Vaclav steps away to free room for his rising mace and drives it back down at the ghoul's head.
Attack Mace .... damage
Round Four:
From her safe perch above the battle, Aylmora tries once more to bring down the wounded undead abomination threatening Vaclav with a bolt of fiery energy.
"Oh fudge," Gornak mutters as he tries again.
Aylmora's blast will miss, but if no one else steps in, Gornak crushes the un-life out of the last ghoul. Unlike the others, this one (other than being a lot harder to kill) is wearing the tatters of finer clothing.
Aylmora spots the tatters of finer clothing worn by the ghoul that attacked Vaclav. "So is this 'His Lordship'?" she asks, contempt evident in her tone.
"I don't think so," Vaclav responds as he surveys the ruin of the ghoul's body. "I think his Lordship will be far more verbal when we meet him. And likely to focus on you."
He instantly regrets the last sentence and tries to cover it up with a call to action. "Let's keep moving. Gornak?"
He gestures invitingly toward the door.
"You bet -- let's go while my shield is still up."
Gornak leads the way inside the house.
"Lead the way, big guy!" Thanadros follows Gornak deeper into the house.
Aylmora descends to the ground and follows her companions into the house.
The inside of the house is a mess, and the stench of the ghouls is overwhelming. There are no more ghouls, but in one room there lies a bloated and swollen corpse crawling with flies. Although already decomposing, the figure was clearly tortured horribly, and the remains of the seven-sided symbol can be seen carved into what's left of the corpse's chest.
Clenched in one fist is a scrap of parchment with Aylmora's name scrawled on the outside.
If you search the rest of the house...
Fort
Perception take 20 if possible
"When we finish here we should hunt down any stragglers in the fields"
Gornak turns white when he sees the name on the note. "Oh gosh...what does it say, Aylmora?"
Perception:
Gornak walks through the house, ducking his head to avoid hitting the roof, and he almost puts his foot through a loose floorboard. "Hey! There's a locked box down here."
Vaclav follows closely behind Gornak.
Inside the house the smell hits him hard and he bends over double to wretch up his last meal onto the table. Straightening he wipes the back of his gauntleted hand across his mouth. Then he looks at the gauntlet and tries futilely to shake the strands of drool and vomit free. Realizing the futility of that he looks around the room.
Fort Doubly sickened?
Not clear from your description -- did we search the whole house?
How does that corpse look? Any signs of ghoul fever?
Aylmora gags momentarily as she enters the house but manages to keep from violently disgorging the contents of her stomach. The young woman places her scarf over her nose and mouth as she moves through the rooms. Her eyes narrow in anger when she sees the note bearing her name clenched in the desecrated corpse's fist; with a quick motion she snatches the parchment from the dead man's grip and reads the scrawled writing before showing it to her companions. "It says: Take the fever into you, my love—it shall be but the first of my gifts to you.” Well I'll show you what 'His Lordship' can do with his gifts," Aylmora says coldly.
Holding the note by one corner, she points to it with the finger of her other hand and shoots a bolt of fiery energy toward the parchment - causing it to burst into flame. Without another word she drops the note; the parchment burns completely to ash before reaching the floor.
Fort (+4 from resistance racial power)
Thanadros grimaces at the smell, but that is the only effect it seems to have on him. He silently watches as Aylmora destroys the note.
"We will get him Aylmora. However, I am starting to worry about this. Undead, more of this damned star, and this lordship. I wonder, If there is something bigger going on here. Maybe they are using your name to lure us away from the real threat..." Thanadros ponders outloud.
"Check the lock-box, it might have clues. we should finish this quickly..."
The corpse shows no sign of ghoul fever. I am assuming that you search the house itself for more ghouls is nothing else.
Fort:
"I've got to get outside. This smell is killing me. When you're done in here, we'll talk about what to do next."
Vaclav steps back out onto the porch. The fresh air doesn't seem to do him any good, because he wretches again, dry heaving over the railing. After drawing a couple more fresh breaths, he and Horran set to work dragging the ghoul's corpses from the yard toward the house. While they work he observes Horran's condition and asks him how he feels.
When everyone is back together again, Vaclav says, "Gob is right. We've got to hunt the others down. But there is more we need to do. We need to get Horran back to Sandpoint, so Father Zantus can examine him. We also need to dispose of the bodies. The ghoul's flesh is unclean, and I don't know how it will affect scavengers who eat it. Or even if they will eat it. We need to stop at the asylum. Grayst may have turned already. We should find the neighbors' families and tell them of their men's fates."
Horran is bearing up as well as can be expected. He's also sickened by the smell, but points out something around the ghoul leader's neck to Vaclav, a chain of some sort.
"Hmmm," Vaclav looks at the chain intently. "Erastil show me truth."
If nothing is untoward, Vaclav will look for a clasp or something to undo the chain. IF none is forthcoming he'll have a good look at it. All hopefully done at arm's length.
"I'm ready to finish these ghouls off... Did you find something Vaclav?'
