The night passes without incident, although there are constant sounds of howling and screams from within Feldgrau. The ghost town is clearly inhabited by beings other than ghosts.
In the early morning mist, a single armoured figure on horseback can be discerned in the far distance, though it's difficult to make out detail in the morning mist, moving quickly towards the farmstead from the north west.
"It has been a long night of travel, hasn't it Fred. But I feel we will come upon the farmhouse of my vision anytime. I can remember it setting in the distance as we came out of the morning mist. Look Fred, that must be it there. The Inheritor has guided us once again, ever forward and toward the vile cultists in this land, so we will continue to purge Ustalav of the taint left by the clawed hands of the Whispering Tyrant."
A tall man in full plate comes riding out of the morning mist, riding his trusty steed Fred. You can see emblazoned on his shield, the holy symbol of Iomedae in gleaming gold. On the horse's left flank you can see the hilt of what can only be a greatsword and on the right the upper limb of a bow that you would guess to be 7 feet tall and a grip as large as a forearm.
You can hear his voice, even from this distance, is a deep baritone as the Taldane rolls on with a heavy Chelish accent.
He stops and dismounts about 50 feet away, slings his shield onto this arm and draws his longsword before giving his horse a nudge to back up.
In response, there is a loud incredulous voice. "No @#%$ing way! He was right!"
Kimberly was making some breakfast, trying to liven up trail rations wasn't the easiest thing to do.
then she hears the calling of a new person, just as Oathar had said. but Kimberly was not as skeptical as Anna was, she had faith that Pharasma would provide what was needed.
then can Anna's colorful greeting. she immediately covered her ears, not wanting to hear the colorful language.
Of course he was right.did you have doubt?
she wipes her hands and heads outside, straining to see who approaches through the mist.
Kimberly jumps up and down waving her hands. like it would actually help.
comes a girl's voice almost child-like.
Anna shakes her head as Kimberly rushes out to greet the newcomer. "Another Iomedaean. And it's sounding like he's going to try to out-Andjela Andjela," she mutters to herself.
She takes a deep breath and follows Kimberly out of the farmhouse.
Picking up his accent, she tilts her head to the side. A bit far from Cheliax, aren't you?"
Danica chuckles at Anna's colorful language and begins to laugh even more at Kimberly's stated intentions. It has be a hard couple of months fighting every single minion coming out from every corner and during that time the only reason for her successful were her friends. It felt good to laugh amongst them. Then a welcomed sign of another soldier for the Light, a statement against evil, a sign that they are not alone.
Danica walks to the entrance to the farmhouse and stares out to the newcomer clad in full plate. She raises her hand toward the soldier and begins to Detect Evil and Detect Chaos. Then she begins to Detect Good and Detect Law. She smiles at the positive presence of law and good. The inquisitor raise her hand further and begins to wave. "Come Theopolis, Holy Knight of Iomeda. I think everyone within a mile radius knows that you have arrived. Rally to us so we can make our stand together against the legions of darkness." Danica looks over to her friends and shrugs her shoulders, "He was pretty loud."
As each of the individuals come out of the farmhouse, Theopolis remains stoic as he studies each new person.
He thinks back on the details of his vision as the he watches for any sudden aggressive actions.
There were 5 lions in the pride with one approaching out of the morning sun. When there were 5 doves, 4 roosting and the fifth standing sentinel. Next was a comet, no a spiraling comet with 5 loops for a tail. And finally this farmhouse, with it's 5 approaching paths.
Something remains hidden yet from me, and only one able to follow my instructions and respond as an innocent child would. I will continue to watch it seems.
Talking Anna hand Tolvan pulls her towards the door. With a smile he says Perhaps he will have more of a sense of humor than Andjela. Come let us go and greet him before he wakes the dead with that booming baritone. You might as well be nice. You know we need him with Oathar's departure.
Tolvan steps out, pulling a reluctant Anna with him. He holds an arcane tome in his left hand that he was likely studying when disturbed. A longbow is strung but still on his back. He smiles at the newcomer and responds more quietly than how he was addressed. You are welcome here Theopolis. Your coming was foretold and we are glad to see that prophecy fulfilled. Come and break your fast with us and let us make a plan for the day. There is much we must tell you.
Anna looks up at Tolvan with a grin. "Andjela had a great sense of humor," she recollects with a snicker. "Don't worry; I'll be nice."
