You've spent a day and part of a night resting and recuperating, and are now sitting in Molly's tavern, enjoying a round, discussing your recent adventures, and totalling up your loot.
Outside, both moons are high in the sky, and nearly full, giving plenty of illumination. This is the kind of night called a 'Witches' Night', when all manner of evil things are reputed to walk abroad. The village of Dorias sleeps peacefully, although most have shuttered their doors and windows against the recent evils.
Sharif says, "Well gentlemen...what now?"
Thorn says, "I can't see going back at least until morning."
Sharif says, "That is sensible."
Rooker says, "I think that daylight is probably the best way to see the ruins."
Molly, the Tobon innkeeper, pours you some more ale, and brings two new loaves of brown bread and some wheels of cheese. Nothing's too good for the local heroes.
Sharif says, "While we are outside....the problem is that the ruins are under ground."
Rooker says, "Are not the undead less active in daylight hours wherever
they lie?"
Thorn says, "Sharif is there no magical way to get daylight down there?
At least a little?"
Sharif says, "True."
There's a furious whinnying sound from outside, at the stable across the small town square. Then a thump, thump, as if the horses locked inside are kicking something.
Rooker looks anxiously back and forth between Thorn and Sharif. "That doesn't sound good."
Sharif says, "I could cast a Light spell which could help a little."
Thorn gets up from the table and starts for the door.
Sharif follows Thorn.
Glancing quickly at Sharif, Rooker follows Thorn out of the tavern
Thorn says, "We had better check this out friends."
Across the square, the door to the stable bursts open, and a herd of terrified horses race from the stable and kick up against the corral fence that surrounds it. A horrid orange light floods from the stable...it's afire, with flames gouting from the open door and rafters.
Thorn draws his sword and heads out the door.
Rooker runs for the corral to let the horses out.
Thorn hurries to help him.
Sharif sprints across the square.
The horses are shrieking in fear, as a crowd of sleepy eyed villagers, farmers, and the local ladies in the hospitality industry begin to rouse. It's just before midnight.
Thorn says, "Careful this may be a trap of some kind."
Rooker says, "Right. Watch my back, I'll let the horses out."
The corral gate opens easily as Rooker swings the latch. The dozen or so Balagrim horses clatter on through and race down the street, headed for the small stone bridge over the creek that leads out of town.
Thorn scans the surrounding area for any signs of attack.
From your vantage point, you see the thatch in the tavern roof has caught and
is now aflame.
There's a woman's shriek from the red light house that adjoins the tavern. No
wait, more shrieks.
Thorn yells, "Sharif the tavern is on fire!
Sharif says, "What evil is this??"
Sharif races back towards the tavern to assist.
Rooker follows Sharif.
Thorn scans the roof tops for signs of intruders.
Rooker looks around the area for rain barrels or horse troughs, anything that holds water to fight a fire.
The upper story of the tavern, where the guest rooms are is just beginning to catch. Molly asks Sharif, "What is happening?" as he enters.
Sharif stops suddenly, motions with his arms..."Show me what is responsible!"
The tavern alley has about a dozen empty wine casks, about 1x2'. that were to
be refilled soon.
A lurid orange glow from Sharif's spell illuminates half a dozen shambling figures that are staggering across the square.
Molly yells at Rooker, "The creek! We can refill them from the creek!
Sharif says, "Rooker! A more immediate threat than the fire confronts us!
Look!"
Thorn is closest to them. They have the rank aroma and fetid clothes of ghouls. Skin hangs off their bony frames in patches, and they moan in some ghoulish language.
Rooker yells back to Molly; "Get all of the men together and put out the
fire. We've got work to do!"
Thorn draws his bow and prepares to fire on the glowing figures.
Rooker draws his daggers and readies them for throwing.
Molly does her part and gives orders to some of the farmers.
Thorn charges the glowing ghouls letting out a load battle cry.
Daggers gleaming in the fire's light, Rooker charges into the crowd of ghouls, echoing Thorn's battle cry with a howl of his own.
Sharif says, "Don't let them touch you!"
Sharif runs up behind Rooker ...but keeps a fiar distance and readies a spell
Rooker cuts his foe down, and Thorn's black blade slices the head clean off his opponent. It rolls to a stop at Sharif's feet.
The ghouls have at Rooker and Thorn, claws and jaws snapping and slicing.
