Gitana summoned the magical horses, and the group mounted up. You kept a wide berth around the city and the forts, not letting yourselves come into view from within the tall towers. This also meant that you had to take a more roundabout path, and you couldn't use the roads as you had hoped.
Nevertheless, the horses were fast, and the ground was level, so you made good time. After an hour, you were confident you had left the city behind you. You struck out to the northeast, following Gitana's magic. There was no road here, only a few charred remnants of old structures poking out from underneath the snow. Will talked quietly with Gitana, and seemed cheerful enough for now.
In the distance, you could see several hills rising. You weren't out of the Downs yet, and there might still be danger waiting for you. The horses vanished, and you walked on into twilight. Up on the hilltops, you could see scattered buildings, some of stone, others of wood. The burned out area clearly ended as the hills rose, and you might be in danger. There were no places to shelter unless you wanted to walk further into the night and climbed one of the hills.
"Hmm, a little travel in the dark won't kill us, and we can get to a much more defensible position. I say we head up one of those hills before making camp."
"What if there are monsters inside the houses?" Asked Will, whose horse had disappeared. "I can walk a bit farther, if we must, though my legs and back are already tired."
"If there are monsters inside the houses, they would come out at us anyway, so it would not matter where we are Will" - Hedrak replied - "Like Zordt said, a house, even if ruined, is a more defensible position. So I agree we should press forward some more"
"On we go then."
The group turned more sharply west and began to climb. It was tough going, and before long you were panting from the exertion, and had to open your cloaks, coats and hoods to avoid sweating. You made for a small cluster of buildings that was close by, some of wood, others of stone. There had once been a wooden palisade, a feature not found on most of the villages you'd passed through before crossing the valley. It was in ruins, only a few pieces of it still sticking above the snow here and there. There was no sign of any erstwhile gatehouse.
There was, however, a small stone building near the edge of the village, a good distance away from any other structures. It was a good candidate for your defense.
As you approached, you saw that the door was in good condition. Before you could enter, it swung open, revealing the horrors within. A tall dead man, face sallow, skin dry and taught around his skull, pointed at you. Lungs dried to parchment wheezed from within a cage of bleached bone. An ivory finger pointed straight at you.
The dead man's speech was slurred and warped, and it sounded like it was painful for him to speak. "Yyyyoooouuu...damnable priests...mmm....myy wwife!"
He held a spear, which he took with both hands as he approached you. Two bloated corpses stalked silently forward, overtaking him. They looked about the same as the ones you had faced down before.
The dead man with the spear, the one who had spoken, was clearly different from the others. Much of his flesh had rotted away, and what remained was stretched taught across his lean figure. His spear was at least eight feet long, enough that it might be difficult to get close safely. He had some patchwork armor, including a helmet, but it wasn't in very good condition.
Zordt sang a rousing song, making sure to stay behind Hedrak and Norde.
The two misshapen corpses charged forward, reaching with their dead black hands. The one on the left succeeded in grabbing ahold of Hedrak, raking at his exposed arms. Norde was able to fend off the other one for the moment. Behind them, the one that had spoken sprung forward suddenly, targting Hedrak, who was held by the monster that had struck him. It landed a blow to his chest, and though his mail held fast, the point of the monster's spear still hurt.
Will retreated behind Gitana, cowering silently.
Zordt continues his song and fires off two arrows into the one grappling his green-skinned friend!
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When the decision was made to approach the old house, Gitana drew her wand and fortified herself and Will with magical armor.
When the undead emerged from the house, she shunted Will to stay behind Zordt with a hand gesture. She tried to make out what the wheezy one said.
"He seems to think we're priests who did something bad to his wife." she said.
When the battle was joined, she moved to where she had a clear shot at the creature attacking Zordt and fired her crossbow.
(Range = 80 ft)
Her fingers squeezed the trigger too early in her eagerness to help in the fight. The arrow went over the enemy's head.
Norde rages and attacks the one that attacked him, which can also be hit by Hedrak...
x3
Zordt landed both his shots, and a moment later Hedrak landed a heavy blow, felling one of the two undead. Gitana's crossbow shot went wide, but Norde landed a heavy blow on the corpse that had attacked him, sending it reeling. He never let it get close enough to land a blow. The one with the spear, having failed to make an impression on Hedrak, decided to attack Norde instead. Clearly it was not so mindless as the others. It landed a solid thrust on the warrior, the point of its spear digging into the flesh beneath his mail.
Zordt continues his fletched onslaught...
With deadly efficiency!
