Ishan wrote:"Oh and try to take some alive, information is always useful."
"Oh, is it now?" Gaheris asks sarcastically and quietly. "So glad you thought of it." He hopes the irony isn't lost on Ishan, after he slew the last necromancer last time after Gaheris had urged them to take him alive.
Gaheris continues down the stairs to look down the long hallway Ishan describes, as well as the two doors. He'll want to look over both doors for traps and perhaps listen in by both to see if he can hear anything on the other side.
Everyone:
The Party starts sorting out a marching order for the very narrow staircase while Gaheris scouts ahead. The passageway is as Ishan described it, a long hall with a door at the end and a door about half way down on the left. The hall is wide enough for two people to comfortably pass, but if it comes to fighting, it's likely that fighting in these cramped quarters could mean people get in each other's way.
Gaheris is very quiet as he examines the doors, finding no traps and listening at each. The latter action goes quite well, it's very possible that the doors and walls down here have never been soundproofed. Gaheris determines that there are four unique voices in the chanting of the ritual being held in the room at the end of the hall, but he also hears the pacing of something else. Something that he guesses is undead, but it isn't like any of the undead that he's fought before. By the door near the middle of the hall he also doesn't find any traps, while listening he deturmines that there's six undead and five others in that room. These undead he's able to identify, an even split between skeletons and zombies.
Gaheris tries to be quiet (stealth): 22
Gaheris listens at the doors (perception): (Natural 20), he gets a very good idea of the number of enemies behind each door
Gaheris checks the doors for traps (perception): 11, he doesn't find any traps.
Zurgo enhances his weapon to +1 from his arcane pool. (10 rounds)
Gaheris sneaks back to the others and reports what he has learned. "This could be tricky," he points out. "I'm not sure it's possible to attack one group without alerting the other. We might have to split up and face both at once or risk having the second group come up behind us while attacking the first."
"Jasmine, the dwarf, Brooks and myself will take the south door," Gaheris proposes. "It sounds like they are mostly alive in there, so our piercing weapons will be more useful. The dwarf can take the undead, Brooks and I will provide support in the back. Jasmine can go for the the cultists and mess up their ritual." He continues, "The rest can take the other room. Father Warren can take out their undead while the rest of you focus on the living. If one group finishes up first, they come and assist the other. Sound good?"
Zurgo showed his support for the plan by wordlessly taking up position in front of the East door. axe raised, boot poised for the kickdown "Blut für Blutgott," he whispered under his breath, ready.
When the signal is given Zurgo and Gaheris kick down the door and rush into the room ahead of them. Benjamin starts singing an inspiring ode to give his allies confidence to overcome the great number of foes against them.
Zurgo is a bit surprised by one skeleton near to the door and changes course at last second to take out the immediate threat, but his blow gets deflected off the skeleton's shield as it raises its old, rusty equipment to defend itself. Gaheris and Jasmine likewise find an obstacle much closer then they were expecting, three tables full of dark spell books, each with chairs facing towards the center. Past the tables is the ritual circle that the cultists gather around.
Warren seems a little surprised at how sudden the combat started, perhaps he's not used to this sort of thing. Brooks on the other hand takes the first opportunity he can get to avenge his fallen cows and raises his double barrel crossbow to fire a bolt at the closest cultist. His aim is true and the bolt passes between his ribs, but it's not quite powerful enough to piece any vital organs.
Kannock takes stock of the situation and charges at the new undead, it appears to be a soldier of some kind, dark black skin and flaming red eyes, not wearing armour but wielding a heavy shield and a long spear. Before it has a chance to lower its spear at Kannock, he delivers a powerful blow which would have killed most people, but it barely seems to scratch this thing.
The cultists seem intent on finishing their ritual, but the other room of undead are more then keen on killing all the intruders that they see.
Benjamin inspires courage, allies that can hear him gain a +1 morale bonus to hit and damage.
Zurgo moves to S10 and attacks s1 (1d20+5): 11 vs AC, miss.
Gaheris moves to Q18
Jasmine moves to P18
Kannock moves to R17 and attacks undead (1d20+5): 17 vs AC, hit for 2 damage (after 50% + 4 physical damage reduction)
Brooks moves to Q16 and attacks c1 (light cover) (1d20 -1): 14 vs AC, hit for 6 damage, c1 is critically wounded.
(For initiative, everyone who did not take a standard action in the surprise round gets +10 initiative)
Initiative: Gaheris 25, Jasmine 24, Warren 21, Ishan 19, Benjamin 17, Brooks 11, Undead 7, Zurgo 5, Kannock 3
Since everyone except Zurgo and Kannock beet the undead in initiative, everyone except those two get to act in the first round.
"Keep that thing busy!" Gaheris calls to the dwarf. "And don't forget the holy water! Jasmine, Brooks, don't give them a chance to reanimate!" He nocks an arrow and fires it, point blank range, at Cultist 01, hoping to finish off what Brooks started.
Jasmine doesn't really seemed bothered by the table. Instead, she tries to use it to her advantage, and jumps up on it so that she can attack cultist 2.
"Father I could use some of that holy water." Ishan calls as he moves past towards zurgo, taking up position behind the orc he cradles a bomb and picks the best spot for a little present, eyeing the dark warrior he is almost sure he hasn't seen such an undead before but he tries to remember anyways.
"Starting to rethink this master orc or does this just make you one happy son of a Findar." He waits till Zurgo is pressuring the creature then lobs his bomb at the cultists.
"what do you mean? I'M IN THE PERFECT POSITION FOR ALL OF THEM TO COME AT ME," he bellowed to the long past expired husks and soon to be expired husks (and most likely re-expired definitely-husks-now). "zu kommen, und bröckeln!" his axe misting with his breath.
Benji takes notice of Zurgo's intent. "Well, it's going to make a hell of a song, likely," he comments dryly, as his "Ode to Blood and Honor" continues to play through the hearts of his comrades. He steps forward, making use of his ally's gusto to take a potshot at a cultist before the enemy is able to move in a position he can take greater advantage of.
[Move to R10, take a shot with the Hand Crossbow at c8, maintain song.]
