Changelings Part II: A Holiday In The Sun

[VAN]

Catheine finally notices that Seradon isn't moving at all without loosening the grip at the queen she says:

"That's no good. We better tie her before she tries anything else...Can you carry Seradon Helfierd? Guess the zombies will buy us some time when they get to the queen. I just hope they hate her more than us..."

[BigBadQDaddy]

"There is rope.in my pack. Hurry! The faster we tie this one up the sooner we can leave." Helfried looks over to Saradon. "I should be able to carry that one. Looks to weigh a littlebover a couple of stones."

[kintire]

She struggles frantically, but Helfierd has a firm hold now and it is the work of less than a minute to tie her securely. Even so, the Drowned are already assembling. This time, however, there is something different. They do not attack, either the adventurers or each other, their attention focussed unwaveringly on the Queen, approaching with steady steps. As helfierd grabs Seradon and the group dives inside the refuge door, she screams once, and then vanishes under the horde. As the door closes it chokes of the noise of her being torn frenziedly to pieces, her screams seeming to last far longer than they really should...

The group stands inside the sanctuary, and all around them is a profound silence.

[alhoon]

As Seradon's paralysis wears off, he stands wearily. "That would keep her out ... till tomorrow at least. Although, there's a slimmer of hope that since she died at the hands of those she betrayed, the circle is broken. But as I said, that's a small chance that I'm not willing to bet on.

What I really find strange is that ... she possessed the claws and the paralysis of ... a ghoul. An undead creature that eats the flesh of men. Let's hope we weren't fed human remains at the dinner."

[VAN]

Catherine makes a grimace of trully disgust.

"Lets hope so! As about the Queen, well I'm not willing to stay here and test if she will be back tomorrow or no...I suggest we get out of here now that we have the chance."

[alhoon]

"There's still the problem of total lack of supplies. Let's try to investigate now that the restless dead exacted their bloody justice on the one that betrayed them."

After a small pause he adds:
"And let's keep an exit, or more, in sight in case the undead aren't that interested in exacting justice but want to kill everything."

[BigBadQDaddy]

Helfried stands in silence as the other two talk over possible exit strategies. His eyes flash a worried disbelief when Saradon suggests the witch queen could possibly return on the morrow. Tightening his grip on his axe, he waits for the groups next move.

[alhoon]

Seradon notices Helfried's discomfort. "Helfried? Are you all right? I understand this all is hard on you, but believe me, it's hard on us too. In any case, you have the most experience in the group in surviving hostile lands and dealing with hordes of undead. What do you suggest we do?"

[VAN]

Catherine nods in agreement.

"Yes indeed better find supplies now that we can than wait till last moment. And we still need to find whatever we came here to retrieve hoping to miraculously get back in Paridon when we do. Maybe the artifact is on the Queen, or the temple. I sugggest we search the body and the temple first and then the rest of the palace."

[BigBadQDaddy]

"I was taken aback. That is all. Strange as this land is I still expct that which dies to stay dead. As uncomfortable as it may be I will just jave to trust your expertise on this one, Darkonian. And of course, whatever the lady decides, I will follow course.

[kintire]

A search of the room that they are in quickly reveals that no provisions are to be found here, even in the lower chamber. Considerable wealth is present, verging on vast wealth, although much of it is inconveniently large. The golden throne, for example, while incredibly valuable must weigh a quarter of a ton. Some smaller pieces do exist, and some inset gems might be pried loose.

Cautious investigating outside the door reveals a tangled mass of corpses. It seems that at the moment the mangled body of the Queen gave up its wierd life, the walking corpses ceased to walk. A few items of personal jewelry survive, prominent among which is the belt or girdle the Queen was wearing, consisting of a black chain with silver trimmings supporting onyx and silver plates forming a sort of very short skirt. Each plate consists of an onyx base with a strange glyph or rune on the face in inlaid silver.

The rest of the palace has relapsed into millennial decay, but inside the entrance the group does find a small cache of food packs and water-skins. Clearly modern, they were presumeably left here by the doppelgangers.

[alhoon]

"Can't hurt to take a little piece of money with us... We may have to negotiate with the barbarians of this land" Seradon said and pried a few gems from the throne and a couple of rings, necklaces or bracelets; jewelry easily carried, from their owners.

"Don't touch the Queen's stuff, I'll check it for magic." Thinking a bit he says "Although cursed magic items are protected sometimes from magic"

[alhoon]

Seradon after concentrating for some time on the items exclaims: "The rings may be safe. I wouldn't be so sure about the Queen's girdle. It has very powerful magic on it, and it's of the type that messes with the mind. It probably is something safe that just helped the Queen to enforce her rule on her subjects. Or it could be something bad. Small possibility as that is, I'm not touching that just in case."

[VAN]

Catherine gets few gems from the throne and the rings. Then tosses a ring to the Falkovian.

"Here Helfierd, take one, we should better have one each. As about the belt, well we can always take it and just not wear it right? Put it in a bag for example. This can be the item we actually came to retrieve and I don't want to lose the chance to go back in Paridon...But I think you Seradon should actually take it off because you know more about magic and you can defend yourself better if it tries to control you or something similar. I doubt you want to face an enraged Helfierd..."

[alhoon]

Seradon makes a thoughtful Grimace. "OK" he says at last. He fishes around to find a piece of cloth that could double as an improvised bag and after finding one, he falls into quick spellcasting and a translucent aura seems to simmer around him for a moment before disappearing. "That would protect my mind for a few minutes, that should be enough to put that thing into a bag. If that's what we're here to retrieve... then we're building up our patron with incredibly powerful magic items. That may also be cursed. This girdle is of comparable power to the sword we already handed over. Something to consider as we continue our adventures and pick up whatever he, she or they have in mind."
"Be ready both of you"
Seradon tries to remove the girdle as quickly as possible and wrap it up in the cloth.