Wraith King 3

Moonlight

With all this talk of undead and vampires, Moonlight [Chris] went into the Holbein woods to collect natural garlic.

 

The rest of the  day passed quietly, and everyone else (Huilam [Jamie], Tylin [Ian], Madagascar [Darryl], Lammy [Kevin], Grey Wacke [Jeff], Ampersand [Shane], and Argile [Richard])  crossed their fingers, waiting for dark, hoping that Carmilla's pledge (to get the Wraith King to stop sending undead into the city) would hold.

Ronnie [Deacon], Lammy [Kevin] & Dee Dee [Steven] marmaladed.

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Night fell. The group waited a while to see if there was any movement on the streets; any sign of undead. It was quiet, so they ventured outside and looked in the direction of Skull District. Searchlights and fireworks could be seen in the distance - so REAL was still at it. It was ironic that the Undead had the moral high-ground in this case.

So, the whole party (sans Moonlight) headed into Skull district, and to the graveyard, to get a closer look.

Serial disinterment

The forces of the Knives,  with some TGP support, were stationed at the gates of the necropolis and at some of the larger wall-holes of the huge perimeter. They were at stand-offs against groups of REAL troops: paladins, soldiers, militant supporters and hangers-on. But, the necropolis is not a very easy area to defend, and plenty of REAL priests, paladins, et al. had got inside. And they were wreaking havoc in the name of all that is Light and Good. They tore open tombs, broke into mausoleums and dug up graves. Here, they shined REAL's purifying Sunray onto the remains of any interred that they found. Pure and uncorrupted corpses, skeletons, and less-intact remains were fine, but if there was any trace of corruption or undead taint, the remains would be destroyed, utterly - if it didn't try to scurry away.

The Wraith King's sway over the undead was impressive, and the order was absolute, because all the lesser undead encountered (ghouls, ghasts, shadows and below) showed no measure of self-defence. When a nest of them was discovered, they just stayed immobile, only to be destroyed in flashes of light and smoke. The REAL Sunray spell is, after all, the same strength as REAL's light during the day. No undead can withstand that.

The more sentient and powerful of the undead (wights, wraiths, spectres, et al), did make some feeble attempt to escape the forces of Light by burrowing deeper into their tunnels or crypts. But few got away, and they, too, were consumed in the righteous light, fire and zeal of REAL.

The very powerful undead, like the vampires and ghosts, were not seen at all - as expected.

Most-High Priest Igor Lightmouth was there in person, and he seemed to be enjoying himself. But it was noted (by the more learned) that he did not have access to some of the very powerful spells (like Flamestrike). Was this a holy seal of disapproval? Or just par for the course with the fickle and mercurial REAL? Who would know.

Blue-tooth skull comms

After watching massacre for a while, the party returned home. Here, Madagascar dialled up Carmilla with the blue-tooth skull.  He reported that the plan was working, and that the group really did appreciate the Wraith King's efforts in restraining the undead within the graveyard. Carmilla's sarcasm was tangible and scathing, and she did not seem very happy, but she reluctantly accepted the argument that maybe REAL's attacks would lead to greater internal unrest and the eventual overthrow of Igor.

Madagascar and Huilam tried to encourage Carmilla to see if the Wraith King would continue his “truce” for the next night or two, while things came to a head with REAL. She hissed that she would try to assuage him. 

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Tylin, Huilam, Madagascar and Grey Wacke went to visit the Knives at the Scabport Town Council building.  Madagascar went to the busy Night Sergeant, and and wrote a message for the Scabport Town Criers, to put out their anti-REAL propaganda for tomorrow's news: 

"Who'd have thought? Undead hold the moral high ground." 

"The dead's rest violated. Sanctimonious atrocities performed by REAL."

"Goody Two-shoes? More like Goody Jack-boots stomp in your grandmother's grave."

While Madagascar was dealing with the Night Sergeant, Tylin, Huilam and Grey Wacke asked for Lieutenant Chung, and they were shown down a passage beneath the Council Offices that they had never been to before. 

