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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wicht" data-source="post: 583392" data-attributes="member: 221">Chapter 24 – Elias’ FortTrue to his word, the Sheriff allowed Tilliana and the boys to keep whatever they wanted from both the barn and the house belonging to the cult.  Tilliana reclaimed the Demon Stone, which the cult’s leader had been using as a sacrificial altar and from which he had been summoning demons when Tilliana and the boys had barged into the barn.  A search of the house turned up the other things stolen from them as well as a good deal of money and some valuable art and gems.  Tilliana presided over the sale of these things and sent to Geanavue for a suit of high quality plate armor with the money she made.In addition to the material possessions they had acquired, a search of the house used by the cult also turned up documentation showing that the cult had been a part of a smuggling ring for ingredients in black rituals and dark magics.  They had received shipments from the orcs in the old keep and had sent them on to the coast. Tilliana sent these papers to Geanavue as well for the men of the Watch there to go over.  The matters of business were interrupted by the arrival of Alairic, Niccolo and Kinshag.  A query as to where they had been for ten days caused Alairic to blush.“Someone got us lost,” said Niccolo staring daggers at the paladin who kicked his feet and mumbled something incomprehensible.They spent another week in Terfiindel whilst the dwarven smith Tilliana was dealing with custom fitted a suit of armor for her.  It was lighter in weight than normal plate and allowed her to move easier.  But it was also magnificent in its appearance and when it was done and she donned it, she appeared resplendent and knightly.They left Terfiindel on the 16th of Declerations. Their destination was the area settled by Tilliana’s father and his friends.  Tilliana left Jozz and Kall behind to watch over the remaining bulk of her money and to help restore some semblance of order to the poor town.  She drove a new wagon, packed with all manners of new equipment.  Prancer walked behind the wagon and her companions rode their horses.  Any semblance of maintained paths soon ended and the going became slower, especially for the wagon.  They made camp that night and then continued onward in the morning.  Though the area was not heavily wooded, shrubs and tall grass grew unchecked.  They traveled for most of the day until finally, about two hours before dusk, they saw ahead of them the ground start to become more mountainous.  They could see a waterfall above them and to the north, about four miles in the distance.  They stopped to consult Tilliana’s map.“There was a castle,” said Tilliana, “built above a waterfall.  Its marked here by the bat and the words, evil only sleeps.  I say we head that way and we will soon know if we are in the right area.”That sounded good to the others and so they began to steer in the direction of the still distant falls.  None of them heard the wolves surround them.There first warning was the rustling of grass as four large wolves charged in, two on each side.  Two of them rushed at Prancer, tied as she was to the back of the wagon.  The other two charged Alairic and his horse, their jaws snapping at Trance.Prancer screamed and reared at the wolves biting at him.  One of his hooves connected with one of the wolves, knocking it back.  And then Tilliana was leaping over the back of the wagon and jumping to the ground next to her warhorse.  Razor-tongue flashed through the air and in seconds both wolves were dead.  Alairic’s horse also reared as one of the wolves bit him and Alairic was forced to hold on tightly, unable to draw his blade.  Two-socks, Niccolo’s wolf companion growled and charged at one of the wolves.  They rolled together on the ground and then Niccolo was riding in close, sword out.  He swung down and the strange wold was dead.  Kinshag drew his sword and tried to run down the fourth wolf.  But the animal ducked away from the charge and moved in once more to attack Trance.  It never got the chance.  Tilliana rushed from besides her wagon and Razor-tongue ended the life of the remaining wolf.  Two-socks rolled to his feet, sniffed the carcass of the dead wolf and then trotted over besides Niccolo.  “Wow, Tilliana,” said Alairic, “Three of them.  Leave some for us!”“Did you see that?” said Niccolo.“What,” said Tilliana and Alairic.“Yes,” said Kinshag.“A flash of white, over there, in the growth.  Something small.”  Niccolo walked over and examined the ground where he had seen the movement.“It had to be a small creature, but I see no tracks,” said Niccolo as he scanned the ground.  Shaking his head he returned to the other three.Alairic laid his hands on Trance and healed the wounds of horse.“Shall we continue then?” said Tilliana, climbing up once more into her wagon.  They had only gone another half a mile however before they met another small obstacle.  Marching towards them from the north they saw a squad of ten animated skeletons.  