Letters from Trilith The Northern Menace #19

 

Welcome to The Northern Menace Adventure – Letters from Trilith! Join us as we adventure through the Northern Reach, through the eyes of our Wizard, Trilith, as we continue our adventure! Click here to read the backstories of the party! 

 

Oathday, 26th of Rainmoot, 1267

Report to the High Magus Rurik Vikstrom

Master,

It appears that the island is no longer sleeping, and the Enemy has brought the battle to us. I can only imagine that this is the opening salvo of a larger war.

We had just destroyed the zombies we discovered on the road, when Quenya came in a rush from the direction of Relgard saying “Dead, dead, dead” and repeating it over and over. Fear for the residents of Relgard brought my heart into my throat. But Robi, being cautious, gave Geldion a little healing before we hurried to face the new threat.

The storm broke as we mounted up and rushed toward the town. Bells began to ring very close by. I sent Quenya up to see where our enemies were thickest.

We saw the shrine appear through the lightning, thunder, and rain coming down. And we saw a crowd of zombies who seemed to have walked out of the ocean, judging by the seaweed dangling from them, and were headed toward town. Among them was an ogre zombie. Folks from town lined up to protect the entrance to the town with the watchtower bell ringing above them.

I sent Quenya to see if there were any of the dead already in the town. Then we hastily laid plans to pick off the ones in the back as they moved away from us.

I summoned a Celestial Riding Dog that appeared and seemed to shimmer in the rain. Antinua shot at the last one in the back from horseback. It stumbled and fell motionless.

My dog ran up but couldn’t attack. I launched a bolt at the last zombie now and the bolt hit home.

Robi gave Geldion a nod to go ahead. Geldion moved up next to me, held up his mace and his holy symbol. “By the power and light of Pelor and the strength of my faith bla bla bla…” A wave of positive energy rippled the rain before us. Five of them turn to dust and were washed from the field. That left 6 plus the zombie ogre who turned toward us.

Robi rode up and loosed a javelin at the ogre. It looked fantastic, but didn’t do a lot.

Antinua moved forward and shot a magical arrow into the ogre. The arrow burned a hole in his chest and he screamed in anger and pain. The next arrow hit as well.

A zombie and my dog traded ineffectual attacks.

Quenya told me there was a man under a tree nearby in robes with a skull headed staff. I guessed that he was the necromancer who was calling forth the zombies. We’d never win without taking him out. I rode toward him and blasted him with a scorching ray.

“You wench!” he yelled. He Magic Missiled me with 4 missiles and I cried out in pain. I have to say, I much prefer to be on the giving end of that spell. I would not have survived another round of missiles like that. I suppose it’s good to know exactly what it feels like to get hit with that spell, but it was painfully won knowledge.

While the dog kept a number of zombies busy, the ogre lumbered up to Geldion, Robi and Antinua and punched Geldion’s horse in the head. The horse reared back throwing Geldion off as it bolted away. I can’t say that I blame it.

One of the zombies tried to grab me and pull me off my horse, but, thank Baccob, it slipped in the mud.

Geldion jumped up. The ogre hit him as he drew back his mace, but still the flaming mace managed to hit the creature who cried out in pain. Robi, on his charger, launched toward the ogre with his lance lowered. He drove his lance into its chest ripping out ribs and flesh, but the beast was incredibly tough.

I heard the celestial dog yelp in pain as it fought a handful of zombies. Antinua shot another arrow into the ogre’s gut and it glared at her. Geldion dodged another zombie.

The dog wasn’t looking long for this world, quite literally, but he’d done good service and kept most of the zombie busy. I rode my horse away from the zombie trying to grab me and downed one of my healing potions. I wouldn’t do anyone any good dead. I tried to get eyes on the necromancer as the zombie tried feebly to chase me.

Geldion did another turn, rippling the rain with energy and destroying all the zombies but the ogre. Robi swung at the ogre futilely.

Then, yet more zombies walked out of the water. I gritted my teeth, determined to get rid of this necromancer before he could call forth more.

Antinua shot at the ogre again with her magical bow. Positive energy sunk into its eye socket. The ground shook as it collapsed to earth. Her second shot plugged another zombie which staggered and burned from the positive energy.

I rode up to the tree where I’d seen my enemy to Burning Hands the necromancer, only to find he had turned invisible and run off. But here the rain was in my favor. I could spot a vacant spot in the air where the rain hit him. I tried to Magic Missile him (very conscious that he had 4 missiles to my 2) but I couldn’t hit. He must have had a Shield spell going. I tried to keep track of him as he moved off and I yelled to my friends to focus on the necromancer who was headed north. If we couldn’t stop him, we might be fighting zombies all night.

Geldion moved up to the new set of zombies and called on Pelor again to turn them. Five of them turned to mud and a zombie bugbear ran back into the water. Geldion gave Robi a grin – which seemed premature to me.

Antinua pointed out a longboat out on the water. I assume that the necromancer had brought the zombies to our shore on the boat. Or at least most of the way. They seemed to have walked the last bit.

Robi, heeding my call, headed north and spotted the necromancer’s outline in the rain. He charged at the man, sword raised. As Antinua said, “Partially resist that, motherfucker!” My friend does have a saucy tongue on her. Robi’s swing caught him through the middle and parts of him flew in different directions. I cheered, as did the others.

But we didn’t have long to celebrate. Our day wasn’t over yet. Four more zombies lurched toward Robi from the north.

More once the battle is won.

Your servant,

Trilith

 

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