Spugnoir administers as many healing extracts as he can and tends to wounds using his long neglected Heal skill.
Taking them overland would be the death of many of them due to attacks and their poor health.
Darius stops Spugnoir. "A crowd that big is better healed this way." He points to his holy symbol.
"Come together, so no one stands outside."
"Iomedae, bless those people with healing."
As most of the people are no battle hardened adventurers, but simple folk the healing is enough to get them back to full health. Which isn't much in these hostile lands.
But, they were here on their own choice. Three of them approach the group. They thank you for saving them from the dragon and ask to go back to their wagons. They'd appreciate it very much to be escorted there, or at least out of the ruined city.
"There was this woman. Maybe she is still there for a reunion." Abomentolor suggests.
"Don't trample. The ground is not stable. It would be a pity if you fell into one of those stinking holes."
He cast fly on himself, as he for sure doesn't want to be buried by unlucky circumstances in this horrible town. Once on the road with the skulls comes into sight, he works some magic again. "Keep your mouth shut!" he orders. He gets a very smug grin as they do. He likes his new role as master of the undead.
It takes only a quarter hour to move out of Adorak. It is a change in scenery to be out of the dusty and windy ruins. But it is still mostly dead scenery. Around here one has to be happy if it is at least dead - and not undead.
Escorting the Varisians is no big deal, as teleporting out of this place is no option anyway. Not that anyone in the party were able to teleport anyway.
The storm above Adorak was still raging and could be seen from far away. But the mountains to travel through or around seemed more dead. The urgency in travel was gone. For sure the Whispering Way was still there, the sinister followers living in hiding all over Ustalav and some beyond. But the ugly head that had stuck out, was cut off.
The travel takes some days, until you reach the wagons. Lacramoria, the formerly possessed fortune teller is indeed still there and it is a short happy moment when the survivors of her clan and she meet again. They thank the adventurers for their help again when the time to part ways comes. They start scavenging the burnt wagons to reconstruct at least some of them.
Safe travels to you all. Stay safe.
Now what? Do we try to play politics to clean up this land, or does someone know of other people that need saving?
"That Galdana guy might want to know that he can come out of hiding. He also can do the politics. So far all who are in such positions I met haven't been any help. They debate for months before acting. If they act at all. I don't want to be the one involved in that." Abomentolor comments.
"Otherwise, I sill need a way to get back to Magnimar. If you're interested you can come. Visit the best tavern in Underbridge - my treat."
"And if your flail thirsts for evil blood, we got that too. We're searching for some magical shards of a broken artifact, like this one here. Some monastery or something got taken over by a guy who also is after that. There is a reason why that is important, but there are two gals back in Magnimar who can explain it better."
"It was a fun thing to do. Those shards are insanely powerful. You just need to make sure you got the stone that belongs into it, or you'll become a creep while carrying it. Only lately the task sucked. Our resident pally got too busy with building social housing in Underbridge and a castle for him and his spouse. And the monsters refused to burn."
"And then this mishap happened, that had me end up in the woods here in this godforsaken place."
That sounds like a plan. Now that this whole mess is done, I don't have any real place to go. No ties to speak of and the scenery is very dreary.
"And I thought I could retire in some nice temple, where the worst thing I get to see would be a broken leg of a farmer or such." Darius muses.
With the 50 Varisians on their own again, he casts wind walk on everyone to cross the remaining way to Caliphas more quickly.
Three hours of flight later you land in the alley in front of the small temple. Knocking on the door leads to no reaction at first. Then you notice the priest above on the roof terrace as he calls down. "Greetings. It's good to see you again. I'll be there in a moment."
A minute later the door opens "I'm so glad you're back. You took care of the threat? The suspense the days you were gone is really not for me. What if you wouldn't come back? Would we be stuck with - you know - forever and would we live in fear of the evil cult coming after us?! But you're back, so everything is good, right?"
"Sorry. The fight was a stalemate, so we agreed with the bad guy to decide it with a game of dice and we lost. Now we have to hand over Galdana." Abomentolor fibs as the pius folk stand in silence.
Darius smacks the gnome on the back of his head. "Liar! Good has triumphed over evil again. The threat for Count Galdana is gone." he objects.
The cleric's jaw drops and his eyes widen in disbelief and he stands there confused looking at Grergof for some clarification from his brother in faith.
The gnome almost topples over from the smack. He laughs so hard, he needs to catch his breath after a while.
"Totally worth it." he laughs. "You should have seen your face!"
Well it seems that some fool took part of the Whispering Way's plan to be a vessel for the Tyrant Lich, but it failed and he turned into a mindless undead that we put down. So I guess things are better.
I would not be calling him Mindless Mr. Spugnoir. He seemed to soak up the energies of Gallowspire and use his spells inteligently. Luckally not quite as bad as the Liches, or the thing from beyound the stars we fought.
Even that undead dragon was worse. He says without a hint of boasting.
Then he turns back to the the Priest and says.
But yes, the immediate danger is passed. There are still a lot of undead around, and we could not cleanse Gallowspire completely, but It should be safe enough for the others in the order to start to beat back the undead.
These folk and Sarenrae did a great service in the name of good. I have a feeling the whispering way will be a long time before they are able to try something like this again.
"Thanks to Sarenrae!"
"But come in." the priest tells and steps out of the doorway. He leads everyone in to the building and offers tea and cake.
Also Galdana joins and is very relieved to hear, that the people who were trying to turn him into a lich are now properly dead. After the harrowing experience he made with the Whispering Way it is easy to convince him that there still something needs to be done and that he should use his connections with the nobility to have someone do the cleanup of this mess. For the greater good of Ustalav and for him personally. To ensure the evil guys are not simply replaced from the ranks for another attempt on his life.
Well, no doubt we are at a level of ability where we can sponsor our own adventuring parties. Spugnoir chuckled. Be mysterious patrons that send off young heros to die horribly. defeat evil forces.
"Where is the fun in that?" Abomentolor inquires.
The priest raises a brow. Evil that can't be redeemed has to be destroyed according to Sarenrae's teachings. But as a last option one unfortunately has to resort to. Doing it for fun is an alien concept to the man. To be honest, doing it at all isn't on the list of experiences this particular priest has.
After the exchange of some more spine-chilling stories over cake and tea, everyone tells their goodbyes. Galdana to leave for Willowmourn at Lake Kavapesta. The heroes of this story, to leave for Lini's Magic shop once more.
"Hello my favorite customers. What can I sell you this time? Or shall I buy?"
"We got a pile of stuff again, some of which we won't need anymore and some we don't know what it is. You take a look."
After everything is piled up Abomentolor continues. "I need a passage to Magnimar. Preferably fast and magical. What can you offer there?"
"I'd need some time to look at that. And you're piling such an amount of stuff here, I don't think I have the cash to pay you out."
"For a small fee, I'd take you to my shop in Magnimar. Just you, or all of you?"
Hmm. The MInd Blank scroll and Delayed Doom ring might be things we could keep
"I guess all. They're in for a tour and some drinks. If they don't like it there, they can come back to you for another destination."
"Well, ..." Lini tells and snaps her finger.
Outside the shop the scenery changed. Magnimar. The view is dominated by the tremendous bridge, the Irespan. The houses of the city look like tiny toys in comparison.