Valley of the Dead: Chapter 2 "Home of the sleepless"

[Dragonwriter]

Rufus halts and holds up a hand, open-palmed, to the distressed warrior. "Please calm yourself, milord. When we found the scouting party, they had been set upon by undead at a small farmhouse up ahead. This young woman was already slain by the time we got there. The half-orc and the elven woman know more about what happened, but from what they've said, there was little that could be done. The undead are once again destroyed and the murdered family laid to rest," he explains in a calm voice.

 

[Shayuri]

"The undead in the barn were in number, and powerful...some of them unclean spirits...others cloaked in the flesh of the dead," Mei-Ying said without rancor, greeting the priest's rage with unflinching calm. "Future scouting parties should be larger and prepared for greater danger as we progress through the Valley."

 

[Zerith]

[FONT=&quot]Zinerath, never bothering with a horse in the first place, had tasked himself with guiding the horse by the rains as they traveled, he was tired, from the fight, and his clothing was still covered in filth of both the natural and the unnatural verities and had taken back to his hood and cloak since they started traveling; when they were confronted he let go of the reins and stepped aside while nudging the horse forwards before stepping to the side and behind the rearmost horse of the parties horses [/FONT]

 

[Scotley]

"We encountered both Greater Shadows and a Ghoul of larger size than I have ever before encountered as well as a host of lesser undead which I put down with the power of Lathandar."

 

[Voda Vosa]

Thok remains in contemplating and respectfulness silence while the party scrutinizes the house, retrieves the bodies and buries them.
The ride back is pleasent, even with the stench of the gore covered demon lad and the corpse of the lady paladin. Thok twitched his nose from time to time, but that was all he did about that. Perhaps it made him remember the clan wars he had fought, the stench of the dead in the battlefield, the corpses smashed beneath the heavy orc iron boots.
As Sevenlakes makes a scene, and Rufus points out at him, Thok speaks up, with a voice so thick and booming that even the trained warhorses puffed and unsettled upon hearing it.
"Thok!" he pounds his chest with his clawed hand. "Great warrior. Thok saved elf, and others, who were cowards and run away. But good girl in armor was dead when Thok reached the not-dead. She was bold, and stupid, won't hear Thok advise, and now is dead. She was nice though." the crude truth escaping from Thok's mouth was like a mace hitting the red clad warrior in the head.

 

[Myth and Legend]

The man is clad in full plate and wields a shield, all made of an alloy that gives off a crimson gleam. Seven blue ovals on a green field are depicted on the coat of arms on his shield and breastplate, likely related to his house's name.

He approaches and removes his steel gauntlets, touching a lock of hair as he regards the lifeless body strapped to the saddle. He warily glances at the silent demon child but responds to Rufus, Geryk and Me-Yuing.

"A barn you say. A farmhouse then? Attacked by the undead... And Adelaide... How did she die? Where is her sword?"

It is then that Thok speaks, and galen turns to face him, wide-eyed with anger and with an expression of shock on his face.

"Stupid! You - he pauses and breathes out, regarding Rufus's damaged armour and Zinerath's clearly worn state. - hm. Perhaps I should allow you leniency as you seem to lack the necessary skill in speaking the Common tongue of Muirlane. Yes indeed, she was... "nice" and a good woman. A true paladin of Lathander, one who was following in both her father's footsteps and those of Lazarus. She was eager to prove herself and bold beyond reason. Peace be upon her."

Galen pauses and remounts his horse. The column had slowly been passing by, and more and more people who used to know the fallen paladin started to flock around them. The commotion was noted, even as conversations started humming about, and several different warriors or clerics asked the adventurers of what transpired, and how they were unable to aid Adelaide. More and more people mentioned Ferviel and a means to revive her back to life trough Lathander's favor. It doesn't take long for the Dawnbringer to ride back to the group, accompanied by Lazarus Trimenheim, the leader of this mission.

"Well, crap on a shiny stick! - mumbles the cleric of Lathadner as he regards the scene. His face resembles that of a man who is used to eating sour food and now tasted something even he found appalling. - Some scouting mission! Lazardus, if I may, we should pitch camp. It's getting dark and a perimeter must be set."

