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<blockquote data-quote="el-remmen" data-source="post: 67903" data-attributes="member: 11"><p><strong>Session #8 – <em>“Like Summer Rain on the River”</em></strong> </p><p></p><p>The fight ended quickly. </p><p></p><p>Ratchis fended off the mindless undead with his quarterstaff, as Beorth came around to its flank and began to cut off chunks of dead flesh with his longsword. </p><p></p><p>Ratchis struck a hard blow against its skull with his staff, and he herd the resounding crack, but the strength of the blow did not slow down the wild flailing of the creature’s arms. </p><p></p><p>“Use slashing weapons,” said Beorth through gritted teeth. “They work better against corporeal undead.” </p><p></p><p>Ratchis next blow knocked the thing down, and at the moment Kazrack ran in and jumped atop it, wrapping his burly arms around the stinking dead flesh. He rolled over, getting beneath the stubborn struggling mass of walking death, as Ratchis and Beoth finished it with a few blows, until the animating force was driven away by the destruction of the body. </p><p></p><p>“See what comes of disgracing even the dead among our enemies,” said Beorth cleaning his sword in the grass. “This must stop.” </p><p></p><p>Ratchis dragged the corpse of the zombie back into camp for all to see. The festivities stopped and a Crumb’s boys gasped collectively. </p><p></p><p>“I was bitten by that!” Gwar cried out, his voice breaking. “Oh holy Ra! Beorth, is something bad gonna happen to me?” </p><p></p><p>“No,” Beorth said, calmly. “You should be fine.” </p><p></p><p>Kazrack ran over to Crumb’s tent. “Crumb, we have a problem!” the dwarf cried. </p><p></p><p>The portly man stumbled out of his tent, his face rosy from too much drink. </p><p></p><p>“Whut? What’s going on? What happened to the music?” he said in his deep voice, slightly slurred now. </p><p></p><p>“Undead,” said Kazrack. “Undead attacked Gwar, and the camp.” </p><p></p><p>“Really?” said Crumb, his eyes opening widely. “Well, that is not good - Not at all. We should set up guards or something. Deet! See that guards are set up or something.” </p><p></p><p>The fat man went back into his tent, Kazrack could hear him flop back onto his cushy bedroll. </p><p>Deet went over to inspect the body. “Why did you bring one of those dead bodies into the camp?” he asked. </p><p></p><p>“It was animated,” said Ratchis. “It attacked Gwar.” </p><p></p><p>“It did?” Deet looked at Ratchis incredulously. </p><p></p><p>“Yes, what are you going to do about it?” </p><p></p><p>“Well, not much I can do. Set up guards I guess.” </p><p></p><p>Ratchis sighed. </p><p></p><p>“At least do something to help Gwar’s wound,” said Kazrack. </p><p></p><p>“I can’t do much about that either. I did not pray for any spells of healing today,” said Deet. </p><p>Ratchis sighed again and made his way to Gwar who was on the verge of panic. </p><p></p><p>“Let me see you wound. Get down on your knees,” said the huge imposing and ugly frontiersman. </p><p>“Uh, why?” Gwar looked up at Ratchis with a frightened look. </p><p></p><p>“I am going to bless you with the divine energy of Nephthys to protect you from any harm to your soul that might come from that wound.” </p><p></p><p>“Nephthys?” Gwar stepped away. “No way! She’s a traitor goddess.”</p><p> </p><p>Ratchis’ eyes narrowed. “Fine. I hope you do not awaken as a zombie in the morning.” He turned to walk off. </p><p></p><p>“Wait! Wait! Okay, you can do it. I guess Nephthys isn’t that bad.” </p><p></p><p>Gwar got down on his knees before Ratchis, who laid a big leathery hand upon the wound and channel positive energy into the young man. </p><p></p><p>“Nephthys, please use your divine essence to cleanse this boy of any evil that might have entered him through his foul wound,” he said, softly. </p><p></p><p>“Uh, thank you,” said Gwar. </p><p></p><p>“Thank Nephthys,” said Ratchis. </p><p></p><p>“Uh, yeah, okay,” and Gwar stepped away to find his brother. </p><p></p><p>Ratchis and Beorth burned the remains of the zombie and everyone headed to their own tents, their spirits dampened by the event that ended the evening. </p><p></p><p>Guards were posted, but the rest of the night went by without event. </p><p></p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 12px">Teflem, 20th of Ese - 564 H.E.</span></strong></p><p></p><p>The morning came with a snap of cold that left the grass hard and sharp. Beorth awakened and gathering the group together went into town to see Kennoch of Ra. The found the door open, and Kennoch was kneeling before the altar praying aloud to Ra. The companions let themselves in quietly and sat to join him in prayer or just wait in reverent silence for him to be done. </p><p></p><p>It was nearly 45 minutes later that he finally stood and turned and addressed them. </p><p></p><p>“A fine morning, Ra’s Glory shines brightly to burn off the cold,” Kennoch said, brightly.