Speak of the Devil - (Pervy/Rep)

[Repetition]

An easy job.

At least that is what Elyn had been told. Guarding a graveyard was certainly not the most interesting work she had found herself in. Only last week she had dealt with a nearby bandit group settled in an abandoned manor-house. With a little help of course, but this.. This was not half as fun. On the hiring boards this had been tacked, right with all the other things people needed help doing in this shit-hole town. Once a month someone tried to take this job, and within a week it would be back on the board. This time however, the pay had doubled. The job was for a night guard, and only one woman had managed to hold it for a reasonable length of time in memory. Seni Grandheir had been an odd duck, but kept a good watch over the years. Even with her supervision some folks manage to slip in a few days every year. From those people are where the rumors that the cemetery is haunted. Though nothing ever left the gates. Sadly Seni disappeared just earlier this week. No trace of her could be found. The day watch had seen her come in and take over, and she hadn't been there when he returned. The sheriff went to her house and found it empty, covered in a layer of dust suggesting abandonment. People are still a little on edge by her disappearance, but they've stopped searching as she had no family and at 86 she was getting ready to pass on as it was. So the new notice went on the board, looking for a watchman to replace her. Honestly looking for two, but one would do. When Elyn had checked the board yesterday, having just finished her last job. She saw it was all that was left, so why not try it? So yesterday she had. The day watchman gave her the keys when she showed up, the owner had been there too to explain how things worked. The night passed quietly, not even a whisper of wind. The crunch of the day watchman's, Id was his name, boots on the path being the first thing to break the silence. In all honesty it had been a nice night, clear crisp end of autumn, the sun rising slowly in vibrant shades just before Id came to take his post.

Tonight though, things were different. Id wasn't there to hand things off, but Elyn had her own keys. So she just let herself in. The guard post stands where it always has, looming just inside the gate, shut and dark. This too is easily opened by a key from the ring, and a lamp lit soon after makes it a little more cozy. Sitting down in the guard chair the warrior felt her foot hit something that hadn't been there last night. A simple wooden box with an ornate star shaped keyhole. Thinking about it there had been a star shaped key on the ring, trying it and finding it work was a bit of a surprise. The lid opened smoothly and within was a simple envelope with tight spidery script across its front reading: "To my successor, whomever she might be" The other object in the box was a black, leather bound book, completely unmarked on both covers. A mystery for certain. Then a scream wrenches its way through the night, from somewhere in the graveyard. A terrible, inhuman sound grating against the warrior's ears. Ringing in them for several moments after the sound itself had stopped.

OOC: Please make me a perception[WIS] or Knowledge(Nature)[INT] check for me.

 

[Pervy]

Elyn had arrived in proper armor, a long, fancy cloak fluttering behind her, a sword, too long for a one hander and almost too slender for a greatsword, some custom-made dueling implement, held in a sheathe upon her back.
Her book actually hadn't lasted as long as she'd thought, plus, using an ion-torch for reading had been a bad idea.. eventually she'd captured the damn swirly thing in a pair of rusted tweezers she'd found on the way. Who could walk with a thing such as this swirling around their head!

A march over the graveyard had been admittedly, a little spooky, but nothing too dangerous or productive either. All in all, it turned out like gold quite easily earned even if beneath her, threat-wise.. she almost hoped for a foolish necromancer encursion or somesuch to rise the excitement. But until then, she'd brought a bigger book.

Elyn relaxed, sitting down, still wearing her armor -that was part of training after all, though she would allow herself to take off her gloves to read and-..
And something disturbed her barely established routine.. a chest. She raised a brow. Was this a prank? Even if so, why?

She opened up the box easily enough, tilting her head at the tome within. "Hmn. could have used that the earlier night now what.."
She hesitated, startled by a sudden scream. This didn't sound.. normal. Well, time to check this out!

