Hello, readers. Welcome to the newest chapter of my Owl House D&D fanfic, "Your Turn To Roll". When we last left off, our heroes made their way to the island of Orphechelon with Doctor Bartholomew "Buddy" Chaplin Jr. and handled the original reason they had to travel to the island, confirming the identity of Philomena Yolande to the Emperor's Aide, Kallista Nola. After successfully tricking her with Reverence disguising himself as a girl resembling Philomena, the party went to Buddy's home in Edmire's End. While there, they had to help look for Buddy's missing grandson and found him in the Speculum Cemetery, where he says he was locked in a shed while he was hiding. As they searched the graveyard, the party discovered evidence of somebody digging for something and found an unusual stone with magical properties. They also learned of the possibility of there being undead creatures around the cemetery. Just what is going on in Speculum Cemetery? We'll get our answers soon enough as we continue our story with a chapter title I love because I got the idea from the band "Ice Nine Kills". Our chapter today is "Funeral Derangements".
The Owl House is owned by Disney and was created by Dana Terrace
Dungeons and Dragons is published by Wizards of the Coast and was created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson
When Luz and her friends gathered at the Owl House game store, they entered the back room and set everything up for their campaign to continue. After closing the store for the evening, Eda joined them to watch what would happen this time. "Catch me up to speed, kids. What happened this time," Eda asked.
"I'm getting to that, Eda," Vee said before she set up her dungeon master screen. "Okay, when we last left off, our intrepid heroes made it to Orphechelon Island. After technically completing Caleb's mission of bringing in Philomena for identification, everyone went to the home of their new ally, Doctor Chaplin. When they got there, they learned his grandson never made it home and went to search for him in the Speculum Cemetery. After splitting up to find him, they found the kid and some clues that something suspicious was happening at the graveyard. With them all returning to the Chaplin House, they rested up and we begin our story with everyone having a hearty breakfast of pancakes."
"Pancakes," King cheered. "Reverence is chowing down on as many as he can stomach."
"Philomena would be more civil as she enjoys her meal, finding it pretty good despite growing up with more upper-class meals," Amity says. "As she's eating, Philomena was Specter acting like a friendly cat toward Grayson."
"As you eat up, Grayson is petting the magical cat and listening to her purr on his lap. He smiles and laughs as he keeps being gentle with your familiar, who tells you through your telepathic bond that she's enjoying the kid's company. Buddy is also having a cup of tea with his daughter before he speaks to everyone," Vee states before voicing the doctor. "I'm sure that with what we all discovered last night, we'll want to do some investigating."
"Yeah. Why were all those holes around the cemetery? Some seemed too small to be for graves," Gus said as Wrenn, then pulled out a small turquoise stone to act like he had the stone they discovered before. "Not to mention the stone we found in one of them. We need to do some research about what this could be."
"You also said that somebody could help with my ring so far," Luz mentioned as Carmen.
"We'll handle both of these in town," Vee said as Buddy. "The library's in the historical district, but the jeweler I know is in the next district of town."
"Then we should go and deal with these tasks before returning to the graveyard. With what I sensed there last night, I'm concerned about what may have caused it," Hunter declared as Caleb.
"I agree with Caleb. Something didn't seem right and we need to take a look at Speculum in the daytime," Willow voiced as Sariel.
"Very well. If we can find out more about this stone as quickly as we can, we can move on to investigating the cemetery," Vee stated in Buddy's voice.
"After we finish our food, we thank Abigail and head off into town," Luz decided.
"I'll leave Specter with Gray until he takes a nap, then my cat will go meet up with me as soon as possible," Amity added.
"Alright," Vee acknowledged before narrating the next scene. "With all of you leaving the Chaplin House, you make your way toward the library before Buddy speaks to Carmen," she says before speaking as Doctor Chaplin again. "If you go down the road for another few blocks, you'll find a store called Pandora's Jewelry Box. When you're there, ask for Voxlya and tell her Buddy sent you. You might get a discount since they owe me a favor."
"Gracias. I appreciate it," Luz says as Carmen. "I'll then head down with anybody that wants to join."
"I'll go! I wanna look at the shiny stuff," King declared.
"Hopefully, he doesn't steal anything," Hunter remarked.
"Without getting caught, at least," Eda countered with a chuckle.
"I'll go with them just to make sure he doesn't get into trouble," Willow said, offering to have her character join the Rogues.
"While those three head down the road to reach the jewelry store, the rest of you enter the library. When you enter, you see a woman at the librarian's desk who looks like a beautiful humanoid, but her eyes carry an experience that seems similar to Buddy's own. She wears a white dress with blue details, has long white hair, and her face is sparkling with freckles that look like stars on her skin," Vee described. "She looks over at Buddy and smiles at him before speaking," she stated before doing a lighthearted voice for the new character. "Buddy. It's so nice to see you today. What brings you to the library this time?"
