, then climbing the ladder and ending in O10, for a five foot step and full attack on the next turn. Move Silently check 33 (!).

[steveflam]

Ishaq hates to admit it, but he is very bad shape. There are just too many of the cursed undead appearing and attacking him. He bleeds from several wounds and can feel his strength waning. "You don't have to tell me twice, Effendi" Ishaq says back to Khalil as he withdraws from where he is and hightails it to Kuzan.

Basically Ishaq withdraws from BH 18 to square BP 21, next to Kuzan.

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan nodded at Ishaq as the barbarian retreated back to him, and then uttered a prayer and placed his hands on the warrior.

Reflex save 15 exactly, so I win.

Ride check was 15+ something, so I win there, too.

Cure Critical Wounds, using all 3 Ring of Mystic Healing charges

27 (dice) + 10 (ring) + 10 (caster level) + 8 (augment) = 55 hp healed.

Retreating straight back 35 feet.

[yalenusveler]

Andre muttered something unkind as the Zombie took a swipe at him, thankfully remaining upon his surly, prone to expectorate steed. Khalil was in trouble. There was a lot of talk one could have about moral imperatives, the need to aid your fellow man, and a lot of things that sounded nice on paper. But ultimately it came down to Khalil was a man with sharp things, and sharp things made zombies dead. Therefore, a not dead Khalil was infinitely more advantageous than a dead one. Which lead to Andre spurring his Camel to motion with a barked order in Pharazian, coming up behind the Desert Guide, and muttering a prayer of healing, reaching down and tapping Khalil on the shoulder.

"Better?" Andre asked rhetorically.

OOC:Passed the ride check, risking an AoO from a zombie. If the spell dosen't get moof'd by an AoO, 26 HP restored to everyone's favorite dragonman who isn't Trogdor.

[The Whistler]

Okay, that's it. That's it! Getting out of here right now, no thanks to--

--Oh, come on! After that--

--What? After you pointlessly winged a couple of corpses with a week's worth of my wages? When we were planning to hold the line for, oh, about another twelve seconds before doing the sensible thing and regrouping? Somewhere where we won't be torn apart by the walking dead? Oh, you deserve a Fates-be-damned MEDAL for--

--Hey, watch it, buddy, just 'cause you've had opposable thumbs all your life doesn't mean you gotta--

--We are turning around and we are sprinting, in that direction, and I am going to take NO more of your l--

--At least let me use the boots. Can I use the boots? I'm using the--

--OH NO YOU--

>FZZT-KABANG<

OOC: Taking a double move to CB11, activating the Skirmisher Boots, and taking a potshot at the zombie at BI10...and rolling a 14. Wheeee.
[/b]

[NeoTiamat]

Southern Outskirts of the Jackal's Ruse, Sebua
July 13th, 761, 7:52 PM; Day 118 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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PC Actions
Charles is almost set.
Andre heals Khalil for 26 HP
Ishaq withdraws.
Kuzan heals Ishaq for 55 HP.
Lia hits Ghoul for 25 damage.
Khalil and Karsh kill three zombies.
Tomas ???
Otto misses and moves back.


"Camels are clear, now move!" Guy yelled as he cleaved the skull of the ghoul next to him and Tomas. One of the zombies grabbed his arm and bit down on it, forcing the ex-militiaman to snarl as he twisted away. There were simply too many undead.

You had to run.

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"Charles is on board the ship, is he not?" Professor Pelletier said quietly to Otto, his voice carrying despite the screams of the dead not so much further behind the two men. "Very well then. Tell me when he is clear."

My imagination is dead right now. Cannon!

Ghouls and Zombies aim the Cannon at square BY-20, again. Hits BZ-19 instead. 34 Damage, Reflex DC 15 for half.

Camel dies a horrible, bloody death. Carter makes his Reflex save, takes no damage, but is no camel-less.

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PCs and Combat NPCs may begin withdrawing. If you can reach the bottom of the map, go for it.



Notable NPC Actions: I'll keep it brief. For the sake of ease-of-writing, NPCs either kill a zombie or they wound it (10 HP lost), nothing in between.

Guy finishes off the ghoul and steps back, ready to make a run for it.
Carter kills a zombie.
Sarari finishes off three nearly dead zombies.
Michel kills a zombie.
Professor Pelletier casts Shadow Lightning Bolt and slays three zombies.

Enemy Actions:
Zombie attacks Tomas 3 times, misses
Zombie attacks Tomas 3 times, misses
Zombie attacks Guy 3 times, hits once for 8 damage.
Zombie attacks Guy 3 times, hits twice, rends, deals 19 damage.

Zombie moves and attacks Tomas, misses.
Zombie moves and attacks Guy, misses.
Zombie moves and attacks Khalil, misses.
Zombie moves and attacks Khalil, misses.
Zombie moves and attacks Khalil, misses.

