SCENE 9: DIRECT ASSAULT ON THE PREACHER
The Setup:
The decision has been made—rather than continue to weaken the runes, the group will focus on taking down the Preacher directly. This will be a dangerous battle, as the Preacher’s reality-warping powers and mind control are in full effect. The longer the fight drags on, the more twisted and chaotic the environment becomes.
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[2024-09-10 | 7:40 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
As you all prepare to strike at the Preacher, its body twists and distorts, the very air around it rippling like a heatwave. Its sickly green eyes glow brighter, and its voice grows louder, echoing not just in the chamber, but in your minds. The runes still pulse faintly, feeding its power. This is your chance to bring it down, but you’ll need to hit hard and fast.
"Focus your attacks. The Preacher is strong, but the more coordinated your efforts, the more you’ll break through its reality-warping defenses."
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Auroura’s Attack on the Preacher (Agility + Combat):
[2024-09-10 | 7:41 PM] Auroura:
"I’m going in fast and aiming for its weak points. I need to be quick before it messes with my head again."
rolls D23 for Agility + Combat
17 + 6 (Agility) = 23.
[2024-09-10 | 7:42 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
You dart toward the Preacher, ducking under its warped reality. Your speed and agility help you avoid the shifting floor and distorted air. You land a hit on its twisted body, causing it to screech in pain. The green glow in its eyes flickers for a moment, but it’s not down yet.
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Devin’s Attack on the Preacher (Strength + Combat):
[2024-09-10 | 7:43 PM] Devin:
"I’m taking the fight to it head-on. No more games."
rolls D23 for Strength + Combat
20 + 7 (Strength) = 27!
[2024-09-10 | 7:44 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
You charge at the Preacher with full force, swinging your weapon with all your strength. The impact is brutal—your strike lands directly on its chest, and the Preacher lets out a bone-rattling scream. Its form flickers, becoming momentarily unstable as reality itself shudders. This was a massive blow, and the Preacher’s grip on the surrounding zombies weakens.
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Adnap’s Attack on the Preacher (Intelligence + Tactical Use of Tools):
[2024-09-10 | 7:45 PM] Adnap:
"I’m using my tools to target its weak spots—anything to break down its defenses faster."
rolls D23 for Intelligence + Combat
16 + 6 (Intelligence) = 22.
[2024-09-10 | 7:46 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
Using your knowledge of mechanics and strategy, you pinpoint one of the glowing runes embedded in the Preacher’s chest. You use a makeshift tool to strike at the rune, causing a crack to form. The Preacher howls as its power dims further. You’ve weakened it even more, but it’s still standing—though barely.
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Leon’s Attack on the Preacher (Precision Strike):
[2024-09-10 | 7:47 PM] Leon:
"I’m taking a shot at the center of its control—the thing that's feeding it power."
rolls D23 for Perception + Combat (Precision Strike)
19 + 7 (Perception) = 26!
[2024-09-10 | 7:48 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
With a hunter’s precision, you aim for the rune glowing at the center of the Preacher’s chest. Your arrow flies true, hitting the mark. The impact sends a shockwave through the chamber, and the Preacher’s body convulses violently. The sickly green glow in its eyes flickers and dims as cracks spread across its form. The connection to the runes around the room weakens further, leaving the Preacher vulnerable.
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PREACHER’S REACTION (DESPERATION WARP AND PSYCHIC ATTACK):
[2024-09-10 | 7:49 PM] Ryoiichi (DM - Preacher):
The Preacher, now heavily wounded, lets out a scream that reverberates through the chamber. The very fabric of reality begins to tear around it as it lashes out with its final, desperate attack.
The room distorts violently, walls shifting and cracking, as the Preacher focuses all its energy into a massive psychic assault, aiming to crush your minds with pure mental force.
Everyone must roll to resist the psychic attack!
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Auroura’s Willpower Roll (Resist Psychic Attack):
rolls D23 for Intelligence + Willpower
14 + 3 (Intelligence) = 17.
[2024-09-10 | 7:50 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
The Preacher’s voice invades your mind, and you feel a sharp pain behind your eyes. You manage to resist most of the attack, but you’re left dizzy and disoriented. You won’t be able to attack as effectively for the next round.
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Devin’s Willpower Roll (Resist Psychic Attack):
rolls D23 for Strength + Willpower
18 + 7 (Strength) = 25.