"You think this is that friend that gave him the nickname," Amity asked aloud.
"Maybe," Gus replied.
"Emily, it's wonderful to see you ask well. Have you heard any news about Damien yet," Vee asked as Buddy.
"Damien," Hunter muttered to himself curiously.
"Sadly, no. He hasn't returned and I fear that he may have fallen on the wrong path. We didn't have the fondest goodbye because of how he saw his heritage," Vee replied as the new NPC.
"Doctor Chaplin, may I ask who your friend is," Amity said in Philomena's voice.
"Ah, yes. This is my childhood friend, Emily Vespera. She's the head librarian here in Edmire's End. She might be able to help us find what we need for our research," Vee stated as Chaplin.
"Then can we please have some help in identifying magic stones? We found one and I'm not entirely sure what it is and we found it in the graveyard. We want to know if anything like this has been found before," Gus said as Wrenn.
"Magic stones in the graveyard? Hmm… Quite curious," Vee said as Emily. "Find a table and I'll bring you the books you might need."
"We'll do just that," Hunter says.
"The four of you sit down and when you do, Emily uses some magic to move the books she believes you need toward you. With stacks of books in front of each of you, I'd like you to roll me an Investigation check," Vee said as she rolled for Buddy's skill check.
"I have a 2. That's 7 total," Amity said, upset at her low Intelligence check.
"I have a natural 20," Hunter exclaimed.
"10 to make 17," Gus said.
"And Buddy got a total of 13," Vee said before narrating what happened. "As you pour over your given books, Philomena's first choice is unfortunately written in Celestial, which she cannot read. Thankfully, Caleb's first choice of book does contain the information you needed and with a little digging, Wrenn found additional details," she stated before texting the information to the boys for them to read aloud.
Looking at their phones, Hunter and Gus nodded before the blond boy started. "I found something. It says here that the rock Wrenn found is known as a Galdorstone. These rocks are powerful arcane artifacts that increase the power of magic whenever they're used as an arcane focus. It allows them to bring the spell's effect to their maximum potential. But in exchange, the stone crumbles after that use," he said as Caleb. "Essentially, it means if you use the stone to cast a spell as a focus, you get the highest damage output on anything but psychic damage. Saving throws still cut the max damage in half if successful."
"Whoa, that's impressive," Luz remarked.
Gus then took the time to read what he was messaged. "These stones are formed from the spirits and mana of mages that have died and decomposed over years. They're most commonly found in graveyards or areas that have had massive battles with spellcasters involved. Legends say that if the stones are kept and not blessed by somebody of holy order, the restless spirits of the dead mages will haunt the carrier and attack whoever is with them," he read as Wrenn. "So the stones give high damage if you use one for a spell, but you have higher chances of encountering the undead since they're ghost magic."
"Well, now I feel conflicted," Luz remarked. "On the one hand, all our magic would be at its strongest. On the other, using wizard ghost stuff doesn't sit well with me. And the possible poltergeist attacks aren't good either."
"Yeah, this sort of thing is a conundrum," Willow added.
"Is it possible somebody knows about these Galdorstones and is taking them for themselves," Amity theorized as Philomena, voicing her own opinion as well.
"I wouldn't put it past anyone to hunt them down to gain power for themselves or to sell to the highest bidder," Hunter remarked as Caleb.
"Then we need to go to the graveyard as soon as possible," Gus said as Wrenn.
"You're correct in that regard, my friends. Let's go tell the others," Vee said as Buddy. "As you leave the library and bid farewell to Emily, we'll cut over to Pandora's Jewelry Box where Carmen, Rev, and Sariel are entering the establishment. You see plenty of display cases filled with all manner of jewelry and gemstones."
"Reverence is hypnotized by all the shiny gems," King said, giving a look that was similar to a kitten looking at a laser pointer's dot on the wall.
"A half-elf woman with elegant purple curls and a blue dress steps up and greets you," Vee says before doing a refined accent. "Hello, darlings. Welcome to Pandora's Jewelry Box. Home of any accessory you can think of. My name is Voxlya Pandora. How may I help you?"
"Buddy sent us. I was wondering if you could help with fixing this a little," Luz said as Carmen. "And I show her the Ring of Shooting Stars."
"Voxlya gasps at the sight of the rare treasure and its current condition," Vee said before asking like a drama queen for the NPC. "OH MY GOODNESS! What sort of monster would damage such a perfectly wonderful piece of work like this? This simply cannot stand! I can do what I can, provided that you have materials I can work with. Free of charge because I still owe Doctor Chaplin for helping my father."