</p><p> </p><p>“Not all things are so bright, unfortunately,” replied Beorth. “For last night our camp was attacked by the foul undead, and where there is one there will be more.” </p><p></p><p>“Oh, there will be more. Zombies, right?” said Kennoch, almost flippantly. </p><p></p><p>“What? You knew of this danger?” said Beorth, trying to hide his disbelief as to not be disrespectful. </p><p></p><p>“Well, I knew some. The problem with the zombies is an intermittent one. Every few months there are some zombie attacks. They are destroyed or forced off and then forgotten. The people of Stonebridge don’t do anything about it. The pirates are a much more immediate threat and I think they see the zombies as kind of a test for the people here. That is, if you can survive despite the zombies then you are strong enough to stick around and help fight the pirates. I think they think it toughens them up, and they don’t even see it as a big problem.” </p><p></p><p>The party did not know what to say about this, and all was silent for some time. </p><p></p><p>“But as a Priest of Ra, how do you feel about the zombies?” Beorth asked, cautiously. </p><p></p><p>“I hate them. They are a frightful aberration and if I could find the source and destroy them all, I would. But I do not have the time and I am only one man and cannot seek out the source to deal with it, and do not know if I could by myself even if I could get there.” </p><p></p><p>“You know where the source is?” asked Kazrack. </p><p></p><p>“Not exactly,” Kennoch said. “They say there is an old mortuary south of here somewhere that is cursed. And the zombies always seem to come from the south. The local herbalist, Cort might know more about it. He lives in a cottage about a half mile south east of town, Just take the trail behind my house into the wood. It will lead you to him.” </p><p></p><p>“We will seek him out,” said Beorth. “I am duty bound to put an end to this undead menace.” </p><p>“Of course, and I would greatly appreciate if you did it. It might help me in my goal to turn the people of this troubled town to worship Ra,” Kennoch said. “I can offer little help as I cannot go with you, but I can give you this…” </p><p></p><p>Kennoch went to the altar and took down three clay vials. “These are waters blessed by Ra,” he said. “They may help to hurt undead, or to consecrate a place of evil.” </p><p></p><p>He handed them to Beorth. </p><p></p><p>“Thank you,” said Beorth. “We will use them in service of Ra and Anubis.”</p><p></p><p>"Also I spoke to the marshall, Harrick," added Kennoch. "He is a very obstinate man and would not listen to reason about the pirates' bodies. He said he felt that they deserved their fate in this world and the next and that 'strangers should mind their own business'. I'm sorry. I'm not sure there is much we can do, without coming into conflict with the people of this town." </p><p></p><p>"I must meditate on this, but for now we have a more pressing goal, for the undead are ever the enemies of Anubis," replied Beorth. </p><p></p><p>“May Ra be with you on your journey, and good luck,” Kennoch said, as they parted. </p><p></p><p>Beorth, Chance, Jana, Jeremy, Kazrack and Ratchis found the trail and followed it through the light wood. </p><p></p><p>They came to a clearing with a small log cabin with a thatched roof. The windows were nailed shut with boards, and some garden plots in front looked as if they has been stomped on. The whole front area was nicely paved with flat stones of different sizes, and a large heavy wooden bench and table, worn by years of weather was to the left of the door. Only the sound of birds could be heard. </p><p>Ratchis crept ahead of the group and signaled for them to wait. He examined the soft ground and found the tracks of several humanoids, some in boots and shoes other barefoot (one seemed to only have one shoe) dragging their feet in circles about the cabin. </p><p></p><p>“Zombies have been here,” he said in his gravelly voice. </p><p></p><p>“Hello?” a voice called from the shadow of the cabin’s doorway. </p><p></p><p>“Hello! We come seeking the herbalist!” cried Jeremy from where the rest of the group waited for Ratchis. </p><p></p><p>‘Well, you have found him,” said a jovial voice, that capped the statement with a long roll of laughter. A hefty man of late middle age came out of the cabin. He had thinning black hair cut into a bowl, and was dressed in quite the same utilitarian manner of the rest of the occupants of Stone Bridge. </p><p></p><p>Jeremy and the others walked up to Ratchis, and the herbalist walked up to them.