henry enters slowly looking round as he does so.
Tresmeer relaxes a little and enters with Pethorn. "Sorry son, my blood was up but I didn't realise you had been hurt. Sorry," he mumbles again.
Orgum paces about the room, surrounded by about twenty other villagers who look rather frightened. He wrings his hands as he speaks. "Sorry I can't offer ye a seat. As ye kin see, we're a bit crowded. 'Bout twenty others in the next house too. Well, I'm pleased to see ye but I wish t'were under better circumstances. Been awful as o' late.
They came from Kolli. Looked like the villagers there, then they started attackin' us. Put a pitchfork through Ol' Gammerson an' he still stood. They was dead, no doubt. Foul creatures now, comin' 'bout at night bangin' on our walls. They took Ol' Beldinar last night, dragged 'im off screamin'. S'terrible, I tell ye.
If Ardfell's safe, we'll go. But wit' them monsters out there, we can't chance leavin'. We have plenty of things that we kin't leave behind and some things that might be o' use. You look armed enough to deal with 'em, if you don't mind me bein' so bold to suggest it. If'n you kin put an end to those horrors, I'll git the townsfolk to get everythin' t'gether and we'll be ready t' leave when ye get back."
How many are there?
"In Kolli?" Orgum asks. "T'were twelve. Now, nine."
And how many of these creatures?
"Didn't rightly count," Orgum admits. "But it'd be the same, I'd think, since they all looked like the villagers there."
Then how are we to regognize if they are dead or grumpy? Flies would be a nice catch but if one of them is alive and we... Pethorn asks then sights heavily looking at the Orgum. They're all dead, aren't they?
The young halfling closes his eyes trying to think of a solution then quickly jumps startled by one of the ideas that popped in his mind. What if they head for our village? They might take them for being sick. We need to stop them!
"Damned unholy beasts. Those would be undead you speak of. Zombies if I am correct. It is my sworn duty to destroy those unnatural denizens, in the name of Pharasma." Kallin exclaims in an aggressive tone.
"We should also seek out the one creating them. If we can confirm the source then I could request assistance from my temple to deal with the problem -- which may be needed if Greywind castle is involved."
"What weapons are best to use against them? Fire flasks of oil perhaps, or spears. Can they make horses into zombies or flying creatures? I have no knowledge of this."
Tresmeer looked around the room. "Who else will come and help us? We are four and a dog. An old dog. Could do with one or two more, couldn't we?"
The old man goes to the window and stares outside, murmuring "why attack here, now?" Out comes the pipe and soon smoke is billowing all about his grey hair and straw hat as he thinks.
Turning round again Tresmeer smiles at Pethorn, "we are well armed but this is your home. Your livelihood. Someone should come and help us."
"Our fightin' men are gone, Tresmeer," Orgum says. "They were the first t' go. If they came back, they came less a leg or 'n arm. Ye see, we only have women, children and men who could probably remember the First Winter."
Orgum rolls up his sleeves, revealing bandaged arms. The bandages are blood-soaked in some spots. "T' be honest, I don't think I could help ye anyhow. It'd be by the Grace of Torag if I was able to help load the carts."
He pulls his sleeves back down, a hint of shame in his eyes. "Yer acolyte o' Pharasma seems t' know better'n us about how to fight those creatures."
"Well, finding a cleric would be the best way to fight them, especially since they can make holy water. The magic I have is very limited." Kallin pauses to reflect upon his knowledge of them.
"Swords are of limited effect against them. Spears, clubs and mace type weapons would be best. Ranged combat would be ideal, since zombies move slowly. Bows and crossbows would be our best weapon against them. Slings could also be useful."
"We should probably move on to Kolli to see if there are any survivors. We could escort them back here, and then we could escort everyone back to Ardfell?"
"I am a little under equipped to fight these currently. Orgum, do you know if anyone in town has a sling I might borrow until we return to escort you?"
Henry looks at Kallin oddly as he lists out how zombies can be injured. Kallin suddenly realizes, that he has mixed up the terminology in the tome he had read about defeating zombies in several months past.
"Oh, wait a minute... it occurs to me that I mixed up that passage I am recalling about how to harm them. It is just the opposite. Swords and axes cut them up well. Zombies are quite resiliant other types of weapons. I believe ranged weapons will not be our best way to combat them."
