Decimation

Pentatina 27, 1000 PC

After Sparta and Nyza find that Rebelton is in dire straights after an attack by Gaedracis the Lich and Chelsia the Ghost, they begin to call on the assistance from their friends, beginning with Wintersky.  While Wintersky saves Algoma, Sparta's sister, and begins healing the other injured halflings in the Mantyson Clanhold, Nyza and Sparta begin contacting folks with the crystal ball.  They assure the folks trapped in the wizard's tower that help is on the way by finding Ellie Morl, a barmaid from M. T. Bellies, who found shelter there from the attack and impart the good news.  Next, they contact Oliveryn as he sit disgusted with the work of being mayor to ask him to mobilize everyone else to join them in Rebelton to hunt down the lich and the ghost.

The next morning, Oliveryn, looking for an opportunity to not be mayor for a few days, and Legeand prepare for the journey to Rebelton.  Mask teleports in from The Floating Tower where she had been studying new spells.  She researched the original builder of the tower, Aurmax the Astounding, in an effort to be prepared for dealing with the folks trapped in his tower after contacting Wintersky, who she found unexpectedly in Rebelton already.  Ozimius, mostly recovered from his sudden illness, arrives just moments before Nyza teleports back from Rebelton to transport whoever is ready to Rebelton.

Nyza transports Cinder, Ringo and T'Krosh while Mask, wielding the power of the staff of transportation taken from House Elan, teleports Oliveryn, Ozimius and Legeand to the square in Rebelton.

As they arrive in Rebelton, Wintersky has already begun a ritual to hallow the clanhold to protect it from further undead attacks.

Mask and Nyza immediately make their way over to Aurmax's Tower, enter it and begin the process to bring down its defensive wards.  This begins with Mask learning Aurmax's formulation of the anti-magic field spell.

Sparta begins to investigate the graveyard and the tracks that Nyza spied the previous day as she scouted invisibly from the air and finds that the graveyard is emptied of the dead and probably animated to swell the Gaedracis' ranks.  All tracks of the fallen lead Zuoclades indicating that the lich and his forces lie to the east somewhere on the plains between of Tanglewood and Armee's Canal.

By the next morning, the second night in a row that no undead disturb Rebelton, the clanhold is protected from undead and the survivors trapped in the wizard's tower are free.  At this point, our heroes begin to discuss a course of action to deal with the lich, during which it is decided to follow the tracks of his little army in the hopes of find some clues as to the location of his phylactery.

Nyza: With no obvious targets to blow up and no survivors to lead back, Nyza flies back to Sparta's position.

Nyza coughs.

Sparta: Nyza, is that you?

Nyza: Yes, me come back.

Nyza: The graveyard is very much dug up and there are tracks leading to the east.

Sparta: That damn lich has been raising the dead.

Dale Blackfoot: The graveyard is dug up? Oh, my.

Sparta: Did you find any survivors?

Nyza: Sorry...

Dale Blackfoot looks like she is about to cry.

Nyza: But me only see from very high, so it is not impossible if they are well hidden.

Dale Blackfoot: What are we going to do, Sparta?

Sparta: First, let's get back inside the clanhold.

Sparta: Nyza, if you come inside invisible, someone is sure to step on your tail.

Dale Blackfoot quickly steps back inside.

Wintersky: Later I can hallow the graveyard to keep those interred there from rising again, but it is kind of like stirring the pudding after it has burned.

Nyza thinks about it for a moment, but she drops the invisibility eventually.

Sparta: Yes, I fear there are none left interred there, and stirring burnt pudding only raises a stench.

Dale Blackfoot: Did you say you have a way to contact others to help us?

Sparta: Miss 'Sky if I may be so forward, I think the next order of business is for you tend to the wounded.

Wintersky: I have our crystal ball. Perhaps one of you would contact the others, so I can use my talents for healing the injured?

Nyza: Hmm, maybe the crystal ball can contact those in the tower as well?

Sparta: Yes, we can let them know help is coming.

Wintersky: Perhaps, I have not tried to contact those I do not know.

Sparta: Dale, do you know anyone trapped in the wizard's tower?

Wintersky takes the crystal ball from a bag and tries to hand it to Nyza.

Sparta: Perhaps together we can speak to them.

Dale Blackfoot: Some of the human laborers and the maid from M. T. Bellies.

Nyza receives the ball, careful not to let it drop.

Nyza: Leave it to me. Nyza has not much else to do until tomorrow.

Wintersky heads to the infirmary.

Sparta: The maid at M.T. Bellies? Isn't she in the Riverreeds clan?

Dale Blackfoot: No, the human one.

Wintersky steps into the infirmary where she finds many wounded. It will take all her skill and knowledge to help them all survive.

Sparta: Nyza, I think you met her briefly when we were here last fall.

