Tassira cringes as she sees Cerene crumple to the floor. She knew it took great force of will to break through the protective magics guarding the existence of the Twelve.
"Could somebody help Cerene? Please?" She asks, pointing to the unconscious mage.
She turns back to Hirako. "I imagine she's had a lot of practice throwing things--it was a brilliant way to get Rowan's attention, if I recall." She says with a snicker. "But seriously, how have you, personally, been doing?" She finishes with a serious, caring look.
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"...the Medjai, the Stanburgs, and one to the Lords of the Wizard's Isle," finishes Cerene as she regains consciouness. "Thank you Kariel, that really hurt quite a bit."
As Kariel finishes healing Cerene, a tall, bony lad runs and tugs on Kariel's shirt sleeve. "Please, my lady," the boy cries. "My ma is hurt. Can you help her?"
Meanwhile a few steps away...
"It was scary. It wasn't long after you left when the zombies crossed the fenceline. It was move to a window and throw, move to a window and throw. At one point a few zombies started to carry off some of the townspeople and we sallied out to rescue them. That's when Cerene and I got hurt." Hirako says to Tassira.
Meanwhile a few steps away from that...
"We should get you into the temple and see if there is any magic that will help you overcome the wight's touch. If not treated properly that drain on your life force could become permanent" Brother Nicholas tells Captain Miles.
Tassira nods at Hirako. "I'll bet it was. Then we showed up and the rest is, well, history." She rubs one of her eyes.
She looks over at Brother Nicholas & Captain Miles. "I'd have to agree, Captain. Being touched by a wight isn't something you can just walk off without assistance. The priests at the temple ought to be able to help you."
Vigar smacks his face as the implication of what happened occurs to him.
Motioning to Tassira and once she comes over.
"Is knowledge of the twelve that harmful or protected? If so we just made a mistake discussing this in front of everybody else did we?"
Tassira shrugs her shoulders. "I wouldn't worry too much. Odds are, the magic surrounding the knowledge of the Twelve will take care of it. It's entirely likely that aside from us and Cerene, nobody will remember we even talked about it."
"And if not... then we'll have to deal with that if it becomes a problem. Hopefully, it won't." She puts a hand in one of her pockets.
Assured, Vigar gives Tassira a hug.
"Tell the others I'll be on patrol and I'll be back. I'd like to scout the area to ensure all is safe."
Without any other word Vigar leaves to first to patrol around the area before widening out his patrol pattern outwards in a spiral as much as possible.
Tassira returns Vigar's hug before turning back to Hirako.
Rowan helps Cerene to her feet.
"Don't happen to remember what kind of weapons those were, do you? Anyways, we should all rest now. Let the villagers start rebuilding on there own. When we are ready, we should track down where the witchfire went."
If she lets him, he'll help her get her injured self back to the inn.
Kariel and Brother Nicholas spend time healing the townspeople. Vigar patrols and finds no threats but he does see a lot of property damage and people with injuries, he lends a hand with the worst hurt in getting them to the healers. Captain Miles discovers that the temple priest isn't a spellcaster but that he does has a small supply of emergency potions provided by his faith's Bishop for the Region. Brother Montrose, the priest asigned to the shrine gives a restoration potion to the Captain as well as a spare one.
While Kariel is healing the mayor appoaches her and says she would like to have a brief meeting with the group in the afternoon, around four.
Tassira walks back to the inn with Hirako after watching Vigar go out on patrol. She isn't feeling especially hungry...
She settles into bed and promptly falls asleep from exhaustion.
Patrolling the village and lending aid where he could, Vigar cannot help but be drawn back to the graveyard. Back to the Grave of the one whose spear he now holds.
"I'm back to do what must be done." Vigar begins slightly awkwardly.
"I have taken your oath and will use your spear the way it was meant to be used. I'm sorry for not knowing its name nor its orgins beyond what I know now but I swear to you that I'll search as well as I can. I swear to follow your oath and do it proud and maybe one day inspire others like you to rise and protect the weak. Those who needs our help most." here he pauses as he finds a fire within begin to grow. A fire of hope.
Picking up where he last left off, Vigar begins to fill the grave back.