"I have these moonstones. Can that help," Luz said as Carmen. "And I produce the moonstones I have."
"Hmm… it won't be enough to bring the ring's complete magic back, but it will be a start. Let me handle it for the day and I'll give it back to you tonight," Vee said as Voxlya.
"Thank you so much," Luz said as Sariel.
"While this is going on, Reverence will try and steal a ring on display," King said as he rolled his dice. "I have a 4 to make a total of 11," he declared.
"I roll for a Perception check to see if I notice," Willow said. "I got a 12 to make 19. I see him attempt it and use Druidcraft to make him smell a skunk's odor."
After laughing a little at the idea, Vee began to narrate the scene. "While Carmen is speaking with Voxlya, Reverence sees a fancy ring and attempts to take it. Sariel stops him by casting Druidcraft and the rancid smell of a skunk's infamous spray fills Rev's nose, making him abandon his attempts to steal the ring and block out the stink."
"HAHAHAHAHA! That's hilarious," Eda laughed, making King pout.
"It's at this time that Buddy and the others arrive," Vee says before voicing the doctor. "Carmen, we need to head to the graveyard. We learned some important details."
"Sure thing," Luz said as Carmen. "I'll leave the moonstones and my ring with Voxlya with the intent to retrieve them later tonight."
"Good to know," Vee stated. "As you make your way out of town and toward Speculum Cemetery, Buddy informs you of what was discovered in the library."
"So you're telling me that we're carrying around a crystallized magic ghost," King said as Reverence.
"No, it's more like their magic bled into the ground after they died and condensed. It's sort of like how it takes time, pressure, and heat to form diamonds," Gus explained as Wrenn.
"If they form from people's magic after they die, we need to see about who was buried in the cemetery," Hunter stated as Caleb. "There could be more and whoever was digging around could come back."
"The group then makes their way back to Speculum Cemetery just before noon. When you reach where Wrenn and Reverence found the Galdorstone, you see that there's a gathering of people. They're all wearing black outfits and are near an open grave where a casket is being set up above it," Vee described.
"Looks like a funeral for somebody," Willow said as Sariel.
"Yes, Gideon Kramer passed away a few days ago. Just before I left for Helhemichi, in fact," Vee said in Buddy's voice.
"It's always upsetting to hear about somebody's passing," Hunter said as Caleb.
"Yeah," Luz muttered as Carmen. "Anyway, let's focus on what we need to do. What's with the statue?"
"You take your attention away from the nearby funeral and get a look at the statue of the centaur, which has a helmet that has a horn in the center of the forehead, making him look like a unicorn. The statue's base has a plaque with an engraving in Common," Vee stated. "It reads 'Dedicated to the fierce warrior, Umanoch. When Edmire's End and Lotara Port were under attack from dragons, Umanoch and his allies faced the threat without any fear. While they were able to defeat the monsters, they gave their own lives to do so. This statue is in honor of the leader of the brave travelers who fought until their last breath.' And when you look at the other sides of the base, it lists the names of the other heroes."
"Would any of these names be familiar enough to recognize them as magic users," Amity asked.
"Roll me a History check, everyone," Vee says.
The clattering of dice filled the room as the players made their rolls. "I have an 8 total," Luz says.
"I don't do much better. 7 total," Willow remarked.
"Ugh, a natural 1," Amity groaned before slamming her head on the table.
"Straight 14," King said.
"15 to make a modified 20," Gus declared.
"I have a 6 to make 10," Hunter muttered.
"And Buddy has a 4 to make 11," Vee stated before describing the scene after the rolls. "Wrenn takes a look at the names and sees that one was a person he read about in his studies to learn magic. The name of 'Leigh Wes Blum' rings a bell as it was the author of an old book filled with magic formulas that you came across in your youth."
"Guys, at least one of these people was able to master the arcane arts. I've read a book written by them. They must have been buried around here," Gus said as Wrenn.
"If that's the case, we may need to see if they're still here," Hunter declared as Caleb.
"Just then, you all hear screaming from the funeral nearby. Everyone's shouting and trying to run away when you turn around. You all turn to see that crawling out from the nearby grave is a figure with rotting flesh, tattered clothes, and a shambling walk. Just then, more rotting limbs punch their way out of the ground and more bodies crawl their way to the surface. They're soon joined by skeletons with scraps of armor covering their bodies, all rattling as they take a step forward. With the dead rising out from their graves, you see yourselves facing a small army of the undead," Vee narrated, changing the moment from an investigation to a battle.
"Oh, this will be fun," Eda chuckled.
"When you see the skeletons and zombies make their way toward you, there are still innocent civilians that are trying to escape with the undead 40 feet away. What do you do," Vee asked.