She steps outside, hand reaching for her blade, ion-stone lifted in it's tweezers, eyes scanning the graveyard.. now where did that sound come from? She realized the place was too big to go for a certain destination, at least without a helpful secondary scream or sign outside. She briefly felt like calling out, but dismissed it.. if this was some sort of trick played on her, she'd not fall for it.

(check failed, prolly, with a 6!)

 

[Repetition]

Stepping outside the wind holds a chill quality to it, like the air has icy fingers trailing along any exposed skin. The mists must have rolled in while you were inside for now they are about knee-high covering the landscape before you. You swear that the oppressive taste that the moisture takes fills every breath.
Behind you the gate is still locked tight, though it swings a little in the wind blowing though. As she turns back to the rest of the cemetery, the mist a path suddenly opens before you, pulling back and reveling the trail leading deeper in.
It could be nothing, or perhaps someone is controlling the mist. That note seemed somewhat important though, with it being addressed indirectly to Elyn and somehow knowing her replacement would be female.

The night seems to remain silent to her ears though. Just as quiet as the night before. No, actually, a little louder as the chain rattles against the gate with each swing, adding to the eerie near silence. The touch stone does its best to illuminate the way, but still leaves much of the landscape obscured by dim light or darkness. Looking about once more nothing unaccounted for moves. The path before the warrioress still open to walk.

 

[Pervy]

"Brr..."
She harumphed, feeling the armor quickly cool out under the wind. Weather had certainly turned for the worse...

"Ominous.." She mused, at the mist, taking a few steps down, before hesitating.. and then chiding herself for her hesitation. "Hoi, anyone there?"
She asked, briefly considering chucking her glow-stone down the mist-corridor for better illumination.. but that thing had been expensive.

She shakes her head. Humbug and nonsense and poppycock! She huffs and, sword held low but at the ready, stomps onwards. Everyone here is already dead, there's nothing to worry about, and she can read cryptic prank notes after she convinced herself she wasn't afraid of some wind in the night by marching past a dozen gravestones or so and confirming there was nothing troublesome outside to begin with.

Once that far, if nothing caught her interest, she'd lift her bottle and give one last long glance around the paths deeper into the graveyard. "If this is some kids getting frisky out here you'll just catch a cold, so you know!"
She insisted.

 

[Repetition]

The whispering, biting breeze gives the only response to Elyn's calls. Her hesitations proving that for the most part that the mist is just that. It follows the air currents provided by her movements easily enough, billowing and shifting in the stone's light.

Moving forward again it seems there is something more out here, for the screech fills the night again. This time followed by an extraordinary loud crash destroying what silence there was. Turning back the light in the guard house is gone and the parted mists have pulled in close behind her. The moon emerges from behind a cloud and shines brightly down from on high, bathing everything in a white glow, showing what had just occurred. The G on the metal graveyard sign has fallen from its fastenings and crashed into the guard shack.

Taking a steadying breath it seems there was nothing extra-ordinary about the noise at all, just a loose sign in the wind. Nothing to worry about, right?

The sound of a loose rock clattering down among others comes from the warrior's right. Looking toward it a small movement can easily be seen as the offending rock comes to rest at her metal boot. Following where that rock may have come from Elyn finds herself face to face with a white, stone angel as it looms over her. Another clacking and clicking comes from behind her this time and spinning to look it is easy to see a skeletal hand raise itself from the fresh grave dirt where some poor sap had been buried just last week.

It seems at least one undead is in this cemetery, and it is working to excavate itself, much to the warrior's displeasure. According to the job description, the dead were to stay dead.

 

[Pervy]

She hesitated and narrowed her eyes when there was another screeching. It was a little disconcerting, but she had faith in her bladework if the screaming creature wanted to pick a fight with her!

Then, she swirled around at a cracking and crashing noise.. oh bother.. if she'd stayed in that guard-place.. Right, time to find a new job tomorrow. Not to become one of a list of early quitters, but she could quickly point to that for anyone questioning her decision.