Sparta: She served us dinner the night before the battle.

Nyza: She has those long ponytails?

Dale Blackfoot: Yes, that is her.

Nyza: OK, me try her then. A name and a face should be good enough for the magic to work.

Dale Blackfoot: Her name is Ellie Morl.

Sparta: Nyza, will she see you?

Nyza: No, not if the ball works like my scrying.

Sparta: Good, the big folk aren't much used to talking to kobolds.

Wintersky: Wintersky examines the injured, marshals the people nusing them. Determining which ones need magical healing, she explains what to do for the others providing salves and herbal teas and tinctures.

Sparta: I'd hate to frighten her more than she probably already is.

Dale Blackfoot: Can anybody use the crystal ball?

Nyza finds a quiet table to work at. She places the crystal ball on a cushion and stares deeply into it, quietly repeating the name, "Ellie Morl"...

Sparta: I don't know Dale, these magic contraptions are too complicated for me.

A fuzzy image of a girl with long ponytails appears in the crystal sitting among several other frightened women and children.

Sparta: But, let's see if we can help Nyza.

Wintersky then purifies the area with sage smoke and begins chanting, rattling, and drawing powerful symbols upon the bodies of those she is trying to heal.

Nyza: It work! Sparta, Dale, you see her in the ball?

Nyza pulls Dale and Sparta closer to the crystal ball and they are able to participate as well.

Sparta: Dale, you know her better than I do.

Dale Blackfoot: Ellie?

Sparta: Tell her help is coming.

Ellie Morl shakes her head and looks around.

Dale Blackfoot: Ellie, it is Dale Blackfoot. I am with friends that are coming to help.

Ellie Morl looks around, confused.

Sparta: Ellie, it is Sparta Longshanks, do you remember me?

Ellie Morl gets up and steps away from the group she is among to a secluded area.

Ellie Morl: You are in my head?

Sparta: Only in your thoughts.

Sparta: We are in the clanhold.

Sparta: There is strong magic at work here.

Ellie Morl: You have come back, Sparta. Are your big-folk friends with you?

You can see Ellie smirk within the crystal ball.

Sparta: Some of them, we hope the rest will arrive tomorrow.

Sparta: We will try to rescue you and the others from the tower tomorrow as well.

Sparta: But, we need a powerful mage to get through the tower's defenses.

Ellie Morl: That is good, because there is not a lot of food stored here.

Nyza: Are you safe inside there? No undead with you?

Ellie Morl: We are safe. Too safe, apparently. The monks seem to have figured out a powerful wizard is needed.

Sparta: Yes, they got word to Trevor.

Ellie Morl: That is good.

Ellie Morl: I will spread the word. It should cheer folks up a bit.

Sparta: Good, you just need to hold out one more day.

Ellie Morl: OK.

The image fades from the crystal ball suddenly.

Sparta: Well Nyza, that went well. Who should we call next? T'krosh?

Nyza: Sure, or the others. Oli has so many servants, he can contact everyone quickly.

Sparta: OK, that works.

Nyza tries to conjure up Oliveryn's face in the ball.

Oliveryn is sitting at his desk disgusted with all the mayoral paperwork.

Oliveryn reads the papers on his desk and realizes he hates politics and really wonders if his grandfather is secretly punishing him.

Nyza's voice seems to come out of nowhere.

Nyza: Oli! There is trouble at Rebelton!

Oliveryn looks around wondering if Nyza shrunk herself too small?

Oliveryn: Nyza...is that you?

Oliveryn looks around.

Wintersky collects the twelve most grieveously injured of the group into a small area. She sings, dances, shakes, rattles, and wafts the smoke from sacred herbs.

Nyza: Yep. Me use that crystal ball from the Princess. Sparta and me go to Rebelton today...

Wintersky casts Mass Cure Light Wounds.

Nyza: Not to be melodramatic, but hordes of undead small-folk are eating their way through the population over the last few days.

Oliveryn: Oh yeah...so you look at me through a clear stone. Kind of disarming in away, but OK I will go with it. So, you say there is trouble in Rebelton?

Oliveryn: Small-folk?

Nyza: Yes, not the big-folk. They not live here!

Oliveryn: Wait, so the population was killed, raised again and ordered to eat the living?

Oliveryn: What was left of the living at that point?

Nyza: Hmm, maybe Wintersky would know the eating habits of undead halflings more than Nyza. She is here, as well, to help heal the injured.

Oliveryn: Oh I see...well what can I do for you. I am up to my earlobes in paperwork.

Oliveryn looks down at the table, frowning.

Nyza: We are nice and barricaded inside a building for now, so maybe there is no immediate rush, but can you tell our friends in Troll's Bridge what happen?

Nyza: Or if you are so busy, have Eregard do it?

Nyza: Or failing that, your mom, because she help us lots.

