Chapter 3.3: Orlane in the early morning

Round one
(this is followed by round two)

Traveling through the Dim Forest, the heroes Arya and Morton find themselves accosted by two animated corpses attracted to the Pelorite's Light. Before the undead can reach them, Morton says "Try to hold them off while I blast away on them" as he steps back, preparing to draw upon his dark pact once more.
Arya chuckles. "I'll do more than just hold them off!" She steps up and smashes the closest corpse with her warhammer. "Finally! With all those others out of the way, I can finally CRUSH the undead!"
Her chuckle turns into a full-throated laugh as the battle fury fills her, and she strikes again! "HAHAHAHA! Pelor, guide my hand!"
Zombie 1 takes 11 bludgeoning damage and then 5 more!
The zombie staggers, nearly falls, but then stands up again, reaching for the cleric.

It is at that moment that the Fiend grants Morton power, and the energy of the flames of the Abyss pours from his heart down Morton's arm, sending a shockwave at the zombie in a concussive blast.
Zombie 1 takes 1 force damage!
The blast sends little bits of decaying clothing and flesh spattering outward. The zombie nearly falls, but continues groping toward Arya.

Silent Zombie 1, being next to Arya, paws at her with decaying hands.
Zombie 2 shambles forward and strikes at the cleric without a sound.
The two corpses' putrid, grasping hands slide off of Arya's armor, leaving nothing but a stench.

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14 - Arya (8/10)
9 - Morton (9/9)
7 - Zombie 1 (-17), Zombie 2

Round Two
(this is preceded by round one, followed by round three)

For all her attitude of a pampered princess, Arya has a deep and abiding hatred of the undead, which manifests as a very unladylike glee at their destruction. "Pelor's light, Pelor's sight," she giggles, invoking her deity once more in a sing-song rhyme, "Pelor's might will win this fight!"
A beam of scintillating light spears down from the tree canopy above them, engulfing Zombie 1.
Zombie 1 takes 8 radiant damage! Its body melts and then explodes in a gory mess. Arya throws back her head and cackles madly. "You're next!" she calls to the other undead, snickering.



Morton shakes his head at the maniacal cackling of his companion, and sends another burst of Abyssal force at his foe: the only visible zombie.
Zombie 2 takes 6 force damage!

Unthinking, unperturbed, the implacable animated corpse Zombie 2 continues trying to destroy Arya!
This time the putrescent flesh strikes the cleric in the face. Her head twists with the heavy blow, there is a loud crack! and she falls to the ground.
Arya takes 11 damage and falls, dying!
Grotesquely, the Light that she cast on her shield still glows, illuminating the zombie from underneath.

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14 - Arya (0/10) Dying
9 - Morton (9/9)
7 - Zombie 1 Dead, Zombie 2 (-6)

Round two, completed.

Morton shakes his head at the maniacal cackling of his companion, and sends another burst of Abyssal force at his foe: the only visible zombie.
Zombie 2 takes 6 force damage!

Unthinking, unperturbed, the implacable animated corpse Zombie 2 continues trying to destroy Arya!
This time the putrescent flesh strikes the cleric in the face. Her head twists with the heavy blow, there is a loud crack! and she falls to the ground.
Arya takes 11 damage and falls, dying!
Grotesquely, the Light that she cast on her shield still glows, illuminating the zombie from underneath.

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14 - Arya (0/10) Dying
9 - Morton (9/9)
7 - Zombie 1 Dead, Zombie 2 (-6)

Round three
(this is preceded by round two, followed by round four)

Where Arya's unhinged laughter filled the night air moments before, now only the soft sound of her attempts to breathe break the stillness.
Arya has one successful death save.

Reeking of sulfur, Morton gasps as he witnesses Arya's fall! The momentary feeling of triumph is gone, replaced with the bitter taste of a cruel life. Now he realizes that he has to risk his life and try to kill the last undead on his own. He is so shaken by the corpse's attack that he barely gets the next Eldritch Blast off, sending another hellish shockwave hammering into Zombie 2. Then Morton backs up, trying to maintain some distance and allow time to regain his composure.
Zombie 2 takes 1 fire damage!
Morton backs into an embankment and slides around it to his left, never taking his eyes off of the Zombie now silhouetted by the cleric's fallen light behind it.

Zombie 2 staggers forward silently, reaching for Morton with its mouth hanging open. Moving as slowly as it is, it has to Dash to reach Morton.

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14 - Arya (0/10) Dying One Success
9 - Morton (9/9)
7 - Zombie 1 Dead, Zombie 2 (-7)

Round three, continued...

Reeking of sulfur, Morton gasps as he witnesses Arya's fall! The momentary feeling of triumph is gone, replaced with the bitter taste of a cruel life. Now he realizes that he has to risk his life and try to kill the last undead on his own. He is so shaken by the corpse's attack that he barely gets the next Eldritch Blast off, sending another hellish shockwave hammering into Zombie 2. Then Morton backs up, trying to maintain some distance and allow time to regain his composure.
Zombie 2 takes 1 fire damage!
Morton backs into an embankment and slides around it to his left, never taking his eyes off of the Zombie now silhouetted by the cleric's fallen light behind it.

Zombie 2 staggers forward silently, reaching for Morton with its mouth hanging open. Moving as slowly as it is, it has to Dash to reach Morton.

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14 - Arya (0/10) Dying One Success
9 - Morton (9/9)
7 - Zombie 1 Dead, Zombie 2 (-7)

Round four
(this is preceded by round three, followed by round five)

Twitching, writhing in the dirt, dying Arya struggles to breathe as her vision fades in and out. She can see her hand clutching at the dirt, but she cannot feel it. It's as if it belongs to someone else...
Arya fails her second death save.

Morton sticks his Fiend-empowered hand in the zombie's face and releases another blast.
Zombie 2 takes 4 force damage! This explodes part of the corpse's head...but it does not stop the undead monster, as the magic that animates it is not dependent on any particular body part. Completely silent, Zombie 2 flails its arms, attempting to punish Morton for the offense of living and breathing.
Morton takes 11 bludgeoning damage and falls to the ground, dying.
The zombie sways over the half-elf for a moment, and then shambles off to kill something else.

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14 - Arya (0/10) Dying one success, one failure
9 - Morton (0/9) Dying
7 - Zombie 1 Dead, Zombie 2 (-11)