"Blessings upon you, as well, Yesper. Enjoy."
---
Layaali smiles as she watches Rab-rab and Min lead the way.
To Razif, she says, "Would you help them stay the course, please?"
As Uzma offers her his arm, Layaali accepts with mild surprise. "Oh, thank you."
Once they've started on their way, Layaali enquires, "Tell me, Uzma, how have your dreams been? Have you received any more visions?"
Razif nods at Layaali. "I'm not sure if I can keep up with their energy, but I'll try!"
He dashes over to the Bunnisbeldar siblings to join them in their vanguard, making sure they properly follow the planned route.
"It'll be a few hours' walk, but we have to lay low. However, once we hit the shrine, I think we can relax a little, though I'd be careful with that kite, Rab-rab."
"Thank you, Razif."
---
"I am sure that you will find peace again, one day, Uzma. But, the task ahead of us is monumentous. It may be a long time, before you feel that calm settle over your spirit once more."
With a kind smile, she adds. "Promise me you will be wary of this Vardishal. I hope that you are correct, and his presence is your god's will. But, just in case... Exercise your judgement. What Vardishal considers evil, may not align with our perceptions." After a moment of silence she finishes, "And if it does, then I will stand beside you. I will help you combat the evil you have glimpsed in the future, however dark and foul it might be."
"Thank you," Min says with a nod at Razif, happy that someone else is helping him handle his crazy sister.
"No problem. However, I'd not pull out any books too quickly, Min. We have to stay sharp, and books are just as much a distraction, especially while traveling."
Razif looks up at the sky. Was that rude? He was very much not used to telling others what to do.
"Alright, Razif! Hop on one foot, like THIS!" After a few hops Rab-rab exclaims, "Now on two feet! Yeah! Okay and back to one! Hop, hop, hop!"
Even though Rab-rab is the best, Jack-jack seems quite good at this game, too. He does exactly what Rab-rab does!
Razif looks at Rab-Rab amused, but once they're out of the relative safety of the monastery grounds, he urges her to try to stay more quiet.
"I know, I know, stealth is no fun, but if the gnolls at Kelmarane know we're here, it could cost us our chance."
Min sighs. "Good luck, Razif. I've been trying to make her quiet down for years."
Rab-rab laughs. She picks up Jack-jack and cuddles him.
"Quietly now! Whispers only!"
She continues to hug and cuddle her rabbit on the walk, whispering nice things to her.
Layaali smiles serenely, "And may it always stay that way, my friend."
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The blistering heat of the evening trip through the desert scrublands south of the Pale River fades just as the gang reach the banks of the river. The journey has been steadily gruelling, sweat pouring from everyone's forms, though certain party members (i.e. Drael and Layaali) have been more affected than others.
The walls of Kelmarane have grown in size and gravity as the gang approaches, a solitary patrol of four gnolls entering the city gates as twilight fades reminding you all of the odds stacked against you. At the southern banks of the Pale River, you all notice the elevation begin ticking upwards. Nightfall seems moments away and the heat of the day has blissfully faded, though the plummeting temperature promises more weather worries before your patrol ends.
After one hour of roaming, Razif notices something in the distance through the desert glare. "Look at that. It's hard to tell, but there's a footpath right there going through the foothills of the Peaks. Should serve us nicely, don't you think?
He then takes a look up at the skies.
"Also, heads up. The desert at night is cold, but I feel like tonight might be even more chilly as usual. Does everyone have any form of warm clothes with them?"
Drael does his best to remain watchful throughout the patrol, but his heavy armor and the scorching heat leave him struggling to just keep up with the rest, let alone look at anything other than the ground in front of him. He shields his eyes against the sun, Yes, that does look like a path. I'm afraid that I don't have any warm clothes, I'm not sure about the rest, but this will certainly be a long and cold night.
Layaali proves no help in navigating the desert and foothills. When she's nice and close to the trail, she does notice it, though.
"Well done, Razif. Thank you."
As it gets dark, Layaali activates her halo, causing a bright nimbus of light to form around her head. As the weather drops she pulls out her winter blanket and wraps it around herself for warmth.
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The group slowly makes their way up the tenuous mountain path after crossing the Pale River at its particularly shallow banks. As a cold wind blows amongst the foothills and night descends in full, Layaali notices the gnomes shivering and offers her blanket to Rab-rab. Drael does likewise to Min, the suli seeming somewhat inured to the cold. The oracle and the ranger both struggle in the piercing wind, blowing into their hands futilely to keep them from going numb.
The ranger is able to steel himself from the cold, but Layaali seems particularly vulnerable to exposure. She eventually devolves into a continuous shiver, her teeth chattering as she wills herself forward.
The gang continues up a switchback trail through the foothills, the Brazen Peaks towering above, shutting off views of Kelmarane below.
