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Message: <blockquote data-quote="peteyfrogboy" data-source="post: 1259614" data-attributes="member: 5677">Murder In A Small TownI don't know if anyone's still reading this, but if you are, thanks for putting up with the long wait!***Parika banged on the door. "Hey, is anybody in there?"After a few heartbeats, the door opened a crack, a locking chain could be heard rattling as it opened, and a wary eye peeked out. "Who's there?" The eye looked over the battered travelers, then back to Parika. "You shouldn't be out at night." The door closed and they could hear the chain being removed. The innkeeper opened the door again and ushered them in quickly before closing and locking the door behind them."What are you so afraid of?" asked Rachel. The innkeeper wrung his hands nervously. "We thought it was over." He shook his head. "Since the thaw began, we've had a rash of murders here in town. Not normal killings, mind you -- we see those from time to time -- but horrible, gruesome mutilations. A Manhunter came last week and caught the murderer. We thought it was all over when he went to the gallows, but two nights ago the murders started again, worse than ever. No one's safe outside at night now.""Are you sure you hung the right man?" asked Parika.He nodded. "No doubt about it. He confessed to all of it, even showed us bodies we hadn't found yet. Sure enough it was him. And we all heard his neck snap when they hung him. We're cursed, I tell you."The companions exchanged uncertain glances. As much as they wanted to help the unfortunate citizens of San Frinalo, they were on a strict deadline that was already looming dangerously close. Parika turned to the innkeeper. "I wish there was something we could do, but we really need to get back on the road as soon as possible. We were really only stopping to pick up a couple of fresh horses.""Can't say as I blame you," said the innkeeper. "I wouldn't want to stay here either. I'll sell you two horses for a hundred and fifty crowns. If I'm still alive in the morning, maybe I'll take the money and leave myself." Money changed hands, and he directed them to the stable out behind the inn. There was no guarantee given on the condition of the horses.***The half moon ducked in and out of the clouds as the five travelers made their way around to the back of the inn. The alley was not especially narrow, but the two story inn on one side and the high wall of the town's church made the space feel somewhat claustrophobic.As Nevroth passed the rear of the church, he was surprised to see three figures walking toward them through the graveyard. "Funny, I thought everyone in this town was afraid to go outside," he muttered to himself.Parika came up beside the perplexed Manhunter just as the moon made a fleeting appearance in the sky. The pale light revealed an unhealthy pallor to the advancing trio. Moreover, it showed one of them to be wearing a noose about his neck. The half-elf reached for an arrow.The distance between the two groups closed rapidly; swords and claws were bared and blooded. Aside from an obscure ballad about undertakers that came to Delthic's lips, no words were spoken as justice was visited once more on the murderer and his two most recent victims. Nevroth was slashed several times by the claws and teeth of the restless dead, and Rachel felt her body stiffen as though she were cold and in the grave herself.Ferocious though they were, the creatures were no match in the end for arrow, blade, and magic. There was no fanfare for the heroes' efforts that night, but they did end up getting their horses for free.DM Notes:* This whole encounter was really just a baroque way of saying "you get attacked by three ghouls".* Not all undead are the products of ambitious necromancers. Some are just people too evil to stay dead.</blockquote>

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