TOOG: Part 1

The Party:
Mialee, Eladrin sorcerer. Orphaned foundling, has a backstory of several incinerated willages (only one of them intentionally).
Franzibald Fitzherbert, Human wizard. Student from a far off land, teleported here with the task of returning to the school. It's a wizard thing.
Lhoryn, Gnoll Fighter. Last of his clan after they were mysteriously decimated, joined the party in the hopes that they'll find out who dunnit.
Stranger, Changeling Cleric. Worships only her own pantheon of dead gods, that she claims speak to her. Accompanied by:
Scissors, Sassy Horse. Screams obscenities and aggressive remarks. Fortunately only speaks Horse.
Glom (Conglomerate), Oldest Basilisk. Blind and older than the world. Spends most of his time sleeping when not plodding behind the party.

Our brave heroes adventurers are currently following a lead on 'magic people' at the request of the Gnoll. Questioning "smelly woman with baby", they now head to the ruins of a nearby wizard's tower.

Skill checks reveal fire near the tower.
Approaching reveals a necromancer overseeing a number of archeologist-trench-digging zombies.
Multiple requests to leave sit unwell with the party.
Necromancer brings out a couple of armoured men from within the ruins of the tower. He continues to be uncooperative and demanding that the party leaves to permit him to continue with his work.
Initiative inevitably ensues.
The party is swarmed by soldiers and zombles, and the necromancer causes the Gnoll's flesh to slough off for the duration of the fight.
Several rounds of careful maneuvering and corpse-beating free the party up to scatter and the fighter to go slap the necromancer around. Much groaning when the zombies keep popping up again.

The necromancer (Helvec) is eventually taken down nonlethally and tied up. Franz tries several times to slap him awake, and fails. He then goes to rummage around and finds a scrolltube with something coded inside, while Stranger tries not to break down from having killed one of the humans (and later sneaks in a heal check to stabilise him).
Lhoryn takes a turn with Helvec and punches him awake.
He proceeds to mock Franz, who tells the Gnoll to torture the necromancer.
JOLLYNESS ENSUES
It is suggested OOC that the cleric could heal the necromancer so that they can break his toes a second time, as he's too busy screaming in pain to answer anyone.
The cleric instead attempts a heal check, critically fails and slays Helvec.
She reasons that it was the will of the (her) gods.
They loot further, and find some money.
Time is spent explaining the concept of money to the Gnoll.
It isn't easy.

Lhoryn grabs Franz and demands to know how come the wizard hadn't told him that he was, in fact, a wizard. What with the Gnoll hunting down Magic Men.
Suspicion remains, but the wizard is not torn limb from limb.
THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP