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canyonwalkerIn Session 8 of my City of the Dead D&D game, possibly the last session, the PCs returned the cursed ruins of Graymount. This time they weren't coming to explore, they were coming with a plan of attack. You could say they... had a bone to pick.
And the City of the Dead obliged.
The group felt like pros at passing through Graymount. They'd already been there a few times so the surprises were no longer so surprising. They knew where to watch out for collapses under the main road. They knew where undead were likely hiding. They even knew about the crows.
The crows led the city's attack. Perched ominously along the edges of abandoned buildings near the center of town they first merely watched the group approach. The group had already seen that they act with a collective intelligence, though. As if on some cue the birds dropped from their hundreds of perches and swarmed around Herran, the group's forward scout, attacking him and sickening him with their stench.
Like I said, though, the group was ready for this. They knew that Herran's two swords and multiple attacks per round would do nothing against the swarm. But Meraxes's fireball would. Herran waited for the attack, let the crows form up in a tight swarm around him, then retreated 20'. That was Meraxes's cue.
With a sudden FWOOSH! the entire width of the street where the crows swarmed erupted in flames. Birds by the hundreds fell to the ground, dead.\
...Cruelty to animals? Maybe. But the group was convinced their apparent collective intelligence was evil intelligence— that they were pawns of a vampire controlling the city. And if you've watched crows in real life, you know that when they gather in groups they basically turn evil anyway. 🤣
The crows were distraction. Again, though, the PCs knew it was a distraction. They were ready for what came next.
Undead creatures came spilling out of crumbling doorways and alleys between buildings. Human-ish in appearance but clearly no longer human, with mottled decaying flesh drew tight across clearly visible bones and hair falling out in clumps, they surged forward. Mouths opened to reveal sharp teeth. Eyes burned like hot coals in their sunken sockets.
These were ghouls. And ghasts! The latter being more powerful versions of the former.
Ghasts are not only tougher and stronger but have a more potent paralyzing touch. And they carry a powerful stench. The reek of death surrounds them. It's overwhelming. It can sicken a person and bring them to their knees.
The group was ready for this, too. They knew they'd be surrounded. They kept a relatively tight formation, minimizing chances for the snapping and snarling monsters from beyond the grave to get in between them. Astrin and Herran held the front. Duncan guarded the rear with gusto, guiding his trained warhorse with his knees while wielding his katana with both hands. Terence and Meraxes in the center stayed astride their horses to work magic.... though Meraxes soon had to dismount as her horse, the only one in the group not trained for battle, started panicking at being attacked by ghouls.
And there was still more coming. More onslaught. Remember that mule you left for dead?
It remembers you!
Continued in next entry....
And the City of the Dead obliged.
The group felt like pros at passing through Graymount. They'd already been there a few times so the surprises were no longer so surprising. They knew where to watch out for collapses under the main road. They knew where undead were likely hiding. They even knew about the crows.
The crows led the city's attack. Perched ominously along the edges of abandoned buildings near the center of town they first merely watched the group approach. The group had already seen that they act with a collective intelligence, though. As if on some cue the birds dropped from their hundreds of perches and swarmed around Herran, the group's forward scout, attacking him and sickening him with their stench.
Like I said, though, the group was ready for this. They knew that Herran's two swords and multiple attacks per round would do nothing against the swarm. But Meraxes's fireball would. Herran waited for the attack, let the crows form up in a tight swarm around him, then retreated 20'. That was Meraxes's cue.
With a sudden FWOOSH! the entire width of the street where the crows swarmed erupted in flames. Birds by the hundreds fell to the ground, dead.\
...Cruelty to animals? Maybe. But the group was convinced their apparent collective intelligence was evil intelligence— that they were pawns of a vampire controlling the city. And if you've watched crows in real life, you know that when they gather in groups they basically turn evil anyway. 🤣
The crows were distraction. Again, though, the PCs knew it was a distraction. They were ready for what came next.
Undead creatures came spilling out of crumbling doorways and alleys between buildings. Human-ish in appearance but clearly no longer human, with mottled decaying flesh drew tight across clearly visible bones and hair falling out in clumps, they surged forward. Mouths opened to reveal sharp teeth. Eyes burned like hot coals in their sunken sockets.
These were ghouls. And ghasts! The latter being more powerful versions of the former.Ghasts are not only tougher and stronger but have a more potent paralyzing touch. And they carry a powerful stench. The reek of death surrounds them. It's overwhelming. It can sicken a person and bring them to their knees.
The group was ready for this, too. They knew they'd be surrounded. They kept a relatively tight formation, minimizing chances for the snapping and snarling monsters from beyond the grave to get in between them. Astrin and Herran held the front. Duncan guarded the rear with gusto, guiding his trained warhorse with his knees while wielding his katana with both hands. Terence and Meraxes in the center stayed astride their horses to work magic.... though Meraxes soon had to dismount as her horse, the only one in the group not trained for battle, started panicking at being attacked by ghouls.
And there was still more coming. More onslaught. Remember that mule you left for dead?
It remembers you!
Continued in next entry....