[2024-09-10 | 7:51 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
You grit your teeth and push through the pain, using your sheer physical willpower to block out the Preacher’s voice. You shake off the psychic attack completely, leaving you ready to attack again with full force.
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Adnap’s Willpower Roll (Resist Psychic Attack):
rolls D23 for Intelligence + Willpower
12 + 6 (Intelligence) = 18.
[2024-09-10 | 7:52 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
You feel the Preacher’s voice clawing at your mind, and though you manage to resist the worst of it, you’re left feeling slightly disoriented. Your ability to focus will be reduced in the next round, but you’re still standing.
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Leon’s Willpower Roll (Resist Psychic Attack):
rolls D23 for Perception + Willpower
16 + 7 (Perception) = 23.
[2024-09-10 | 7:53 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
You’ve trained yourself to resist mental attacks, and this is no exception. You shake off the psychic assault, barely phased by it. The Preacher’s control over you is breaking.
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SCENE 10: FINISHING THE FIGHT
The Preacher is on its last legs, its body cracking and flickering as reality shifts around it. The psychic assault has failed to break the group, and the remaining runes are weakening. Now is your chance to finish it off once and for all.
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Devin’s Finishing Blow (Strength + Combat):
[2024-09-10 | 7:54 PM] Devin:
"I’m ending this!"
rolls D23 for Strength + Combat
22 + 7 (Strength) = 29!
[2024-09-10 | 7:55 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
With a final roar, you charge at the Preacher and swing your weapon with all your strength. The blow connects with its chest, shattering the last remaining rune. The Preacher’s body convulses violently as the reality around it cracks and collapses. Its twisted form begins to disintegrate, its voice fading into nothingness.
The Preacher lets out one final, weak cry before crumbling into dust. The chamber grows still, and the eerie green glow of the runes fades into darkness.
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SCENE CONCLUSION: VICTORY
The Preacher has been defeated. Its control over the zombies and reality has been broken, and the ritual powering the outbreak has been disrupted. The group stands victorious, though battered and exhausted. The chamber is silent, save for the faint sound of crumbling stone.
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What’s next for the group?
Do you take time to recover and investigate the ruins further, or do you head back to the school to regroup with the survivors?
SCENE 11: INVESTIGATING THE RITUALS AND OFFERINGS IN THE RUINS
The Setup:
With the Preacher defeated, the group stands in the eerie silence of the chamber. Though the immediate threat has passed, there are still many unanswered questions. The ritual that took place here is ancient and disturbing, and strange offerings are scattered around the altar. The symbols and runes on the walls hold more secrets, and the room itself seems to whisper of dark forces still lurking beneath the surface.
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[2024-09-10 | 8:00 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
The Preacher's body has crumbled to dust, leaving behind only a faint trace of the sickly green energy that once pulsed through the runes. The room is filled with a heavy, oppressive silence, but there’s a sense that something deeper remains hidden here. The altar is surrounded by strange offerings—symbols of sacrifice and power, placed in what looks like a deliberate pattern.
"This place holds many secrets. You’ve disrupted the ritual, but its purpose is still unclear. Time to investigate the ruins and offerings around the altar."
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Auroura’s Investigation of the Offerings (Perception + Intelligence):
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[2024-09-10 | 8:01 PM] Auroura:
"I’m looking closely at the offerings and any patterns around the altar. Maybe they’ll tell us more about what was going on here."
rolls D23 for Perception + Intelligence
16 + 7 (Perception) + 3 (Intelligence) = 26.
[2024-09-10 | 8:02 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
You examine the offerings carefully. There are strange, ancient artifacts scattered around the altar—animal bones, vials of dark liquid, and tattered scrolls covered in unreadable symbols. But something catches your eye: a small, intricately carved stone that seems out of place among the offerings. It’s covered in the same runes as the walls, but unlike the others, this stone still glows faintly.
"The stone is a focal point of the ritual, likely used to channel energy toward the creature. It holds residual power, though its purpose remains unclear."
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Devin’s Investigation of the Ritual (Strength + Perception):
[2024-09-10 | 8:03 PM] Devin:
"I’m checking the altar itself. It looks like something was sacrificed here, but I need to know what."
rolls D23 for Perception
14 + 6 (Perception) = 20.