Oliveryn: So you want me to round up the whole gang and come help you get out of some trouble?

Nyza (voice cracking): No, that's not... Wait, do you mean you would not help us if we did need you?

Oliveryn: No...wait...what? Where did you get that idea. You "called" me remember. I will come and help right now, just give me the word, but all you said was to get my mom, not the whole gang.

Sparta: Oli, can you hear me?

Oliveryn: Yes...who is this...Sparta?

Sparta: Yes, Let's start over and pay attention this time.

Sparta: Rebelton is being attacked.

Sparta: We need you and everyone else to come here tomorrow.

Oliveryn: Yeah, I guess this paperwork is making me go less intelligent.

Oliveryn: Tomorrow, not today?

Sparta: Can you gather up Ozi, Legeand, T'krosh and Mask.

Sparta: It's too dangerous to come tonight.

Sparta: Nyza's almost out of spells.

Oliveryn: I see.

Sparta: Tomorrow, she'll pop over to your place and bring everybody back here.

Sparta: Then we go lich hunting.

Oliveryn: OK, sounds good. I will make sure everyone one is here in the estates.

Mask having studied a while wants to check on Wintersky's progress in setting up for making talismans.

Mask goes to her mirror and casts Scrying to find Wintersky.

Oliveryn quickly sorts through the paper to find some blank sheets of parchment and writes out letters to Ozimius, Legeand, T'Krosh, Luanes and Mask.

Wintersky's image comes into view surprisingly surrounded by halflings inside a large hobbit hole.

Wintersky continues though the tennor of her casting changes.

Mask: What in The Mirror? Wintersky?

Wintersky cast Lesser Restoration.

Wintersky finishes her spell and the speaks to the air.

Wintersky: Mask? That you?

Mask: Yes. Where are you?

Wintersky: Rebelton, we need a Mage here.

Mask: Really. What is the problem?

Wintersky: Graedracis the Lich is causing many problems.

Wintersky: Chelsia is helping him.

Mask: Oh. But, it sounds more specific than that.

Wintersky: Come find out.

Oliveryn quickly scribbles out summons for the others and has couriers deliver them post-haste.

Over the course of the day notes are delivered to Ozimius, Legeand, T'Krosh and Luanes to be at Chicdell Manor in the morning. Mask does not appear to be anywhere in town.

Ozimius frowns at the note, but makes a point to be at the estate when needed.

Mask wonders about Rebelton turning away from her mirror and heads to the library in The Floating Tower to do some research.

Legeand: Grumbles over the note and having to ready his gear.

The day in Rebelton passes slowly and tension rises as the sun sets.

Mask finds some ancient dissertation of Aurmax the Astounding, the builder of the tower in Rebelton. She interprets what the monks have also read and realizes she needs to learn Aurmax's formulation of Anti-Magic Field from his library to begin the process of bringing down the wards protecting the tower.

Sparta readies his weapons and arranges to have runners stationed throughout the clanhold.

Mask: Oh well, I guess Shrink Item will have to wait for another day.

Sparta: If any undead make an appearance tonight, he wants to hear about it right away.

Sparta: Then, he settles down to get some rest in order to rearrange his spells in the morning.

Dale Blackfoot: I think we will have enough folks for watches now that Wintersky has healed most of the injured.

Sparta: Why don't we find someplace quiet to spend the night, Dale.

Sparta: You look like you're about to collapse.

Wintersky: Tired from prolonged casting and the halflings in better health, she tries to find a place to rest.

Dale Blackfoot makes sure that Sparta, Nyza and Wintersky find comfortable places to rest before collapsing in her own bed.

Nyza is still a bit on edge today. She decides to sleep underneath one of the beds, finding the low ceiling more comforting.

The next day dawns in Rebelton without any harassment from undead during the night.

Mask uses the teleportation circle in The Floating Tower and arrives in the foyer of Chicdell Manor with a pop.

Nyza greets Wintersky in the morning.

Wintersky: Sparta, Nyza, are they coming?

Nyza: Our friends? Yes, me go pick them up now.

Wintersky: Could I have the ball back?

Nyza rummages through her haversack for a moment.

Nyza: Yep, here it is.

Mask digs through the Portable Hole and retrieves the Staff of Transportation, "This will come in handy if our teleports are not very accurate."

Wintersky: Thanks, I really kind of like having it.

Wintersky: I need to spend the whole day and night casting the Hallow. I hope we have enough time to do it.

Mask: Oli? Has anyone else arrived yet?

Wintersky: I had best get started. I am going to add Death Ward to the ritual.

Legeand: Just make sure your first teleport is right.

Oliveryn comes into the room, dressed in his normal adventuring attire.

Oliveryn: I guess we are waiting for T-Krosh?

T'Krosh walks in, his usual longspear in hand.

T'Krosh: Then, it looks like we are done waiting.

