"We need to focus fire if we can clear our rear then we can focus on the front!" At lest it sounded good to Chloe anyway. "If we can throw out enough missiles then the rotten buggers shouldn't stand a chance." Well at lest Chloe hoped they wouldn't stand a chance. Three mage's with storm of bolts going should do the trick.
Casting Storm of bolts again at the rear group of zombie targeting the three unbound ones if possible with its effects.
Ashley raised her gun to fire, but held back as she saw what the monsters were doing. Shamefully, her first thought was that at least these ones were trying to rape them, but she quickly put that behind her. Getting eaten alive was hardly better. And now they were too close for her to feel comfortable using the gun. Under ideal circumstances she'd hit the shot every time, but part of 'ideal circumstances' was not having a friend's head inches from the target. Instead she fell back once again on her magic, this time focusing on a single bolt of arcane fire that should end at least one of the miserable parodies of life attacking Charles.
Chloe: HP = 40/76, PP = 65, EP = 2/75, Status = Injured, Low on Energy, Light
Ashley: HP = 49, PP = 66, EP = 2/45, Status = Fine, Low on Energy, +18 Body (Lesser Strength)
NPC stats
Tesnya: HP = 50/65, PP = 55, EP = 58/110, Status = Injured, Energy Blade X = 11
Jenn: HP = 28/52, PP = 69, EP = 0/47, Status = Wounded, Unconscious
Charles: HP = 23/81, PP = 75, EP = 31/60, Status = Badly Injured, Eldritch Lantern, Strength (+24 Body 1 EP upkeep)
Nina: HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 15/55, Status = Fine
Tesnya rushes down the hall, uses 20 points of defensive fighting and fires an X = 8 holy fire down the hall to clear out the zombies.
Attack (Tesnya) : Hit.
Damage: 2 + 1 + 2 = 5 * 8 = 40 damage.
Casting (Nina) : Success.
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 2 + 5 + 12 = 19 * 2 = 38 damage. She kills the one on top of Chloe.
Attack (Nina's Vines) : Hit.
Another zombie has been grappled.
~~~~~~
Attacks (Zombies) : one hits Chloe and grapples her, all four miss Tesnya
Grapples: One of the four zombies escapes to harass Nina and Chloe at the rear of the group.
I have decided that the dice hate you. Chloe also needs to stop using missile storm, she isn't doing dick with it. Any spell with the touch range can be used to deal damage even if it has the Heal descriptor, and will do much more damage than a low damage AoE spell of an element that she's unskilled with.
A bolt of magical energy sprung out from Ashley's hand and swirled around Charles head, not touching the man but instead tearing a fist sized hole in the head of the one that had just torn a chunk from his shoulder. It turned out that his weakened and wounded state wasn't conducive to grappling with a walking corpse, however, and even though half of the pressure had been taken off of him he still slipped up. The walking corpse lunged for his throat, its jaws wide, and the only thing that he could do was interpose his arm between his neck and its jaws. There was another scream, and another horrible sound of tearing flesh as a chunk of Charles' left arm was torn away, chewed for a moment and swallowed by the creature before it prepared to come in for another bite.
More of the creatures shambled toward him, their jaws hungry and their arms raised, ready to fall upon the wounded man and tear him limb from limb. Then, a burst of white flames tore into the crowd of undead and burned through them like so much paper, each of them falling into piles of dust as the eastern girl bounded through the trapped group's ranks, moving to block the advancing undead behind those that she had destroyed. Charles, though he had been covered by the flames as well, emerged unharmed and stumbled away from the wall that he'd been pushed against by the hungry undead. "Thanks...." he muttered weakly as he recovered slightly, and even though she was busy pushing back the walking dead with kicks and waves of her energy blade Tesnya had time to respond, "Don't thank me until we're out of this hellhole!"
Having dropped her defense of the rear, Chloe and Nina were left vulnerable to the crawling zombies coming from that direction. One of them was grabbed by the vines that Nina had summoned, but at the same time another came crawling out of the grasp of the plants, and the last of them leaped at Chloe and knocked her over. For a moment, all that she could see was the thing's snapping jaws, all that she could its putrid breath and its clawlike fingers ripping at her skin, and all that she could smell its rotten stench. But then, the thing suddenly seemed to rot away into nothing but a pile of bones, and Chloe was hoisted off of the ground by Nina as the nature mage pulled her back to her feet. Only four of them were left from behind, and only one of those was free of the vines, but dealing with them quickly would ease the pressure on them a bit and let them concentrate on the seemingly endless tide of the monsters coming from the front.