And then, more rocks clattered about. Clearly, the construction on this whole place was going downhill, fast. And.. a skeletal hand. Was that screeching a by-product or the cause? Either way!
She was not one to be scared of problems right infront of her, or rather, fear was overcome by another emotion. Swiftly she sheated her sword, clasping her hand into a fist.. before punching the thing attempting to excavate itself! "Back in you go! Bad and improper behaviour, 'tis is, accept your state!"
(Str check of 5.. perhaps she is rattled more than expected.. by the rattling skeleton OwO!)

She huffed down at the boned one, cracking her knuckles. "How'd you even come back fully skeletized this swiftly, I heard the grave was filled not long ago and it sure doesn't seem old and abandoned either."
She noted, whilest observing the efficacy of her offensive gravekeeping methods.

 

[Repetition]

The skeletal hand graciously accepted both Elyn's fist bump and the helping hand as it grabs her wrist, using it to pull out of the grave a little further. The other hand pokes out of the ground, this too uncovered by flesh as they are soon joined by a equally white skull. A skull that answers the question posed to it, probably to the surprise of the warrior.
"Aw darn it, are you telling me I got in the wrong grave last time? It is really hard to keep track some nights and it was really banging!" The skull looks around, and tilts his head to the side. Well, it was easier to assume he was male considering the voice that magically came from the chattering mouth. "Who are you? And more importantly where's Seni? I heard that old 'G' fall off and I want to start making of this place's new purpose!"

The chatty skeleton pulls himself further from the grave that apparently doesn't belong to him reaching out a bony hand. "Hey could you help a little? They don't make this stuff easy to get out from, even when I only dig down two feet for easy exits."

Regardless of how he gets out the bone man soon stands before Elyn, wearing little to cover the pleasant white structure that has to be magically animated. "Alright, my name's Cornelius and I am this bone-yard's night maintenance. Though tonight I'm here to tear up this dance floor! You must be a back up dancer! Didn't you know?" He sighs exasperatedly before pointing at the ruined sign, "You are in the Rave-yard!" He seems to wait a moment, then as no sound but the whispering wind responds he starts to look about him confused. "Huh, that's odd, normally the other folks are waking up by now after a noise like that..." He calls out, "Jim-bo? you lazy bum!" He turns back to the warrior tilting his head to the side apologetically. "Sorry about this, there should be more of us.. somewhere." He starts to wander off into the still present mist, deeper into the graveyard. What a strange skeleton.

Spoiler: Bad joke

 

[Pervy]

She watched the flesh-less fellow with big eyes, quickly withdrawing her hand, unsure if she should be scared or annoyed. She easily settled for annoyed, playing the silent role as the skeleton went on his spiel. "No. I am done with this."
She decided, twirling her blade forwards.

Even if it was friendly and if there had been no notices on how to deal with necromancy, a Rave - she failed to understand the pun- was at the very least a noise-problem. with a flash and well aimed rush, she drew forwards to the skeleton, cutting at it's neckbone! (doing a dex based attack I gander, for 15!)

"I'll find the proper grave for you and recommend a half dozen priets go through this place."
She resolved. There would be no undead uprising, benevolent or not, on her time!

 

[Repetition]

Cornelius
Blade flashing in the moonlight, it is easy to cleave through Cornelius' collarbone, and even snap 3 ribs below it. Leaping back in surprise He shouts at you. "Wooh, woh. Is that how you treat your elders Missy? Or how you should handle the one who's going to tell you how to stay alive longer than tonight?" He starts to play a common children's game with the battle-mage, keeping a large tomb marker between you and him to give him a better chance to avoid Elyn's attacks. The grave marker is of a large angel statue which stands easily 3 m tall, arms outstretched as the pair dances around her.