</p><p></p><p>“Well, you have me at a disadvantage. You know my name, but I do not know yours,” said Cort, followed by another spout of wheezing laughter. </p><p></p><p>The companions introduced themselves, and explained what they were looking for. </p><p></p><p>“The old mortuary, huh?” He laughed some more. “Tis a dark place. Cursed, I’m sure and the dead might be coming from there, or animated by some force originating there.” </p><p></p><p>Cort’s belly shook as he laughed some more. </p><p></p><p>“The place has been around since at least the Herman Land invasion, maybe longer. Some family started it to deal with all the dead from the war. No one remembers their name, however.” </p><p></p><p>“Do you know how to get there?” asked Jeremy. </p><p></p><p>“Yes, my search for roots and herbs takes me all over the area, though I avoid the mortuary specifically. All you need do is follow the river south for about a half-day until you come to a dried up oxbow. There turn east until you come to a wild apple orchard. You will see tall hills to your south from there. Over the first or second hill, you should find the place.” </p><p></p><p>“Do the zombies come here often?” Ratchis asked, pointing to the boarded windows.</p><p> </p><p>“Often enough lately. In the past it was only every few months, but there have been multiple sightings and at least 5 attacks in the last two months. They always appear from the south and retreat back in that direction. It must be the mortuary,” Cort laughed some more. His eyes shone with gaiety. “So, anyone need any herbs or poultices?” </p><p></p><p>“I need to replenish my healer’s kit,” said Ratchis, and he followed the still laughing chubby man into the cabin. The others came in as well. </p><p></p><p>The cabin was dark and warm, and was infused with the smell of flowers and herbs mixed with a smoky flavor. There was table against the wall below the window that looked out on the front yard. It could be seen that a small space between the boards allowed one to spy out on the yard and shoot the heavy crossbow that was lying on the table. There was another table set up perpendicular to that table covered with bowls of herbs and roots, and further in the cabin could be seen wooden chairs covered in furs, a hearth and cots. </p><p></p><p>Ratchis’ senses alerted him to another presence in the room, and the turn of his head drew everyone’s attention to a little girl hiding beneath one table. Her eyes met the huge ugly man’s and she crawled back a bit more. </p><p>Cort laughed. “That is my grand-daughter, Frances. Tiny little fragile thing, kind of easily spooked.” The man laughed again and the others found that his laughter was a bit infectious and could not help but smile themselves. </p><p></p><p>“Come on out, Frances. They are just customers,” Cort said to the girl. She just slid further into the shadows beneath the table. Cort turned and addressed the party, “Her parents were killed in a pirate attack, but she’s going to need some toughening up if she’s going to survive in a place like this.” </p><p>Ratchis replenished his needs, as did Jana, amid spontaneous laughter among all of them, but most especially Cort who seemed to have an indefatigable good humor. </p><p></p><p>Kazrack smiled and approached the little girl. </p><p></p><p>"Hello, Frances," he said in a friendly voice. "I am Kazrack." </p><p></p><p>She yelped and tried to slink further back, but there was no where left to go. </p><p></p><p>"Would you like some chalk? You can draw on stones with it?" the dwarf said, offering a piece of the white stuff. </p><p></p><p>She looked at him with saucer eyes, and then at the chalk, and then looked to her grandfather. </p><p>"Go ahead and take it," Cort said to her. </p><p></p><p>She snatched it from Kazrack's hand, and murmured a thank you. </p><p></p><p>They bid adieu to the herbalist and stepped into the wood to plan their next step and immediately fell into arguing about what to do next. While they all agreed that that should seek out the mortuary (well, except maybe for Chance), Kazrack felt they should go back to the camp and alert the others that they might be gone a day or two. The rest disagreed. Ratchis felt that could make better time cutting straight to the river. Beorth was in a hurry to deal with the undead menace. Jeremy and Jana felt that Crumb wouldn’t care where they were and that it was pointless to tell him or anyone else.