"So many.... I can't clear them without risk of bringing down the ceiling! Not all at once!" Tesnya shouted, and as he moved to join her defenses with a pained grimace, the man paused and glanced down the hall that a zombie had ambushed him from earlier. "This way looks clear! Maybe there's another exit through this way!" he shouted over the din of hungry moans coming down the hall, at least a dozen more of the undead coming for them. "If it's a dead end we'll be cornered!" Tesnya said, and Charles shot back; "At least we'll be able to funnel them so that they aren't coming from two directions at once!" Nina interjected, "Whatever we're going to do, we have to do it now! I say we take our chances down that way!"
Ashley flashed a look back the way they had come. Four of the undead attackers still stood behind the group. Three held in place for the moment, but it wouldn't last. And behind them... the area was drained of magic, and full of less complete corpses that could still bite and grab. Going back was madness.
But ahead were easily a dozen more walking dead, and from what they had seen so far it would be best to assume even more out of sight between them and the exit. The hallway to the right seemed empty. It could be a dead end. But with a nice narrow hallway the group could probably fry all the undead that would fit with just cantrips, even allowing one or two people to rest while the rest held off the horde until the group was strong enough to push its way out.
More worrying was the possibility of coming onto unseen monsters. Another of the terrible flesh golems might be enough to finish them, and whatever it was that could summon and control at least two of those in addition to the untold numbers of lesser undead... well, a brick wall hardly seemed scary at all. Of course, all that could lie in the direction of the exit as well, except the brick wall. In fact, if there was an intelligent force controlling the attack, it would expect them to take the same route out that they had taken in.
Going right seemed like a terrible idea. Just perhaps slightly less terrible than any of the other choices. "He's right, a solid wall at our backs might even be a boon at this point! Charles, do whatever you can to slow them down!" Ashley suited actions to words and moved towards Charles and Tesnya, staying towards the right wall. As soon as the rest of the group was around the corner, she would turn around and prepare to release a wave of from her free hand. Perhaps the things would burn like the corpses they resembled, faced with a more mundane fire. Whatever the result, it was time to keep moving.
Fire level 1 - flaming hands. Aiming at the biggest group of undead in range once allies are clear.
Moving towards the clear hall Chloe briefly touched the badly bitten Charles and let loose a minor healing spell before moving down the hall with Nina behind her carrying Jenn. The scary thought of more zombies down this way did enter her mind but she new she had a better chance to defend herself than poor Nina burdened with the wounded Jenn.
casting Lest healing touch on Charles for 40 hp. (2d6 Maxed +8)*2
Chloe: HP = 40/76, PP = 65, EP = 2/75, Status = Injured, Low on Energy, Light
Ashley: HP = 49, PP = 66, EP = 2/45, Status = Fine, Low on Energy, +18 Body (Lesser Strength)
NPC stats
Tesnya: HP = 50/65, PP = 55, EP = 57/110, Status = Injured, Energy Blade X = 11
Jenn: HP = 28/52, PP = 69, EP = 0/47, Status = Wounded, Unconscious
Charles: HP = 65/81, PP = 75, EP = 30/60, Status = Badly Injured, Eldritch Lantern, Strength (+24 Body 1 EP upkeep)
Nina: HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 15/55, Status = Fine
Casting (Chloe) : Success.
Healing: 6 + 6 + 8 + 2 = 22 * 2 = 44 HP restored (Ye forgot your bonus from Focus in Body)
Tesnya and Charles pay their upkeep. The group gains 2 exp.
Wasting no time on dallying with so many come to kill them, Charles grabbed Jenn's limp form from Ashley and pulled her into a fireman's carry as he turned down the hall, Tesnya remaining to ward off the advancing undead long enough for Nina and Chloe to follow him into the clearer pathway, the spent healer also enacting a minor healing spell that managed to put a stop to Charles' bleeding. Her allies clear, Ashley's burst of flames tore down the hall, setting many of the walking dead alight and quickly reducing them to burning husks on the ground, as well as one of the crawling undead that had escaped from the vines. With the pressure from that direction momentarily relieved, the group was able to retreat a ways down the narrow hall into another chamber.
