Party 11

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Gimbel nods emphatically.

"You're right, Henjk!! And how often do we even get to SEE something like this!! Let's go!!"

He turns and starts after the undead. Hoping to keep them in sight, he hurries off.

This is going to be awesome!! He thinks. life after death. Absolutely incredible. I wonder how they work. Do they feel?? Are they unthinking beasts?? Do they form small communities where they shun anyone who hasn't shed their mortal coils?? If I die and come back as something like that, can I continue my life (such as it is)?? Could I just get out of my grave and keep doing what I was doing??

Absolutely thrilled to be seeing something as completely out of the ordinary as this, and pondering questions he's never even thought of, Gimbel has completely forgotten anything except following the dead.
 
Aramil waits.

Patiently. Quietly.

The moments drag on as he uses the quiet to assess if there are more of those undead abominations approaching. Even seeing his companions becoming distracted does not tempt Aramil from hiding. He hesitates until he is thoroughly convinced the undead was alone does he reveal his location to his allies.

Stepping out of the fog Aramil says, "You are probably right, Henjk. It is wise to keep both their presence in mind, and an eye out for their interference as we continue... However, it is rather concerning that Lady Morwen did not mention that there were undead working with her husband. Either she failed to mention some very important details, which apparently is indeed not at all unlike her... Or these things are unrelated to our search for her daughter."

With another glance at the road, Aramil turns and asks, "Gimbel, does this road lead towards our destination, or is it like a random stream int he woods; something to cross and only an obstacle?"
 
Gimbel nearly jumps out of his skin at the sight of that damn elf, stepping out of the fog like some kind of smooth talking nightmare. He shrugs. "I don't know much about werewolves. But if they're acting more beastial, like Morwen thinks, they're probably more wolf than human. And I doubt any wolf would camp on the road."

He thinks for a minute, then shakes his head. "No, there's no reason to think that we need to follow the road." He sighs " or the ghosts. unless we really WANT to..." He says with a half smile at Henjk.
 
Nazire nods, quiet for the first time in a long time. Something about the way the skeletal rider looked at them unerved her. She felt a cold fear soak into her bones and she doesn’t even attempt to hide the shudder. Surrounded by her friends, seeing their eager determined faces, she forces a smile and a silent prayer to Bahamut.

“We should follow him, right?” Nazire hglances at where it came from and where it was headed, the faint light growing dimmer. “It...it just looked at us. Like it wanted us to follow it...”
 
Waffeling back and forth about if they should follow the undead or not, Gimbel just doesn't know what to do.

Finally, he decides.

"We might as well follow them. We don't know where The Pack is. They could be to the left, they could be to the right, they could be straight. Stars and stones, for all we know they could've shape shifted into dung beetles and be right beneath our feet. We don't have a clue where we're looking to go. Those things are the first things we've seen. I heard a story once that anybody killed by the Alpha Werewolf turns into a nightmare. Maybe that's what they meant."

Gimbel hadn't ACTUALLY ever heard any such story. But he really, REALLY, wanted to follow the undead. It was just to exciting. He couldn't let the chance just wander on by.
 
Even though that does not sound right to Aramil he has no better solution. He waits for two breaths to see if anyone objects to Gimble's plan, and then speaks up.

Aramil says, "Fine, but we go cautiously. Gimble, lead the way, but you and Nazire stay close to Henjk, and his shield. I will follow quietly from a few paces away. Henjk's slower pace should allow me to keep up while staying out of sight... If anyone has any objections, speak up now..."

EDIT: Readability.
 
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Clapping his hands a couple of times really fast he turns to follow the road Gimbel barely even hears Aramil tell him to be cautious. "Gimbel and the bigs, onward ho!" Gimbels excitement nearly gets the best of him as he sets off controlling his speed through sheer force if will. At a reasonable walk, not rushing but not dilly dallying either. His willpower isn't quite enough to stop himself from humming though.

He does turn his head to look over his shoulder, making sure his friends (or "the bigs" as he tends to think of them) were coming.
 
With what will be the first of many glances seeking out the signs of danger before it finds the small band of adventurers, Aramil fades back into the mists to keep silent watch over his companions.
 
The horse and rider continue onwards along the road, paying no attention to the activity behind them. Following it for a short distance, and trying to ignore the spectral faces that continue to scream silently at you from the mist caught in the lantern light, you discover that the road reaches the edge of the forest at the crest of a hill. Before you is a large plain, bisected by both the road you are on, and a wide river, which intersect before both disappear into the distance. Despite getting lost in the mists earlier, you know that there is no place like this near Daggerford. Wherever you are, it is a long way from where you started.
Also lying on the road, barely visible in what pitiful sunlight manages to push through the overcast skies, is the shadowy silhouette of a village. No lights shine in the windows, and from this distance, it appears deserted.
At this point, the horse and rider turn off the road, and begin travelling along the treeline. You could continue to follow them, but if you do, it will take you away from the road, and the village.
 