</p><p></p><p>"Well, Ah ken tell him when ah go bahck tuh da cahmp. Ahm not tuh sure I wanna guh find this morcherry," said Chance. "Wanna come back wit' meh, Jana?" </p><p></p><p>"I am going to go help with the undead menace. I have seen the harm they can do in my own home of Westron," the girl said with conviction. </p><p></p><p>"Well, if Jana is goin' then ahm goin'," Chance said with a sigh. "Someone needs tuh look aftah `er." </p><p>Overruled, Kazrack joined the others in following Ratchis westward to the river, though the dwarf grumbled for most of the time. The walked through three-fourths of a mile of briars and another half-mile of peat bog, until they arrived at the river, well south of Crumb’s camp. </p><p></p><p>This far south the dead bodies were left far behind and soon the sent of autumn flowers drifted on the air brought to them on the breeze off the river. They followed a easy and seemingly well-worn track southwards than never left sight of the river, but that did occasionally wander up to as high up on the bank it could, above the sandy shore. </p><p></p><p>They had traveled several hours already and it was only about an hour after they had stopped to eat their rations, when Ratchis noted the smashed hull of a riverboat washed up against a large rock in the shallow water. </p><p></p><p>As they came closer they could see the weathered bones of a sailor just beneath the surface of the water. Ratchis approached the smashed boat, and Beorth followed not too far behind, while the others walked behind hesitantly. As the tall woodsman came within reach of the skeleton, the companions felt a chilling breeze cut to their bone and the skeleton rose creepily, holding a rusted cutlass in one hand, and still having ripped remains of clothing draped over its bones. Jeremy called out as five more skeletons rose from the sand and the boat’s remains. A wave of fear flowed over the party. </p><p></p><p>Jana found that she could not move or even speak. The fear knotted her muscles into paralysis, but everyone else shook it off and moved to deal with the undead menace. The skeletons moved with unnatural quickness, despite the awkward movement of their fleshless limbs. Ratchis immediately smashed through one with his great strength behind his quarterstaff, and Beorth took on two by himself, driving them back with a fury born of his hatred of the undead. Kazrack and Jeremy were having trouble with the skeletons they were facing, as their halberd and swords respectively were having trouble smashing the bones into uselessness. Chance stood back, blocking Jana with his body and keeping his short sword drawn, but not joining the fray. </p><p></p><p>Beorth knocked down one of the skeletons he was fighting, and smashed the other into a hail of bones. Jeremy stepped forward grimacing with the cut of a cutlass slash to his side and crossing both his swords in from of him, sent another storm of bone fragments thundering like summer rain against the river. Kazrack was able to knock the leg off of one and then smash it’s skull as it fell. Ratchis stepped towards another skeleton that was moving to attack Kazrack, and smashed it into nothingness with one hard blow, which was echoed by Beorth finishing the last one. </p><p></p><p>“I fear this curse is growing in magnitude,” said Beorth, wiping his brow of sweat. </p><p></p><p>“Really? What gave you that idea?” said Jeremy sarcastically, sheathing his long and short swords. </p><p></p><p>“Look!” said Kazrack, pointing into the water. “Something is shining in the water. It looks like gold!” </p><p></p><p>Ratchis waded out into the water and lifted a small black metal chest from among the boat’s wreckage. As he lifted, gold coins washed over the side and plopped into the water. Jeremy slipped off his chain shirt and dove in after them, surfacing with a handful of gold coins, his hair now wet hair glistening like the coins in his hands. </p><p></p><p>Ratchis placed the chest on the riverbank, and ran his hand through the coins, that while mixed gold and silver, most were silver. He also found that right on the top was a metal collar inset with tiny rubies all around and a ring for a chain or leash. He held it up for the others to see. </p><p></p><p>“Is that an animal collar?” asked Kazrack. “It seems rather extravagant for that.” </p><p></p><p>“I think it is a slave collar,” said Ratchis, softly. </p><p></p><p>“It is too fancy to be a slave collar,” said Kazrack. </p><p></p><p>“A slaver might cherish a slave the way he’d cherish any other item of his property, it does not make the act any less heinous. I think it was meant for a slave as well,” said Beorth. </p><p></p><p>“Wow!” Chance was breathless. “Looket does rubies! We’ll fetch a good price from that thing.” </p><p></p><p>“We will not profit from an item that represents all that my goddess stand against,” said Ratchis, he raised the collar over his head to throw it into the river. </p><p></p><p>“Wait! We’re not going to use it on a slave. We could use the money to help ourselves do some good,” said Jeremy. </p><p></p><p>“Aye, less kep it,” said Chance. </p><p></p><p>“Kazrack, may I borrow your flail?” Ratchis asked the