Immersive Ink

ehiker133 wrote:

danhem wrote:"Splitting up some more?" Ulric asks Olaf. "Let us go and finish off those infernal beasts together and then we can all return here. Either that or we all die alone in the dark. Let's move now! Desmond, Mondes leave the door; it will wait."

Putting action to words Ulric moves back to passage leading to Dieter.

Desmond sighs and presses his head against the stone door.

"We'll come back for you, friends," he whispers.

Then he follows Ulric, readying Mads' Cold Iron Axe.

mushgnome wrote:
Highbough's top priority is to re-unite the party. He will deploy his lantern and/or magic spear as necessary toward that goal.

waysoftheearth wrote:
Very well; everyone (bar Pelenwin and Wibert) converges on the first vault.

The First Vault

Gustave, Josiane, Dorgan and Guntrum enter from the front passage, Josiane falls to the rear as she concentrates on her mantra, still focusing behind. Gustave has the lead, and trots down the stair to approach the ambling dead from behind.

On the opposite side of the vault, Dieter holds the passage against a wretched knot of animated cadavers, but at least now he sees them by the approaching lights of Ulric, Olaf and Desmond/Mondes.

Initiative is rolled (1d6; Dieter=6+1, Foe=4), and now Dieter has the upper hand (2d20=15,17) dealing out a punishing swath of lethal stabs and slashes, dropping two of the monsters in quick succession, leaving only the last pair to reply (2d20=14,18) but despite the carnage one of them manages to tear a grievous rent across his sword arm for (1dd=6) 6 hit points! (Dieter has 5 of 14 hit points remaining).

The others are now in the passage behind him, but it is only wide enough for one Man to swing a sword. (But spears and daggers might fight two abreast).

"All the running back and forth... what is this? A marathon?" complains Mondes.

tonneau wrote:
Gustave, spying his comrade sorely wounded (or perhaps just the opportunity for a last beheading) leaps at the remaining dead with gusto and a hearty "Ha haaaaa!".

sulldawga wrote:
Dorgan will stay close to, and keep an eye on, Josiane and the passage from which they're backing away.

eris wrote:
Olaf shouts, "Fall back Dieter, and let me at them!"

mushgnome wrote:
Highbough pokes a zombie from the 2nd rank with his spear.

coffee wrote:
Dieter is naturally loathe to leave a fight once started, but in this case he will fall back and let Olaf have a turn. (The poor fellow has waited long enough, after all.)

doctorx wrote:
Josiane continues her prayer, her attention focussed on the black passageway leading to the antechamber. Is there any sight/sound/sense that suggests to her the foe is still in pursuit?

eris wrote:

coffee wrote:Dieter is naturally loathe to leave a fight once started, but in this case he will fall back and let Olaf have a turn. (The poor fellow has waited long enough, after all.)

Olaf squeezes forward, holding his shield up so Dieter can retreat under cover, then begins hacking, slashing and stabbing at the zombies in front of him!