Something was definitely not right... Aramil was not a woodsman, but he had been overseeing trade caravans in the Sword Coast region for years. There was no place like this near where the party was supposed to be, and it was unnerving to see the landscape change so drastically. At least there was a village up ahead, and perhaps directions could be had there if it was not as deserted as it appeared to be.

If the village was deserted, perhaps some clue as to their location, and the location of Lady Morwen's daughter, could be found within.

While keeping a vigilant glare about the landscape surrounding them, Aramil absently picked a nettle from the knee of his pants and mused about which of the gods he must have offended enough for them to meddle in his life like this. Aramil had heard of spells that make the land seem unlike what it should; illusions that cloud the mind to ill ends, but this certainly seemed real enough... Even the smells had changed. Aramil had a growing certainty that some bored deity had decided to meddle in his affairs as a way of alleviating its ennui. It was not enough, apparently, that the rest of Aramil's livelihood had been stripped from him, but now some bored god was meddling in his affairs just for some mundane amusement.

Looking at the rest of his companions, Aramil silently hoped they chose to investigate the village for some clue as to where they were, and where they next should go. It was infuriating to be unable to communicate with them while he watched over them, but to come out of hiding now risked too much if the denizens of this place were to become hostile... Of course, there was always the option of just going back the way they had come until they found familiar landmarks, and then seeking the correct path to the trapped Morwen child...
 
When he sees the village, Gimbel gets confused. Knowing there shouldn't be another village around.

"Wha...?? Where are we??"

Barely pausing for a moment before continuing on towards the village. Like a dog with a bone when a squirrel runs past, his attention instantly switches to the newest curiosity. He's so focused on the village that shouldn't be here, he even forgets to check with his companions. Just continuing to hum a little tune to himself as he walks.

Did we teleport?? Was this town teleported?? Maybe we're still only a days walk from Daggerford. Maybe this town pissed off a god and he sent them here. Wait, what if WE pissed somebody off and got sent HERE. Oh oh oh!! Maybe the town's in trouble and somebody brought us here to help.... Or brought the village to us. That seems harder to do. Maybe it was teleported using ritual magic. That would let more than one person cast the spell. With multiple people, using the right lines of power, some incense, candles, precious stones, and the right focai they could've built the power slowly. Building and building. What materials would they have used?? Probably diamonds, they're so pure. Lines of blood. Incense.... Probably sage, sandlewood (I love the smell of sandlewood).....

As usual Gimbels brain doesn't stay on topic and as he wanders towards the town, the bigs in tow (most likely) he breaks down the spell in his head.
 
Approaching the village, you continue to see no signs of life. The windows of each house stare out from pools of blackness. No sound cuts the silence except for mournful sobbing that echoes through the streets from a distance. Nestled among these solemn dwellings are a handful of closed-up shops. Even the tavern is shut tight.
A soft whimpering draws your eye toward a pair of children standing in the middle of an otherwise lifeless street. The older one, a girl of about ten years of age, looks to be trying to comfort the younger boy, who clutches a stuffed doll to his chest. Neither of them seem to have noticed your approach yet.
 
The sight ahead stops Aramil in his tracks.

Were he thinking clearly, were there anyone in the middle of stat street other than children in the most desolate and run down of areas, Aramil would have immediately suspected an ambush. As it was all Aramil could see was his older sister, Eshal, trying to console a young Aramil whose rough, unpainted wooden soldier, his only toy in the world, had just broken... Aramil fixated on the two children, failing to divorce himself from his own memories long enough to look for other dangers.
 
As they walk into town it takes Gimbels awhile to notice how empty the place is. But the creepyness is enough even for him to pick up on.

this place is weird. He thinks to himself. There should be people walking the streets, kids yelling, shop keepers hollering about their goods. None of that. Hmm..... Weird.

He walks over to a shop window, notices the drawn curtains but still tries to peer in hoping to see through a crack. Not noticing anything except some completely ordinary curtains he walks back over to the party. "What do you guys make of all this??"

That's when he notices how quiet his friends are. Naz, always chipper and ready to talk (even more than Gimbel himself); Henjk, and Aramil are all standing there, staring at two kids.

"Hey kids!! Where is everybody??" He shouts at them. Not angrily, just loud. Though he probably didn't need to be. Not like there's a crowd to talk over.
 
Henjk removes his helm, lays down his flail, and walks slowly over to the children. “Is everything ok here?”

Henjk can tell something is wrong. He already knew the answer, but what exactly had happened? He wasn’t sure. The desolate town was a bit eerie although sort of soothing for Henjk. He spent a lot of time alone in small ship quarters so the silence was comforting. He notions to the other members of the party to come closer.
 
At the sound of Gimbel's voice, both children jump. The boy instinctively tries to hide himself behind his sister, doll still clutched toght to his chest. After shushing the boy, the girl turns to you and says, "There's a monster in our house!"
She then points to a tall brick row house that has seen better days. Its windows are dark. It has a gated portico on the ground floor, and the rusty gate is slightly ajar. The houses on either side are abandoned, their windows and doors boarded up.
 
"Hey hey, relax" Gimbels says, stopping his approach next to Henjk and raising his hands. "Stars and stones, kids, we're not gonna hurt you. Now what kind of monster is in your house?? Werewolf?? Some kind of undead, hmm??" Not really sure what else could be around, he names the 2 most recent monsters he's seen.
 
