"Oh...well, I'm no sage or stargazer, but I can certainly add and subtract well enough," Lenora replies, a bit of confidence creeping into her voice.
She stops beside the old warden's manor and pries loose a few splintering boards. Lenora cradles the load in her arms and carries them the rest of the way towards the corner of the curtain wall that cradles her tower.
"A bit of wood for the fire," she explains.
Valeska helps Lenora as Sasha keeps watch.
Fear the Ustalavic night.
This is an axiom that many travelers through the seemingly cursed country have taken away with them, and you are soon given cause to agree.
As the slivered moon creeps towards the crown of the dark sky, you actually pass a peaceful couple of hours in Lenora's company. The campfire is warm and inviting, helping to ward away the night wind. Your hermit hostess softens her mood, her fear fading away in the company of new friends.
This is brought to an end as Sibeesha hustles through the gate, her feet carrying her as quickly as though she were chased. Her eyes briefly dart across the courtyard until she spots your campfire, and she then runs towards you.
"Please help!" she calls fretfully. "There's some manner of undead pounding upon the door of the Outward Inn, trying to force its way inside!"
In a moment, Faun is up on Ornmeil'lon's shoulders as it bounds towards the Outward Inn. She draws her bow and nocks an arrow. "Liikuta kiireesti, ystäväni"
Undead... lovely. Let's go... Lenora, join us. Help us and gain the town's trust.
Sasha will protect you. Valeska gets to her feet and moves out.
Curses, what manner of curse has been brought to this town? Kain asks mostly to himself before jumping into his saddle and urging Valere onward.
As Kain rides ahead, Sibeesha runs alongside the party and offers her observations.
"It appeared to be a zombie, but it showed intelligence. It moves with purpose," she explains between ragged breaths. "It marched towards the inn as though drawn to it. Sheriff Caeller and Councilman Hearthmount led a posse to put the creature down, but then it let loose a terrible shriek that left them all cowering and running in fear."
The town square is deserted, and you cannot even see morbidly curious faces watching from neighboring windows.
Kain will ride up to about 90ft away from the creature, glancing back towards the others as he does so trying to gauge the time it will take for them to catch up.
With no Idea what this thing is Kain ponders on what to do before deciding trying to stall may be the best course. He then shouts out to the undead creature, in an attempt to keep it from battering the door.
What is it you seek!
If it ignores Kain, he prepares to charge forward.
How did I survive this fire? Shontar ponders, while still supporting his friend and once-again-savior on the way back to town.
"We're in no good shape to fight another monster. Maybe I can snipe it from afar..."
In response to Kain's shout, the undead monstrosity tilts back its head and directs a terrible shriek towards the sky. A hoarse keening echoes forth from atrophying vocal chords and seems to rattle the windows and timbers of the village square.
The cavalier feels a niggling pinprick at the back of his brain, like a cold fear trying to take root, but it can find no purchase. The doughty veteran stands resolute. His legs do not buckle, and his arms retain their vigor. Kain knows no fear for this creature.
His companions were perhaps ten minutes behind him. However, hearing the wailing shriek waft across the sky above the village imparted an even greater sense of urgency in the party, hastening their pace yet further. They reason that it will now be five minutes more before they stand at Kain's side.
In the village square, the undead has briefly paused its assault upon the inn's door. It does not turn to face Kain, however. Instead, it stoops down and with rigid muscles it picks up a large stone and hurls it, sending it careening through the narrow window with a terrible crash.
tch... so be it. Kain urges Valere foward at the beast. He had hoped the creature intelligent enough to distract, yet that did not seem the case. He could not let it get inside. Inside he would lose the advantage of Valere and he would have to worry about the citizens.
He readied his lance as he neared the creature. He turns Valere about 10 ft past the creature.
Kain's mighty charge does not strike true. The undead creature lurches out of the way, and the cavalier's lance only shatters a half-empty rain barrel beside the inn's porch.
The undead's claw-like finger bones bite beneath Kain's greaves and tear at his muscle. What's more, the creature seizes hold of the cavalier's legs.