She follows Tolvan stands with the rest of the group. "Ahem. I am Anna Dunsany, daughter of Thom of Roycraft. Stabber of evil things. Except when I, you know, use a crossbow."
Anna is a young human woman, short, with an unruly mane of chestnut hair. She is wearing a close-fitting traveler's outfit that has seen much use and the glint of mithral links peek out from behind the sturdy garments. A drab cloak of elven-make hangs off her shoulders, and a large crossbow is slung over her shoulder. Despite her apparent youth, her eyes have a depth to them that show much experience in her few years.
Assuming Theopolis joins the group inside Tolvan eats breakfast with him and explains the recent situation. In summary he explains We we potentially face werewolves and undead that haunt this town and cultists here. We need to reclaim the heart of the old pack lord if possible and certainly prevent the demon werewolves from getting it for the greater good. After months of the cultists being two steps ahead of us I hope that this is our chance to finally confront some of them here. But I have no better tactic than to explore the town and deal with what we find as we find it. I'll need a few m0ore minutes to finish my daily preparations and will then be ready to depart.
Kimberly eventually makes sure everyone had a chance to eat and cleans up. storing everything back in her pack.
so, Theo, you gonna join us? I think we are going to check out the next building. much of this town is just a war zone now.
Once she has everything put away, she puts her armor on and gathers her equipment.
Kimberly is definitely an oddity here, she is far to big to be considered a gnome or halfling, yet she is out adventuring.
Once she is ready to move out, you notice that she wears mostly black, with an embroidered symbol of Pharasma on the front of her Cassock. She does not carry much in the way of weapons.
"Lady Kimberly, Lady Dunsany... Do you vouch for your two unknown companions? I foresee many trails ahead when only half of my vision is able to follow instructions."
Danica responds cold heartedly, "I can vouch for myself as I am the one who waved for you to come closer. I am Danica Quinn, disciple of the Dawnflower, the Bright Lady..... known as Sarenrae. I have come here with my friends to shed Light to this dark land. It was foretold that a fellow soldier of the Light will be joining us. I presume you are that person. Your presence is most welcomed." Danica offers her forearm as part of her salutations.
And I am the wizard Tolvan. Now who shall vouch for you?
"Tolvan, I am not in need of anyone vouching for me. I have given you my name, who I represent, what honorifics that have been bestowed upon me, what and who has lead me to this place. I then gave instruction of what should be done if you are a friend and what you should do if you are a foe. Finally revealing my intentions if you were a foe."
"While you and Lady Quinn did reveal and make known your intentions, your identities remained hidden from me. Thus my inquiry of Lady Kimberly and Lady Dunsany."
Without waiting for any other response, he moves closer to the group and clasps Lady Quinn's forearm. Then offers his forearm to each of the others in turn.
Anna smirks at the new paladin's explanation. "So you got a vision of this place, but you didn't know if we'd be friend or foe? Now that's funny."
She doesn't take Theopolis' forearm but instead offers her hand in a ladylike fashion. "Heh. Lady Dunsany. I like the sound of that."
"Iomedae presents me with daily challenges, so even though I may interpret her visions as best I am able, I must always be on vigil in case I have misinterpreted the vision." he says before taking her hand.
Tolvan reacts negatively to this bolstering. I choose to not follow your instructions. I have invited you to breakfast where we may discuss intentions. I prefer that over shouting intents in a combat area. Come or go as your conscience demands. The wizard turns and goes back inside.
Kimberly nudges Tolvan Tolvan please be nice, he reminds me a lot like bowser, the dog at the orphanage, he would bark and bark, but was just the sweetest thing once you got to know him.
Of course we will be nice Kimberly. But we are also not going to pander to the man. We have invited him to breakfast. Isn't that nice?
Danica remains quiet as she hear her friends respond. She nods her head to Tolvan in acceptance of his actions, for she has known him and the others for quite some time and has learn that they are of the noblest souls she has ever met.
"Let us be done with our meal. We have much work to do." She helps with putting the items away and spends a couple of minutes feeling the warmth of the sun on her face.
Theopolis brings Fred up to the farmhouse and waits for the others.
Anna eats quietly sitting close to Tolvan as he recounts their recent exploits over breakfast. She nods at certain points, but otherwise doesn't comment until the end.
"So, yeah. Necromancers versus werewolves. I think that's the daily challenge Iomedae's put to you. Not a bunch of random folks squatting in a farmhouse."