As he ducks from another strike he calls out, "I'm willing to get into the ground again if it helps, just don't quit! Whatever you do, don't quit your post now." Then he chuckles a little before continuing, "Oh, and save your coin. Priests have tried everything on me, it doesn't work, and nor can they cleanse the curse you now have." By this point the warrior has finally been able to drive him from the safety of the statue, but he grabs a large branch which he proceeds to use expertly to block attempted strikes as he is pushed back across the graveyard.

The next strike chips deep into the wood, perhaps another one of those could snap it. The good news is whatever this skeleton is trying, he clearly just is defending himself. He doesn't fall for any opening she frames for him, just guarding against the next attack. "Look, if you need a good boning I know a guy!" He shudders as the wind picks up, even the gods disapproved of that one. "Alright fine, just hear me out before you disassemble me and it takes the next month for me to reassemble." He throws down his stick, holding hands in the air waiting for whatever judgment Elyn decides for him.

 

[Pervy]

"You need to be a little less alive. If you want to help, tell me the name of the necromancer responsible for disturbing your rest."
She declared, before hesitating her assault, raising her eyebrows.

"First, I almost got crushed by faulty construction.. second.. why would you care if I stay?"
She raised a brow. That was odd enough to give her pause.
"What are you talking about.. specifically, what would this curse be?"
She narrows her eyes, leveling her blade at the skeleton.. but still, something innate in her makes it hard to attack the defenseless, undead or not. ".. I don't even particularly care, but it is my duty to keep things quiet around here.. I didn't expect... well the first night was certainly calmer..."
She bemoans.

 

[Repetition]

Cornelius
As Elyn relents the skeleton seems to wait a moment, checking that she isn't tricking him. Sighing heavily he sits himself down on a grave marker, patting another nearby as an offering for her to sit too before he speaks. "Well if Seni isn't around to explain this I guess it falls on me. So, firstly no necromancer is disturbing my rest. If they were I am the luckiest unlucky skeleton around considering the number of basic undead that can talk and think for themselves. Regardless, what do you know of curses?"

Spoiler: INT DC 10

There are magics out there that can inflict curses on people. Common examples being lycanthropy (and other forms of were-creatures) and general unluckiness.

Spoiler: DC 15

Though it is not terribly common the inflict curse spell is actually something Elyn studied. It is rather difficult to dispel and very obnoxious. It prompted the invention of the 'remove curse' spell which has nearly wiped all known curses from present knowledge.

Spoiler: DC20

There are also much more powerful and rare curses which inspired the inflict curse spell. The older version can only be lifted by the conditions of that specific curse. Often a person gets cursed individually but it is very possible for a location to be cursed as well. Folklore speaks of warding one's self from the evil eye as a main method for protecting from being cursed in this way, but it fell out of fashion. Gods also had the ability to inflict these kinds of curses and only a couple have made it into history, specifically one man who was born of a god and a mortal. The god's husband cursed the man then sent them on 13 tasks. There are stories that the man eventually reached demi-god status, but they are unconfirmed.

He watches for the battle-mage's answer before continuing. "Yeah, there are two kinds of curses. The general kind is easy enough to get rid of, we didn't get that lucky. So I'm the first night watchman of this graveyard. Seni has done a really good job of taking care of this place for the past half century." He sighs leaning back and looking a the moon for a moment before continuing on again.

"So the way this curse passes on is whenever a night watch has seen me or the other really unlucky souls who are trapped like me in undeath you gain it. Most of the time it just makes it so if you quit that you are guaranteed to die in the week. Sometimes it will reanimate you and you'll join the guys and me in maintaining the graveyard by night. Most of the time we just clean things up, chat with the current watch and keep to ourselves. At this point the watchman is here to scare off anyone who tries to get in here that we don't want to be cursed like us. Strangely we can wear sheets and prevent the spread that way, but we only do that when we know people are coming. Now you are probably wondering why none of the folks who were hired recently and soon after left have died? Seni was really good at reading people and she would scare off anyone who wouldn't be able to handle the job."

