Reynard gasps for breath as his eyes and lungs burst back to life.
Evan finds one of the healing salves tucked in the saddle bags.
Alex's quarterstaff strikes the zombie soundly, though the strike seems to cause no harm to the shambling corpse.
Rast swings to defend Darry and Gregor, yet his axe goes slightly wide of the zombie.
Alex steps back and drinks her Shield Extract.
Not that he thinks it will help any, the spry halfling pulls out his rapier and pokes the zombie hoping to keep its attention focused on him.
Hey you big smelly lug, why dont you pick on someone half your size!
By the Light I Cleanse You Filth of Darkness
With a cry Alistar steps forward, heaving his illuminated blade for one final swing.
Huh? Where am I... I just got struck by the-
Reynard's train of thought is cut short as the severity of the situation is rediscovered. Grasping his longsword from the ground in both hands and standing he readies himself for another melee.
Darry's thin blade passes into the ribs of corpse, passing between bone and tissue but ultimately doing nothing. In retaliation, the zombie swings at him, but Darry's deft agility keeps him beyond the reach of the creature.
As reynard rises and gathers his blade, the zombie lashes out at him again, wounding him gravely.
Alistar counters, swinging heavily at the zombie, cutting it down.
Again?! Evan rushes to apply the healing salve to Reynard.
well if he couldnt damage them he could at least distract them.
"Come on you blasted creatin! Come get you some halfling!
He called out wavering his rapier back and forth in the creatures face a moment before he thrust it at the creature.
Alex charges the Zombie trying to bring it to the ground.
"Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent forth his Light and healed them; He rescued them from the grave."
"Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men."
Ah! THAT HURT!
I feel... hazy.
Evan's attention helps mend the wounds on Reynard.
Darry plunges his rapier again into the shambling corpse before him, but feels as though he is doing little more than making little holes in the creature's decaying flesh.
Rast and Reynard both unleash vicious attacks on the final zombie, cutting it to pieces.
Alistar then heals the severely wounded Reynard
Thanks Alistar. You too Evan. Man... for a minute there I thought we were dead. ...Never fought anything undead before. You hear the rumors but...
Looking around Reynard takes inventory of those that are worse for wear.
Everyone ok?
"Bah stupid gits! get back in the ground where you belong!"
The lithe halfling scowled spitting on one of the corpses that was again, unanimated. He pat himself down and glanced about the area searching for any further threat. He hid (or tried to) the relief he felt at the undead being finished from the others, He had a reputation to uphold.
"I didnt notice the exact way they came from... not from the direction of our quarry I hope."
He asked looking torwads the trail they had been following for the girl. He slipped his rapier back into place and fingered the hilt of it nervously.
Alex gets up from bashing the now dead undead with her fists when she realises it is dead. She stands up and straightens herself out a little. She sniffs, the stink of undead was now going to be inside her clothes... She would burn them now if it weren't the only set she had thought to bring. "Is everyone ok?" No definitely not, she runs to the injured merchant, "Alistar!" she calls, "he needs help."
"Rast, Darry those creatures, are there any markings that speak to who they were in life?"
"Don't worry Alex, I've got him." Alistar kneels beside the fallen Gregor, planting his illuminated sword into the earth so to provide a beacon of light, and pulls a scroll out of the case in his bag.
Illandros, our Savior, lend me once more your strecgth and let this honorable man bask again in your Light.
Alistar's blessings mend the wounds on Gregor. The merchant looks up at the heroes from the ground, tears in his eyes. "Thank... thank you all. I am so sorry. I collapsed in fear of these creatures. How can I forgive myself? In the face of a foe that held me from reaching my daughter, all I could do was cower feebly."
Gregor looks weak and defeated.
The zombies came from the north of your camp, in the general direction that the girl was taken.
"We're all too tired and beat up to keep going," Rast said, feeling more than a little defeated himself. "If there are more of those things out there we could be in for some real trouble."
If you all want to build a camp up then, I can take a quick looksee to the north. The halfling began cranking his heavy crossbow and loading another bolt.
As the rest of the company sets up a simple camp, Darry slips off into the night.
Quickly he glances about the lake, glad the sky was clear enough to shed a little star/moon light on the grounds. The lake could be a problem if the bandits had a boat or the like, he took a few moments to cautiously scout the edge of the water... He would return with what ever information he had gleaned from the lakeside
A morning examination may provide more clues.
When the halfling returned to the camp he glanced about looking to see where the merchant was at. He would keep his voice low for his companions, (if the merchant was right there it wouldnt matter really.)
Theres a lake or pond or something, in the way, they may have taken her across by boat.. there was a strange rock too, looks like our undead guests were hanging about it. It was hard to tell in the dark though.
"Can't do anything about it right now," Rast said, trailing off. Between injuries and the prospect of trying to circle around a lake in the dark with potentially more of the walking dead lurking, even he was not inclined to try and press on any further tonight.
"I will help keep watch. The last thing we want is for more of them to find us while sleeping." she says looking at the undead.
The night passes uneventfully. The morning air is cool, A reminder of the recently ended winter. A heavy fog hangs in the air creating a sense of isolation and unease. Looking about thme makeshift camp, you see each other in a far different light than you had the morning past.
Rast shakes the sleep off and stands up. Well rested, if uncomfortable, he straps his gear back on and looks to the others. If he were more a of talker, he might have something to say here to lift spirits and get everyone moving again.
"Alistar, you got a morning prayer or something?" He was not a man of faith but the others might be and a bit of normalcy might go a long way right now. For his part Rast focussed on portioning up their meager rations and passing them out for a breakfast.