She goes through her gear methodically, making sure silver-tipped bolts were loaded in her crossbows and her various knives and other tools of the trade were ready and on hand, neatly arranged so they did not make noise as she moved. She pops her joints with a few simple stretches, shakes out her limbs, and says, "I'm ready."
She starts to move out and as she passes by Theopolis, she pauses, then looks up at him. "Oh, in case your plan was to announce yourself like you did outside -- forget it. We're doing this the smart way: sneaky and dirty. We're going to use magic; we're going to hit them when they're not aware of us. When we outnumber them. The werewolves and whisperers are fighting each other, but something tells me they'll both set their differences aside at least until we're ripped to shreds if you go out like some town crier and scream about intentions and repentance."
Danica, I still need time to prepare my spells. Our new friend seems reluctant to come in. Perhaps you can fill him and begin to make plans while I complete my preparations? Tolvan asks before returning to the study of his spellbooks.
Tolvan needs a good 50 minutes to finish his studies.
As quickly as he can manage Tolvan will finish preparing his spells and join the others outside. Looking to Danica Tolvan asks Lets begin. Have you come up with a plan? As he says this he casts Mage Armor on himself and Danica and cast the Message spell to link the group.
Danica takes Theo out to discuss their strengths and to do a little recon.
Theopolis explains his own strengths to Lady Danica as the recon the area.
Ok then. Without better Inter I suggest we begin searching this town with the nearest building to us. But lets hit that outlier first and see what it contains
Anna nods to Tolvan and flips up the hood of her elven cloak, activating its magic. It begins blending with the background making her very hard to see.
"I'll let you know what I find," she says as she steals quietly towards the building Tolvan picked out.
Through the Message spell Tolvan adds <<We shall follow but at a reasonable distance.>> [ooc] Tolvan will give Anna 4 rounds of lead in the approach to F12 and then wait outside for word from her.
Danica approaches Anna before she heads out and says, "Please be careful and don't take on more than you can handle. Remember, this is a recon mission." Danica nods to her and sees her off.
Danica stares at Tolvan as she removes her silver nunchaku from her hip, both clubs in her left hand. She prepare to move out.
"I was totally handling Duristan!" she whispers back.
loc=5
Anna moves towards the outlying building, a decrepit hovel lying next to the town’s overgrown graveyard. The area outside is quiet, except for the cawing of crows and the occasional howling of wolves, distant in the surrounding countryside.
Shuddering involuntarily from the desolate scene, Anna creeps up to the building but stays outside. Just as before, she listens for sounds within and peeks through windows or cracks to get an idea of what may be inside.
There are no windows or cracks in the doors, that would allow you to distinguish the contents. It looks like a kind of garden shed. There are no sounds from inside.
<<Just a shed. No sounds inside. Want me to check it out inside?>> Anna whispers through the spell.
I'll go ahead and do that, but check for traps first. Taking 10 is a 30 to spot traps.
Anna checks for traps, finding none, and carefully pushes the door slightly ajar, the light from behind her subtly illuminating the inside of the building.
The building contains a number of barrels, several open crates and a selection of grave-digging tools. More concerningly, there seem to be three rows of skeletons, standing immobile, four to a row. Most of the skeletons are clad in rusting armour and holding broken scimitars, but several (difficult to know how many at this distance) have better gear, including breastplates, longswords and shields.
Anna clenches her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering as ice runs up and down her spine. She creeps away slowly until she can safely whisper into Tolvan's message spell, <<I found the undead. Skeleton types. Twelve of them, all in rows inside.>>
<<So we destroy them, as whatever soul may have once resided iwirh each of them has passed to the Boneyard already. The forces of evil can not have their minions waiting as reserves.>>
<<I concur. That sounds like a unit of evil troops ready for action. I have just the spell for it. Stay put I am coming your way.>>
Kimbery at first is a little amazed at Tolvan's magic for communicating. but that soon passes at the word of undead.
<< I can probably take out plenty with a simple burst of Pharasma's energy>> she offers.
<<That is a better plan than my fireball Kimberly. Much better use of resources and less destructive. You are up.>>
Crouched in a furrow, Anna keeps an eye on the door to the shed as the others approach. <<One odd thing; some of them had new armor and weapons, while others had rusted junk. Not sure why.>>
Danica says, <<Kimberly, can you affect the undead from outside the building while they are inside? We should create a trap and surprise them.>>
<<I am ready to move to the door to this shed and start bashing these skeletons to bone meal.>>