This one was as low as the one in which they'd found Jenn, but thankfully had no corpses, either hanging from hooks or on the floor. There was a work table on the side opposite the doorway, and a door on the left hand side. After Ashley came in, Charles slammed the door shut behind them and slid a dead bolt and then a crossbar over it, barring it completely. A moment later, the sound of moaning and bodies pressing against the door, clawed hands scraping the thick wood. Jenn had been left leaned against the wall next to the door, Chloe having seen Charles lay her there before waiting for Ashley to join them so that he could close the door on the encroaching horde. It was solid oak and looked as if it might hold for a while even against so many, and Charles said; "That should keep them out for a little while at least, but if another one of those big things shows up I wouldn't count on it holding for very long."
Tesnya, meanwhile, was already heading for the other doorway, her energy blade still extended out from her hand. "There's another hallway here, and another door if we want to close it. It looks clear, but it's also dark, and too long for the lantern to illuminate," she reported, but Nina stepped up and sent a trio of dancing globes of light floating down the hall. It did indeed look clear of any threats, but that could be deceiving. There was another branch going right some thirty feet down it from the chamber in which they were resting, as well as a t-intersection another forty feet past it. Nothing could be seen moving in the narrow earthen halls, and Tesnya turned back to the group and said; "The hall is clear, we should keep moving while it remains so!"
Charles and Nina frowned at her, and the druid was quick to reply; "We need to rest! This is probably the only chance we'll get to catch our breath, even if it is only for a few minutes, so we ought to take it! We're all exhausted!" After that, Charles said; "We might not have much time to rest, not with those things clawing at the door... It might be better to just try and run through and find another exit."
Chloe went over to Jenn and checked her vitals before picking her up off the ground and moving her away from the door not liking her position if the zombies managed to break through.
Resting sounded nice but if they waited to long they would be overrun no way that door was going to hold all the zombies at bay. Still she held her tongue her tactile judgment had been off lately better let those with more experience make the final decision. Though there was no reason to just sit idly by using her minor healing Chloe boosted Jenn's life energies gods knew she could use it.
Casting lest heal on Jenn level 1 body spell treated as level 2 (44hp 22*2 if I did the maths right)
Ashley bit her lip, glad to have at least a moment to rest. But this door wouldn't hold forever, and if something came down one of those other hallways before they'd had a good chance to rest, they'd be worse off then they had been before. "The door won't hold forever, and if we have to cut through that horde when it breaks we might end up more tired then we are now. Lets keep moving, but don't run. There might be traps, and it will let us have a chance to recover at least a little."
The storm mage dropped her own enhancement to strength, figuring the chance to recover some magical power was probably worth more in the long run.
Chloe: HP = 40/76, PP = 65, EP = 2/75, Status = Injured, Low on Energy, Light
Ashley: HP = 49, PP = 66, EP = 2/45, Status = Fine, Low on Energy
NPC stats
Tesnya: HP = 50/65, PP = 55, EP = 57/110, Status = Injured
Jenn: HP = 52, PP = 69, EP = 0/47, Status = Wounded, Unconscious
Charles: HP = 65/81, PP = 75, EP = 29/60, Status = Badly Injured, Strength (+24 Body 1 EP upkeep)
Nina: HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 15/55, Status = Fine
Rolls
You've got it right now, Jenn has been healed but is still at 0 EP.
Resistance: Enemy wins.
Chloe found that Jenn was still alive and breathing steadily, but even after she had gathered up a burst of magic and used it to heal the remaining injuries that the water mage still bore, Jenn remained unconscious. In the brief spiritual contact necessary for healing magic, Chloe felt that portions of Jenn's soul had been torn off in large chunks, and so much was gone that it would take a while for her to fully recover from it. To awaken her now would have put her in agony, and she wouldn't have had the strength to support herself anyway. The healer remained silent in the debate on what they ought to do, leaving Ashley and the others to decide.