He stands up and starts to pace at this point, going down the row of graves then turning back and passing the current night watch-woman as he continues the explanation. "As for what set the curse, I'm not really sure. This graveyard was dedicated to Vio, and I have heard that the great Grave Keeper himself came and blessed this place. There are others who say a warlock came here asking for his wife to be buried here and when he was refused he laid the curse on the grounds. Whatever the case the place acts the way it does." You recall hearing both of the tails, but they were just folk stories. After all, why would the god of death bless this small town cemetery, and the warlock was a common way to get the kids to go to sleep.

Cornelius stops his pacing directly in front of the warrior, if he had eyes they would probably be staring directly into Elyn at this point. "Now, there is one last detail I should mention. Just about a month ago, Seni and I discovered a portal under the central tomb here. We were going to study it together but weird things started happening. A bunch of kids seemed really interested in fucking on some of the tomb-stones, more than normal mind you. Then there were the wolves and bats that got really active. The mists like what you see here began to act weird, showing paths that they shouldn't. Things began to break, like the sign did tonight. Probably the worst is the feeling of being constantly watched. I don't have much but it always sends shivers down my spine." He finishes talking and as he does a hush falls over the cemetery, even the wind is silent and for a moment you think there is something just over your shoulder, breathing down your neck.

Looking there is nothing, just the mist. The feeling of something unseen remains, further though. A clacking noise comes from Cornelius, turning back to him he has seated himself on a marker again and asks, "Well, I've told you the story, now what? Oh, and just a note, I can fix both the sign and the guardhouse for you if you'd like." He seems to think you might still dismember him for the crime of being undead.

 

[Pervy]

She raised a brow at the improper sitting place.. then decided that actually, her armor was kind of heavy so..

"Curses huh? Like lycantrophy and clumsyness, sure?

.. so.. seeing you inflicts a curse? Why don't you stay underground then?"
She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, listening on.
"What.. what the hell? Die within a week? Your humor has run it's course, boneman!"
She growled, lifting her blade again! "Also, nonsense. This Seni presumably saw you at least once and she survived. Surely she'd taken some time off, or something!

...how can you worry about mists and bats when there's a bloody curse you claim will kill me unless I hang out at this dreary place?!"
She huffed. Perhaps she should give Seni's diary a gander.. but this sounded rather insane. And it wasn't event he end of it.
"If I keep working here, THEN I'll propably die in under a week."
She jutted her thumb backwards to the crashed guardhouse, but hesitated about smacking the undeath apart on the off chance that his offer of fixing things up might become necessary.

"Listen, I am doing this job as a little side-by thing. I am not going to get attached to it .. and whatever enemy is here is not threat to a sharp blade and wit.. you know what, screw it."
She pointed at the skeleton. "I'm gonna do a full nightly round of this place, kick out any bats or wolves I'll find and then I'll be gone."
She huffed, and turned on the skeleton. Crazy nonsense bone-bag.. She decided she could walk along and review the journal as she did, as there was nothing to worry about on the graveyard, just a few restless bones with bad style.

 

[Repetition]

"Yes, seeing me spreads the curse. Why don't you try laying underground for not one but THREE centuries, not go mad and come up with a brilliant plan to BREAK THIS FUCKING CURSE SO I CAN FINALLY SLEEP?" He breaths deeply calming himself. "It is bad enough I don't remember what the sun looks like, would you really rob me of the night too? I don't even come out every night." If ever a skeleton could look dejected this man does now. "I came out to see what the noise is and try to help if needed, I knew Seni wasn't around so it would be better to have a new watchman than they die under that G."

Cornelius holds a finger up in front of his companion's face grabbing her attention before saying, "Hey, hey. You only die if you give up your post, alright? So go off do other things, just don't quit. Whatever you do, don't resign. Always come back. I think one guard only came back once a month, he was a strange elf I give you, but he didn't die." Talk about an animated skeleton, he certainly talks with his hands. "As for that, I don't control that. It has been rather quiet here for just under three centuries, so that's not on me." He sits back down for a moment before continuing.