Rooker falls back under the onslaught of the ghoul, who draws blood. The jeweled ring on his hand flickers in the moonlight and he rolls safely to his feet.
Thorn's opponent misses completely.
Four ghouls now remain, and, sensing blood, press their attack.
"They're over here!" comes a shriek from the second story of the bordello.
"They're getting in!"
Rooker and Thorn hold off their foes, back to back in the town square.
Thorn presses his attack on the ghoul.
Rooker howls his anger into the night and thrusts his daggers at his attacker.
Sharif motions his hands and creates a magic weave to hurl at the undead beasties!
Rooker stabs his foe in the eye, plucks his dagger from the socket and goes after the next one.
Thorn's Selandri blade cleaves the ghoul in half, the decayed pieces dropping left and right.
An apparation like a glowing sheet of light forms in the air over Rooker and Thorn's heads. It drops down onto the two remaining ghouls and then closes tight around them.
Thorn slips free of the web spell, but Rooker doesn't, and he's trapped like the ghouls are in the sticky snare.
Sharif runs forward..."My apologies Rooker."
Rooker says, "That's okay, I was gonna kill these two anyway."
The two ghouls struggle vainly against the web, furious with rage.
Thorn swings his sword around and slashes at the nearest ghoul.
Sharif draws his blade and removes the strands from around Rooker
Sharif says, "Wait Thorn...you'll cut them free!""
Thorn's blade cuts the head off the trapped ghoul, which looks extremely surprised.
Sharif's curved dagger slices Rooker free of the web.
"They're over here!" comes a shriek from the second story of the bordello. "They're getting in!"
For their part, the bucket brigade seems to be working quite well at putting out the flames.
Thorn seeing the Ghouls immobilized turns and runs for the bordello.
As the web parts around him, Rooker rolls free and springs to his feet.
The square is about 10 yards across. One side is the tavern, aflame, and the other is the stable, aflame. Behind the tavern is the two-story bordello, which hasn't caught, but two girls are shrieking out the second story window at you.
Rooker says, "Sharif, go with Thorn, I'll handle this one."
Sharif says, "Right!"
Sharif races across the street to aid Thorn
Thorn races across the square, past the burning tavern, towards the bordello. Sharif follows in his flowing, manly robes.
Leaping to the side of the square, Rooker snatches a burning timber and thrusts it into the web entangling the remaining Ghoul.
The web catches fire and immolates the shrieking ghoul in a cloud of thick black smoke.
Rooker curses as he runs to join Thorn and Sharif. "Burn you rotten bastard!"
Sharif approaches the bordello.
The bordello is a pleasant looking Tudor-style two story building, with vines and such growing all over the outside.
At the window, one of the girls shrieks as ghoulish hands drag her away from the window. Another shriek is cut off.
Looking up at the girl as she disappears, Rooker snarls and runs for the door; "Come on!"
The door's been barred, in terror at the noise and excitement outside. Locking them safely away.
Sharif says, "I can get us up there!"
Rooker says, "Save your strength. I can get us in here."
Pulling his Rope of Climbing from his belt pouch, Rooker tosses it upward and shouts; "Attach!"
Rooker's rope attaches itself to the bordello next to a window and Rooker begins to scramble up it quickly.
Rooker says, "Come on!"
Sharif says, "You two first...I'll slow you down!"
Thorn heads up the rope after Rooker.
Rooker glances in the window before he goes through it.
Sharif secures his staff on his back, grabs hold of the rope and follows up after his comrades
Rooker swings up the rope and into the window. Two ghouls have paralyzed the two girls inside. Seeing Rooker, they launch themselves at him across the bedroom.
Rooker screams a battle cry and throws himself at the ghouls.
Sharif climbing, says, "This...<gasp>...is...gasp...an interesting little ...rope we have ...<grunt>...here…"
Thorn nimbly swings through the window and slashes the nearest ghoul.
The ghoul is sliced into shreds by the fury of Rooker's attack. But the creature tags him even as he kills it.
Sharif still climbing, mutters..."Almost..<gasp>...there...<grunt>"
Rooker's ring gives a glimmer of light, and then sputters. But he shakes off the wound and keeps fighting.
Sharif pulls up to the window and pulls himself up
As Thorn and Sharif climb, they see two flaming arrows headed towards the bordello just above their heads.