Nina scowled darkly as Ashley joined in on those arguing for them to move on, and she gestured wildly towards Jenn's unconscious form as she half-shouted; "Look at her! We can't keep carrying her around like this AND fight off more of those monsters! We're taxed to the limit and all of us are running on fumes! A few minutes and we could leave with the ability to defend ourselves!" The sound of her voice caused the scratching and the hungry moans coming from the door to grow louder, and Charles was quick to say; "That door won't hold long enough for that! We need to move, now! Come on, we'll get out while they're still trying to-" Charles suddenly went silent just as the lantern hovering over him suddenly winked out of existence.
The room was plunged into utter blackness, and suddenly neither Ashley nor Chloe were able to hear anything either. They could still feel the vibrations caused by movement nearby, the constant adrenaline leaving them both hypersensitive, and Chloe could still feel Jenn next to her as well. After a moment of blindness, Ashley felt fingers wrap around hers, cold and clammy and thin.
Chloe tried not to scream as it would only make things worse instead she pulled Jenn closer to her just in case running would be the next exercise on the list. Holding the unconscious mage Chloe prayed. To be honest she had never been that religious her mother never forcing the churches doctrine on. Deciding it was better to be a good person to everyone. Usually her prayers where little things nothing that important and often selfish but today at this moment every little word that slipped silently from her mouth she meant with all her being. "What gods may be please please get us out of here. I don't want to die in this pit being eaten alive. Ill do anything you want just get us out of here." So she sat muttering her little prayer and trying not to panic or do anything that would cause a panic.
Feeling an unseen hand grab hers in the sudden darkness left Ashley fighting every instinct not to start unloading her gun or lashing out with magic, but doing so in the dark would leave her as likely to hit allies as enemies. And for that matter, all the undead so far had bitten or mauled, not grabbed. There was still every chance that her unseen attacker was as blind as she was and trying to find a target before lashing out at random, or about to pull her away from the group and to its bloodthirsty allies... but perhaps not. As exhausted as they were, any of the other womens' hands might feel like this.
Instead, the still-exhausted mage called light. Something had quenched Charles's lantern, but there was no telling exactly how. Even if her own light was targeted as soon as it popped up, the flash of light would be helpful. If there was some sort of area suppression... well, Ashley had spent her time at the Academy honing her ability to counter other magic and defeat such counters from others. Either way it was worth a try. "Don't panic, stay together! Light!" With her last word, she formed the spell to conjure a small light, and let it loose.
Chloe: HP = 76, PP = 65, EP = 75, Status = Fine
Ashley: HP = 49, PP = 66, EP = 45, Status = Fine
NPC stats
Tesnya: HP = 65, PP = 55, EP = 110, Status = Fine
Jenn: HP = 52, PP = 69, EP = 47, Status = Fine
Charles: HP = 81, PP = 75, EP = 60, Status = Fine, Strength (+24 Body 1 EP upkeep)
Nina: HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 55, Status = Fine
Rolls
Casting: Success.
Resistance: Enemy wins.
Darkness clogged the room in as the echoes of the undead still scraping at the door rumbled through the room, silenced by whatever had blotted out the light but still powerful enough that Chloe and Ashley could feel them. Thudding footsteps near them signaled that Charles had started to move, but how and to where they couldn’t quite determine as a sudden sense of cloying, unclean, wrongness pervaded their every sense. In such a state, trapped in the basement of an abandoned church of a fallen god, with death and darkness coming from every direction and the very air around them filled with some nameless horror, only a fool would believe that any god would have heard Chloe’s prayers.
As such, the healer might have been caught by surprise when a tenuous connection between herself and some other, greater being suddenly formed. For a moment, the other force was merely confused, but then it looked into Chloe’s soul, the act so easy for whatever she had just contacted that the young mage couldn’t even puzzle out how she might have stopped it from doing so, much less actually enacting any strategy successfully. There was a pause, and then a soft feminine voice that filled Chloe’s heart with comfort spoke into her mind; ‘Chloe…. I am sorry, but I cannot come to help you in person, not where you are… There is a block, a construction of mortal magic around that church that holds back all other influence. But… I can do something to help you. This connection is weak, but I can restore your strength, and that of your friends… You can survive this Chloe, you and your comrades! Do not give in to despair!’