Rapidly descending the old, disused trail leading from the prison and into Ravengro, the rest of the party can espy the town square. It appears deserted, save for Kain upon Valere and the dark figure that must surely be the ravening undead.
As the creature approaches kain quickly lashes out with his spear hoping to throw the thing off balance.
Once it grabs his leg he tries to shake it off to no avail before urging valere to attack who rears up and kicks out with their hooves at the things head.
"It looks like our mounted friend is in trouble. Does anyone have enough range with a bow or a spell to help him?" Shontar is apparently ignoring the fact he's carrying a crossbow. He focusses on supporting his friend instead.
We'd risk hitting Kain... Valeska approaches along side Sasha and assessing her options.
Kain buries the head of his spear in the undead's shoulder as it lunges for him, but it does not slow the creature or keep it from grabbing the cavalier. One of Valere's hooves batters the creature in its chest, but its thickened, hide-like skin seems to resist much of the blow.
A blackened wound marks its chest, deep enough to expose ashen ribs and charred innards. With each grunt, the creature exhales a small plume of soot.
???'s HP: 55/76
The undead creature pulls Kain from the saddle and drags him a couple yards across the dusty road in front of the inn. All the while, its vice-like grip bruises the cavalier's legs and threaten to crush his bones.
"But we have to do something!" Shontar, responds frustrated. He releases the grip on Chao and grabs his crossbow.
Not much more than a warning shot, though.
Shontar's bolt plants itself firmly among the wooden shingles upon the slanted roof of the inn's porch. The sound at least provides a modicum of reassurance to Kain, heralding his allies' rapid approach.
Valere Headbutts the undead creature as it drags Kain off and away from it.
Invigorated by the knowledge that his allies are close, Kain redoubles his efforts. He stops struggling against the creatures iron grip and instead draws his sword as he shouts for his steed.
Valere! Flank! He swings his blade at the creature's arms just after Valere almost bowls over the undead creature.
The loyal steed's first swing of his broad head batters the undead, although it shambles on unabated. Valere's second headbutt is more easily evaded, but it serves to distract the undead enough for Kain to land a sword strike from his awkward, prone position that tears through the foe's tough skin.
???'s HP: 38/76
The undead keeps Kain in its grasp, but its bony hands move from Kain's legs to his throat, using inhuman strength to throttle him.
As the cavalier's vision begins to blur, he sees his allies enter the town square.
Chao sped up and charged the creature, helping his still new ally.
With a long jump, he tries to kick the undead in his legs and twist it around so that it lands away from Kain and closer to the approaching allies.
Valere continues to strike at the creature, Stamping at it with hooves and head trying to help his rider, as kain goes to strike another blow. As his allies show up and aid in distracting and harming the undead creature. Kain grabs his blade and draws it in, as the creature scrambles for a final purchase on his neck he goes for final desperate chop at the undead's neck as it all but leaps towards him. Hoping that beheading the creature would end it.
Valeska hurries into the fray with starknife in-hand, positioning herself to some advantage...
Sasha moves to attack and support the effort.
Chao lands his foot square on the back of the undead's kneecap, causing the creature to buckle and fall - releasing Kain's throat from its grasp.
Like a flash of starlight, Valeska is soon beside the writhing undead and pins it to the ground with a stab of her starknife.
Sasha grabs hold of one of the creature's thrashing legs, and Valere crushes the other leg - already weakened by Chao - with a powerful stamp of his hooves.
Kain rises as his allies hold the undead at bay, and with a decisive downward swing, he hews its head from its body.
As the echo of steel against bone and gravel fades like a ghost, the town square falls to silence again. The streets of Ravengro remain deserted, but you can feel eyes upon you from the many shuttered windows lining the square.
Okay, point made - I get it... this is a spooky place. Can we stop with the monsters, for a bit? Valeska seems to ask no one in particular as she gasps for air, ripping the starknife away.
Nice job everyone, she manages between breaths.
Kain stumbles to a knee after the group managed to fell the beast, he was bleeding heavily from his leg where the clawed finger had dug into it and wheezed heavily as he rubbed his neck where the creature had grabbed him. He only nods in response to Valeska. After a minute he manages to mostly steady his breath and stand, finally sheathing his sword.
