Undead check : 18

The undead tries to hold the space but Mirica slams her armoured shoulder into its chest and rams her way past it, slipping past Thyrius as she makes for the exit. The undead takes a swing at her as she leaps past. 

6 Damage: 10 + 16 necrotic.

(OOC: Not quite sure if this'll all work out as planned, but here goes nothing.)

Xemnez may growl grunt in pain as more and more of his life and being shredded beneath the seeming invincible undead, but his grip never wavered for a second. He made a point to stare the creature down until Mirica made her move. And while he would not be able to fully impair further struggling from circlet wearer during the moment's distraction, he'd roar in defiance as he reached down properly to grab his pinned foe, sheathed his blade(with some difficulty), and bodily tried to throw his adversary into the throng gathered in the north. 

Though even if his strength should fail him, a silent thanks went out for the ancestor for guiding him so far... before he ultimately rushed on further down the hall. "One side." Jezun's only real warning as Xem briskly shifted past to sparta kick another dead head back, only to moments later charge into it a second to shove it (and perhaps a few of its fellows) further back from whence they came. 

With a chuff, it is onward past his brother but a short ways, prior to then turning about to look at him. "Hurry. Grab Jezun. Pull him onwards. I'll hold the pass for a moment more." He commands more than request, knowing anything less might encourage his brother to do otherwise in the heat of the moment. 

And they could ill afford that...

Action: Swordlord's Dominion, Verse #3.
1st Attack - Shove Northward vs Undead #G4 - Athletics: 33.

Movement: To Jezun's space, taking AoO from G4(if above shove attempt failed).

Action(Cont.): Dominion Take Two!
2nd Attack - Shove Eastward vs Undead #27 - Athletics: 31.

Movement(Cont.): If able push 27 back,  moving into its space.

3rd Attack - Shove Eastward vs Undead #27(or whichever is to the immediate east at that point) - Athletics: 18.

Movement(remaining): To 10ft South of Thyrius' current position on map.

Thyrius will try to shove #27 to the right if possible and then dodge.

 If Not possible or if Xem has already done that, Thyrius will instead grab Jezun and make a run for the exit. I believe this means he would move as if in difficult terrain, but he can dash as a bonus action to help move a total of 70 feet.

athletics to shove: 19

Xemnez stands up from kneeling on the undead, dragging it upwards as he stands. His powerful muscles ripple under his soft golden fur covered skin. He reaches down, grabbing the undead with his other hand by gripping its ripcage.  Then with what seems to be minimal effort, he hauls the undead off the ground, levers it back slightly, and then flings it forward down the hallway. As he watches it crash into the wall of undead and send them all crashing to the ground, he lets a grin full of sharp teeth grow across his face. It almost reminded him of log flinging at the annual festival...where you had to throw a log and knock down a bunch of other logs.  Chortling to himself despite everything, he turns and moves down the hall, passing Jezun as the two smoothly slide to opposite sides of the hall, and his heavy foot comes up and slams into the face of the undead in the hallway.  The thing goes crashing backwards, smashing into the wall of undead there, sending them tumblings.  Now with a full grin on his face, full of needle sharp jaws, he sweeps past his brother with a smooth command.  Thyrius, the dark skinned Leonin, grabs the monk who seems more than happy to be hauled backwards as the entire group makes good their escape.  

Mirica, then Xemnez, then Thyrius and Jezun comes spilling out of the passage and into a well lit passage, magical light filling the rocky hallway as Tic and Simaal stand ready with torches.  Now into the safety of magic, Toc pulls out two magical potions and begins drinking them down, his wounds and black shot veins easing slightly.  

The group turns and prepares for an approaching horde....but none of the undead come round the bend in the passage......and the group is left in momentary peace. 

(Out of initiative.) 

"Hmm... they seem more intelligent than normal undead. Uhm. Considering it looks like most of us are about seconds away from losing our entrails, unless we can quickly heal to normal, we may need to retreat and never come back again." He makes a quick shake of his head as he says never come back again.

Breathing heavily, Thyrius agrees with Simaal: "What caught my attention the most was that they had the wherewithal to wait until we were deep into these catacombs before waking up. They are aware they are part of a trap."