Norde steps up and takes a swing at the leader...
x3
Zordt and Norde both managed to hit the spear carrying dead man. He reacted to the blows more like a living man than the others, flinching when he was hit and falling over after just a few blows. The last remaining foe was oblivious.
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With a growl, Hedrak swings at the last remaining creature.
Gitana reloaded her crossbow and fired again at the last remaining foe, but her shot once again went wide.
You had successfully vanquished two of the undead monsters, but the final one was unperturbed. It continued scrabbling silently at Norde, struggling for purchase. Finally it got a grip on his wrist and pulled him in, clawing at his face. He managed to rip himself away, but did not escape unscathed.
(Range = 80 ft)
Pew pew!
Gitana stepped right until she had a clear line on the remaining opponent. "Fire on your right," she yelled to warn Hedrak and Norde what was about to happen. Then she swept a hand toward the undead and said, "flăcări din degetele mele." She as she completed this incantation, she extended her fingers at the undead and watched as streams of flames swept over it.
DC 15 Reflex Save for half damage
Norde takes another swing at the remaining enemy...
x3
The monster nimbly dodged out of the way of Gitana's magic, only to be cut down by Norde. You glanced around for a moment, the thrill of battle still clouding your vision, but there were no more foes. For now. Only the broken and dismembered corpses of long dead men lying frozen on the snow, black blood spilled in every direction. Some of Norde's blood, fresh and red, mingled with it.
Will stood up. "Do you think there are more waiting inside?" He asked nervously. "And...do you think they'll smell the blood? It's lovely and fresh..." He wouldn't look at Gitana.
Norde's eyes came back into focus, and he bent over, left hand on his knees, right still holding his sword. "Give me a minute to catch my breath."
Will's comment made Gitana ponder his calling the blood lovely. She wondered if the tattoo would start to affect his mind.
Gitana applied a healing hex to Norde. Than she patted him on the back.
"Were you wounded Hedrak?"
"Let's see if this house can serve as a place to stay the night. I doubt anything else is waiting inside, but we can take our time checking it out."
”Thank you Gitana.”
"Not much better than sleeping outside, except it has a couple walls I suppose."
Will stood up. "Do you think there are more waiting inside?" He asked nervously. "And...do you think they'll smell the blood? It's lovely and fresh..." He wouldn't look at Gitana.
"Lovely and fresh..?" - Hedrak grunted, then turned to Gitana with a questioning look.
"Were you wounded Hedrak?"
"I am ok - Norde took the brunt of the attacks" - the half-orc replied with a pat on Norde's massive shoulder - "You are as resilient as they come my friend"
"Not much better than sleeping outside, except it has a couple walls I suppose."
"Maybe we can seal it a ways with something" - he looked around for debris which may assist in covering the hole, at least partially.
"Norde, think you can help me with moving some of the rocks into the hole, or pilling them on the outside? Then perhaps we can drag the large chest to place it in front of it and block out the cold"
"Well, unless the mindless undead were strategically holding reserves, should be good to go in now."
Norde helped Hedrak with moving things, wherever they needed moved, breaking things that needed broken, and shoring things up that needed shorn!
As you entered, the floorboards creaked and groaned. There was a cellar below, and an intact staircase which led down to it, but no signs of danger for now.
"Hm, I did not notice this place had a cellar - we will need to check it out when we are done up here" - Hedrak grunted to the others.
Norde reached out and grabbed Will's arm with a steely grip. "You'll do no such thing Will. Every time you get out of my site, bad things happen. If you want to rest, you'll do it right here."
Will looked up at the big man. "Fine." He tugged away from Norde and, once he was released, went to sit in a corner.
The noises outside continued.
Norde grabbed his sword. "Stay, here Will. Who is coming with me to check this out?"
"Patience, Will. Once we know everythings safe, we can get more comofrtable."
Gitana looked for window or a hole in the wall or door through which she could see what might be snuffling about. There were lots of scavengers who might be attracted to carrion. She reloaded her crossbow and kept it ready.
Norde grabbed his sword. "Stay, here Will. Who is coming with me to check this out?"
"Let's go" - Hedrak nods to his companion, and follows along.
Zordt announced, "best to use blades against this particular threat!" He then commenced his battle song, providing a +1/+1 bonus.
Norde winced as the creature struck him, but the hit activated his bloodlust, and he swung his sword back at the enemy...
x3
Gitana tried to remember if she had read about such a creature before.
She concentrates on the strange monster, trying to twist a threat of fate into hit's thoughts and cause it to doubt its own fighting ability.