He seems to consider for a moment then nods. "Yeah, that's actually a good plan. Come back tomorrow, or don't. If you don't I guess I'll see you again soon. I hope next time I speak to you you'll have flesh still." He stands up, rummages into a grave, pulls out a hammer and some nails and heads to the guardhouse, whistling a cheery tune.

Other than the wind and mist, the night stays quiet. You don't see another living, erm, another soul. Cracking open the tomb you recognize the same script as the same from the letter's envelope. Just inside the cover are the words "Grave Keeper's Manuel a Guide for the Graveyard in Luton." Below that is a signature, written in a tight script, but probably Seni Grandheir. The next page talks about how she expects that no-one who reads this will read the accompanying letter telling them what pages to skip to gain the information within in an order of importance. Finally, on the following page is a title, "Cursed by the Night" It starts as follows.

If you are reading this book, my sympathies to you. You have been cursed to remain the night watchman until the day you die. Quitting only brings about the latter, and if you care to try go ahead. We won't stop you, just pity you. This book is a log of my experiences, some of which may be condensed as the night watch-woman here. Cornelius, bless his soul, has been a kind guide on this journey so far. The previous night watch died. All four of them after quitting in a drunken spat. Each within the week, in rather ordinary ways, but the fact the young boy who was hired just two nights ago now lays before me, having quit after seeing our help proves to me this is no ordinary curse.

She continues to speak at length of her experiences. Based on the blotches in the ink, you'd guess she was crying while writing this. From there a date accompanies the entries, though each for about a month is a short perhaps paragraph stating nothing of note happened, each getting shorter than the last. Suddenly you stumble on a page, filled on both sides with one night. It is a vivid description of how she had to scare off some kids trying to play in the yard at night and how one fell off a marker breaking his skull on it. From there it seems she and Cornelius grow closer, him being steadfast as she grieves for the boy. Once more the sections grow shorter for a time until another page is filled with a night. This one a steamy description of how she and the skeleton decided to ease their lusts a little. Reading that section would bring a blush even to most gentleman's faces. In a margin it is noted that she thought about tearing out that page, but left it in as completion was the nature of this book. By this point she has mastered a shorthand to quickly describe a boring night in less than ten characters. Pages fill with dates and said short hand. Occasional sections devoted to how her relation with the cursed bone mage continues. Then once more she comes to a section that can't be shortened. She has started to research the curse in detail, looking for its origin. Perhaps how to break it...

A terrible screech pierces the night. It came from the guardhouse! Then the sound of hammering filters over, unhurried, unworried. What the hell was that?

 

[Pervy]

She was torn. On the one hand, the skeleton was clearly untrustworthy. Yeah right, this was all one big coincidence that the cursed skeleton messed with her. Also if this whole thing was a regular occurance, why not fortify the guard house for starters!

On the other side, she really couldn't see a motive for the skeleton lying to her. "Bloody nonsense.."
She huffed, wandering off, deciding to consult the manual, with the help of her glowstone, and not pay the strange skeleton much further mind..

She opened the manual, whilest slowly wandering along-.. she'd taken a peek around the graveyard before yesterday, although without exploring -everything- of course..
And there she read.. more about this course. Now she didn't like this one bit. The pay wasn't -bad- but not that good either and she would certainly not spent her nights here, and be it as a once per month assignment. What even happened on leap years, for example? And what kind of curse focused specifically on an employment situation.. a warlock? A god of death? An angry lawyer made more sense!
"Whosoever gazes upon one individual known as Cornelius, the undead, latter called Subject a will be submitted to a curse that forces the employment as night-watchman, hereby defined as a guard-time from dusk till dawn, ignoring daylight savings.. pfah."
She snorted a little to herself, easing the tension of the situation by ridiculing it.