dwarf. </p><p></p><p>“Um, sure,” he replied. </p><p>Ratchis placed the collar on a rock, and taking the flail, smashed it with the flail three times, bending the collar into a twisted version of what it once was. As he picked it back up, the small rubies fell around the rock and Chance leapt and scooped them up, mimicked by Kazrack who reacted slightly slower. The dwarf only got one ruby. </p><p></p><p>“Remember, those are all of us,” said Kazrack to Chance. </p><p></p><p>“Of carse!” said Chance, slipping the rubies into a pouch and winking at Jana. </p><p></p><p>Ratchis spoke a word to Nephthys and tossed the collar into the deep part of the river, a few rubies still clung to the metal. He then poured the chest of coins into a sack and tied them to his pack.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="el-remmen, post: 67903, member: 11"] [b]Session #8 – [i]“Like Summer Rain on the River”[/i][/b] The fight ended quickly. Ratchis fended off the mindless undead with his quarterstaff, as Beorth came around to its flank and began to cut off chunks of dead flesh with his longsword. Ratchis struck a hard blow against its skull with his staff, and he herd the resounding crack, but the strength of the blow did not slow down the wild flailing of the creature’s arms. “Use slashing weapons,” said Beorth through gritted teeth. “They work better against corporeal undead.” Ratchis next blow knocked the thing down, and at the moment Kazrack ran in and jumped atop it, wrapping his burly arms around the stinking dead flesh. He rolled over, getting beneath the stubborn struggling mass of walking death, as Ratchis and Beoth finished it with a few blows, until the animating force was driven away by the destruction of the body. “See what comes of disgracing even the dead among our enemies,” said Beorth cleaning his sword in the grass. “This must stop.” Ratchis dragged the corpse of the zombie back into camp for all to see. The festivities stopped and a Crumb’s boys gasped collectively. “I was bitten by that!” Gwar cried out, his voice breaking. “Oh holy Ra! Beorth, is something bad gonna happen to me?” “No,” Beorth said, calmly. “You should be fine.” Kazrack ran over to Crumb’s tent. “Crumb, we have a problem!” the dwarf cried. The portly man stumbled out of his tent, his face rosy from too much drink. “Whut? What’s going on? What happened to the music?” he said in his deep voice, slightly slurred now. “Undead,” said Kazrack. “Undead attacked Gwar, and the camp.” “Really?” said Crumb, his eyes opening widely. “Well, that is not good - Not at all. We should set up guards or something. Deet! See that guards are set up or something.” The fat man went back into his tent, Kazrack could hear him flop back onto his cushy bedroll. Deet went over to inspect the body. “Why did you bring one of those dead bodies into the camp?” he asked. “It was animated,” said Ratchis. “It attacked Gwar.” “It did?” Deet looked at Ratchis incredulously. “Yes, what are you going to do about it?” “Well, not much I can do. Set up guards I guess.” Ratchis sighed. “At least do something to help Gwar’s wound,” said Kazrack. “I can’t do much about that either. I did not pray for any spells of healing today,” said Deet. Ratchis sighed again and made his way to Gwar who was on the verge of panic. “Let me see you wound. Get down on your knees,” said the huge imposing and ugly frontiersman. “Uh, why?” Gwar looked up at Ratchis with a frightened look. “I am going to bless you with the divine energy of Nephthys to protect you from any harm to your soul that might come from that wound.” “Nephthys?” Gwar stepped away. “No way! She’s a traitor goddess.” Ratchis’ eyes narrowed. “Fine. I hope you do not awaken as a zombie in the morning.” He turned to walk off. “Wait! Wait! Okay, you can do it. I guess Nephthys isn’t that bad.” Gwar got down on his knees before Ratchis, who laid a big leathery hand upon the wound and channel positive energy into the young man. “Nephthys, please use your divine essence to cleanse this boy of any evil that might have entered him through his foul wound,” he said, softly. “Uh, thank you,” said Gwar. “Thank Nephthys,” said Ratchis. “Uh, yeah, okay,” and Gwar stepped away to find his brother. Ratchis and Beorth burned the remains of the zombie and everyone headed to their own tents, their spirits dampened by the event that ended the evening. Guards were posted, but the rest of the night went by without event. [b][size=3]Teflem, 20th of Ese - 564 H.E.