[GAME] The Ruined Castle

After a half hour of walking, the adventurers came upon the track leading up to the castle. Garf immediately began to walk up it but Leah grabbed his arm and pulled him back. He put his fingers over his mouth then pointed at the ruins. There were two lights in the tower either side of the main gate. "I've been this way before", whispered the Ranger. "No-one has lived at that castle for two hundred years. It's not even a real castle, just an expensive merchant's home made up to look like one". Garf nodded his assent and suggested the two shoud perhaps make their way off the track and approach from the side.

After a few minutes of searching, Garf found a part of the crumbled wall that could be scaled to gain entrance into the castle. After successfully scrambling over the wall he dropped noiselessly into the courtyard of the building. To his right there was an entrance door to a tower. Leah appeared over the wall and dropped down next to him. He nodded towards the door and wordlessly began to make his way over. Briefly stopping to consider a strange rattling noise coming from the blackness of the courtyard, the two made their way to the door. It was at this time that that pesky piece of chainmail once again rattled in Garf's pack, and the two broke into a sprint when the sound of footsteps and rattling came charging in their direction.

Garf spun to see what was chasing them, confused by the lack of a warning or challenging shout from their pursuers. As they grew closer, Garf was horrified to see three terrifying spectrals of the undead coming towards them! Three bone skeletons wearing the remnants of rusted armour, and carrying rust-flecked shortswords charged across the courtyard and slammed into Garf. Leah had made it to the doorway and was inside when he heard the noise. Turning, he came back out of the door as Garf raised his hands to Kord. "Begone thou fould creatures of the twisting netherworld, I command thee!" He shouted at the top of his voice. The undead warriors faltered, and two of them turned and ran back the way they came. The third however looked unphased and spread his bony face into a hideous grimace, raising his shortsword.

Garf parried the blow and landed his mace on the cranium of the horror, sending its bones smashing into the ground at his feet. Quickly recovering, he and Leah ran into the tower and barricaded the door behind them. Treading carefully up the stone steps, they heard once again the curious rattling noise and proceeded silently up the stairs. In a room at the top that in its day may have beeen a pleasant place to study there were two more of the skeletal horrors awaiting them. Garf immediately raised his hands to Kord, but Leah stopped him, "They've nowhere to run to!" he exclaimed, noticing the only exit was the one they had just come up. The two adventurers engaged the onrushing skeletons the old fashioned way, and made relatively short work of them.

They searched their surroundings and recovered some petty gold coins from the rotting carcasses of chests and drawers that were littering the room. The carpet was plush, although very worse for wear, and the fireplace ornate. It seemed Leah was right, this was not a castle after all but a stately home in a state of disrepair. Heaving with exhaustion, both adventurers checked the barricade on the door at the foot of the tower, then headed back upstairs to rest for the night.

[GAME] See where the sewer goes

Leah walked over to a monk that had started to rouse. The man was madly bruised, and was mumbling incoherently. Leah tried to question him. "What were you doing down here?", he demanded. The monk smiled toothlessly and mumbled about the "ruins beyond the lake", indicating that they were "too many", and most chillingly of all, that the master had "been successful". Leah gave him a little tap on his noggin, and he was out again. By this time Garf had finished his devotion and was ready to move on.

The adventurers stepped out of the underground cavern and into the city sewer system. Despite the foul smell, they made their way along the sewers following the flow of the sludge and slime to where they heard it emptying out somewhere. Covering their noses with their gloved hands, Garf and Leah discerned some footprints in the grime of the sewers that headed in the direction of the sound. Shortly coming across a tunnel where the sewage matter was funneled downward, the intrepid adventurers started to pick their way downwards. "You first", said Garf, as Leah lost his footing and slid down the outlet on his backside! The solid floor soon gave way to empty air, and Leah crashed into the lake at the bottom of the tunnel. Garf carefully picked his way down and out into the cloudless cold night.

Freezing and dripping, Leah pulled himself from the lake and took a look around. The city walls loomed up above them, and the lake stretched into inky blackness beyond. Garf muttered something under his breath and wiggled his fingers. Suddenly light as bright as the sun illuminated them and around thirty feet into the distance. Leah started to look around and eventually picked up the trail of the monks that had come this way. "I think there is a ruined castle on the other side of this lake Garf", he said as he dried himself off. "The footprints go that way, we should follow them", came Garf's reply. Leah reluctantly agreed and the pair set off around the lakes edge.

