[This continues the story of Rogier the bard, a warforged called Gravedigger and a goliath paladin known as Uthmar Shatterstone. They have arrived at the mysteriously deserted town of Everaska and have just recently been chased out of town by a giant mimic.]
DAY 13 cont ...
Our heroes arrived back at the campsite in time for lunch. They'd worked up an appetite running as fast as they could through the town. The giant house mimic was content to pursue them no further than the inner walls.
Uthmar's most pressing concern however was that he wanted to buy a shield - but only at the right price! He got Rogier to haggle for him, in his dealing with Halvek at the camp. However, when Rogier bought the shield for a discount he put it back up to full price when selling it on to Uthmar!
The sulky goliath then tried to buy some full-plate (Lady Viers and Halvek having an apparently fully stocked shop at the back of their pavilion) but this enterprise also devolved into farce in short order.
DAY 14
Rogier talked to Lady Viers in the morning, comparing notes on strange noises and 'deep groaning over the hill'.
She said she had heard nothing like that, but things were certainly odd. Odd! I should say so, dear reader! Lady Viers was apparently a master of understatement.
Later Gravedigger said to her, 'I don't think Rogier knows what he is talking about.'
'When I've been in the town I hear whispers, and see things out the side of my vision.
Nothing has hurt me, hopefully that's been the same for you gentlemen.'
At the other side of the camp Uthmar asked Rogier if they should tell Viers about the giant house. Rogier said they should not, as one might fully expect, Uthmar then did the opposite and told her.
I can be reported that she was concerned and confused by this revelation and said that nothing like that had happened to her when exploring the town.
Uthmar then said he wanted to take her into town to show her, and she agreed. She would take Marshall Halvek with her.
As they all went through the gates, in a stage whisper to Gravedigger, Uthmar said,
'they are both wronguns if you ask me!'
Gravedigger seemed to have conspiratorial voices both inside and outside his mind as a few moments later one of the "strange voices" said:
'You have already said yes. You just forgot.'
They passed through the market and then on to the mansion. Even after Uthmar poked at it, it remained very much a regular looking building. Uthmar capered about, but balked at the idea of entering the place again.
'Ladies first,' he said ungallantly, bowing and ushering in Viers.
'Certainly not!' she cried. 'I hired you fellows for this sort of thing. Step up gentlemen!'
Uthmar still hesitated so Gravedigger sighed and opened the door. He went inside and looked at one of the suits of armour. Inside he could see it was all connected by sinew. He motioned for Lady Viers to take a careful look at it.
She did so, then went back out again. 'Take your notebook in there Halvek, and write down everything you see.'
Gravedigger tip-toed into the main hall and across to the far door. Just as he reached the far side Uthmar chose that moment to regain his courage and came clomping into the hall like an excited dog.
They were lucky though, the house seemed in a dormant stake. Even when Gravedigger and Rogier removed a helmet from one of the suits of armour - disconnecting sinew and muscle - nothing happened.
Feeling that they had chanced their luck enough with that piece of evidence gathering they then left. Rogier and Uthmar then discussed what to do next and could not reach an agreement. Uthmar wanted to "slay the house", but no one else was keen.
They turned to Gravedigger, who appeared to becoming the arbiter in these sorts of arguments. He said, 'i think, right now we should take Lady Viers back to camp, and think about what to do next.'
As they plodded back, Gravedigger had another strange voice in his head that said:
"The dead remember your name."
They had their lunch then after more discussion it was decided they should go take a look at a graveyard. Gravedigger was interested in seeing the Viers' family crypt.
There was a graveyard for the town, but the Viers had their own burial area closer to their castle which was situated outside of town to the north east.
The family graveyard had a large crypt at the back, many gravestones and a circle of standing stones in its centre.
Gravedigger went to look at the crypt while the other two messed about. The crypt was locked so he returned to the others who had both just received supernatural visions.
'I saw shadows of townsfolk appearing and disappearing out the corner of my eye,' reported Uthmar.
'A loved one called my name from deep underground,' said Rogier.
Gravedigger went over to look in the lodge house and while he was doing that Uthmar went and pushed over one of the standing stones. Why? Who knows.
This had the dramatic effect of rendering him possessed by a malignant spirit. Gibbering, his eyes rolling he charged at Gravedigger who was returning from the lodge. Gravedigger wisely showed the mad goliath a clean pair of heels.
After a minute or so Uthmar returned to "normal" and they all returned to the standing stones. Feeling that he had incomplete business with these stones much to the horror of the others he lowered his britches and began to rub his genitalia against the central stone.
This angered the evil spirits even further and all three of them were possessed. Filled with uncontrollable rage Rogier cast a Cloud of Daggers at Uthmar.
Uthmar attacked Rogier and after several heavy blows sent the bard flying to the ground. Gravedigger, seeing he was next, wisely healed Rogier and then let him act as a shield between him and the mad paladin.
This went on for some time, poor Rogier being beaten half to death, only to be healed up and pushed forward again by Gravedigger.
Eventually the spell lifted and they returned to "normal". Uthmar used his paladin magic to heal them all up enough to get moving again.
'That was rubbish,' observed Gravedigger. 'Just keep away from those bloody stones will you?!'
Battered and bloody they limped back to camp.
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