[/size][/b] The morning came with a snap of cold that left the grass hard and sharp. Beorth awakened and gathering the group together went into town to see Kennoch of Ra. The found the door open, and Kennoch was kneeling before the altar praying aloud to Ra. The companions let themselves in quietly and sat to join him in prayer or just wait in reverent silence for him to be done. It was nearly 45 minutes later that he finally stood and turned and addressed them. “A fine morning, Ra’s Glory shines brightly to burn off the cold,” Kennoch said, brightly. “Not all things are so bright, unfortunately,” replied Beorth. “For last night our camp was attacked by the foul undead, and where there is one there will be more.” “Oh, there will be more. Zombies, right?” said Kennoch, almost flippantly. “What? You knew of this danger?” said Beorth, trying to hide his disbelief as to not be disrespectful. “Well, I knew some. The problem with the zombies is an intermittent one. Every few months there are some zombie attacks. They are destroyed or forced off and then forgotten. The people of Stonebridge don’t do anything about it. The pirates are a much more immediate threat and I think they see the zombies as kind of a test for the people here. That is, if you can survive despite the zombies then you are strong enough to stick around and help fight the pirates. I think they think it toughens them up, and they don’t even see it as a big problem.” The party did not know what to say about this, and all was silent for some time. “But as a Priest of Ra, how do you feel about the zombies?” Beorth asked, cautiously. “I hate them. They are a frightful aberration and if I could find the source and destroy them all, I would. But I do not have the time and I am only one man and cannot seek out the source to deal with it, and do not know if I could by myself even if I could get there.” “You know where the source is?” asked Kazrack. “Not exactly,” Kennoch said. “They say there is an old mortuary south of here somewhere that is cursed. And the zombies always seem to come from the south. The local herbalist, Cort might know more about it. He lives in a cottage about a half mile south east of town, Just take the trail behind my house into the wood. It will lead you to him.” “We will seek him out,” said Beorth. “I am duty bound to put an end to this undead menace.” “Of course, and I would greatly appreciate if you did it. It might help me in my goal to turn the people of this troubled town to worship Ra,” Kennoch said. “I can offer little help as I cannot go with you, but I can give you this…” Kennoch went to the altar and took down three clay vials. “These are waters blessed by Ra,” he said. “They may help to hurt undead, or to consecrate a place of evil.” He handed them to Beorth. “Thank you,” said Beorth. “We will use them in service of Ra and Anubis.” "Also I spoke to the marshall, Harrick," added Kennoch. "He is a very obstinate man and would not listen to reason about the pirates' bodies. He said he felt that they deserved their fate in this world and the next and that 'strangers should mind their own business'. I'm sorry. I'm not sure there is much we can do, without coming into conflict with the people of this town." "I must meditate on this, but for now we have a more pressing goal, for the undead are ever the enemies of Anubis," replied Beorth. “May Ra be with you on your journey, and good luck,” Kennoch said, as they parted. Beorth, Chance, Jana, Jeremy, Kazrack and Ratchis found the trail and followed it through the light wood. They came to a clearing with a small log cabin with a thatched roof. The windows were nailed shut with boards, and some garden plots in front looked as if they has been stomped on. The whole front area was nicely paved with flat stones of different sizes, and a large heavy wooden bench and table, worn by years of weather was to the left of the door. Only the sound of birds could be heard. Ratchis crept ahead of the group and signaled for them to wait. He examined the soft ground and found the tracks of several humanoids, some in boots and shoes other barefoot (one seemed to only have one shoe) dragging their feet in circles about the cabin. “Zombies have been here,” he said in his gravelly voice. “Hello?” a voice called from the shadow of the cabin’s doorway. “Hello! We come seeking the herbalist!” cried Jeremy from where the rest of the group waited for Ratchis. ‘Well, you have found him,” said a jovial voice, that capped the statement with a long roll of laughter. A hefty man of late middle age came out of the cabin. He had thinning black hair cut into a bowl, and was dressed in quite the same utilitarian manner of the rest of the occupants of Stone Bridge. Jeremy and the others walked up to Ratchis, and the herbalist walked up to them. “Well, you have me at a disadvantage. You know my name, but I do not know yours,” said Cort, followed by another spout of wheezing laughter. The companions introduced themselves, and explained what they were looking for. “The old mortuary, huh?” He laughed some more. “Tis a dark place. Cursed, I’m