"Gather the ghoul bodies together. I'll be more than happy to light them up in a pyre bright enough to send 'His Lordship' the message that we're coming for him next," Aylmora says venomously.
"Then I suggest we get Master Horran to Father Zantus as quickly as possible. Grayst is locked up tight at the asylum; even if he turns, they should be able to keep him contained for a while until we can get back there."
Daylight is fading.
There is a key on a chain around the ghoul's neck, and it bears what you recognise as the Foxglove crest. It is not magical.
The barn, house, and fields are all tinder-dry. Starting a pyre risks starting a conflagration, unless that is your intention?
"It's dry. A fire might not be the best idea. Let's track down the other ghouls."
Does the key look like it might open the locked box? (I.e., is it about the right size?)
"The Foxglove crest?!? Aylmora exclaims upon seeing the key on the chain. "You don't think that fop Aldern is behind all of this, do you?" the young woman asks incredulously.
"...Why don't we go ask him." Thanadros replies grimly.
"Tomorrow. Daylight's fading. Let's hunt down as many of these scarecrow ghouls as we can now."
1. Hunt ghouls down.
2. get Horran back to Sandpoint
3. dispose of the bodies.
4. stop at the asylum.
5. We should find the neighbors' families and tell them of their men's fates."
6. Visit Foxglove.
A slow circuit of the farm shows no more ghouls hung up on posts. From their tracks, the ghouls, upon hearing your approach, clearly retrieved them to concentrate their forces. Night is closing in as you quite the farm. Which way are you heading? Back to Sandpoint via the Lost Coast Road, to a nearby farm, or to the asylum?
There are farms within a few miles, less than an hour's walk. At night, it will take a few hours to get to the Asylum and an hour longer to get back to Sandpoint. Horran is not looking very strong.
Gornak will carry Horran, if necessary. "Let's head straight back to Sandpoint. It's not that long, as the crow flies."
"Sandpoint, then."
"Agreed," Aylmora says, giving Horran a worried glance. "Vaclav? Can you do anything to ease Master Horran's suffering until then?"
The cleric shakes his head. "I have no power over this disease. I hope that Father Zantus does. We should hurry."
"Then we go!"
The fields and woods take on a more threatening feel in the darkness. You are reminded that there are still goblins in the Brinestump Marsh, and there are many rumours about the Ashen Rise. As you march under the shadow of the Ashen Rise a strange, ululating call echoes far overhead.
It is late evening as you march over the south bridge and into Sandpoint. The guards there challenge you, and are relieved when you reveal yourselves, suggesting you let the Sheriff know you are back in town as you start up Market Street.
"I'll take Horran up to the Cathedral. Then I'll meet you at the Sheriff's. Aylmora stay within sight of Gornak, Thanadros and Gob. I'm sure I don't need to remind you that His Lordship has killed in Sandpoint before."
"Exactly. And we just eliminated a bunch of his minions. So I don't think any of us should be out alone," Aylmora replies to Vaclav, giving Master Horran a pointed glance. "We all go to the Cathedral, and then we all go to meet with the Sheriff; I'm sure he won't mind waiting a few more minutes," she adds, her tone indicating that she will accept no argument on the matter.
"I'm with you; let's stick together!" Gornak helps Horran over to the cathedral to see Father Zanthus.
"Fair enough. We'll do it your way."
Gob agrees there is safety in numbers. He stays with the party, in the shadows as much as possible.
Father Zantos wastes no time casting a curing spell on Horran that restores him to relatively good health. He advises that if you return via the farm, setting the place alight would probably be about the best thing you could do to cleanse it. He also sends for Sheriff Hemlock, so you can appraise them both of your discoveries.
Once Sheriff Hemlock arrives, Gornak gives him a sloppy salute. "Sheriff! The farms have been attacked by ghouls, and they ate a whole bunch of folks. We killed a bunch of 'em and I guess we drove the rest away. Say...have you heard anything about Count Foxglove recently?"
"One of the ghouls bared an item with his family insignia. Either he is involved or in danger. Probably both"
"Grayst Sevilla gave us a message from 'His Lordship'. He said that I should 'come to his Misgivings', and that if I 'joined his pack he would end his harvest' in my honor. Does any of that mean anything to you?" Aylmora asks Sheriff Hemlock.
"Grump came by here earlier. He told me he'd encountered you, and I've dispatched a few men to make the rounds of the farms and see what they can find out, make sure everyone's well," Hemlock affirms. "I've got Grump at the barracks, poor man was shaken to the core."
He listens to your account further.
"Misgivings? That's what they call the old Foxglove Manor, it was abandoned for years, although I hear the latest scion has started renovating it again," Hemlock muses. "That place has an evil reputation. Sounds to me, my dear, that the architect of this evil wants you to become a ghoul with him, and he won't stop until you do."
He thinks for a moment.
"You know, ghouls as the culprit for these killings makes a kind of sense. All occurred near rivers, and undead don't need to breath."