RC's Expedition to Castle Ravenloft IC

[RCgothic]

DM

Ekius

"Do not lose heart, sister. I am certain our brethren still live, and yet, if they have fallen, we shall see that they are properly recovered. Of that, you have my word."

He clasps her on the shoulder to give her courage.

"Tell me of this sunsword. I have heard naught of it before now. By its name, I would guess it a powerful relic of our order, or at least one we should wish to possess in our fight against the darkness."

Ekius gives the vistani no mind. Vistani almost always ping "Evil," but they seldom cause trouble. Though he would have no qualms with putting down evil wherever he finds it, to attack the common man unprovoked simply would not be just.

"As you say, the Sunsword was a legendary artefact of our order, but nobody's seen in it about 150 years. Thendrick came across a rumour that it had last been seen in these lands, but, well, events. We haven't had a chance to track it down yet. Bildrath who runs the shop there reckons Madam Eva would know where to start looking if anyone does. I think Madam Eva's some sort of sage who lives out in the forest, I'm not really sure. I haven't had much chance to ask about it since the zombies appeared!"

Kaylee

Kaylee tries to give Ashlyn an encouraging smile, but the circumstances make it difficult. "I'm sorry to hear about your friends. There is... there is always a chance that they've found a place to hold out. It would be wrong to count them out until we've looked."

She looks to the barricades, then too the inn. "I'm concerned about leaving you here alone. How many villagers are there? Is it unfeasible to relocate them, or take them with us? I don't want to go looking for your allies, only to leave you to the mercy of the undead."

Kaylee's smile only makes the paladin go redder. "This last attack has been by far the hardest. Usually it's a few zombies at a time and if they can't claw through the barriers they lose interest and go elsewhere. It's only that big creature that got them into the square this time. I think I'll be fine. We just need to find the source of this infestation and put a stop to it.

Shota

The young halfling simply stood there cleaning her blade as introductions were made. She shared a look with Sir Cedric but gods know what the non-verbal exchange was about. It seems like both are annoyed with each other for some reason.

With both her swords cleaned off and sheathed, the halfling stands there until suddenly and awkwardly speaking up, "My apologies Kaylee, but It's Sir Cedric. Of Wyndham. He was knighted and as knights go, they really enjoy their titles. Wouldn't want the hubris to die out in such a dire situation."

Ashlyn is swift to acknowledge Cedric's title. "My apologies Cir Cedric."

Sylva calms as the battle settles, approaching and greeting Ashlyn. "I'm glad our help has turned the tide, if only for now. We can try our best to investigate the root of this menace, but I cannot guarantee quick results if the undead continue to put up this much of a fight. I will need some time to replenish and reorganize my magic, and the others will need rest as well. Am I right to assume we are welcome to stay and contribute to the watch and defense until we are ready to head out?"

A moment after Shotas introduction, a look of genuine sadness flashes over Cedrics face. Then he shrugs: "Pompousness, actually. Hubris is thinking yourself equal to the gods. But yes, I do place much more importance on titles and silly protocol than my dashing squire." He bows slightly to the paladin, thus concluding what may be the most awkward introduction in the history of adventuring. "So, it seems like we have two options: we can rush off and try to stab at the heart of this corruption right away, or we can recover and plan before going after it. Assuming whatever is behind this is intelligent, we can assume it will eventually notice the destruction of it's minions and react accordingly, so a quick strike has some merit. On the other hand, it may already have defences prepared, while we did not come prepared to battle a horse of undead, and have used up a significant part of our spells... So, what's everyone's take?"

"If you're offering, I'd really appreciate if someone could stand a watch to let me rest. I... didn't really get any sleep last night." Aliza and Cedric notice a tightening of Ashlyn's jaw as she stifles a yawn with iron willpower, but the effect is slightly undone by the note of pleading in her voice as she glances at Kaylee.