Ozimius strolls into the manor.

Wintersky starts the Hallow spell, using sacred herbs to purify the area.

Mask: So glad to see you, Ozi.

Ozimius nods at Mask with a grin.

Ozimius: Looking good as usual, Mask.

Oliveryn: I suppose now we wait for Nyza or is Mask sending us?

Wintersky ignores everyone else and concentrates on her spell.

Mask tilts her head sideways, looking at Ozi.

Nyza: Sparta, me teleport back to the others. If all is well, Nyza come back very soon; a few minutes at most.

Ozimius: So what is the hold up?

Sparta: Thanks, Nyza, this town would be lost without you.

Mask: I am ready to teleport myself and four others. Do you suppose I should take Sparta and Wintersky's companions?

Nyza: Oh, you exagerate, heh. Mask is going to be the one with the antimagic. Me would bet on it.

Nyza begins casting her Teleport to the Chicdell Manor. It takes no more than a few words of power.

Ozimius: Suit yourself. I can fly if I must. I do not plan on missing out on a good old fashioned slaughter.

Oliveryn notices Nyza appear.

Ozimius grins sidelong at Mask.

Nyza: Teleport

Nyza: 'Morning, all.

Mask: Well, we should be able to do this in one trip.

Legeand: And, now we have another.

Oliveryn: Sounds good.

Mask: Nyza, do you want to teleport people or animals?

Oliveryn readies himself.

Nyza: Um...the animals if me can reach them, like with Ringo.

Ozimius waits impatiently.

Nyza: Thank you for being ready to go, by the way. It is very unnerving, sleeping when undead lurk about outside.

Nyza: So me feel safer when we are all there to fight back.

Mask: If Ringo will let you sit on him, you could touch the other two alright.

Legeand: Nothing suprising with that anymore.

Mask: I guess Oli, Legeand and Ozi are with me.

Ozimius grins.

Oliveryn: Sounds fine by me.

Nyza: You know where to go, Mask?

Mask: Let us try this staff out then. I will aim for the town square.

Mask: That is the place I remember best.

Nyza: Meet you there then.

Mask: OK, boys. Form a circle.

Nyza gathers the beasts together as well as T'Krosh.

Ozimius follows Mask's instructions.

Legeand gets into a circle with the others.

Mask: Whenever you are ready, Oli.

Oliveryn: I am ready.

Mask casts Teleport from the Staff of Transportation, destination town square of Rebelton.

Simultaneously, Nyza and Mask, with crew appear in Rebelton.

Dale Blackfoot: They have arrived! I can see them all in the square.

Dale Blackfoot: No one go firing crossbow bolts at them, alright.

Mask: Not bad. Here we are.

Ozimius: Not bad at all.

Sparta: Yes, they are armed to the teeth and would make mincemeat of anyone who got off a lucky shot.

Sparta walks out of the clanhold to greet his friends.

Legeand: That the Gods it did, I rather not be high up or part of a rock.

Mask: Let me check in with the monks at the tower.

Ozimius wrinkles his nose.

Ozimius: Monks?

Nyza: Rather go out fighting, huh Leggy?

Mask: Yes, the keepers of the wizards tower in this town.

Legeand: Yes, or quietly in my sleep.

Ozimius: You keep your monks.

Ozimius whistles.

Ozimius: Hey! Anyone here?

Sparta: Howdy friends! Thank you for coming so quickly.

Mask strolls towards the wizards tower.

Legeand: That is alive hopefully.

Ozimius: Sparta!

Ozimius: What is going on here? You forget to invite your friends to your little party?

Sparta: I wouldn't call it a party, Ozi.

Ozimius: Speak for yourself.

Ozimius chuckles.

Sparta: Many of my family have died at the hands of The Gaedracis.

Ozimius: Wintersky is here. She can bring them back.

Sparta: Miss 'Sky just barely managed to save my sister last night.

Legeand: So what is the whole story of what is going on out here?

Sparta: I fear it is too late for most of them.

Sparta: Legeand, I have some bad news for you.

Sparta: Chelsia has returned from the dead.

Sparta: She was the one who nearly killed Algoma.

Nyza walks with Mask, watching how she deals with the tower.

Sparta: She has teamed up with Gaedracis the Lich.

Mask: Stepping into the shade of the tower, Mask knocks on the door.

Legeand: Legeand looks a bit grim, "What has she done now?"

Sparta: They've been terrorizing this poor town for the last few days.

Sparta: Killing any who try to stand before them.

Sparta: Two boys in the Riverreeds clan died just a few days ago and it looks like they raised a whole army from the cemetery.

Sparta: Ozi, I think the lich wants his head back.

Voice from Tower: Who is it? There are terrifically powerful wards on the tower. Only enter if you wish to be trapped or can manage to bring them down.