Thyrius couldn't offer much in terms of actual healing, so he instead busied himself with cleaning his companions of sweat and soot.

"First things first." Mirica closed her eyes for a moment to call to the powers of her God. When her own gloomy mood gave way to more hopeful feelings, she walked around the wounded companions fixing the most outrageous wounds.

(Beacon of Hope, Healing kits to everyone in need, restoring 28 HP)

Once that was done, she summoned her spiritual helper. Soft radiant light from the translucent mountain lion filled the corridor (Healing Spirit 4th lvl for 13  - 6 charges).

"Now. Many of us have been bitten or scratched. There is a chance - and a good chance - the wounds are infected with the death rot. I can not do anything about it right now and even in the worst case it will take a day for diseases to spread across your bodies but once we are done, we have to address it."

With health problems addressed she could join the discussion of future actions. "That chest we smashed could be the trigger for awakening those undead. Or it could be simply the things that hold the curse. If the corpses went back to sleep, we can drag them one by one outside and destroy them, then safely continue the search of the phylactery. Will take a long time, of course. Or we can try to burn the chests and the content in it by conventional means, hoping it will prevent the corpses from awakening".

Mirica sighed. "Ideally, a wave of holy water washing these tunnels would be the right way to deal with this place. Don't have it, though. Do you think we can get enough oil to flood the corridors and then burn everything inside?"

Toc, wiping away the remnants of two potions he'd slammed back before Mirica's healing (14 hps), looks a little more shaken than you've seen him before.  His eyes still a little wild nods as the group talks.  He reaches out and grabs Mirica's shoulder as she heals him, "Thank you."  As Thryius does his cleansing he also feels the need to reach out and touch the Leonin's chest, giving him a serious nod.  Breathing deeply and trying to calm himself he looks to Mirica, "I do have a dimensional room full of supplies that contains two full barrels of oil.  Not sure if it will be enough, but if we can get them to group up like they do, it could be sufficient.  Though I do like the 'dragging' out option." 

Without taking his eyes off the tunnel, Xemnez mentally went over hurts felt but steadfastly at first brushed off any attempt to treat his wounds. "Toc and other first," He'd insist instead, wanting to make /absolutely/ sure no surprise came down the tunnel. When it at least came back around to his turn it is only then the Leonin relaxed enough to sit down and let Mirica work her magic; both literally and figuratively. Throughout it and for some time after, he sat and listened to the others speculation before finally sighing and stepping up again to speak his piece.

"I know little of this 'death rot', so I'll take your word for it Mirica. But unless it some kind of magical curse, I very much doubt I'm infected." He smirks and chuffs at that. "Regardless, I do like this idea of dragging them out and of burning them. But it may be best to give them a couple of hours or if we could spare it, perhaps even a day to see if they... 'reset'?" He bowed his head and brushed at the base of his mane. ".. I doubt they may of course. Not when there's a group as ours that not only that not only broke into this place, but even got away, diseased or not. Worst yet, there was one with particularly strong and swifter one among them. And who might even be controlling the others." At that point he looks to Toc, figuring the wizard might further back his claims or perhaps even explain things better, having had to defend the one intersection from the very creature. 

We passed by burial type slots in the walls, did we not? Did we see any of them in their slots prior to moving? Simaal sends message to Toc, "mind talk please". After mindtalk is done "Well with enough wood we can start blocking off passages, but even so sooner or later they'd break through unless greatly solid which is unrealistic. Problem is we don't really have the time to waste to do all of that. Maybe if we'd go into a city we'd get enough barrels. Problem is we don't know where our target is. It doesn't mean it's straight down the central tunnel. We'd somehow have to figure out what is causing this anti-magic thing and put a stop to it so we can figure it out. Admittedly it's probably in a magical zone, but we still don't know where that five foot by five foot location could be." 
Hmm.. Simaal checks the ground. "Do we have any ability to dig down. It may be worthwhile to figure out how far this thing penetrates in the ground. Maybe we could tunnel in."

As Xemnez mentions the 'tougher' undead, Toc nods, "Indeed....one of them seemed certainly to be more powerful. Stronger, faster, its strikes filled with even more taint. The one with the circlet on its head."   