"Like there's any question to it. We'll block off the bystanders from the living dead and prepare to fight them all off," Luz declared.
"Yeah," King and the others cheered in agreement.
"Then go ahead and roll initiative," Vee said as she got a large number of dice ready for everyone she had to control.
With everyone's rolls made and Vee counting up all the enemies she had to roll for, the others began to list their results. "18 to make 22 total," Luz told everyone.
"17 total," Willow said.
"12 for a 15," Amity remarked.
"I got a straight 3," Hunter muttered.
"19 for a 23," Gus said.
"16 plus my Dexterity and Alert feat for 24," King exclaimed.
"And Buddy has an 11 total," Vee says before rolling the rest of her list. "This is the most I've rolled all game. I've got about 33 enemies here," she said as she brought out a large battlefield with that many figurines as undead enemies.
"WHAT!? That many," Amity exclaimed.
"Dang, that's a lot, kids," Eda remarked.
"Top of the round has Reverence go first. What do you do," Vee asked.
"Okay, if there's that many, I'd want to figure out how to deal more damage to it. I'll use my Fast Hands feature to grab a flask of oil from my bag and throw it at the closest zombie," King declared.
"Roll to hit. We'll say you can use it like a dagger," Vee told him.
Taking his red die and rolling, King looked at the result. "14 to make 19 total."
"That hits. Roll a d4 for damage," Vee said.
"I got a 4 total for damage," King added.
"With the first zombie getting 4 bludgeoning damage, the oil flask shatters open and soaks it with flammable oil," Vee stated.
"I'll then use my regular action to fire my crossbow into a skeleton," King added before rolling his die again. "16 plus 5 for 21."
"That hits," Vee confirmed.
"I deal… 7 total piercing damage," King said.
"With the flask hitting one zombie and a crossbow flying into the skull of a skeleton, Reverence gets the first hits in," Vee states. "Gus, it's Wrenn's turn."
"If I'm next, I'll get closer and cast Burning Hands, hitting all of the enemies within a 15-foot cone in front of myself with 3d6 fire damage if they fail a Dexterity saving throw," Gus declared.
"Okay," Vee said before rolling. "First two fail. The second two fail as well. And the last two just fail. How much damage are you dealing," Vee asked after rolling for the amount of monsters that were being damaged.
"I end up dealing 7 fire damage to each of them," Gus said, a little upset at the damage done.
"With you placing your hands together and unleashing a burst of flame from your fingertips, one zombie ignites from the oil and takes an additional 5 fire damage. With the flames burning away at the rotten flesh of the zombies and charring the bones of the skeletons, one of each ended up burning into ash thanks to the damage previously done to them," Vee stated, cheering Gus up a little. "Luz, it's time for Carmen to battle."
"I'll pull out my pepperbox and take a shot at one of the zombies," Luz declared as she rolled her die. "9 for a 15 total."
"That hits. Roll for damage," Vee confirmed.
Taking her d10, Luz rolled to see what she managed to get. "6 for a total of 10 piercing damage," she said.
"The bullet flies forward, but the zombie is only injured by it and not killed," Vee states. "It moans in pain, but pushes forward to head for Wrenn alongside a few others that can only move forward. Any that don't make it in range to start take the Dash action, reaching and surrounding you within seconds. You are all currently surrounded by 7 of the remaining 31 undead. Willow, your turn."
"I'll cast Ice Knife and try to kill off more of the undead by casting it at 2nd-level and throwing it into the closest monster," Willow says before rolling her attack. "I got a 15 for a 22."
"That hits. Roll the piercing and cold damage," Vee says in confirmation while rolling the needed Dexterity saving throws.
"The initial attack is 5 piercing damage and the shards that scatter are worth 12 cold damage," Willow stated.
"Three of them fail the Dex save, but one skeleton managed to avoid the ice shards that splinter out. The three that did get hit soon fall back down to the ground dead after the frozen thorns pierce and freeze them," Vee confirmed. "Another zombie soon shuffles his way through the crowd and makes his way into your space with a Dash action. Philomena's turn, Amity."
"Philomena will activate her Bladesong and with it, she'll thrust her rapier into a zombie with an 8 for a 14 total," Amity said.
"That hits. Roll damage," Vee confirmed.
"I got max damage! That's an 8 on the die, my plus 1 rapier, and my Dexterity modifier for 12 damage," Amity exclaimed.