sure and the dead might be coming from there, or animated by some force originating there.” Cort’s belly shook as he laughed some more. “The place has been around since at least the Herman Land invasion, maybe longer. Some family started it to deal with all the dead from the war. No one remembers their name, however.” “Do you know how to get there?” asked Jeremy. “Yes, my search for roots and herbs takes me all over the area, though I avoid the mortuary specifically. All you need do is follow the river south for about a half-day until you come to a dried up oxbow. There turn east until you come to a wild apple orchard. You will see tall hills to your south from there. Over the first or second hill, you should find the place.” “Do the zombies come here often?” Ratchis asked, pointing to the boarded windows. “Often enough lately. In the past it was only every few months, but there have been multiple sightings and at least 5 attacks in the last two months. They always appear from the south and retreat back in that direction. It must be the mortuary,” Cort laughed some more. His eyes shone with gaiety. “So, anyone need any herbs or poultices?” “I need to replenish my healer’s kit,” said Ratchis, and he followed the still laughing chubby man into the cabin. The others came in as well. The cabin was dark and warm, and was infused with the smell of flowers and herbs mixed with a smoky flavor. There was table against the wall below the window that looked out on the front yard. It could be seen that a small space between the boards allowed one to spy out on the yard and shoot the heavy crossbow that was lying on the table. There was another table set up perpendicular to that table covered with bowls of herbs and roots, and further in the cabin could be seen wooden chairs covered in furs, a hearth and cots. Ratchis’ senses alerted him to another presence in the room, and the turn of his head drew everyone’s attention to a little girl hiding beneath one table. Her eyes met the huge ugly man’s and she crawled back a bit more. Cort laughed. “That is my grand-daughter, Frances. Tiny little fragile thing, kind of easily spooked.” The man laughed again and the others found that his laughter was a bit infectious and could not help but smile themselves. “Come on out, Frances. They are just customers,” Cort said to the girl. She just slid further into the shadows beneath the table. Cort turned and addressed the party, “Her parents were killed in a pirate attack, but she’s going to need some toughening up if she’s going to survive in a place like this.” Ratchis replenished his needs, as did Jana, amid spontaneous laughter among all of them, but most especially Cort who seemed to have an indefatigable good humor. Kazrack smiled and approached the little girl. "Hello, Frances," he said in a friendly voice. "I am Kazrack." She yelped and tried to slink further back, but there was no where left to go. "Would you like some chalk? You can draw on stones with it?" the dwarf said, offering a piece of the white stuff. She looked at him with saucer eyes, and then at the chalk, and then looked to her grandfather. "Go ahead and take it," Cort said to her. She snatched it from Kazrack's hand, and murmured a thank you. They bid adieu to the herbalist and stepped into the wood to plan their next step and immediately fell into arguing about what to do next. While they all agreed that that should seek out the mortuary (well, except maybe for Chance), Kazrack felt they should go back to the camp and alert the others that they might be gone a day or two. The rest disagreed. Ratchis felt that could make better time cutting straight to the river. Beorth was in a hurry to deal with the undead menace. Jeremy and Jana felt that Crumb wouldn’t care where they were and that it was pointless to tell him or anyone else. "Well, Ah ken tell him when ah go bahck tuh da cahmp. Ahm not tuh sure I wanna guh find this morcherry," said Chance. "Wanna come back wit' meh, Jana?" "I am going to go help with the undead menace. I have seen the harm they can do in my own home of Westron," the girl said with conviction. "Well, if Jana is goin' then ahm goin'," Chance said with a sigh. "Someone needs tuh look aftah `er." Overruled, Kazrack joined the others in following Ratchis westward to the river, though the dwarf grumbled for most of the time. The walked through three-fourths of a mile of briars and another half-mile of peat bog, until they arrived at the river, well south of Crumb’s camp. This far south the dead bodies were left far behind and soon the sent of autumn flowers drifted on the air brought to them on the breeze off the river. They followed a easy and seemingly well-worn track southwards than never left sight of the river, but that did occasionally wander up to