Suddenly, Razif calls out to the gang in alarm as a too-rigid figure lurches upright from the ground well ahead of the party. The light of the party glints off rusty metal armour draped across the slumped shoulders of the a skeleton standing in a battle-ready pose, its long sword and shield
held ready as cold blue light ignites in its eye sockets. As if on cue, the rocky path all around the group erupts in activity as skeletal forms erect themselves, rusty weapons gripped in fleshless fingers.
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A pile of bones rises up to take on a human shape. Its long, bony fingers reach out to claw at Drael as it races forward. The armoured skeleton advances on Razif with a rapid but jittery gait, its longsword swinging down from high!
The skeleton's claw rakes Drael on the side, but the longsword misses the ranger.
Layaali shivers uncontrollably, but is comforted to know that he companions are warm and healthy.
As the skeletons appear around them, Layaali adjusts her positioning and prays aloud to Vildeis, channeling her gods holy power into her body, and then out in a blast of divine wrath!
"And so Vildeis' might scoured the evil from this earth!"
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Layaali determines that the majority of the attacking throng are mundane and simple-minded undead. The armoured skeleton wielding the long sword is a different creature. None of the creatures seem to take the full brunt of Vildeis' wrath, though all are harmed somewhat. A skeleton brandishing a rusted cutlass steps up to the bloodied Drael, slashing both with its sword and its clawed hand.
The skeleton, recently blasted with holy energy, misses wildly with both attacks.
Drael's warhammer leaps into his hand as the first skeleton appears before them, and he lashes out at the first one to approach him, striking through its ribcage.
Razif sidesteps the attack, and in one smooth move draws his scimitar and strikes!
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Razif's scimitar clangs off of the armoured skeleton's breastplate, easily turned aside.
Yet another skeleton charges forward at the rearguard of the party, Drael, bringing to bear its rusty scimitar. Meanwhile, the skeleton that Uzma stepped in front of lashes out with both of its claws.
The skeleton pack surrounding Drael scrape and claw, but none have found an effective attack strategy on the battlerager yet. The latest skeleton to join the fray misses with its broken scimitar wildly. Uzma, to the contrary, fares much worse, and keenly feels the bite of two separate clawing attacks to his chest and face.
The bloodrager springs to action, his warhammer crashing through the ribcage of the first skeleton, collapsing it to an inanimate heap.
"Yikes!" Min exclaims.
He quickly flips through his books, looks up a spell, and then loudly says, "Sumpeery koo kala!"
"I am not prepared for skeletons!" he says, before thinking really hard about them...
"Wow, Rotten Egg, you don't look so good!"
Rab-rab reaches out and pats Uzma on the back. "You'll be alright!"
Then she takes a step over.
"Leave him alone!" Rab-rab says to the skeleton. She moves over a step, waves her arms at the skeleton and wiggles her fingers. Then a big blast of air flies from her hands at the skeleton
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Min recognises the skeleton with the longsword as more than a simplistic undead monster and then protects himself with a shimmering suit of force. Rab-rab heals Uzma as she chides him with playful banter.
The armoured skeleton continues to swing heavily at the ranger, sidestepping to keep the ranger in his track and gripping the sword with both hands to maximise potential damage.
The skeleton misses again, its piercing blue gaze never leaves the ranger's eyes.
Hoping that there are no more skeletons out of her sight, Layaali holds her holy symbol aloft, and prays for Vildeis' aid once more.
"And the Cardinal Martyr gave unto her followers the power to smite her enemies!"
Drael runs toward the last skeleton, ready to attack as soon as he gets within range.
Rab-rab and Jack-jack jump over a few feet . Then she waves her arms at the skeleton and wiggles her fingers. Then a big blast of air flies from her hands at the skeleton.
"I'll protect you, Jack-jack!" she exclaims.
Finding no other helpful spells in his book, Min shuts it with a THWACK!
"Rab-rab, get back here!" he tells his sister. He follows her a few steps and then he sighs. "Stay behind me!"
He tells the last skeleton, "Stay away from my sister!" Then he holds his book against his chest with one and and waves the other one at the bad guy. A blast of super cold air flies at the skeleton!
...But he totally misses.
"Great job Layaali!" Razif shouts as the skeletons behind him fade into nothingness. Noticing the rest gathering behind him, he sidesteps slightly to block access to the gnomes, whispers to the Dawnflower to guide his blade, and strikes!
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A blast of air and a super-cooled blast of energy shoot past the armoured skeleton from the gnomes, both missing widely. Drael steps near to the fray; Uzma steps right up to the melee, swinging Tempest with little success. The ranger stabs true, his blade finding a gap in the creature's armour, but Razif notes with horror the lack of any real damage caused by his blade.
The blue-eyed skeleton swings again at Razif, this time with only one hand, fury and power seething through his thrust. A coincidental chill air rips through the party, buffeting all.
Razif realises too late that his successful-though-meek blow against the undead horror left his flank open. The skeleton skewers Razif through the mid-section with a mighty wound in response.
Drael cries out in shock as Razif nearly crumples under the skeleton's assault, and his own eyes begin to glow with a bluish light as he steps up to retaliate.