[2024-09-10 | 8:04 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
You approach the altar, noticing deep gashes in its surface, as though something—or someone—had been violently sacrificed here. Dried blood stains the stone, and the gashes seem to form a strange pattern. Upon closer inspection, you realize that the pattern matches the runes on the walls. The altar itself is a part of the ritual, used to summon or channel whatever dark forces animated the Preacher.
"The ritual involved both sacrifice and an offering of blood, likely to summon or control the undead. Whatever was done here wasn’t just to create chaos—it was to harness the dead as tools of war."
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Adnap’s Investigation of the Ruins (Intelligence + Perception):
[2024-09-10 | 8:05 PM] Adnap:
"I’m trying to piece together how this ritual worked—what powered it, what the runes mean, and if there’s any remaining danger."
rolls D23 for Intelligence + Perception
15 + 6 (Intelligence) = 21.
[2024-09-10 | 8:06 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
You study the symbols carved into the walls and floor. Many of them are now faint, their power diminished, but you realize that this ritual wasn’t meant to end with the Preacher’s death. It was part of something much larger—an ongoing ritual designed to spread across the town and beyond. The runes are linked to others, likely placed in different locations throughout the city, forming a web of control.
You also find traces of ash and bone dust scattered near the runes, suggesting that other sacrifices were made before you arrived. The Preacher was just one piece of a larger puzzle.
"This ritual wasn’t local. The runes here are only a small part of a larger network designed to spread the influence of whatever dark force is behind the outbreak. Disrupting this site may have slowed the process, but it hasn’t stopped it."
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Leon’s Investigation of the Altar (Perception + Survival):
[2024-09-10 | 8:07 PM] Leon:
"I’m checking the altar and the surrounding area for any hidden dangers or clues. Anything that might tell us who—or what—created this ritual."
rolls D23 for Perception + Survival
18 + 7 (Perception) = 25.
[2024-09-10 | 8:08 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
As you move around the altar, you spot something hidden in the shadows behind it. It’s a tattered journal, covered in dust and blood. The pages are filled with notes written in an unfamiliar language, but some of the diagrams and sketches are clear: they show the Preacher’s twisted form and the runes used to summon it.
Flipping through the journal, you find a name: Father Valen, a priest from the town who disappeared years ago. His notes detail his descent into madness, obsessed with resurrecting the dead and controlling them as an army. The journal hints at other locations where rituals like this one are being conducted.
"This isn’t over. Father Valen was responsible for the ritual, and his notes suggest he’s been conducting similar rituals across the region. His endgame appears to be control over the dead—an unstoppable army. And he may still be out there, continuing his work."
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SCENE CONCLUSION: DISCOVERY OF THE RITUAL’S PURPOSE
Through your investigation, you uncover critical details about the ritual and offerings in the ruins:
* The ritual involved sacrifices and blood offerings at the altar, designed to summon and control undead forces.
* The glowing stone found by Auroura appears to be a focus of the ritual’s power, likely used to channel energy into the Preacher.
* Father Valen, a priest who disappeared years ago, is revealed to be the orchestrator of this dark magic. His journal suggests that he has been spreading these rituals throughout the region, aiming to build an army of undead.
* The runes are part of a larger network spread across the town, meaning the outbreak is far from contained. Disrupting this ritual was just the first step in stopping Father Valen’s plan.
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What’s Next?
With the knowledge of Father Valen’s involvement and the network of rituals, the group must decide their next move:
1. Investigate the other locations mentioned in the journal to prevent more undead from being raised.
2. Return to the school to regroup and plan, warning the survivors of the larger threat and gathering resources for the coming battle.
The fight against Father Valen and his undead army has only just begun. What will you choose?
SCENE 12: RETURNING TO THE SCHOOL TO REGROUP
The Setup:
After uncovering Father Valen’s dark plans and realizing that the outbreak is part of a much larger, ongoing ritual, the group decides to return to the school. The knowledge gained from the ruins must be shared with the other survivors, and preparations must be made for the coming battle. The town is still in chaos, and it’s only a matter of time before more undead forces arise under Father Valen’s control.
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[2024-09-10 | 8:15 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
You leave the eerie silence of the ruins behind and make your way back to the school. The air feels colder, and the streets are eerily quiet, save for the distant wails of sirens and the occasional distant moan of the undead. You move quickly, knowing that time is running out. The survivors at the school are unaware of the larger threat at play, and you’ll need to prepare them for what’s to come.