As soon as he heard about the powerful effect of the slingshot on the zombies Pethorn gets out of the room silently unpacks his sling from the mule's pack and enters the room just in time to hear that it is inefficient against those monsters.
He frowns at the acolyte putting the weapon in his pocket and asks: "And how aware are they of the environment? Or of us? If there is time we could set up some traps."
We should move quickly so we can get these people to safety
"Thank you Orgum. I understand your plight better now. As for a weapon do you have sickles? One or two if those should slash through a few zombies like wheat."
"...and flasks of oil perhaps before you leave for Ardfell.
"That's a good question Pethorn. Zombies are supposed to be mindless. They would be prey easily caught in any sort of a trap."
Tresmeer makes a mental sum or two and frowns, "Orgum, I understand there are about nine, possibly ten creatures with Beldinar, all loose from Kolli. Three more are accounted for as dead .........again. But how many people live in Kolli. Aren't there more?"
"We lost count a few years back," Orgum sighs. "Dunno who's dead 'r alive. Well, not dead like zombies, I mean."
"Thanks Orgum."
Tresmeer takes one of the sickles and waves the other towards Henry. He also hands a couple of the oil flasks to Pethorn and Kallin.
"You have been a great help here. I promise to do my utmost to help save Kolli and here. Beldinar was a good friend and I'll do my best to find him. Come on Sabre! It must be time to go."
Kallin ties some scrap cloth strips to 2 oil flasks and lights a torch as they prepare to set off.
Give the sickle to someone else, My sword will be fine.
"Kallin? Pethorn? Which one of you wants this spare sickle?"
I have my daggers, sharper than any sickle. But thank you for the oil. Now let's finish those monsters before they get closer to our homes and give a chance for these people to find shelter. Pethorn leaves the room filled with determination.
You set out for Kolli, following the path out of Nidas. The path narrows as the bushes encroach upon it. The walk is uneventful, but, as you see the ominous structures of the thorp come into view, you come across a thick tangle of briers blocking your progress.
"I could make use of the other sickle."
"I suppose we could use our new sickles on those vines. It does seem odd that they would cover a well traveled road... almost as if someone used magic to block the road."
Tresmeer looks around for a way in between the gorse thorns. he gradually works his way along.
"Maybe now is the time for some halfling scouting first? This bush will take a good deal of cutting and it might warn them we are coming. There must be a way in and out, mustn't there?"
Kallin will take a quick look around to ensure the isn't anyone around waiting in ambush, or for any sign of a trap.
While the others were being busy with the plants Pethorn unsaddles and moves silently through the bushes trying to avoid an ambush similar to the one at the start of their journey. "It seams no one passed this way for a looong time. This could be a good sign... I'm worried about the donkeys passing through this though. "
Neither Kallin nor Pethorn seem to find a passable way through the thorns. As Pethorn disappears into the bushes to find another passage, Tresmeer loses sight of him. Not long after, everyone hears a small yelp as Pethorn is unceremoniously dumped back in their company by another set of briers. The thorns retract into the overgrowth and all appears as it was.
Kallin, confused about the nature of the vines, backs up slightly and casts a divination.
After casting his spell, Kallin will comment out loud, "Interesting."
Kallin will then stare intently at the plant, trying to discern more of its properties.
henry looks around. on the look out for more goblins or worse.
"Hrmm... these vines are the work of a druid. Now this is just a guess, but since undead and druids typically do not get along well together, I'm thinking that a druid has created this to prevent people from encountering whatever is on the other side. If we are unable to find a way past it, perhaps we should find the druids who have safeguarded the area with it -- I suspect they will have news about what is happening. Since this spell to create such a barrier is a fairly rare yet powerful spell, I'm guess that what ever is on the other side... its nothing good."
"Sounds good Kallin. You hurt son?" Tresmeer snaps off a small twig and shakes his head again. He helps the halfling to his furry feet.
"I doubt that druid will allow us entry easily when they use such a strong spell to seal in the village."
As you discuss, Henry spies a trail a few yards back that looks like it might lead somewhere.
"Good job Henry. Perhaps we should see where this trail leads?"
Henry heads down the trail sword drawn.
You follow the path until you spy a small hut. You do not see anything else around.