[GAME] We're in trouble now, Garf!

Garf took in his surroundings. He was in a room roughly thirty feet in diameter, in the center of which, carved into the bedrock was an unspeakably arcane symbol that seemed to burn on the floor. To the back of the room was a large altar, underneath which was a small carved pool of molten rock. Two monks were on either side of the room, completely rapt in their devotions not noticing the Cleric at all. It was what was in the centre of the room however that caused Garf to momentarily forget to breathe. A human was in the centre of the arcane symbol wearing the black robes of a dark cleric. The man had a neatly shaven head, and a neatly trimmed goatee, with cold piercing green eyes that bore into the back of Garf's skull. The man did not look angry, rather the hint of victory was about his face as Garf shifted his gaze to behold the thing that stood next to him.

It was fully nine feet tall, built like a dwarven outhouse, the sinews and veins rippling across its muscular body. It had the hint that at one time it might have been a man, but the dark leathery wings that beat in the hot air were most definitely not human. It's terrifying gaze rested on Garf's frozen form, mists of red smoke emanating from its blazing red eyes. The thing opened its mouth and roared at Garf almost deafening him, but also waking him to action. Garf bravely raised his mace and was about to charge when he heard the sounds of a scuffle behind him.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw that Lafayette was still lying prone in the doorway, but two more adventurers were now engaging the monks behind him. Garf briefly wondered where they had come from, but realised it was probably the fleeing guard that had alerted them to the situation down here. They looked to be struggling against the monks though. Suddenly, as Garf turned around to face his demise, there came a blinding flash of light from the centre of the arcane symbol. The force of the spell was so powerful it knocked all but one of the protagonists from their feet. When Garf recovered enough to raise his head and look back at the room, he noted that both the Dark Cleric and the unspeakable horror were gone.

Also getting to his feet was a half elven woodsman, who looked a little worse for wear given his encounter with the monks outside the arcane room. "Well met, I am Leah", he muttered at Garf. Garf nodded his thanks and enquired where the other monks had gone that had run in behind him. Leah pointed at the room, "They ran in there". Garf took off to have a look. There was an opening in the wall that had previously not been there and Leah cautiously poked his head through it. He could not see very far but the stench and the brickwork in there gave it away as the town sewer system. "So what do you think?", asked Leah. Upon receiving no reply, he turned and rolled his eyes at the cleric, who had taken this time to kneel and do his devotions.

[GAME] The tunnels under the Crypt

The unlikely heroes made their way quietly along the roughly hewn passageway. What had been excellently masoned stonework had given way to hastily dug tunnels that descended as they stretched before the pair. On the right hand side a few paces forward, they spotted an opening in the side wall and headed to it. Peeking around the corner, Garf saw three more monks sat around a table talking excitedly. They caught snippets of conversation regarding "the master", and "the invocation", and the "time it takes to perform the ritual", but not a lot of it made sense. They occasionally heard the name "Jintle" mentioned along with "Uther".

After making the universal sign for "quietly!" the pair sneaked past the entrance to the room and continued on past the corridor. It was not long before they heard more voices and found another room to the left this time. Once again, Lafayette looked around the corner and saw three more monks sat around a table discussing much the same subject matter. Candelight on a central table caused their shadows to play and dance on the cavern wall, and once again he looked back at Garf and raised a finger to his lips. Tip-toeing lightly across the entrance Lafayatte continued on. When Garf came to move however, a bracer from his armour came loose in his pack and crashed to the floor. The monks all jumped to their feet as one, and charged out of the room at the sound.

Fist flew as the martial artists began to pummel on their foes. Lafayette struggled with a monk that had grappled him and was trying to drag him to the floor. Garf was about to raise his mace, when he remembered an obscure tactic that had served him well the previous day. Making the symbol for Kord and muttering his prayer, he commanded an obscuring mist of fog to embrace the fight! Lafayette took advantage of the situation and laid the elbow into the face of his attacker as Garf pointlessly swung his mace in the fog. Suddenly, from deeper into the tunnels came a low rumbling sound. Both men felt the ground tremor beneath their feet and they quickly despatched the attackers.