"I said I'll be back to finish this and thus here I am. The town is safe for now but the one who created all this mess has fled. My companions and myself will attempt to track it down, hopefully this will stop this from happening ever again. Tassira and Rowan are smart and frankly are scholars compared to a cook like myself. I had only known the legion then before being discharged, losing myself wandering the wide world and now I found family, a really really large one. An amazing thing actually, I'm finding out as I go along. I wonder if it was ever the same for you and your friend?"
Vigar continues the conversation, thinking himself alone but he makes sure he restores each and every grave as best as he can.
"There." giving himself a mental pat on the back.
"May you all rest in peace and never be desecrated like this ever again. The blessings of the gods and all that is good be upon you all." So saying Vigar bows his head in a silent prayer before leaving for the temple. Aching but secure that he's done what he promised to do.
Rowan takes the time to read the journal and ruminate on the Twelve and the Oath, sitting on his bed at the inn. He seems to be in the grips of a philosophical quandary.
If I take the oath now, no matter how much I believed in it, would it not just be a way to gain power, thus defeating the purpose of the oath? And why this oath? Can anyone with the blood recite this and gain this power?
These thoughts follow him as he drifts off to sleep.
Around four in the afternoon the party and their traveling companions Cerene, Captain Miles, Hirako, and their allies from last night, Shanna Half-Elven and Brother Nicholas, gather in the Inn's common room to meet with the Mayor. She arrives with two Elderly gentlemen and a strapping young fellow who bears a family resemblance to her who you saw among her band of warriors last night. One of the elderly gentlemen is Brother Montrose the lay priest from the shirne, you don't know the others.
Mayor Theneuse's face is set in a hard frown, and you can see deep anger smoldering in her eyes. "By my count we lost at least six people from the town last night and dozens more were injured," she says quietly. "We haven't heard back from all the surrounding farms yet but there's been deaths and injuries there as well. We need to find out what caused this and put an end to it. You fought courageously on Pommeville's behalf last night, and I ghink we'll need your help to see us through this."
She points to Brother Montrose and then the other elder. "This is Pastor Montrose from Sarenrae's Shrine, he's the town's unofficail historian, and this is Professor Reginard who retired form the Imperial University in the Captail, he tends to know a little bit about everything." She tilts her head toward her relative "and this is my brother Terence late of the Emperor's Forest Service."
Tassira rubs her eyes, waking up fully after her rest.
She nods at the new arrivals. "Pleasure to meet you, sirs."
She folds her arms behind her back. "Last night, while we were fighting the undead, we heard a voice mentioning that someone was grievously wronged, and that this was a way for them to take vengeance. Pastor Montrose, do you have any records of, say, a public execution or something like that? Something that could make a ghost or something similar come back to haunt the town?"
When she asks her question, she racks her brain, searching for anything that could be related to the idea of Pommeville being haunted historically.
"If you'd please, I'll be interested in this town's history as well. It seems that you may had some heros buried in the graveyard as well. It seemed that way to me when we fought the undead as well. Also would you need us to search around Pommeville to check on your folk? I saw most attempting to recover from the attacks when I did a brief patrol yesterday." Vigar speaks from where he is standing behind Hirako.
Rowan listens closely to what everyone has to say, but does not comment as he tries to remember what he can to help.
The town is older than most of its residents believe it to be. For hundereds, prehaps thousands, of years the Stoneway has carried trade and armies beneath the Cairn. People have always lived in this area, farming the land and keeping inns for the passing traders. Before the establishment of the Empire nearby realms would occassionaly post garrisons or build stockades in this area.
About 1240 years ago, a dark temple was raised on the Cairn. The temple was allied with monsters and ambitious nobles from nearby realms. For 40 years it was the seat of much suffering and evil. Then Archbishop Astra "Truehart" Rastar, along with a detachment of knights of the Old Code and troops from the Order of Draco defeaded the forces of the temple and cast down it's High Priest Nedrezar.
For a few decades, the ruins of the temple and the ford over the river were shunned. But by the time of the formations of the Empire the memory of the history of the area had faded and Pommeville sprung up as new people moved into the area who had no knowledge of its past.
Pastor Montrose says "I can't think of anyone executed or punished unjustly, but I know enough of people's nature to think that someone who was guility didn't believe that they were."
