A call of [color=thistle]"There is some in there!"[/color] was all the warning Andin had before the priestess' backpack hurtled toward him. With a surprised yelp he caught the pack two-handed, swinging around and clubbing a corpse with the pack in one opportunistic motion. The body stumbled back and tripped backward over a bottle. With a hard thud it hit the floor, slowly getting back up. Andin turned back around and opened the bag, caring not for what was inside aside from his goal. The brew on the bar started to sizzle and pop with greater aggression as he rummage through Nimue's pack, sniffing with a trained nose until he found a small pouch. He pushed the pack to the side as he retrieved a small pinch of the bright green herb and threw it into the bowl. With a loud crackling, the herb disintegrated and brought the brew to greater life. Andin focused intently on the bowl, watching the salve congeal. Turning from an sulfurous yellow, slowly, to a rather pale grey as the liquid solidified to sort of paste like consistency, Andin was focused with all of his senses on making sure that despite the chaos around them, this brew would come out as cleanly as it would in a calm lab. Or rather, as close as it could be. The Angel's Feather, as good of a catalyst as it was in this case, would likely lead to some intensified side effects if not counteracted in the aftermath of their fight. Andin took a second to turn and see how much space he had from the undead. Just in time to see the heads of all of their undead tavern-goers reduced to dust. The halfling's eyes widened. [color=steelblue][i]"Maybe I should've been a priest."[/i][/color] he thought as he whipped around and dropped a sprinkle of white powder into the bowl. The grey paste settled immediately as he stirred it in. As Andin went to grab the small bowl, the tavern shook with a tremendous roar as a fireball struck the building, aimed for their archer above. The wood creaked and moaned as if in pain, this building wasn't meant to take such an assault. Andin quickly packed up his supplies. His movements were mechanical and precise, honed by discipline and training more familiar to a soldier in the field than an alchemist in his lab, and in no time his and Nimue's bags were packed and ready to go. With a bowl in one hand, the priestess' pack in the other, and his own backpack on his back, he jumped off the stool and over a corpse before handing Nimue her pack back. With a quick movement, he dipped his free hand's thumb into the paste and inserted it into his mouth, swabbing it on the inside of his cheeks. The halfling grimaced. The taste was, kindly put, horrendous. Like a mix of bad breath, grape, and black pepper, the taste stabbed at the tongue and sinuses for several agonizing moments before it became muted, slowly being absorbed through the thin lining of the cheeks. Andin's mind wandered back to the time he tested this type of brew and how he had been left dry heaving for nearly a week, first drafts were always full of stories. With another swipe of his thumb, he offered a dab of the paste to Sirgala and pointed the bowl toward the priestess, [color=steelblue]"Swab this on the inside of your cheeks. Do NOT swallow until the taste begins to pass, and see me after this kerfluffle is over,"[/color] he shouted as he looked outside at the wizard and knight beating back the undead horde, [color=steelblue]"Are you hurt? We've gotta move!"[/color] [hr] Nimue held a hand to her chest, to steady her raging heart. The adrenaline was still coursing through her veins and the glow on her circlet slowly faded. The spell had done its purpose and the magic was fading from the room. All that remained as evidence were the corpses, now headless spread about in strange positions across the inn. Some in mid action, their weapons released from their lifeless grip, others had returned to the floor from where they'd risen. She stepped around the bodies carefully, while making her way over to the potion maker Andin. The young woman was about to speak up when he handed her back her traveling bag. She swung it carefully across her shoulders, leaving it to hang on her side. The sounds of battle going on outside were unsettling. She looked through the broken windows, but couldn't clearly make out the position of the others after their departure. Nimue wasn't sure if there was anyone left inside, she didn't want to leave anyone behind before venturing outside. This was a dangerous fight, they would have the best chance at survival by staying together. The halfling man offered her a bowl filled with a substance she again did not recognize, though that wasn't a complete surprise. She knew a fair bit about herbs but she was not an alchemist by any means. She followed his intructions without objection, though her taste buds fiercly objected to the taste of the muddy paste. It made her eyes water, she drew in a sharp breath and tried to hold back the sensation of having to throw up. [color=thistle]"Are you sure there isn't anyone left inside?"[/color] Nimue asked sounding concerned. The vile taste was fading, but it still made her mouth twist. She looked at Andin and the wizard Mulad. Nimue knew, as dangerous and scary as it might be, that she was most useful outside. She could keep the company safe and ward against the undead army. Eventually however they needed to find the source of this dark magic. [color=thistle]"I think one of us needs to go outside and aid Sir Gerhard and the others"[/color] She offered calmly. [hr] Andin let out a hearty laugh as the priestess' face puckered up in disgust. [color=steelblue]"You're right! The guide is still upstairs,"[/color] he said as he followed her gaze to the meat grinder outside. [color=steelblue]"I'll get the guide and meet you outside. Take this and if they can't swab it into their mouths, just rub it onto exposed skin, the thinner the better for a quicker effect,"[/color] he shouted over the growing thunder of groaning undead, handing over the bowl of brownish-grey sludge. With a quick motion he drew a small thimble from a pocket on his chest and took some of the paste to go as he started to run up the stairs, cursing the undead, and human architecture alike as he ascended the many stairs. [hr] Nimue rushed outside, clutching the bowl with the foul tasting potion close to her chest. Her eyes darted around the trading post, trying