as high up on the bank it could, above the sandy shore. They had traveled several hours already and it was only about an hour after they had stopped to eat their rations, when Ratchis noted the smashed hull of a riverboat washed up against a large rock in the shallow water. As they came closer they could see the weathered bones of a sailor just beneath the surface of the water. Ratchis approached the smashed boat, and Beorth followed not too far behind, while the others walked behind hesitantly. As the tall woodsman came within reach of the skeleton, the companions felt a chilling breeze cut to their bone and the skeleton rose creepily, holding a rusted cutlass in one hand, and still having ripped remains of clothing draped over its bones. Jeremy called out as five more skeletons rose from the sand and the boat’s remains. A wave of fear flowed over the party. Jana found that she could not move or even speak. The fear knotted her muscles into paralysis, but everyone else shook it off and moved to deal with the undead menace. The skeletons moved with unnatural quickness, despite the awkward movement of their fleshless limbs. Ratchis immediately smashed through one with his great strength behind his quarterstaff, and Beorth took on two by himself, driving them back with a fury born of his hatred of the undead. Kazrack and Jeremy were having trouble with the skeletons they were facing, as their halberd and swords respectively were having trouble smashing the bones into uselessness. Chance stood back, blocking Jana with his body and keeping his short sword drawn, but not joining the fray. Beorth knocked down one of the skeletons he was fighting, and smashed the other into a hail of bones. Jeremy stepped forward grimacing with the cut of a cutlass slash to his side and crossing both his swords in from of him, sent another storm of bone fragments thundering like summer rain against the river. Kazrack was able to knock the leg off of one and then smash it’s skull as it fell. Ratchis stepped towards another skeleton that was moving to attack Kazrack, and smashed it into nothingness with one hard blow, which was echoed by Beorth finishing the last one. “I fear this curse is growing in magnitude,” said Beorth, wiping his brow of sweat. “Really? What gave you that idea?” said Jeremy sarcastically, sheathing his long and short swords. “Look!” said Kazrack, pointing into the water. “Something is shining in the water. It looks like gold!” Ratchis waded out into the water and lifted a small black metal chest from among the boat’s wreckage. As he lifted, gold coins washed over the side and plopped into the water. Jeremy slipped off his chain shirt and dove in after them, surfacing with a handful of gold coins, his hair now wet hair glistening like the coins in his hands. Ratchis placed the chest on the riverbank, and ran his hand through the coins, that while mixed gold and silver, most were silver. He also found that right on the top was a metal collar inset with tiny rubies all around and a ring for a chain or leash. He held it up for the others to see. “Is that an animal collar?” asked Kazrack. “It seems rather extravagant for that.” “I think it is a slave collar,” said Ratchis, softly. “It is too fancy to be a slave collar,” said Kazrack. “A slaver might cherish a slave the way he’d cherish any other item of his property, it does not make the act any less heinous. I think it was meant for a slave as well,” said Beorth. “Wow!” Chance was breathless. “Looket does rubies! We’ll fetch a good price from that thing.” “We will not profit from an item that represents all that my goddess stand against,” said Ratchis, he raised the collar over his head to throw it into the river. “Wait! We’re not going to use it on a slave. We could use the money to help ourselves do some good,” said Jeremy. “Aye, less kep it,” said Chance. “Kazrack, may I borrow your flail?” Ratchis asked the dwarf. “Um, sure,” he replied. Ratchis placed the collar on a rock, and taking the flail, smashed it with the flail three times, bending the collar into a twisted version of what it once was. As he picked it back up, the small rubies fell around the rock and Chance leapt and scooped them up, mimicked by Kazrack who reacted slightly slower. The dwarf only got one ruby. “Remember, those are all of us,” said Kazrack to Chance. “Of carse!” said Chance, slipping the rubies into a pouch and winking at Jana. Ratchis spoke a word to Nephthys and tossed the collar into the deep part of the river, a few rubies still clung to the metal. He then poured the chest of coins into a sack and tied them to his pack. [/QUOTE]
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"Out of the Frying Pan" - Book I: Gathering Wood (reprise)
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