The Mayor waits until the lay priest is done speaking and then says "The Pastor has a rather extensive libary on local history as well as access to the towns officail's archives something could be found among there I guess." She pause and then looks at Vigar "Thank you for offer of helping to rebuild and look for people, but we've got plenty of people who can do that. What we're in short supply of is people who know how to handle themselves in a fight."
Professor Reginard speaks up "I can say this, no ordinary use of animate dead would be able to raise so many zombies at once, no matter how powerful the caster. I can't help but think it has something to do with the ruins on the Cairn."
Pastor Montrose responds "You may be right Reginard. Most people don't know it, but that place has an evil history. About 1200 years ago, it was a powerful evil temple that was destoryed by an army. The ruins have always seemed harmless enough, but last week a band of explorers led by Brother Giles, a priest of Desna, invistigated it. Maybe he and friends disturbed something that should have been left alone."
Tassira speaks up again. "That temple existed over a millennium ago; it was the seat of a powerful high priest who was slain by the Order of Draco. I'd imagine that it's simply taken the priest this long to come back, but it'd also be likely that Brother Giles & his team disturbed him by accident."
Her hand rests on Bar's pommel. Maybe they just needed to bring him some coffee to keep him from going nuts and killing people... "It wouldn't be a problem for us to investigate this, sirs, if the events of last night are of any indication." She has a small, proud smile on her face.
"We first encountered the power of this fell being in the graveyard before once more encountering it on the way to the shrine and then we came upon the shrine. The rest is history. Are there anything else you can tell us about the Cairn?"
"It would make sense that the spirit was from that long ago. The zombies we saw at the gates were not normal zombies. They were juju zombies, created by a ritual long since lost. Much more dangerous than the normal undead. We'll all need magical weapons to face them. Or more of the magic you showed there." He looks at Tassira, Kariel, and Vigar.
"Well, I do remember that Bishop Astara sealed the tomb of the evil High Priest, in fact the phrase was set his seal upon the crypt. I'm not sure if there was a specail ritual involved or not. As for the intactness of the ruins. The lower levels were completely inaccessable until Giles and his band actually dug their way into them. I don't know of anything in the upper level that might be what you are thinking of in the way of an alter, or a magical focal point there. I do have a lot books, scrolls and other materials in my libary that we could look though that might tell us more about the lower levels." States Brother Montrose.
Tassira closes her eyes, trying to recall if she has read anything or heard anything specific about sealing rituals. If the people before her didn't know the answers, perhaps she did.
She opens her eyes again. They glow a bright solid blue. Whispers sound in her ears, and you swear you can hear a small clap of thunder.
"We should look at those books and scrolls before we leave. Could you take me to them? Cerene, Hirako, Tassira, I'll need your help going through them quickly."
Vigar informs everyone about how little he knows about the rituals.
"I feel that since we encountered this in the graveyard first, it might make sense to start our search there?" Vigar offers.
"I'll be glad to show you the libary" says the pastor.
"I'll help as well" says Reginard, "I'll looked at old books and papers often enough to be of help."
Tassira's eyes stop glowing.
So that's what the thunder said...
"Wait. Wait wait wait. I remembered something about those sorts of rituals; they normally need a focus to last."
She turns to the assembled group. "You said Brother Giles led a team to explore that temple? Did any of them take anything like a holy symbol from that site? That's what was keeping the High Priest's spirit sealed there."
"There was an unopened vault in the graveyard while I was there reburying all of the dead. It was quite weatherd with Ivy growing over it.
The doors were sheathed in some sort of bronze in green. I remember being relieved seeing that and it must have escaped my mind. Whose remains lie within?"
Vigar speaks out aloud.
At Kariel's words, he reacts.
"I know how to forify the place and with enough materials, I'm certain I can guide the others in making this place more defensible but why Kariel? Is there something wrong tonight?"
Tassira looks over at Kariel, a bit puzzled.
What's she so concerned about--OH. The realization hits her.
"As long as the seal is broken, I bet more undead are going to come from that ruined temple. You're right, Kariel--it's not over yet." She says, looking to the aasimar. She turns back to the group.
"Pastor Montrose, would you or any of your brethren be able to consecrate whatever location you decide to defend? It'd give you an advantage against the undead, and nightfall is coming. Without us defending you, it'd be a good idea to take whatever advantages you can get."
Vigar groans.