Legeand remains staring at Sparta grimly before turning away and walking back into the town.

Sparta: Legeand, don't go.

Sparta: This isn't your fault.

Legeand: I have nothing to say, Sparta, I am not leaving the town. Just rather not be around people.

Mask: It is Mask of The Floating Tower and Nyza the Flame. The knowledge to bring the wards down resides with us.

Mask looks down at Nyza.

Nyza: Us? But me do not know of antimagic spells.

Nyza: That is how we get inside, yes?

Ozimius: Tell the lich to come get it.

Ozimius chuckles.

Sparta: We're not just people Legeand, we're your firends.

Sparta: We'll get through this together or die trying.

Mask: Just go along with it. You will learn a lot, Nyza.

Legeand: True, but friends can help only so much. She is plaguing me in death and life. I am going to send her back permanently.

Mask unlatches the door and steps into the tower.

Nyza follows slowly, watching for any wards or traps.

Sparta: Yes, she must be laid to rest.

Mask (snickering): I guess I am not undead.

Sparta: But we are more powerful together than apart.

Legeand: Over and over Wintersky and Luanes have done it. She still rises, Sparta.

Sparta: She does, just as my Grandma Zenda does.

Monk of Knowledge: Welcome, Mask of The Floating Tower and Nyza the Flame.

Sparta: But we will find a way.

Mask nods to the monk.

Sparta: She will know peace someday.

Legeand: Legeand looks back at Sparta, "Find a way, I'll be in the town."

Monk of Knowledge: You are known in this town from your exploits last fall.

Sparta looks down, sharing Legeand's pain, hurt that he is unable to console him and has brought him more pain.

Nyza: That makes sense. There must not be many kobolds or masked wizards running around here.

Mask: I understand that I must learn Aurmax the Astounding's formulation of Anti-Magic Field to begin bringing the wards down. Would you please show me to his spellbooks?

Monk of Knowledge: Of course, my lady.

Wintersky is shaking rattles and sprinkling herbs about.

The monk leads Mask and Nyza through the tower where many non-halfling townsfolk sit waiting to be freed.

There are several odd looks from the citizens as the masked wizard and kobold pass.

Sparta turns back to the rest of the party.

Sparta: Well, let's not stand here all day, let's get back to the clanhold.

Sparta: C'mon Ringo, let's go.

Ozimius: Can we fit?

Ozimius laughs out loud.

Nyza: Nyza nods courteously as she walks by, but the sight reminds her how grim the situation is.

Dale Blackfoot: You are welcome to stay in the wizard's tower. It is taller inside.

Ozimius: With the monks?

Sparta looks at Ozi, not amused, still a little upset over Legeand.

Ozimius: Just where are these undead?

Dale Blackfoot: I think Nyza noticed tracks leading east from the town.

Sparta: They'll come soon enough.

Ozimius: You sure? We can follow the tracks.

Sparta: Following tracks is what I do best, but Dale's right. Let's check on Nyza & Mask's progress with the wizards tower.

Mask seems to enter her element as she finds the stacks of the library. She immediately approaches a cabinet full of long, narrow drawers and begins searching through the cards inside.

Sparta: The big-folk there were trapped inside and running low on food.

Ozimius heads to the tower.

Mask: This is amazing. Everything is cataloged. It must have taken decades to do this.

Nyza: Wow...to think Rebelton hide such a big collection. And me think it is just a small farming town...

Mask: It was once a city during the time when Zodyu the Grotesque was mortal and ruled this land.

Ozimius scans the tower, looking for anything interesting to pocket, I mean liberate.

Nyza: It is nice if we can look through it all, but, er, after the undead are destroyed. And after the townsfolk get free so they can eat.

Legeand meanders the town aimlessly, looking at the empty buildings and scowling at shadows.

Wintersky draws glowing symbols and runes in oil around and upon every window and door or doorway. The whole place begins to hum and tingle with the build up of power.

Nyza walks to the cabinet as well and looks for the "Antimagic" section.

Mask appears to find what she is looking for and heads to the next level of the tower. She pulls out an ancient spell tome and gently carries it to a table and opens up to the spell formula for Anti-Magic field.

Ozimius enters the tower.

Ozimius keeps his eyes peeled for anything interesting.

Ozimius spends the day lurking and gets three chances a liberating something. The first attempt garners a pouch of 10 gp, the second a pouch of 5 sp and the third a ring.

The day passes with Wintersky chanting, Mask studying and others wandering, preparing for the worst and such.

Sparta: Well, I don't think we can help Nyza and Mask, what do you say we check out the tracks from the cemetery?

Nyza: Nyza assists in the research as best she can, although magic-from-books is more of Mask's thing.

Sparta: I'd like to get a good look at those tracks in the daylight.

Mask appreciates the help Nyza can give if only to be company at times.

