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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Capellan" data-source="post: 707184" data-attributes="member: 6294">"Hooberan's Stockade" by Wicht  - Part 15The next building turns out to be a charnel house.The family that lived here had no less than five children, and the bodies of all five are strewn about the lower floor of the building.  Each of the bodies has been mauled and partially consumed after death, but it is obvious from the contorted expressions on the faces of the sprawled bodies that they were hunted through the house and murdered.Twinkle dashes back outside, hand covering her mouth, as the Padre slams his fist against the wall.  He glances at Mantreus, and the usually flippant rogue looks back with a haunted expression, knuckles white as they clench around the hilt of his sword.  Finally, Mantreus speaks,"Burning was too good for this guy."As the Padre nods his agreement, the group begins to head up the stairs.  Stormstrider and Elspeth take the lead, with the still greenish Twinkle the last in line.  Moving as quietly as they can, the group makes it onto to the upper floor, and walks slowly along the hallway.  There are several closed doors leading off the area, but also one that stands ajar.  This open door gives a clear view of the master bedroom, and that is their first destination.Just as Elspeth reaches the room, however, one of the other doors bursts open, and three ghouls come swarming into the hallway.The undead beasts charge forward,  tearing and clawing at the adventurers, but the Company is not in a mood to be trifled with.  The Padre reacts first, first bodily checking the lead ghoul, then slamming his mace into its skull.  Any living creature would have been felled instantly, but the ghoul is only staggered, and rakes the cleric with one of its claws.  Fuelled by adrenaline, the Padre shrugs off the numbing effect of the creature's paralysing touch.Beside him, Stormstrider and the second ghoul are trading blows at a furious rate, both bleeding from several light wounds already.  Mantreus also steps into the fray, lancing the ghoul in the side with his blade.As the third ghoul gashes Sirdros with its claws, apparently recognising the cleric as a major threat, the Padre hammers his opponent once more, driving it to the ground with the force of his blow.  Stormstrider and Mantreus continue to work on their opponent: Stormstrider trying to keep it busy while Mantreus' sword again draws blood.Even Twinkle has scampered into the fray by now, slashing at the legs of one of the ghouls as she circles to try and pin it between Sirdros and herself.The ghouls are not done, however.  Angered by the second sting from Mantreus, the first remaining ghoul turns on the rogue, tearing into his flesh with both claws and following with a bite to his shoulder.  Mantreus crumples to the ground even as Stormstrider cuts down the ghoul."Sirdros!  Help him!" Elspeth gestures to the fallen rogue, then leaps forward to drive the third ghoul back before it can savage Twinkle in the same way.  Pressed by the elf, the undead staggers too close to the Padre, who swings his mace double-handed into its back, smashing its spine and dropping it twitching to the ground.Sirdros channels healing energy into Mantreus, and the rogue is soon on his feet again.  The combat has released some of the tension from the adventurers, and they give one another pleased grins at their victory.  They have won some revenge for the children downstairs, and lifted a weight of gloom off their own shoulders.Kicking the bodies aside, the group continues their exploration of the house.  It proves to be empty of further occupants, though they do discover an exquisitely crafted longbow and an armourer's mannequin garbed in well-fashioned studded leather armour."I could use this." Elspeth remarks, examining the armour on the mannequin."Why do you get it?" Mantreus asks automatically, without looking up from where he is scrabbling under the bed in search of anything valuable.  Elspeth raises her eyebrows as she stares at the breast cups of the armour, which has obviously been sized for a woman."I don't think it would fit you very well." She replies impishly.  Mantreus glances up, sees the elf poke one of the cups with her finger, and shrugs his response,"That's OK.  It's not my colour, either."</blockquote>

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