I'll certainly feel this tomorrow. heh.
"Is it safe?" calls one of the patrons holed up within the Outward Inn.
With the inhuman moaning and pounding ceased, shutters begin to creak open and faces cautiously appear along the town square. The folk of Ravengro may not be apt to loud cheers, but the genuine smiles conjured upon faces used to misery and gloom bespeak their gratitude at your latest victory.
The inn door groans open upon its battered hinges. Miss Vai is the first to appear, defensively wielding a broom, closely followed by the dwarf woman Jorfa, clutching a small smithing hammer like a talisman.
"By the gods, it was Alain," Miss Jorfa wheezes as she looks down upon the undead's severed head.
This confirmation creates an audible wave of shock from the patrons still crowded within the sanctuary of the inn.
A professional smile on return. How long had the boy been missing?
Miss Vai and her regulars soon confirm that Alain, the young braggart, was last seen around the Outward Inn a few days ago.
Despite the condition of his body, worsened by both his transformation into undeath and the damage inflicted only moments ago, there is one particular wound that stands out. His chest bears a penetrative wound, as though skewered, that does not correspond to any of your weapons. This is made all the more evident by the scorching and blistering along the wound's edges. This confirms that Alain met his end not at the hands of his lover, Lenora, or his romantic rival, Edgrin, but rather by the burning blade of the Brimorak you slew back in the furnace room.
The question remains, however, why Alain would rise as an undead and march down to the Outward Inn. You have little time to ponder this question before an answer presents itself dramatically.
One of the inn patrons pushes his way forward. With much trepidation, he kneels beside the body.
"I'm sorry, my friend. I'm sorry I left you to die," he blubbers, quickly losing his composure. "I...when that thing...oh, by the gods..."
The man, presumably Edgrin, loses his words as they die, choked in his throat against his guilt and grief.
When Faun finally arrives, having been delayed when Ornmeil'lon stumbled over some rough uneven stones on the road, and upon witnessing the man crying over the apparently undead, well, formerly undead body of Alain, her eyes narrow.
Miss Jofra, why was he looking for you?
Faun recognizes that Edgrin's emotion is sincere. Whatever transpired between he and Alain in the old prison, culminating in one man fleeing for his life and leaving the other, his friend, to die - it has left the living man before you quite distraught.
"I don't think it was here for me," the dwarven woman replies, her voice little more than an awed whisper. "I think poor Alain rose from the dead to settle a score with his friend there," she says, tipping her hammer in Edgrin's direction, though striving to remain subtle about the gesture.
"I've heard of such creatures. When a body dies and the soul feels that its been terribly wronged, it may rise to visit blood and mayhem upon the one who earned its undying ire."
The smith's eyes dart this way and that, nervously, before speaking again in just as hushed tones.
"We'd best call upon Father Grimburrow to consecrate these remains, lest Alain rise again."
In a gentle voice like honey, kneeling before the dwarven woman, Faun intones, "That sounds like a swell idea. Do whatever you think best."
Then, her eyes narrow, not in an accusatory or suspicious angle, but simply a face of sudden seriousness, but also a few lines that suggest sympathy and understanding. Turning her gaze towards Edgrin, placing a hand on his elbow,
"Come. We should talk."
She stands, and leads the way, never releasing the gentle grip on his elbow, towards the Outside Inn. She'll gesture to the others as well to come. If he complies and doesn't resist, she'll find an empty room where they can talk, or ask if one of the others wishes to volunteer their chambers.
Even with the creature slain, few of the inn's patrons feel like continuing their evening out. Thus, the crowd quickly clears - with more than a few offering hand gestures in reverence to Pharasma as they pass the mangled body. In addition to the party, only Edgrin, Jorfa, Sarianna Vai, and Lenora remain.
.....
Back inside the Outward Inn, with a melodic sigh Miss Vai begins rearranging the benches and tables that had been barricaded against the door and windows to ward away the undead attack. Edgrin plops down upon a stool and buries his face in his hands. Nevertheless, the quiet of the abandoned common room and the party's comforting presence restore a sense of calm upon his mind.