"With a powerful and precise thrust into the zombie's skull, you stab it in the brain and it keels over dead," Vee said, making the table cheer at another monster defeated. "After that, you all see more zombies making their way through the crowd and closer with more Dash actions. You are now surrounded by an additional 6 enemies for a total of 10 within your range. But thankfully, it's Buddy's turn. With an icy stare in his eyes, he pulls out a pendant of Tyton, the Father Owl. He then faces all the undead surrounding you and who are getting close," she said before speaking in Buddy's voice. "The undead have no longer have business in this world. Your time has come and gone!"
"What's he doing," King asked.
"Buddy uses Channel Divinity to activate Destroy Undead. Any undead within 30 feet of his sight or if they can hear him have to roll a Wisdom saving throw. If they fail, they have to run away. If they have a Challenge Rating of 1/2 or lower, they're automatically destroyed," Vee stated, making everyone watch with wide eyes as she started rolling the dice needed. After about a minute of checking what she had, Vee said what happened. "With a burst of divine energy that resembles a barn owl made of starlight, Doctor Bartholomew Chaplin destroys 18 of the undead, leaving 5 skeletons and 5 zombies for everyone to deal with now."
Eda let out an impressed whistle at the results. "Dang, I never thought that a healer could do that," she chuckled.
"Yup. Clerics are more than healers. Especially since with his bonus action, he'll cast Spiritual Weapon and use it to strike at the zombie furthest back with a large scalpel," Vee says, adding to the Cleric's move. "With a 13 for a total of 21, he strikes at it with the divine scalpel, carving into the one zombie and injuring it severely with… 11 points of force damage," she added while rolling her dice.
"Okay, maybe I should have gone with Cleric instead of Paladin," Hunter remarked. "Maybe next game."
"With the zombies taken down to more manageable numbers, two of the skeletons draw their shortbows and take aim at Carmen and Buddy," Vee says as she rolled dice for the attacks. "A modified 20 and a 19 total. Both hit with 3 piercing damage on Carmen and 4 piercing damage on Buddy as arrows deliver shallow wounds into their arms."
"Ouch. At least it's minor damage that can be handled," Luz remarked.
"The next three zombies will dash toward all of you, but aren't able to attack just yet. Hunter, it's Caleb's turn," Vee stated.
"I'll have Caleb cast Thunderous Smite, then slash at the closest zombie with a one-handed swing of his sword," Hunter declared before rolling his d20. "19 for a 24."
"That hits. But tell us all what Thunderous Smite does," Vee says.
"For the next minute as long as I hold concentration, I'm able to deal an extra 2d6 thunder damage on enemies I hit with my weapon's first attack. The strikes let out thunder sounds that go out to 300 feet away. The enemy also needs to roll a Strength saving throw or be pushed back 10 feet and become prone," Hunter says before rolling his dice. "That's 9 slashing damage and 9 thunder damage."
"18 damage total, huh," Vee said as she rolled another die. "The zombie gets hit by your sword and after the blade cuts into its torso, a loud booming sound cracks through the air like a storm is nearby, blowing the undead being's body to pieces and removing another monster from the army you're facing. At the same time, a skeleton tries to hit Buddy with a shortbow shot, but misses. After that, it'll make its way toward all of you," Vee narrated. "As two more zombies lurch their way toward everyone as fast as they can, we go to the top of the round and Reverence is up next."
King hummed in thought as he decided what to do. "I'll take my hand crossbow and fire at the zombie I saw Buddy hurt. That'll be a kill if it hits," he said before rolling. "6 on the die for a total of 11," he said.
"That hits," Vee confirmed. "Zombies don't have much for Armor Class."
Chuckling in victory, King rolled his d6 for damage to deal. "I deal 6 piercing damage to it," he declared.
Rolling a d20 at that, Vee smirked. "The zombie takes the bolt to the head, but doesn't fall down. Thanks to Undead Fortitude, he's still at 1 hit point." This made the others wonder how well they'd been doing the whole battle since this was the first example of them being unable to take down the current enemies. "Wrenn's turn is next."
"Alright, I'll cast Fire Bolt on one of the skeletons," Gus said before rolling his die. "8 plus my modifier is 15."
"That hits," Vee confirmed.
"Oh, no. It's only 1 damage," Gus complained as he rolled his d10.
"The flame you shoot at the skeleton hits it in the scrapped helmet it wears, lowering the damage the heat does to what little it can do," Vee states.
"My turn," Luz said. "I'll switch to my sword and with it in my hand, I'll attack the skeleton that Wrenn tried to hit." With a roll of her d20, Luz checked the results and hoped it hit. "7 for a 13?"
"That just manages to hit," Vee says, letting Luz sigh in relief. "Roll for damage."
Luz picked up her d6 and rolled to see if her cutlass did any decent damage. "Ugh, my own 1 on the die. But with my modifier and Dueling, that's 7," Luz said.