Time was of the essence now, and all thoughts of stealth were forgotten as the adventurers charged down the tunnels towards a closed door guarded by a single monk. Lafayette did not pause for breath as he charge straight into the midriff of the monk. The sound of bare feet running down the passageway behind them gave Garf cause to look behind him and spot four monks closing fast. They needed to get the guard down and get into the room quickly! Garf closed his eyes briefly and prayed for strength. He then charged into the fray. He was just too late! Lafayette had thrown off the guard and got the door open! Garf charged into the room, but as Lafayette tried to follow, the monk guard tripped him and he smashed his face into the doorframe, going down unconscious and blocking the entrance.

[GAME] Into the Crypt

After several failed (and humourous) attempts to scale a rope to the foot of a stained glassed window, Lafayette finally made it onto the ledge. Using a rag, he covered his fist and drove it through the stained glass. Dropping to the floor, he looked up just in time to see a robed figure set off at a pace from the pulpit to the back of the church and disappear down a side passage. Lafayette whispered noisily for Garf to follow. The weight of his armour in its pack weighed the young Cleric down, but he and one of the Guards made it into the church. "He went this way", shouted Lafayette and set off at a charge past the pulpit, neatly hurdling a thin tripwire that bested Garf, who fell flat on his face. Dusting himself off, Garf ran to a closed door where Lafayette was waiting.

"He went in here", said the Ranger. Both men listened at the door and heard a shout. "Tell the master to begin the invocation! We have intruders!". The Guard hefted his axe again, but this time Lafayette was quicker and had the door stoved in with his shoulder in a few second. Garf muttered something about "move silently checks" under his breath, but was unheard.The splintered door was pushed aside to reveal a well built passageway leading downstairs. Listening carefully again they could not hear anything at the foot of the stairs so set off moving silently downwards. This time a little voice inside Lafayette's head questioned the wisdom of moving silently when they had just caved in a door, so the adventurers broke into a run down the steps and straight into the crypt under the church.

Lining either side of the crypt were several well constructed coffins including one that dwarfed the others on the left hand side. Stone columns ensured the roof stayed where it was supposed to, yet standing at the far end of the crypt, and guarding what looked like a freshly dug opening, were two of the robe cladded figures stood silently watching them. The group had no time to consider a plan, as Lafayette fumbled in his pocket for something and set off at a fast pace towards the monks. One of the monks met him halfway and Lafayette crashed a smoke bomb into the man head, creating a cloud of thick dust around the pair. "Go! Go!", shouted the Ranger as he grappled the monk. The Guard took one look at the scene, and without requiring a second invitation shouted, "Ok!" and ran back up the stairs out of the crypt.

Garf and Lafayette found themselves battling the monks alone, but were able to overcome the threat with weapons superiority. After the monks had been downed, Garf proceeded through the opening in the way and began to look around. Lafayette stopped and took a closer look at the large stone tomb. He noted with some distaste that the lid had been slidden back and body had disappeared. Inside the tomb were the items the man had been buried with including the biggest mace Lafayette had ever scene, and some enormous plate armour. Lafayette removed the items while Garf had his back to him ahead, and after a brief wrestle with his conscience decided to come back and "recover" them at a later point.

[GAME] All not well in Weddenvale

Lafayette was still grumbling as the cart made its way through the town gates of Weddenvale. Garf was looking around at his new parish. The buildings looked to be well constructed, yet they were starting to show signs of disrepair. Citizens of the town, their cloaks pulled tight against the morning snow, hurried about their business without looking up at the travelling party entering the town. The spire of the Church of St Cuthbert rose high above the other buildings, and the small party picked their way through cobbled streets towards it. The snow continued to fall as the adventurers entered the cathedral square and Garf looked up at his new charge, awe in his eyes at the sheer majesty of the structure. However, the church too was showing signs that it was falling into disrepair, and Garf smiled as he imagined the poster with the large thermometer he could attach to the spire.

Taking another look, Garf shifted in his seat. "Why are the doors closed to the people, Guard?", he asked the driver of the cart. The man shrugged in reply, "I dunno father. Brother Grimes always kept them open to the poor when the weather turned. Lord Blenheim would have it no other way". Garf shrugged and dismounted his horse, making his way to the doorway. Looking up, he saw carved into the wood a symbol of some religious significance. He frowned and turned back to the Guard. "How long has this symbol been here?" He asked the Guard. "Have to say I don't know Father, I spend all of me days down working the docks". Garf stopped a hurrying passer by and asked of him the same question. "Since the new cleric got here", came the terse reply as the man scurried off into the snow. Garf furrowed his brow in a confused manner.

