Undead and Shipping Crates

As we ran up the beach toward the caves, Garn stopped. “Wait!” he shouted. “We said we were just going to clean off the beach. If we suddenly disappear from view, the captain may think we’re dead and sail off.” Travis huffed, “If we go back we’ll lose the sirens.” “Well our squad should be able to take two sirens and their enthralled porters without a problem. I’ll row back and inform Captain Raccan of the situation.” Garn set off to the longboat, look of confidence on his face.

From the beach the two caves looked like shallow hollows carved by the sea. Standing at the entrance, we realized they were anything but shallow. The initial corridor snaked down into the rock. I could tell it went deep, really deep. Maybe even to The Underdark, I thought as Markas lit a torch and Kalena created a small glowing orb. But my party looked secure so I held my tongue.

Markas and Rhegar took the lead to protect the party from any nasty surprises, Kalena following close behind with her orb. After about sixty yards the corridor opened into a large rocky room with a sandy floor. Numerous wooden crates sat along the walls and vermin could be heard skittering around beyond the torchlight. A strange fungus sprouted from the floor and clung to the crates, conical white flowers sitting delicately on the fuzzy black masses. A faint memory tickled at my head but I couldn’t pin it down. Something about moss was bugging me. Once again I glanced at my party members, but no one looked extra nervous.

Pushing the thought away, I watched Rhegar move to examine the closest crate, beckoning Kalena to follow. As the light washed over the box I could see the shorthand and symbols that sailors used to mark contents and destinations. Before I could translate the label, a high pitched wailing filled the cavern. The whole party froze, some wincing from the noise. I moved toward the fungus. Keen, wail, shriek! That’s it! Shriekers! A green fletched arrow whizzed by, sinking deeply into the crate underneath the fungus. Kalena lets loose a fireball. It singes the flowers, but the moist plant absorbs the damage and the noise only gets louder. My mind was racing. Shriekers summon something, something that was important to remember as a cleric or I wouldn’t have been taught about them specifically. Rhegar was shouting for another fireball when Vixi screamed.

I whipped around to see a second arm burst through the sand floor. Waxy grey skin pulled tight over bony joints and folded in where muscle should be. White bone glared through gaping holes. Four zombies were clawing their way up, surrounding Vixi. I glanced back to see three more emerging near Rhegar, Markas, and Kalena and one more split the distance between Travis and Kyri. Shriekers awaken nearby undead. Undead that are weak against light and radiance.

I licked my lips, striding toward the warlock as I pulled divine power toward me. I wrapped and bundled the power using the holy symbol hanging over my chainmail as the focal point. This wasn’t a terribly powerful spell like Kalena’s Scorching Burst, but it would do the job. I had to let enough of the undead get close to me to make the spell worth the energy it would consume. But I had to keep them far enough away to avoid being grabbed. Zombies have a wicked grab. I could feel the four undead shifting their focus onto me as I took Vixi’s spot. The fifth might have begun shuffling toward me but I couldn’t afford to wait longer. The first zombie raised its arm toward my neck. I blocked with my quarterstaff and released the spell with a single word, “Turn.” At once a searing wind swirled around me. The zombie that had been attempting the grab flew backward down the corridor. The hot, dry wind forced the others against the cavern wall. One hit a protrusion and I heard the crack of breaking bones.

Panting, I nodded over my shoulder to Vixi. I’d saved her and now I’d need more than her help to get me out of the mess it had put me in. Three zombies within grabbing distance was not conducive to staying alive. In response, the tiefling fired off an eldritch blast at the nearest zombie, darkness crackling over its peeling skin. Shifting to a more tactical position, she whistled to Kyri and Travis. I spared a moment to peer over my other shoulder, just in time to see a zombie fall pin cushioned by green arrows. The ranger was already nocking another arrow as I returned my attention to the undead around me.

I wasn’t fast enough to block the next grab and he caught me sharply on the shoulder. One of his mates lunged. I cringed as the hot, sour breath washed over my cheeks. Broken teeth scoured a line down my scalp as it tried to reach my brain. I barely manage to suppress a scream. Elven arrows and fey-pact curses hit the zombies around me. I strike out with a golden lance of light at the undead trying to make me his dinner and twist out of the other's grip. I take a deep, ragged breath, calling on one of my healing spells to staunch the flow of blood from my temple. Before I can move away, the third zombie catches me cruelly where my neck meets the shoulder. The zombies lunge. Kyri catches one before it lands a blow, but the other tears at my hair. "A little help would be nice!!" I yell out, voice high pitched in fear.

Rhegar appears on the opposite side, charging in from where the other three zombies are being burned to a crisp. He lands a heavy blow, marking its skin with a symbol of Bahamut. The zombie drops me and howls at the dragonborn. Without me in the way, Kyri and Vixi blast the remaining undead and Travis even draws his sword for a swipe or two. The zombies crumpled like paperdolls under the flurry of attacks.