"With a strong swing of your sword, you sever the skeleton's spine and it crumbles to the ground," Vee said after rolling her die and looking at the results. "Okay, after so many of them have been destroyed, it's now Sariel's turn to fight the undead."
"I guess that with so many undead around, Sariel would Wild Shape into a bear again. After turning into her bark-furred beast form, she should rush up and get ready to maul them with her teeth and claws," Willow said, rolling her d20. "Modified 20 on the bite and 15 on the claw. She's doing this to the skeletons that previously attacked Carmen and Buddy."
"Both of those will hit. Roll damage," Vee confirmed.
"7 piercing damage on the bite for the first one and 11 slashing damage for the second," Willow states.
Rolling a d20 twice, Vee checked the results before saying what happened. "As you maul these skeletons, one just manages to survive being destroyed as you smash it to pieces with a swing of your claws. Philomena's turn is next," the DM stated.
"Alright. I'll cast Scorching Ray to deal 2d6 fire damage to three targets," Amity declared before rolling her d20 three times. "Natural 1 on the first and the second!? But the last is a 16 total," she said, shocked at the rolls she got.
"Roll me a d100 for those two attacks," Vee says. "High is good and low is bad."
Doing as Vee asked, Amity rolled her d100 twice to see the results of her spell. "94 on the first and 21 on the second," she said.
"As you attempt to cast the spell, a voice echoes in your mind," Vee says before doing the voice of Medea Yolande. "Philomena! I won't let that soldier's insubordination go unanswered! If you don't return to Verderben now, I'll hire much worse mercenaries to hunt you down!"
"Obviously, hearing that causes my aim to falter and the first two rays go wide," Amity remarked. "Despite the situation, I'd speak up to retort," she said. "These creeps can't be much better than what we dealt with before."
"Clever phrasing," Eda remarked.
"Since one of the rays hit, it deals 5 fire damage total," Amity stated.
"The ray hits one of the zombies, charring their body more and the smell of rotten burning flesh fills the air," Vee described, making the others gag at the thought. "The skeleton that Sariel didn't finish off pulls out a shortsword and stabs at the bear with it. But it got a natural 1, so we'll say that as it pulled out its sword, it went too hard and the arm popped out of its socket," Vee said with a chuckle as she checked her d20.
"S-Sariel looks at the armless skeleton in awkward silence, hehehe… and tilts her bear head like she's asking if it meant to do that," Willow said between laughs.
"The skeleton awkwardly looks at its fallen arm as well," Vee chuckled with everyone else. "Okay, Buddy makes his move with his bonus action of commanding his Spiritual Weapon. With a 17 total on the roll, he's able to strike with the scalpel for 9 force damage. However, it withstands the attack with Undead Fortitude," Vee states before speaking as Buddy once again. "It seems as though the Father Owl needs to show his rule over you once again."
"Another Destroy Undead," Hunter asked.
"Yup. And thankfully, with fewer rolls to make," Vee said before she rolled her d20s again and did the math. "Okay, with another burst of divine energy, the skeletons and zombies are decimated by Buddy's use of Channel Divinity. This leaves only one zombie left and now, it's Caleb's turn," Vee told everyone.
"Caleb will run toward the zombie and with a two-handed swing, tries to end the zombie's undead existence," Hunter said before rolling his d20. "I got a 14 on my die for 19 total."
"That hits," Vee confirmed.
"Okay, I have a 1 on the d10 for 4 slashing damage and the thunder damage is 6. That's 10 total," Hunter says.
After rolling the last zombie's Undead Fortitude, Vee checked the results before describing what happened. "With a final strong swing of your blade and a loud boom, the final zombie is defeated and its body is torn to pieces from the thunderous attack. As the carnage dies down, I'd like everyone to roll a Perception check," Vee told everyone.
"I have a 12 to make 17," Luz says.
"6 for an 8," Amity replied.
"I have a 4, but that's still 11 total," Willow says.
"I have a natural 20," Gus exclaimed.
"I have a 7 total," Hunter remarked.
"I got my own natural 20," King cheered.
Smirking at the rolls the players got, Vee began to narrate the scene. "When you look around, everyone turns to see that the people from the funeral are a safe distance away as they heard the thundering noise and knew that somebody was fighting the monsters because of it," Vee stated. "Wrenn, Carmen, and Reverence all take a look in the distance and manage to spot a trio of cloaked figures a distance away from the crowd. Reverence and Wrenn immediately spot that in the hands of the shortest and stoutest figure is a familiar stone."
"There's somebody with a Galdorstone," Gus exclaimed as Wrenn.
"After him," King declared as Reverence.
"Me and Rev will chase after the cloaked figures then as we dash for it," Luz decided. "In case of the crowd, I'll be sure to use Acrobatics rolls," she added.