She casually flips through some pages.. did the letter mention specific pages of importance? Well at this rate this diary is easy to skip through..
"Kid should have worn head-protection."
She grumbled, before reading on.
"Wait, what is this 'gentle bone' and how does it relate to .. oh.. oook.."
She cleared her throat, flipping through several pages rapidly now!. finally, something about this supposed curse.. that she felt hesitant about ignoring now that two sourced had spoken of it..

And then, once again there was another screeching, this time from the guard house? Yeah right.. it's that fucking skeleton messing with her after all! And somehow, it managed to scribe this detailed seeming account and smuggle it under her desk. She got being bored in death but..

The plan is simple.. She'd sneak towards the guard house, stealthily, only to then observe the skeleton and catch it doing its nonsense scary screech. Then beat it up, quit this stupid job, oh.. and go to a temple to make sure there was no nonsense curse on her. She could already see spending all the money made in her two nights here on a greedy priest -if she was lucky-.

(sneaking up on Cornelius best she can, can do dex if you want but classically, heavy armor makes sneaking hard.. guess she can try watching from somewhat-afar?)

 

[Repetition]

An angry lawyer with powers did sound rather terrible. Perhaps they were even a devil to make their contracts binding to one's soul.
Though the tension eased a little, the joke sadly could only be heard by the warrior and the deaf wind.

The silent mists remained about Elyn as she attempted to creep back to the guard house. The path somehow managed to seem much longer than it should have. Soon a gentle knocking sounded through the night, continuing to guide the unwilling guard.

Even with the noise of her armor it seemed Cornelius was making such a racket and with his head turned away he didn't see the approaching battle-mage. He was sat on the roof of the house, hammering in roofing nails as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Somehow the 'G' was back on the sign, probably what had made the screech, and was currently reattached to it by brightly glowing struts. Strangely it seemed they were cooler, like someone had welded the sign back together, but the only tools he had walked off with and currently could be seen were his hammer and nails.

The skeleton continued his jaunty tune as he hammered more shingles onto the roof, not noticing anyone else even if a certain night-watch were to stand directly under him.

 

[Pervy]

She kept quiet in her hiding spot and observed the skeleton on.. a curse just born from it, with it as it's sole creator? Nonsense. This creature was most certainly involved.. and just guessing by how swiftly he mysteriously had recovered the sign.. it made her more than a little suspicious of the innocent hammering. Infact, all of this was just...odd to the extreme.

 

[Repetition]

It seems the bone man is content just finishing fixing the roof. He sighs deeply setting down his hammer then looks down, meeting eyes with Elyn.
Startled, seeming unable to scream he lurches back. Slipping and sliding along the slick roof he falls, tumbling to the ground and landing with a crunch. For a moment nothing moves. The mists even stay still as if waiting something. Once more the skeleton moves, once empty sockets filled with an angered red light. The wind picks up, whistling through the night as Cornilius stands, flames starting to lick the sides of his skull, an angry growl clearly vocalized in his voice. He starts to stand, then as he puts his bony right leg down you see the damage. The right tibia was fractured, two pieces of the bone hang uselessly as the third is left behind. He takes a step forward then slumps a little, stumbling on the injured leg.

When next his head raises enough for Elyn to see where his eyes should be they are again empty. Through clenched, un-moving teeth he speaks, "Don't do that again." He makes to spit but nothing comes out and the reanimated man starts to stalk off into the night. A night that is interrupted by a moaning that could only mean one thing. More undead.

Looming in the mists five dark shapes shamble forward, approaching the pair. They come from a direction of the graveyard that tonight hadn't been explored. They now are about 10 meters away, still stumbling over graves. Cornilius looks over to the warrioress in panic. "I don't know what did this, I swear! Please, help me put them back to rest, the sun isn't far from the horizon and we need them underground before then!" Arming himself with a shovel the injured skeleton begins to chant in what must be an ancient melodic language.

Spoiler: INT DC 12

You recognize this language, it is ancient celestial! Also the way he is chanting it is as if the man's words are structured like a prayer!