Sharif says, "Arrows flying towards us!!! I'm sure that ghouls aren't shooting at us!""
The ghoul trips up Rooker and sinks his fangs into the man's neck as he drops. Then he turns to Thorn.
Thunk thunk! The two flaming arrows land in the eaves of the bordello, just above Sharif on the rope, and flame up as the thatch catches.
Sharif scans the square to look for the archers
Thorn's sword slices the ghoul's face off as the beast looks up.
Rooker and the two girls lie very still on the bedroom floor.
Thorn scans the room for any more ghouls.
The bucket brigade, finished with the tavern, races to assist you.
Sharif says, "Quickly!! The fire is spreading!""
The bedroom is empty of any more ghouls. There may be more outside, however.
Sharif checks on Rooker and the girls.
Thorn heads to the window to see if he can see where the arrows were coming
from.
The girls and Rooker will recover soon from their paralysis. Their bodies are very cold.
Thorn says "Quickly, we must get them out of here before the fire spreads."
The front door of the bordello, below you, is thrown open and the seven remaining girls, and the mistress Kallea, race outside, two ghouls in pursuit.
Thorn heads out the window and back down the rope.
Sharif moves to the window, raises his hand and says "Al-Kadim strike true!"
Sharif launches a glowing ball of magic at Ghoul #1
A bolt lances from Sharif's hand and strikes one of the ghouls. Thorn lands on his feet on the ground below, sword out, and charges the other ghoul.
Sharif's bolt stuns the ghoul, giving the girls time to flee. Thorn's blow strikes the skull of the other ghoul.
The blade sinks deep into the ghouls head and neck, killing it.
The other ghoul, furious, leaps at Thorn, ripping at his head and shoulders. But Thorn's kind are immune to the ghoul's paralyzing venom.
The creature sinks its fangs into Thorn's neck. The smell is enough to make one gag.
Thorn swirls his sword over his head and strikes at the ghoul.
Shrakk! The whirling Selandri blade shreds the ghoul limb from limb, spattering decayed flesh everywhere.
Sharif breathes a sigh of relief
One of the girls flings herself at Thorn, covering him with embraces and kisses
in gratitude at saving them.
Kallea suggests they tend to his wounds, instead, and the village healer comes
forward to help him.
Sharif yells from the window "Well done my friend!"
The village is a smoky cloud, and the stable is a complete loss, but quick thinking by the villagers and your help with the ghouls has staved off complete disaster. Only the stable has burned to the ground. The tavern is rather scorched, but mostly intact.
Thorn raises his blade to Sharif in salute.
Rooker rises unsteadily to his feet, looking green.
One of the arrows, put out by buckets of water, is sticking out of the eaves
just above the window where Sharif waves at Thorn.
Sharif reaches up to grab the arrow
Rooker moves to lay on the bed with a groan.
Thorn heads in the direction Sharif indicated that the arrows came from to see if he sees any tracks leading off into the woods.
Sharif pulls out the arrow and climbs back inside the room with Rooker.
Thorn, badly hurt but gripped by battle rage, waves off the healer to find that there are tracks in the forest leading north, back towards the dungeon. A mob of dragged feet that looks like the ghouls...and two men on horseback.
Remembering his rope hanging outside the window, Rooker gets up to retrieve
it.
Thorn realizes he is in no shape to give pursuit and returns to the crowd.
The height and the venom in his system almost cause him to lose it messily out the window, but he recovers, coiling up his rope. The two women also look similarly ill, and some of the staff of the house come in to help all.
Thorn returns to the square and slumps down to one knee.
Rooker tucks the rope back into his belt pouch and looks wistfully at the ring on his left forefinger as it crumbles to dust under his touch.
Sharif shows the arrow to Rooker.."Seen it's like before?"
They put you all in a guest room in the bordello. Thorn's pretty badly hurt, Rooker is ill but recovering, and Sharif has a scorched arrow in his hand.
Thorn shouts up to his comrades, "Two men on horse back and more of the ghouls headed off in the woods towards the tower. Tomorrow we should follow and hunt them down."
Rooker shakes his head slowly, not wanting the nausea to return.
The arrow is wickedly barbed and fletched with raven feathers. Definitely not ghouls. Human. This has the stink of Tol Nedra about it.
Sharif says, "It looks like things have gotten more interesting!"