"Same with me," King added.
"Then go ahead and give me the Acrobatics checks, you two," Vee says.
"I have an 8 to make 15," King told Vee.
"And mine's a modified 20," Luz added.
"With skill and speed, the two Rogues make their way through and even above the crowd before they see the cloaked figures. When the figures see you rushing for them, they try to escape. When you see them trying to escape, you see that one's short and stout around 5 feet tall, one's tall and lean at 6 feet, and the last is of average size in between them with a full face mask hiding his identity," Vee states. "As you chase after them, they start to run away. The short one then speaks to the masked figure in a gruff voice," she said before speaking as the NPC. "Deal with them now! They'll ruin everything!"
"Carmen wonders what they mean, but will pull out Picaro and take aim," Luz says.
"I'll do the same with my reloaded crossbow," King says.
"Before you do, the masked figure turns around and the eyes of his white mask are shown to be pools of darkness that reflect your appearance at you, like dark mirrors or smoky glass. The darkest black you've ever seen, an infinite darkness that shows through the mask as two skeletal wings burst from the figure's back," Vee described, capturing everyone's attention. "Roll me a Charisma saving throw."
Picking up their d20s, Luz and King checked the numbers. "I have an 8 to make 11," Luz said. "Also, that whole 'infinite darkness eyes' thing makes me think of Grimm."
"That show where the detective sees monsters that inspired the Grimm Fairy Tales," Amity asked.
"Yeah," Luz confirmed.
"My roll is an 18 for 19 total," King says.
"As the skeletal wings spring from the figure's back, Carmen's startled by the unnatural appearance of the figure. You are now frightened by it and can't keep chasing them," Vee stated, making Luz snap her fingers in frustration. "Reverence shakes off the fear and aims his crossbow. Seeing this, the figure speaks some magic words and from their hands, a thick cloud is released. The fog spreads around for 20 feet, blocking your vision and allowing the figures to escape."
"Carmen would be breathing a bit heavy after being frightened like that, but shakes it off when that guy's nowhere to be seen," Luz says.
"Dang it, all three escaped," King said as Reverence.
"We'd probably make our way over there," Hunter declared.
"When we do, I'd turn back to normal and put my hand on Carmen's shoulder to comfort her," Willow said.
"What was that? That masked guy grew bony wings and scared me stiff," Luz remarked as Carmen.
"Everyone, roll a History check for me," Vee says as she rolls for Buddy.
"I have a 7 for 14," Amity says.
"I have a 17 for 22," Gus declared.
"5 total," Willow muttered.
"12," King said.
"18 to make 19," Luz says.
"18 for 22," Hunter says.
"And Buddy got a natural 20. Everyone who didn't get a 15 or higher, you don't know this. But for those that did, you remember that there are three types of Aasimar. They are the Protectors, the Scourge, and the Fallen. All of them access their divine energy in different ways. The Protectors can fly like guardian angels, the Scourge can unleash searing light that harms enemies and even themselves if too powerful, and the Fallen can access the darkness that is in their souls to produce skeletal wings and instill fear into those who see them," Vee stated.
"Was that ghost-masked guy an Aasimar? I think there used to be one on my captain's old crew," Luz said as Carmen.
"Yeah, they're some pretty dangerous people if they've become Fallen," Gus says as Wrenn.
"I know of some in the military with me," Hunter voiced as Caleb. "Very reliable as allies, no matter what people assume of them because of their abilities."
"However, I fear as though this one may be trouble for us," Vee said in Buddy's voice. "Those three might be related to why so many undead attacked."
"They must have left something behind in their rush to escape Reverence and Carmen," Amity theorized in Philomena's voice.
"Roll me Investigation checks, everyone," Vee said with a smile.
"I got a 9 for a 12 total," Luz says. "Had to check over what skills I had again with Vee and we agreed on some changes since we started this campaign with me multiclassing. Decided to make it so I was starting as a Rogue instead of a Fighter. So, updated my skill choices."
"Fair enough," Willow said as she rolled her die. "6 for 7."
"Ugh, natural 1," Hunter said before slamming his hands into his face.
"14 to make 21," Gus cheered.
"11 to make 16," Amity says.
"5 for 7," King stated.
"And Buddy has a 4 to make 11 total," Vee remarked. "While everyone looks around, Caleb ends up crashing into Sariel's chest when he slips on a loose patch of soil," she joked, showing the results of Hunter's critical failure.
"Caleb blushes and tries to calm himself down, but… he's, uh… not used to getting that close to pretty girls," Hunter remarked, blushing a little himself. Willow also had pink cheeks when the scene was described.
