"We can work together," Ethel ventures.  "Do you recall the spider webbing I created when the doppelganger attacked Hammerdasher?  While it was... less effective than I had hoped against that assassin, against plodding zombies it should be a touch more reliable."

"If we open the door and I fill the space with webbing, we could wait here and destroy them one by one as they free themselves, or pick them off with bolts and spells from the doorway if they all remain trapped."  She waits to see if the others concur with her suggestion.

(The room shown on the map - to the starboard/bow side / NW - is the one the ghouls had clawed a hole too, and yes Marrin only saw an empty room with debris, plus a doorway that likely leads to the same room that the sounds came from). 

((Okay well, then maybe it's better we take turns shooting through the hole in the wall? Otherwise:))

"I like that plan. I'll open the door and jump back, Ethel webs while Jan, Ula and I take care of them. You can take a break Ava... Unless one gets through."

She looks back,

"But I suppose we can just back up through the door there too."

Looking for agreement Marrin will ready herself to open the door and enact said plan.

[If DM allows, Ethel will ready a web to fire it through the doorway on any groups of targets on the other side.  If we need to wait for initiative, so be it.]

[Will have to rule that as initiative dependent - the fight was noisy, you've been talking and the door still has to be opened - if you were to cast it from somewhere unexpected, that might be different - of course this assumes there's something hostile on the other side of the door]

"Sounds like a plan.", Jan agrees.

Initiative for when it's needed: 19

Init: 8

((Presumably after she opens the door? Or maybe after she opens and backs up?))

Initiative:  7

Marrin finds the door opens fairly easily, and is able to pull it in and step to the side at the same time.

Surprisingly there's light coming from this hallway; surprising until you remember the piece of illuminated mast that Ethel dropped down from the top deck. The grate above lets light in as well.

Another grate can be seen leading down to the deck below.

But your immediate attention is taken up by two shuffling zombies coming your way, as well as a pale, sharp-toothed and taloned ghast right behind them. Despite the steady light, the shadows along the sides of the hallway appear to be moving as well.

-----------------------------------

Initiative: Jan, Avaria, Ghast, Marrin, Shadows, Ula, Ethel, Zombies

((Any chance for a map showing locations? How close is everything? Asking for a friend with an AoE attack.))

Jan shifts her spell to the pale, taloned creature, judging it a greater danger than the slower moving remains.

Light Crossbow Attack: 7 Damage: 5 piercing + 2 bludgeoning + 1 necrotic

Jan's crossbow bolt catches the ghast square in the chest, causing the creature to spin slightly. The necrotic magic creeps outwards from the wound, but not as far as Jan expected.

------------------------------

Avaria's up.

Rough Map: G for ghast, S for shadows, Z for zombies. The room to the right is the one you can peek into from the hole the ghouls made.

((Ohhh. That's a lot of Ss...))

"Stay back Ava! Let them come to us."

Now that she isn't raging, Ethels and Marrin's words register just fine.  She nods at her friends and pulls out a couple of handaxes.  Keeping clear of the doorjamb incase her wizard friend still wants to attempt her webbing trick, she decides to follow Jan's lead and whips one at the ghast.

Attack: 21, Damage: 7

Avaria's axe strikes the ghast square in the chest, causing a deep wound.

But despite the injury, the undead creature races forward, lunging through the doorway at the closest attacker, slashing out with the sharp talons (Avaria - 23 to hit for 13 slashing, plus need a DC10 CON save from Avaria - paralyzed if fail). 

------------------------------------

Marrin's up.

((Not that I think Ava will need it, but she does have the bardic still.))

Marrin winces at seeing Ava get hit again and says,

"Hold on, we got you."

She will then drop a shatter where the ghast just was with a gesture.

Damage: 15 (Con save of 15 to half)

((Should hit everything except S3 and the ghast.))

She'll then fall back as far as she can but keep eyes on things.

(Thanks for the reminder!)

CON save 21

((How's Ava looking? Pretty rough now?))

A loud ringing noise erupts in the middle of the hallway. Even at the distance the party is to the noise, it's still painful; not damaging but still painful. Marrin's not sure of the effect on the two zombies, they could have been hurt but how do you tell on an animated corpse. The three shadowy shapes that got caught in the blast area however are a different story. Their diaphanous, wispy nature gets shredded by the sound waves. Those three are barely holding together. A light breeze might finish them off.

Those three shadows slip through cracks in the walls of the hallway and under doorways and disappear from view.

The uninjured one (Shadow 3) though barrels straight towards the party, blowing past Avaria and engulfing Jan (Jan and Avaria were only about 5' apart so no AOO). While Jan feels a cold, uncomfortable sensation, she feels nothing else. The shadow was unable to get a real grip on her (Miss).

Then it suddenly becomes clear that the three other shadows had not fled but merely found alternative routes to the room the party is in. Their dark, misty forms billow through cracks in the walls and through the opening the ghouls had made in one wall.

Shadow 4 tries to engulf Ethel and manages to completely encase her. Ethel feels her strength and energy slowly and rapidly draining away (10 necrotic and she loses 3 from her Strength).

Shadow 1 swirls around Ula and also gets a decent hold on the cleric. Ula, like Ethel, feels the coldness throughout her body and she begins to lose her very lifeforce (5 necrotic and 3 Strength).

Finally Shadow 2 grasps at Avaria - like Jan, Avaria feels an uncomfortable coldness but nothing more (Miss). 

Despite the darkness, Ula throws her arms upwards, mimicking a tumbling wave and shouts in dwarvish. A wave of divine light flashes outwards from Ula in all directions. The light rips apart the remaning integrity of the Shadow around Ula and Ethel. 

---------------------------------------

Avaria has the ghast right on top of her.

Two shadows are left - one on Avaria and one on Jan. 

The two zombies have not moved yet.

Ethel's up.

((Not too bad, that healing earlier really helped.  Not even bloodied... yet))