"More of them? And after I reburied all of them...... Time to get to work. Hirako, please stay with the rest and see if they could do with more assistance. Any more throwing knives I find, I'll hand them over to you." Vigar sets off to rally the town and bring them all back to the shrine.
"While Vigar is gathering the town, we should try to find out what we can about those lower levels before we are ready to leave. Knowing what exactly what we are looking for and the layout will give us an advantage."
Tassira nods at Rowan.
"Good idea. I'll see what I can dig up."
She'll make use of the library once the group is done here.
Tassira, Rowan, and Brother Montrose search through his libary and do find both some floor plans for the temple in an old journal as well as conformation that Bishop Astara "enchanted his rod of office and used it as the focus for the protecteve seal he placed over Nedrezar's crypt. It is clear that the integrity of the ward depended on the the presence of the rod, which Astara left behind. The rod is described as a 'Rod of Bronze two feet long, graven with the Sunburst and Sword of Good.'"
Unfortunately the libary research takes hours and then finish just about the time of moonrise.
Vigar, Kariel, and the rest of thier companions spend the time before moonrise getting the civilians back to the Shrine and improving the defensives there.
Vigar having gotten back form gathering as much villagers as he can, remembers to hand to Hirako the daggers he's managed to find and a clean set of clothing though he's unsure of the sizing. He even brought back soap which he was sure the rest would appreciate.
Taking the extra time left to forify the church, when dones he settles down to rest preparing for moonrise where he'll take his place among the defenders.
Rowan looks out the window and sees that the moon is rising
"There, we finally found the information we need. Now the question is whether we go to the crypt and cut this menace at its source, or stay here to defend the village.
Tassira's hand goes to the hilt of her sword. Her frustration at not being able to be of more help to the townsfolk is manifesting at her fingertips as crackling electricity.
"I hope Kariel & Vigar have done everything they can to prepare the town for this... odds are, this will be worse than before."
She makes a mental note of what to look for in the ruined temple after this. Rod of bronze, two feet long, graven with the Sunburst and Sword of Good. Keep that in mind.
"Rowan, do you think that if we restore the ward to its original power, the undead will keep coming until the last has fallen?" She asks, worry in her eyes.
The zombies attacked the shrine several times during the night, but only once in a large group, and the Ju Ju zombies never made an appearance. The shrine itself remains intact although the outer wall around the grounds had been knocked down in several places. Fierce fighting had been seen at several different points including the chapel doorway and at one of the breaches of the outer walls. It was mentioned by more than one person that it frustrating to 'kill' the same zombie again that you had 'killed' the before. Still when the dawn rose no one had died, so it was an improvement on the previous night.
"Only that the item used to seal the priest away was a two-foot long bronze rod engraved with a sunburst & sword." Tassira sheathes Bar and approaches Kariel. There are dark circles under her eyes, and her bandaged arms are stained with (hopefully) zombie ichor.
"If we're going to do this, we need to go now. I'll have time for sleeping later, and I'd rather not have these people endure another zombie attack."
Vigar can be found fixing the fortifications, his clothes ragged and armor well battered for he had being in the thick of fighting the previous night. Tirelessly running around to bolster defences with his mighty spear, Most of his wounds have healed by itself owing to that powerful oath he had taken, he supposed.
Bringing up what seemed to be an incredible wide trench about 10 feet deep and 10 feet wide, Vigar looks sastified with his latest contributions.
"This Pit if we do it right will force them to fall in and have trouble crawling out. The less that reach us the less, we have to fight."
There is a light in his eyes, and spring in his step and all who knew him from the library knows that something has changed in Vigar.
He had found something.
A Purpose.
Rowan spent most of the night standing guard and studying the maps in the off time.
"I agree. We should go as soon as possible. First we need to find Vigar though."
He goes off to find Vigar, fauchard again in hand.
"So, Vigar. How long until you reach the center of the earth? Or are you simply trying to build these fair folk a new canal system?"
Looking at Vigar new poise,health, and confidence, he thinks. No normal person should be able to stay awake for so long, dig a hole, and remain in top condition. The power brought with this oath is very interest...I need to know more.
Tassira rubs her eyes, electricity sparking from her fingers and landing on her skin. It doesn't seem to bother her, though.
"I wonder: how far away is the ruined temple from town? I need to ask because I want to know how long we have until the next nightfall."