The paladin clad in golden plate regards the scene with is blue eyes, his face carved of stone but yet with a hint of sorrow and disappointment creeping in his gaze.

"Indeed Dawnbringer." - he turns towards the distraught warrior - "Galen - ride to the captains and let them know that we are stopping our march for today. Find a suitable location on elevated ground that is at least two hundred yards from anything larger than a shrub. See to the tents and make sure that a perimeter is established - torches, bells, stakes around the stables, the armoury and the provisions! The scouting parties will assemble in my tent as soon as they have tended to their tents, mounts and gear. You have two hours."

Ferviel sighs and dismounts his destrier. He approaches Adelaide's body and examines her wounds. "She has been rent asunder - bitten in the neck, and her chest opened up by claws. If I didn't know better I'd have said a bear did this. What in Lathander's holy name did you find?"

"Ghouls and Shadows is what Geryk said." Galen says dryly as he mounts his steed. He doesn't seem too impressed with the creatures.

"If a Ghoul did this then I'm the bloody Princess." Ferviel responds and looks at his fellow cleric. "Help me get her down, and tell me everything that happened. The rest of you - come with me, brother Tobias will see that your mounts and tents are attended to. You - he regards Zinerath with a penetrating gaze. - You need that filth washed off you. Step away from the others."

 

[Voda Vosa]

Thok smiled inside, as the crimson clad warrior ran out of words, knowing he, Thok, was right. Thok is indeed a great warrior, and an intelligent one.

"It was a big Ghoul." Thok declared, rising his hand a few inches above his own towering stature. Then with a rised eyebrow he adds "You not bloody enough, nor feminine to be Bloody Princess."

 

[Zerith]

[FONT=&quot]Zinerath smirked at the half orks closing comment, the like the blunt fellow’s mind set. Then the hawk nosed cleric made yet an other jab and order for him, Zinerath felt like
“Then I’ll return once I’m cleaned myself!” Zinerath chirped happily with a weary grin before sidestepping around ‘the other’s, and then cutting across almost directly under Ferviel’s nose, peaked a crimson eyed, gleeful glance at the cleric and whispered
“yet, we both know I’ll never be cleansed to your liking.” in a blitzing grinning celestial breath as he walked swiftly past.

He then left to hind a stream, or other source of relatively clean, and expendable water; after doing so he would, in order, make sure none was around, and it was safe, clean his weapon, his cloths, and then himself before dressing and returning to the others, more than likely, dripping wet and smelling like nature: a noteworthy improvement but an odor that would persist just long enough to ruffle Ferviel’s feathers while being able to call the cleric a hypocrite if the old crow spoke about it.

He doubted Ferviel would bite on the obvious bait, but he all but knew the old man’s reactions would be amusing![/FONT]

 

[Scotley]

"You would have to have seen the undead to appreciate their unusual nature. I've more than a little experience with such foes and I have never before seen greater shadows working in pairs. The ghoul was bigger than your horse. No ordinary foe. Adelaide died valiantly fighting an unexpectedly fierce foe, Lathandar rest her soul."

 

[Myth and Legend]

"Stop, you crud covered child!" Ferviel grumbles as Zinerath removes himself from the vicinity of the group. "I have no time to wait for you to take baths. A quick wash will have to do."

Without saying anything more, he states. "Great Lord of the Morning, provide us with refreshing water!" as he waves his hand with an outstretched palm. In an instant, water appears above Zinerath's head and further from him, above the meadow to the side. Some of the mercenaries and paladins exclaim in amazement, as the water starts falling, as if a heavy downpour was pouring from the heavens.

"There. Now, Geryk, Greater Shadows you say? They have always been solitary yes. But Ghouls can't inflict such heavy wounds nor rend trough mail. Their most effective weapon is the paralysis they inflict upon the victim. This thing mauled Adelaide like a beast of the wilds."

Ferviel examines Adeliade's wound once more and declares. "Help me bring her over, my tent should be pitched by the time we get to the campsite. There are some things I want to tell you away from the ears of others."

[sblock=spellcraft DC 16]Ferviel casts Create Water.[/sblock]