The tracks from the cemetery meander east through town and join up with the dozens of others that track off in that direction.

The tracks are shuffling and stumbling, mainly halfling sized, but there are a few human sized as well.

The tracks seem lighter than one would expect for living people, however.

Several of the ones from the graveyard seem more claw-like or bony.

Night falls once again with tension building. Watches are resumed while Wintersky continues her ritual.

Mask: I got it! I have learn Aurmax's formulation of Anti-Magic Field!

Legeand: As night falls, he makes his way back to the hold, huddling himself near the door with a dark look on his face.

Nyza: Great! When can you begin casting it?

Ozimius sits in a window of the tower, swinging his feet over the edge.

Mask: I will have to make it through the night and prepare it in the morning. Then, I can also start working the other magicks of the tower.

Dale Blackfoot: Lord Chicdell, sir. You are a bard, yes? Can you supply us with some desparately needed cheer tonight?

Oliveryn smiles lightly.

T'Krosh retires to the clanhold hoping his maekrix is alright in the tower.

Oliveryn: I guess it has been a very chilly daily of late, I will be glad to help and cheer up everyone.

Oliveryn takes out his lute and strums softly on it, letting the soft music float over everyone.

The normally celebratory halflings are cheered up by the music, though they cannot find it in themselves to party as they are accustom.

Dale Blackfoot: Thank you, Lord Oliveryn. This is the most relaxed we have been in days.

T'Krosh: And for him too, me think.

Oliveryn nods, still playing to relax everyone.

Sparta: Mighty fine music, enough to soothe the savage soul. Just don't sing the night watch to sleep, Oli.

The tower and the clanhold finally settle for the night with watches now vigilant.

Fortunately, another night passes without the invasion of any undead. The sun rises on Redemption, now better off than the day before as the clanhold is now protected from the depredations of the undead. Wintersky has completed her Hallow.

Wintersky: Tired, but pleased with her work, Wintersky asks for coffee.

Mask rises and prepares spells for the day including her newly learned Anti-Magic Field.

Mask: Let us get these folks freed, so they can begin living in their own homes again.

Nyza: Yep! Although the lich will have to be destroyed first... and the ghost.

Wintersky: Wintersky sips her coffee trying to find the energy to cast a divine stimulant.

Mask busies herself in the library for another hour frantically looking through the catalog and various tomes before walking the spiral staircase to the top of the tower.

Wintersky slow stands and begins chanting once more. Her rattles rattle listlessly, then more strongly as the magic begins to take hold of her.

Wintersky casts Remove Fatigue.

Mask: Starting at the top of the tower, she makes her way downward making adjustments to various symbols placed on each level. When she finally reaches the ground floor, she enters a hallway leading to a cellar and casts Anti-Magic Field and presses her hands on opposite walls of the hallway.

There is a rainbow series of glowing eminations from Mask and then the wall at the end of the hall opens like a door revealing a chamber.

Mask walks into the chamber and stands in a thaumaturgic triangle engraved in the floor.

Wintersky feels and looks much better.

The tower shudders just slightly and a whirring sound is heard from outside the walls of the tower.

Wintersky: Is there breakfast available, I forgot to eat yesterday.

Sparta: Thank you, Miss 'Sky

Sparta: What a silly thing to ask, this is the Mantyson Clanhold.

Sparta claps his hands and calls for breakfast.

Mask: That ought to do it. Anyone who would like to leave the tower should be free to do so.

Sparta: Of course there will be breakfast...

Sparta: ...and second breakfast...

Sparta: ...and elevensies...

Wintersky: Great, I am starving. I could eat a whole herd of elk.

Legeand: And you can skip your meals, we have undead to hunt, Sparta.

Sparta: No good hunting on an empty stomach.

Sparta: Everybody eat, then we hunt.

Several folk tentatively approach the door of the tower and slowly begin to file out. Shortly, a queue forms as those that initially tried to exit the tower enter the sunny grounds around the tower.

Wintersky tucks into the food like she has not eaten for a week.

Legeand: Lightly picks at his meal, obviously absent-minded.

The hungry citizens quickly make there way to their homes and M. T. Bellies is opened within a half-hour to begin feeding folks that find their larders less than desireable after four days of hot weather.

Wintersky: Speaking around the food she is shoveling into her mouth, "I can cast Undead Bane on weapons or arrows, if that will help anyone.

Sparta matches Miss 'Sky bite for bite and forkful for forkful.

Legeand: My weapon will definitely need it.

Sparta: Aye, there will be plenty of undead.

Sparta: I found skeletal tracks leading from the cemetery, east out of town.

Wintersky: "I thought that perhaps you would need Ghost Trap, too," taking a big slurp of tea.

Sparta: How does that work?

Wintersky: Legeand do you think you could fight her again?

Legeand: Yes.