Just as Ashley cast her spell, her increasingly waning energies only stretching all the thinner, she suddenly felt a rush of strength pour through her being, the very same one that Chloe felt at the exact same time. A wave of light burst out from her hand, allowing them to see the room and their companion’s astonished faces as their wounds were healed in full and their spiritual energies were miraculously restored. Light came back to the room, and with it the sound of their suddenly much less threatening enemies scratching and banging at the flimsy cellar door. It took Ashley about a second to find very good reason to regret being able to see and hear again.
The figure holding her hand was vaguely feminine but wasted and too thin to possess much in the way of flesh beneath the stained white dress that it wore. Scraggly black hair hung down its back, a long black mass that hung halfway to its back. All of that, while certainly ugly by almost any definition, was not what Ashley had to regret however. The creature’s face, or what was left of it, looked as if its skin had been stretched too thin for its size, as blackened veins and withered muscle were visible through the pale sheet of flesh. The eyes were empty sockets, the insides perfectly black and infinitely deep while the outer part was rimmed in blood and gore that began to spread and sizzle as the light touched its features. “Ashley?” Charles said, his voice quiet and concerned, and then the thing opened a mouth as dark and empty as its eye sockets save for the row of uneven pointed teeth and let out a piercing scream that hammered through their ears and made their heads throb with agony. The split second in which that thing screamed, its hand suddenly sprouting claws that dug into Ashley’s palm, was enough to drive those standing to their knees, and then Ashley felt a magical force reach forth and extinguish her light, once more plunging the room into blackness and silence.
As the two women recovered, Chloe could feel Jenn stirring from her coma while Ashley heard a disembodied voice suddenly sounding within her mind; ‘Come… This way…. Hurry….’ The hand grasping hers had returned to normal, and was then gently tugging on her, trying to bring her back to her feet.
Chloe was stunned simply over whelmed by the unnatural feeling of the entity gazing into her soul. Though a heartbeat later a soothing voice calmed her. Still another creature speaking into her mind was still made her uneasy but she had asked for this. A simple meaningful thank you was all Chloe could muster in reply as she felt her energy restored her wounds heal and felt Jenn move of her own accord and under her own power. Then a radiating light filled the room and Chloe saw the monster holding onto Ashley's hand. This proved a little to much for the girl as she began a scream only to have it silenced when the horror beat her to it. Recovering herself as best she could Chloe nearly panicked in the darkness but managed calm her self enough to focus on casting eyes of the cat she didn't like it but she needed to see.
Casting eyes of the cat level 2 nature spell which allows the caster to see in the dark with no penalty
The sight of the creature holding her hand on top of the sudden surge of strength and already frayed nerves was too much, and Ashley let out half a scream before she could contain herself, drowned out by the creature's own scream of pain. But as she got her voice under control, she also had time for her thought to catch up to where they ought to be. The thing holding her hand was ugly and could easily be trying to lead her into a trap... but its only possibly hostile actions had been to negate the party's lights, which clearly hurt it.
Then the light went out and she heard a voice within her mind. Her thoughts went into overdrive as she felt the hand tugging her to her feet. Follow it? Could be a trap. But then we hardly need leading into a trap at this point. Dead Gods, but that thing looked... I didn't hear that with my ears, it was in my head. Can it read my thoughts? Why should I follow you? No, why should I believe that you would lead me to safety? No, crap. Think. No, don't think, not if it can read...
"Don't make any more lights, do your best without. Hold hands! Don't panic!" Ashley got to her feet and worked a minor magic on her eyes to help her see. Cat's eyes wouldn't see perfectly in the total darkness that could happen underground, but they'd have a much better chance then her own natural eyesight. She wondered briefly what she'd see - the horrible visage that her light had revealed, or the slightly creepy but outwardly normal human that she seemed to feel when there was no light. Imaging helped her keep her thoughts focused on something harmless rather than running through the sort of plans that might get her in trouble if the thing really could read her mind.
When she was on her feet and had cast her spell, she'd seek out the nearest person's hand to hold. She had felt her strength restored once before, by an especially powerful Daemon, and wondered who or what had done it this time. The thing surely wasn't a Daemon, but that didn't necessarily rule it out. It was surely more powerful than Ashley or any one of her companions, or so it seemed.