"While you're investigating where you saw the trio escape and where they were near the crowd, Wrenn manages to find something interesting. He manages to locate a scale of some kind that looks magically preserved. It's an olive green that's black at one end and seems to be tipped with a red moss on the other side," Vee stated.
"Guys, look at this," Gus said as Wrenn. "I think it's a scale."
"Buddy takes a closer look at the scale and with a total of 21 on a History check, he recognizes it," Vee added before voicing the Cleric. "This isn't just any scale. I recognize these colors. This is a preserved scale of Edmire, one of the dragons that attacked Orphechelon so many years ago. I was much younger when it happened, but I recognize the scales of a Green Dragon anywhere. Edmire's lair was in the forest outside of town. It's actually on the other side of the cemetery."
"Does this mean we have to fight a dragon," King questioned as Reverence.
"No, the dragon's been dead for a long time now. But after the defeat of Edmire, magical methods were used to preserve the scales of the dragon to keep as a mark of those who survived the terror of the monsters. However, this moss is only located in the original spot where Edmire was killed," Vee said as Buddy.
"Then that's probably where their hideout is," Amity said as Philomena.
"Let's catch our breath before we go and search for them," Willow suggested as Wrenn.
"Good idea. A short rest is what we need," Luz said.
"Alright. With you taking a short rest, you recover what you can and soon enough, Specter returns to Philomena," Vee stated. "When you get healed up, you all make your way toward the woods on the other side of Speculum Cemetery."
"Come on. Let's see if we can find these guys," Luz said as Carmen. "If they have a Galdorstone, then Buddy can help find it with magic. That's how we managed to find his grandson because of a necklace."
"Good thinking," Hunter complimented as Caleb.
"Good to know. With Buddy casting Locate Object, he manages to sense where a Galdorstone is within the forest. He begins to guide you until you find a traveled path. Taking it, you make your way in the direction that leads deeper into the woods," Vee stated. "After another 600 feet, you make your way to an area that seems more quiet than the rest of the forest. I'd like everyone to roll a Perception check, please."
The clattering of dice sounds through the room yet again as the players made their rolls. "I got a 4 to make 9," Luz remarked.
"11 total," Willow says.
"9 total for me," Amity told everyone.
"I have 16 altogether," Gus said.
"Woohoo! 19," King exclaimed.
"10 total," Hunter stated.
"And Buddy got a 16 for 24 total," Vee says. "You all notice that there's red moss gathering around the trees and on the ground. However, Wrenn, Buddy, and Reverence all see that in the distance is a cabin that's coated in red moss. Not only that, but they see a large figure around the area that's just next to the cabin. When Buddy points it out to all of you, that's when you see the skeletal remains of a dragon."
"Whoa," Luz muttered.
"What!? We're seeing dragon bones," Gus exclaimed in surprise.
"That's so cool," King and Hunter said with stars in their eyes.
"That's a good setup for a location," Amity remarked.
"Yeah. A cabin in the woods that just became quiet, red moss around the trees and ground, and a dragon's remains close by after we've dealt with zombies in the graveyard? Sounds like something from a horror movie," Willow replied.
"Hahaha! I'd watch that movie. Sounds interesting," Eda laughed. "Honestly, that whole white mask and cloak thing makes me think of Scream and Ghostface. All he needs is a knife and he's a new take on him," she chuckled.
"In any case, let's take a break before continuing," Vee says.
"Sounds good. I'll call my dad," Amity said.
"Same here," Willow and Gus added as they pulled out their phones.
"How about I order you guys a pizza and you can continue after something to eat," Eda suggested.
"Thanks, Eda. That would be great," Luz said as she texted her mom.
"No problem. Who wants what for toppings," Eda asked before getting swarmed with requests.
And with this, Funeral Derangements is over. When our heroes return, they're going to check out the potential hideout of the mysterious figures they saw in the graveyard. Just who are they and what are they doing with a Galdorstone? You'll have to tune in and find out.
Okay, let's get this out of the way. I absolutely had to include the Galdorstones into this Owl House D&D fic because it would have made a good homebrew item. The lore I gave them about how they were made and can increase magic potential was something I thought worked since they're found in the Looking Glass Ruins. And if you haven't figured it out, "speculum" is Latin for "mirror", also known as a "looking glass". The mirror shape on the gate should have been a clue as well.
Now, when it comes to dealing with zombies and stuff, Clerics and Paladins are some of the best. Turn Undead/Destroy Undead are perfect for crowd control while Divine Smite is excellent for the tougher enemies. That's one reason why I decided on Buddy here as an NPC for the Orphechelon Island arc. Plus, several Cleric spells are awesome. Spiritual Weapon and Spirit Guardians FTW.
Until next time, WaterDragonMaverick signing out.