Toc glances at Simaal and mentally responds, "It's only been a few minutes....albeit painful minutes and with no magic. But...the spell is still in place. The anti-magic doesn't cancel spells, only....suspends them." 

Toc taps his finger on his chin for a moment, thoughtfully. "Simaal, your idea about digging is a good one. Let me try." 

He waves his arms a bit at the group, currently still taking catching their breath, standing about the slightly wider part of the tunnel before the anti-magic area.  He gets everyone back, even urging Xemnez back and away a bit, about 20 feet.  Then he focus, his hand held out, as he mutters some magical words and taps his staff on the ground. A perfectly cut tunnel, 8 feet high and five feet wide, appears in the floor, at a sharp angle, leading towards the anti-magic area.  Toc walks down the 'ramp' towards the end.  He seems to judge a bit and then does the same motions, and the same words. Another passage appears, this one going straight forward, under the other area...but only extends about five feet before striking a rough stone surface.  Toc sighs, and moves back again.  Once again he waves his hands in sharp concise patterns, mutters words, and taps his staff.  Another more sharply aimed ramp leads down.  This one seems to go underneath the other one, but extends a full 20 feet.  Toc walks further down the ramp and looks around.  You figure the ceiling of his tunnel must be about 18 feet below the level of the other tunnel....and he must be underneath the anti-magical area by about 10 feet. 

Mentally he speaks up to the group, "I think I'm under the field now. These passages last an hour. It would be bad to get caught between them as the magic collapses. I could probably make another five of these...going up to 100 feet. That's roughly under the first chest we came upon, and the ringlet dude. But....obviously this magic won't help us dig up.  After an hour, we better be well and out of these as the magic ends and the tunnels cease to exist."

"Well, I'm going to assume there's no magic solution then to counter this then? Always thought of magic as a shell, rock, stick type of situation."  "I'm also going to assume we can't bring a mythilar here, lift the whole thing high in the air and crash it back into the ground. to break everything. Also assuming no one has some pet monsters that can go through walls destroying things on the way. Endless container of flammable oil?. I'd hate to be relegated to flaming pikes and other weapons with plenty of oil flasks to keep them going.

"Also a fan of the old rolling death wheel. I've seen it in action and it's fairly impressive, but could potentially provide some excellent funneling protection, but would be difficult to build to get enough and get them here. Basically giant solid wheel with spears that get poked through holes once you move it in position and anchor it against side walls and the flood. It's big enough to fill the corridor and anything trying to get past it would be shredded."

Of course we could try an old hunter's trick when dealing with vampires hiding away. Go in far enough to encounter one or two with only a couple people, throw chains with grappling hooks on them, then drag them bag out and smash them to bits here where the pulley system would be. Still take a while, and still risk to those going in though. We would have multiple chains not just the two, and leave them as fishing lines, if they try to ambush from behind, we'll use other hooks to grab their feet and start pulling them out as well."

Completely unscathed, Thyrius feels a bit guilty for not putting his own body at risk in order to spare his companions from some of the potentially disease-infested undead swipes.

Hearing his brother's suggestion, Thyrius pipes up: "I can scout ahead to see if they are resting or not. My ability to hide in corners and shadows is not necessarily dependent on magic. Should they see me, well, sometimes even the strongest undead fail to see me as a foe, at least temporarily. If these mummies do find me and try to attack, I do have some natural... hmm... unnatural resistance to diseases, if that is indeed what their claws carry. Allow me to try."

He adds: "I am also a good candidate to go in an drag/hook mummies one by one, if that is what we want to try."

For now, though, the black cat focuses on scouting ahead slowly. The primary mission is to check whether the mummies are resetting or if they are just wandering around. Should he be detected, he will rush back to his companions (action and bonus action dash for up to 105ft of movement in one round, using Uncanny Dodge reaction on any potential successful attacks or opportunity attacks to reduce the damage. Any attack or spell cast on him by an undead has to first succeed a WIS save {DC 19} or the effect/attack must be re-targeted/wasted.)

Should he maintain his stealth, he will advance slowly and see if he can identify the exit of this maze, keeping track of how far it is. Thyrius will take this scouting mission very slowly. He does not want to get trapped in there alone. If allowed, he'll also ask Mirica for a bit of that magical guidance she usually grants. He'll start stealthy-ing outside the anti-magic field to ensure he can benefit from the boon.