Chloe: HP = 76, PP = 65, EP = 73/75, Status = Fine, Eyes of the Cat
Ashley: HP = 49, PP = 66, EP = 43/45, Status = Fine, Eyes of the Cat
NPC stats
Tesnya: HP = 65, PP = 55, EP = 104/110, Status = Fine, Telepathy to the whole party
Jenn: HP = 52, PP = 69, EP = 47, Status = Fine
Charles: HP = 81, PP = 75, EP = 57/60, Status = Fine, Strength (+24 Body 1 EP upkeep), Eyes of the Cat
Nina: HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 53/55, Status = Fine, Eyes of the Cat
Rolls
Casting: Success for both of you. Cat's eyes for everyone!
No response came to Ashley's mental query, and though she opened her mouth, no sound came out. Thankfully, that was solved a moment later when another mental prodding entered her mind, this time by asking permission. 'Ashley? Can you hear me? It's Tesnya, and I've made a mental connection to everyone else too, even Jenn.' Charles came on the line a moment later as the ghostly apparition began to pull Ashley forward by the hand, 'Will do, I think everyone's alright. What was that thing?' She and Chloe both cast the same spell at the same time, giving them some ability to see even if it was no match for a real light.
In the darkness, the creature pulling her along looked like a normal human girl, alive and whole. She was young, early twenties at best, and her slightly pudgy face was surrounded by midnight black hair. Her body was considerably rounder than the skeletal figure that had been shown in the light, and she moved vigorously towards a cabinet set against the far wall. The apparition released Ashley's hand long enough to pull the cabinet aside, and Charles stepped up beside her and took her grasping hand. 'Whatever this thing is, we can't afford to get separated again. No one goes off on their own. Can you three watch over Jenn?' He said, and was answered by affirmatives from Tesnya and Nina. The water mage was stirring softly in Chloe's arms, just starting to wake up but not quite there yet.
The cabinet shifted aside to reveal a dark passageway, and the woman grasped Ashley's hand and started pulling her down into it. There was no telling what was down there, her magically enhanced vision unable to see into the murky blackness, but Charles held her hand tightly and stuck close to her side. It hadn't displayed any indication that it could read her mind just yet, and only Ashley heard the monstrous woman as she once more whispered into the wind mage's mind; 'Come… This way…. Hurry…. Not far....' She could try to pull away if she wanted to, but this would likely be her last chance. Jenn, meanwhile, was stirring in Chloe's grasp, and the healer could see her lips moving in the dark. When she realized that she couldn't speak or see, her eyes widened and she let out a silent whimper of fear, but Nina's voice was quick to comfort her; 'It's okay Jenn... We're all here.'
The water mage blinked blindly up at Chloe, unseeing. 'Nina... Is that you? How... How am I hearing you in my head? Where is everyone!?'
Chloe's heart was still racing from the fright but now that she could see somewhat the figure looked far less scary though given what just happened she was none to keen to follow it but as it turned out they had little choice in matter. 'Come on Jenn up we go we need to keep moving we'll explain on the way.' Chloe got Jenn to her feet and did her best catch her up to the situation. Sticking close to Tesnya Chloe followed where ever the woman lead.
The more welcome mental connection was easier to deal with, and Ashley decided to make the reasonable assumption that she would at least notice if Tesnya tried to peer into her more private thoughts. The sudden image of the entire party naked as they first entered the church popped up, but she pushed it back down and silently addressed the party, hoping that her assumption was accurate. 'We can't stay here, and I don't think that this person is going to wait. Follow as soon as you can, we'll try to leave directions if you're not right behind us.'
That would be simple enough, at least. A simple Alarm spell at any intersection could be made to indicate which direction to go simply enough, specifying a small light or sound that clearly indicated direction. Set it to go off when one of the group passes... it might not be perfect, but it would do for short notice. Between the three of them who were already ready to move on they would be able to cover quite a few turns.
Ashley turned her attention to Jenn, aware that she wasn't communicating directly but hoping the point got across anyway. 'I'm glad you're awake, Jenn. Don't panic, stay with the group and we'll get out of here yet.'
