(Still keeping an eye on the campaign, just waiting on other posts)

Era bistles as felt like she was going to die from a heart attack once she hears those thunderous steps make way towards her and the group. "Nope, **** that, nope, nope, nope, nope." The cacophony of sounds and sights scared her to her wits and she tried shutting her eyes and covering her ears to ignore it, but ends up bumping into Minos instead who had seemed to be taking this all in. The minotaur kept a front as deep down he was pretty horrified himself. "We have to keep moving." He tells Era, grabbing her by the hand. "Let's go." The air genasi's bottom lip trembles as she nods up to the wizard as they rush behind Gustav and friends.

Seeing Vola bristle, it takes a good minute to register in Nin's mind. Afterwards he works up enough mirth and air to heartily chuckle. "My boss, not yours. Don't get yer knickers in a twist, Misses Tusk." He jests.

(will attempt to update tomorrow/today after a good 8 hours of sleep)

Burgee tries to think, as the thundering steps begin from near the entrance. He remembers her speaking of the staff with which his hands now hold. That it was a mimic of reality. That the staff was actually based off of one far more ancient. When greater mages than ever have existed in present day walked the earth, when spells several teirs higher than casters of today could hope to control. The First Staff... It had been made in a place .. not so different than this now that Burgee thought about it... though there was no odd darkness, sirens, or ghostly beings walking the halls. Perhaps his staff... was a copy.. of such a thing.... and that.. might just be why it was reacting thus..... The thundering steps got closer...

Zein, who had been the farthest back of the group can be heard running towards everyone else, with all the grace of a blind human. Drawing his sword and igniting the blade so that he could see, avoiding the ghostly specters as best he could, while they ignored him with perfection. He seemed to be dashing in a panic as the thundering grew louder, and faintly came into visibility.

Gustav and crew also begin to move swiftly, doing their best to avoid any apparitions, and luckily enough the apparitions were moving slowly enough that it wasn't overly hard to do so as they made their way along the walls. Only having to step over a single Dwarven child, playing with Pandora's Box.

The crew making it just around a large but very smoothly curved hallway just as two thundering triceratops who had the same immaterial appearance as the dwarves, behind it, a massive carriage that looked just barely able to fit through the doors. The carriage itself was stocked with supplies, though of specifically 'what' was indeterminable. Just as the carriage was about to overtake the group... with it's two massive battering rams of pack beasts... a third siren rang out. And the world went completely black, in impenetrable darkness. The sound of thundering steps ceased but the air grew .. normal.... not warm, not cold.... perfectly neutral. The utter darkness lasted for several minutes, in which time Zein would say Is everyone ok? Whatever that ..thing was... it seems to be gone... but my head is in agony.. i feel evil all around us.... Both distant and near.... I have never felt such overwhelming malice...

his breaths could be heard and over the next few minutes.. light slowly came back into the word.. atleast insomuch as a pitch black cave could be.. though it was now illuminated by the flaming sword Zein carried. As the light crept more and more back in to what it had been before... though the structure itself remained largely unchanged.... it appeared.. much older.... like decay and rot had set in. The walls were covered in a strange bloody-brown substance that seemed to creep along it in horrifying ways. Blood stained the floors almost everywhere. Corpses of dwarves lie interspersed at varying locations. Some of them seeming to have yellow-green plants growing out of them from various holes.

(I need to know where everyone is on this. You would have just came from around where the other statue is.)

S-Counter: 32         Par:        Ren: +6       Al: NG      B-Counter - 15

Time -- at least from Gustav's perspective -- slowed to almost a standstill as he leaped over the dwarven child and their 'Pandora's Box'. His focus during that brief window zeroed in on the box, marking it as important. Then time resumes its natural course, forcing the aged Tabaxi to focus on the way ahead, but with increasingly more troubled thoughts. Distracted, he never sees the beast or carriage for himself. But Wonder clung tighter, her eyes widening as the two massive beasts and their cargo barreld closer and closer to the group. In the end, she squeezes her eyes shut and turns away, unable to watch death approach.