-> Stealth check: 28 + 1 (if permitted).

Mirica did not have a habit of guiding others in their jobs. Sometimes encouraging words did help, but lately, she was surrounded mainly by over-competent people for whom meager encouragement was useless. She gladly shared a few words of the Lathander's wisdom, though, at Thyrius's request.

Calming minds, however, was another matter. That she sometimes did. A nod to Xemnez's words was supposed to do just that. "You can call this thing curse, for it can not be cured by conventional means. The point is, we can not risk it taking root. But we can hope it would not strike sooner than a day from now."

Mirica watched Toc's manipulations with interest. "The tunnel to the other side is worth it if only to make sure the phylactery is inside the field. However, I do not understand the use of keeping the thing there - would not its magic be suppressed as well? How would the lich restore itself there?"

"Nevermind. Can you get to the other side?"

Jezun did have to be dragged back out, though he did not fight it. It was plain to see that he took his eventual failure to hold the intersection harder than expected. He didn’t resist healing - thanked Mirica for it, if distracted by the hallway. He spent the time while the others talked peering down the hallway and listening for any sign of undead movement.

When Thyrius prepared to go down to scout he insisted on coming with, saying he is good at fighting off disease, he’s also fairly quiet, and he can stay quick on his feet. He’s not letting his new friend get caught alone.

Perception: 21

Stealth: 21

"If you can think of any small mundane item that would be of help to you, let me know, I may have it or be able to create it. Sadly as much as I'd like, infinite items is beyond my ability however so no gallons of oil."

Having already given his word of trust in Mirica, Xemnez had little more to add there than a nod of further understanding. Yet his confidence in his own body being able to yet shake off the affliction hardly appeared shaken by the revelation. Now where it came to the suggestion of tunneling, even the leonin couldn't help but looking mildly astonished at it, before cracking a wiry grin. So too had Simmal's for that matter, if a bit more a subdued one. Anyone insightful enough however might figure that had Toc's own idea yielded far lesser results, Xemnez might've even eagerly offered assistance in trying to put together said wheel of death!

"All excellent suggestions.  I do-..." He starts, before catching himself as he somehow only just catch on to all the mental speech. Growling in a little frustration, Xem yet switches over to add, 'I have but a few vials of holy water myself, for the record. Hardly enough to be much assistance in a pinch, but...' He sighs. '.. I won't lie. Apart of me wishes I had been able to get a hold of some holy oil. I'm not sure if this realm produces it, and it was a rare commodity in even mines. But it was quite useful for dealing with the undead, as its very nature was anathema to theirs. Useful for coating a blade or even one's body to ward off.' He shakes his head then looks to the tunnel at length. Come what may, he doesn't begrudge his brother scouting ahead with Jezun, but request they at least give it a few minutes. 

In the meantime he asks of Toc, 'If we were to take a rest -- a short one, would you be able to restore whatever strength you'd need to recreate the tunnel?'

Toc looks to Xemnez, "Hmmm, after a short rest I'll be able to make probably 7 tunnels, if I do a bit of tomfoolery."  He looks to Mirica, "As I said though, I tap out at 100 feet and these catacombs are at least 150 across, so I'm afraid I can't get us all the way across." 

In the meantime, Thyrius and Jezun slip back into the tunnel together. 

The darkness of the place is oppressive as the two skulk back to the bend in the tunnel and look down towards the first T junction. There are no undead within site, and the halls appear to be quiet. The sneak every so quietly up to the intersection and check both ways. Again, the coast is clear. They are no undea....... Jezun's ears prickle at the slight shuffle and a crackle of bones grinding. Listening, he hears the ever so quiet sound of undead standing about. They must have vacated this first hallway, but Jezun thinks he hears a sign of them around each of the corners of the hallways in both directions.  Thyrius, like a shadow, slips along one wall far enough to confirm. Indeed...the undead appear to be "lying in wait", or rather, standing in wait....around each of the corners of the passages. No matter how stealthy he is, if he goes much further he'll have no cover and nothing to conceal him from their view. 

Thyrius moves back to Jesun and whispers on his ear: "No way forward. Should we try to drag one of them out?"