With that, she started after the unusual 'woman' who seemed to be leading them somewhere. Hopefully 'not far' would be accurate.
Chloe: HP = 76, PP = 65, EP = 73/75, Status = Fine, Eyes of the Cat
Ashley: HP = 49, PP = 66, EP = 43/45, Status = Fine, Eyes of the Cat
NPC stats
Tesnya: HP = 65, PP = 55, EP = 104/110, Status = Fine, Telepathy to the whole party
Jenn: HP = 52, PP = 69, EP = 47, Status = Fine
Charles: HP = 81, PP = 75, EP = 57/60, Status = Fine, Eyes of the Cat
Nina: HP = 35, PP = 50, EP = 53/55, Status = Fine, Eyes of the Cat
'Alright, be careful!' Tesnya mentally replied. 'We shouldn't be separating like this... Make sure nothing goes after Jenn!' Charles added, and Tesnya replied; 'We will, and we'll follow as soon as we can get Jenn moving.' Ashley's voice in her mind caused Jenn to stir, but she remained limp despite Chloe's attempts to get her to her feet. 'Ah... Ashley? Where... What's happening? Where are you going?'
There was no time for Ashley to respond, however, as there was a sudden snap, audible in each of their minds, and Ashley and Charles were suddenly cut off from the mental contact. Ashley felt the man's hand squeeze hers right when it happened, and Chloe could feel them vanish from her thoughts even as the darkness that had surrounded the rest of the group suddenly dissipated. Chloe had seen Charles and Ashley moving into a dark tunnel through her magically enhanced vision, but when the darkness vanished so did that tunnel. Bare wall stood where Ashley and Charles had been visible mere moments before, but with the darkness gone the room was no longer silent. Tesnya and Nina both immediately said aloud and mentally thought; "Shit!" at more or less the exact same time.
Unfortunately, they weren't given long to ponder the matter. As Tesnya was crossing the room towards the patch of wall where Ashley and Charles had vanished, the door from which they had entered the room suddenly splintered inwards as a hulking monstrosity smashed it in. It lumbered into the room, hunched over to keep its tiny head from scraping against the ceiling and supporting a single massive arm, as wide around as Chloe's torso, while the other was shriveled and flopped bonelessly against its side. "Shit!" Tesnya shouted, and Jenn shrieked in horror and started clawing her way away from the door even as several of the walking corpses that had funneled them into this room followed the monstrous one into the room, three of them immediately starting towards Chloe and Jenn.
Back in the hallway with the 'woman,' the snap had left Ashley and Charles deaf, but the figure was still pulling them forward down the hallway. They could still see one another, and after a moment Charles glanced behind and scowled, and then turned back and gave Ashley a nod and a light squeeze of her hand. He began moving forward as well, and if Ashley decided to turn and see what he had seen, she would find herself staring at a blank wall.
Judging from how loud the sound of the wall snapping into place had been, there didn't seem to be much hope of shifting the wall physically. And from the fact that it managed to also sever the magical link with Tesnya, it was probably magic-proof as well. Unless whatever spiritual art the woman had been using required a line of sight. There wasn't time to fool around and find out. If the wall wasn't magic proof the others would have it down and be following in short order. If it was... the best way to get around it was probably still to follow the strange 'woman', at least for the moment.
It still felt like abandoning her friends, and right after Jenn had called out to her for comfort and help. But there didn't seem to be anything else to do. A solid wall blocked her path, and she had as much chance of getting through either of the side walls as the one that now sat behind her. There was only one way to go.
In the mean time she considered that it was perhaps time to prepare herself. What exactly for wasn't clear. Which suggested the first line of preparation in itself - the ability to see what was coming. Foresight was out of the question, and Ashley's ordinary sight was already enhanced... but there were still avenues available. She drew in a measured amount of power, and focused principally on her senses of hearing and smell. That done, she started down the hallway.
Body level 2, Lesser Strength. Buffing perception.
Well so much for staying together. "Jenny get up we don't have time for this! Quick this way." Chloe went to the opposite door and threw it open hoping no more zombies awaited them here. Looking back she focused her energies and summoned a salamander to delay the massive zombie and its smaller kin.
Actions
Caste: Summon Salamander 28 body (10*2+8) and natural attack.
