Part 2b: The Northern Contingent: Something in the Water

[Pulpatoon]

Ouch.

Okay, so since Abjuration dispels one spirit, for 6hp I'd get what? Two? Not really the desired effect…

In the hopes that a good RP explanation might make a difference, Bürd would like to create an Abjuration fire bomb. The idea being, he will focus all his power and take time to carve a runestone, which, when touched by fire, would explode with Abjuration power, driving away all spirits within 10'. Once the corpse starts to burn, he'd throw the stone into the fire.

If this seems completely unlikely to work, I guess we'll just burn it…

Spend the six, and I'll allow you to keep the abjuration rolling for... oh, say, a minute. You'll expel however many spirits are drawn in within that time, and you are hopeful that you'll be able to dislodge the spirits already being channeled through the body.

[mb.]

Done.

Bürd selects a large, smooth stone from the river bank, and seats himself in the grass near the corpse. He removes a small hammer and chisel from his pack, and begins meticulously carving dwarven symbols into the stone as the pile of gathered wood grows.

[GreyWolfVT]

Abel once he thinks there is enough firewood will ask Bürd what his plan is now.

[mb.]

Bürd holds up the finished runestone, a simple river rock now covered in intricate dwarves runes. He gestures at the corpse with it, "that thing is stuffed with the foulest spirits y'll ever see Abel. And summat in there is drawing in more all the time." Bürd blinks, wide-eyed, "I can see them… it has to stop."

He raises the stone again, "this will blast them spirits out of our world." He rubs the back of his hand across his lips, "least-wise I'm a-hopin' it will."

He stands up, shrugs, and looks around at everyone, "are ye ready?"

[MonkeyWrench]

Marcus, seeing that everyone is moving forward with a plan to burn it, thinks more on this whole disturbing endeavor...

INT Check to see if the Dogs behavior is connected.

Marcus Intelligence Check(INT:12): [1d20] = 9

[GreyWolfVT]

Abel nods as Bürd explains "I suppose it is a fair hope. I do think we have enough fuel for the pyre. What do you think Bürd?"

Abel too tries to assess the situation a bit more than our current plan

INT & WIS checks. INT Check[1d20] = 13 WIS Check[1d20] = 11

INT: 9
WIS: 16

[Dizlexus]

Smokey Sings

Smokey stands on the river bank and tries to figure out why only one bank shows signs of flooding.

He sings, god's gonna trouble the water children . . .
Wade in The Waterhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEfzaesoek4

[1d20] = 11 fail

[Pulpatoon]

Marcus and Abel: Combining your observations of the dogs, you conclude that they are probably wild, hungry dogs drawn by the pools of blood lying around until the rains came. You recall that at least one showed previous signs of injury, and can guess that they were not the only carnivores drawn by the flood.

They did not seem to have the obsessive focus of the corpse-charmed, as evidenced by how they gave up when they saw that they were outnumbered and outclassed.

Smokey: It is not that one bank flooded and the other did not: both banks south of the bridge are flooded, neither is flooded north of the bridge. The bridge seems to be the spot where the flood originated. Which, of course, is not how floods typically work.

[GreyWolfVT]

Abel "How close are we to being able to do this ridding of the evil spirits?"

[MonkeyWrench]

With his conclusion on the weird animals they have encounter Marcus looks up from his thoughts and see's Bürd with the enchanted stone and the pyre that was built for the corpse. "Hm? Oh, yeah. I'm ready, let's give this man a proper burial rite." His eye's widen at the mention of evil spirits, "Evil Spirits? Is that why we are burning the corpse?"

Marcus was consumed by his thoughts so he didn't hear about the spirits.

[mb.]

Bürd nods, "if we burn the body, the spirits will lose their home, and the source of whatever foul magic is pulling and holding them," he raises the runestone, "and this will drive them from our world."

"If we're ready, would y'light the pyre?"

[GreyWolfVT]

Abel nods yes and lights the fire. or makes the attempt to.

[Pulpatoon]

You'll need a big, hot fire to burn a waterlogged corpse. Enough so, that I think I'll require an INT check from Abel to get it roaring hot enough. Smokey can add +2 to this with his Survival skill.

[GreyWolfVT]

Abel INT Check[1d20 +2] = 12+2 = 14 think I did that wrong but oh well....either way is a fail with only 9 INT

[Dizlexus]

You'll need a big, hot fire to burn a waterlogged corpse. Enough so, that I think I'll require an INT check from Abel to get it roaring hot enough. Smokey can add +2 to this with his Survival skill.

yep, and if we need some good fortune Smokey can help.

Smokey stands on the bridge and says of the flood: hey man! It is like someone stood here and made wee like an elephant. This flood was unnatural man. Magical. And lo, we find the dead priest in the same spot! What does it all mean man!?

SMOKEY SPOILER

What the hell, man?

[mb.]

Abel, with Smokey's help, gets the fire lit and flames slowly start to lick up the piled wood, eventually reaching the corpse. As a sickly (and strangely delicious) smell of cooking meat fills the air, Bürd stands near the growing flames with the runestone raised before his face, murmuring something incomprehensible.

Once the fire has well and truly caught, Bürd reaches into the flames and lays the stone on the corpse's chest. When the first tongue of flame touches the stone, the intricate runes carved in it glow with a bright white light… before the stone explodes with a blinding but soundless explosion of light!

Bürd is knocked flat, with shards of stone stuck in his hands and face (he takes 6 damage as agreed) and everyone else is stunned and briefly blinded. The corpse continues to burn...

[mb.]

Once Bürd can see properly again, and has plucked the worst stone splinters out of his face, he'll concentrate on the burning corpse again and see what he can…

[GreyWolfVT]

Abel backs away blindly rubbing his eyes and blinking to try and see once more. "What in the hell was that Bürd?"

[Pulpatoon]

The collected birds squawk and scream at the fire, some of the more crazed birds immolate themselves trying to get at their meal. Butterflies snap and crinkle in the blaze.

As the fire continues to roar, Bürd sits down before it and opens up his senses to the magical world.

Mumbo-jumbo:

[1d20] = 14
[1d20] = 5
[1d20] = 2
[1d20] = 8

Bürd:

Whatever terrible system had been crafted from the flesh of the wandering priest has been destroyed. You definitely felt the sensation of at least one spirit losing its connection to the material plane. There is still some magic in the area. Whether this is from unbanished spirits, the effects on the birds and insects, or some additional undiscovered element, you do not know.

[mb.]

Once the fire begins to burn down Bürd stands up, picking the last shards of the runestone out of his arms, "well friends, we've done what we can. That poor priest can rest now, and the spirit inside him is gone." He shrugs and waves at hand at the river, "I dinnae what else we could do here, and we've found where the flood started," he looks around at everyone and wipes his hands on each other, "back to town?"