In a chamber, they found Chung and two no-necks. And hanging from ceiling, by her wrists, naked and bleeding, was one of the triumvirate witches Dalila Hornsby (the one that the party captured from Fort Eugor). Chung was lashing her with a scourge. She was sobbing and pleading.

Chung frowned at the group, hurriedly went over to them, and guided them out.

"We better hope," he said. "That our ... guest ... does not remember your faces ..."

But Grey Wacke was too quick for him. Grey rushed back in to the chamber, snatched up a single-tail and started to lash at Dalila. The two no-necks interceded, and frog-marched him back out to Chung.

Chung took them all into a room off the passage.

"I take my hat off to you," he said, happy to change subject. "The undead have stayed in. But, I see, REAL's not playing ball."

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Later in the night, the group got hold of Rita, and they encouraged her and the Anti-War faction to send out priests to survey the undead situation through-out the town, to prove that the undead had, indeed, stayed in. The plan was for them to report their findings back to the rest of the priests in the REAL temple. This was important for the whole PR narrative.

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Canker Priest

The next morning, as soon as it was light, Madagascar and Grey Wacke surreptitiously left the party base and headed to the Elwins warehouse on the party wagon Carte Blanche. They had a dark mission to do and did not want the rest of the group to know. The route was clear, and so the finicky wagon did not play up.

Elrick, an Elder of the Elwins, met them at the entrance to his base. The two had a chest of silver in the wagon which they unloaded for Elrick [ one COIN ]. Elrick went inside and returned with two scrawny half-elf children, roped together, wrists tied, and hooded. They were lifted onto the wagon and secured.

Then Madagascar and Grey Wacke drove to the Canker temple. A Canker guard lead the two unfortunate weeping children away into the awful darkness of the temple interior.

"Your debt is cleared," hissed the hooded priest.

The two returned home, with new stains on their souls.

"Business is business," muttered Madagascar.

"Naughty half-elves," said Grey Wacke.

"Best that Sorrow and Huilam know nothing about this," said Madagascar.

Grey Wacke nodded solemnly.

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Ampersand, inspired by the Town Criers spouting the party's anti-REAL sentiment,  wandered around the town, and collected some renta-crowd mobs, and he guided them to the REAL temple. 

While the party (and Town Crier) narrative of the "mean REAL going against the poor Undead" was good at first blush, it did not hold much water if you thought a bit deeper. Sure, grandma's tomb might be ripped open and her skeletal remains cleansed (or "violated") with REAL light or bathed in holy water. But, isn't that a damn sight better than grandma walking around as a summoned undead corpse, or her rotting body used as the desiccated plaything of some Canker priest or a lustful ghoul? 

Well, luckily for the party, the renta-crowd mobs, the perpetually outraged, and the anti-REAL crowds didn't "think a bit deeper". So, they were quite happy to protest outside the REAL temple, waving placards, chanting slogans "ULM: Undead Lives Matter" "Support your right to keep grand-mother interred", and setting fire to things. 

Also, there was the more pragmatic narrative of "More of us are being eaten by undead than last week, and it's all because of REAL".

The rioting and general mayhem outside the REAL temple gave Rita and the other Anti-War priests (lead by Tier Three Priest Jimmie Sanford) a perfect opportunity and excuse to work upon the vacillating priests. They managed to turn one more Tier Three to their cause early on: Priest Mario Ransom. But their real coup was getting a Tier Two priest, High Priestess Lilli Caswell across to their side. That was enough to give pause to Lightmouth himself.

Rita gave the party another box of six holy water vials.

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Esme was keeping a watchful eye on the Luscious Pixie party jobs board. Charles Denton, of IMAG, contacted them again. So, to humour him, a few Budgie Smugglers went and met with him. He said that IMAG was keen to help the group "in their greatest hour of need". His help consisted of more offers of Arrows of Darkness. They politely said "no".

The rest of the day passed.

