PnP:Liberation of Osoerde Turn Twenty two

Campaigns » PNP:The liberation of Osoerde » PnP:Liberation of Osoerde Turn Twenty two

Dear Rudolph,

Our time aiding Hill's Foot has proven to be as eventful as I expected, and I am happy to report that the instincts that the Velvet Night instilled in me are not dulled by my current assignment. When last I had contacted you, we were getting ready to travel to the barrows near the town in search of the source of a plague of undead on the poor people there. We had gained two new companions, the Lady DeRose and her warrior companion Ilska. It seemed as if they were defending Hill's Foot from the attacks, but something about them had us on guard.

On our journey to the barrows, we discussed the history of the burial mounds and any prominent figures who might have arisen to bring about the nightmare that we were living through. The Lady seemed very knowledgeable about the area even though she claimed to be far from here, and I could tell that William was growing suspicious of her as well. For her, the most likely area to explore was the tomb of legendary twins, a brother and sister, who were once great heroes of this land. She also talked about a staff the sister wielded, a staff of tempests. I know this drew William's attention, but again it seemed that the Lady knew more than she let on.

Upon arriving at the tomb of the twins, we knew that we had the right place. A squad of skeletons backed by more wights stood guard over the barrow, and as we talked tactics a small bead of glowing red magic shot past us and blossomed into a ball of fire that enveloped the undead. It was one of Lady DeRose's spells, and we quickly moved in to destroy what few remained. Her impulsiveness did not aid my opinions of her, but we ventured within nonetheless. A old stone door blocked out path, and William took a look at it and found nothing out of the ordinary. Varg volunteered to open it, and we learned how dangerous this place was. A well hidden set of spears shot out from the walls next to the door, and only Varg's panther-like reflexes kept him from being killed. I examined the mechanisms of the trap, and found a way to disable it allowing us to move forward.

The next room was a place to honor the warriors who fought alongside the twins, four noble knights who were represented by statues. We examined them, but found nothing out of the ordinary about them. But Ilska still knocked the heads off of them with her hammer for good measure. William's special sight discerned magic on the wooden door leading to the tomb proper, and he traced out a hidden glyph that he believed would unleash some form of dangerous magic. We had no means to dispel it, so I volunteered this time to attempt to foil the trap. While the others went back outside the room, I remained within and tried to position myself out of any blast the magic would trigger. Although I know my reflexes are good, they were not fast enough and a searing blast of fire shot out and only my hydra leather saved me from serious burns. Rena healed what she could and we pressed on.

Through the door was the tomb of the twins and the caskets of their guards. The air was still and musty, but there was also a distinct chill to the air in the place. It was no surprise when we felt the chill intensify and several translucent, wispy figures floated out from the tombs. Several were less distinct but clearly matched the statues that Vargas and Ilskra had destroyed. The two that emerged from the main crypts matched the descriptions of the twins, although undeath and rage twisted their forms. What was surprising was when they bellowed at Lady DeRose, accusing her of violating their rest in search of treasure. The suspicions we had about the ladies was confirmed, but to the wraiths we probably appeared to be in league with the tomb robbers.

William pleaded our innocence as the creatures attacked, and we did our best to avoid harming them as we tried to subdue the lady and her companion. The wraithes tore into them, and I don't think I will ever forget Lady DeRose's screams as their insubstantial claws ripped into her. She and Ilskra fell quickly, and thankfully the twins backed off so we could plead our case. In the end William managed to show his right as the Duke proper and we agreed to leave Lady DeRose in their "care." For our honor, they gave the Duke the very staff that DeRose wanted to steal along with a warhammer. William agreed to build a monument commemorating the valor of the twins so they would be remembered. It was a surprising outcome, but I dare not think of Lady DeRose's fate as the tomb was sealed behind us. Until next time, may Eloéle protect your secrets with her shadow.

Harker Graywind