Lafayette chuckled to himself. "Looks like someone got here before you brother Garf", he smiled. Garf ignored him and went back to the symbol over the door. He knew that he had seen it before, but was having trouble placing it. One of the Dock Guards hefted his axe, and Garf nodded to him. Lafayette craned his neck to have a look. "Let me out of here Guard, I might be able to help", he tried, as the Dock Guard slammed his axe into the door in an attempt to open it. The axe just bounced off, with the door having not so much as a scratch on it. Garf snapped his fingers together. "I've got it! That is the symbol of Nerull, God ... ", "Death...", finished Lafayette for him, "I've seen it before". Both guards looked at Lafayette. "Look I can help out here, let me out of this cage". Lafayette was at his most persuasive, and finally the Guards relented.

[GAME] Journey to Weddenvale

The cart bounced along, making all the aching bones in Lafayette's body remind him of yesterdays exertions. "Can't you drive this thing in a straight line?!", he shouted at the driver, who did not reply, just found another boulder in the road and promptly steered the cart over it, to more angry shouts from the cage on the back. Garf pulled his robe closer up around his neck as the north wind bit into him. Despite the icy conditions, and the brief hiccup with the Dock Guards, Garf was pleased to be on his way to take up his post in Weddenvale. He knew little about St Cuthbert, whose Church he would be pastoring, but enough to know St Cuthbert was on the side of the righteous, and that suited Garf just fine.

The weak sun slowly swept out its low arc across the sky and began to set. The Dock Guard next to the driver suggested making camp for the night, it being a two day journey from Blenheim docks to Weddenvale, and Garf and the driver readily agreed (everyone ignored Lafayette's opinion). After searching out some firewood and getting the fire lit, the three set to cooking an evening meal. Lafayette continued to protest that with his feet manacled, there was no way he could run off, and could they just let him out to take his meal by the fire. It was starting to get very cold indeed. After an hour of persistent complaining, and with a little nudge from Brother Garf, Lafayette was released from the cage and permitted to take his meal nearer to the campfire.

Suitably satiated, the small company drew lots for the night watches, and Garf and Lafayette found themselves on first watch. Taking a few paces back from the fire and into the cold woods, they allowed their eyes to adjust to the dark and settled back against a couple of boulders to keep watch. Neither spoke much, preferring to keep their cowls over their faces against the biting cold. The wind had died down, but had not taken the freezing chill with it, and the unlikely companions shivered as they watched the gently swaying trees cast moonlit shadows all about them.

There came a small noise from somewhere out in the forest and both men strained their eyes to see into the dark. Something moved out in the bushes, drawn towards the fire of the camp. Lafayette got slowly to his feet and drew a dagger from somewhere the Dock Guards hadn't searched. Garf drew his mace and also got up quietly. They stalked the creature for several minutes as it made its way towards the camp, then with astonishing speed it struck at them! A badger, the size of which Garf had never seen before, launched it's dripping fangs at Lafayette with surprising pace. Lafayette parried the attack, while Garf swung his mace, connecting with the dire badgers flank. The creature roared in anger and turned to face his attacker, as the two Guards came rushing into the clearing, swords drawn. The creatures eyes blazed red as it charged and parried the swords that the party flashed its way, but the adventurers were too strong and after a brief but hectic fight, they were able to bring the creature down. Panting, the four men returned to the safety and warmth of the fire, and settled down to a restless, sleep deprived night.

[GAME] Incarceration!

Lafayette groaned again as he shifted his position on the wooden slab they referred to as a "bed". Garf was sitting in the next cell, quietly doing his devotions. "Hey cleric!", muttered Lafayette. Garf did not look up. "Cleric!", he mumbled again. "You got us into this mess, how about you get us out of it". A half eaten chicken drumstick entered the cell and bounced off Lafayette's sore head. "Keep yer noise down, filth!" shouted a guard, whose comrades death he had evidently not yet forgiven Lafayette for.

