An Infestation of Undead
Caruvial having received a summons to Zilspar on the southern coast of Breland by a Bishop of her Silver Flame, has drawn us into a new adventure. Our handy dandy shopkeeper friend, damnit I forgot his name, introduced us to a new ally, a Valenar Elf looking for some adventure. Some kind of priest. We set out with all due haste to purchase horses and reach Zilspar as quickly as we could.
Kevlamin, Aerdric, Carivial, Thondran and I set out for Zilspar.
Our first day travelling, we were set upon by a band of Satyrs. Some of us caught in the enchanting music of their pipes where helpless. The rest of us set to overcoming our foes. Kevlamin and T.H. lept off their horses and engaged the goat-men. I first had to push Aerdric off the horse, as he was abusing it.
Everything worked out okay, and we bested the goat men in the end.
Some dwarves walked by a little after the attack, as we were examining the gear from the satyrs. I think they were going to try and rob us too. Fortunately for their sake, they walked off.
That night we made the unfortunate choice of camping where a swarm of shocking lizards could find us. The lizards surrounded our camp, and we got away by making an opening in their surrounding ring and tossing food so they would leave us alone.
The rest of our travel was mostly uneventful. We encountered some of the kings men travelling in the opposite direction from us. ( Though now that I think on it, with the king's knights at Randt that are unaccounted for, its possibel that they were one and the same. Perhaps undead disguised in full plate, led by a necromancer in the guise of a knight? Perhaps this was the Elite unit of undead that the intercepted letter indicated was being sent after Bishop Venuviel? And perhaps this is the reason for Von Spear's delay in reaching us in Randt. )
We reached Zilspar for an audience with some Flamer named Von Spear. He had little to say, as he was called away and it was a short meeting. He told us of the trouble two days away, at a town called Randt, where a necromancer, Mardrathil Andrioch, has set up shop, digging up dead townsfolk and causing a lot of trouble.
So the next day we were off to Randt, to investigate. Von Spear would be joining us, seven days after we reached town. We went to investigate at the Coctrice Inn where Spear directed us. We made contact with an ally in the town and learned a little about the happenings, meeting with Captain Mason Andersen, and the town constable Marlin. All amid warnings that the kings men had been asked for help, with just a few Knights showing up, and no sign of them since they arrived.
The necromancer, claiming to be a "True Necromancer", has taken over the cemetary. And over the past 3 months, 30 undead have walked through town and into the sea. Attempts to start cremating the dead, met with a warning from the necromancer that if the town adopted a policy of cremation the town would be destroyed.
15 people from town have also gone missing, with as many as 100 from neighboring Zilspar missing as well.
The Silver Flame suspects the involvement of the Emerald Claw.
The town has some historical catacombs underneath it, with several secret doors, one definitely in the cemetary, that lead to a very old series of chambers or some such thing, underground.
Investigating the cemetary, against adivce from our informant in the town, we found the unusual tomb of a powerful shipping family from a few hundred years ago. The mauseleum is in perfect shape, gated, with a statue and the title of the family ( the ir'droversons ), as well as symbols of olladra of the host, adorning the building. No clues as to how to get in though. The door seems magically locked, with a 3 inch triangular slot by the door that puzzles me still. The necromancer must have some way of coming and going through it though, though we have not seen any undead except the one that walked through town on the first day.
The town has an agreement with the local Sea Devils, through one named Sagrigin-Girk-Ach, but barganing with him would require a heavy bribe, something on the order of 3,000 sharp steel tridents.
Its been sixteen days since we set out from Sharn. And Von Spear has not shown up. We've exhausted our own leads, exploring the temple of the Sovergn Host for its library and clues, looking around town for secret passages, looking in the caretaker's house in the cemetary. Left with no where else to turn, I fear we must focus our efforts on exploring the cemetary in full. Finding some way into the Andrioch's lair is needed, especially as every day dawdling around town gives him more time exploring powerully protected ancient tombs and chambers, as well as amassing a force of more than 300 undead, and more necromancers working for the Blood of Vol or the Emerald Claw. Dark days lie ahead for Randt if Andrioch can't be stopped.
