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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ancalagon" data-source="post: 31100" data-attributes="member: 23">Greetings Here is the fifth session. We encountered a lady bard called Min (Galen is quite fond of her) and most of the  "DM`s comments" are her point of view. The logs are still written by King chicken (Oliver’s player, also the webmaster) but he changed his style to a more 3rd person point of view Wake of the Slayersession 5 21 Patchwall 580 CY Outside Delcouth and Errantkeep Prince Herrell was going to be late arriving at Errantkeep, that much was certain. An errand by Galen on one of the coach horses had created an unavoidable delay. Preparations were made to get underway and we began a long trek around Delcouth, the mysteriously closed town. Plague was the official reason, but that answer seemed to ring hollow. With everyone's help, and the Prince walking alongside, we got the wagon through the muddy fields and cart paths to the east side of Delcouth, where Prince Herrell continued on at best speed with one horse. Galen and Oliver went back to the site of the previous camp, where we set camp, waiting for the horse-chasing party to catch up. And catch up they did, straggling in at dusk, walking their horses. Torment looked very badly injured, with a scabby wound on his flank. Seeing everyone alive and well, we picked up our gear and made our best speed east to catch Prince Herrell. It was three hours after full dark before we reached their camp and dropped to sleep quickly after such an exhausting day. 22 Patchwall, 580 CY, Errantkeep We estimate we'll make Errantkeep by late afternoon barring any major problems. Prince Herrell sent one of the coachmen ahead on foot to carry word of our late arrival. Late afternoon found us on the outskirts of Errantkeep, and under escort from the town guardsmen. Our entry to the keep seemed anticlimactic, but our disappointment was tempered by our awe of the immaculate gardens inside the walls. All the bushes were sculpted into fanciful shapes and amazingly lifelike statues dotted the greenery. Not much time was given for us to browse, as we were ushered into the great hall for our introductions. Of course, the first honor went to our host, Prince Marrin, Descendant of Tekrhaal, First Mage of Ivid the IV. He was flanked by his beautiful daughter Sonata, and his champion Hehlev. We were introduced as well, as "Prince Herrell and his entourage". Galen started in on the Lady Sonata, hoping to try his luck, but was sent packing before he could even turn on his charm. Not to be discouraged by a minor setback, he thought he'd try again, this time with the entertainment. A woman with a rare violin, who introduced herself as Minn provided musical entertainment while Oliver and Isaac arm-wrestled to stay busy. Sonata drew our attention by consorting with a bald headed man in priest's robes. Our inquiries revealed his name was Luwarb. He was a priest of Baalzy, the Overking's approved god, the god of power/wealth/good fortune. The clergy is operated and funded out of the Overking's coffers. Isaac filled in what details he knew, mentioning he ran into the church of Baalzy at Chathold where they were burning people at the stake.  1 Galen, armed a little better, made another pass at Sonata and was rewarded with temporary interest, at least until Luwarb took over the conversation. During the course of the evening, Cedric was called over as a show pony, Herrell pointing out how open-minded he was and engaging Marrin and Luwarb in a kind of verbal fencing match. Luwarb tended to lead the conversation, with regard to how the peasants reacted to the different religions and what kind of influence they had on the people. It degenerated into a bit of a catfight, with Cedric and Luwarb taking potshots at each other. They ended it on a sour note, with Herrell almost inviting Luwarb to Munevar. But as a good politician, he managed to leave it ambiguous as to whether or not the Baalzite would be welcome. But as a priest, we can be sure that he'll ignore the hints and show up when he's least wanted.  2 Troubles In DelcouthMarrin told a chilling tale about Delcouth and why it is being quarantined. 3 "The Overking's men left Delcouth, barred the gates and gave over control to the troops from Errantkeep. The first group of soldiers, three men only, vanished. When the relief force arrived the town gates were open and bloody footprints led out of town. The Errantkeep's guard quickly shut the gates, barred them shut and set watch. The footprints were covered up and washed away. To date the guards still hear movements inside the walls." Minn's StoryAfter interrupting the Princes conversation, Minn mentioned that she'd heard rumors of a large treasury under the Keep in Delcouth. There were rumors of Delbin spending large sums to raise a mercenary army and carve out a larger principality. Prince Marrin and Herrell were discussing what to do about the Delcouth "problem". Herrell almost offered Dedric as a scout but Cedric pointed out it was "unwise" to risk the firstborn. At this point, Cedric offered Galen's services instead. Minn wrangled an invitation for herself and would aid us any way she could. Prince Marrin offered the land around the town of Cherrin to the Prince who could aid him in his problem, but it was done in such a circumspect way that not everyone caught it. The offer was pointed at Herrell. 