Garf opened his eyes and made the symbol of Kord with his fingers. The guard approached. "Cleric, " he said, "Warden wants to see ya". Unlocking the door, the guard opened it and Garf stepped up and walked out. "Put in a good word for me", muttered Lafayette, scrabbling around for the drumstick. Garf was about to answer when from nowhere a small voice advised him not to help the man. Looking behind him, but seeing no-one, Garf shrugged and continued to trudge along behind the Guard on the way to the Warden's office.

"So who are you?", demanded Warden Chiles. His angry demeanour was nto reserved for Lafayette alone. He had lost a good man already that day and regarded Garf with a deep suspicion. Garf swallowed. "I-I'm the new man at the Church in Weddenvale. I was sent by the Monastery of Kord in Stormkeep.". The Warden's expression immediately softened. "You'll be taking up ol' Brother Grimes' post?", Garf nodded. "Well I'll miss the ol' fella, he was very good to us all.". Garf inclined his head politely, "I shall endeavour to do the same Warden!". "Good good", came the reply, "I'll arrange transport for you and the prisoner up into Weddenvale. He needs to see the Magistrate up there anyway". Garf opened his mouth to speak up on Lafayette's behalf, but once again the small voice warned him not to. He looked again behind his shoulder, ignoring the Wardens curious glance, then shrugged it off. "That'll be delightful Warden Chiles, thankyou".

From the cells there came a crash, the second in the last ten minutes. Garf walked past Lafayette's cell to see him nursing a badly bruised shoulder. He shook his head at the man. "Why did you do it?", asked the Cleric. Lafayette grunted. "Self defence I tell ya, never meant to kill nobody". Garf shook his head sadly. "Well tomorrow you are being taken to the Magistrate in Weddenvale". Lafayette shrugged. "Whatever", he muttered and lay down to get some sleep.

Prologue

For Brother Garf it had all seemed like a wondrous idea. In charge of his first church! But as the ship came to a standstill at the dockside, and the frigid wind blew through his clerical vestments, his enthusiasm was dampened slightly. The voyage to Alesia had taken several weeks from the warmer climes Garf was used to, and the icy conditions snapped at his extremities as he disembarked with his belongings onto the dockside. Scanning up and down the dock, he noted the two taverns - the larger, salubrious Tam O Shanter, and the less than respectable looking tavern, The Old Sea Dog. Hefting his pack over his shoulder, he trudged across the windswept dock in to the Tam O Shanter, in search of a room and a ride into Weddenvale.

As the moon began to set, and the sun began to rise, Lafayette carefully picked his way between the merchant tent pegs. He had narrowly avoided capture, and despite the loss of his favourite dog, was relatively unscathed after his ordeal. Perhaps killing the halfling had not been the brightest idea, but the idiot had stolen from him. Tripping over another tent peg, he cursed as he stubbed his toe painfully into the ground. Grumbling under his breath he selected a suitable tent and made his way across to it. Lafayette stepped gingerly inside the tent only to trip over its sleeping occupant. Awaking with a start, the man cried sharply for help before Lafayette could clamp a hand down over his mouth.

Rising early the next morning, and suitably rested after a good nights sleep, Garf slung his pack once more over his shoulder and set off towards the merchant tents in search of a ride into town. He had walked for around five minutes when a small contingent of the town guard hurtled past him on their way to the merchant area. Intrigued, Garf followed as quickly as he could without drawing attention to himself, and arriving at the scene saw a tall human engaged in a struggle with three of the guards and a scantily clad, yet rather portly, merchant. Seizing upon the opportunity to serve, Garf muttered a whispered prayer, dropped his belongings on the ground and proceeded towards the fracas with all haste.

Lafayette pulled a dagger from his boot as a town guard lunged at him with his sword. Stepping deftly aside and raising the weapon, he slipped it firmly between the ribs of his attacker, killing him instantly. The other two guards saw their comrade fall and bellowed battle cries as they set about Lafayette, hacking and slicing with their swords. Lafayette stumbled backwards, then widened his eyes as a cleric came wading into the fight with an enthusiastic expression yelling, "Can't we all be friends!". Lafayette had just a few moments to ponder the absurdity of the scene when the cleric muttered a few words, waved a hand or two, and encased the entire area in thick fog.

As the dust settled around the scene, Lafayette found himself in manacles. One of the guards had got in a lucky hit and his head hurt, his vision blurred, and he felt nauseous as he was roughly dragged to his feet. In a haze, he barely noticed the cleric, whose name he had gathered was Garf, was unharmed but also in manacles.