Bah! He began as he rolled up and out of bed... on the ground as it was. He was most certainly not a morning person.He glanced about the area in the light now, making sure nothing seemed amiss before he worried about stowing his things.
Alex gets up from the ground next to a tree she had dozed off next to. She stood up a little too quickly and had to take a moment to get her senses straight. Got to rescue the girl.
Without even a thought for food or water she wants to keep moving. "Darry do you think you can find the trail again in the light?"
Another gloomy fog filled morning. Oh how I long to feel the warming rays of Illandors upon my flesh this morning.
Alistar looks about to the faces of his companions, trying to judge how the fair after the days events.
A prayer... yes Rast is right, a prayer would do well to disburse this morning's gloom. Illandors, my Lord, grant my your wisdom so I may lift our spirits up into your light.
"The Light of Illandros is a Strong Tower. A beacon of hope and justice. Those who walk in its Light are Righteous and Safe. The Light is our refuge. Our strength. An ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
Though this morning's chill desires nothing more than to dampen our spirits, let us not be dismayed. Let not our hearts be troubled nor our resolve cower for we tread in the Light of our god. All who cast their faith upon the Light shall be saved and He shall never let his Righteous falter.
I'd prefer that light to stay over there and out of my eyes.."
The halfling grumbled lowly wanting to shake his head. Still if the others found comfort in the preachers words fine. The so called light wouldnt do much to deter those with evil thoughts much...
"I should think so, I was able to make out a few bits here and there last night in the moonlight, should be easier now. And there is that strange thing to take a gander out as well luv."
He responded to Alex throwing her a wink just for old times sake and his amusement. He finished gathering his things and readied his crossbow.
Darry leads the party north through the woods to the lake nearby. He indicates the strange stone where the zombies had evidently stood huddled. The shore is rather bare, with the ground a mix of dirt and small stones. No dock is evident in either direction through the morning fog, though vision is rather limited. The small, rhythmic waves lap at the shore as your company stands of the edge of mystery.
"Damn!" Rast shouts at the lake, "Puta baten semea madarikatu!" This proves to be the precursor to a long and vicious string of insults that slips from Barsav, to common, to Sylvan almost mid sentence. Finally, he punctuates the end of his tirade by turning on the stone and slamming a fist into it. He stands there, panting for a moment. Rast was not the sort to take failure well.
Alex walks forward and examines the 'strange' stone for a moment.
Alex shivers as she figures out what she can from the stone. "Somehow it called the undead here. It is imbued with necromancy of a sort but I am at a loss for exactly what. I have never really studied such. We should move on quickly. Where does the trail lead Darry?"
With better light the halfling shuffles deftly about the area, taking a look see what he can figure out.
Though the fog may limit visual range, the light of day makes it easy for Darry to rediscover the trail of the kidnapper. His heavy bootprints lead out of your camp and to the cost, within a stone's throw of the necromantic pillar, where they walk straight into the water.
"There is no way we can catch them now. Trekking around the lake would take too long even assuming we can find their trail again. Then there's this... thing," Rast grumbled, gesturing to the pillar. "Callin up corpses and such. Ain't right. We're in over our heads."
He frowned at Rast then glanced torwards the merchant for just a moment. Finally he looked back to Alex and sighed. The old Darry would have gladly went back home, the new supposed improved Darry. . .
We use one of 'er potions she whisks up we blow a tree over and we float across. Ain't my idea of a grand time... but I dont want to leave no young woman to a bandits touch thats for sure.. He said darkly.
The fog has lightened a little, allowing visibility up to perhaps 100 yards, but the far shore is nowhere on sight.
It strikes you that none of you have ever heard mention of this lake, only a day's travel away. Perhaps your little town is even more isolated then you knew....
Though not a boatwright by any means, every skilled riverman worth his salt can lash together a raft as a core basic skill. Given some time and assistance from your companions, as well as a good bit of rope and the judicious use of your axe and you could put together a solid raft.
"Alex, Darry, get some branches to make oars out of. Evan, get the packs off Kitzie, we're gonna need her unburdened in a minute," Rast started giving out orders and stripped to the waist. He tried to do some rough weight calculations on the party to figure out just what he needed to do here. The work was going to be tiring and sweaty but it would keep the crew occupied until he could think of something better. Hefting his axe he approached a nearby tree and sized it up.
Right'o then just give a hollar if something comes up." The halfling fellow began with a grin offering Alex a wink again, he whistled softly and head to the woods again looking for what might work.
Between Rast's knowledge of watergoing vessels and Darry's skill as a woodworker, the pair make quick work of the project and well before midday have a sizeable and resilient looking raft constructed.
The ingenuity and effectiveness of Rast and Darry significantly boosts Gregor's spirits, who had previously been wallowing that they would never find his daughter. Evan and Reynard seem lost in some side discussion, while Alistar is deep in prayer to Illandros, lord of the light. For his part, his prayers seem to have had an effect, as the dense fog has burned away, revealing a large lake with a shore perhaps two or three miles across.
"We should be able to get across now. Might want to leave the pack animal behind, though."
The discourse gets rather heated while Reynard and Evan go back and forth examining the necromantic stone.
But I don't think that's it at all. I need to see it again under scrutiny... Something like this MUST be shut down, Evan. That's why I'm trying to deactivate it. Certainly you above all could see the logic in this... ARGH! Just go grab the packs from Kitzi... I can do it my-
"If the distance is not too far someone could go back for her." Alex steps onto the makeshift raft carefully.