Legeand: I can fight her and I will destory her if she shows.

Wintersky: Turns incorporeal creatures corporeal in a radius around myself.

Nyza: Can we keep her dead this time? And the lich too, for that matter?

Wintersky: Lich, probably not unless we find its phylactery.

Sparta: It's not likely he hid that in town here.

Wintersky: Chelsia? I have not figured out what keeps her here. When that is discovered we can lay her to rest.

Legeand: She has said it time and again; I killed her and she can not rest because of it.

Wintersky: After her fourth platefuls of food, Wintersky slows down enough to stop talking with her mouth full.

Wintersky: That is what she says, but is it what really keeps her here?

Legeand: It is all she can think of, so probably.

Wintersky: She does not want to leave you, she wants you to love her. As long as she thinks that is possible, she stays and manipulates.

Legeand: And sorry to say I can not do such.

Sparta: You can not love her? But, you could love another, no?

Legeand: Glares at Sparta.

Mask walks over to the clanhold and enters.

Mask: Good morning, folks.

Sparta welcomes the opportunity to avoid Legeand's glare.

Sparta: Howdy, Mask, just in time for breakfast!

Nyza: Hello. You do fine work; all the townsfolk get out and can have this fine breakfast.

Wintersky: That is good, now all we have to do is convince her that you will never love her again. You forgive her, but do not love her. She must find her love elsewhere.

Sparta: Ah, but now that they are free, they are no longer protected by the tower either.

Sparta: Sadly, we must finish our meal and take up arms.

Mask: Love is a dangerous thing, but infatuation is worse. Believe me. I know.

Legeand: If that works and she does not rave again...

Wintersky: Legeand you have to move on and find a new love. Then, perhaps Chelsia can find her way to the beyond also.

Wintersky: Legeand is your armor ghost touched?

Legeand: Not that I know of.

Sparta: Mask, if you're hungry, you'd best break your fast quickly.

Mask: Actually the tower will put its wards back up if undead assault the area again. It is a defense that Aurmax devised when he ruled Rebelton to keep his library safe from Zodyu's armies if the got out of hand.

Mask takes some food and retreats to a corner, so she can eat without showing her scarred face to everyone.

Sparta: All the same, we can't leave the townspeople undefended, we should move on the Gaedracis while the sun shines.

Sparta: If even one dies trying to retreat to the tower, it would be too many.

Nyza has been picking at her food sparingly, but at least it is more than the bread and water routine she was on before.

Nyza: So then Mask, the town should be safe while we go out to fight the undead?

Nyza: Or, is it just the tower you mean?

Wintersky: Is it best to go hunting them? The townsfolk are protected here and we have an area to retreat to if needed.

Mask: Should we start scouting the area, then. I can fly for a good part of the day and do some searching. I think Ozi would like to stretch his wings as well.

Mask: They will be safe in the tower, Nyza as long as I am able to return to release them.

Nyza: Maybe Ms. Sky, but suppose the undead do not attack at all? We cannot stay here forever, but the undead can.

Mask: This area has always been plagued by undead, it is just now there is someone directing them. We should try, during the day, to find out where the base of operations is.

Wintersky: True enough.

Mask: What about the ruins we killed Gaedracis Pejorative in?

Nyza: It is to the east.

Sparta rummages through his sack and finds the old map of the Gaedracis strongholds.

Legeand: Maybe he plans to go to his phylactery.

Mask: He would have a stock of bodies within range of it in case we got the best of him.

Legeand: Which explains the undead.

Mask: He would have to keep a few unanimated for his purposes. He could also set up false caches that he could use like traps. We would have to be careful.

Sparta: Spart points at the 'DH,' Pejorative came from here, Zuodeyja, didn't he.

Mask: That seems further south than the ruins we fought Pejorative at; closer to Tanglewood. Maybe the gnoll had a different headquarters.

Mask pulls out a different map of the area.

Mask: The northern X is about where the ruins are.

Mask: Your map indicates a lair at the southern X.

Sparta: Yes, that looks right.

Wintersky: We could try the spell find the path to the lair of Graedracis the Lich.

Wintersky: It will not find beings or objects, but it works for locations.

Mask: That will work if he has not put up protections against it.

Wintersky: True, depends on what his resources are.

Mask: He may also have multiple lairs.

Wintersky: Perhap say current lair.

Mask: What does our master of knowledge think, Oli?

Sparta: Do we care where the lair is? How about the hiding place of Gaedracis' phylactery.

Mask: Got anything knocking around your skull regarding old Seigneaurie Grotesque that might be helpful?

Wintersky: We can not find it that way.

Legeand: Can't find the location of Gaedracis' phylactery's location.

Wintersky: It only find locations and phylacteries are hidden from that kind of magic, Sparta, Legeand.