"Awwww Shiiiiiii--" Nin called out during the last few seconds before things turn to darkness... and the thundering stops. He, at the very least, kept on running along with some others, even despite Zein's later assurance. Only in nearly bowling some folks over did he stop long enough to catch his breathe, and try to make sense of things. Gustav gang are quiet and wary as most focus on catching their breathe over wonder about the corpses. "... I think I'm starting to understand... if only a little... if that first... event... was a reflection of the beginning. Perhaps this one is sometime later?" He comments, sidestepping Zein's mention of malice. Once his eyes fell upon the yellow-green plants, he started to approach the closest, but catches himself mid-step. "No. That.. That isn't right. They would've... Perhaps in the -- Everyone! Tear of a piece of cloth, and cover your mouths from this point on. It -- I may be off, but remember that image before? The one with the elves having cast something inside? I think.. I think it might've been infectious. Or perhaps some aggressive parasitic plant? Miss Era? What do you think?" He gestures over to the nearest corpse with plants for her to investigate.

Almost immediately after, both Gustav, Wonder, Gus, and Ka have torn off pieces of whatever amounted to extra clothing from their packs, or sleeves that didn't appear already compromised by either rust or plants. After, as people at least might start to investigate the immediate area, Gustav and Wander heads a way ahead to scout out more what lied beyond the bend for any other surprises or perhaps event traps ahead.

"Each time walls scream. Things not same. We find what makes them cry. We control it. Make it take us back." Ka comments on idly as both he and Guss huddle close by Zein's flaming blade. A recovered Nin scoffs, but would otherwise quietly keep by wherever Burgee and the other birdman wander to. 

 Green=Gustav/Wonder

Blue=Where Guss, Nin, and Ka are generally are, assuming group is about there.

(Also on the offchance i didn't mention it.. the 'ghostly figures' are 'all' gone at this time - Also one point of inspiration for Ka)

Era kept herself close to Minos until Gustav had requested her assistance with the plants. Before joining him, she does as he advises and removes the sash from her waist and splits it in two, one half for her, the other for Minos. "Better safe than sorry!" She comments as she wraps the now halved sash over her nose and mouth, Minos copying her motion. She treaded warily over to the plant to further inspect them and make sure they're not infectious as Gustav says they may be.

Nature: 3 + Guidance 4

Burgee and Kauil move quickly to Eras side as the darkness subsides. Burgee still rubbing one of the symbols on the intricately carved staff.  As his finger traces the lines of the carving,  his head is filled with images of a great battle. Uneven forces, one desperately trying to hold the sacred ground, another surging forward. He shakes his head and chimes back to the present,  but the images haunted him and he inched a little closer to Era

(Oh man. I forgot to add this in the last post. Investigation checks for any traps as Gustav and Wonder pressed a short ways ahead earlier. Advantage from Wonder's ongoing spell.)

Investigation: 23;21. 

Will update in a day or so now that we know that vola's tied up)

Vola will allow herself to be led by Guss but if one of those spirits got close enough on the way she would not have been able to resist poking at it.

(Sorry, i hadn't seen the notifications, whether because it didn't show or my eyes glossed over it. Since it seems to be a week between every post i tend to.. not check here often >< And I feel it's fair to say that we all share that blame a bit. Lets try to post here a bit more often, even if its a small simple 'this is what i am doing immediately'  Thank mehmen for making me check again as i had admittedly almost forgotten!)

As Gustav and wonder tread across near the wall, as the darkness had lifted a sudden chill seems to envelop them, their bodies feeling colder by the second making them pull away from the wall at the end ( W- 8  G - 19 Both taking 22 cold damage) Of the trio behind, 2 Nin is just close enough to it to 21 take 31 cold damage as well. The other two just beyond its grasp. Everyone suffering from these effects feels as if the heat is being sapped away from their bodies.

Era makes a makeshift mask for herself and her friend. Both then walking near the fungus infested body. The body does not move, but the fungi-like plants on it seem to still be doing very well. As she inspects it  She can't quite tell but it seems the fungi have taken over the body well enough that it is being preserved.. to a degree. While it still has holes, these are clearly made from the fungi feeding off the corpse rather than natural decay. It even smells... sweet .. almost alluring, of all things.

With Burgee and Kauil moving ever closer to Era.