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Tylin and Grey Wacke went to graveyard before dark, and secreted themselves near the main gate. There were no substantial forces of REAL, so the only troops present were the Knives. They were all facing outwards, obviously preparing for the arrival of REAL. 

But the REALs did not turn up. That was a good sign.

Night fell.

Almost instantly, streams of lesser undead (skeletons, zombies, shadows, ghouls and ghasts), came

Wraith King

swarming out of the graveyard,  in a big wave, past the Knives (who were surprised, and basically fled), and past the "hidden" Tylin and Grey Wacke, and into the surrounding streets.

 

Madagascar used the blue-tooth skull to talk to Carmilla again. She told him that "my Lord" had decided that there was too much loss last night, and that he would "right the ledger" tonight in an orgy of wanton destruction. Madagascar squeaked like a girl, and pointed out, with a wavering voice, that this would be a bad idea. 

And after much to-ing and fro-ing, and begging and pleading, Carmilla agreed to try and change her lord's mind. The skull-call went dead.

Back at the graveyard, the mass streams of the undead had stopped by now. Tylin and Grey Wacke were about to leave when they noticed that there was more movement in the graveyard. Unlike the first wave, these ones were floating, less corporeal and more horrific undead; the type they had not seen earlier. Two of the foul creatures approached the superbly hidden pair; as if they were not even hidden. The temperature round them dropped, and their breath appeared in clouds of steam. The half-skeletal, half-see-through creatures suddenly launched themselves at the two. Tylin voided his bladder in a spasm of terror, Grey Wacke his bowels, and they both shrunk back deeper into their hidey hole, [Tylin made a Resistance roll] BUT the creatures passed.

Within the hour, the lesser undead, that had streamed out earlier, started to return to the necropolis, in large waves, being shepherded and cajoled by the non-corporeal undead.

When there was a loll in the traffic, Tylin and Grey Wacke left their hiding spot, and headed back to the party lair.

High Emissary Carmilla

The rest of the party, back at base, was planning to head to the REAL temple. They were worried that Igor might have a change-of-heart and launch a late attack after all, and thus they hoped to stop this, if possible. But, when they opened the alley-way door to leave, Carmilla was standing there.

"May I enter?" she asked in her Luln accent. Madagascar nodded meekly.

She sat them all down, and then offered them a phylactery. This was a magical cursed amulet which, if brought close to a REAL priest, would silently absorb and destroy the heart of said priest in the space of minutes.  She suggested that it would be an superb solution to the Igor problem. However, they would need to lure the priest out of the temple grounds because there was no way to get the phylactery past the Temple detectors; it was high magic and evil.

"But you are resourceful," she mused. "Maybe you can get it in."

The majority of the party was not keen to take it, so they said "no" to Carmilla. But Ampersand was happy to take it. After all, he had a black arrow from IMAG, so why not a phylactery from a vampire too? While he didn't promise to use it on a priest, he didn't say no either.

Carmilla saluted them all, and then left.

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Out on Prison Island, Sorrow practiced with his new camouflage cloak, in preparation for collecting the Teleport glass from its hiding place under the prison jetty. El Cid would be act as the spotter for Sorrow when they executed the plan. Once smuggled into the prison, it should be an easy matter of getting the glass to Michael Stringfellow.

The agreed plan was to spring Michael Stringfellow from no earlier than in two more mornings. This would mean, from that point onwards, that the rest of the party would need to man the hired room in the Adventuress & Bugbear 24/7 in case he teleported in.

There was also the matter of not being able to guarantee that Stringfellow would actually agree to use the item. But, they would cross that bridge when they came it it. 

You can lead a leopard to water, but when you want to run it up the flag pole, it can't change its spots.

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The next day dawned. 

Ampersand went out to do some more agitating for his renta-crowds. He wanted to keep the pressure on REAL. He wanted more protests and demonstrations.

The group also had some extensive discussions about snatching the slaves from the Elwins, but no actual plans were made.

Tylin stressed that this would have to occur, but that the Elwins must "never find out it was us!"

But that would need to wait. They just needed to get through another night.