"As you approach the school, you notice that the building’s power has been partially restored, but the atmosphere inside is tense. The survivors huddle together, their eyes filled with uncertainty. They’ve heard the news reports, but they don’t yet know the full extent of the danger."
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Auroura’s Action (Reassuring the Survivors):
[2024-09-10 | 8:16 PM] Auroura:
"I’m going to tell them what we found, but I’ll try to keep them calm. They need to know about Father Valen, but we don’t want to cause a panic."
rolls D23 for Charisma + Perception (Reassure the Survivors)
14 + 1 (Charisma) = 15.
[2024-09-10 | 8:17 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
You explain the situation to the survivors, but it’s clear that your words are met with a mixture of fear and disbelief. Some begin to whisper nervously to each other, while others seem too overwhelmed to react. They trust you, but the news of a ritual and an undead army is hard for them to fully process.
"You’ve informed them, but the fear in the room is palpable. You’ll need to find a way to strengthen their resolve."
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Devin’s Action (Organizing the Defense):
[2024-09-10 | 8:18 PM] Devin:
"I’m organizing them. We’ve faced worse odds before. If Father Valen is coming, we need to be ready. We fortify this place and make sure everyone knows their role."
rolls D23 for Charisma + Strength (Organize Defenses)
18 + 1 (Charisma) + 7 (Strength) = 26!
[2024-09-10 | 8:19 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
With clear, decisive orders, you rally the survivors. You organize patrols, secure weak points in the school’s defenses, and assign people to key tasks—keeping watch, barricading entrances, and preparing makeshift weapons. Your commanding presence gives them confidence, and soon, the tension in the room begins to ease.
"Your leadership has turned the tide. The survivors are now organized and ready for whatever comes next. The school is fortified, and people are working together with renewed purpose."
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Adnap’s Action (Preparing Traps and Tools):
[2024-09-10 | 8:20 PM] Adnap:
"I’m going to start setting up traps around the perimeter and getting some tools ready in case we need to make a quick escape. Better to be prepared."
rolls D23 for Intelligence + Craftsmanship (Setting Traps)
16 + 6 (Intelligence) = 22.
[2024-09-10 | 8:21 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
You quickly set to work, rigging up traps around the school’s entrances and preparing makeshift tools and weapons for the survivors. The traps are simple but effective—anything that tries to break in will be met with sharp objects, tripwires, and heavy obstacles. Your resourcefulness ensures that the school is much harder to breach.
"You’ve fortified the perimeter with traps and escape tools. The school is now better defended, and the survivors have a better chance of holding off any attacks."
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Leon’s Action (Scouting and Reconnaissance):
[2024-09-10 | 8:22 PM] Leon:
"I’m going to scout the area. We need to know if anything’s coming this way, especially if more zombies or, worse, Father Valen’s forces are on the move."
rolls D23 for Perception + Agility (Scout the Area)
19 + 7 (Perception) = 26!
[2024-09-10 | 8:23 PM] Ryoiichi (DM):
You slip out of the school and begin scouting the surrounding area. Your sharp eyes catch every movement, and your instincts guide you through the shadows. From your vantage point, you notice something unsettling—there’s a group of undead moving toward the town, larger than any you’ve seen so far. They’re not wandering aimlessly; they’re moving with purpose, likely under someone’s control.
You also spot strange markings on the nearby buildings—similar to the runes you saw in the ruins. More rituals are being activated.
"You’ve confirmed that Father Valen is already making his move. His forces are heading toward the town, and more rituals are being enacted to raise additional undead. Time is running out."
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SCENE CONCLUSION: PREPARING FOR THE NEXT BATTLE
Back at the school, the group shares what they’ve learned. The survivors are now organized and fortified, but the situation is more dire than before. Father Valen’s army is on the move, and the town is in danger of being overrun. The strange runes suggest that more rituals are taking place, meaning the undead forces will continue to grow unless they can be stopped.
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What’s Next?
1. Stay and defend the school, preparing for the inevitable attack from Father Valen’s forces. The survivors are fortified, but it will be a dangerous fight.
2. Go on the offensive—Leon’s scouting has revealed more rune sites. The group could try to disrupt the rituals before Father Valen’s army fully mobilizes.
The fight against Father Valen is about to escalate. What will you choose?