It looks like it will be a fight, but it could also be the chance to put all the undead here to rest, hopefully for good this time.

INITIATIVE:
Elyn 5/5 HP
Cornilius -2/??? HP
Zombie Horde: ???/??? HP

 

[Pervy]

It seems she startled the skeleton into an accident. Well he was already dead so.. wait did he just light on fire? That made him a lot less harmless skeleton like looking...

She sighs a little at the skeletons antics.. more undead, huh? Although that he chants something in celestial is.. strange. "Really you don't."
She muses, drawing her sword. "You were so happy telling me how I'd die to your nonsensical curse earlier, now you want help dealing with other undead? Aren't those your party-buddies or some nonsense?"
Elyn questioned, fantasiziing about drawing her blade across the skeletons back-bones.

".. you know what, no.
This all sounds a lot more like a you problem than a me problem..
Either you are messing with me, or you aren't. If you are messing with me I ain't giving you or your necromancer any more satisfaction. If this all isn't an act, you willingly curse mortals to serve here or die, in which case.. heh.. these folks are literally your responsibility."
She clapped her hands together.

"Get to it. Chop chop. Undead fighting undead. I'll deal with whover remains."
She decided, lifting her sword into a low guard and approaching with measured steps, ready to deal with anyone coming her way, but making no motion to heroically rush into the horde by another undeads side or such.

 

[Repetition]

Looking over his shoulder, never stopping the chant, the expressionless, glowing white face turns to you before he focuses on his task. Holding up a hand one of the zombies are engulfed in pure moonlight, though still it shambles on. Next he swings his shovel at the nearest one's head, moving to keep the other four behind the first from him.

This goes poorly for the bone man for he steps forward with the broken leg, which buckles under him sending his swing wide. In retribution the shambling dead work to surround and pummel the odd man. They too have difficulty at grabbing him, and his maneuvering makes certain only two ever are sparring with him at a time. The winds pick up at this point howling over the scuffling group.

Once more Cornelius stabs forward with his shovel the blade catching the rotter in the eyes and poking out the other side before it lights with radiant energy that burns the flesh-bag away to dust. Continuing his chanting he steps back, guarding with the shovel handle and focuses as the moonlight sweeps over his attackers. This time the scent of burning undead flesh fills the air, its putrid rotten sweetness tainting the whipping wind. Once more the dead fall on their more intelligent comrade, one spitting off to find a hopefully easier foe, swinging himself at Elyn. Of course with her skill and armored plating she doesn't really need to worry. The dead practically just falls on her, an easy enough problem to just shove away. The real problem was he left an odd black goop on her plates, probably nothing important now though.

The other three zombies also have little luck on breaking past the skeleton's guard. Though he focuses on not letting them touch him, the do make contact just nothing solid enough to break his bones.

INITIATIVE:
Elyn: 5/5 HP
Cornilius: -2/??? HP
Zombie Horde: -3/??? HP (one removed one dead, 3 remain)
Lone Zombie: ???/??? HP

 

[Pervy]

She raised a brow, noting that Cornelius seemed to be doing just fine with things as it where and briefly wondering how a cursed skeleton could use so holy seeming magic. She narrowed her eyes at one of the zombies thinking her an easier prey and leaving some disgusting black ichor. "I just polished that you carcass"
She hissed, her elegant duelling sword cuttin in .. well, not a wide arch, that'd be a foolish thing to do.

Rather, from a high, guard it flashes forward with a single strike at the zombies neck, with Elyn resuming her guards almost as quick as her strike is finished, taking a confident step forward. (10 dex to attack!)

"I really hope it isn't part of my duties to reburry all of these."
She mused, calmly, professionally observing the undead. She'd been grumpy all night, primarly since the big G had threatened to crush her alive and the strange skeleton made light of the situation, so a chance to vent her anger was quite welcome, still she would not break her form, of course!