Anyone who is hit must make a DC 5 Ride Check to avoid falling off their camel. If you fail, you fall off and must make a DC 15 Ride check or take 1d6 damage.

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Expedition Overview: Bless (+1 Attack, +1 vs Fear), Dark Knowledge (+2d6 on Weapon Damage vs. Zombies, Ghouls)
Kuzan: -16 HP
Tomas: -25 HP, Haste
Otto:
Charles: -15 HP, Haste, Greater Invisibility
Lia: -8 HP
Ishaq: -35 HP
Khalil: -12 HP
Small Star: -21 HP
Andre: -6 HP, Haste, +19 Temp HP

Professor Pelletier: Greater Invisibility, Haste
Professor Carter: -4 HP
Professor Devereux:
Professor Marchand-Renier: Haste

Samael: -6 HP
Lily:
Fassahd: Haste
Mary:
Remy: Haste

Guy: -41 HP, Haste
Loup: -4 HP, Haste
Michel:
Harris: -49 HP
Sarari:
Dieter:
Jervis: -18 HP

Monster Overview:
I am not going to bother tracking the HP of every single monster here. I've not the room. As such, I'll simply tell you the AC, HP, and DR here, and only list zombies that aren't fully killed.

One Dot Zombies: Wounded (9 HP left)
Four Dot Zombies: -17 HP
Two Dot Zombies: -8 HP

Ghoul Lord: -17 HP

Zombies: AC 16; HP 19; DR 5/Slashing

Hollow Camels = Dead Camels
Dotted Camels = Wounded Camel with 6 HP left.



Key! Going from the top, roughly:
SS - Small Star
Kh - Khalil al-Atim
Mc - Mary Collins
T - Tomas Eisenwald
F - Fassahd al-Muharin
I - Ishaq Rafiq
L - Liability Mournswaithe
C - Charles Martel
A - Andre Theroux
O - Otto Schultheiss
L (Green) - Loup
Mr - Sebastian Marchand-Renier
R - Remy Lessard
K - Kuzan
G - Guy Benoit
P - Jean-Jacques Pelletier
Li - Lily D'Envers
C - Thomas Carter
M - Michel de Angelis
D (top) - Charles Devereux
S - Samael Maleagant
Sr - Sarari
H - Edmund Harris
D (lower) - Dieter Haulfstead
J - 'Jervis'

PCs are the red circles.
NPCs are the green circles
Zombies are the letterless blue circles.
Camels (and Kesjer) are the brown ovals.

[Nathan of the FoS]

For the second time this afternoon everything slows to a crawl.

Charles knows it is impossible, but the cannonball seems to be falling at about the speed of a child's balloon; a moment's mental calculation for the arc of the parabola shows it will fall on or near Professor Carter. This will be very sad, when it happens, but that won't be for a long time yet.

Step.

The zombies, if they are capable of paying attention to anything, are not paying attention to him; their gaze is fixed to the front, their presence essentially immaterial. The ghoul-captain, on the other hand, is crouched tensely, watching the fall of the cannonball and shrieking what must be obscenities at his troops, although Charles does not understand a word of what he's saying.

The knight approaches; heedless of his danger, the enemy king looks after the fleeing caravan and raves his rage at the furnace-bright afternoon sun.

Step.

Right hand up and back, the blade a finger poised to point the road to Death. Left hand low and boiling with strange energies which yearn toward their polar opposite. The black steel and gold bracers on his arms tense, adding their own power to blade and hand.

Strike.

The first thrust of the rapier skids off a metal boss in the ghoul-captain's armor, and he turns in time to take the second blow through his throat, piercing through muscle and bone in a time compared to which the blink of an eye is like the coming of old age. Charles' left hand rises and brushes his shoulder, and the healing energy rushes into him, ripping corrupted flesh as it passes through the ghoul like lightning. The third stroke through the eye is all but superfluous.

The ghoul was dead long years before, but now he knows it. The necromancy binding what remained of his spirit to his dry flesh and bones dissolves, and he is nothing more than dust and ash by the time the armor he wore strikes the deck of the ship he once piloted through far oceans.

One charge from deathstrike bracers. Attack rolls 15, 26, 21 (touch), 24. A miss and three hits. Damage (in lump sum) 17d6+4d8+4, for a total of 85, which I believe makes Charles the winner for the "single-round damage sweepstakes" for this fight.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

As the zombies and ghouls abruptly turn on each other, dead teeth and claws tearing now at dead flesh instead of that of the living, Lia ... seems to simply tune them out. Her eyes are fixed on the ship, and the falling, disintegrating body of the ghoul lord.

For a moment, the Wizard looks to Kuzan, and those who catch a glimpse of her eyes might see thoughts moving through them, like shadows on the water. But no words come out from behind the mask.

Silent, Lia turns her mount and prods its sides with her heels. 'Mr. Lumpy' brays unhappily, but starts out after the pack animals.