23 Patchwall, 580 CY, Errantkeep and Delcouth Cedric brought the information of our commission the next morning. We're to travel to Delcouth to fix the problems. Isaac described the Evil creature in Delcouth Keep as "The Slayer." He is also of the opinion that the Slayer is probably north of Delcouth, rather than still inside the walls. By midmorning we walked out of Errantkeep on the road west. Minn was with us and she introduced herself to the rest of us. She says she's from the west, and was not forthcoming about anymore of her past. Oliver brought up his misgivings but was talked down by the rest of the party. Minn was sanctioned to be there by Prince Marrin to go here so we tolerate her silence. We arrived at Delcouth by late afternoon, and spent the last light gathering intelligence. Galen bent the guard captain to his will by pretending to a higher rank than he is. It seemed to work, though, the captain was a lot nicer to deal with since that time. 24 Patchwall, 580 CY, Delcouth Galen began a campaign to woo Minn, writing poetry and reciting it in her honor. The guards opened the front west gates of the town for us and we proceeded into the town, if it could still be called that. Every door was either missing or shattered inwards, and nothing stirred. Further investigation revealed bodies, in various states of damage, all desiccated from exposure for the last four months. And we pretty much figured out the fate of the missing guardsmen. Dead. We found their bodies in the town square. We cut the tabard off of one body as evidence and returned to our searches. Almost every house along the main street was empty of bodies, but as we traveled further from the center of town we found more bodies. Most had been smashed by an enormous force. Not to be stopped by a few smashed houses, we looked around the town square, where there was a raised stage. On the stage, near the center, was a tacky bloodstain, as though the blood was still fresh. We couldn't scrape it away, it penetrated the wood, and we couldn't wash it away. We were at a loss to describe why it was here, since we knew there was no one hiding nearby. Our searches also took us to a former park which had been turned into a kind of mass grave. Bodies were stacked like cordwood and scattered around the fringe. Further investigation turned up evidence that work had been done recently on the pit. This really put us on our guard. Our last search of the day took us to the Chapterhouse of the Order of the Raven. Moving from room to room we found two bodies attired in Raven Guard's uniforms sprawled on the dinner table. As though they'd fallen there or been placed. We dropped them on the floor and continued looking about. The interior looked tended and there was almost no sign of dust or damage which seemed to plague the rest of the town. Our searches took on an aspect of desecration, as we turned the place upside down looking for clues. Oliver had a theory that the Knights of the Raven would reanimate at night and continue in a mockery of their lives. We also supposed that no living creature would survive in the town at night and hit upon an experiment which might prove a few of these theories. To begin with we bartered with the guards outside for a chicken and staked it inside the walls, near where we set a blind to watch it. We placed a lantern near the chicken and waited for nightfall. As soon as night fell our lookout, Oliver, heard a noise inside the walls. A figure shambled into the circle of light thrown by the lantern. It was one of the Errantkeep guard's bodies from the town square! It proceeded forward to the chicken, ignorant of the watcher and grabbed the chicken by the skull, crushing it quickly. It started to walk away, still holding the chicken when our watchers started firing arrows into it. Isaac and Oliver reduced it to a walking pincushion, putting about six arrows into it before it walked out of our line of sight. We were more than a little unnerved by it's ability to shrug off that many arrows. 25 Patchwall, 580 CY, Delcouth Our searches focused on the town square today. Darcius and Isaac concentrated on the stage, trying to tear it apart. Starting at one end, the took to their task with vigor, but were shocked to discover that anytime they made a move toward the stage, they were seized with a terrible chill. It slowed their efforts considerably, and they were only half finished by late afternoon. Galen and the others started breaking bones and generally destroying the corpses around the town square. Galen also took some time to graffiti the stage and its surroundings. We grabbed one corpse and smuggled it out of the town, tying it to a tree, and we pegged the dead chicken in the same place as the night before, hoping it may rise again, and confirm our suspicions. Night fell and with it a terrible moan sounded over the entire town. The Errantkeep guardsmen were understandably nervous, we all were. Darcius and Isaac were on our scaffold looking into the town with slings at the ready, while Oliver, Galen, Minn and Cedric watched the corpse outside the wall in case it started to move. Not long after the moan a plank came flying over the wall, scrawled on it were strange characters Galen identified as Ancient Suloise. He read it aloud, "Defiler. When you tire of these games, face me." Isaac really wanted to take the battle into the town. Galen hastened to write a message in response and attached it to one of Isaac's arrows. "See you tomorrow, the play is closing forever". Cedric cast an orison, making the arrow glow with holy light, and Isaac launched it into town. It flew true, striking the stage in the center of town. We were awestruck at the skill required for such a feat. The light moved about in the center of town and eventually went out. Not long after, another plank flew over the wall, it read, "There is nothing you can do, I am beyond harm." Galen wanted Isaac to repeat his last shot, and wrote another message, this one read, "Come to the gate now." But Cedric couldn't make this one glow and it drew no response. And so ends session 5.  Next time:  Fighting the dead!Ancalagon DM's comments:1 :  This was on the way to Chathold, and not in the city itself.   Chathold is de facto independent from the Great Kingdom at this time.3 (Minn): During the party Oliver and Isaac got along fairly well with Marrin's men while Galen's antics were pointedly ignored by his embarassed father. 3: First Delcouth was taken over by the Overking's men when Delbin, Prince of those lands, was slain in what appeared to be some sort of very bloody coup. The Overking's men came in around a month later to find the town deserted and the lands ungoverned. Since Marrin was Delbin's closest cousin…</blockquote>

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