Vola following. With Zein staying near the middle of the hallway after seeing what happened to Gustav, but not even a moment later, the moss leapign at his sword, devouring the infinite flames, creating a wall separating gus, nin, and ka form everyone else. Zeing leaping back, until he realized that as he neared the other wall it was covered with much the same thing and it too began leaping towards his sword, in a panic, he dis-ignites the weapon and jumps to the side that Gus, Nin, and Ka are on. As darkness settles in, only those with Darkvision can see the moss stopped moving, as true darkness has settled in, unlike the semi-darkness before that you could see in (much like in modern movies).

In the darkness, the body near Era began to move. A horrible, ichor-like noise escaping as the creature stood up.

Gustav: 18    Era: 18    Burgee: 4  Vola:  23 Zein:  15

Enemy: 17

Initiative: Players,  Enemy. (using a new method, that a few of you are aware of. Basically ALL players get a round first - If you don't have darkvision or some source of light, all attacks are at disadvantage)

A wall of moss that's 10 feet high now separates Zein, Gus, Nin, and Ka from everyone else.

"Shite! Alright, boys! Circle up on my voice!" Nin barks out. Guss and Ka aim to follow, though there movements are a bit uncoordinated at first. Eventually, the trio position themselves about 15ft away from any moss covered walls and take up a various forms of a ready stance for any danger. As the only one of the trio able to see int he dark, the bugbear Nin is especially focused on keeping an eye out.

Meanwhile, a chilled and confused Gustav stiffly shuffles away from any moss. "This is no time to be playing the dead weight game, darling." He states, having felt her arms loosen. When after a few seconds she doesn't respond he adds, "Darling? .... Wonder? Wonder! Stay awake! You must stay awake! Focus, my child!" The older Tabaxi entreats her. Even after he feels her hold begin to tighten, a healing word in draconic is sent her way for good measure. Then, he turns his ire on any rising corpse, and despite knowing it may be ineffectual, takes a pointed stab at the knee, hoping to at least severe something important to take it down.

Afterwards, he dances away some feet for Zein to step in and deal with the dwarf. 

As for Wonder, she blinks away the fog of confusion and pain and whispers another healing word to help steady herself before focusing on the moss. Most of her focus, in fact, went into searching her mind for any memory about about it to call out a warning to the others. Other than a simple 'Stay away!' from them. 

Guss' Actions:
Action:  Ready an Spear Attack against the first to attack himself, or becomes visible in some manner.

Nin's Actions:
Action: Disengage(?) from any nearby Moss.
Movement: Towards Center of the Room, 15ft away from any nearby Moss Patches. 

Ka's Actions:
Bonus Action:  Cunning Action - Disengage and move to 12-g.
Action:  Ready an Dagger,+1 Attack against the first to attack himself, or becomes visible in some manner.

Wonder's Actions:
Conc. Save for Fox's Cunning(DC 14): 17. 
Bonus Action: Wonder uses Healing Word on Self at 1st level, restoring 1 HP. 
Action:  Nature: 17 on the moss.
Future Reaction: Cutting Words on an attack against her or Gustav.

Gustav's Actions:
Bonus Action: Gustav uses Healing Word on Wonder at 1st level,restoring 5 HP. 
Action: Rapier - To Hit: 12 For: 20 non-magical piercing damage on DwarfZombie.
Movement: Dropping 15ft from dwarf.
(Fancy Footwork Feature: When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn how to land a strike and then slip away without reprisal. During your turn, if you make a melee attack against a creature, that creature can’t make opportunity attacks against you for the rest of your turn.)

As the plants seem to come alive, Burgee lifts his staff up high and mumbles a few words in a very old tongue before adding, "K, stay close to Era. She knows the world of plants, she can keep us safe." he continues in the olde tongue as he thinks, But a little protection won't hurt.And as he touches Kauil's shoulder a warm glow surrounds him, and protects him. Then he grips the staff as he closes ranks with Era preparing for what may be to come. (Action: Mage Armor

Kauil thanks the bird as he draws his rapier and stands by Burgee ready to protect him and the others. (Action: Ready rapier against attack from moss)

Era shrieks when she sees the body move and rise, bumping into Minos who had managed to keep his cool, even now shrouded in darkness. With one hand on her shoulder to usher her back, the other out reached in the direction of where he saw the dwarf to cast Magic Missile at them!

Pew Pew Pew damage: 12

The druid manages to compose herself just a tiny bit, forming a Thorn Whip in her hands and whipping it forward in hopes she hits the creature and not her friends!

Attack: 12 Damage: 9

((yikes))