"I don't know. Ma and Pa warned us that there was a monster. And we heard it roaring. But we never saw it."
As the girl talks, Gimbel notices the fog has begun to thicken, to the point where the ends of the street are no longer visible, and all houses except for the children's' one, which you are standing right outside of, are little more than dark silhouettes.
 
Stepping out of the fog, Aramil takes a knee near the two children, about an arms length away. He coughs slightly once to clear his throat in an effort to not sound anything less than firm, and confidant. Aramil's eyes find themselves repeatedly drawn to the small stuffed animal the boy holds.

He words are meant for both of the children, but his tone, and focus seem to center on the young boy. "Child... Where now are your 'Ma and Pa'?" Once they respond to this he follows with another pair questions in his kindest tone (a tone the rest of the party has probably never heard Aramil use), "What are your names, children? You see, we were sent by the Lord of the Land specifically to vanquish monsters, but we need you to be safe while we search out this thing; Do you have somewhere safe to go while we seek out this monster?"
 
Henjk hears the word "monster", readies his shield and waits for Aramil to finish the interaction with the children.
 
Noticing the thickening fog, Gimbel looks around the town. That came out of nowhere He thinks.

Seeing that Aramil is taking the lead on the conversation, kneeling to talk to the children, he takes a few steps off into the fog, trying to see if his eyes can Pierce the fog and see anything. Not being able to, he starts to walk further away, still looking for any other buildings. Or people. Hell, he'd even take spotting horse droppings in the street not seeing anything after a minute he turns back to the group, realizing he can just barely make out his friends and the kids in gloom. Hurrying back over to stand next to Henjk, hoping nobody noticed he almost got lost, he decides thats enough curiosity for now and he should probably pay attention.
 
The boy snivels, hiding behind his sister as she replies to Aramil.
"I'm Rosavalda, and this is Thornbaldt. Ma and Pa are still in the house."
She leans forward, lowering her voice so that only Aramil can hear her.
"I think they been eaten, but I don't want to tell Thorn."
She straightens back up.
"We don't have nowhere else we can go, but we can wait out here until you all get back out."
 
Looking over the home the children had indicated, Aramil then looks for another house that is both separated from that of the children by a few buildings, and not facing any of the windows of their own home that Aramil can see. He then indicates the porch of the most secluded home and says to the children in as guarded a tone as possible, "Go to that porch. Wait there quietly while we go inside. We will come find you to let you know what we have found when we are done investigating....... And describe your parents to us please, so that if we encounter them we will know them for who they are. What do they look like? Are they wearing anything distinctive? How are the rooms arranged in your home" If there is indeed a monster in this home, and it tries to escape out of the house, Aramil does not want these children in its potential lines of sight. If the parents of these children are indeed dead inside the home, Aramil wants to be able to confirm that, or even identify potential hostiles in the home pretending to be the parents of the children.

With a grim face, Aramil listens to the descriptions Rosavalda, and Thornbaldt give of their family and their home. When their description is finished he rises and says to the others in Elven, "Rosavalda believes her parents slain inside. This is likely less of a rescue, and more of a reckoning... Be cautious. Perhaps she is mistaken... Perhaps."
 
"Oh no...." Nazire whispers, looking at the two children. Something about the house set her nerves on edge, and knowing that their parents may be dead inside only seemed to heighten the hairs on the back of her neck. She watches Gimbel move into the fog and nearly disappear within a few steps, I've never seen fog this thick before, she thinks as she watches his barely visible form through squinted eyes.

She bit her lip, as her eyes roved the dark home, "Perhaps someone should stay here with them?" She doesn't like the idea of leaving them alone and scared on the porch - but doesn't want to let her new friends enter the home alone either. Cocking her head, she has no idea what Aramil said, but nods along, her face serious to match what sounded like a serious tone from Aramil.
 
"what??" Gimbel bluntly asks. To anybody else it'd be obvious that Aramil was saying something that he didn't want the children to hear, but Gimbel had no clue. He does lower his voice enough that he hopes the kids don't hear as they head to the porch Aramil indicated before saying "Mil, we're either going to go in there and find nothin, or we're gonna find a couple of bodies. She could be wrong, but we should be careful."

Without realizing it, he basically restated what Aramil had said in elvish. To Nazire, Gimbel says "nah, they'll be fine. There's nobody around, and they were doing fine before we got here. But...." He trails off in thought for a second, before walking over to the children. He says to Rosavalda "Do you know how to use a blade??" He draws a dagger and offers its hilt to the girl.

Seeing her hesitate, Gimbel switches tactics and puts the dagger away, pulling out one of the silver spoons he *cough cough* 'borrowed' from lady Morwen. "Here. It's silver. A whole lotta things don't like silver." Not caring about the confused looks he's getting, Gimbel heads towards the front door, stopping about 10 feet away from it.

He looks back at his friends and says "welp, there's some kind of abomination in there that we should go say hello to, don't chya think??"
 
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