[lostboy]

Suddenly bereft of threatening enemies, Khalil is non-plussed for a moment, then looking up notices the lack of movement on the ship. Shrugging he fights down the urge to slash a few more corpses for the hell of it, decding tempting fate wasnt the best idea right now.

As if sensing the finality of the moment karsh settles on his shoulder with a tired chirp. Sheathign his blades Khalil strokes the hawks head with genuine affection. Then turning his back on the ravenous creatures he starts the long walk across the sand, looking for Small-Star. "Time to leave I think" he says patting Andres camel as he passes.

[steveflam]

Seeing as the threatvis mostly over, Ishaq activates his belt, using three charges and feels much better. Trudging along he keeps an eye our for any more surprises and tries to see if his camel survived, keeping to himself.

Use 2 charges on Healing belt for 3d8 I rolled 19 total. -35 is now -18. If Ishaq doesn't find his camel he will hang with the others but say nothing

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan catches Lia's gaze for a moment, but doesn't say anything either. Instead, the priest turned his mount around and started riding back toward the Expedition. As he rode, he lifted up his head in prayer to Varuna, ending the hymn by belching a streak of lightning into the sky above as an offering.

[Nathan of the FoS]

And then everything reverts to real time and madness. The three zombies to the right close in on each other, their ravening hunger now undirected; the fourth almost blunders into Charles, who steps back and lets it pass to hurl itself on its fellows. The noise from the gun crews is obscene; the ghouls have turned on their weaker shipmates. Charles can't bring himself to look after his first inadvertent glance.

Slipping back down the ladder and thanking his lucky stars for Andre's superior enchantment, Charles emerges to the desert floor to see that here, too, the undead have turned their attention to each other while the Expedition beats its retreat. "Right," Charles mutters to himself. "That's that. Now, where's my horse? Wait...my horse is invisible. How am I supposed to find an invisible horse?..."

"I hope he has enough sense to follow the camels, poor fellow."

He ponders this for a moment before remembering.

"Right. I did that. So I can undo it. I think." Closing his eye, he makes a gesture and mutters "Video." Turning, he scans the scene hopefully. "There he is!" Hurrying over to the horse, Charles is about to attempt to mount when Kejser shies wildly away from him.

"What the devil? Wait...I'm invisible too! No wonder he doesn't like that...sorry, there, Kejser, you poor devil. It's only me."

Kejser refuses to be convinced until Charles reappears--right under his nose--which startles him so badly that Charles has all he can do to keep him from bolting. All of this magecraft is wildly inconvenient when you fail to account for its effects, Charles thinks, finally in the saddle and galloping toward the Expedition (well away from where the ghouls and zombies are devouring each other still). He laughs aloud as the logical continuation strikes him. I suppose that ghoul lord would have to say the same thing, wouldn't he?

[NeoTiamat]

Four Miles South of the Jackal's Ruse, Sebua
July 13th, 761, 9:45 PM; Day 118 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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The Menetnashte Expedition paused only briefly, a few of the guards darting back to get the saddlebags and packs of the dead camels. You had lost seven animals during that ambush. The Expedition had bought spare animals in Phiraz, but this brought you to the brink.

Edmund wouldn't hear of stopping the Expedition until they were almost four miles away, continuing well after darkness to put some distance between the Expedition and the Jackal's Ruse. Once a suitably defensible position had been found atop a dune, camp was set up briskly, grimly.

Many of the Expedition were tired, and several had taken deadly wounds. Harris had nearly been eviscerated, and Guy was feeling tired and stiff, possibly a result of having been bitten by a ghoul. Even Small-Star walked with a pronounced limp. Despite that, camp was set up with a ruthless efficiency, and a bonfire was started against the chill.... and to give the guards illumination. All the guards not-badly wounded were drafted into standing watch. Harris was brooking no contradictions regarding security.

Which was alright, since no one was contradicting.

An hour later, though, things were beginning to settle down though, and Michel had even concocted a quick supper of eggs, toast, and bits of salt ham. Not exactly Haute Cuisine , but it did a great deal to restore spirits.

"So." Michel asked as the rest of the Expedition filed in to supper, except for Sarari and Jervis who stood watch nearby, eating their food at their posts. "What is going to happen tomorrow?"

[OOC: Alright, for certain artistic reasons, there is no map of Book Seven. So, a word of description. The Jackal's Ruse is a rough concentration of Mist-deposited shipwrecks about three miles in diameter, and there are a lot of ships here. Hundreds, at least. The Monastery is located inside the Jackal's Ruse, in a clearing of sorts which is also the rough center of the Ruse.

The terrain is quite broken, with lots of rocks, lots of chunks of wreckage, and short, scrubby grasses here and there.

The smoke you've been seeing is, as best you can tell, coming from the clearing. There are also, as a reminder, from 2-6 large flying creatures flapping around every night.]