Legeand: Then we go for his current lair or the area of his lair.

Mask: Ozi, do you have any bright ideas? You have been kind of quiet.

Wintersky: Do you have a one with nature type spell, Sparta, that might detect a concentration of undead?

Sparta: No, that magic is still beyond my skills.

Ozimius: I am wondering if he is attracted to his head enough to come for it. Or if perhaps thru magic you can use the head to learn the location of his phylactery.

Wintersky: I did not know if there was such magic.

Sparta: We could use the crystal ball to taunt the lich with his skull.

Oliveryn, who has been lightly playing all night and day steps into the conversation and looks at Mask's map.

Oliveryn: I remember, a long time ago, a fort that used to be, here, on the map, the bottom X.

Wintersky: Sounds like a good way to go insane to me, but if you want to try it.

Mask: A fort, you say, Oli?

Mask: That could be a good hiding place. I must be practically buried after a thousand years.

Oliveryn: It could be; it has been there for quite a while.

Mask: That also explains the 'DH' on Sparta's map.

Wintersky: DH meaning what?

Mask: Deyja Headquarters?

Sparta: or Hideout

Mask: Like OH might be Oriri...Hideout. Thanks, Sparta.

Wintersky: Could be a lot of old bodies there then.

Mask: A fort of the Seigneaurie Grotesque; almost certainly.

Wintersky: Oli, do you know the history of the fort?

Sparta: Sure thing Mask, when we ransacked CH, it wasn't much more than a shack.

Oliveryn: The fort was a bastion during Zodyu's reign to keep things in check coming out of Tanglewood. He used it to protect his farmers. He was very protective of his own people.

Sparta: I didn't know we lived that close to Zodyu's home.

Mask: And he almost never sacrificed living soldiers, so there are probably a lot of old undead there.

Mask: The Githyanki Fortress was once known as Grotesque's Towers, the capitol of Seigneaurie Grotesque.

Mask: The githyanki rebuilt it after the cataclysm.

Mask: Troll's Bridge is the center of Zodyu's Church now. Cannot get much closer than that; would not want to.

Legeand: Well then, why not have a couple people go follow the tracks and others go and take a look with the teleports?

Legeand: Then meet back here after an hour or two.

Wintersky: Shall I try Find The Path and see if it coincides with the direction of the fort or the foot prints?

Sparta: It can't hurt.

Mask: It is worth a try. We should probably do scouting in a group though, just in case.

Sparta: Who wants to come with me to follow the tracks?

Wintersky: I do not think splitting up forces is a good idea.

Mask: Liches can operate just as well during the day as at night.

Legeand: We are not splitting to fight, we are splitting to search and return.

Mask: The Gaedracis is just waiting to catch one or two of us alone, I am sure.

Wintersky: We could just as easily be splitting to die.

Legeand: Well, if you want, flip a coin on it.

Sparta: I am not ready to die today.

Mask: Teleporting is probably risky too. We may get split up by accident, especially not knowing exactly where we are going.

Wintersky: We can scout, but the party needs to be within rescue range.

Nyza: Right. Unless we are very familiar with the destination, we may end tens or hundreds of miles away.

Mask: A teleporter in each group that can take whoever is along?

Sparta: Then, do we follow the tracks or do we follow Miss 'Sky's spell?

Legeand: Well, if this was not risky in the first place, we would not be here. We would be back in Troll's Bridge.

Mask smirks at Legeand, "Very true, Legeand, very true."

Wintersky: Perhaps they lead the same place.

Sparta: Perhaps, but I prefer the tracks I can see to magic that I can't.

Mask: They might. We could split five-five and see. Stay close to each other and teleport back to Rebelton at the first sign of trouble.

Nyza: Me too, in this case. Divinations can be misled by other spells.

Legeand: We can take an hour to check out the tracks and we can scry on the location to help teleport right?

Legeand: skry*

Wintersky: I can always cast the spell another day the track will not stick around forever.

Nyza: No, scrying works on people, not places.

Legeand: Could we scry on undead or living only?

Nyza: Oh, on The Gaedracis? Yes, that may work.

Legeand: Or his minions. if he has a lot.

Mask: The Gaedracis is a wizard, he will certainly notice scrying sensors and thwart them.

Wintersky: Powerful enities can detect a scry.

Legeand: It is worth a shot even for a glimpse of where, yes?

Mask: Glimpses make for very dangerous assumptions when teleporting. I would rather not.

Nyza: Is it so bad if we walk?

Wintersky: Let us follow the tracks for a time.

Mask: I agree.

Legeand: For now.

Wintersky: Too bad cinder is not here.

Sparta: It's settled then.

Mask: Nyza brought Cinder, did you not, Nyza?

Wintersky: "You brought Cinder! I think I love you!" she whirls Nyza around.

Mask snickers.

Gaedracis the Lich