to locate the knight and his comrades. They were in the midst of battle beating back the relentless army of undead. Everywhere she looked the dead were rising, beating down anyone who opposed with their magic infused strength. It would be impossible to close the distance between her current position at the inn to Sir Gerhard and the others without being seen. She decided to make a run for it, running as fast as she could without tripping over the bottom of her robes. As the priestess was running to rejoin her allies one of the undead singled her out. When she rushed past, too closely, it suddenly went after her in a frenzy, trying to grab onto her cloak, arms swinging wildly. It caught her and knocked her to the ground forcefully, making her drop the bowl the potion maker gave to her. She was just in time to keep herself from falling face first into the earth by pushing her hands down. It was trying to keep her down by grabbing onto her limbs and Nimue struggled to break free. Her heart started to beat faster and her breathing came in short panicked gasps. She forced her mind to stay calm and think of a way out. With a grunt she managed to twist around on the ground, now face to face with the undead. Its eyes glowed with an unnatural glow, its ruined face held a manic expression which made her whole body tingle with fear. It was too strong to overpower, without the element of surprise. The young woman let out an involuntary whimper as it held her wrists, forcing them to the ground. [hr] While he was no tracker, it did not take too long to find the guide as all it took was to follow the burning aftermath of a fireball that had missed its mark. The halfling shouted in alarm at the spreading flame and was quick to draw a vial of blue liquid, identical to the ones he had carelessly left downstairs. [i][color=steelblue]"Hopefully I won't be needing anymore."[/color][/i] he thought as he threw the vial in the burning rubble. With a loud hiss, the vial shattered and exploded into a light blue foam, coating the wood and smothering the encroaching flame. The fire was spreading but at least the shortest path was blocked. [color=steelblue]"We gotta get outta here, guide!"[/color] Andin shouted as he approached the young man, [color=steelblue]"Also put this in your mouth and don't swallow until the taste is gone!"[/color] Placing the thimble of sludge near the young man, Andin took a piece of rubble in hand and cleared the windowsill of any remnants of jagged glass. Looking out, he visibly paled at the sight of the hell-touched Minotaur. He did not have anything in his bag for that. [hr] The undead did not have a chance to go for her throat, it was too occupied by keeping her pinned down, Nimue was literally fighting for her life. Her resistance was getting less fierce and her strength was starting to fade. Subconsciously her magic awakened to protect her. Threads of white shimmering fog started to form a link between Nimue and the undead. A magical cord which tied them together. She could feel its grip getting loser and it started to let go of her bruised wrists. At the same time she felt herself getting stronger, her strength was returning rapidly. The stone in the center of her circlet glowed intensely until she could push the near lifeless body of the undead away from her. It ceased to move its once grasping limbs, now only able to blink at the dark sky. Nimue however was standing strong, restored to her full strength, bruises on her wrists completely faded away, the cuts in her face healed over. She bent down next to the undead, to retrieve what was left of the potion. With a troubled last look at her attacker she turned away to join her comrades. [hr] Andin hurried as he snaked a rope out of his bag and out the window. While it didn't reach the ground, it left a manageable six foot jump, though bad luck or a sloppy landing could easily cause a twisted ankle. Retrieving a small clay container from a pouch on his belt, the halfling smashed it on the rope on the windowsill. A thick goo oozed across the rope and wood before quickly hardening, anchoring the line. [color=steelblue]"C'mon! The corpses shouldn't pay you any mind while you find another place to shoot!"[/color] shouted the halfling with a wave as he went through the window and quickly rappelled down to the bottom of the rope. Letting go, he let out a yelp as he landed on his feet and then onto his bum, his pack dragging him to the ground. He took a quick mental note [i][color=steelblue]"Get longer rope"[/color][/i], before he got up, brushed off the dirt and ash, and ran over to rejoin the others. [hr] Shrouded by the foul tasting potion Nimue was able to reach Sir Gerard and the wizard Mulad. [color=thistle]"Grand wizard, Sir Gerard!"[/color] She called out to the two men. The knight was beating back the undead with steel, the wizard shielded them with magic. She held up the bowl to them, relaying the instructions Andin had given her. [color=thistle]"It is a potion, you have to swab it on the inside of your cheeks but you must not swallow it. Unfortunately, there is only enough for one of you"[/color] She added, sounding regretful. It was her fault much of the potion had been wasted. Andin joined them, pointing out the minotaur in the distance. With a bit of a crack in his voice he yelled, [color=steelblue]"I don't have Minotaur repellant!"[/color] The sight of the creature made Nimue quake where she stood, but she tried to remain composed. The Gnoll was struggling back to his feet, partially buried by the remnants of a small building. A winged warrior was perched on top of the back of the enormous beast. It was a lot to take in for the young priestess. She didn't know where to go or what to do. A battle of this scale was completely unfamiliar to her. She usually dealt with the aftermath of these battles, taking care of the survivors and guiding the souls of the departed. Right now she was in the fray herself. The halfling stood nearby, a wild look in his eyes as he tried to account for all the things available to them. Something of a plan was forming in his head but the moaning of the undead made it quite hard to concentrate. He didn't know much about the hell-touched minotaur as a species but perhaps that same hellish corruption which gave it strength could be its downfall. [color=steelblue]"Mulad, would holy water weaken that thing?!"[/color]