There was no mistaking the intent of the undead.“Wait and leave them for me,” said Tilliana, standing in her wagon.  The other three pulled their horses to a halt and watched the skeletons draw closer and closer, moving with an unholy energy.  Tilliana lifted her divine focus and as soon as the skeletons charged in at the four she called upon Naemae.  A burst of divine light shone forth from her focus and all ten of the charging skeletons burst into dust at the same time, a dust that moved forward with the momentum of the charge and then was scattered on the wind.Tilliana sat back down.From ahead of them and to the left there came suddenly the sound of someone cursing softly and then the sound of quick movement.  Straining to see, however, revealed no one to be there.“That’s strange,” said Alairic.***************************They traveled only a bit further and they found themselves atop a gently sloping hill.  At the bottom of the hill, traveling through a small valley was a stream.  The remnants of houses dotted the hillside and across the stream atop another hill was a small fort.  Behind the fort grew a wood.  There was an old mill by the stream, it looked to be in disrepair, and about halfway up the hill, in the midst of the abandoned settlement was the remains of a grain silo.  Surveying the scene, Tilliana noted, “We could cross the stream and spend the night in the fort.  Its walls would give us some shelter.”But there seemed to be no way of crossing the stream save swimming.  The remains of a bridge could be made out, but it was long past servicable.  “We only have an hour till nightfall,” said Niccolo, scanning the sky.“We don’t know how deep the stream is,” said Alairic, “I say we camp down by the stream, just past the ruined houses.”They traveled slowly down the hill, passing the shells of houses long empty.  A few of them still sported walls, but many of them were just piles of collapsed walls and rubble.  They stopped and began to make camp.  Alairic led the horses to the stream and let them drink.  Niccolo bent and spoke to his wolf, two-socks, and after a brief exchange he sent the wolf to scout out the area.  Kinshag gathered wood and began lighting a fire.“Let’s set up some defenses,” said Tilliana, “I have a good supply of Caltrops in the wagon.  Let’s set them up around the camp.”“I’ll do that,” said Niccolo.“I also have bells,” said Tilliana.  “We can fasten them to ropes and set them up around the camp to ring if anyone approaches.”Tilliana went to arrange the bells.  Niccolo started with the caltrops.  The shadows lengthened as the sun descended past the horizon.Niccolo was almost done laying the caltrops when he smelled something.  He was just west of the others.  Looking up, the smell hit him almost at the same time as he became aware of a small host of foul looking creatures rushing at him noiselessly.  He recognized them as ghouls, nine of them.  The smell was foul and strong, nearly overpowering.  He struggled not to retch and drew his sword just as the first was upon him.  The thing was thin and scabrous with glowing eyes.  It charged at him, its teeth bared.  Barrelling into  Niccolo the undead flesh eater bit him, tearing past the half-elf’s chain shirt and drawing blood.  Niccolo felt his muscles freezing and fought to move.  But it was no good.  He was paralyzed.The others however were swift to respond.  Running as fast as he could, Alairic covered the distance from the stream, up the slope, pulling out his divine focus.  Tilliana was right behind him.  Alairic cried aloud and divine light poured forth from his silk symbol of Naemae.  Five of the ghouls turned to flee.  Tilliana did the same and with a scream, the ghouls began to melt and burn, even those that had started to flee.  All except for the one that had bitten Niccolo.  Stronger and more fell, it snarled.Kinshag rushed at it, great ax at the ready.  The monster turned quickly to meet this new threat and bit at Kinshag even as the ax descended.  Kinshag cried aloud as the thing bit him and his ax missed its mark.  Another bite and a scratch of its deadly claws caused Kinshag’s muscles to tighten and freeze.  Alairic covered the rest of the distance and swung his sword down.  There was a flash of holy energy as the blade connected with dead flesh and then Tilliana was there, swinging Razor-tongue.  The creature fell to the ground unmoving.  When Niccolo and Kinshag were able to move again, Niccolo traced the tracks of the ghouls back to the old mill.  But as it was getting dark he decided not to go in.  Instead he returned to camp and finished laying the caltrops.  Then, taking the ropes Tilliana had prepared with the bells, he began to tie it down.Alairic watched Niccolo work for a moment and then commented, “Shouldn’t you lay the bells on the other side of the caltrops, just past them in a wider perimeter.”Niccolo stared at the Paladin for a moment and then with a groan of frustration he undid what he had done and started again.  In the meantime night had truly and deeply come.</blockquote>

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