Sean Shamshara's account of Undead in the Market
Score: 343 | 4/15/19 |
Sean Shamshara's Journal.
21st Strassa, 1517
Arriving at the pool, Vyktor used the blue crystal provided by Magnic to delve deep into the energy of the place. Our caution about the risk of using the stone did not come to pass, and no evil was apparent. Worried that all was not as it seemed, Valteri suggested we go into the pool, to ensure there wasn't some trick showing us closed doors when in fact there were horrors streaming in. Of COURSE, however, with his wings he couldn't do it. The guards were absent, so dropping my pack I swam into the cold, pure water. The doors and pool were only more wet and cold when experienced directly. Seeing no source for the sickness in the land, we set off for the hall of Justice to inform Sheyloon of what we had found this far. In the marketplace, however, my sharp elven hearing picked up an all to familiar sound.... The undead. Running ahead, hoping the rest of my companions were behind (all but Boris were, at least), we came upon a huge hulking undead creature, and a rotting corpse similar to what we had seen in the graveyard. They were in battle with a couple of unfamiliar guards of the Kaer. Leading with a swift arrow from my bow, we came as fast as we could to their aid. It was soon clear that this was something new, one of the guards referred to it as a "Cadaver-man". It was fearsome and terribly strong, striking in all directions at all in it's path. Valteri was almost eviscerated, and Boris was struck many times, thankfully magical armor was placed on him in time. A well placed arrow knocked the smaller ghoul off it's feet, and as one of the guards was killed the prone ghoul was killed (again) as well. Two other guards also heard the fray and ran up, one of them falling to join his friend. Even surrounded this terrible creature was a force to be reckoned with. It finally met it's end, fitting for an undead creature, from an Astral Dagger flying true. Surrounded now by only friends and the bodies of friend and foe, we took stock of our wounds. The fiery blood of the troll cleaned up many of his smaller wounds, and the two remaining guards were unhurt. Valteri was another matter. The investment in medical supplies that he had made in me was paying off, with his wound being sutured, the better to heal. He was still in poor shape, but better then before. While I attended to his needs, Boris and Vyktor spoke with the original guard that had survived the ordeal. His name was Jimothy, he said the creatures had burst from a house nearby in the Kaer. We asked what a Cadaver-man was, but it was his friend Mike that had said the word, and fallen at it's hands. It was clear the house we needed, from the destroyed front door. We were discussing going inside when Boris told us the front room was empty, and to hurry up! Somehow the adrenaline riddled troll with a huge ax had snuck by us all to check it out. Following him in, we found the rooms rustled up, and a few smatterings of blood, but no residents. The bed in particular looked as though the ghoul was sleeping in it, or worse.... That the person sleeping there was a ghoul. Going next door we woke up a dwarf woman and her husband. We were told that the Baerk brothers, farm hands that worked nearby, lived there..... A short journey later and the neighbors confirmed that these monsters were the friends and neighbors that had been seen just the day before.... Roger had even given cookies to the kids, which we said might be best discarded given the events of this night. We tried to give words of hope, but hope seemed in sort order. We set off to complete the trip back to the Hall of Elders, where we found Ghenis and Kergnon had joined Sheyloon and Elder Meshra. Kergnon was holding a hand hatchet of all things, but Ghenis had a book where he had found more lore about the mass of tentacles that lived in Elder Meshra. A "Maggot Mask" is a horror construct that forms and lives in a host, often killing it. Some hosts, however, are able to expel the infestation, although if it is not killed it will poison others, that then die only to rise again as undead monsters. The Baerk brothers were these, the same with the woman from the graveyard. It also then spreads a Toxic Blight into the ground and water to infect others. It seemed that a Toxic Blight was what started the recent plague in the Kaer. Finding one of these Toxic Blights might allow Ghenis to form an antidote, to help the ill people in the Kaer. We spoke a few more minutes with Kergnon about the hatchet, finding it to be a weapon of some renown, the Blade of Kamdoon. It was used in a prior scourge by a simple farmer, going with him to win such renown that it grew in power itself. Tales of heroism could have gone the night, but rest from our labors seemed best. In the newly endless night we might loose track of time, but night had indeed come, but the morning seemed unlikely to bring better tidings.
Legend Points awarded:
- for author (Sean): 50
- for participants mentioned (Vyktor, Boris, Valteri): 25