"When he asked me to meet him at the prison, I feared he would challenge me to a duel," Edgrin speaks, his words muffled by his palms before he finally races his face. "I'm no fighter. If it came to that, I would've just put Lenora aside and left her to his care.
"He scarcely got a word out before that fiery goat beast leapt out and attacked. We both ran, but he tripped. I just ran."
Kain listens quietly, his wounds keep him from speaking much, particularly the one inflicted on his throat. However he does manage to say in a hoarse voice If you had went back, it is likely both of you would have died. It was a fearsome beast, it took many warriors and some luck to best it. Try to live you life for both of you. Don't let it go to waste now.
Shontar was clearly uncomfortable in a situation where sensitivity is asked for, but eager to contribute something. As always.
"ahm, hey, not you fault! And, uh, Kain is right."
Chao tried to put on a comforting smile and nodded.
"Calm down. And start at the beginning. Let's start with how long you knew Alain, and how long you knew Lenora."
"Yes, we know Lenora," she says in response to his questioning look. "She's very sweet, and utterly terrified."
"Alain and I were born and raised here in Ravengro," Edgrin begins, swallowing the lump in his throat. "We knew each other before we even knew words or how to walk. Lenora...she arrived about five seasons back. We were both immediately taken by her. She was so unlike any of the girls around town. We both courted her, but it soon drove a wedge between us."
Kain again listens closely but says little.
We should inform Alain's kin and kith. The church will need to sanctify him, most likely.
Who will step forth and be a runner? Local feet are the fleetest.
Valeska looks around, for takers.
We collectively, meaning all of you with our help are turning a corner... the situation will gradually improve, and from time to time a setback. If we work together, we can improve life here in Ravengro.
But you must want it. Enough to set aside differences and work for it, give it your time and out your backs into it.
Runners?
A boy of about twelve readily volunteers to fetch Father Grimburrow over at the partially burned Temple of Pharasma. This young runner is Pevrin Elkarid, the oldest son of the tavern keeper Zokar, and local "Post Boy." As you have observed over the past few days in Ravengro, there are five large posts jutting out of the ground. The Post Boy's duty is to tack messages and handbills upon the posts, notifying the residents of news both momentous and banal.
Lenora, Edgrin, Miss Vai, and many of the other locals close at hand shy away from bearing the grim news to Alain's kin.
"It is a heavy burden, but I accept that it by needs falls to me," Councilman Hearthmount declares, somewhat nervously stroking his pencil-thin mustache. "I rue that I was not fast enough to put Alain to rest myself, but I can at least do this much."
Between the simple post boy and the senior council member, representing the spectrum of folks in Ravengro, the locals take charge of their affairs once again. The Pharasmin church soon takes custody of Alain's remains, and his surviving kin are comforted by their neighbors. Nevertheless, everyone knows who defused this dire situation, and your role as outsiders fades all the faster.
While sitting in the common room, enjoying a much needed dinner, Chao's face is still in pain. One wouldn't even notice, because of his silence, but he's not keeping a straight face.
Kain stops Father Grimburrow before just before he leaves.
Father Grimburrow, I don't know if you can, but, if you have any healing capabilities gifted by the divine it would be a welcome boon for our group... It has been a rough day for all.
Grimburrow raises his brass symbol of Pharasma's spiraling comet. A pulse of positive energy washes over you.
Seeing only the slightest of your injuries healing under his ministrations, he furrows his bushy gray eyebrows in frustration. His bony wrist raises the brass symbol more insistently, and another wave of energy pours into your wounds.
Kain nods and gives Grimburrow a friendly squeeze on the shoulder. Thank you, it is greatly appreciated. After making sure everything else was more or less in order, Kain would turn in for a well deserved rest.
Chao's face and posture immediately relax and he starts eating slightly faster. The pain is no longer hindering his appetite.
During dinner, Shontar struggles trying to claim the kill of the undead. He gets lost in flimsy arguments how his crossbow bolt didn't totally miss and eventually gives up. But it might have been a slightly amusing story for the others to listen to.
When Kain stands up to leave for his room, Shontar and Chao join in and go to bed as well.